The Whiskey and Spirits Thread

[KahrMan]

A few new bottles I picked up.  I am not a big fan Belle Meade bourbon but this cask strength Reserve is quite tasty.  It has a really nice burn at 114 proof.

[KahrMan]

We had out company Xmas party last night.  I got talked into buying 5 shots of 15yo Pappy Van Winkle.  Not worth the $110 per shot but it was really good.  We had guaranteed to spend a certain amount on food and liquor and were a few dollars short of our minimum.  That's the only reason I sprung for the good stuff.  

[Lumber_Jack]

On 12/9/2018 at 4:43 PM, owejia said:

What is good to spike my egg nog with? Is Bullet burbon  any good? Enquiring mind needs to know.

As good as any. I bought a bottle of Old Grand Dad bottled-in-bond. 100 proof pokes through the slurry. 

[Lumber_Jack]

On 12/14/2018 at 10:34 AM, KahrMan said:

We had out company Xmas party last night.  I got talked into buying 5 shots of 15yo Pappy Van Winkle.  Not worth the $110 per shot but it was really good.  We had guaranteed to spend a certain amount on food and liquor and were a few dollars short of our minimum.  That's the only reason I sprung for the good stuff.  

Ive spent $100 on worse. I really love the 15 year. Thanks to @Mike.357 I paid that for the whole bottle. That was over 4 years ago. Even harder to find now

[Bassoneer]

So I’m getting into bourbon and I may have Blanton’s and Angel’s Envy under the tree!  In the spring we’re going to drive up to Buffalo Trace Distillery and tour the facilities.  Lots of good bourbon comes out of there...Would love to try some Weller or Elmer T Lee, but doubt I’ll find any.  What are some other good ones?  I’ve tried Buffalo Trace, Knob Creek, Elijah Craig, Woodford Reserve...liked all of them.  Thinking about Old Forrestor Prohibition 1920...

Thanks, B

[Lumber_Jack]

7 hours ago, Bassoneer said:

So I’m getting into bourbon and I may have Blanton’s and Angel’s Envy under the tree!  In the spring we’re going to drive up to Buffalo Trace Distillery and tour the facilities.  Lots of good bourbon comes out of there...Would love to try some Weller or Elmer T Lee, but doubt I’ll find any.  What are some other good ones?  I’ve tried Buffalo Trace, Knob Creek, Elijah Craig, Woodford Reserve...liked all of them.  Thinking about Old Forrestor Prohibition 1920...

Thanks, B

The Old Forester 1920 is the best release in recent history.  Very good.  If the proof is too high just add a bit of water. That goes for anything listed below that's barrel proof or cask strength.  don't let the high proof scare you, it's easy to add water.  I use a proof calculator to get it exact.  

Other things to try,

• EHT Taylor Small Batch, (don't pay over $45)
• Any Old Forester Whiskey Row options
• High West Bourbon
• 4Roses Single Barrel Barrel Strength
• Old Ezra 7yr Barrel Strength
• 1792 Single Barrel or Full Proof
• Belle Meade Reserve Cask Strength
• Bookers
• Russells Reserve (single barrel or 10year)
• Michters Single Barrel

If you like Rye

• Pikesville
• Willet 4yr
• Sazerac Rye
• EH Taylor Straight Rye
• MIchters Single Barrel Straight Rye

 

 

Edited December 19, 2018 by Lumber_Jack
I can't spell for ####

[Bassoneer]

I had a bad experience today at Toddy’s on Kingston Pike, Knoxville.  Stopped in for the first time and found some Weller Special Reserve (green label) for $29.  I took it to the cashier (young guy) who was checking us out and I mentioned what a good price it was.  Another older employee started going off about the Knoxville Bourbon Club or some such...making his phone ring off the hook and coming in to buy these types of bourbons and selling them at a profit...he would rather sell them to his regular customers.  He claimed they forced him to continually lie and tell people he didn’t have the bourbon they wanted.  At first I thought he was joking but he got louder and louder.  I advised that perhaps he should find something else to do if selling bourbon caused him so much stress.  He then yelled “YOU THINK I’M STRESSED”?  I had pushed some unseen button.  From the looks on the younger employees faces they had seen this behavior before.  I won’t go back to Toddy’s.  May not even drink that bourbon...ok, yeah I’m going to drink the bourbon, lol. Happy Holidays, go to Bob’s Package Store!

