Tis' the season

[flomo]

So you're saying we should just start our own club and you picked the whiskey of the month for Jan

i did not pick the whiskey, that was one of the whiskeys in the club that you had posted. i really know nothing about that whiskey.

although i'm in on the whiskey/whisky club, i vote for benny to be chief consultant of whiskey choices.

[jyms]

Benny is cool with me, since he shops in the same stores as me.

[flomo]

+1

I think if we can keep it at at or around the $75-$100 range for our bigger purchases and the $50-$75 range for most, this would be a cool idea. Hopefully I can find most bottles at one of our LCBO's here in Ontario.

just to clear things up for americans,
"around the $35-$55 range for our bigger purchases and the $25-$35 range for most"

jyms
i think you search the LCBO's inventory online to see if any locations are stocking certain bottles.

[jyms]

Is that too low for USD to get the same brands as us? Maybe the price points would need to be looked at obviously if there are problems. I think our LCBO will probably have a decent inventory as long as I am willing to search, Benny would know more than me. I just don't think a bunch of rookie scotch drinkers will be needing to jump on the higher end stuff as of yet

[jackvance]

..to be jolly

LALALALALA
LALA
LA
LA

[BennyLaRue]

i vote for benny to be chief consultant of whiskey choices.

I'd love to be in on the club but with a kid coming I couldn't drop that coin on whiskey at present.

[flomo]

I'd love to be in on the club but with a kid coming I couldn't drop that coin on whiskey at present.

OK, you don't have to buy for all of us. Just a few












Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!

[BennyLaRue]

I think our LCBO will probably have a decent inventory as long as I am willing to search

Jyms, not sure if you know about this but:

lcbosearch.com

You can search by product and then see if it's stocked near you. It's a pretty sweet site.

[boost]

I'm gonna jump in here and suggest not drinking it on the rocks. Cold has an effect on the taste buds just like hot does. When your taste buds are less sensitive and don't report nuances to your brain. If you don't believe me, try putting half a chocolate bar in the freezer and leave half out, or even microwave it for 10 or 15 seconds til its just warm.

Also, unless you are making ice cubes with Aquapanna, then you probably shouldn't be mixing them in with your $100 bottle of single malt. So if it is too harsh for you, I'd suggest splashing it with some room temp Aquapanna, Evian, or whatever other high quality still water you choose (note: just because it comes in a fancy bottle, is expensive, and has a snazzy name does not mean water is high quality. A lot of the chic new bottle watered brands have lots of stuff added "for taste".. don't put that shit in your scotch.) So to wrap it up, use good room temp water instead of ice.. you will be cutting the harshness but not robbing your taste buds of some of nuances that would be missed by using ice.

[flomo]

jesus shit!
ilove boost


lets have some scotch boost%%%%%%%%%%

[swiggidy]

I would be fine with a $100ish USD cap, and making this a bi-monthly purchase, you aren't going to find THAT much for under $50 USD I don't think. For several that jump to mind there are 12 and 15-20+ yr versions, so we could have the option of LS 12 vs MS 15-20 yr and I think it would still be interesting/informative, perhaps even more so.

[boost]

jesus shit!
ilove boost


lets have some scotch boost%%%%%%%%%%

TBH I think I like cognac more.. but that being said, you won't see me turning down a nice single malt.

[jyms]

Yep to the ice. I put ice in my first glass of JW black only because it had been since high school that I drank anything whisky related and wanted to calm it down. After that it was just some room temperature water. I'm now drinking them at less than 50/50 but not quite a splash yet.

[boost]

Again, I'd like to stress getting some quality water. Tap is going to have all sorts of minerals and whatnot that will alter the taste.

[triumphant cracker]

+1

I think if we can keep it at at or around the $75-$100 range for our bigger purchases and the $50-$75 range for most, this would be a cool idea. Hopefully I can find most bottles at one of our LCBO's here in Ontario.

so hows this going to work?
> bennie suggests a scotch and we go get it and sample it?
then tell of our experiences?


i have a pakage store near me that i can get anything at. all i have to do is ask. and they will get a case. but thats the jibber, you have to order a whole case, not just a bottle.

i'm in.

