What is a good whiskey?

[Black Swan]

I know we have several threads where alcohol is discussed in general.
Like ,how much do you drink ? how often? What kind of beer? Wine. . .
I usually drink wine but understand that whiskey is something to be appreciated.
So, what is a good whiskey ? and how do you drink it ,to get it?
What are your favorite receipes? when do you drink it?

 

[roni]

Only a dead Whiskey is a good Whiskey.


No, seriously. I like Scotch and Water 1:1, just like we can read in some stories of the master.
Important: Water straight out of the tub - NO sparkling crap!

 

[tinux]

My experience is, whiskey (or whisky depending where you live), turns people aggressive.
A year ago, I was drinking in my neighbourhood bar with a friend, me beer, he whiskey, until closing time. We said goodbye, I live down the street there, he walked home and got into a fight with a traffic sign that said "one way street". He objected with "I'll decide that!" and landed his fist on the sign. He broke his hand in three places and was in plaster for 7 weeks.
Two weeks ago, my girlfriend had four shots of whiskey that changed her personality, hit me hard in the ribs two times, which is not so bad, but she aimed at my rib that i broke a week earlier. She is now my ex.

Stick to beer.

 

[Gerard K H Love]

Whiskey is quite diverse from Kentucky bourbon to Scotch. I like Canadian whiskeys for mixing with Coke or 7up (not Pepsi ) my wife likes to mix it with Cherry Coke. It's nice to garnish with a cherry with any type of soda. Crown Royal is nice on the rocks as is Jameson (18 yr old). Any straight whiskey shot goes good with a beer chaser.
The hardest for most people to acquire a taste and my favorite is Scotch whiskeys. I prefer the highland Scotch but that's just me. The trick with Scotch is never mix it with anything sweet. My sister and her late boyfriend use to drink it with milk, I don't think that's what killed him though.
I drink lots of Canadian whiskey because it goes on sale quite often and its easier to drink than bourbon, besides I've had some wild episodes on Kentucky bourbon.
Not to be graphic but there is a side effect called whiskey dick, you girls can appreciate that, guys do too.

Avoid excessive drinking and remember always to hydrate when you are finished or you could have violent episodes like tinux described above.

 

[tinux]

Gerard, I will hydrate any girlfriend in the future as much as possible;)

When living in Scotland, I did enjoy some very fine malt whiskys. What they do there is add just a little water to it, the better the quality of the whisky, the less water. It loosenes the flavours and aromas, or so I am told.

 

[Gerard K H Love]

I will go to Scotland some day. I will have to meet Olaf while I'm there and of course drink old Scotch.

 

[Black Swan]

My gawd, I would not want to start arguing with a stop sign, or punch anyone in the ribs. It sounds like that are risks drinking it. What is the good side of drinking scotch whiskey? Really? What is the high like?

Roni, whiskey-water sounds like the preferable mix ,

Tinux,the story about your friend made me laugh , although sounds painful . But I was wondering how you broke your rib the week before?

Gerard, you said not to mix it with anything "sweet". Is'nt coke or 7up sweet?
This is starting to sound like like an out-of-control experience, although the whiskey dick could be worth the risk. But what if I drink it alone?

 

[Hosh]

The upside of drinking good whisky (whiskey)? It's fucking awesome is the upside--& it makes you powerful--even if it does put rattlesnakes in your head (as my buddy Freddie says).

Swiped off the web: (for what that's worth)

1. Irish whiskey is carefully distilled, and produces a clean, refined spirit that matures in the casks into a smooth whiskey. The Irish Whiskey Act of 1980 states that: The spirits have to be distilled in the Republic of Ireland or in Northern Ireland and that the spirits have been matured in wooden casks in a warehouse in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland for a period of no less than 3 years.

2. Scotch Whisky: The principle types of whiskey / whisky are also characteristic of the particular geographical regions of the world. For example the Scotch Whisky Order (1990) and the Scotch Whisky Act (1988) define Scotch whisky. They state that Scotch whisky must be produced at a distillery in Scotland. The word "Scotch" in this definition is of geographical and not generic significance.

