Anyone into Single Malt Scotch Whisky?

silentbutdeadly

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Sep 26, 2005
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brukuns

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Mar 5, 2014
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Whiskey Sour
.75 oz simple (see grapedrink recipe above, equal parts water and sugar by volume)
.75 oz lemon juice
2 oz Bourbon
egg white (optional)

If using egg, dry shake (no ice) then wet shake (with ice) or vice versa (bar nerds have their preference). Serve however you want, up (double strain) or down (single strain) on the rocks, with a "flag," half-orange wheel and cherry. Garnish not necessary, but looks cool.

If not using egg just shake w ice and strain (appropriately) into glass of choice.

Get a few different bitters and try those for a twist. I find peach bitters (Fee Bros) goes great with whiskey cocktails.
I did try Pisco Sour and liked it very much.

Wonder if I can make that syrup using Demerara... ever sinceI started using it (for coffee mostly) I can't seem to wrap my head around regular sugar anymore. But seems that simple syrup is done with regular "white" sugar.
 

brukuns

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Mar 5, 2014
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Tried the Glenmorangie 10 again (the one I found tasted too much like alcohol on my first tasting right after uncorking the bottle)... tasted better today, I kinda liked it. Tried the Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14 years right after it (the one I was having a hard time wrapping my head around) and could really appreciate it. A whole layer of complexity on top of the original (I think they pretty much age the 10yr old on an ex-Porto cask for 4 more years)

After these I tasted the GlenLivet 15 which I dig... still liked it but felt a little boring after the Quinta Ruban... Made me realize I should probably start my tastings with the GL... Then I tried the Glenfiddich 15 and I still think it's too artificially sweet.

I feel like I'm going through a crash course... Single Malt boot fucking camp... good in a way... I'm starting to learn how to appreciate the better stuff rather fast... bad in a way that I got too many bottles of the entry stuff which I'm quickly realizing how inferior they are to the other options.

Still all good... Ill focus on drinking more regularly the more simple ones (will avoid drinking my Belvenies, Glendronachs and GlenMorangies for a while) and when it's time to get refils I'll be ready for the real dealz... I'm pretty fascinated by this whole ordeal. My wife isn't happy, she despises alcohol. Then again she also despises weed and I'm a major pothead, so nothing new for me.
 

brukuns

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Still have a Balvenie Triple Cask 12 (1l, yes!) and an Aberlour 12 (non chill-filtered 48% for the fucking win) that are yet to arrive. Good stuff.

Sounds like I'm drinking a lot... and I kinda am... but I'm having very small doses and focusing on tasting and not on getting drunk. It's been too often though (daily basis) so yeah, I should probably be careful... I do tend to get carried away with stuff.

Also, no headache like beer but boy oh boy do whisky get your face all swollen up the next day.
 
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Chee-to

Michael Peterson status
Jan 11, 2002
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"Cognac is an acquired taste" is BS. Cognac is no more an acquired taste than any other spirit, especially compared to peated Scotch. Bourbon doesn't get classified that way because it's an American thing, and we are used to it. Remy XO is where that brand starts getting good though, and rancio begins to express in a pronounced way. Fractional blending is the norm in Cognac, and I hope it stays that way. I have had many vintage Cognacs and they are never as good as the blends. Interesting, yes, but never as good. Armagnac, too, and Calvados. Blending makes it better.

And yeah, spirits do not go bad. Sponge, when you open it, give it a little shake before pouring. The top layer will have evaporated a tad and shaking it will mix that in so you get a better representation of the spirit.
...so, in other words, cognac is an acquired taste and most people aren't used to it.

What I really meant, but nicely, is that a lot of people who otherwise like spirits in general don't like cognac. Which is true. Part of the problem is that cheap scotch/whiskey is drinkable. Cheap cognac is liquid burn with ethanol flavor.
 

john4surf

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May 28, 2005
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Reminds me of an early morning flight I was on from Ft. Lauderdale to DFW. I was up front thanks to my heavy flying status. I go to my seat and there’s Ray Charles in the seat right behind me. Let me add that Ray was at the top of my favorites in the early 1960s. I wanted to tell him I was a fan but figured he deserved not to be bothered. Any way, it was entertaining to watch people board and see Ray. Big eye’s, pointing him to companions, etc. The attendant came up to Ray and asked if he would like the flight safety guide that was in Braille. Ray thanked her but declined and casually said, “I would sure like another cognac before we take off.” I was told later he usually flew without a companion…
 

brukuns

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Crazy how impressions vary depending on the day. Yesterday I had Glenfiddich 12 and 15 while watching House of the Dragon and enjoyed them way more than last time. I still prefer the GL (which I also drank yesterday... and glenmorangie... oh boy), but that "artificially sweet" impression was just not there yesterday.
 

brukuns

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This one just arrived and I gotta say it's not too bad. 1 liter too! And it's surf related because you can see the unused boards in the reflection. Gonna compare it to the doublewood 12 another day, today was just a single glass to give it a try.

1663639931972.png

Curious that because part of the spirit was aged in first fill bourbon casks I can really taste the bit I didn't really like about the Maker's Mark (specially the after taste) but it's really subtle. Very light on sherry though and a bit too much on the sweet side (I'm looking at you, bourbon casks), but a decent daily dram. Every whisky I tried so far tasted a bit different as the days went by, curious to see how my palate adapts to this one.

I know it's cliché but I swear a cigar would balance the extra sweetness. or maybe pair it with a good beer. Why not both...?
 

RemyXO

Michael Peterson status
Mar 12, 2003
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An old fashioned is my easy go-to bourbon cocktail. Whiskey sours too. Love manhattans but I'm currently out of vermouth. Started making Boulevardier's, which is with Campari, and damn those are tasty! Paper plane's are too. Shoot, now I'm ready for a cocktail.
 

brukuns

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dang brukuns you're going balls deep
Only way I know how to do it. :ROFLMAO:



This one just arrived and I gotta say it's not too bad. 1 liter too! And it's surf related because you can see the unused boards in the reflection. Gonna compare it to the doublewood 12 another day, today was just a single glass to give it a try.

View attachment 138205

Curious that because part of the spirit was aged in first fill bourbon casks I can really taste the bit I didn't really like about the Maker's Mark (specially the after taste) but it's really subtle. Very light on sherry though and a bit too much on the sweet side (I'm looking at you, bourbon casks), but a decent daily dram. Every whisky I tried so far tasted a bit different as the days went by, curious to see how my palate adapts to this one.

I know it's cliché but I swear a cigar would balance the extra sweetness. or maybe pair it with a good beer. Why not both...?

Amazing how I got a completely different impression of this whisky yesterday. I didn't feel the sweetness anymore. It was leathery on the arrival and then I could taste a lot more of the sherry influence and could barely taste the ex-bourbon. Excellent!

Have anyone tried GlenFarclas 12? It's really cheap here and I love sherry... thinking abiout picking it up. The more sherried whiskies I have, the better! I only hear GlenFarclas haven't been using the best casks... but for the price it probably is excellent.

Can't wait for my Bunnahabhain to arrive!
 
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Mr Doof

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Jan 23, 2002
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Offhand, with the dropping value of the pound sterling, any corresponding price drops with Scotch?

I mean, unless I fly there and buy it myself.