[swiggidy]

New plan,

1) TC gets a case
2) TC ships a bottle to me and the next 4 coolest people
3) ...
4) PROFIT*!!!

*profit == get crunked

----------------

I bought Ardbeg 10 yr today, just because I was in a Binny's outside of Chicago.

This is one peaty ass whiskey, wow. Laphroaig is my only other islay whiskey experience. I'd say Ardbeg smells the way Laphroaig tastes, thus way more peaty. This is cask strength, so I'm cutting about 3 parts whiskey with one part water. There is a slight bite at the beginning, then a very abrupt smokey finish. I had a sample before going out to dinner, this smokey flavor sat on the pallet for a good 15 min.

I would try another Islay first, unless you have man balls and feel like diving in headfirst, because you fear nothing and will conquer anything (or at least anything that comes in a bottle and contains alcohol).

[DropTheBanana]

Just got a Glenlivet 18 for tomorrow nite.

For the price it's one of my favorites, but for some reason people love to hate on Glenlivet :/

[kiwiMark]

drOPthebanana

[Micro2Macro]

I'd love to be in on the club but with a kid coming I couldn't drop that coin on whiskey at present.

your problem is you weren't drinking enough of it in the first place to lower your sperm count enough such that you could avoid having a child and continue to spend bills on some fine liquor.

With that said, I vote everyone who has posted in this thread must send $5 to benny for xmas and in celebration of a future child. we can gather enough $ easily for him to buy a nice bottle of whiskey which he will most certainly need!

[JL]

So Johnny Walker black label is $57 CAD for 750ml? I'll stick to Crown and coke.

[d0zer]

Just got a Glenlivet 18 for tomorrow nite.

For the price it's one of my favorites, but for some reason people love to hate on Glenlivet :/

I like glenlivet. I think people hate on it because it's like the coors' light of scotches. Much more mild in flavour than most scotches

[d0zer]

So Johnny Walker black label is $57 CAD for 750ml? I'll stick to Crown and coke.

being a scotch snob is not for bustos indeed sir.









...hence the irish whiskey mention

[BennyLaRue]

it's like the coors' light of scotches.

Oh, damn. That's insulting.

The 12 is just simple and the 18 not much less so. It's not bad scotch by any means.

As for crown and coke...aiee...hangover much?

[d0zer]

Oh, damn. That's insulting.

The 12 is just simple and the 18 not much less so. It's not bad scotch by any means.

scotch troll is trolley

It's really not a bad scotch at all. sometimes I appreciate how "simple" it is

[Micro2Macro]

Bump.

It's not 'the season' but hey, I'm sure some of you drink more than once a year.

Anyway I bought this book a few months ago (yes csb I know, but I thought it may interest some)



It's pretty awesome because I'm educated now about whiskey yet I have probably less than 20 ounces of lifetime consumption under my belt. I would recommend this book to anyone who's into whiskey or wants to learn more about it. About 2/3 of the book is scotch of course, while american/canadian/other whiskies are covered after. Everything from what's in it, how it's made, how to appreciate it, and a picture/description of every brand you can imagine is inside.

When I went to the LCBO I was disappointed to see they had maybe 10 brands at the most for scotch when there are well over 100 in the book, but I already knew what I was after.

Here's what I'll be experimenting with:



From left to right: Jameson (no minimum age...essentially this is the piss of the loot. I had this laying around my house from a holiday and usually just drink it with coke. I figure it could work as a benchmark to compare the taste of the better. Jameson Limited Reserve (18 - I tried this a few months ago but wasn't pre-educated), JW Black (12 - tried this recently and enjoyed it but had nothing else to compare), JW Green (15) and JW Gold (18) will both be completely new to me.