3. Bourbon Whiskey: As people emigrated from Ireland and Scotland to the US and Canada they brought with them their distilling skills which were adapted according to the environment and raw materials available to them. These immigrants produced the rye whiskey that became the first "American" whiskey in 1733 (spelt with an e just like Irish whiskey). Bourbon is made from American corn and was originally produced in Bourbon County, Kentucky. Only Bourbon whiskey regulations require that it be matured in a new charred, white oak barrel.

4. Canadian whisky (spelt without an e) is a blend of whiskies most commonly made in column stills from wheat, corn, barley and rye (either singly or combined), and must be aged for a minimum of three years in new wood, bourbon, sherry and brandy barrels.


My favorites:
American Bourbons: I've enjoyed Knob Creek, Bookers, Basil Hayden--& the more typical Jack, Jim, & Maker's Mark. Beware Early Times and Old Crow!

Irish Whisky: Jameson, Bushmills (Black Bush), Redbreast

Scotch--many are very good (& expensive!) I like Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Talisker, Oban

Now I'm thirsty...

 

[Black Swan]

Thank you Hosh for retrieving the info. That is new to me, although I drank some whiskey years ago (like decades ago), not knowing what had hit me.
As I read the article ,I vaguely remembered a song called "Whiskey Train".
Here it is by Procol Harum.

 

[Purple Stickpin]

Scotch--many are very good (& expensive!) I like Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Talisker, Oban

Good man!

Black Swan: Scotch whisky does not have the same type of alkaloid mess-up for people like gin or ouzo does. Of course, if you drink a fifth of anything, then you will argue with God, even if you don't believe in (it).

Anyway, single malt Scotch is, to me, the best of all hard liquor. They generally vary by region. Islay (Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Caol Ila) and Skye (Talisker) malts are generally heavily flavored with native peat smoke. Of the ones Hosh mentioned, Lagavulin is probably the smokiest. Yummy, but not for the faint of heart.

Other regional malts (e.g., Highland, Lowland) have much less, if any, peat smoke. They taste rather bland to me, as I prefer the peat smoke. But there are some good ones that won't break the bank. One is a Speyside Highland distillery called The Balvenie. They make a 12-year old double wood (traditional oak followed by sherry wood casks) that reeks and tastes of honey and is fabulous.

This brings up aging. Most better scotch is at least 10 years aged in wood. Most distilleries produce multiple agings, and these can vary simply by age and complexity in similar woods, or because the woods used may vary. In general, the longer the aging, the more mellow and smooth the flavor, but a Lagavulin is going to be damn heady no matter how old. Keep in mind that, unlike wine, the time spent in the wood is all that matters. A ten-year aged scotch that is 200 years old is still a 10-year-old scotch.

 

[Black Swan]

Thank you PS and thank you all. I have learned something about whiskey today. I got it!
I know what to look for !
Now I'll get to see if I can afford it, in small doses...

 

[Purple Stickpin]

Now I'll get to see if I can afford it, in small doses...

You can often find "gift-paks" of three 200-mL bottles. It may be more pricey by a bit, but you get to try a few different malts or agings from the same distillery.

Here in BOS, 12-year Balvenie is the least expensive of those I mentioned, at $50 for 750 mL. It used to be about $40 last summer.

I've heard that in these tough economic times, scotch is one of the few commodities that is still selling very well. The rich have their tax shelters, apparently.

 

[hank solo]

I've never really enjoyed either whisky or whiskey. I do like brandy. But I am quite ignorant. Cheers...

 

[Purple Stickpin]

That doesn't make you ignorant, but have you checked your bollocks lately? ;)

 

[LickTheStar]

Ouch, poking the Grumpy. mod. Bad choice. :p

HST fans have told me I have to drink Wild Turkey. So I think I'm gonna give it a shot here on his death date anniversary.
But then again... maybe not. Since I haven't yet had a drop of alcohol, perhaps whiskey isn't the best place to start.

 

[Gerard K H Love]

this some good stuff $39. at Trader Joes.

Blk Swn what I said was don't mix Scotch with anything but water or Soda or ice. Nothing sweet. Scotch has little or no hang over but it can make a man crazy.

 

[Black Swan]

Yes Gerard, got it, with water is the best.
Must be more than $40. here in Canada. The suppliers touch the ground here about once a year, or throw it from a helicopter...just k...
Today going to the SAQ (Société des Alcohols du Québec) and see what I can find.

