You DO swish the whisk(e)y all around your mouth like it's mouthwash, including with mouth open and mouth closed, then swallow half of it and repeat to fully appreciate its flavor, right, /ck/?

>>21376977 (OP)
QUICK.
SHOW ME YOUR BARTOP!!!!!

>>21376983
>Macallan
lol

>>21376983
Bar shelf!

Had this at a bar in Edinburgh and it was tasty.

>>21377024
American hero rye best rye

>>21377053
>honey jack daniels
>70 proof
Literally not whiskey.
Into the trash it goes.

>>21376983
;)

Anyone tried scotch in coffee?

>>21377027
Love them, good taste

Is Fireball any good in any cocktails considering the cinnamon in it?

>Wild Turkey is straight up gone from all the liquor stores around me
So uuuh, what's a good whisky that's not stupidly expensive like WT101

>>21376983
>bartop
*laffs*

>>21378306
Make cold brew Christmas Grog with it.

>Cold brewed fruit + black tea (strong)
>1 jigger of lemon juice
>pour over ice

>>21378309
Evan Williams BIB

What should I try? Price is for 1 oz pour.

>>21378306
I'd rather drink Malort

>>21378507
prolly, but at that rate just get a handle of the Henry McKenna Sour Mash for about the same price or Old Overholt for a little more.

>>21378595
I'd rather drink frozen Jaeger bombs

>>21377073
>JW Red
The more I think this the more I wonder if the reason it has a bad reputation is people new to scotch drinking it and not liking the peat presence that it has. I have Fever Tree club soda in the pic there, but contrary to popular advice about how highballs require a highly carbonated water, I think it mixes better with something like San Pellegrino. I actually don't like the Fever Tree.

>>21378876
It's also possible that I'm just partial to water with more mineral presence. I make coffee with hard tap water and think it tastes better than using bottled spring water.

>>21378876
It has a bad reputation because it tastes bad.

>>21378885
I have unironically had single malts that tasted worse. It does not taste bad.

>>21378894
>I have unironically had single malts that tasted worse.
So have I. Talisker is one.
It does taste bad.

>>21378899
Well I think we are at an impasse here. Enjoy whatever scotch you like, I'll do the same.

>>21378899
yeah those are both awful tasting

>>21378429
What kind of Scotch would you recommend for someone who likes Laphroaig and looking for other Islay scotches? Somehwere in the $60-$80 range.

Saw this the other day. I didn't know Early Times even did a BiB version. It was more expensive than the Evan Williams BiB or Old Grand-Dad BiB, and based on what I recall of the regular Early Times when I tried it some years ago, it's probably not justified.

>>21379082
It's "more expensive" because it only comes in a 1L bottle.

>>21379082
Also Early Times used to belong to Brown-Forman so whatever you had before was presumably distilled by them. It was sold to Sazerac a few years ago so they distill it now.

>>21379076
Not sure about Amreican prices but I am a fan of Port Charlotte

>>21378591
what the fuck

>>21379261
yeah, that's about $65

Tried a 61% cask strength yesterday- the alcohol burn and astringency was so strong I felt like I had cottonmouth for the rest of the night

>>21379394
I've never been a fan of whisky higher than 50%, I only like some rum at higher ABV than that

>>21379413
Server asked if I wanted water and a pipette, I tried to act like a hardass and said no, but now I wish I had atleast tried it with a bit of water to see the difference

>>21379443
Yeah I've done the same on whisky tasting, i think the highest ABV I've drank was like 85ish% because I hadn't labelled all my random jars and bottles after distilling lol

>>21379443
Need to make one of those "whiskey drinkers 50 years ago" vs "whiskey drinkers today" with the dogs, where the strong dog is watering down 40% ABV whiskey and doesn't care what anyone thinks while the small dog is drinking 60% ABV and crying

>>21379508
I had a jar of brandy at something like 60% after aging on oak and a friend said I shouldn't proof down to 40%, I told him he was a tard and he said I was a pussy, I poured him a glass and just laughed when he was all coughing and spluttering on it

>>21379508

>>21379394

>>21379076
Kilchoman tastes like a combination of Laphroaig and Caol Ila, start with the Machir Bay. also peated Bunnahabhain and Ledaig. Port Charlotte is hit or miss.

>>21376977 (OP)
Looking for a recommendation, just recently getting into scotch. Other spirits I like are almost all expressions of bourbon, including higher proof stuff; and I'm quite fond of a dry martini with Tanqueray 10. Other than wine and Sambuca thats what I frequently drink. Based on almost limitless praise online, I thought Ardbeg 10 would be a fun thing to try, but I was almost shocked how much I didn't like it. I'm not sure if I didn't like the smoke/peat, but I think the "medicinal" components of the flavor were not to my liking.

Should I bother trying another Islay/peated scotch? Like Lagavulin 16 being described as smoother or more elegant? Or should I go to sherried malts or something else?

>>21380054
I'm not sure if this is accurate but my impression on tasting the Ardbeg was the over hopping of IPAs which I also find not to my liking, and I wondered if the "intense smokiness/peatiness" is comparable.

>>21378309
Old Granddad Bonded is cheaper than WT101 and I think overperforms the price, quite good but definitely not showing anything off.

>>21380054
I personally find a lot of the Islay peated whiskys similar.. try something like ballechin or ledaig if you want to try a little different approach to peat

>>21380054

>>21380054
I’d say go in the complete opposite direction to see what you think, but personally I greatly prefer the Wee Beastie to the 10

>>21380054
try Benromach 10, Loch Lomond 12, Aultmore 12 and Craigallechie 13. all have different levels of savory smoke.

heavily peated stuff that's also sherried has never wowed me personally, but normies seem to eat it up. taters usually use sherry bombs as their gateway to scotch.

>>21380059
>>21380070
>>21380080
>>21380126
>>21380212
Thanks laddies. I guess the draw of scotch is how many flavor expressions there can be.