Also, I chose all blends for my first tasting because I'm a noob and I felt is was good to start here and then once I become more mature and experienced with this I'll move on to tasting single malts.

So many of you who are still reading by now are probably expecting a trip report...but I haven't started yet. I'm waiting for my brother to come home from work because he was going to taste them as well. If he doesn't feel like drinking later I'll postpone this but will make an effort to get it done ASAP. If need be, I'll go solo because this sure as hell can't wait till the weekend. In the meantime, if anyone has any advice on how to make the most out of my first serious scotch+irish whiskey bing-err...I mean tasting, please let me know. Also, I'm not sure if 5 types is enough (I probably won't even touch the triple distilled Jameson) so if you have any suggestions on what else I could compare to let me know. Price isn't really a factor as I don't plan on going through these too quickly but I'd prefer to spend <$100/bottle. Cheers!

[DropTheBanana]

I think that's a pretty solid line up. I'm not a big fan of JW, but you definitely could have done worse. Would love to hear your thoughts since I've never really compared one "label" next to the other.

My wife put a copy of Jim Murray's "Whisky Bible" in my stocking Christmas '09 and it's got 3,400 whisky's with tasting notes etc. It's a decent and informative little book but a fucking headache to read. Pretty much just a reference guide (basically written like an appendix) to every whisky imaginable.

That one actually looks more enjoyable and will be picking up a copy in the near future.

[BennyLaRue]

Same shit but free: Whisky Magazine ~ Celebrating the whiskies of the world

[Micro2Macro]

I think that's a pretty solid line up. I'm not a big fan of JW, but you definitely could have done worse. Would love to hear your thoughts since I've never really compared one "label" next to the other.

My wife put a copy of Jim Murray's "Whisky Bible" in my stocking Christmas '09 and it's got 3,400 whisky's with tasting notes etc. It's a decent and informative little book but a fucking headache to read. Pretty much just a reference guide (basically written like an appendix) to every whisky imaginable.

That one actually looks more enjoyable and will be picking up a copy in the near future.

Yeah there's lots of pictures so it's a bit more charming than an appendix. As for choosing JW I did so mostly because it's pretty recognized around here, one of the very few brands available, and I read !luck's review which he sampled all the JW's so I was tempted to try a few of them out and see how my experience compares to his. Also the description provided in the book on the JW labels seemed promising. I was told red is crap and well, it wasn't even mentioned in the book so it seems like they are at least somewhat in line with the word on the street, thus I didn't bother getting it as I already have something of crap standard (regular Jameson).

What is your scotch experience like? Which blends have you tasted? Single malts?

Same shit but free: Whisky Magazine ~ Celebrating the whiskies of the world

Nice. The hardcover copy makes for a nice coffee table book though.

[DropTheBanana]

What is your scotch experience like? Which blends have you tasted? Single malts?

Nothing too spectacular. My dad turned me on to it a few years ago. I don't really go to tastings or have any real in-depth discussions with a lot of people, I just like all the different tastes that can come in a single bottle. I drink it (and bourbon) more so than other liquors but I'm definitely still in the learning stages.

I've tasted too many to remember. Chivas is probably the blend that impressed me the most. (Still waiting to find a rich generous person to treat me to some JW Blue) Both have their good qualities but I tend to lean towards single malts since Glenlivet has really grown on me and I love that stuff. Scotch snobs look at me like I'm a retarded peasant but it's all just a matter of taste.

That would be my personal recommendation (their 12yr is really good imo), but it's hard to recommend whisky since peoples preferences are so different. It's manageable, taste wise, even for a true beginner and will still keep you under $100.

[bode]

what, exactly, is it the season for? i'm lost, did this thread get split from another or something?

[jyms]

The dates of the OP and following threads don't give it away?

[BennyLaRue]

what, exactly, is it the season for?

It's Flag Day, mf!

[Micro2Macro]

should change thread title so it doesn't sound like a Christmas thread

tasting is set to go for tomorrow night. will provide detailed trip report with pics.

