A good drinkin' Whiskey

[MotoMike]

Tim

I like the Dickel especially the older stuff.

I might have missed it but I find the old Tennessee Tranquilizer, Jack Daniel's with one big ice cube to be an excellent drink.

[OldeBayRum]

I keep a bottle Old Overholt rye whiskey for this purpose. It is affordable, smooth and readily available.

+1

I work some weekends at a liquor store doing security off-duty. I saw this on a bottom shelf and laughed about it with one of the employees. Then I did some research and found that it got good reviews. I picked up a bottle of it (out of uniform!) and gave it a shot. Now, this is my first rye whiskey, but I have to say that it is smooth and flavorful. Especially for the price ($14 for 750ml).

OldeBayRum

[JonnyAngel]

Although my taste tends to lean toward scotch, every once in awhile I like a Canadian Club Sherry Cask (8 years old) on the rocks.

+2....This is what I drink when Im in a whiskey mood. Always a pleasure to have after a long day!

[castlebar]

I would second the Dickel white label recommendation (as opposed to the label that's a Jack Daniels ripoff). I visited the Dickel distillery last year, it's in the middle of nowhere in Tullahoma Springs, yet not as far from Nashville as the JD tour, you actually pass a TVA dam on the way there which is pretty cool. Dickel only has 50 employees or so yet they're owned by Diageo PLC which is the world's largest beverage house (they also own House of Walker, etc.), but their annual output is a tiny fraction of JD's.

One thing I always wondered is how products that take a lot of time to produce, e.g. wines and spirits, can instantly meet increased demand, i.e. they're not widgets that can just be cranked out at a moment's notice. I asked someone there how Jack Daniels can meet the needs of markets like China which they're just getting into - how do you produce all these bottles when supposedly they have to be laid up for years to age correctly?

I found out that the spirits have to be aged for a minimum of 5 years to qualify as Tennessee Whisky (this is after I made the mistake of calling it bourbon and they quickly corrected me.) The Dickel is aged a minimum of 8 years, and I got the impression that JD is cracking their barrels much sooner than that just to keep up with the demand, that probably accounts for Dickel's superior taste. I wish I could get the white label here in NJ.

I also found out that after the Tennessee Whiskey is taken from the barrels, the barrels are sold to Scotland, and scotch is aged in them to provide a more complex flavor.

[ulysses145]

Most bourbon barrels go to Scotland too. They send them over there because they are not allowed to reuse them (and call what comes out of them bourbon or Tenessee whiskey, anyway). Brown-Forman reuses some Early Times barrels which is why it is not bourbon--it claims to be some meaningless thing like "Kentucky whiskey."

It is pretty neat that these barrels make such different spirits. I guess the bourbon/tenn whis. takes the edge of the heavy char.

-ew

[jncc]

Cardhu -- a very smooth single malt that is usually reasonably priced -- at least compated to other single malts

[Mr. Gillette]

Jim Beam Black is a nice smooth and surprisingly affordable bourbon. It's a decent complex flavor that finishes very nicely....hints of toffee, caramel, oak resin. You'll enjoy it, and it's easy to find.

Knob Creek is even more spectacular-- hints of almonds, kiwis lime..again easy to find, very fun to taste and superb tasting and smooth at 100 proof.

Booker's is extremely good-- sometimes harder to find, but a great small-batch bourbon from KY. The complex lingering aftertaste, alone is worth the price! At 120 proof, you might want to sample it neat, but have some mineral water handy, too!

Try these good 'ol American products!

[Mr. Gillette]

Most bourbon barrels go to Scotland too. They send them over there because they are not allowed to reuse them (and call what comes out of them bourbon or Tenessee whiskey, anyway). Brown-Forman reuses some Early Times barrels which is why it is not bourbon--it claims to be some meaningless thing like "Kentucky whiskey."

It is pretty neat that these barrels make such different spirits. I guess the bourbon/tenn whis. takes the edge of the heavy char.

-ew

Technically speaking, the big difference between Tennesee Whisky and Kentucky Bourbon is that KY bourbon is at least 51% corn (no pun intended) and JD/Tennesse whisky is not.

But I agree with you, my friend..."they" count on confusion among the uneducated-- it's like putting a commercial on TV that says, with a straight face, "One blade was fine, but two was better...3 must have been even better, and now we expect you to pay more than $2.00 each to buy some razor that has 4 blades and a trimmer and vibrates with a battery." There's one born every minute.

[Mr. Gillette]

Most bourbon barrels go to Scotland too. They send them over there because they are not allowed to reuse them (and call what comes out of them bourbon or Tenessee whiskey, anyway). Brown-Forman reuses some Early Times barrels which is why it is not bourbon--it claims to be some meaningless thing like "Kentucky whiskey."