>>21378309
>>21378507 & >>21379082, or any cheap bottled-in-bond whiskey.

Heaven Hill made a Wild Turkey killer called Fighting Cock. It's cheaper, but younger and hotter.

>>21380054
Peat from other regions than Islay has a completely different flavor without those "medicinal" components, so maybe try a peated Campbeltown whisky like Longrow or Springbank if you want to pinpoint what it is that you didn't like about Ardbeg - the smoke or the particular type of peat.
>Or should I go to sherried malts
Yeah you should absolutely try Glendronach if you haven't gone down the sherry path yet.

I drank a bottle of whiskey today and I feel absolutely nothing, I could easily drink another one, and then another one.
Its over isnt it?

>>21381124
Just remember a little bottle of water is 500ml those whisky bottles only look big because the glass is thick it’s basically an optimal illusion

>>21380562
for me fighting cock won over WT101 in a blind

>>21379562
swap the pics and its accurate, redditpuss

>>21381176
>People crying and whining about how low proof is bad and adding water is wrong in every fucking thread, trying to enforce some gay "correct" way of drinking that dumbasses like >>21379443 fall for
>Reddit is full of single malt fags and proof whores, indistinguishable from the "rule" enforcers in these threads
>S-swap the pics

>>21381124
Be warned that if you keep on doing this you'll end up as retarded as this anon here: >>21381138

Got to try the Octomore 15 series. 15.1 was my favorite, with 15.3 a close second. Fucking delicious, some of the best scotch I’ve ever had.

>>21381277
dumb frogposter

>the abv debate again
You're both wrong. Cask strength is for drinking on the rocks, that way the dilution is controlled and the volatiles can develop in the glass instead of in the atmosphere.

>>21382416
Nothing is "for" anything other than however you actually enjoy drinking it

Is Dutch Whisky any good? I'm gonna be going through there for a connecting flight on the way home in a bit and plan on doing some duty free shopping.

>>21380080
Does liking Lagavulin mean I should watch Parks And Rec?

>>21378429

Not bad my friend, the Springbank especially.

>>21383943
nta, but I got lucky and found a Springbank 10 for $95 before tax at a local place near me. Not my particular favorite but it's still good.

>>21378591
Those prices are insane but where else you gonna get red breast 27. Id try that and maybe the 18 too if I won in the casino but at 100$ a pour I’d just as soon select pappy

>>21378429
>Old Overholt
my nigga

>>21383799
It's not a bad show if you watch it remembering its from 2010.

>>21376983

I finally did it bros. It's so over. My heart was pumping at 50% which is normal just 6 months ago. It's now at 15% and I just got fitted for a life vest which I am currently wearing I'm the hospital. I'm 33.

>>21384225
is the Laphroaig and Bunna 1L sized?

>>21384492
Yes

>>21376977 (OP)
This bottle wasnt bad. Got me fucked up for $28

>>21384262
I'm very sorry my friend. What do you have, ailment wise?

>>21376977 (OP)
I hold my nose and get it down. I just want the effect. Loathe the flavor.

>>21384512
What a fag.
If you just want the effect, the way to go is the cheapest vodka you can find plus something with a strong flavor to cover it up. I used to use lemon juice and powdered drink mix - this worked well to cover up the vodka.

>>21378429
I appreciate a working VCR.

>>21380054
(me)
So I have to say I had some more of the Ardbeg 10 today and strangely kind of liked it, only two days later. I think I was subconsciously expecting something like bourbon, which it certainly is not, and was just kind of shocked by the flavor. With my second pour I knew what was coming and it was kind of enjoyable, although I still want to try something quite different.

>>21384510
>What do you have, ailment wise?
It sounds like he has a broken heart.
If only his husband hadn't sent him those divorce papers...

>>21384510
Heart failure, tachycardia, etc. shit is just fucked. The heart failure led to pulmonary edema which made it so I couldn't breathe instinctively. So when I drifted off to sleep I Instantly stopped breathing and woke up. After days of no sleep I went in and they said well bud your heart is fucked and you're almost to the point of needing a transplant and we both know that is not possible ya broke fuck.
Now I am going to be taking five different medications for the rest of my life and pray my heart recovers at least some. My smallest artery was already 40% clogged and if not for my heart growing collateral arteries around the blockage (which not everyone does, lucky me) I probably would have had a heart attack by now. Which they think I had a heart attack some time in the past and I just didn't notice. Tomorrow they are doing a CT? of my liver so I am in a 16 hour fast. Can't wait to see how fucked that is but as far as they can tell it isn't terrible and my drinking just happened to fuck my heart up instead of my other organs.

>>21380080
It would be super helpful and cool for a whiskey newbie like me if someone could do this for Irish, Bourbon, Rye, and maybe Japanese. Thanks in advance, I love you!

>>21384651
Dude u dying.

>>21384651
Have been hittin the bottle a lot lately so I needed to read some grim shit like this, thanks anon

>>21381124
Stop identifying as a frog person.

>>21381277
You too. Do you guys know what that tells everyone? Is that okay with you?

>>21384518
I do. I don't buy whiskey. I answered the OP's question honestly. When I drink whiskey I don't fucking "chew" it and do Lamaze breathing to fully absorb its casky essences or whatever.
You're a fag.

>>21384500
and the shelf is glass? I can see they arent all full, but I'd still not trust it.

>>21384527
heads need manual cleaning. the tape to clean method is not working as intended. once that's done I'll watch Kull: The Conqueror, Carnosaur and Near Dark.

>>21384669
I think someone made a bourbon and irish one a year or two ago, as well as scotch 2.0

Newfag here, is "mixing whiskey" generally understood to be a whiskey that's of lower quality or are there ones that are generally considered excellent for both mixing and sipping?

>>21377024
Why is that nikka so big? isn't it supposed to be 500ml?

