What is that one Scotch/Whiskey/other liquor that surprised you?

So you are standing in the liquor store trying to decide what you want to buy. After way to long going back and forth you just buy a bottle. This could have been for various reasons, it had a cool design (we all done that), the "expert" recommend it, you just wanted to try it.
-or-
You buy the bottle that everyone tells you is cheap, not good, lacks depth,...etc but you just have to see for yourself.

When you finally get around to trying it you are like.... and you take another sip. Excitement washes over you because you found a new staple for your collection.

What bottle did that for you?

Now I guess the reverse should also be ask.

What bottle have you bought that was hyped up and you couldn't wait to try it? You make a nice dinner get your special glass out and take that first sip. Nothing. No wonderful sensation. You take another sip and complete disappointment washes over you and you ask yourself "How much did i just spend and why did I spend that?"

You now have another "Guest bottle".

Biggest surprise - Laphroaig 1/4 cask strength and Maccallan 12 yr old.
Both bought on a whim. Did no research on either.
When I opened the Laphroaig, it smelt horrible, but I loved the warmth and smoke and taste.
Maccallan was just surprisingly good and hearty and smooth.


Biggest disappointment was the new bottling of HP 12 year old.
Not as good as the old.
Sigh.

Wild Turkey Rare Breed. Coming off a bit of scotch-snobiness, I got back into American whiskies some time ago. I had always thumbed my nose at Wild Turkey as something of a redneck's drink (my apologies to W.T. drinkers and redneck's alike.) I read some reviews and bought this one blind. I was not disappointed and actually pleasantly surprised. Smooth, stong, and powerful, Wild Turkey Rare Breed has risen to one of my favorites among whisk(e)y.

Canadian Club.

I didn't like any of the scotchs I tried, I tried a few Bourbons and Whiskey but CC is the one that comes on top for me. I tried the regular, 12yo and 21yo, I think the regular bottle is best if I look at price/quality...

Then, I also need to try other Canadian Whiskey as I'm still new to this.

I have a few, which are...

- Alberta Springs 10 Year Canadian Rye Whisky (it's 100% rye)
- Té Bheag Unchilfiltered Whisky (an excellent, inexpensive blend that gives single malts a run and can't be beat for price)

They were surprisingly good and I now keep a stock of them on hand.

Luc said:

Then, I also need to try other Canadian Whiskey as I'm still new to this.

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Try Wiser’s 18 Years Canadian Whisky. Simply an excellent Canadian whisky at a reasonable price (for an 18 year old whisky). Here are a couple of reviews...

http://therumhowlerblog.wordpress.com/whisky-reviews/canadian-whisky/wisers-18-years-old/
http://www.canadianwhisky.org/revie...-aka-wiser%E2%80%99s-very-old-40-alc-vol.html

Currently, it's price at $50.00 CDN and worth every penny.

DE Shaver said:

Try Wiser’s 18 Years Canadian Whisky. Simply an excellent Canadian whisky at a reasonable price (for an 18 year old whisky). Here are a couple of reviews...

http://therumhowlerblog.wordpress.com/whisky-reviews/canadian-whisky/wisers-18-years-old/
http://www.canadianwhisky.org/reviews/wiser’s-18-years-old-aka-wiser’s-very-old-40-alc-vol.html

Currently, it's price at $50.00 CDN and worth every penny.

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I heard about Alberta Spring but will have to look for that one too!

For me the it was a bottle of vodka. I don't recall the name but I paid less then $10 for a 750ml bottle. I wasn't expecting much but was amazed. Very smooth very tasty and better then most $30+ bottles. The only problem was the wife brought it over to a brunch party and made drinks with it. Of course they used it up and didn't bring she didn't bring the bottle back. One day I'll recall the name and buy another bottle.

Not spirits, but I think the Costco Kirkland Cali Pinots and Cabs, and its Châteauneuf-du-Pape, have been killer. I guess I am not surprised at this point, but whatever the first bottle I bought were a pleasent surprise. Of course, no one was saying they were bad.

Trader Joe's New Zealand sauvignon blanc's have been amazingly good and a good deal. I guess the surprise there is I do not like the two buck Chucks or most of the TJ house brands at all. TJ has a Paso Robles meritage that is great for cheap, too, and a good Zin. I bought a supposed real French burgundy--labelled Pomerol, as I recall--for TJs one time that was just horrible and I poured it down the sink. It was way to cheap to be very good as a real burgundy. Also something labeled Barolo, I think. Just undrinkable, but very inexpensive. Again, no one was claiming they were any good!

