What's a good whiskey?

[deignan]

I heard Maker's Mark was good -- but I don't even know what to look for in a whiskey. Any experts here?

[HEyHEY]

1. Scotch, Irish, Canadian, or US bourbon?

[politicaholic]

3. damn it HeyHey! that was my question!

[Worst Username Ever]

6. If it is made in the US, is it automatically bourbon?

[HEyHEY]

14. Well, most of the time

[LiviaOlivia]

19. What's a Bourbon made outside the US?

eom

[HEyHEY]

22. None that I know of

[EstimatedProphet]

23. Nope

Bourbon is a specific recipe made with a portion of the mash as corn-I think it's 60%. More and it's corn whiskey, less and it's not bourbon.

[jmowreader]

37. Usually but not always

Makers Mark, Van Winkel (I never heard of it before I did a search for "American whiskeys"), Wild Turkey and Jim Beam are bourbons. It must be 51-percent corn and aged for two years.

Jack Daniels and George Dickel are Tennessee whiskeys. Tennessee whiskey is charcoal filtered prior to aging, whereas bourbon is not.

Southern Comfort is a "whiskey liqueur" because it has sweeteners added to it.

[trof]

66. No. To be called bourbon it must be made in Bourbon Co. KY.

That's why Jack Daniels is "Tennessee sippin' whisky".
And that's a fact!

[amazona]

69. NO True Bourbon is only made in Kentucky

This is why Jack Daniels, made in Tennessee, is not a Bourbon but instead a Tennessee Sipping Whiskey and a damn good one.

On Edit -- JINX! We were posting at the same moment apparently.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[deignan]

7. Wish I knew

Totaly ignorant here -- heard of them but don't know the difference.

What is considered top shelf?

[HEyHEY]

16. Well...TOP SHELF could be anything like 21 -year-old Glen Morgan

Which costs $40 a shot.

But for a night out I like Jameson Irish Whiskey.
For a Scotch it's a bit pricey but I like Glenmorangie SIngle MAlt Port wood finish I believe it's the 8 year I usually get.
Canadian Whiskey (rye) - I like Wiser's SPecial Blend

[HEyHEY]

17. Well...TOP SHELF could be anything like 21 -year-old Glen Morgan

Which costs $40 a shot.

But for a night out I like Jameson Irish Whiskey.
For a Scotch it's a bit pricey but I like Glenmorangie SIngle MAlt Port wood finish I believe it's the 8 year I usually get.
Canadian Whiskey (rye) - I like Wiser's SPecial Blend

[deignan]

28. Thanks

I didn't realize that whiskey could be so expensive.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. Southern Comfort straight...

Coke back.... yumm... Is it 5pm YET???!!!!

[youngred]

41. ugh, way too sweet.

for my taste at least

[reprehensor]

4. Maker's is FANTASTIC

It is a Sour Mash, corn likker. Very good.

The other main Whiskey type is derived from Rye, most Canadian Whiskey is Rye Whiskey.

[deignan]

13. Good

That's on sale. I heard good things abbout it from others also.

Originally, I thought Jack Daniels was the best but heard it was so so.

[reprehensor]

46. JD is horrid!!

Especially dangerous if you mix it with any other alcohol!!

I've thrown up enough to know.

Now I've got a serious hankerin' for some Maker's!

[deignan]

53. That explains it

[ohiosmith]

5. Visit here.

http://www.12stepmoving.com/whiskey.html

[deignan]

9. Thanks!

I bookmarked the page.

[franksumatra]

8. hennesy, makers mark,

although i'm not an afcianado

[Sporadicus]

10. I'm Not a Bourbon Fan, Even Though I'm from Kentucky

I prefer a smooth, blended Canadian whiskey - especially Crown Royal.

[ironflange]

62. Crown Royal's nice, plus there's the free bonus

I doubt if there's a single house in Canada that doesn't have a purple Crown Royal sack full of marbles.

[BikeWriter]

68. Crown Royal is a great sipping whisky.

:)

[politicaholic]

11. Start out with Jamison or Knob Creek, those are sippin' whiskeys.

Then, try to find an Irish "peat" whiskey and take your pallat to a different plane of pleasure.

[deignan]

12. Brands?

Any brand names stand out here?

[politicaholic]

15. Connemara is the nectar of the gods, but not for the novice.

http://www.heavenhill.co.nz/prod021.htm

[deignan]

33. Looks affordable for a special occassion

I'm going to keep this in mind. Thanks!