It is pretty neat that these barrels make such different spirits. I guess the bourbon/tenn whis. takes the edge of the heavy char.

-ew

The other side of this coin is using Cognac casks to age Kentucky Bourbon in. Such is the case with Distiller's Masterpiece 18 Year Old Cask Finished Straight Bourbon Whiskey at about 100 proof. It's expensive. It's unusual, it's good to find. A strangely fruity taste.

[TimmyBoston]

The other side of this coin is using Cognac casks to age Kentucky Bourbon in. Such is the case with Distiller's Masterpiece 18 Year Old Cask Finished Straight Bourbon Whiskey at about 100 proof. It's expensive. It's unusual, it's good to find. A strangely fruity taste.

The Jim Beam Distiller's Masterpieces, either the Cognac or the Port finish really isn't bourbon. Bourbon must be aged in new charred white oak barrels.

One that note, I wasn't really impressed with either the Cognac or the Port finish Distiller's. To duplicate the port actually pretty close, take a decent port swish it around in a glass and dump it out and add your favorite top shelf bourbon, it's not quite up the Distiller's but IMO the Distiller's absolutely isn't worth it's price tag.

[coop1960]

My favorite sippin bourbon is OLD GRAND DAD. The bonded 100 proof over rocks is most tasty. I love to hear the bouron make the cubes crack and settle. 3 large cubes and let the OGD set for about 5 minutes before enjoying.
Kentucky - what a wonderful state.

[boboakalfb]

My favorite sippin bourbon is OLD GRAND DAD. The bonded 100 proof over rocks is most tasty. I love to hear the bouron make the cubes crack and settle. 3 large cubes and let the OGD set for about 5 minutes before enjoying.
Kentucky - what a wonderful state.

Have you tried the OGD 114? If you haven't, I suggest you make a purchase.

[coop1960]

Have you tried the OGD 114? If you haven't, I suggest you make a purchase.

I agree the OGD 114 is very tasty.

[ratcheer]

I agree the OGD 114 is very tasty.

+2

Tim

[moses]

I really love Woodford Reserve for sipping, but I will have to look into this Old Grand Dad.

Interesting bit of trivia that a little research turned up is that the Old Granddad in question is Mr. Basil Hayden.

-Mo

[TimmyBoston]

I really love Woodford Reserve for sipping, but I will have to look into this Old Grand Dad.

Interesting bit of trivia that a little research turned up is that the Old Granddad in question is Mr. Basil Hayden.

-Mo

OGD is very different from Woodford, I've never had the BIB, so I can't comment on it, but the 114 is great, it's very spicy and rye heavy, very tasty stuff.

[sullivanpm]

If you want to go the route of Irish Whisky, but found yourself unimpressed with Jameson and/or Bushmills, I have two suggestions.

Paddy (mentioned earlier by Marsellus Wallace). I was in Ireland a few years ago, and went to both the Bushmill's Distillery and the Jameson Distillery. On both occasions, I volunteered to be one of the "official tasters" at the end of the tour (..tough, tough job ). At both places, They give you four shots of Irish Whisky (Jameson, John Powers & Son, Bushmills, and Paddy), as well as a shot of Scotch (can't remember which), and a shot of Bourbon (Jim Beam). A great way to make a side-by-side comparison. Of all the Irish Whiskies sampled, I always preferred the Paddy. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find here in the States.

My other suggestion isn't quite as well known, and oddly enough, isn't quite as expensive. It's an Irish Whisky called, "Michael Collins" a.k.a. "The Big Fellow". The bottle is abnormally tall compared to most bottles in the Irish Whisky section. It can be found in many liquor stores, but it's not quite as easy to find as the "big two" (Bushmills & Jameson). Cheaper, and smoother that the aformentioned Irish Whiskies, IMO.

-Pete

I cut my teeth on Paddy's. I love the stuff. However it is not available in the States and is considered by many to be rot-gut whiskey.
My Grand dads brother used to bring him a bottle or two when he visited.
My last bottle of Paddys was given to me buy a relative who flew over to celebrate the birth of my daughter.

[sadowsky]

I suggest Eagle Rare Bourbon or Rip Van Winkle.

Roger

[BD1970]

BUMPITTY BUMP


I haven't read all the responses & I don't really drink much at all but when I did I liked Maker's Mark or Wild Turkey, usually on or around payday. The rest of the time I had to resort to Old Crow, Fighting Cock, Evan Williams, or Kentucky Tavern since I was broke.

Another brand that gets the nod from the older crowd is Old Grandad.

[ratcheer]

BUMPITTY BUMP


Another brand that gets the nod from the older crowd is Old Grandad.

The older crowd (yes, I am a member) likes it because it is a solid, old-time bourbon. To me, two bourbons these days taste much like bourbon tasted 35 years ago when I first started trying it, Wild Turkey and Old Grand Dad.

Tim