f13.net

I'm about to go buy two decent bottles of port as christmas gifts for my sisters. 

I'm not sure where port ranks on the 'manly' scale.  Well below scotch, but I can't stand scotch.  I do like port though.  And I prefer hard cider to most beers.  Maybe I'll pick up some Woodchuck Dark and Dry while I'm at the store.

If your willing to pop 50-60 bucks I'd go with Lagavulin 16-year old for an Islay (my personal choice) or an Oban 14-year old if you want a Highland.

Not a hijack at all. Where the heck is Ironwood? :P

Cursing out all the damn Americans thinking the know Scotch, is my guess.  Damn psudo-English.  :evil:

Also, are older scotches generally considered better then newer?  I am a scotch nooblet.

Capt. Morgan is pretty poor imho. You should check out Mt. Gay Rum, very smooth and not too sweet. Round and nice taste, the best I've had so far :)

I don't shoot for the pure taste of Vodka (just transparency), so that leaves me with slightly less expensive tastes.

No and I'm still missing it.  :?

My brother loves the Jura peaty stuff, but to me it tastes of seaweed and driftwood.  He agrees, but he likes it.  I have also found that two of the women in my life also enjoy the peaty/island stuff that puts me off, so maybe women have differing tastes than men.

Well, at least no-one assumed I was feeding Elena Booze.

Someday I'll actually have to try some of these scotches.  However, the price of a bottle I may or may not like is a bit prohibitive. Any suggestions therin?

I've not tried anjeo tequila - I assume the label you like is pure agave as well.  From what I hear that's the only way to drink tequila if you do at all.  The only reason not to mix premium tequila, or any other premium liquor, is that a majority of the point in getting decent liquor is to taste it.  Soon as you mix it, you're masking the taste which you paid a premium to get.  As far as top shelf teqiula goes, I'm not sure there is such a thing.  The reason I got hooked on scotch is because even the cheap stuff is decent, and of course it only gets better from there.  Tequila oro starts off very bad, and I can't imagine that the 'good' stuff gets much past drinkable.  I'll suggest a bit tongue in cheek that the reason you like your anjeo is because it's the only stuff that is.  But, there are people who absolutely love it, so just not for me I guess.

No, there are some very good premium tequilas that I drink just like scotch. Anejo is often times really good for that because it has aged long enough to pick up the flavor from the used bourbon casks. It can be quite complex (not as complex as Scotch likely, but still wroth the effort of seeking it out).  I've also had even silver tequila that I wouldn't mix if you paid me. I've been nursing a bottle of it I got in Mexico for over 4 years now. Most of the mass-market stuff here in the U.S. is crap and even the premium stuff here (Herradura, Patron, etc. etc.) is good but not the top of the line.  I think uber-premium tequila is starting to take off (much like vodka did the last 5 years or so) so I would expect more of the top stuff to start becoming more widespread.

Oh, and one reason not to get dreck like Cuervo even if you are mixing is that a good portion of the sugars it uses are not from Agave but from corn syrup (49% of the sugars in Cuervo Gold for instance is corn syrup). You get a much worse hangover from that stuff.

I believe this thread deserves a necro.

So I broke into the Laphroaig last year, really liked how smooth it was. Two nights ago, ran out of beer, decided to have a nice glass of whisk(e)y, but didn't want to deplete the Laphroaig, so I broke the seal on a bottle of Bushmills 10yr single malt. I had previously considered this a smooth whisk(e)y. Blah. The Laphroaig has spoiled me, I poured a glass last night and really, really enjoyed it.

Hopefully some day I can afford some more real XO brandy (there are some knockoffs that taste like swill) and run some comparisons to see which I prefer.

After using up Righ's very expensive bottle of Laphroaig by swishing it on a sensitive tooth and spitting it out over the course of this past year or so, I've found that cheap gin works better.  I bet he wishes I had found that out or gone to the dentist earlier.  Poor old Righ.   :heartbreak:

If you/he are not experienced Scotch drinkers, I would suggest Johnny Walker Black.  Good taste, easy to drink.  AVOID Red, but it seems below your price range anyway.  Upgrade to Green/Gold label if you want to fork the cash for them.  I enjoy Glenfiddich and it's another decent starter Scotch.  I've seen Dalmore recommended, but I personally don't care for it.  Famouse Grouse is ok, but probably below your price range.  I dislike J&B, and would advise against.  Avoid McClelland's for the gift - I've had Speyside and it's good as far as the cheap stuff goes, but you're not looking for that.