[peejman]

Wow. My local store has created a bourbon club. When they get limited/rare/special stuff, they do  a random drawing and contact you to say you can come get one, and only one, bottle of whatever they've got.  Seems the knoxville hipster whisky snobs are mucking it up for everyone. 

[Raoul]

Personally I'm looking forward to a revival of fruit flavored vodkas. Something to keep the schlubs occupied.

[Garufa]

9 minutes ago, Raoul said:

Personally I'm looking forward to a revival of fruit flavored vodkas. Something to keep the schlubs occupied.

It does keep the heathens from the pure spirits.

[Raoul]

But seriously, daiquiris will be popular again....

 

[Chucktshoes]

I gave myself s Christmas present while I was home. I was looking for his older brother, but he’s still a good kid. 

[hipower]

10 minutes ago, Raoul said:

But seriously, daiquiris will be popular again....

 

And Fuzzy Navels Too, I hope. Yummy!

[Garufa]

13 minutes ago, Chucktshoes said:

I gave myself s Christmas present while I was home. I was looking for his older brother, but he’s still a good kid. 

Now you’re talking.  I do enjoy Scotch.  Don’t know jack about it, but I like it.

[peejman]

1 hour ago, Garufa said:

Now you’re talking.  I do enjoy Scotch.  Don’t know jack about it, but I like it.

It's whisky made in Scotland. Like bourbon is whisky made in Kentucky.  And peated scotch is awful.  That's all I know. 

And this 

 

Edited December 28, 2018 by peejman

[Lumber_Jack]

21 hours ago, Bassoneer said:

I had a bad experience today at Toddy’s on Kingston Pike, Knoxville.  Stopped in for the first time and found some Weller Special Reserve (green label) for $29.  I took it to the cashier (young guy) who was checking us out and I mentioned what a haven't price it was.  Another older employee started going off about the Knoxville Bourbon Club or some such...making his phone ring off the hook and coming in to buy these types of bourbons and selling them at a profit...he would rather sell them to his regular customers.  He claimed they forced him to continually lie and tell people he didn’t have the bourbon they wanted.  At first I thought he was joking but he got louder and louder.  I advised that perhaps he should find something else to do if selling bourbon caused him so much stress.  He then yelled “YOU THINK I’M STRESSED”?  I had pushed some unseen button.  From the looks on the younger employees faces they had seen this behavior before.  I won’t go back to Toddy’s.  May not even drink that bourbon...ok, yeah I’m going to drink the bourbon, lol. Happy Holidays, go to Bob’s Package Store!

7

I don't shop at Toddy's, haven't since college.  But in his defense he is right.  Facebook groups have driven demand to the point of lunacy.  If a store employee puts a hard-to-find bottle on the shelf, 2 million people know about it within 15 mins. Then someone who doesn't know the difference in Weller SR and Makers Mark drives 45 mins just to grab the bottle because they think its the holy grail, making it hard for his regular drop-in customers to get what they want.  

Now that's no excuse to rant at you for that, all you did was drop in a buy a bottle of bourbon.  I prefer the Old Weller Antique 107 to the Special Reserve but WSR is definitely worth $29

 

[Lumber_Jack]

17 hours ago, Chucktshoes said:

I gave myself s Christmas present while I was home. I was looking for his older brother, but he’s still a good kid. 

Never had this one.  I've had the 12 and 18.  Report your thoughts when you crack it open.  

[Chucktshoes]

24 minutes ago, Lumber_Jack said:

Never had this one.  I've had the 12 and 18.  Report your thoughts when you crack it open.  

Oh, it got cracked open the night I got it, and shared as well. 

 

I know now what I like, but I don’t have the vocabulary to describe whiskys and wines. I couldn’t tell you what peaty means. What I can say is that it’s smoother than the 12, but significantly less smooth than the 18. I love the 18, I like the 15, the 12 is good, the 10 is terrible. 

[Lumber_Jack]

4 minutes ago, Chucktshoes said:

Oh, it got cracked open the night I got it, and shared as well. 