>>21385196
Bad whiskey = for mixing
Mixing = for fags and women
Glad I could clear that up for you.

>>21385196
The highest quality whiskies are not for mixing. Mixing is inherently going to diminish or hide the more subtle flavours that you'll get out of the highest quality whiskies.It's better to mix lower quality whiskies because they don't have those subtleties.

It's still worth mixing with some good quality whiskies though because they might have an overt quality that pairs well with a mixer that lower quality whiskies won't have.

>>21385470
It depends on the mixer too. I mean, mixing a 15-year bourbon with Coke is stupid, but if you're making a manhattan, there's no reason not to use good whiskey.

>>21385196
As a serious answer, any whisky can be potentially mixed if you do it right, but the higher quality the whisky the more specific, unique and often delicate the flavors will be, making it harder to mix or less worth mixing in general.

Some whiskys are specifically more robust and hold up in a given mixed drink better and are actively recommendable as mixers because of how well flavored and versatile they are (rye whiskey tends to often be this kind of thing), rather than because they're 'cheap enough to just mix with'. So this is definitely not a bad thing necessarily.

Scotch tends to be much harder to work with in mixed drinks, so be wary of something that tells you to 'mix in scotch', since there's hardly a scotch that you can mix in as a generic substitute for any other scotch. However, if a drink calls for a particular 'style' of scotch, that can work out really well of the drink is actually well thought out and based around the specific favors of a particular kind of whisky.

>>21384831
>Stop it! Redditors like me might have an icky thought about you!

>>21385196
I will tell you the truth. You can mix anything you want with anything else you want. People cry about mixing good whiskey because they're poor. Anons like >>21385364 are just poorfags. If they weren't poor they'd know $100 isn't shit and you might as well wipe your ass with the money. Pic is a nice Lagavulin 16 and Coke cocktail.

>>21385196
>>21385364
>>21385470
>>21385472
>>21385500
Basically you have lots of people who are living above their means and can't really afford to have this hobby, so to them any single malt bottle, or higher end bourbon or what have you, is basically a luxury item. So when they see people who have more money than them treating these things casually, they get mad and try to justify their poorfag sour grapes with moralistic rules to show how the guys with more money are actually doing something wrong. It's pathetic when you think about it. If they just stuck to bottles they could easily afford then it wouldn't matter to them, but they need to "aficionados" or something to impress people online.

>>21385510
>Pic is a nice Lagavulin 16
I have to say that Islay style scotch often works very well in cocktails and a number of drinks specifically call for them for this reason. They tend to have strong flavors that can easily add complexity to mixed drinks if used right, and I personally like experimenting with using Ardbeg in various things. So they tend to be an exception to "pricey drink=shouldn't mix", though they will absolutely do things that come through more clearly when drunk on their own.

>>21385530
Maybe I just respect that someone has gone to the effort to make some really good whisky and I don't want to piss it away.

I don't treat whisky with any more disrespect than when I was young and had less money.

>>21385535
You just grew up poor and haven't shaken the mindset. It's a fucking liquid, it goes in your stomach and comes out as piss. You bought it and you can do whatever you want with it. The people who made it got the "respect" they needed when the bottle was purchased.

>>21385530
I should clarify something. Whiskey isn't the cheapest spirit, but it's still an affordable one to drink as long as you know what your actual financial limits are and live within them. Even with scotch, there's plenty of cheap scotch around. But you can't show it off and pretend you're better than the other poorfags, which is why these people act like you're doing something wrong by drinking it.

>>21385364
this

>>21385550
>I use whiskey as an artificial means of constructing my masculine identity
Grow up, fag

>>21385548
I didn't grow up poor, I actually grew up pretty privileged. It's actually 100% poorfag mentality to buy things so you can piss them away for clout.

If you'd actually ever put effort into making anything you'd realise that the reward you get from it is not merely financial.

>>21385559
>It's actually 100% poorfag mentality to buy things so you can piss them away for clout.
Mixing a $100 bottle with Coke because you think it tastes good is not "pissing something away for clout". Where is this supposed "clout" coming from when you do this? People do that because that's how they want to drink it and they think it tastes good, and they know that they can afford to do it. Do you think distillers don't do the same thing and drink shit however they want to? Here's a recipe for making an old fashioned with Pappy 15, given by Julian Van Winkle. Maybe you're retarded enough to think he'd be mad if you actually made it though since it would "waste" the product.

https://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/julian-van-winkles-old-fashioned-cocktail

Reminder.

>>21385567
Bourbon is american piss and can't be wasted, Doesn't matter if it's taken neat, mixed with coke or poured down an urinal, so you're not making an actual point referring to that.

>>21385582
Hello poorfag

>people who do the objectively right thing are poor
Nice new trolling narrative. Quite creative.

>>21385006
Damn I hope someone can post that!

>>21385278
Was the only one there for me, at a Total Wine. I would prefer to get smaller sizes so I could try more things honestly.

>>21385621
Does look pretty cool though. Might buy one but it's €32 where i'm from and then i read an article saying it's €20 in japan, and im reminded whenever i buy whiskey or run im being scammed by taxes

>>21385734
It was about $80 here so I'm super jealous of those prices.

>>21385582
What about people (like me) who buy rotgut and mix it with cola.

>>21386137
As already stated in this thread, if you just wanna get drunk, then the most cost effective (and thus smartest) way is the cheapest vodka you can find, mixed with whatever you find tastes best.

>>21386145
I like the flavour of cheap scotch mixed with cola.

what did i think?

>>21386247
>starting your own thread AND posting in the general instead of just posting in the general
>being paid by Diageo to push a perfectly good thread off of the catalog

>>21386252
whiskey > vegan/slop shilling

>>21386247
There are more interesting Scotches to buy.

>>21386518
Maybe he'd just like something that tastes good instead of LARPing as some kind of connoisseur.