[eyepaddle]

25. Maker's Mark is

about my favorite American whiskey, very smooth and rounded, yumm! Generally though I am a bit more of a single malt (as opposed to a blended) Scotch fan. Most of these can get pretty pricey so you need to be a little adventurous. Talisker is a very good one to start with, but for my money you just can't touvh the 15 year-old Laphroaig. Mind you this is the strongest flavored Scotch and is VERY smokey in flavor so a lot of people don't like it.

If you wanna live a little drink it straight with just a few drops of soft, cool water mixed in!

Slainte Mhar! (pronunced "slON-sheh vah)

it means "good health"

:toast:

[deignan]

35. A Consensus

Thanks! I think I will also try the single malt scotch to see if I can distinguish the taste.

[eyepaddle]

39. Oh, you'll distinguish them alright....

you might not ENJOY them, but you'll distinguish them!

I hope you enjoy! :hi:

[havocmom]

47. I love my Jamesons and I am not much of a drinker

But it is good sippin for cold winter nights.

Sláinte!

[Tweed]

65. Jamesons rules

[Cooper]

56. Knob Creek is great stuff. n/t

[bettyellen]

18. if you're talking good ole drink it straight out of the bottlecap Irish

whisky.... you want this. very smooth. the 12 year old millenium is awesome but really hard to find.

[EstimatedProphet]

20. Here's some good ones:

Bourbon:

Bulleitt

Rowan's Creek

Baker's

Scotch:

Abelour

Deanston

Irish:

Knappogue

Corn:

Platte Valley

Etc.:

McKendric

Wild Spirit

[Bouncy Ball]

21. The hubby is partial to Crown Royal.

So partial, he won't drink anything else.

:shrug:

[Taverner]

24. I love the taste of Makers Mark

but for some reason I always get achy after drinking that stuff.

So I drink Glenfiddich

[deignan]

32. Wow -- seems popular

I thought it was the running that did it -- might have been the whiskey. Huh.

[Kellanved]

26. Talisker,

maybe Chivas.

[CarpeVeritas]

27. Johnny Black or Blue if you like quality blended scotch

and i do.

[deignan]

30. Black is better than red?

Is blue better than black?

[CarpeVeritas]

49. red-black-gold-blue is the progression of the labels, price/quality-wise..

personally, I usually drink johnny black...I don't really care all that much for the red- I actually prefer dewar's to it.

http://www.beerliquors.com/buy/liquors/johnnywalker.htm

Johnny Walker
Blended Scotch Whisky

The heritage of Johnnie Walker whiskies dates to 1820 when John Walker opened a small shop in Kilmarnock in Scotland and began selling Scotch Whisky. John Walker made a name for himself by mastering the art of blending single malt whiskies from distilleries all across Scotland to create a very high quality whisky, much better than each of the single malt whisky.

Johnnie Walker Red Label - The number one selling Scotch Whisky in the world! Your recipient will appreciate its mix ability with soda and in a variety of other classic Scotch cocktails. Price: $29.01.

Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 year old
Gold Medal Award Winner for the best deluxe Scotch Whisky at the 1996 International Wine & Spirits competition. Renowned for its complex, full-bodied taste and smooth finish. Price: $33.05.

Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 year old Created in 1920 by Alexander Walker II to commemorate the 100th anniversary of John Walker & Sons. Blended with the rarest single malts to provide an exceptional honeyed, creamy flavor and long, silky finish. Price: $79.30.



Johnnie Walker Blue Label Authentic re-creation of an original 19th century blend available only to John Walker's most valued customers. Available in very limited quantities each bottle has its own serial number. Price: $222.21.

[deignan]

29. Invitation

Well, if anyone is in the Purdue area (I thought I saw a couple), and you have time for a couple/several/whatever shots of Maker's Mark, give me a rep.

(Now what are the chances? Oh well, worth a shot)

[rug]

31. Power's

[B Calm]

34. It is pricey, but good. Chivas Regal Scottish Whiskey #1

[CarpeVeritas]

50. ick!

i've never cared for the taste of chivas- johnny black or dimple pinch are both wa-a-a-y smoother.

[tjwmason]

63. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

A pet hate of mine. Scotch is never whiskey it's always whisky. The extra 'e' is only for Irish muck and the unmentionable stuff from across the pond.

Sorry, but 5 years of uni in Scotland drummed this into me good and proper.