[DropTheBanana]

Read back through the thread and Boost's posts reminded me of a question I meant to ask and still haven't found a solid answer to.

This past Christmas (same one when this thread was started) I got my Maker's Mark Ambassador's gift and it was an ice try that makes four ice "balls" slightly bigger than a golf ball.

I haven't used it yet and it's still sitting on top of my refrigerator. Does anyone know if there is an actual functional reason why a sphere of ice would be better to drink with as opposed to cubes? Maybe it's just designed to look "baller"?

[Micro2Macro]

scotch and irish whiskey have been consumed. trip report will follow tomorrow.

for now all i can say is it was interesting for a first time tasting experience and will defo repeat such experience. praise god for liquor.

[Micro2Macro]

The Tasting

I tried to be as prepared as I could being my first tasting experience. Below is a pic of the materials. The only thing I lacked was a good quality camera because I forgot to charge the batteries, so I had to resort to using my phone.



Iceberg water to cleanse the palate in between tasting, Jameson, JW black, green, gold, and Jameson limited reserve. Shot glass for measuring ldo, and two cognac glasses for tasting. We tasted everything neat with a small splash of the water because the book said that helps bring out the aromas iirc. Also the shape of the glass used is apparently ideal for smelling/tasting the whiskey.



Here is a better shot of the glass. Notice the shape/lip of it. This style was recommended in the book so I went with it. We used a separate clean glass for tasting each blend.

JW Green
First up it's the green. Poured roughly 1.5 ounces in and added a splash of water. Stirred it around and gave it a whiff. The smell was actually quite pleasant. Gave it a taste, and was surprised at the smoothness. I was expecting it to be more harsh/bite hard but it didn't. It was smooth and warm. As far as taste goes I don't know exactly..there was a hint of wood in it I guess. Probably oak from the casks. I waited a few minutes, drank some water, and then spent considerable time smelling it. I then drank the rest, and after spending more time smelling the whiskey I think it got my senses rolling because the second taste of flavor was more rich/powerful. The aftertaste was awesome, my brother and I came to the conclusion it was mildly smokey.

Jameson Limited Reserve
Poured about 1.5 ounces into our glasses. The smell was tough to distinguish really. I guess it was a bit smooth/creamy..vanilla? caramel? malt? I dunno. Took a sip. Bites harder than the JW Green but had a smooth aftertaste. Kind of had a wood taste to it in there. The second taste was different, I'm not sure why exactly..probably just due to lack of experience and focusing on different flavors.

JW Gold
Another 1.5 ounces. We chilled this in the freezer beforehand because that was the recommendation in the book...not sure what you scotch snobs would think of that but we tried it anyway lol. We couldn't conclude much about this ones taste. It had a stronger aftertaste than the previous two, was smokier I think.

JW Black
Smelled sweeter than the gold, bit much harder, aftertaste was probably least smooth of them all. Was kind of harsh/smokey. Instead of trying the Jameson 3x distilled we had another shot of green because we concluded that was our fav. Comparing green to black, black was smokier/stronger and the taste lingers a bit longer.



The verdict
JW Green trumps all. For my next tasting I plan on picking up 3-4 more blends, and then comparing them to the JW Green, and repeat this sequence until I come up with my top 3-5 favorite blends. This probably won't be for some time as I'd like to get through a decent amount of what I have in inventory at this time and maybe that will help me discern flavors better in the future so I can more accurately compare one drink to another.

That's all. Cheers!

[DropTheBanana]

Nice.

I've never heard of someone endorsing chilling 18yr whisky (blended or single malt) Out of curiosity, did the book say why or just blindly tell you to do it?

[eugmac]

I'm glad i'm not in a forum full of snobs where people would pipe in and go "single malt is the only way to experience the complexity and depth of whisky enjoyment."

Anyway I do love whisky (but not a connoisseur or anything) and there's a chance I might go to Islay, Scotland at the end of the month....

