Whiskey

[woodguy]

While I am not an expert, I do enjoy this drink.

I am Scottish/Canadian though, so I do have strong opinions on the subject.

1) Must be drunk either a) neat, b) on the rocks (my fav), or c) with waterback

If you add anything besides water or chilled/frozen water to whiskey, you might as well buy those sugary pansy drinks/coolers.

Adding sugar to good whiskey is a crime.

If you cannot stomach the taste of a whiskey unless you add a sugary pop-like substance, then you probably shouldn't be drinking that whiskey.

There is one good American Whiskey with which I am familiar, that being Jack Daniel's. In fact, my enjoyment of said product is what spurred me to write this.

A lot of American Burboun's are tough to drink, very sugary and heavy (i.e Wild Turkey)

Keep your whiskey in the freezer. It won't freeze and all hard alcohol is best served cold. (see Gin/BombaySaphire/cold=heaven)

There is no really good Canadian Whiskey except Schenley's OFC, which is not available outside of Canada.

The Scottish and the Irish produce the best whiskey on the planet, bar none.

My current favorites are: Bushmill's (Irish) and Oban's (Scottish).

Drinking Whiskey and water all night produces very little hangover given the level of intoxication experienced, especially compared to anything containing sugar (including/especially beer)

Again, I am no expert, but my bloody lord whiskey is goot.

Regards,
Woodguy

[Bigdaddydvo]

Maker's Mark is my favorite semi-premium bourbon.

[woodguy]

What is the difference between bourbon and whiskey?

Regards,
Woodguy

[Bigdaddydvo]

bourbon is whiskey but not all whiskey is bourbon.

Has to do with the malts used I think. I'll google it later.

[HtotheNootch]

[ QUOTE ]
What is the difference between bourbon and whiskey?

Regards,
Woodguy

[/ QUOTE ]

Bourbon is a style of whiskey. Legally it can only be made in Kentucky (thus Jack Daniel's which many confuse with bourbon is Tennessee whiskey), and must contain at least 51%. It is then aged in charred oak barrels which give it the color and smokey flavor. Due to the corn it is also sweeter than many other types of whiskey.

[dawade]

Jack Daniels is made about an hour from my town in Lynchburg, Tennessee.

And get this, Lynchburg is a dry county meaning no one can buy/sell alcohol anywhere in that county!

[itsmesteve]

Oban is absolutely fantastic! I like Dewars as well. I wish I knew more about scotch/whiskey/bourbon, but i certainly like it.

side note about jack daniels, its filtered with charcoal, which they make themselves, using the whiskey as an accelerant to burn the wood.

[The Goober]

[ QUOTE ]
Keep your whiskey in the freezer. It won't freeze and all hard alcohol is best served cold. (see Gin/BombaySaphire/cold=heaven)

[/ QUOTE ]

You are wrong about this. Putting a good scotch (scotch is another type of whiskey, fyi) in the freezer is a crime, as is drinking it on the rocks. If you are going to shell out for a decent single-malt (Oban would fall into this category), drink it neat or with a little bit of water, but at room temp. Making it cold masks the flavor.

[woodguy]

[ QUOTE ]
And get this, Lynchburg is a dry county meaning no one can buy/sell alcohol anywhere in that county!

[/ QUOTE ]

The better the "chance" that you wake up sober, the greater the chance of being employed.

Regaards,
Woodguy

[Rhone]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What is the difference between bourbon and whiskey?

Regards,
Woodguy

[/ QUOTE ]

Bourbon is a style of whiskey. Legally it can only be made in Kentucky (thus Jack Daniel's which many confuse with bourbon is Tennessee whiskey), and must contain at least 51%. It is then aged in charred oak barrels which give it the color and smokey flavor. Due to the corn it is also sweeter than many other types of whiskey.

[/ QUOTE ]

51% "corn", right?

[thatpfunk]

Can anyone give me any info on Johnnie Walker Blue Label? I got a bottle for my graduation and have enjoyed it immensely. Generally I drink it with a splash of room temp water.

Where does it fall on the spectrum of good Scotch and any other ways to enjoy it?

[blatz]

[ QUOTE ]
Putting a good scotch (scotch is another type of whiskey, fyi) in the freezer is a crime

[/ QUOTE ]

If anybody ever broke into my house and put my Jamieson's into my freezer, I'd hunt 'em down. I'd find 'em where ever on God's green earth they were hiding. I'd corner 'em. And I'd tell 'em never to do that again. It's just wrong.

[ewile]

So, Is adding ice the equivalent of drinking it with water?

I like Jack on the rocks every now and again.

[Vish]

Yeah, if you make Scotch cold you may as well piss in it. That's why it's often served in brandy snifters--your hand on the glass warms it up.

Woodguy, try Balvenie and Lagavulin. The former just melts in your mouth, and the latter has a hell of a finish and is very pleasantly warming.

