Whisky and Scotch Recommendations

Hrdina wrote:
Delbin wrote:

I just remembered. Do you have access to Japanese whisky? Yamazaki 12 could be right up your alley. Nikka Whisky From The Barrel also punches way above its price range.

My store also had some Nikka on the shelf. Maybe I'll give that a look next time.

This is a grocery store with a small liquor section (mostly wine), rather than a full liquor store.

I haven't had more of the mainstream Nikka to comment on it (which is what they would probably stock at a non-specialty store.) I hear of some good ones from them, though. I have a Nikka Coffey Malt waiting for me when I eventually get to it.

I'm mostly an Irish or Japanese whiskey guy but some of my friends from Kentucky have gotten me into Larceny as a really good budget bourbon. I enjoy it straight quite a bit and at the price point don't mind mixing it either. Especially with my other favorite Kentucky export, Ale 8 ginger ale.

Anyone had Angel's Envy?

Yes. Bourbon and two or three of their ryes. Delicious.

Angel's Envy is about $20 too expensive for its tastes. I like it a lot, but it is a $30 bottle not a $50 bottle, in my opinion.

SallyNasty wrote:

Angel's Envy is about $20 too expensive for its tastes. I like it a lot, but it is a $30 bottle not a $50 bottle, in my opinion.

This is the correct assessment.

oilypenguin wrote:
SallyNasty wrote:

Angel's Envy is about $20 too expensive for its tastes. I like it a lot, but it is a $30 bottle not a $50 bottle, in my opinion.

This is the correct assessment.

Pretty much my thought too. It's interesting, but not worth the cost of the bottle.

If you're going to spend $30 on a bottle, Michtner's.

oilypenguin wrote:

If you're going to spend $30 on a bottle, Michtner's.

Michter's, Maker's 46, High West Prairie Bourbon. All in that neighborhood.

oilypenguin wrote:

If you're going to spend $30 on a bottle, Michtner's.

I assume you mean this, i.e. no "n" in the name. If so, 100% agree, if you can find it.

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Yes, that exactly.

I must add that to my list!

I'm a big High West fan. They do some special stuff with ryes.
Currently I'm working my way through the incredible Midwinter Night's Dram. It was on the pricey side for rye, but it's truly special.
We've taken to the 36th Vote, which is a barrel-aged rye Manhattan. All it needs is a touch more bitters and two Luxardo Maraschino cherries.

Spoiler:

I know this is not a cocktail thread, but please throw away all your bright pink maraschino cherries immediately and replace them with the Luxardos. Don't think about the price, just do it.

I also bought a bottle of Luxardo Maraschino liqueur. I add a splash to half an ounce to my Manhattan style drinks and it's just great. (But then again, I like sweet drinks.)

Michter's is one of my favorites. I still need to get some High West, I don't think I've tried any of theirs yet but I see it in a lot of recommendations.

Robear wrote:

I also bought a bottle of Luxardo Maraschino liqueur. I add a splash to half an ounce to my Manhattan style drinks and it's just great. (But then again, I like sweet drinks.)

Luxardo is in my absolute favorite cocktail, the last word. Equal parts gin, lime juice, luxardo, and green chartreuse. I am not even that much of a gin drinker, but it is more than the sum of its parts, and indescribably good. Tastes like a spring day.

You can see from that it works wonders for otherwise bitter drinks.

I haven't tried Michter's. Will have to find a bottle!

During the holiday season, was looking for something to pass the time at the in-laws. Amongst the bottles that I found was Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream . Baileys has always had its place, but since this board introduced me to the first bourbon I’ve actually liked, I figured I would try their creamy counterpart. It was slightly stronger than I was expecting, but exactly what I thought it would be otherwise.

discoursian wrote:

During the holiday season, was looking for something to pass the time at the in-laws.

