JCC we need a whiskey thread

well ill be sure to try it with water or ice next chance i get. see if the potential hit on flavor is worth cutting down the bernie sanders

 

Hahahahahaha. Burn-ie Sanders.

 

okay still shying away from adding water but the cold ball bearing definitely cuts down on the bernie factor

it may also help that i've already been drinking a bit tonight. got a gift card to a favorite local venue for my birthday a while back and i was there swing dancing tonight and decided to blow my giftcard doing pickleback shots with everyone i could convince to join me

anyone else like picklebacks? for those who dont know, you take a shot of whiskey and then immediately follow it up with a shot of pickle juice (traditionally with a little section of a pickle in there as well)

at this point in my life, shots in general seem like a waste of good whiskey (this bar uses Maker's Mark, which, as well whiskeys go, is a pretty nice whiskey), but there's something about the way the pickle juice perfectly balances the whiskey that is pretty satisfying to experience

 

The hell?!

Not that I'm not interested in trying one.

 

Hmmmmmmm gun 2 my hed I think of a good shooting whiskey. I can name a few good sippers.

 

omg i didn't know that's a thing but pickles and pickle juice are my second favorite thing in the world (behind good whisky)

 

(okay this ended up all pretentious, but it IS the whiskey thread, so begging for sanctuary.)

adding ice or rocks will dull the sting, but also dull the flavors. It's harder for me to get all the layers and notes of a cold drink than a room temperature or warm one. Water, on the other hand, gives the flavors a little more room to develop on the palate. You even said, you do it as part of the Tasting process, so there's a double benefit of lessening the sting and opening up the flavor. i don't generally add water to smoother whiskies, but I'm not sure why you're resisting it here.

 

Boba Nekhbet -- are we doing scotch bar when you're here?

Also, we finished off the Glenmorangie 12 Quinta Ruban last night after Shuffle Along and Hillary's speech... what should we do next? Matt Stover recommends Laphroaig 10 Cask-Strength but I'm told this will kill me? I think we got a recommendation for a Glenlivet 12 but we can't remember...

 

Bourbon next time I am there, David.

 

YES, SCOTCH BAR PLEASE! Laphroaig 10 Cask-Strength might kill you, but you can always add water to it. you can't strengthen the regular Laphroaig 10. If you know you like Laphroaig/peat/smoke I say go for it.

 

i've found that adding water to a good whisky usually enhances and expands the flavor profile. obviously you should drink it neat first (or at some point), but adding some water isn't a bad thing.

for cheap whisky though, it only makes it worse imo.

EDIT dp4m, have you had belvenie?

 

Then get your ass to Mars (the valley) and we'll do picklebacks

 

I do not know if I like Laphroaig, this is why it may kill me.

Ya, I've tried neat, rocks, and water with the Quinta Ruban and clearly the water was the best bet; also similarly with my very good rum. And I have not tried a Belvenie... should I?

And yes, Strilo -- we can do bourbon, but you have to come (tee hee) here.

 

You absolutely should try a Balvenie! it's my new fav, mid-range scotch (40 or 50 bucks a bottle). I've only had the 12 year single barrel, but mike says their carribean cask is good

 

If you're not a proven Laphroaig/Islay/peat fan, then just go for the Laphroaig 10 or Quarter Cask first.

 

Ewwww. I hate peat/dirt Scotch.

 

Thanks for your valuable input, Darth Basin.

 

Hahahahahahahaha.

 

Quick glance at what we have on hand in our house...

 

I see a pattern

 

I usually just go with a cheap Canadian whiskey, or Jim Beam. Once in a while I'll get Jameson, a shot of that in a mug of hot coffee is quite nice.

I confess when it comes to Scottish whiskey I know next to nothing. I probably should change that.

 

starfish, many varieties of Scotch await your pallet.

 

Now that it is winter I will participate more in this thread. As a confirmed Lagavulin/Laphroiag fan I drink mostly in the cooler months...seems more fitting.

Tried a Jura Superstition recently. I really liked it...smoky/peaty but not overwhelming like an Islay. If you were wondering about whether you could drink them dp4m perhaps you could try it first?

 

Winter? Summer here!

 

Jameson and cherry coke tonight.