[deignan]

36. Thanks Again Everyone

That was a great help -- I'm off to the races.

[CarpeVeritas]

51. one thing to keep in mind if you're a newbie to the drinkin' game...

Scotch is much more of an aquired taste than say bourbon or canadian- but once you aquire the liking, it's the best.

[tk2kewl]

38. Bushmills Black Bush

12yo Irish wiskey

[Name removed]

57. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RagingInMiami]

59. There' s Old Bushmill and Black Bush

I prefer Old Bushmill. It's much smoother.

[EstimatedProphet]

40. BTW here's a good store:

Hi Time Wine

They ship to the entire US too

[youngred]

42. it depends

Bourbon-Makers mark
Scotch-DeWars
American-Jack Daniels
Candian-Canadian Club

all good no matter what though

[Left Is Write]

43. I'm not a whiskey drinker, but if I were, I'd drink Bushmills.

[elfin]

44. Don't like Scotch - much prefer

VO, Canadian Club or Crown Royal (expensive).

Getting thirsty

[MrSlayer]

45. Can't go wrong with Jack Daniel's

[many a good man]

48. Tullamore Dew

Great priced Irish whiskey. It'll warm your cockles on cold, wet winter day.

[forgethell]

52. I like

Bushmill's Irish nectar.

Lot's of people like Maker's Mark, but I found it greasy-tasting. Don't know why.

[RagingInMiami]

54. Old Bushmill's Irish Whiskey is the best

It's won numerous awards. And the Irish were the ones to invent whiskey.

[Name removed]

60. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Habibi]

55. Saw a new product at my local liquor store

Called Georgia Moon. Packaged in a quart Mason jar, and the label says "Corn Whiskey" in uneven type. Just FYI.

[EstimatedProphet]

58. It's cheap corn whiskey

It's smooth enough but it'll give you a hangover before you go to bed.

[Magrittes Pipe]

61. Too many to list.

Bourbon? Maker's Mark, Wild Turkey (anything distilled to 101 proof), Old Rip Van Winkle, Old Grandad, Old Crow (I get mocked for this, but it's my favorite cheap-ass sipper), A. H. Hirsch (expensive, but sublime), and the Beam small-batch bourbons: Basil Hayden's, Knob Creek, Baker's. There are other good bourbons, too, but this is a good list to start with. Maker's, Van Winkle, and Turkey 101 are in the sub-$20 range; Old Crow is about $10; and the Beam small batches are in the $30-$40 range. Hirsch is about $80.

Canadian whiskey? I prefer Tangle Ridge to Crown Royal, but both are very good. Look to spend $25-ish on a bottle.

Irish? The best, by far, is Middleton ($100). Of the more widely-available, less expensive brands, go with Jameson ($20-$25). The smaller-production, higher-priced Busmills whiskies are good; but the plain, white label stuff is crap. The less-commonly found Irish whiskies are hit-or-miss.

Blended scotch? Stick with Chivas or Johnnie Walker if you want a consistent product. About $20 or less.

I won't even go into single-malt Scotches, as there are many fine tipples made -- but they all have unique characters based upon the region and producer. It's really a personal preference thing with malts. A good malt will run you anywhere from $30-$300 per bottle -- choose wisely.



on edit: I can't believe I forgot rye whiskey, which is probably my favorite spirit. Old Overholt is fine for an inexpensive sipper, about $10. Wild Turkey makes a 101-proof rye for about $15, and Old Rip Van Winkle has a $25 rye that is simply sublime. The Van Winkle rye is probably the very best value, the best cost/quality ratio of any whiskey in the world today.

[DainBramaged]

64. Jim Beam black label. George Dickle black or white label

If you can find them. Dickle is sweeter, Beam has nice bite and aftertaste. Nice prices. Daniels is toilet water. They stopped being good in the 70's.

[benny05]

70. Prefer Beam

Have you tried the Kentucky Derby version with mint flavoring? Only requires ice and a drop of water with a sprig of mint for a mint julip. However, that 4.5 months away...

[benny05]

71. Sorry it's Makers Mark who does this

Mint Julip stuff, just remembered!

[DainBramaged]

72. Straight up with a Miller chaser

Occasionally a frozen glass. Mint and whiskey is like Rethugs and empathy.;-)

[BikeWriter]

67. I'm drinking Windsor Canadian right now.

:)

[ElsewheresDaughter]

73. Crown Royal