Whiskey anyone?

I very much appreciate the finer bourbons and whiskeys, but I only get those at bars, and honestly rarely remember the name. Around the house I keep a bottle of Crown at all times, and usually a bottle of JW Gold, but as I've not been drinking much lately that has yet to be replaced.

Allroad, don't forget where they learned that trick, Sam Adams.. Take a quality niche product, build a reputation, then flood the market with cheap swill at high prices and sell the idea that it's good. I know this isn't a beer thread, but Sam Adams has fallen to the watered down swill of brewing conglomerates trying to keep up with a trend they(SA) had a big hand in starting. What's been mentioned about Makers and other distillers rings the same bell to me.

With bourbon it has a lot to do with the lag time. They didn't predict the current popularity of bourbon six to ten years ago when the quality stuff was being laid down. Apparently Japan and China are both buying all the brown liquor they can get their hands on. Tough to keep up. I'm hoping in another decade when tastes change again that there is a glut on the market and prices fall accordingly.

Japanese whiskys anyone? I personally love the Nikka Coffey and the Yamikazi 10 year. I also just tried the Talisker Storm, a new distillery from the Islay region and HOLY GOD it's like being smacked in the mouth with a lump of peat. I love it.

You nerds talking about whisky?

Pictures about two months old, so it's off by two bottles or so.

I'm a huge fan of cask-strength, specialty finished/matured scotches. Kilchoman is my current obsession.

But I'm into American, Japanese, Indian, Irish, Canadian, South African, etc, etc whiskies or similar spirits, too. Clearly.

penultimeta said: I also just tried the Talisker Storm, a new distillery from the Islay region and HOLY GOD it's like being smacked in the mouth with a lump of peat.

Uh, dude... Talisker has been around since the 1800s...

Resurrecting this to talk Japanese and Indian whiskies. Lots of good stuff there.

Antihero mentioned wanting to get into Japanese Whisky, but really really liking Islays.

Curtis recommended Suntori Toki. I would not recommend that for an Islay fan. It's nice, but it's very soft. Opposite of an Islay.

I would recommend looking for Nikka Yoichi single malt as being most in line with an Islay. Assertively peated, and aged in a part of Japan with climate very similar to Islay. It is pricier on par with a Lagavulin 16. For a bit less expensive, I'd suggest Nikka from the Barrel, which should run around $65.

For an interesting Indian malt, I would recommend Amrut Fusion. It's moderately peated, adding nice smoky notes that are in balance with the other flavors. In all, it has a very smores-like flavor profile (with cocoa, smoke, toasty malt, and vanilla cream).

Just now having an Old Fashioned made with smoked cedar Maker's Mark and served to me on the beach (Pompano Beach, FL). Great drink.  Might have another after this .

In reply to Beer Baron :

I like Japanese whisky but to be honest with how much the price has gone up recently I just end up buying Scotch or Bourbon. 

I have seen some Indian whiskeys but haven't been brave enough to buy one. I may have to change that.

93EXCivic said:

In reply to Beer Baron :

I like Japanese whisky but to be honest with how much the price has gone up recently I just end up buying Scotch or Bourbon. 

I have seen some Indian whiskeys but haven't been brave enough to buy one. I may have to change that.

Yeah. The price on Japanee whisky has jumped up. I got into them several years back when they were a value compared to Scotch, but now the two regions have basically flipped in price from a few years back.

Indian can be very nice. Get slightly different flavors because climate is warm and humid. Frequently getting notes of tropical fruit, caramel, and creme brulee. Unfortunately they're less common and there aren't many lower-price options. My Amrut Fusion and Paul John Classic are both fantastic, but they're $90-$100 bottles. They hold up against Scotch whiskies at that price. But what I don't know of are ~$50~$60 Indian whiskies to fill the niche of Highland Park or Balvenie. Paul John Nirvana is ~$40 and it's... fine... tastes very bourbon-like. It has a lot going on, but I feel like all the flavor notes don't really integrate.

Weird this thread pops up now. I just bought (another) bottle of Jefferson's ocean today, this time voyage 24. The logbook was almost all hot and humid, and it spend an extended time in storm season, so I'm very curious. Plus it was super cheap at Costco. 

Beer Baron said:

Resurrecting this to talk Japanese and Indian whiskies. Lots of good stuff there.

Antihero mentioned wanting to get into Japanese Whisky, but really really liking Islays.