[Micro2Macro]

Nice.

I've never heard of someone endorsing chilling 18yr whisky (blended or single malt) Out of curiosity, did the book say why or just blindly tell you to do it?

the book mentioned the name of someone who recommended it, so I assume he has something to do with the brand.

[bikes]

THEY MIGHT KILL YOU FOR THAT! POLLUTING THAT WHISKEY WITH DREADFUL ICE!

[Micro2Macro]

THEY MIGHT KILL YOU FOR THAT! POLLUTING THAT WHISKEY WITH DREADFUL ICE!

looool

have no fear, no ice as added, the 18yr was put in freezer tho

[eugmac]

This seems like a much better thread than the drunk thread to post this in. Girl came back from Scotland with two bottles of whisky, Bowmore 12 and Bailie Nicol Jarvie - a pretty inexpensive blend. Have had a couple tipples of the BNJ, and have to say it's a pretty decent drink for pretty little money. Looking forward to trying the Bowmore.

[Penneywize]

Damn m2m, awesome. I might have to steal your idea and get my buds together and try out a few whiskeys some time. Seems so incredibly balla.

My problem: Having any type of hard alcohol on hand leads to its being drank within a fairly short time frame.

Anyhow, I suppose I'll just have to work on my own self restraint.

[Penneywize]

This past Christmas (same one when this thread was started) I got my Maker's Mark Ambassador's gift and it was an ice try that makes four ice "balls" slightly bigger than a golf ball.

I haven't used it yet and it's still sitting on top of my refrigerator. Does anyone know if there is an actual functional reason why a sphere of ice would be better to drink with as opposed to cubes? Maybe it's just designed to look "baller"?

really want to know the answer to this q, if any of you gents have the inclination.

[mbiz]

the trick to drinking whiskey is to drink it how you like it. if you like it with ice, have ice.

[Penneywize]

off to buy a JW green (if available?? hoping the SAQ in my area has this in stock) on M2M's recommendations for a tasting. too busto to afford more than one bottle. will report back!

[Penneywize]

update: the SAQ only had red label, and it was like 8$ more expensive than Canadian Club. Busto ass opted for CC. no need to report back?

[a500lbgorilla]

Well, the problem with CC is that the flavor is diluted compared to JW green. To compensate you just need to drink more by volume so as to ingest an appreciable amount of flavor. Remember, a gulp of CC is like a sip of JW green.

[Penneywize]

not sure if srs but I'll take the advice anyway!

looked it up in whiskymag, apparently the 6-year-old 'premium' (read: cheap) variant is not a fan favourite amongst connoisseurs.

[d0zer]

Well, the problem with CC is that the flavor is diluted compared to JW green. To compensate you just need to drink more by volume so as to ingest an appreciable amount of flavor. Remember, a gulp of CC is like a sip of JW green.

I wouldn't dream of sipping CC for its flavour. Shot or mixed with coke or ginger ale.

The colonies are not to be trusted with their whiskeys

[Hawk]

The colonies are not to be trusted with their whiskeys

I've never really enjoyed the flavor of any alcohol...until I found Crown Royal. That is some tasty stuff.

I do want to get around to trying some of the stuff mentioned in this thread though, especially the JW green.

[d0zer]

I've never really enjoyed the flavor of any alcohol...until I found Crown Royal. That is some tasty stuff.

I do want to get around to trying some of the stuff mentioned in this thread though, especially the JW green.

to me, pretty much any irish/scottish whiskey beats crown and it's not even that close.

crown's alright canadian whiskey, but it's no tangle ridge:

[bikes]

less warble garble more about amazing tequila

[eugmac]

Update: Bowmore 12 y/o is a nice whisky. Was well received by the guys who came to my just-for-lulz home game the other night.

[bode]

less warble garble more about amazing tequila

lol at patron being amazing tequila. #brainwashed

[bikes]

this isn't the normal crap that is mediocre at best.