In most cases, if you can upgrade to older or reserve scotches, you can taste the difference.  If you are unsure about what to get you may want to go with a blended scotch (partly why I recommend JW Black) because they tend to be easier to drink.  I personally prefer single malts in spite of that, because of their character.  I'd recommend Glenfiddich if you're wanting a single.

While we're on the topic of specialized whiskey's, anybody have some good high end Bourbon suggestions?  The bevmo near my house has a staggering amount to choose from.  I'll probably go grab an expensive bottle of Scotch and an expensive bottle of Bourbon, as I'd like to start developing a better whiskey pallet.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Actually, I was under the impression that it was the additional processing (e.g., the filtering) that made Jack not a bourbon. I've never heard anything about it having to be made in Kentucky to be 'Bourbon', just that it had to be produced in the USA. Although, to be called 'Kentucky Bourbon', etc., etc. And yes, the force is strong, there.

Legal requirements

On 4 May 1964, the United States Congress recognized Bourbon Whiskey as a “distinctive product of the United States," creating the Federal Standards of Identity for Bourbon. Federal regulations now stipulate that bourbon must meet these requirements:
Bourbon must be made of a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn.[1]
Bourbon must be distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume).
Bourbon must be 100% natural (nothing other than water added to the mixture).
Bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak barrels.[1]
Bourbon may not be introduced to the barrel at higher than 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume).
Bourbon which meets the above requirements and has been aged for a minimum of two years, may (but is not required to) be called Straight Bourbon.[2]
Bourbon aged for a period less than four years must be labeled with the duration of its aging.
If an age is stated on the label, it must be the age of the youngest whiskey in the bottle.

While we're on the topic of specialized whiskey's, anybody have some good high end Bourbon suggestions?  The bevmo near my house has a staggering amount to choose from.  I'll probably go grab an expensive bottle of Scotch and an expensive bottle of Bourbon, as I'd like to start developing a better whiskey pallet.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

An apocryphal story about Grant's drinking has the general's critics going to President Lincoln, charging the military man with being a drunk. Lincoln is supposed to have replied, "I wish some of you would tell me the brand of whiskey that Grant drinks. I would like to send a barrel of it to my other generals."

For single malt, 'keep a bottle around' I go with Glenmorangie.  I am aware that real whisky drinkers think it's rather pedestrian but I'm not a huge fan of sucking on muddy peat bogs just after they've been burnt down to charcoal which cuts out a lot of the more available in the US choices that aren't Glenfiddich or Glenlivet.

I was at a friends a while back and he broke out some Johnny Walker Blue, I have to say that it was pretty damn tasty.

If you really want to put some hair on your chest drink some "cask strength" scotch without adding any extra water.

I agree about the blended scotchs.  Most people who decide to try single malt (myself included) tend to grab the low end stuff(~$30 a bottle), not wanting to drop a lot of cash into something they might not like.  This turns people off from single malts because, IMO, a good blended scotch is much better than a low end single malt.

1. Cutty Sark
2. Dewars
3. J&B
4. Johnny Walker

Now I don't have a whole lot of experience with single malts, so I can't remember all the names I've tried, but I can tell you that regular Glenfiddich is just very "ok", and I'd prefer a bottle of Cutty.  However, I've tried some 15 and 20 year old Glenfiddich(or was it Glenlivet? It's been a while) that were great.  One brand that I do remember liking quite a bit was one that a bar which I used to frequent carried, and that was Auchentoshan.

I'm looking to try some good bourbons. Anybody have experience there? I'm looking for something that's not mainline like Knob Creek or Maker's Mark, and that is a single barrel whiskey. I've had Elijah Craig before, and I'm looking for more things in that vein.