>>21386525
I mean you can say that but the shit I buy just tastes better, I got a Signatory 5 year old peated Ben Nevis in that fucking slaps a Scotch that is very rarely peated.

>>21386525
>Maybe he'd just like something that tastes good
Then he wouldn't be buying Johnnie Walker Green, the worst-tasting Johnnie Walker.

>>21385567
Anon no one is getting upset with you for mixing a $100 bottle with coke, people just think you're moronic. $100 bottles are a dime a dozen.

What is this $100 bottle adding to your coke that a $50 couldn't? You're right, it's not clout in all situations, sometimes it's just wasting money.

>>21386532
what was the total damage?
>rarely peated
only since the mid 90s iirc

>>21386580
>What is this $100 bottle adding to your coke that a $50 couldn't?
yeah this is the most important point in this "debate," you're not elevating a whiskey and coke in any meaningful way by using a more expensive whiskey. Adding a simple mixer washes away all the subtleties that distinguish different whiskeys at different price points.

gentlemen..

>>21386637
$79

>>21387063
the 5 year old single cask Ben Nevis I have from Adelphi was a little more than that 3 years ago. 100% sherry, unpeated. the most I've paid per year for scotch.

>>21387085
I spend way too much on Scotch.

What's some good whiskey with oat in the mash bill?

>>21384651
you should kill yourself.

I need something for the nerves in my teeth since I ran out of Grand Marnier early

>>21386788
I sohuld buy a bottle of double oaked, had it at a tasting a few months ago and it was amazing.

>>21376977 (OP)
Driving back from a work thing hours away, I stopped at a Total Wine and saw they had a Redbreast 12 for $60. Lowest I've ever seen it so I grabbed one. Previously, I simply did not get Irish whiskey, having only tried Jameson, Tully, and Bushmills. But this Redbreast 12, very nice! I guess for Irish you have to stick to the more quality stuff without a doubt. The price jump to Lustau, is it well worth it? What does it change flavor-wise other than abv? Is there an age statement to it?

Time to buy another handle of JW Black

>>21387682
>$60 for grainshite

>>21387681
yea its like drinkin aunt jemima

>>21387682
I loved Lustau.
>What does it change flavor-wise other than abv?
It's sherry-finished. It's actually a sherry bomb. Not quite a Glendronach-level sherry bomb, but a sherry bomb nonetheless.

>>21387837
What is an Irish that you recommend so that I can compare?

>>21387914
Don't listen to him. The unmalted barley in Redbreast gives it its characteristic thick, creamy mouthfeel. It would be worse without it.

>>21387885
I may try that at some point then! Anything else you recommend?

Im a simple man, I get a bottle of bushmills

>tfw you buy some random loose lea tea at the grocery store and discover the tea equivalent of peated scotch
god is good

>>21388002
it's tea that's smoked over pinewood by the way

>>21388005
Has anyone experimented with using malt that's been smoked over things other than peat to make whisk(e)y? Hickory and mesquite come to mind as obvious possibilities.

>>21388002
fluoride

>>21388002
>>21388005
They make a more lightly smoked blend as well (I think this is also called Russian Caravan by other blenders), but I didn't see it in the store so I guess I'll have to order it. Anyway this shit is delicious.

>>21387914
any single malt

>>21388002
>Chinese black tea
Not worth it, the soil they use for those plants has such high lead content that you'll be fucked up in the long term.

>>21388039
>Not only is it delicious but I can die sooner
This shit is amazing

>>21388033
What's your favorite?

>>21388018
Mackmyra svensk rök is smoked over juniper. I had it at a whisky tasting many years ago and I liked it fine, but the general consensus was not very good.

My bookshelf

First time trying Old Forester Rye. Not practiced at describing tastings. Neat, surprising nose with spice and fruitiness that was more complex than it first seemed, on tasting the spices transfer with the fruit variety opening up in a way that was unexpected yet not discordant with the other flavors, less citrus more something else, not much sweetness otherwise. Some time ago I had Bulleit and Whistlepig rye and would not buy those again, the Old Forester for me has something the others lacked.

Incredible old fashioned, teaspoon of sugar, hefty dashing of Angostura bitters, splash of water, 2oz of the rye, and an orange twist. Replacing WT101 for my old fashioneds.

>>21387914
Bushmills 10, Tyrconnell 10 or Knappogue Castle 14.

>>21388659
I've been telling y'all this bottle is a great bargain.
I've been telling y'all.

>>21388677
Ok, one of these will be the next that I buy and I'll compare and report back.

>>21388002
A few more thoughts on this. For a while I've been wanting to cut down on how much I drink, either to only drink on the weekend or maybe once or twice during the week. But it's hard to just stop drinking scotch every day since I enjoy it so much. This was one of the reasons I started to get into tea a bit, and I've been enjoying it; loose leaf is substantially better than the crappy teabags you normally get. But goddamn this shit is literally a smoke bomb, and not in a "this is an acceptable but begrudging replacement" kind of way, because it's fucking great on its own. I think this will help me out a lot (and save me a lot of money).

>>21388782
it will probably aerate some if it's open for long enough and you can use the same tea a second time and it'll be more subtle.

>>21388818
Another way to make it more subtle would be to blend some of the leaves with another kind of tea.

>>21388084
bushmils 16

>>21388018
Cherry smoked malt is gonna be HUGE in a few years.
Apple wood too.
On that note we'll likely see far more malted adjuncts as well as crystal malt.

>>21388018
check out Del Bac

>>21388782
I also started drinking tea as a replacement for whiskey because I was drinking and spending too much. I know what you mean about it being hard to stop because it's so enjoyable.
The tea rabbit hole is really deep if you dig a little, deeper than you might expect. I never expected to like it as much as I do.
>>21388818
You can buy a tea called Russian Caravan which is exactly that.