 

[tinux]

Tinux,the story about your friend made me laugh , although sounds painful . But I was wondering how you broke your rib the week before?

It is a funny story, and it's fun to remind him now and then of it. Thinking of him, another time after whiskey, he was outside the bar swinging a heavy chain used to lock his bicycle at a friend who made a remark or something futile. But him hit himself in the head with the padlock that is on the chain. He cleaned his act up since.

You might get the idea that my life is all about alcohol and violence, but it is not. I broke my rib doing the plumbing in the bathroom.

Boring, but true.

 

[hank solo]

That doesn't make you ignorant, but have you checked your bollocks lately? ;)

Thanks for the reminder - testicular health is something we all need to keep an eye on.

One sec...




...yes they seem fine. Remember fellas, check yourself every month.
Need a second opinion? Ask a friend to check them for you too :p

 

[learner]

For me it is all in the first sip.

 

[CarversDog]

With both whiskey and scotch the rule of thumb to follow is fairly basic if you want to get the most quality from your sipping and avoid dancing with traffic signs and the nasty hangovers that accompany said adventures: the more expensive the brand, the better distilled it is. In the U.S., lower end Tennessee whiskies like Evan Williams and Old Grand Dad contain a hell of a lot more refined sugar and hurt your head the next day. Stick to high-end brands like Knob Creek and George Dickel (90 proof but smooth) and you'll be just fine.

 

[the only good poet]

i don't know about brands and that, but to think that i started with a quarter and found it hard work...

 

[homeless mind]

cheers!


to all my friends...

 

[Ponder]

Glennfiddich

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenfiddich

To me this is the best whisky.
Drink 1 glass at home before dinner or drink 1 glass
with the one you love after a couple of beers and you're
tipsy, and go to bed together.
It's the only way to go.

 

[Black Swan]

Ok, so Glennfiddich sounds fine to me.

 

[slimedog]

Their are three types of Whiskey-Whisky, Scotch & Bourbon. All are different tasting and usually somone who likes Bourbon will not like Scotch and vice versa.

I like Scotch though I don't have it much, Glen Livet is the best I've had.

 

[scribbler]

I drank a bottle of Johnny Walker Green Label these past holidays. A gift from a friend. Yes, smooth but as a man of ruined pallette, I could just as easily drink the Wilson or Old Crow or Four Roses or Fleischmans. Hangovers...who cares, gotta pay to play. I drink them usually alongside beer...as an excess, a suppliment, a treat (usually the beer is enough). I dont keep it around all the time (the bottle) - cause I like it...and theres plenty of other things to get done besides the drinking.

 

[cool kid of death]

Hey, guys!
What about classic Jack Daniel's?
Maybe some people could say it's lame, but...
sex after Jack Daniel's is better than after cannabis.
Don't you think?

 

[scribbler]

JD, sure its fine...fightin' whisky, but it doesnt taste different enough to me than the other Tennessee/kentucky gut-rotters to spend the extra three bucks a fifth. I must say, they've done a good marketing job though. Kinda like the way those familiar yellow squares of a Waffle House sign in the distance makes me hungry...that JD label wets me with a pre-buzz; pretty much decides that I'll be drinking SOMETHING real soon.

 

[Gerard K H Love]

I could just as easily drink the Wilson or Old Crow or Four Roses or Fleischmans.

In 1977 my ex-wife another couple and I drank the better part of a half gallon of the blended whiskey mentioned above. My ex threw a glass through the picture window of the living room and I nearly choked her to death.- an angel pulled my hands loose. The other couple got into an argument that resulted in the door frame to the kitchen being broken inside the wall and a perfectly good black and white TV set blazed and melted in the fireplace.

When I returned early the next morning I noticed a shadow of soot all over the ceiling and the tops of the walls of the living room. My friend was alone, his wife fled in the night, told me of my lamp that had exploded into the TV after leaving his angry hand. She had ducked just in time- that same angel.

Ultimately the lamp, TV and a few other items ended up in the fireplace and into nothing but ash and molten metals.

That action can slow a man's pursuit of whiskey dick and long hard fucking. The ex-wife has since been diagnosed as manic and her adventures continue at the expense of many a fair young men.