Whiskey Review and Recommendation Thread

[firstyearclay]

El D,

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this is not a complete list

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First off: ur nuts.

Second off. I am a complete noob to scotch-whiskey. I have been a Vodka-Gin-Tequila Primate my whole life. I am going to Ruth Chris' tonight for dinner to kick of a nice evening so nice drinks-wine are in order.

Questions:

Would you typically drink one (2,3) of these before dinner, during or after dinner

Is scotch whiskey your primary drink the whole night then? Do you ever switch? Is it a sin to switch?

How do you drink scotch-whiskey? Neat, chilled, over ice cream [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]?????

Thanks,

FYC

[El Diablo]

RJ: There have been some vodka threads in the past. Search for "wyborowa" and "hangar one" to find threads I've participated in. I enjoy Wyborowa and Pearl quite a bit for softer/creamier (sounds weird, but that's how I'd describe it) tasting vodkas and Hangar One for intense flavored vodkas. There are about twenty crisp, clear plain vodkas that all taste pretty much the same to me. Others have various preferences, plus recommended some other good flavored vodkas. Beyond that, I don't think there's too much more to offer about vodka, there's just not that much to it.

FYC: I drink stuff like Black Label or Maker's on the rocks and more expensive bourbons and single malts neat with just a touch of water. I don't really like whiskey with dinner. At a steak dinner, a whiskey before dinner, then wine with dinner, then whiskey after is a pretty sweet plan! But as for switching or whatever, who cares, I just drink what I feel like. Sometimes that's sticking w/ whiskey, sometimes not.

All: A bunch of new bourbons/ryes/wheats will be added to this thread next week!

[firstyearclay]

ok I will have one drink tonight before dinner. (btw I hate Ruth Chris' but a friend chose it...)

What bourbon-scotch-whiskey should I have?

Trip report to follow if I get it before 6:15pm EST.

Thanks El D.

FYC

[El Diablo]

All,

Did an American whiskey tasting at the house on Friday. Here's most of what we had:



We actually started out with a nice Eagle Rare 17 before most people showed up. Wonderful bourbon, smooth w/ nice kick and great flavor.

Next we moved to some Jack Daniels ($cheap) to calibrate the palate. I can't remember the last time I had Jack straight. It was surprisingly not bad. A little harsh and not much flavor, but not bad.

Next was Maker's ($<20). What a stunning difference compared to the Jack. Maker's rocks is a standard drink for me. The difference in terms of flavor and smoothness compared to the Jack was incredible.

Woodford Reserve ($23) was next. This had much more of a kick than the previous too and also quite smooth and flavorful. Highly recommended.

Old Fitzgerald Very Special 12. This was decent, nothing noteworthy about it, but not bad at all. Not much kick.

Eagle Rare 10 was next. This is very smooth, but imo not quite as flavorful as the Woodford.

We next tossed in a Macallan Fine Oak 10 for comparison. Tasted like water. Surprisingly, it tasted very peaty, even though it has incredibly light peat compared to other scotches.

Then back to bourbon. Basil Hayden's. Wow, great bourbon. This has a nice flavor profile with a significant kick but not overpowering. Note that most of my descriptions here are mostly more/less flavor, more/less kick, and more/less smoothness. Unlike Scotches, most bourbons generally taste like, well, bourbon. The differnces are less in terms of flavor components and more in terms of degree, if that makes sense.

Final bourbon was Blanton's ($43ish - the round bottle a couple down in the picture). Wow. What a great bourbon. Has a strong kick but the deepest flavor and incredibly smooth going down. Highly recommend it.

Then we moved on to the Ryes. Rittenhouse Rye ($20) packed quite a kick. Definitely the strongest alcohol profile so far.

Old Overholt ($15) was similar in nature. Basically, both of these ryes were decent and I'd drink them again, but they are probably best suited for proving your manhood as opposed to having a relaxing drink.

The Bernheim Wheat Whiskey ($43) was next. This is a much gentler, smoother whiskey. Very enjoyable and a sweeter, fuller taste than the bourbons. It doesn't quite have the kick of bourbons, more of a low-key whiskey.

Finally, one I was really looking forward to, the St. George American Single Malt ($36). This was a disappointment. It was increidbly floral and fruity and very sweet. This was really more like a liqueur or maybe a fruity brandy. I will give this another try as an after dinner sipping drink.

That concluded the "official" tasting.

I broke out some Gentleman Jack that is always enjoyable. Very smooth and flavorful while still maintaining that classic Jack kick to it. Also broke out the Elijah Craig 18 that is a little more refined and sweeter, very very smooth.

Didn't break out the Booker's (maybe my favorite) or Black Maple Hill 18, two more great bourbons I have, because I didn't think anyone was still capable of appreciating them by that point.

Overall, I'd say the verdict from most was that there's quite a range of American whiskies and some really interesting flavors and great bottles, but if we had to pick one or the other most of us would have to go with Scotch for the win here.

[MrWookie]

I missed this when it was posted, but I'm glad I read it. In particular, I'm glad to read about the St. George. I was curious to try it, thinking it was something like an American Scotch attempt. Looks now like it's a pass, at least for buying a whole bottle. If I happen to find a bar or restaurant that'll serve me just one glass, I'd be curious to see what it's like, though. The Bernheim sounds pretty interesting as a change of pace, too. Your description makes it sound somewhat like an Irish whiskey. Is that a fair comparison?

My last question is how (from memory I guess) the Woodford stacks up to Knob Creek. They're pretty similar in price, and I've been passing Woodford up for the KC. Should I switch? Really, though, I don't think I'll be buying much KC now, either. Since I stumbled across the W. L. Weller for just $18, (BevMo lists it for $15; damn Californians and their cheap liquor) and I found it comparable, if not slightly better in quality to the Van Winkle 12 year, that'll be my go-to when I'm not reaching for Blanton's, and one I'd highly recommend for your next tasting [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

[turnipmonster]

woodford is, to my taste, much sweeter and has more of a caramel like finish than knob creek.

[El Diablo]

Wookie,

Yeah, that's a fair comparison. However, I'd say it's a little richer/fuller flavor than most Irish whiskeys. But, definitely similar in terms of that smoother composition as opposed to the sharper bite in most bourbons.

I personally prefer Woodford to Knob Creek, I find it a little smoother. Both are very similar, though, and I consider them pretty much interchangeable. I have read about the Weller and had it on the list for this tasting, but they were sold out at my local liquor store. From what I've read and heard, it's better than Makers, Woodford, and Knob Creek for a few bucks less.

[Snipe]

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M,

The Macallan 12yo is a good recommendation, but what you are referring to is the traditional Macallan 12yo. They recently came out w/ the Fine Oak series, which is very similar to the regular Macallan, but a slightly lighter taste. I think either would be a good choice for JB, but I think the slightly lighter, smoother Fine Oak series would be a better first step.

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Love that you're a fan of the Fine Oak. As a 'daily drinker' type scotch, the 10 y/o is a great value.

I am, however, a little suprised that of the burbons, Basil Hayden isn't getting more attention. While I like Blantons well enough, BH is still up there as personal favorite.

EDIT: Hadn't quite read thru the 'All American Tasting' pots prior to writing this.

nice post. Buchanan 18 and dimple 15 are nice too.