Curtis recommended Suntori Toki. I would not recommend that for an Islay fan. It's nice, but it's very soft. Opposite of an Islay.

I would recommend looking for Nikka Yoichi single malt as being most in line with an Islay. Assertively peated, and aged in a part of Japan with climate very similar to Islay. It is pricier on par with a Lagavulin 16. For a bit less expensive, I'd suggest Nikka from the Barrel, which should run around $65.

For an interesting Indian malt, I would recommend Amrut Fusion. It's moderately peated, adding nice smoky notes that are in balance with the other flavors. In all, it has a very smores-like flavor profile (with cocoa, smoke, toasty malt, and vanilla cream).

I will definitely give them a shot. I might have to venture into Washington and pay their ridiculous taxes sadly, my local liquor store is small and seemingly can't get much new in special order wise.

Currently drinking a Godfather and trying to make that special Interstellar Sledgehammer drink

Mndsm said:

Weird this thread pops up now. I just bought (another) bottle of Jefferson's ocean today, this time voyage 24. The logbook was almost all hot and humid, and it spend an extended time in storm season, so I'm very curious. Plus it was super cheap at Costco. 

I have that one, and I am not a fan. There's a reason whiskey is aged undisturbed...

In reply to Javelin :

I like weird E36 M3. I am definitely not a conventional whiskey person. 

In reply to Mndsm :

I do as well. This wasn't interesting to me, it was just, well, bad. Which sucks, because it was a really cool story.

Also, if you see any Ghost Owl, give it a shot. I really liked that. Otherwise I am on a Whistlepig kick right now.

Mndsm said:

In reply to Javelin :

I like weird E36 M3. I am definitely not a conventional whiskey person. 

I got some Kaiyo cask strength that's really nice. It's aged in Japanese Mizunara oak which imparts some really interesting flavors.

I'm on the hunt for some WL Weller. Does anyone know of some for sale?

In reply to dyintorace :

Not at retail.....the whole buffalo Trace distillery has gone fully insane. 

In reply to Beer Baron :

That looks extremely interesting. 

Oh man, the bourbon hunters are truly insane. I went to a 2-day whisky class a couple months back. Went into a bottle shop where they had a bunch of things they were selling on the secondary market for massive markups. I was initially intrigue because I had a bottle of Stagg Jr. that's my wife's favorite. They had it at the shop for like $350. Screw that. That bottle should retail for $65-$75.

Then someone in the class dropped a grand on a bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle. I mean, it's her money, but... really?!?

Next day I was at a tasting room where I got a chance to try Van Winkle for free (benefits of the industry and personal connections). It was nice. I'd pay $80 for that. It wasn't especially unique or surprising or distinctive in any way though. Sorry, but when all bourbon has to be >50% corn and go into new charred oak, that defines most of the flavor profile.

Then he started pouring me a selection of malt whiskies...

The best bourbon I've ever had is an Indian Single Malt whisky: Paul John Classic. It did everything the Van Winkle did, and then some.

Mndsm said:

In reply to Beer Baron :

That looks extremely interesting. 

The Kaiyo is very interesting without being weird. It manages to be distinctive and delicate at the same time. More flavorful than an Irish whisky like Green Spot. Sort of like a delicate Speyside.

The Mizunara is really the star of the show. Wonderful sanded cedarwood notes. Evergreen needles. Brine. I can definitely see it as a very Japanese expression. I've never been to Japan, but it reminds me of spots on the CA coast - Big Sur or Carmel by the Sea.

I wish I was able to make my own whiskey...  Not a lot.  Just enough for me.

stroker said:

I wish I was able to make my own whiskey...  Not a lot.  Just enough for me.

Nah. Whisky is a PITA. Microdistilling is not like homebrewing.

In reply to Beer Baron :

Air still makes it a little easier.  And safer.

Mndsm said:

In reply to dyintorace :

Not at retail.....the whole buffalo Trace distillery has gone fully insane. 

The best source for BT products is on a cruise ship.  At least the basics- Blantons, Buffalo Trace, and Sazerac.  It's the only place in the last few years we've seen so many Blantons bottles at once, you can spell it out. 

I admit I'm not a huge bourbon fan, I've tried a few but haven't been impressed really. Blanton's to me is terrible for one. There's a local distillery that makes a good one but it's on a batch to batch basis that I like it