Favorite Whiskey?

Is this defiling a decent whiskey or am I in the clear? Should I be drawn and quartered, or just put in shackles for a week? I mixed Buffalo Trace with Coke.

 

It's not expensive enough for draw and quartering, but maybe chemical castration. Lol

 

I’m going to have to try that. Have an almost full bottle sitting here.

 

It's pretty good. Just don't do too much Coke or you drown out the taste of the whiskey

 

I drink it neat or with a small cube of ice. The monkey anyway. I get what your saying. It does seem to lack a signature flavor to me as well. It's just a clean smooth scotch. It has its place to mix up all the heavy drinkers. Good change of pace for me.

I mean, I've been a solid old no 7 drinker for long as I can remember. I'm new to the game of mixing it up. But I'm enjoying trying all the recommendations. It's yet another expensive hobby

 

For me too, I'd like to try a few Scotch recommendations.

What would be a good sampler for someone into Bourbon, like I said, rye'ish, 100 proof, etc?

I'm not even clear on the peat process.

 

WhistlePig 10 is my favorite rye but it's spendy. My 2nd favorite is more affordable - Pikesville rye. It's high proof so I add some water and let it sit for a few minutes. It can be too hot for some. Michters, Old Overholt or Rittenhouse are good and affordable.

Scotch - so many choices. Two safe bets would be Oban 14 or Macallan 12 sherry cask. I just had Dalwhinnie 15 for the first time at a steak house in New Orleans and that will be the next bottle I buy.

 

Do you drink Scotch neat?

 

I started in scotch with just grabbing random recommended bottles. It does stand true to start cheaper and work your way up. For standard stuff, a 15 year is better than a 12 year and it's hard to go back down. In my findings anyway.

Then there is single malt vs blended. I like both. Really depends on which one. Macallen is a great one. The 12 year Sherry Carl recommended is good. I've had the 21 year too. If it were affordable, if drink that often...

As for neat or ice or water... Start neat. Add a few drops of water. Then progress to cubes. If chilled is your style, keep a couple glasses in freezer. Easier to add water than take it away. That seems to be the wisdom I've come across.

@bvbull200

Soon I'll start delving into the Japanese whiskey market.

 

I add water. The amount depends on what I'm drinking. Scotch at 80 proof would be a few drops only. 110 proof rye will get more. When I try a new bottle I add a few, try it and change as needed. If you google adding water to whiskey you'll find a lot of information on the science of why it improves the flavor.

I don't like ice in mine; it's melting constantly changes the ratio (and flavor) to the point it's watered out the flavor. Adding drops until you get the taste you want, then use the same going forward, yields the best results IMHO. Of course, I'm also fairly new to decent whiskey so I'm still learning...

 

I just got into Pikesville. I've been into Rittenhouse for a while, and one of the guys at the liquor store recommended Pikesville. Good stuff!

 

I hear you.
I'm actually figuring out that ice to whiskey ratio. I have one big ice cube

$14 Ticent Large Ice-Cube-Tray Silicone Ice-Cube-Mold 2" Ice Cubes for Whiskey and Cocktail, Pack of 2

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HPFLMZE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1, and I find that if I pour around one inch, that I finish it before it waters down. There's a little mellowing from first sip to last, but I like the change it goes through.

 

I might rib someone from time to time, but frankly, I'm of the belief that, when it comes to whiskey, you like what you like and you like to drink it the way you like to drink it - nothing wrong with that.

I think most sherry cask aged scotch would be a good place to start. They tend to be a tad sweeter they way bourbon is, though with more dried fruit or floral notes (painting with a broad brush anyways).

@916carl made some great recommendations, which I second, but I'll throw a couple others out there to supplement his suggestion.

Balvenie 14 Year Caribbean Cask - It is finished in ex-rum casks and picks up a bit of that creamy richness.

Glenmorangie 10 Year - This is still a very standard scotch flavor, but should be a slightly more enhanced version of that Monkey Shoulder. Nothing too bold, but a classic scotch taste. It's a go to for most of my buddies to 'reset' the palate after going off on something more extreme.