Biggest surprise that was not a good one? A very long time ago Robert Parker wrote up a lot of sherries, claiming those that say they do not like sherries have never had these. I went to a lot of trouble and spent a fair amount of money to get a bunch of different bottles. And it turns out I did not like those sherries either, and some I truly did not care for at all!

Off the top of my head I really cannot think of a hyped spirit that I did not like at all. Maybe somethings were overrated and surely over-priced, but not undrinkable. I am nto a huge Jack Daniels fan, but it is not horrible. I also absolutely cannot think of a spirit that was renowned to be horrible that I thought was delightful! I suppose there are somethings that are pretty rough that I like sometimes anyway. I suppose Old Crow comes to mind. But OC has its fans and no one is pretending it is a great, smooth whiskey.

These 100% agave tequilas I have had recently that are pretty inexpensive seem amazing to me for the price, but I do not see anyone saying they are bad either!

Germain-Robin Alambic Brandy blew me away.

At the other end of the spectrum I had the "whisky expert" and one of the Atlanta liquor stores recommend Lismore scotch to a friend and I years ago we just started dabbling in the scotch. That crap was absolutely horrible.

Funny, I disliked the Wild Turkey Rare Breed! Different strokes for different folks I guess.

Surprises:

Laguvulin 16 yo. (On an entire different playing field of complexity and fun)
Boodles (I had no idea it tasted so great for the price)
Regular Bombay (Tastes soo much like Bombay Sapphire, I am convinced they are the same drink!)

-Crisp

Highland Park 12 Single Malt

Nose-honey, caramel, oak

Taste- exactly the same

Really enjoayble light scotch that went very well with the LAUNICA 400 NATURALE I was smoking.

18 yo Old Par. Yum.

Singlemalts:

For me...I tried, was 'surprised', interested and really like George Dickel No. 12 Tennessee 'Sippin' Whisky .

Very smooth and full-bodied when 'Sippin' and this Whisky has a hint of maple sweetness and a touch of pepper. Lastly, I believe it is spicy, aromatic, malty with a medium-dry finish.

By far...the best Sour Mash Whisky I've had...best sipped by itself or with a splash of water (I like it 'on-the-rocks' and let the cubes melt before 'Sippin'). However, it does mix well and I like it best with Cranapple Juice ... especially when 'paired' with a Cuban Cohiba Siglo III Cigar

Christopher

Bushmills, especially Black Bush.



Didn't expect much of the whiskeys, but the Irish prove me wrong!

At ForPeatSake, it is not in the 90's.
But I like it more than I expected.

It is a pretty dark, deep blend with a lot of taste.

.

A couple of years ago at a family party, my wife handed me a glass and said, "here, try this and tell me what you think." I did and said, "Wow! That's pretty dang good!" She went on to tell me that it was made right here in Texas. Now, mind you, being a Texan requires that one brag on their state anyway, but I was really pleased to find out that this stuff was made right here in the Lone Star State. It really is good, and it surprised me twice ... once when I tasted it, and once when I found out that it was made here.

I'm just sayin' ...

Lunazul Tequila...its was 14.00 for 750 ml and IMO the blanco rivals patron. I drink it straight up w/ no ice and its smooth.

Also Luksusowa Potato Vodka. I can get a 1.75 for $19.00 and its pretty great stuff.

I've always seen JW Black Label as cheap, so I wasn't expecting much. But after trying it on the rocks I find it to be the perfect blended scotch.

Dahlwinnie 15 year old. Bought it on a whim and it has turned out to be one of my favorite single malts.

On the negative side, Laphoraig. I know it is well liked, but I found it too peaty, and not for me.

blary54 said:

Lunazul Tequila...its was 14.00 for 750 ml and IMO the blanco rivals patron. I drink it straight up w/ no ice and its smooth.

Also Luksusowa Potato Vodka. I can get a 1.75 for $19.00 and its pretty great stuff.

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+1 on the Lunazul Tequila blanco. I could not think of the name. It sells for more like $20 in the DMV. In fact, Va may be the only jurisdiction where I have seen it.