Many shops here in Florida barely have more than 50 different single malt labels. Shops carrying close to 100 or more always get special treatment (distributers often refund the cost of bottles used for tasting), especially if the shop has been around for a while, so those ones should have plenty to taste.

Has anyone tried the Laphroaig Quarter Cask (Double matured)? Very different taste (like charcoal).

I'm not fond of the impact the cherry and orange have on the drink, it covers too much of the flavor of the booze and the soda water does the same. This drink is meant for sipping and enjoying and extra water just thins the enjoyment.

Not surprisingly, the quality of the ingredients is as important as the ratios and the procedure.  You want a good quality rye or sourmash bourbon.  It needn't be a mortgage-buster aged in wood for 20 years, but it does need to be respectable.  Wild Turkey Rye, Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon, Maker's Mark Bourbon, and Knob Creek Bourbon are some we have found to give good results.  The other ingredients are sugar or sugar syrup (or, in a variation, honey), Angostura bitters, and ice.

Though we have devised modifications to facilitate serving a crowd, the ordinary approach is to construct each drink individually, and the one tricky part is being sure that the sugar, sugar syrup, or honey really dissolves well in part of the whiskey before adding the cracked ice and mixing in the rest of the whiskey (yes, you could add all the whiskey before putting in any ice, but that can be a bit messy, since there will be less room in the glass and you're more likely to splash contents out).  Embury is a big believer in using simple syrup (not always easy to find ready-made --you could always prepare some in advance, but I'm not sure it's necessarily worth it --you do want syrup made from real sucrose, not something like Karo syrup; honey is a different matter, nice, adds a very subtle extra flavor).  Tricks that help: for sugar, mixing with a very tiny amount of heated water, approx. same volume, as suggested below.  For honey, the same, and in addition pre-warming honey.  What follows is a typical recipe, then the honey variation.

Ingredients for each drink:

Slightly less than 1 teaspoon of sugar
1-2 dashes Angostura bitters (1 dash is said to be 1/6 teaspoon; Angostura bottle delivers 1 dash if shaken once briskly)
2 oz. whiskey
abundant cracked ice
maraschino cherry or thin slice of orange

Put sugar in Old Fashioned glass.  Microwave a little water, then add 1 tsp of it and mix with sugar until mixed entirely or almost so.  Add dash of bitters.  Add half the whiskey, mix untl sugar is completely mixed in.  Add cracked ice (not crushed ice; if you don't have a TapIcer, the back of a hefty spoon works pretty well to crack a cube held in one's hand) to within about a half-inch of the top.  Add the rest of the whiskey.  Mix using mostly up & down motion with teaspoon.  Add cherry with stem &/or on spear (or orange slice).  Enjoy.

Simple syrup will allegedly mix easier.  Maybe a bit.  Sugar concentration in syrup is so high that the volume of syrup needed is only slightly more than if you were using sugar.  Honey is sweeter, so if you use that you need only about a half to two-thirds of a teaspoonful.  I'd pre-warm some so it flows easily and even mix it with a teaspoonful of heated water before adding any whiskey or bitters.

One other thing Embury suggests is a "twist of lemon," which we use for some other drinks but usually skip when making an Old Fashioned.  The "twist" is a strip of just the very thin yellow part of a lemon peel, obtained by using a peeler; it's "twisted" over the drink (or just bent and squeezed) so microdroplets of lemon oil are squeezed out, and then it's dropped into the drink.  (We never omit this in the case of a martini.  And our hybridized recipe for Picon Punch also requires it, with this variation, that the peel is rubbed on the rim [instead of being squeezed over the drink] then dropped in.)

I also think I slightly prefer the sugar over the honey variation, but since there are many different types of honeys it might just be that we haven't tried the right one yet.

I'm not a huge fan of sucking on muddy peat bogs

Curiously enough, I've just spent the weekend running over the Highlands doing exactly that: stopping at streams to drink the water and wondering why it tasted so familiar until my partner pointed out it was the peat and that it was a whisky taste. Just considerably less alcoholic.

On a related note, what waterborne parasitic infections have you been tested for lately?