>>21389309
>The tea rabbit hole is really deep if you dig a little, deeper than you might expect.
Yeah, this one really changed my perspective. I didn't know tea could taste like this so it makes me want to see what other flavors are out there as well. The whole Chinese thing with gaiwans and whatever doesn't really appeal to me but maybe I'll try that out at some point as well.

>>21389534
>The whole Chinese thing with gaiwans and whatever
I thought all that was really gay at first, but for the most part it actually is just better. Gaiwans are way easier to clean out than teapots, you can easily see the color of your tea as it brews so you can better gauge if it's ready, and you can pour tea out of a gaiwan a lot faster than a pot which matters for some teas.
The tiny cups chinks use seem dumb but tea cools down way faster in such a small volume so you can drink it <1min after brewing vs waiting like 5 minutes if you brew in a mug

>>21389632
I see. I'll give it a shot sometime then. Currently I'm using a Finum filter. It's very easy and I like the tea I'm making with it, but I will admit it's a bit of a chore to clean.

bought this Highland Park Valknut on a whim, it was dicounted to 30 bucks at a local store, meanwhile it's sold online for 70-100.
not some whisky connaisseur so I can't really judge/compare it adequately, but I like the way it tastes. not too smoky (could be smokier imo). some online review said 2/5 sweetness, and honestly if this is 2/5 then 5/5 must be a syrup becasue this is plenty sweet. as for reviews in general, most seem to say "not bad, but not worth 80 bucks" i think I agree with that. but for 30 i'm satisfied.
currently losing weight, so a whisky is a good fit. it's something you can have a little sip of once in a while and that's all you need, saves calories.

I'm doing a small whiskey tasting for my late grandfather's remembrance event.

I wanted to cover basically all the major whiskey bases, so I've got:

>American
>Bourbon
Blanton's Single Barrel
Old Forester Single Barrel
>Tennesee
Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select
>Rye
Sagamore Barrel Select

>Scotch
A'bunadh Cask Strength Single Malt
Ardbeg 10 year Single Malt
Glenfiddich 19 Year Single Malt

>Irish
Clonakilty Catoctin Creek Rye Cask finished

>Japanese
Yamazaki 12 Year Single Malt

Anything you'd add under $100/bottle?

>>21389891
Good variety, there are certainly whiskeys i'd choose over some of those, but if you're just looking to provide a wide selection, you've done that.

https://www.maxraskin.com/interviews/andrew-ferguson

>MR: What kind of scotch do you drink?

>AF: Well, again, some people would scoff, but I only drink blended scotch. I'm a firm believer that the reason we have blended scotch is because single malt scotches are terrible, and they're blended so that they will be less terrible.

>MR: What is your favorite blended scotch?

>AF: Johnny Walker Black.

>MR: And how do you drink it?

>AF: Usually with just a splash of water and maybe a couple of ice cubes.

>MR: If you want to talk about the people getting upset…what I do when I drink scotch, I pour way more water than you would think in it. And I think you get so many more flavors when it’s about a third water and it’s so much easier to drink.

>AF: Absolutely. I am totally in. You know who also would strongly argue in favor of our position? Christopher Hitchens. He’s the first one who told me about Johnny Walker Black. He thought it was almost kind of barbaric for people to drink their scotch neat. And he usually didn't use ice, although he would sometimes, but he would usually have a healthy splash of water to bring out the flavor, as you say.

>>21390094
>drinks Scotch objectively wrongly like a normie
>Johnnie Walker trash
Checks out.

>>21390107
Allow me to open a new bottle in his memory :)

>>21390129
>NPC tumbler
>Johnnie Walker trash
Checks out.
I bet you rave to your friends about how "smooth" your whisky is.

>>21390156
Feels good man

>>21390191

A long time ago, I remember asking my grandpa, who used to be a bartender, what highballs are like, after seeing a highball in an anime.
He said, "terrible."
Then I asked him what whisky they would put in highballs at the bar he worked at when the customer didn't request a specific whisky.
He said, "Johnnie Walker."
Then I understood why he said they were terrible.

>>21389891
>Old Forester Single Barrel
Yum
>Blanton's Single Barrel
Overhyped, but still Yum
>Ardbeg 10 year Single Malt
Yum Smoke
>A'bunadh
Yum Sherry
>Yamazaki
Overpriced, but Yum Japan

the rest I could take or leave.

>>21390207
I will confirm for you that a Johnnie Walker highball is not terrible.

just drank my first ever alcohol since I'm a muslim
but man I love whiskey. it still taste like shit, but the warm feeling in my throats & stomach feel super nice.

>>21390218
On Eid al-Adha? Naughty naughty.

>>21376977 (OP)
Back with Redbreast 12 review. For Irish, I've had only regular Tully, regular Jameson, and Bushmills Prohibition. None of those were worth re-purchasing to me, so I decided to take the step up to what most people recommend. The nose has butter, a brighter red wine, typical vanilla and honey, and your baking spices like nutmeg. Palate has fresh, warm bread with more of that butter. It also has apple, so I get reminded of those Pillsbury croissant things where you get the tube and bake them. But my dad had put slices of apple in them before baking. Other dried fruits are here like apricot. More vanilla, and a toasty and nutty taste. The mouthful, despite being 80 proof, is pretty creamy and not at all thin like some others. Retronasal I get more nuttiness, like toasted nuts that you can smell at that Sabor a Espana in some cities in Spain. Finish has a lot of the sherry, but also now dates, some caramel, vanilla. And the finish lasts a while too. So far, this is obviously the best Irish I've had. My quest is to taste as many things as possible, so I'll get other things next, but this was terribly good.

>>21384995
Yes, it's very scary, but it looks nice.

>>21390630
I check Costco for this every year before St. Patrick's day because they always have a great price on it when they have it. Always a disappointment when they don't have it.

>>21390670
I had to move to South Jersey for work so the only good place to get liquor is Total Wine, unfortunately. Wish I could pop into an Aldi for a $5 malbec if I wanted to at least.