[Micro2Macro]

isn't that shit like $700/bottle

[bikes]

nah this stuff is like $180 but there is stuff that is like $700+

[a500lbgorilla]

lol at wasting $180 on tequila. I'd rather buy $180 bottle of mouth wash.

[BennyLaRue]

Your breath is that bad, hmm?

[a500lbgorilla]

I rinse my teeth with mid shelf champagne.

[DropTheBanana]

The newest ambassador present came in the mail today.

[DropTheBanana]

really want to know the answer to this q, if any of you gents have the inclination.

Found this out and it's technically called a "Japanese Ice Ball"

A sphere is the shape that has the least amount of surface area which makes the ice melt slower and keeps your drink from diluting as quick.

Apparently the clearer the ice the better. If there's as little air inside the ice as possible, the ice sinks and stays frozen for longer since your drink is cooling to below the rooms air temperature.

[bode]

it also seems like a sphere of ice would be conducive to a better sip out of the glass. My ice at home is a 1/2 moon shape, and sometimes the round edge of the ice lines up with the outer rim of the glass i'm drinking out of and its kind of hard to get a good sip.

[BennyLaRue]

You know what's good and fucking totally old school and makes me wanna wear a skinny tie and smoke unfiltered cigarettes and fuck really hairy chicks who wouldn't know grooming if you hit them with a typewriter?

Fucking gin. I love you, Bombay Sapphire. MOve this to the drunk threak if you feels the need, fascists; gin and fucking Radiohead.

[bikes]

if i had my way id only drink sprite and gin when not trying to get abso wasted


anyone recommend a good champagne? i don't want to spend $180 a bottle on perignon so please cross high end stuff off the list.

[DropTheBanana]

We did Moet last year for New Year's, which I thought was pretty decent. I'm not a great judge of champagne though. That'll keep you under $100 definitely (or whatever that translates into the currency you use over there).

[BennyLaRue]

(or whatever that translates into the currency you use over there).

Pretty sure it's cobra blood. 1 oz. = $2.31US.

[NightGizmo]

Veuve Clicquot and Perrier Jouet are both good and reasonably priced (somewhere around $50, I think).

[flomo]

if i had my way id only drink sprite and gin when not trying to get abso wasted


anyone recommend a good champagne? i don't want to spend $180 a bottle on perignon so please cross high end stuff off the list.

Does it have to be champagne? Or any sparkling wine?
How dry/sweet do you like?
Full body, medium body, light body?
What is your price range?

Lately I've been drinking prosecco, it generally runs a touch sweeter than champagne.
For my champagne cocktails I like cava, which generally runs drier than champagne.
Spumante is too sweet for me.

French 75

Shake the following with ice:
1.5 oz Gin
0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
0.75 oz simple syrup

Strain in to a chilled 7-9 oz coupe/flute and top with sparkling wine.

[NightGizmo]

Lately I've been drinking prosecco

Prosecco is good stuff, too, and generally a lot cheaper than champagne. You can find a lot of good bottles under $30.

[DropTheBanana]

Prosecco is good stuff, too, and generally a lot cheaper than champagne. You can find a lot of good bottles under $30.

The women in my family swear by this stuff

[bode]

Benny,

Bombay Sapphire is awesome, but try Hendricks if you've never had it. Its a bit more expensive but worth the price imo. Love me some gin.

French 75

Shake the following with ice:
1.5 oz Gin
0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
0.75 oz simple syrup

Strain in to a chilled 7-9 oz coupe/flute and top with sparkling wine.

this sounds amazing. Will try one this week for sure!

[BennyLaRue]

Thanks. I've been wanting to try Hendricks for a while, just haven't actually picked up a bottle. So much drinking to do, so little time (and $$).

Now what about recommendations for the ungroomed chicks?

[flomo]

I prefer beefeater gin for making a French 75. The subtle flavors of Hendricks gin will get lost in this cocktail.

Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Cava is my usual sparkling wine to top champagne cocktails.