Can anyone suggest a few drinks to try that fit the environment of sitting by a pool and don't make me look like I need a skirt?  :ye_gods:

If you're going to be in Vegas, go to Red Square (in the Mandelay Bay) some evening.  They have excellent cocktails and an intimidating selection of vodka.

I don't want to hammer whiskey drinks in small glasses all day and don't have much experience in poolside drinks with umbrella's in them. Can anyone suggest a few drinks to try that fit the environment of sitting by a pool and don't make me look like I need a skirt?  :ye_gods:

Manly?  :ye_gods:

It is a really nice drink though.

Ok, here is a question for you all.

What is the worst alcohol you have ever tried?  

Not a mixed drink, just a single liquid.

I can not stand Cointreau.  

It just needs to be manly looking. If it doesn't have an umbrella in it, isn't blue/pink/orange, and isn't clearly blended, it looks manly. In Vegas Pimms are plenty manly; no one will know what the fuck it is. Including the bartender.

Ok, here is a question for you all.

What is the worst alcohol you have ever tried?  

Not a mixed drink, just a single liquid.

I can not stand Cointreau.  

I'd say the screwtop wines (MD20-20, Thunderbird, etc) are pretty damned bad. Also, we had a drummer who loved Blackberry "Brandy". Godawful shit

Try the Green and the Gold when you get a chance.  For a blend, Gold is not bad if you are unable to get Blue.

To each their own though.

wapatuli barrel

My drinks book from the 30's has a Singapore Sling recipe that calls for blackberry  brandy and uses it well.

I recently tried Johnny Walker and I like it.  Of Black, Red and Blue, I prefer Black.  Blue has some real charm but I'm not sure that charm is worth the price.  Did not try Green or Gold.

Finally got my liquor cabinet (well, closet) put together in good order:

Ok, here is a question for you all.

What is the worst alcohol you have ever tried? 

Not a mixed drink, just a single liquid.

I can not stand Cointreau. 

Ok, here is a question for you all.

What is the worst alcohol you have ever tried? 
Not a mixed drink, just a single liquid.

I can not stand Cointreau. 

LONDON, Sept. 2 (AP) — Michael Jackson, a leading beer critic who helped start a renaissance of interest in beer and breweries worldwide in the 1970s, was found dead on Thursday at his home in West London. He was 65.

Michael Jackson has died. (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/03/world/europe/03jackson.html?_r=1)
You may know him from his television documentary “The Beer Hunter” or one of his many books. He was something of a pope to those who truly appreciate a decent brew.

Then a few months ago I tried a Gin martini (Beefeater's in honor of a Beefeater I had a conversation with).  Now, I know why people like martinis.  It's almost savory, like a good piece of meat.  Literally lip smacking good.

Also, I'd give up my single malt habit for a regular supply of Johnny Blue but the price is a bit steep for anything more than an occasional luxury at this point in my career arc.

Hmm, I've never actually tried Gin before.  

Michael Jackson has died. (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/03/world/europe/03jackson.html?_r=1)
You may know him from his television documentary “The Beer Hunter” or one of his many books. He was something of a pope to those who truly appreciate a decent brew.

1. Fuck Martinis, get a Gibson, or don't bother.

Give me a blue-cheese stuffed olive in my Martini and I will bow down before you.

Gin is pretty much the only thing I do drink. No one I know likes it, and makes some kind of comment when I order/drink it, which is fine (more for me).

I'm actually a fan of the more hearty gins, i.e. Beefeater, Sapphire, etc.  I like Tanqueray but it doesn't quite give me like nice herbal kick.

Michael Jackson has died. (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/03/world/europe/03jackson.html?_r=1)
You may know him from his television documentary “The Beer Hunter” or one of his many books. He was something of a pope to those who truly appreciate a decent brew.

Isn't that on Food TV now? I swear I saw ads for it recently.

fake edit: It's on FLN now.

Our 90 retired librarian (who still volunteers twice a week and was still working part-time at 87 and is good with computers!) loves gin. She called her paycheck her gin money.

New eps or reruns? What is FLN?

New episodes. I have no idea what fucking station that is though; one of our random ass 500 cable stations I assume. According to wikipedia it's the Fine Living Network. They've done 4 new episodes so far.