DICKS EVERYWHERE

>>21385734
Not just taxes, import costs.

>>21378876
>The more I think this the more I wonder if the reason it has a bad reputation is people new to scotch drinking it and not liking the peat presence that it has.
It has a bad reputation because it's popular; whenever someone tries something, they might like it or they might not, but if they don't, it seems how much they complain depends on whether or not there are others who do like it. I think JW is a decent entry-level scotch, not the best, not the worst.

>>21390982
Your taste is absolutely fucking garbage. There's two good bottles there.

>>21391060
its calles trying new shit, faggot

>>21390982
Favorite pour?

>>21391060
nta but humble beginnings and all that.
Scotch
>Glenmo > Ardbeg > HP > Monkey Shoulder > GL
the one Irish
>
Bourbon
>Dant = Double Oaked > Single Barrel > 1783

>>21389891
If you're just looking to offer a wide selection, you've managed that. If you're trying to do a guided tasting menu you're kinda all over the place, but only serious whiskey drinkers (snobs) will care much if at all.

>>21385616
>>21384669
richfag here, I'll do some new ones if the people demand it

>>21391239
green label and for bourbon prob rare breed

>>21391275
That's awesome thank you! So your overall recommendation is Rare Breed then?

I'm ready

>>21391774
As an aside, every time I'm in a scotch aisle at really any liquor store, a black person walks up and grabs a JW Black. Is this a cultural thing? Is this a beloved liquor of the black community?

>>21391779
I've never heard of this. I've never seen a black person in the scotch section at all actually.

>>21391779
It's relatively cheap, a well known brand, and is "good" for the price. Same reason why every redneck buys Jack or Jim.

>>21391779
I don't believe you. Black people drink Hennessy.

>>21391779
Not something I've ever experienced

>>21391786
>>21391797
>>21391800
For example, I have never seen them in the bourbon, irish, general whiskey asile, or even ask for the Hennessy behind the glass. It's scotch and they pick up JW Black. Sometimes I have seen them purchase wine though, which is usually a red and they seem to not care about the brand, rather just going to a varietal section, like Cab Sav, and picking one at random.
>>21391789
This is likely it. For the price JW Black is "fine."

>>21391802
I still don't believe you. I've never seen anything even remotely like that, or ever even heard about it.

Where I live black people all drink Laphroaig 10, Redbreast 12, and Woodford Double Oaked. Is this some aspect of their culture I'm not understanding? Are these "black people drinks"???

>>21391804
I mean, >>21391774 is black and he doesn't have a Hennessy.

>>21391805
Yeah but I was serious.

>>21391805
Every time I'm at Costco a group of blacks will walk by the whiskey, and one of them (every time) will say "Shiiiiiiit nigga dey got dat frog!" and then buy multiple bottles of Laphroaig 10.

>>21391806
Still whiter than you though

>>21391820
Did you adopt the black girl then?

>>21391832
Nope, that's the neighbors' daughter that my grandfather would babysit for a few years.

>>21391774
>dingle
Haha funneh

>>21391813
>buy
lol

>>21391774
The mayor showed up and is drinking a corona instead of any of the whiskey.

What can you do.

>>21391990
Well the whisky tasting went well overall. And leftovers

>>21392294
Any highlights at the event? I would like Redbar style coverage.

>>21392303
Mayor ignored the whiskey, various neighbours attended and enjoyed the wine/beer and a few touched the whiskey half the bottles are unopened
A total of around 45 people attended and most stuck with soft drinks

>>21392308
When you initially posted the topic earlier in the thread, I kind of assumed it would have a lot of whiskey drinkers. But most average people think of whiskey as mixed drinks, rotgut, or only ok for shots, like EW Honey. You should find some whiskey drinkers near you and have a real tasting if you wanna.

>>21392310
It happens, my grandfather was the big whiskey drinker and since it was his event I wanted to do something he would have enjoyed.

I'll probably drink the rest myself over the next 3-6 months

>>21392327
What was his favorite whiskey?

>>21392335
He didn't have a singular favorite, but he had me buy the Dingle single malt, the aberlour a'bunadh, and the clonakilty two weeks before he passed, and I had a bottle of Willett single barrel I had gotten for his birthday that he enjoyed quite a bit before he passed.

Just picked up this bottle of Pipe Dream 101 today. Pretty tasty. Heavy cinnamon and vanilla pallet that gives way to that traditional Irish whiskey buttery shortbread cookie profile. Drinks a little hot for 101 but not nothing unpleasant.

Jim Beam
Jack Daniels
Johnnie Walker
Jameson

Why do the most popular whiskies start with J?

>>21392368
The problem with redwood empire is half their releases are meh or shit and you have no idea until you taste it (or look up reviews before buying).

>>21392380
Very true. All of their core linup is fine. Nothing spectacular, though. I had their wheater at a friend's house and was very disappointed. Bought the 101 on a whim and am pleasantly surprised. Are any of the pricey bottles actually worth it?

>buying anything produced in California
ishiggydiggy

>>21392368
Have heard the Pipe Dream 101 is one of their best, along with Emerald Giant or someat. I can find the regular Pipe Dream at local places, but not the 101.

>>21391275
Based on this, I bought the Four Roses Single Barrel as I like the look of the bottle and label. Later I saw that one should attempt to get a XX-"1" barrel. I ended up getting a 23-2. Hopefully it doesn't make it shit. I'll come back and give my notes tomorrow. I gotta stop buying whiskey for a while as I'm going a little nuts and now have too many kinda.

>>21391275
What are some bourbon picks around 50 that are low on the cinnamon or the coke candies? Picks less than 30 are good to tell me as well. I wanted to like EW BiB, but it's just sheer cinnamon candy on the finish and I just hate it.

