Scotch!!!!! (Really all things whiskey scotch or burboun realted)

[Ron3]

I kept trying reccomend Bourbons and whiskeys but just couldn't get into it. Too sweet. Sweet corn and various wood notes. Found it rather boring. The Canadian blends are more interesting.

What was missing was complexity. When I tried a rye I thought, "Ah, here we go!" Wild Turkey Rye become my favorite rye. Neat, with water, on rocks or with Coke.

Then I tried Scotch. "Now that's the complexity I want in a booze from natural ingredients!"

My favorite is Laphroaig. Cask strength or just regular ol' 10 yr. It's the only one I keep anymore.

I wish I preffered the American Bourbons, but, the Scots make what I like.

[chuckman]

I kept trying reccomend Bourbons and whiskeys but just couldn't get into it. Too sweet. Sweet corn and various wood notes. Found it rather boring. The Canadian blends are more interesting.

What was missing was complexity. When I tried a rye I thought, "Ah, here we go!" Wild Turkey Rye become my favorite rye. Neat, with water, on rocks or with Coke.

Then I tried Scotch. "Now that's the complexity I want in a booze from natural ingredients!"

My favorite is Laphroaig. Cask strength or just regular ol' 10 yr. It's the only one I keep anymore.

I wish I preffered the American Bourbons, but, the Scots make what I like.

Back in the early 90s I dated a master sommelier, she worked for a local restaurant that has one of the best wine selections in the country. She said (paraphrasing) people put emphasis on price or country of origin, when all they need to do is drink what they like, regardless of how cheap it may be, or where it comes from. At the end of the day, if you don't like it, you are not going to drink it.

[VARIABLE9]

Just like micro brews, I find boutique bourbon or whiskey largely terrible.

18 year plus Glenfiddich or Glenlivet is perfectly fine. For the win though Bunnahabhain, it’s like fcukin silk. All with a small splash of water.

Or just Jack Daniels on rocks, or with ginger ale.

[yoni]

I have become a snob in some regards, Scotch has to be 18 year or older for me to want to drink it. That is my rule when I am with my friends or my business partner. Also Barcelo Imperial Rum from the Dominican, and Flor de Cana from Nicragua, fits in here. Scotch is drunk neat, Rums can be either neat or with 1 ice cube.

But for every day when at home it is Dewars White Label, but it has to be on the rocks.

[AKDoug]

I really like Talisker 10yr and finally splurged for a bottle of Talisker 18yr at twice the price. The bottom line, I preferred the 10yr significantly more.

[seb5]

I am more of a bourbon guy. For low end I like Wellers, medium Basil Hayden, and high end is either Bookers or Jack single barrel, which is hot, about 130 proof

For a decent Scotch you have to spend a lot more money but will occasionally buy a bottle of Lagavulin 16.

For something different try Red Breast Irish. It's my favorite Irish.

Canadians dont' count.

[yoni]

I was turned onto Barcelo Imperial Rum by a chef that used to have a Michelin rated restaurant in Paris. He now has a place in the Dominican. The Imperial is aged 10 years and in the Dominican cost about $17 US a bottle. They also have the same rum aged for 30 years cost is about $225 US a bottle. But in my taste the 30 year old was only 5 to 7% better than the 10 year old, so not worth the price.

[Ron3]

I haven't been very impressed by very old spirits.

4 years is too young and some flavors are too "bright". After 15-18 years there is too much cask flavor. 7-15 years seems to be the best balance IMO for casked spirits.

[1168]

I have become a snob in some regards, Scotch has to be 18 year or older for me to want to drink it. That is my rule when I am with my friends or my business partner. Also Barcelo Imperial Rum from the Dominican, and Flor de Cana from Nicragua, fits in here. Scotch is drunk neat, Rums can be either neat or with 1 ice cube.

But for every day when at home it is Dewars White Label, but it has to be on the rocks.

I find Dewars to be bland and smokeless, kinda sweet, but not in a good way.

I’d be interested in hearing more about rums, from a whiskey drinker’s perspective.

Someone mentioned Bulleit Rye. That stuff is pretty good. Basil Hayden’s and Wild Turkey Ryes are also favorites of mine. I’ve only tried one Rye that I hated, can’t remember which, but its a mainstream Bourbon brand.

[yoni]

The Flor de Cana is slightly less sweet than the Barcelo, but I am not saying Barcelo is overly sweet.

The Flor de Cana, has a slight apple and vanilla hint to it. I have only had the 12 year.

While the Barcelo is also vanilla and caramel. I have a friend that in his man cave has $20 to 30k worth of great Scotch, but he begs me to bring him Barcelo Imperial every time I go to the Dominican. Yes it is that good, and not just because he is cheap.

I also like Havana Club, the real one from Cuba. Not the fake stuff Bacardi puts out. If all you have ever had when it comes to rum is Barcardi, then you have not great rum. Cuba Libre AKA rum and coke was invented so people could drink Bacardi even back when it was made in Cuba, yes it is that bad.

A fun rum story, I was in Barbados a few of us rented a house right on the beach . We went to the grocery store in Bridgetown, and inside the store were a bunch of smoking hot women, as close to naked as they could get offering free samples of Mount Gay Rum. One of the guys in Arabic, said it was a test. You could try and pick up one of the woman or you could drink the gay rum and then you would never be with a woman again as long as you lived. We all busted out laughing. But I did notice not one of us had a drink of rum.