 

I know now what I like, but I don’t have the vocabulary to describe whiskys and wines. I couldn’t tell you what peaty means. What I can say is that it’s smoother than the 12, but significantly less smooth than the 18. I love the 18, I like the 15, the 12 is good, the 10 is terrible. 

You’ll know peat when you taste or smell it. These highland malts don’t have any peat smoke. 

I’ll have to give this one a try. With scotch since it’s typically reused casks, time in the Barrel makes a huge difference. Hence why you love the 18 and think the 10 is swill 

[bersaguy]

Well, I am not a Scotch person or a Burbon person so I guess that makes me an outcast because I am a Sour Mash Guy and my Son In Law made my day on Christmas when he handed me a 1/5th of Gentleman Jack. I had just finished up a 1/5th of Black label old #7 and was going to have to make a run to the store before New Years eve to have a toast to bring in 2019 but now all  have to do is crack a seal and pour a little Gentlemen Jack on a few cubes of Ice and toast the new year.........................

Edited December 28, 2018 by bersaguy

[hipower]

1 hour ago, bersaguy said:

 (Well, I am not a Scotch person or a Burbon person so I guess that makes me an outcast because I am a Sour Mash Guy and my Son In Law made my day on Christmas when he handed me a 1/5th of Gentleman Jack. I had just finished up a 1/5th of Black label old #7 and was going to have to make a run to the store before New Years eve to have a toast to bring in 2019 but now all  have to do is crack a seal and pour a little Gentlemen Jack on a few cubes of Ice and toast the new year.........................

Not being much of a drinker, actually practically not at all, I really am having fun with this thread.

Not laughing at any of you(well maybe a bit), I'm enjoying learning a bit about the whiskeys and bourbons out there.

The last I bought was a sample of the Honey Whiskey several years ago. Really didn't like it at all.

Edited December 28, 2018 by hipower

[bersaguy]

3 minutes ago, hipower said:

Not being much of a drinker, actually practically not at all, I really am having fun with this thread.

Not laughing at any of you, I'm enjoying learning a bit about the whiskeys and bourbons out there.

The last I bought was a sample of the Honey Whiskey several years ago. Really didn't like it at all.

Well, I have never been what you could call a alcohol drinker all that much but when I do it's normally a Jack Daniels brand of whiskey. Either Lem Motlow, Old #7 Black label or when I get the bug I will spend a few bucks more the buy the Gentlemen Jack.  This 1/5th Tommy got me for Christmas I will probably be able to celebrate the year 2020 also if I am still around then. That is how much of a drinker I am these days. Back when I considered my self a drinker I would go through a 1/5th about every 6 months. I would come in from work, get a shower and then pour a little Jack over Ice and sip on it most of the evening while watching the tube and relaxing. Now with my health the way it is my doctor has told me a drink once in a while would be good for me but not every night any more so now it's maybe 2 a month at most so when I have one now I savor each one to the max.............. 

[hipower]

That's what I used to do. lol Don't know really what happened, I just stopped having a drink every time we went to dinner somewhere along the way.

Never drank much at home, and wife doesn't drink at all. Says she'd like to get into wines, but everyone she tastes...she doesn't like.

Just getting old I guess.

[peejman]

3 hours ago, Chucktshoes said:

Oh, it got cracked open the night I got it, and shared as well. 

 

I know now what I like, but I don’t have the vocabulary to describe whiskys and wines. I couldn’t tell you what peaty means. What I can say is that it’s smoother than the 12, but significantly less smooth than the 18. I love the 18, I like the 15, the 12 is good, the 10 is terrible. 

Peated scotch has a strong burned dirt taste.  There is nothing smooth about it.  

[bersaguy]

45 minutes ago, hipower said:

That's what I used to do. lol Don't know really what happened, I just stopped having a drink every time we went to dinner somewhere along the way.

Never drank much at home, and wife doesn't drink at all. Says she'd like to get into wines, but everyone she tastes...she doesn't like.

Just getting old I guess.

Well I was never one to have any kind of alcoholic drink with a meal. Tried it once at a steak house with a steak and it just would not work for me. I was a sweet tea drinker with evening meals and coffee with morning meals.