>>21392820
Cinnamon/cola is very common in Jim Beam products and will always be lurking off in the background in most bourbons
Wheated bourbons tend to lean more towards bubblegum/vanilla, and high-rye bourbons more towards caramel and cherry.

Knowing nothing else, I'd point you towards Rowan's Creek/Noah's Mill. The prior is lighter, more delicate, a bit more fruit and lemon driven, Noah's Mill is more molasses, caramel, chocolate. Unfortunately it's a Willett product and might be allocated depending on where you live.

Michter's is worth a try as well, it's no longer the bargain it once was but leans pretty decadent into pastry/vanilla.

>>21392874
So far, I have liked the one rye I have tried over the bourbon. I'll try out the Rowan's Creek or Noah's Mill next time. At a certain high-rye, is it not more worthwhile to just go for Rye Whiskeys instead? I do want to love a bourbon, but they aren't loving me so far. Cinnamon and cola candy just kills me.

>>21392887
try Rittenhouse BIB(Pikeville is same but a little older), Bulleit Rye(or 1776 Rye) and Old Overholt(any).

>>21393234
I actually have a bottle of Rittenhouse BiB and it is fantastic over ice. So, I like Rye, I just want to also like Bourbon.

>>21388002
Based, thanks for the rec

>>21392495
its MGP juice

>>21392368
Got this one recently and its alright, but it's got the craft tax. I'd rather buy Heaven hill 7 year or Old Forester 1897, both I think are better. Pipe Dream Cask Strength is a solid one that I like for the price.

too lazy to post a pic but right now I have these open bottles, ranked in order from best to "worst" (they're all pretty good)
>Michters Rye Single Barrel (bottle kill tonight)
>Willett 4-year Rye
>Four Roses Single Barrel Select
>Old Forester Single Barrel Barrel Total Wine store pick (130.6 proof)
>Woodford Reserve Double Oaked (I like it but wasn't blown away)
bought this weekend but haven't opened yet
>Ben Holladay Soft Red Wheat BiB
>Knob Creek 12-year
I've been looking for WT 101 8-year but no luck yet

>>21394090
knob creek 12 year mogs just about any other bourbon for the price.

>>21377721
It's bad enough being chemically dependent on caffeine, why the fuck would I want to turn that into chemical dependency on both alcohol AND caffeine?

>>21394091
even if it doesn't it'd have to be actively bad to not be worth $58 for a 12-year bourbon

It's shit

>>21394225
It's a good price. it's $70 at most places in my state, and no other 12 year bourbon is that cheap

>>21394091
against rare breed?

>>21389891
>Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select
I'd get the Rye version, a store pick specifically.

>>21394503
Rare Breed is still king in markets where it's still $50

>>21394338
Knob Creek Smoked Maple is the only good flavored whiskey.

>>21394506
I mostly had the jack for people who wanted to mix with coke. >>21391774

my sister had some Jack Daniel's Bonded so I got myself a pour and must say, prrretty mid.

>>21391990
Local politicians are always either alcoholics that will drink any and everything, or the other end of the spectrum and either barely drink, or don't drink at all.

>>21394837
Of course it is.
Extra filtering is not a good thing unless you hate flavor.

>>21390630
I want to branch out from bourbon and I think this will be my next bottle

>>21395364
Super tasty to me. If you live near a couple different Total Wines, check their prices online as they can differ by $10 sometimes. I'm trying to get into bourbon, personally!

Current selection in no particular order.

>Springbank 10
>The Belvanie Caribbean Cask
>Laphroaig 10
>Ben Holladay Red Wheat Cask Strength
>Milam and Greene BiB
>Milam and Greene Very Small Batch
>Frey Ranch
>The Macallan 12
>EH Taylor
>Blantons x2
>Weller SR
>Whiskey Acres BiB
>North Shore Distillery Single Malt

The last two are local brands.

>>21395369
If you want recommendations, let me know. One piece of advice: don't waste all your time/money going after the trendy allocated bottles (Blantons, Eagle Rare, EH Taylor, Weller, etc). They're perfectly fine, but not worth secondary prices. If you see them for MSRP, go for it, but there's plenty of bottles worth getting that you can find at any store.

>>21395408
NTA, but i've never paid over MSRP for a bottle.

Its fairly easy to find most of those allocated bottles if you're willing to wait.

It only took me a year or so to find almost all of those locally at MSRP.

>KINO

>>21395420
Love me some elijah craig private barrels

I've had 6 or 7 this year, all but 1 were good or amazing. The 1 that wasn't was meh.

>>21395417
and that's totally fine, they're popular for a reason, I just see too many people focusing too much on them and ignoring good stuff that's much easier to find

>>21395421
First time I got liquorice as a tasting note

>>21385500
I always assumed that if a cocktail called for scotch, it meant a low shelf variety like cutty sark

>>21395394
>>Whiskey Acres BiB
I got a bottle of this when I was traveling through Illinois. I liked it but I also like oak heavy bourbons

>>21395408
Absolutely, I am the guy from earlier who wanted to get some Bourbons that have less cinnamon candy or cola candy flavor. EW BiB is about the only I've tried and I'm hesitant on picking my next one.

>>21395581
I'll admit that I'm pretty shit at tasting notes, but these are my go-to recs:
>Michter's
I agree with the earlier anon, this is a good bet, especially the single barrel rye, I get baked goods/chocolate from that one.
>Old Forester 1920
similar, but a little "hotter" and with more oak. >Four Roses Small Batch Select
stone/red fruit, a little vanilla

all of these are under or right around $60 most places

>>21395626
Sweet, added to my list. Now that I am starting to understand my tastes, I may have to go through my list again and check notes others have done, so that I don't get more cinnamon candy bombs.

>>21395581
I personally love Milam and Greene BiB or Heaven Hill 7 year.

>>21395581
EW BiB isnt really a good gauge. it's really only notable from the value perspective and now that's basically $25 everywhere theres no reason to consider it unless you cant handle the Big Wide Cork for an extra $5.

