I’m not a big drinker. For a guy weighing in around 200 pounds, it doesn’t take more than 2 or 3 drinks to give me a buzz, and I have no interest anymore in going beyond that into drunksville. I may have a drink or two if I’m in a social setting, but rarely at home, and never by myself. I tend to favor beer–Guinness for special occasions or being out on the town, and Pabst Blue Ribbon when money is an issue.
That said, I wouldn’t mind developing a taste for whiskey. It seems “manly” and cool, and might be an interesting change from the vodka and rum drinks I’ve ordered in the past that never overly impress me. Tonight I ordered a Maker’s Mark on the rocks with a little water, and nursed it for a while. It was actually pretty good. Maker’s Mark is bourbon, right? So what is the difference between that and a whiskey like Jack Daniels or Jim Beam? And how do those compare to the Canadian stuff like Crown Royal (which my roommate loves), or the various Irish whiskeys that come highly regarded? And then when it comes to Scotch, I know single-malt is supposed to be better than blended, but how do Scotches compare to American whiskey, bourbon, etc.?
I know this is a lot of questions at once, but what I’m really looking for are recommendations and general comparisons (taste-wise and “status-wise”). I feel like I could use a new hobby since comic books just aren’t cutting it for me anymore. Maybe developing a taste for whiskey is just what I need.
Bourbon is basically an American creation as I understand it. It is made from corn and aged in oak barrels. As a result, it is much sweeter than other whiskeys like Canadian (usually made with a fair amount of rye) and Irish whisky and Scotch. I think they are both made with malted barley. Scotch also involves using peat smoke to flavor the barley. It tends to be more medicinal tasting. Some Scotchs actually reek of iodine believe it or not due to being barrel aged in warehouses near the sea.
While Makers Mark is quite good I much prefer Knob Creek or Rip Van Winkle. Both have a nice molasses flavor and more of a kick. I say this as a rather serious bourbon drinker. I order it 9 times out of 10. Instead of getting it on the rocks, order it neat with a glass of ice on the side. Add a few cubes at a time until you get it to that perfect sipping place. 3 or 4 cubes should do it, depending on size.
If you are really brave, try Booker’s bourbon. It is something like 128 proof (64% alchohol). Fierce. The perfect drink to warm you up from head to toe after walking in sub-freezing weather. And because of the high proportion of alchohol, if you order it neat and drop one ice cube in, the cube will sink to the bottom of the glass and melt. A pretty cool trick.
The very best, smoothest bourbon is, without exception, Rebel Yell. It’s the only bourbon I would even consider drinking neat. Unfortunately, it’s very hard to find in a bar. You’ll probably end up having to buy a bottle and sip at it over time. Which ain’t a bad thing at all!
Although I am now curious about this Bookers. Gonna have to find me a bottle of that…
I think the real difference is that the regional variations in single-malt Scotch allow the drinker to affect a sort of connoisseurship akin to a wine-drinker’s:
If you’rer gonna drink whiskey, IMHO, the best is Jameson (Irish). It’s smooth, and flavorfull, and I much prefer it too any American or Canadian whiskey that I’ve tried. It’s expensive, but I find it too be well worth the price. In fact it’s the only whiskey I drink neat, and I only drink it neat.
BTW, I have found that there is nothing like cheap whiskey to make one vomit.
To be like most “intellectual” and “sophisticated” drinkers, pick some random brand of some random type of spirit. Make that “yours.” Explain how it is better, because while everyone else thinks that single malts/bourbon/vodka/gin/whiskey/goat blood are sophisticated because of the peaty taste/smoky flavor/wonderful blend/delicate bouquet, in fact your chosen drink is superior because it is as good but not as expensive/harder to understand but more worth it once you do/more compatible with caviar/drunk in gentlemen’s establishments in Europe.
Proceed to then try to downplay this to not look snobbish while mentioning it anyway to get the point across that you are a man of sophistication and ability. Proceed to play a secret fantasy in your mind of being part of the learned upperclass, who women want and men want to be.
Best bourbon: Old Weller Antique, Wild Turkey Russell’s Reserve, Old Forester Birthday. Maker’s Mark is a good bourbon, but I find it better for mixed drinks than straight sipping.
Best single-malt Scotch: Macallan’s, Talisker, Cragganmore, Highland Park. Every area has a different flavor profile - taste a lot and find a few you like.
Thanks for all the info, that’s aces! I’ve never cared about impressing anyone with what I drink – even though I love Guinness and Belgian ales, I still have a fondness for good ol’ PBR. I just want to find one or two whiskey-type drinks I like, so I can confidently order them at bars during the rare times I’m in that situation. Although, the more I think about it, I like the idea of keeping a bottle of whiskey in my desk at work, to take a slug between writing assignments, hard-boiled style. And I’m sure I’m going to need it this coming week.
In that case…Wild Turkey. The regular 101 bottling is very good, but the other expressions are simply wonderful! Kentucky Spirit, Russell’s Reserve, Rare Breed…all are well worth seeking out.
I find the low-grade Bushmills blend to be rather harsh and traditionally I’ve been a Jameson drinker, but lately I’ve become rather enamored with Black Bush (an aged Bushmills blend.) In any case, Irish whiskys should always be taken neat, with water on the side if you need such. Never on the rocks, and for Og’s sake, never in a Manhattan (which should be bourbon, not brandy, despite the preferences of Wisconsinites.)
There are better Irish whisky blends, of course, and even single malt whiskys, but you’ll not find these in any bar that doesn’t specifically cater to whisky fans, which I think you’ll be hard pressed to find. (You never know, though…I spent three weeks trying to find a proper Irish bar in the Phoenix/Chandler area before stumbling across Rula Bula on Mill St. in Tempe. Who’da thunk it?
You should explore single-malt Scotches and single-barrel bourbons, which are kind of parallel to the single-malt Scotches. There are scads of SMSes, and more and more of SBBs, of which I can heartily recommend Knob Creek. Be aware that these are top of the line, and will set you back considerable bucks.
But, a couple of years ago, I was in a liquor store in Fort Worth, Texas, shortly before Christmas, and they had airplane-sized bottles of SBBs. A great way to taste and compare, if you can find something like that.
p.s. be sure to search the archives for the threads on filtering cheap booze with a Pura or whatever countertop water filter to make it more palatable.
HEY, Big Bad Voodoo Lou, I thought to mention this in my previous post, but being under the, *um-hum *(clear throat, stammer inserted here) …the influence of Lady Bourbon at the time I forgot: Not likely you will find it where you are, as they don’t bottle it, BUT: Goose Island Brewery here in Chicago puts out a few kegs every year of a product they call Bourbon County Stout. You mentioned your affinity for stouts and I obviously love bourbon. This is a stout that is aged in bourbon casks that they import from Kentucky. How long they age it like this I’m not sure, but it is a full bodied stout, approaching 9 - 11%, with a lovely stout character and a pronounced bourbon quality. Drink two pints and…well, let’s just say, drink two pints of this and sit still and make lots of new friends.
I need to modify my previous post. This thread inspired me to pick up a new bottle shopping yesterday, so I tried Rip Van Winkle Bourbon, 10 years old.
This stuff is WonderBooze! So smooth…so vanilla-y.
