OT: Whisky/Whiskey Drinkers - what are your favorites?

[DanSez]

(or is it Whisky?)

A comment in one of the whiskey in JocMeister's Return of the Sheep AAR got me thinking about how much varied experience visits this forum (different countries/varied taste). Instead of detracting from Joc's good work, I thought I would shout out here and ask about Your Favorite Whisky.

And I will start off saying it is difficult to pick just one - as whiskey's are varied as the occasions we drink them, so I will start off offering three:

Scotch Single Malt:
I mentioned a recent discovery that I liked a whole lot:
Jura 16 yr Heavy Peat -- deep rich complex flavor without a lot of sting. Easily the best 'discovery' of the year for me.
http://cocktailenthusiast.com/isle-jura ... sky-review

For those who like mellow/sweet:
Macallan's 12 yr (aged in Sherry Barrels).
Very good on it's own or paired with a medium/full bodies cigar.
http://scotchnoob.com/2010/12/27/the-macallan-12-year/

Blended Whisky:
Crown Royal Black -- has a robust spicy bite and also a bit higher alcohol content. A very good night cap drink.
http://therumhowlerblog.wordpress.com/w ... an-whisky/



(spelling edit)
(darned spelling)

[pontiouspilot]

Macallan 18 and Highland Park 25 are as sweet as an angel p...ing on your tongue! Glen Breton (Nova Scotia) has a special edition cask strength that holds up to the big boys....comes in a nifty small wooden mini-cask!! Don't spill on your wife's china cabinet cause it removes finish.

Most over-rated: Bowmore 50 and JW Blue label

[Jim D Burns]

I've never enjoyed drinking scotch, not sure why, just don't like the taste. I do enjoy something with bite, so Jack Daniel's is my preferred whiskey.

Jim

[Lokasenna]

Rye is best. Templeton Rye is my drink of choice when not drinking beer. On the rocks or with homemade sour.

[geofflambert]

12 year single malt: Best I've ever had was Cardhu but I'm mostly a Bombay (regular) gin fan. That Saphire stuff is awful though.

Irish: Bushmills # 1 , Jamieson # 2

Vodka: Stoli, all the other stuff is overpriced schnapps.

Tequila: Jose Cuervo of course.

Rum: Myer's, no bat guano.

Bourbon: I really don't care for it. When I was earning money for college, I worked at Southern Comfort. One of my jobs was to stand on a gantry over a huge vat with a 100 lb. sack of sugar over my shoulder and a carpet knife. I promise, I never peed in the vat or spit in it either, not that that would have mattered.

Rye: I've only ever had Jim Beam, so it's # 1 but I don't care for the stuff.

I'll leave alone port, brandy and cognac but a special mention: Any kind of sake if it's at the correct temperature. If it's at room temperature or lower it's bloody awful.

[dcpollay]

Scotch: Not a regular drinker, but I have a bottle of 12-year Glenfiddich that I got as a college graduation present in 1991. Being saved to be drunk at my wedding (or, more likely, my funeral).[&:]

Rum: Pusser's.

Gin: Tanqueray, backed up by Beefeater.

[tocaff]

Knockando Single Malt for me. If I could only latch on to a bottle here in Brazil...

[Chickenboy]

Bourbon is my immediate reply. Woodford Reserve is pretty hard to beat, but at a high price point.

Some of the Irish Whiskies are awfully hard to beat. Jameson's 1780 is a nice upper-mid grade blend. Same with Black Bush (of Bushmills distillery). Middleton is about the best stuff I've ever had-almost worth fighting over. Truly incredible stuff.

[wdolson]

My SO said her father used single malt rubbed on her gums when she was teething as a baby. She's always liked them for some reason. We have a McCallum's 12 and 18 in the cupboard. We both agree the 12 is actually better.

Her father also brewed high quality Mexican style beer when she was a kid. (He was born into Mexico's ruling class and the first part of his life he enjoyed all the good things that brought.) She rarely drinks at all, but if she does, it's always quality stuff. She has a story when she started college a frat boy asked her out and took her to a frat party where they had the typical swill beer frat boys on a budget drink. This frat boy thought he was going to get her drunk and have his way with her. When she only politely sipped her beer he asked her if something was wrong and she replied that the beer was awful and if they had anything decent?

It was a rather short night and she never saw the guy again. She soon found some other people of more refined tastes (her school had a lot of rich kids, one of her best buddies was a cousin of the Rothchild family). They set up a bar in one of their dorm rooms and stocked it with top shelf stuff. I guess they made enough to keep the thing going and they never got caught.

I introduced her to French first growth Bordeaux. That was my father's passion in alcohol. We cracked a 20 year old Chateau Haut Brion a few years ago. She was convinced it was vinegar, but I knew better. It was the finest bottle of wine I have ever had. Like silk on the tongue. Since then we shared a chateau Mouton Rothchild with a friend.