[MrWookie47]

Maker's is good, but it's a little on the smooth side for me. I prefer to spend a couple bucks extra and get the additional character (and alcohol content!) of Knob Creek. Actually, all of the premium whiskeys from that same line (Booker's, Baker's, Basil Hayden's [rye]) are quite good, but they're in a price range where I'd probably rather be spending my money on Scotch. If you like Irish whisky, definitey give Red Breast a try. It's getting into the Scotch price range, but it's markedly better than Bushmills.

Mixing whiskey (or whisky) is anything but a crime against humanity, even if there is some sugar involved. Corrupting it with Coke, though, is pretty bad, as is mixing with any bourbon more expensive than Knob Creek, any Irish more expensive than Bushmills, or any Scotch more expensive than Johnny Walker Red. If Coke and and sweet and sour mix are the extent of your whiskey mixing experience, then you're sorely missing out. Here are a two classics and an obscure gem to try out:

Manhattan:
2 oz rye or bourbon, 0.5 oz sweet vermouth, dash of Angostura bitters, shaken with ice and strained into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Godfather:
2 oz Scotch, 1 oz amaretto on the rocks. If you substitute bourbon, which I prefer, you get a drink I call the Godfather, part 2.

Highlander:
2 oz Scotch, 0.5 oz Benedictine, dash of Angostura bitters, shaken and strained. Garnish with a twist of lemon.

All of these add a bit of sweetness, but they're nothing like the sugar bombs you're dreading. They're all quite appealing to people who enjoy whiskey neat.

[MrWookie47]

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah, if you make Scotch cold you may as well piss in it. That's why it's often served in brandy snifters--your hand on the glass warms it up.

Woodguy, try Balvenie and Lagavulin. The former just melts in your mouth, and the latter has a hell of a finish and is very pleasantly warming.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah, I forgot to include a Scotch recommendation, and those are exactly the two I was going to recommend.

[edfurlong]

[ QUOTE ]
Can anyone give me any info on Johnnie Walker Blue Label? I got a bottle for my graduation and have enjoyed it immensely. Generally I drink it with a splash of room temp water.

Where does it fall on the spectrum of good Scotch and any other ways to enjoy it?

[/ QUOTE ]

At $200 a bottle it best be good.

[thatpfunk]

[ QUOTE ]

At $200 a bottle it best be good.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, one would hope.

[blatz]

I'm leaving my house now, and am excited to drink a Godather (part 2) and a Highlander. Or a few. I'm looking forward to reporting back in a few hours and thanking you for the advice...

[bronzepiglet]

[ QUOTE ]
Can anyone give me any info on Johnnie Walker Blue Label? I got a bottle for my graduation and have enjoyed it immensely. Generally I drink it with a splash of room temp water.

Where does it fall on the spectrum of good Scotch and any other ways to enjoy it?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I like it neat... I'm surprised that there aren't more on here that think anything else just tastes a little watered down. I suppose splash of water is 2nd best, though.

[blatz]

I just dealt with the Highlander, made with Dewars...there were some kinks, it was best with only a splash of benedictine, not .5 ounces. My bartender refused to make it in a rocks glass, he wanted to make me look gay, so he would only pour it in a martini glass.
The best part was towards the end of the night. I tried not to fight with the assistant bartender, but she insisted that the odds of someone dying on their bithday was 365x365/1. I drew pictures, I tried to reason, the more I said it was 365/1 the angrier she got. Eventually she stormed out of the bar that she worked at, because everyone said, hey, he makes his living off people who won't understand math...seriously, believe him.
I gave up...I tried to let her win, but I was too stubborn and it was too late. She already was wearing my t-shirt. No wonder I try to stay home, I can't recall ever having a stupider argument, when I was nothing but right.

[kipin]

http://img82.echo.cx/img82/3563/yummmmm3dt.jpg

[Eurotrash]

[ QUOTE ]

There is no really good Canadian Whiskey except Schenley's OFC, which is not available outside of Canada.

[/ QUOTE ]



Crown is wonderful.

[RunDownHouse]

There are a lot of whiskeys that are better than Jack for about the same price. My current favorite is George Dickel's #12 (the white label). Its actually distilled in Lynchburg, as well.

Another good, lesser known whiskey that is a step above Jack/Dickel is Buffalo Trace. That stuff is great neat or on the rocks.

[ethan]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Can anyone give me any info on Johnnie Walker Blue Label? I got a bottle for my graduation and have enjoyed it immensely. Generally I drink it with a splash of room temp water.

Where does it fall on the spectrum of good Scotch and any other ways to enjoy it?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I like it neat... I'm surprised that there aren't more on here that think anything else just tastes a little watered down. I suppose splash of water is 2nd best, though.

[/ QUOTE ]

Johnnie Blue's good, and I say that not being particularly fond of most blended scotch. Most of the scotch I drink is peaty single-malt, and I tend to drink it all neat. If you're looking for a good blended scotch I'd recommend the King's Crest 25-year. Hi Time Wine Cellars (in Costa Mesa,CA) has it on sale from $133 to $60 (link (http://www.hitimewine.com/istar.asp?a=6&id=163414&csurl=/istar.asp?a%3D3%26dept%3D86%26sortby%3D%26numperpa ge%3D30%26pos%3D60)). I'd say it compares favorably to the Walker Blue (with a similar character), and it's certainly good enough I'd consider it at the non-sale price. Also, they deliver.