IMAGE(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/0c/56/08/0c5608a0e2e93c45663333c6c5f45e73.jpg)

Robear wrote:
discoursian wrote:

During the holiday season, was looking for something to pass the time at the in-laws.

IMAGE(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/0c/56/08/0c5608a0e2e93c45663333c6c5f45e73.jpg)

Yeah, no staying at home for me. More like
IMAGE(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U2lqGcfBKac/UavGS5Y0VLI/AAAAAAAAADQ/gvsFU6BXpII/s1600/Boromir_Facepalm.jpg)

discoursian wrote:

During the holiday season, was looking for something to pass the time at the in-laws. Amongst the bottles that I found was Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream . Baileys has always had its place, but since this board introduced me to the first bourbon I’ve actually liked, I figured I would try their creamy counterpart. It was slightly stronger than I was expecting, but exactly what I thought it would be otherwise.

I won't go back to Bailey's after I found Buffalo Trace's. It's a pretty good price, too.

As much as it annoys me to see flavored whiskeys starting to proliferate the way flavored vodkas did, I got some Jim Beam vanilla and it was mighty tasty. (I'm a big fan of vanilla flavorings and scents.)

See if you can find Bin 357, an actual combination of maple syrup (not flavor, syrup) and Canadian Whiskey. Delicious in the wintertime.

Edit - I checked, and Jim Beam vanilla is a vanilla liqueur with bourbon added. So for those expecting vanilla-infused whiskey, no, not really. (I am sure I would enjoy it, however. Sweet is how I roll.)

It's funny with flavored whiskeys. Leopold Brothers here in Denver makes some fantastic liquors using natural ingredients, but their flavored whiskys are vile. They make the base using the bare minimum standards of bourbon, but even they know it's not good enough to call bourbon, so they call it whiskey (one of their distillers admitted to this on the tour.) That said, definitely take the tour if you're in the area. You can get right up to the fermentation barrels and see them bubble.

SallyNasty wrote:

I haven't tried Michter's. Will have to find a bottle!

Wow. You were right. This is going right up on my list of "keep in stock" with Stranahans.

SallyNasty wrote:
SallyNasty wrote:

I haven't tried Michter's. Will have to find a bottle!

Wow. You were right. This is going right up on my list of "keep in stock" with Stranahans.

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/EucIfYY.gif)

SallyNasty wrote:
SallyNasty wrote:

I haven't tried Michter's. Will have to find a bottle!

Wow. You were right. This is going right up on my list of "keep in stock" with Stranahans.

I've not tried the whiskey, but I've got a green bottle of Michter's Rye that is a favorite. So good that I will get a case of any of the flava's to try each. But I'm lucky, the part of town I'm in has big and boutique liquor stores, so it isn't hard to find most anything within a 15 minute drive.

I feel my first (pre-acquisition) bottle of Stranahan's - from back in 09(?) has never been matched in the three bottles I've tried since, so I've given up on them. But I'm really becoming a friend of rye. Templeton's is always in the house.

I would really like to try the rye and will probably grab that as my next bottle. Hmm, i have had such good luck with Stranahan's(have had 3 bottles, each excellent - with the first bought at the actual distillery). I find the Michter's whiskey and Stranahan's have very similar profiles, with the Michter's being slightly muted in comparison(flavors don't jump as strongly). Both just a delight to sip.

Speaking of ryes, a friend and I went day-drinking earlier this month (MLK day). One of the whiskeys he bought at the bar was Angel's Envy Finished Rye ($16 for a 2-ounce pour), which is finished in rum casks. He let me taste it, and it's easily the best rye I've tried. He liked it so much that he bought a bottle yesterday (~$80 here) and let me have another sample. It's pricy but totally worth it if you really like rye whiksey.

Angel’s Envy Rye is good stuff. I have a bottle of that around.

Today is the Buffalo Whiskey Festival. I’ll be in attendance. They claim they’re going to have 175 different whiskeys there. Hoping to find some new favorites.