God yes. I long for some Old Rasputin. Warm, creamy and thick that stuff was. I used to buy it from the corner store quite regularly when I lived in SF.

I tried some Green Islands Stout a few weeks back; it's described as a "medium stout" from the Faeroe Islands. Tasted like someone took half a bottle of Guinness and cut it with seawater. Never drink Faeroese beer.

They've been selling Anchor Steam up here for the past month or so, which has been nice. I've been introducing the locals to it, and they're generally very positive despite it being a heavier, more flavorful beer than anything domestic. Liberty Ale has also gone over pretty well.

The problem is their beer menu, which is nothing but bland shitty american brews, I made the mistake of asking what kind of beer they had, the poor waitress. Bud, Mich, Coors, Miller, etc and all their various bland subvarieties. Oh wait, they did have Molson Golden and Labatt Blue  :oh_i_see:

Long story short: major brewers are skilled at making good beer, they just don't want to.

Can anyone verify whether gin is gluten free or not?  With  my celiac I can pretty much rule out most alcohols, except for wine, tequila, some vodkas, etc.

Just wait a few months, and chew on your xmas tree. Then you'll know what drinking gin is like.

Can anyone verify whether gin is gluten free or not?  With  my celiac I can pretty much rule out most alcohols, except for wine, tequila, some vodkas, etc.

Several years ago, a mixologist friend introduced me to the Brooklyn (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn_(cocktail)), and I've been on the lookout for Amer Picon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picon_(ap%C3%A9ritif)) (or a reasonable substitute) ever since.  After I killed my last bottle of Amaro Montenegro I decided to do some more serious research into what it would take to get the real deal, and discovered the recipe for Amer Boudreau (https://kindredcocktails.com/ingredient/amer-boudreau).

A month and a half of steeping orange peels later, it's time to mix myself a pitcher of knockoff bitters.

Oo, I can try a side by side with my homemade version.

now I need to do a side-by-side comparison in the context of a cocktail to see if that extra sweetness is overpowering (if it is that'll call for more experimentation -- my Brooklyn recipe calls for a splash of Luxardo, but maybe a sweeter amer makes that unnecessary).

The experiment results are in (over the course of multiple days so I'm not knocking back multiple cocktails every night) and I don't think the China-China works as well in a Brooklyn.  With my standard recipe (2 rye, 1 dry vermouth, 1/4 Luxardo, 1/4 amaro) the result is not bad but is sweeter than I prefer.  Same recipe minus the Luxardo and the spice notes in the amaro overpower the drink.  The homemade Boudreau is my favorite.  I can see people who prefer a sweeter cocktail preferring the China-China in the standard recipe though.

I have no idea why a Shirley Temple with alcohol in it is suddenly the hot cocktail, by the way.

The experiment results are in (over the course of multiple days so I'm not knocking back multiple cocktails every night) and I don't think the China-China works as well in a Brooklyn.  With my standard recipe (2 rye, 1 dry vermouth, 1/4 Luxardo, 1/4 amaro) the result is not bad but is sweeter than I prefer.  Same recipe minus the Luxardo and the spice notes in the amaro overpower the drink.  The homemade Boudreau is my favorite.  I can see people who prefer a sweeter cocktail preferring the China-China in the standard recipe though.

In 2020, as the pandemic turned many people into at-home mixologists, sales of Chartreuse in the United States doubled, a pattern that held true worldwide, according to Chartreuse Diffusion. Global sales topped $30 million in 2022.

This rise in popularity directly conflicted with a collective decision that the monks quietly made in 2019 to cap production of their ingredient-intensive spirit in order to limit the environmental impact and to focus on their “primary goal” of solitude and prayer, as explained in a letter released in January.

“There’s only so much Chartreuse you can make without ruining the balance of monastic life,” said the Rev. Michael K. Holleran, a former monk who oversaw Chartreuse production from 1986 to 1990.

Production is currently set at 1.6 million bottles per year — the highest level since the late 1800s, when the Vatican pointedly reminded the Carthusians that they were monks, not businessmen. But the United States is limited to 90 percent of its 2021 volume. Retailers and hospitality professionals say they are feeling the pinch.