>like bourbon
>switch to irish for a little while, then to scotch
>try going back to bourbon
>it's disgusting

>>21396236
nothing wrong with preferring barley over corn.
Rye is still the GOAT tho

>>21396282
shoutout to the GOAT of rye btw

How often do you guys cleanse your palate (go a short while without drinking so that it tastes better when you return)?

>>21396282
Rye is even worse than bourbon.

>>21396236
Palate's change and evolve over time. Stuff I loved years ago I now find just ok and stuff I hated I find to be great.

>>21382710
No the Netherlands have no good whiskey makers. If you want a nice drink that was invented by the swamp jews you can try a good jenever(what anglos turned into gin) or some brandy.

>>21396471
with the prices on exceptional liquor these days I only pour a little something 2-3 times a month at most.

>hot summer days
Yeah I think I'm switching to rum for a few months.

What hour of the day do you usually pour yourself a dram?
For me, it's 6 PM - truly men's hour.

>>21397490
~6-9pm one or two times per week.

>>21397481
Rye on a big ice is very good and refreshing.
>>21397490
Work from home here. If I have meetings past noon, whenever I eat dinner, maybe 6-7. If I don't, I do a cheeky glass at about 1-2 and blast jungle dnb while working.

>>21397490
post-dinner nightcap around 8-9

>>21397516
This

>>21397490
I work overnight so I have a drink during the week, it's in the morning after I get home.

>>21397490
normally after my evening tokage, so around 10:30-midnight.

It's good (neat)

>>21388002
Tried this yesterday based on the rec, and yep it’s a smoke bomb. Pine smoke, cinnamon, subtle vanilla, herbs and spices. My wife drinks a wide variety of tea, she said this was too extreme for her. I really enjoyed it.

>>21399516
There's a subtler version called Russian Country or Russian Caravan that she might like better. It's a blend of different teas with some Lapsang Souchong in it.

>>21394091
It's started going away here.
Some faggot tattled.
Is whiskey TikTok a thing?
>>21394511
Budget offerings turning into premium items is so fucked. Didn't Spam get super expensive?

>>21399584
>Didn't Spam get super expensive?
It is, but the Walmart brand tastes the same and is super cheap.

>>21399580
I’m gonna check that out too.
Just did a second brew with leaves from last night- definitely a lot milder, but very enjoyable as well, pipe tobacco, smoked food, campfire.

>>21399584
whiskey is big with round, puffy faced alcoholic youtubers

Thank goodness the Whiskey hype is slowing down in Illinois. I can now regularly find Buffalo Trace products for only slightly above MSRP. That said there are still a few places selling base BT for $90 and I will never know how they are in business.

I personally avoid anything touched by Tokaji

>>21400459
just say brewzle. Dude is hugely responsible for the "Tiktok Bourbon" rush.

>>21385558
at least you admit ur a pussy

>>21401635
brewzle is our guy

>>21401765
One day you'll realize how stupid your LARP is. I went through the same thing.

>>21401774
not really a larp that i enjoy high proof, faggot. your sissy cocktails were invented to hide the taste of shitty prohibition liq. you cant get the same texture or depth of flavor from your faggot umbrella drinks.
pussy.
tastelet.

>>21401782
The fact that you get defensive like this proves it's a LARP.

>>21401786
ok reddit

>>21401766
No he's a fat bastard driving up the prices and getting preferential treatment at stores for being an e-celeb

>>21401635
While I do not care for his opinion on Single malt I do like him for turning me on to Frey Ranch. One of my go to

>>21401794
>He honestly thinks one internet celeb is responsible for an entire industry driving up prices.

>>21401794
so... based
living the fucking dream

>>21401794
>getting preferential treatment at stores for being an e-celeb
So?

>>21401799
May not be him alone but he is the most prominent figure in this social media circle and collectively they absolutely influence pricing.

>>21401803
true, but there's also alot of economic factors into it as well. If store owners know that they only get 5 bottles a quarter of the high demand stuff of course they're going to jack up the price. If they get 50 bottles a month the price is going to be lower.

The fault regarding price gouging lies ultimately with the customer. If no one bought this shit they couldn't raise prices that high, but people do buy it, so they have no reason to keep the price low. If your customers actively exploit themselves for your benefit then it would be silly not to take full advantage of them.

>>21401807
>>21401812
This is the reason.

>>21401807
yeah, shit was already pretty bad before he got a big audience, and allocated distribution is all over the place and usually depends on how much bottom-tier Sazerac product like Fireball your store can move. Demand outpaced production, especially for the premium products with higher age statements. "Influencers" like him didn't HELP, but they're not the prime factor

>american whiskey is still banned in my shithole province
I bought a michters 10 rye before the tariff bullshit and haven't opened it yet. Should I just try to sell it?

>>21401906
I work as a vendor for Campari and the way success is measured for liquor stores is soo backwards. A company doing 2 million in sales can be considered a failure while a store with 250k sales is deemed a huge success just because they buy a ton of Skyy vodka is the dumbest shit ever.

>>21401912
Drink that shit and enjoy it, don't be a nigger. Most people never get a chance to buy it.

>>21402041
>Most people never get a chance to buy it.
Cause Brewzle's buying it all

>>21401934
ah yes (((inducements)))

>>21401812
if no one bought it, then they would hire people to purchase it so they had the excuse that "people bought it".

>>21402446
This would make the product an even greater financial loss and would not help.

>>21390191
miring that encore hopper

w2c

>>21403431
It's the official one they sell on the Baratza website. It doesn't have bellows but you can kind of lift it a bit then push it back down to force the extra grounds out.

https://www.baratza.com/en-us/product/black-single-dose-hopper-for-conical-burr-series-grinders-zga6116blk0zxx1?sku=ZGA6116BLK0ZXX1

>>21403445
ty ty ty ty ty