Compass Box Spice Tree - Fairly inexpensive, layered flavors, rich spiciness, and a cool backstory. This might tend towards the rye drinker, but plenty of vanilla sweetness for a bourbon fan.

Hell, I'd recommend just starting to buy all the Compass Box stuff. So many different expressions that cover the entire spectrum of scotch flavors. About half of my current scotch stash is Compass Box.

I did just recently get a bottle of Glenlivet Nadurra Batch FF0915. It is fantastic and I can almost guarantee you a bourbon lover would really like this. It has a slight peat influence to it, too, to introduce you to that.

Speaking of peat... In the production of whiskey, the germination of the barley eventually gets halted at a certain point. This is done by heating up and smoking it, resulting in the malt used for fermentation.

With peated scotch, the heat and smoke is produced by burning peat moss, which is very distinctive in smell. That distinct profile leaves a heavy mark on the malt. The resulting flavor note in the scotch is often described as tasting like iodine, a bandaid, bacon grease, or ash, which doesn't sound desirable, but can come off so absolutely delightful when done right.

A drop of water will release any water soluble chemicals in the whiskey that might otherwise be trapped. This effect can happen on your palate, too, if you "chew" the whiskey and let it interact with your saliva. Some drams benefit from getting the drop added to the glass straight away, though. High proof stuff can have a little of that razor's edge on the front end dulled (but where is the fun in that? ).

Chilling the whiskey will dull the flavor a bit, which may not be a bad thing for some whiskies, but it does mean that you're trying a restrained version of the whiskey. It goes a long way towards delivering a "smoothness", though, and is why a whiskey with a cube of ice can be such a fine way to sit back and relax.

For Japanese, I saw a bottle of Hibiki Japanese Harmony Master's Select in the duty free shop on the way over here. 100 Euros. Read up and tell me if I need to look for a bottle on the way home.

 

All truth be told, I'm actually not 100% into the glencairn design we have going. I do have a six pack of unmarked glencairns on the way though. I'm not a neat drinker yet, however I have settled down to just ice. I think it's the chilled aspect more than the watered down point of view/taste. I still find the chilled pour more enjoyable. I think it's the cold, thicker viscosity that appeals to me.

Ok, so when I started bourbon, it was Jim Beam extra aged, to Buffalo Trace, to Eagle Rare, to Four Roses single barrel, etc. I've gotten comfortable with OGD 114, Baker's, etc.


Scotch. I don't want to start right out with an $80 bottle. I'll have nothing to compare it to. So I guess like my bourbon progression, I need to start out a little lower and build it up.

The recommendations I see so far are: Oban 14, Macallan 12, Dalwhinnie 15. Balvanie 14, Glenmorangie 10, and Compass Box everything lol.
Ugh. Just a bit overwhelming.
Bunch of names that mean nothing to a Bourbon simpleton. Hmm, not sure where exactly to start next, but I'll start looking for those names at the store.

 

I take it neat. I usually fall on Glenlivet12, and enjoy Glenfiddich 12 as well. Oban 14 is good as well. I'm not able to offer flavor profiles, but I can tell you what I know I like. Have fun trying all these different whiskies!

 

What's the most recent design we have? I'm down for suggestions!

@tcBob , any word on TWWC being a thing we can do?

 

Stay away from Old Overholt... just about undrinkable imo

 

Couldn't help myself. Figured my Blantons horse could use some company. Time will tell if it's a worthy companion.

 

Bourbon = Woodford Double Oak, also like 4 Rose and Angel's Envy

Scotch = Balvenie 14 Year Caribbean Cask - It is finished in ex-rum casks and picks up a bit of that creamy richness, maybe because I been drinking rum for a long time

 

Time for another try of this. Better after sitting open a couple weeks. Still not $90 good though

And my whiskey glass... May or may not be a Costco tiramisu cup

Pretty good little glass