[ethan]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

There is no really good Canadian Whiskey except Schenley's OFC, which is not available outside of Canada.

[/ QUOTE ]



Crown is wonderful.

[/ QUOTE ]
It's not bad, but you can do so much better. I drink a lot of whisk(e)y, but nearly all American, Scotch or Irish. Almost none of it is Canadian. No matter the price range, the best option is going to be from somewhere else.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
I just dealt with the Highlander, made with Dewars...there were some kinks, it was best with only a splash of benedictine, not .5 ounces. My bartender refused to make it in a rocks glass, he wanted to make me look gay, so he would only pour it in a martini glass.
The best part was towards the end of the night. I tried not to fight with the assistant bartender, but she insisted that the odds of someone dying on their bithday was 365x365/1. I drew pictures, I tried to reason, the more I said it was 365/1 the angrier she got. Eventually she stormed out of the bar that she worked at, because everyone said, hey, he makes his living off people who won't understand math...seriously, believe him.
I gave up...I tried to let her win, but I was too stubborn and it was too late. She already was wearing my t-shirt. No wonder I try to stay home, I can't recall ever having a stupider argument, when I was nothing but right.

[/ QUOTE ]

There are 366 days in a year?

[NoTalent]

I love the small batch line. If you are new to Bourbon, I would recommend trying some Basil cut with 3:1 with water.


http://img239.echo.cx/img239/2906/bourbon9av.th.jpg (http://img239.echo.cx/my.php?image=bourbon9av.jpg)

[2planka]

[ QUOTE ]
Maker's Mark is my favorite semi-premium bourbon.

[/ QUOTE ]

[RicktheRuler]

[ QUOTE ]
While I am not an expert, I do enjoy this drink.

I am Scottish/Canadian though, so I do have strong opinions on the subject.

1) Must be drunk either a) neat, b) on the rocks (my fav), or c) with waterback

If you add anything besides water or chilled/frozen water to whiskey, you might as well buy those sugary pansy drinks/coolers.

Adding sugar to good whiskey is a crime.

If you cannot stomach the taste of a whiskey unless you add a sugary pop-like substance, then you probably shouldn't be drinking that whiskey.

There is one good American Whiskey with which I am familiar, that being Jack Daniel's. In fact, my enjoyment of said product is what spurred me to write this.

A lot of American Burboun's are tough to drink, very sugary and heavy (i.e Wild Turkey)

Keep your whiskey in the freezer. It won't freeze and all hard alcohol is best served cold. (see Gin/BombaySaphire/cold=heaven)

There is no really good Canadian Whiskey except Schenley's OFC, which is not available outside of Canada.

The Scottish and the Irish produce the best whiskey on the planet, bar none.

My current favorites are: Bushmill's (Irish) and Oban's (Scottish).

Drinking Whiskey and water all night produces very little hangover given the level of intoxication experienced, especially compared to anything containing sugar (including/especially beer)

Again, I am no expert, but my bloody lord whiskey is goot.

Regards,
Woodguy

[/ QUOTE ]

This is one of the most accurate posts ever made on this forum. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[slamdunkpro]

If you are in Canada try Queen Anne Scotch.

[slamdunkpro]

George Dickle is made in Tullahoma, not Lynchburg

[wayabvpar]

Booker Noe's is my favorite small batch bourbon. It can pack a serious punch (120-129 proof, depending on the batch), but it is wonderful stuff. I usually drink it on the rocks; the slowly melting ice helps to mellow the 'burn' of such a high percentage of alcohol.

Knob Creek and Basil Hayden's are also quite good. For Irish whiskeys, Bushmill's is definitely my favorite, although Jameson's will do in a pinch.

Have never been able to get in Scotch.

[Mike Gallo]

Where does it fall on the spectrum of good Scotch and any other ways to enjoy it?

Its up there in price. I do not know about quality as I prefer bourbon over scotch.

[Mike Gallo]

as far as bourbon....go with Woodford Reserve from Labrot and Graham or Old Rip Van Winkle 10 year.

[woodguy]

[ QUOTE ]
Crown is wonderful.

[/ QUOTE ]

I find Crown Royal to be very harsh.
I like whiskey to feel like velvet with a kick.

Personal preference.

Regards,
Woodguy

[woodguy]

[ QUOTE ]
You are wrong about this. Putting a good scotch (scotch is another type of whiskey, fyi) in the freezer is a crime, as is drinking it on the rocks. If you are going to shell out for a decent single-malt (Oban would fall into this category), drink it neat or with a little bit of water, but at room temp. Making it cold masks the flavor.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you.

I will still keep my gin and vodka in the freezer though. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Regards,
Woodguy