She's now a big fan of first growth Bordeauxs.

I wish I could afford them once a year or so.

Bill

[Lokasenna]

I've tried Jim Beam Rye, as rye is hard to find. It's not very good. And by that I mean I won't ever be tasting it again. You get what you pay for...

There are some other ryes around here. Knob Creek has one, but I paid $50 for it once and Templeton was better so passing on Knob Creek. Been having a hard time finding others.

[DanSez]

Lots of good brands...

One of my favorite rums is Flor de Cana. It comes in 7,12,18 year batches. All are good but as it gets older, it gets more mellow, less sweet.

Really great paired with a stout cigar like Hoya de Nicaragua or strong maduro.

I like Templeton Rye as well. Thanks for the reminder.

[geofflambert]

DanSez, I was checking your subject heading. Is "Whisky/Whiskey" some sort of newfangled cocktail? Do you have the recipe?

[pontiouspilot]

Dansez...you like the Jura look for the Jura Superstition. I am not a big peat fan and the Superstition has just enough to make it different and not enough to make you think you are sucking on old gym socks!

[DanSez]

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

DanSez, I was checking your subject heading. Is "Whisky/Whiskey" some sort of newfangled cocktail? Do you have the recipe?

It comes from the difference in spelling

In USA (and US manufacturers) it is spelled Whiskey - and is my usual default spelling, but I believe the "proper" spelling for manufactured in many parts outside the US is Whisky. And I am appealing to all spellings (and all spirits too -- no prejudice here). What do you like to sit back and chill with?

As to cocktails, I have to confess I drink most of my spirits neat - without ice - straight sipping style. Even tequila, I drink it without lime or salt mostly. Not that I would turn down a good "top shelf" margarita, or that I ever have. ahahha.

[DanSez]

ORIGINAL: pontiouspilot

Dansez...you like the Jura look for the Jura Superstition. I am not a big peat fan and the Superstition has just enough to make it different and not enough to make you think you are sucking on old gym socks!

Thank you, I have a birthday coming up soon so I might find a reason to splurge on something new. I will keep that one in mind. In the other thread JM mentioned another single malt Ardberg (unfamiliar with that distillery) and Lokasenna mentioned Famous Grouse the Black Grouse.

Christmas isn't that far away. Or what are you uncorking on New Year's Day?
Cheers to all ...
[:)]

[JocMeister]

For lots of Peat: Ardbeg
For more easy drinking. Oban and Glenmorangie.

Never drink blended whiskey. Stick with single malt and preferably something from the Islay region. [:)]

[CaptBeefheart]

Hibiki 21.

Cheers,
CC

[LargeSlowTarget]

Hey JocMeister - a man after my own taste! Single Malt only. The honey-colored Glenmorangie was my first Scotch and got me hooked on Whisky - I still call it "fluid sunshine". Then I discovered peated whisky. Haven't tasted Ardbeg yet, but I like Lagavulin, Bowmore and Laphroaig from Islay. Also Talisker from Skye, lots of peat as well. I would also recommend Edradour - the smallest (legal [;)])distillery in Scotland with just 3 employees. They are producing - no, hand-crafting small amounts of whisky in different casks (Burgundy casks, Sauterne casks etc.), often only one or two casks per batch i.e. a few hundred bottles. Most are sold "straight from the cask" at 57-60%. They have a peated whisky called Ballechin which is as good as any Islay whisky.

[guytipton41]

Hi Folks,

The take-away is in pontiouspilot's post. "Don't spill on your wife's china cabinet cause it removes finish." It's all just re-branded paint remover! And the older I get the less I like them.

Cheers,
Guy

ORIGINAL: pontiouspilot

Macallan 18 and Highland Park 25 are as sweet as an angel p...ing on your tongue! Glen Breton (Nova Scotia) has a special edition cask strength that holds up to the big boys....comes in a nifty small wooden mini-cask!! Don't spill on your wife's china cabinet cause it removes finish.

Most over-rated: Bowmore 50 and JW Blue label

[janh]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

For lots of Peat: Ardbeg
For more easy drinking. Oban and Glenmorangie.

Never drink blended whiskey. Stick with single malt and preferably something from the Islay region. [:)]

Sounds perfect! Recently I had a Glenlivet, 16Y if I remember correctly, that stayed the last years in an oaken red wine cask. I have to find that one. Just awesome.

I'll be traveling to Scotland soon and have already put a few distilleries on my wishlist. Islay may drop off my list, though, as there appears to be little else to visit but distilleries. Does anyone have a few good hints which distilleries offer good tastings and tours? Perhaps even paired with good food?