Sipping liquors

[Chadtuba]

I'm finding that the older I get the more I would prefer to enjoy quality over quantity. I have begun to explore sipping liquors so I'm curious what some of you drink and suggest in these lines? I'm not looking to mix drinks, but rather have drinks that I can just pour and enjoy as is or on the rocks.

Bourbon, whiskey, cognac, tequila, brandy, and anything else that you might suggest.

I have a good Irish whiskey (2 Gingers) that I like, but it is still a regional brand that most of you probably haven't had the pleasure to try. If you ever get to Minnesota I highly recommend trying this one.

[bort]

Thanks for the recommendation about 2 Gingers... Will have to try that.

My wife is trying to become a whiskey expert, so we have at least 12 different bottles at home. There are so many different kinds and types, each with a different characteristic. I would say get bottles from different countries or regions, and see what you like (or don't). Japanese whiskey is VERY good, but also pretty expensive. I like it a lot.

Apart from that, I'm more of a beer guy, so when it comes to liquor, I'm like Don Draper from Mad Men... "anything brown."

[Chadtuba]

Thanks for the recommendation about 2 Gingers... Will have to try that.

"

Before I tried 2 Gingers at a tasting in a liquor store (the one on the 4th level of the Mall of America) I wasn't much of a whiskey guy, but this is a nice light smooth flavor straight and goes very well with ginger ale, which is about the only thing I mix with since it goes well with so many of the liquors.

[KevinMadden]

I'm a fan of bourbon myself, though I haven't tried much in the way of smaller 'fancy' distillers but you can't go wrong with:
Bookers, Baker's, Woodford Reserve, or Jefferson's. I had Bulleit for the first time a few weeks ago, very smooth.

For Johnny Walker (as per Bloke's post) Red Label's a bit rough, the Black Label is good but still cheap (ish), Green Label is my favorite, it's the smokiest of the five main labels. Gold Label is excellent as well though now it's getting pricey, and I feel that Blue Label is very overrated, it's certainly smooth, but to me, it's smooth to the point of losing flavor, and very expensive.

Oh also, Appelton Rum make for a very nice sipping drink.

[Donn]

Lately discovered mezcal. Technically tequila and mezcal have a lot in common, made from the agaves anyway, but mezcal is a lot richer and more complex. And more expensive. Might like it, might not. Probably worth reading up on whatever you have access to. My guess is that you can find some options that are less than 3X the price of mid-grade tequila, but they might not be very good examples.

Grappa can be pretty wonderful in the too-expensive price range too.

[bort]

Thanks for the recommendation about 2 Gingers... Will have to try that.

"

Before I tried 2 Gingers at a tasting in a liquor store (the one on the 4th level of the Mall of America) I wasn't much of a whiskey guy, but this is a nice light smooth flavor straight and goes very well with ginger ale, which is about the only thing I mix with since it goes well with so many of the liquors.

Shoot, I walked right past that today (and laughed that there was a liquor store in a mall).

I also like Bulleit bourbon with Coke. That was THE drink of choice for bort about 10 years ago.

[Chadtuba]

Thanks for the recommendation about 2 Gingers... Will have to try that.

"

Before I tried 2 Gingers at a tasting in a liquor store (the one on the 4th level of the Mall of America) I wasn't much of a whiskey guy, but this is a nice light smooth flavor straight and goes very well with ginger ale, which is about the only thing I mix with since it goes well with so many of the liquors.

Shoot, I walked right past that today (and laughed that there was a liquor store in a mall).

I also like Bulleit bourbon with Coke. That was THE drink of choice for bort about 10 years ago.

Next time you're there go in as they often do tasting and then go across the way to the cheese store for samples there. It makes for a nice wine and cheese snack

[hup_d_dup]

Harvey's Bristol Cream (happens to be a good portal into the world of sherries & ports). Works well straight or with a slice of orange, lemon or lime. Add ice in the summer or to cut the sweetness.

Hup

[ken k]

I enjoy almost any distilled beverages aged in barrels, ei. whisky, bourbon, rye, brandy. I am not too picky.
Some of my favorites are E&J XO Brandy (very inexpensive), Bacardi Ron 8 Anos rum, Michter's Rye (a little more expensive, rye tends to have a little more bite to it), Bulleit Rye. Maker's Mark is a standard good bourbon, if not terribly "fancy" same with Jack Daniels Tennessee whisky, nothing exotic but not bad either. Those would be good places to start your journey. (sort of like the Bach 18 of whisky) The brandy and rum tend to be more on the sweeter side, while the whisky will have a little more edge to the taste.

On a different taste, I also enjoy a good gin Martini. Blue Coat Gin is made by the Philadelphia Distilling Company and is excellent. Although gin is usually not as smooth as an aged in barrel distillant.

I am planning a Bourbon tour through Kentucky this summer.

enjoy!

[Bob Kolada]

I don't understand either of the words in the title...

[Chadtuba]

I finally picked up a couple bottles of various liquors to try. I had a glass of Johnnie Walker Red label this evening and found it to be pretty good. I also picked up a couple of the single drink bottles of a couple different brandies to try. Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll be trying a few more as I run out of the current stock, which much like Bloke stated above, will probably last quite awhile.

[windshieldbug]

I have to respectfully disagree with bloke. Ain't nothin' nicer for me than a straight up single malt...

[Uncle Buck]

Not a drinker myself, but I work with a guy who has pretty discriminating tastes and who highly recommends Lagavulin 16-year. I just bought him a bottle for his retirement and he was very appreciative.

[PaulMaybery]

A good Scotch is one of my slow sipping (and sniffing) favorites. I do prefer a single to a blend, but aged for many years like 25, and I find them a bit edgy for me. (more of an acquired taste) A single such as Glenn Moray 'ain't' that expensive at just over $20 a bottle.

Being just a regular guy, a 12 year is fine.
But a blend such as Cutty Sark works ok.
(Really don't care much for the smoked barrel varieties.)

I did learn many years ago about putting a drop of spring water in the glass with the whiskey.
An eyedropper works fine, and just a drop. You can even see the ripples as it migrates to the bottom.
(I might add that my wife and I are more snobbish about the spring water we have from a nearby spring tap, than we are about the booze.)

At first I thought that adding that drop was heresy, but later learned that it is indeed an old tradition of scotch connoisseurs and does open up the flavor and mellowness.
A good sized glass is a plus as it enhances the sniffing.

So... in the words of Harry Lauder:
"Just a wee deoch-an-doris, before we gang awa'."

[PaulMaybery]

Hey! Are any of us of the desire to have a little tasting session here in 'tropical' Minnesota?

Bort? Chad tuba? RonR? Others welcomed too,

[Chadtuba]

Hey! Are any of us of the desire to have a little tasting session here in 'tropical' Minnesota?

Bort? Chad tuba? RonR? Others welcomed too,

Sounds good to me!

[JCalkin]

For me, no sippin' liquor is better than Scotch whisky, and a good single malt beats anything.

Anything by The Macallan is a good, consistent single. I find that their 12 y.o. is very approachable and balanced, and people who like lighter and heavier whiskies both tend to enjoy it.

For the new initiate, I like Oban. It's a lighter highland malt and tends not to hit the palate so hard. It's one of my go-to whiskies in the summer due to the lighter flavor. It is a tad expensive, though.

Lagavulin 16 is a VERY peaty, smoky islay malt. One of my favorites, especially during winter. BIG flavor and nose. I also like Laphroaig in this category.

For pretty good singles on a budget, McLelland's makes a wide range of styles from highland to speyside to islay, and they don't hit the wallet for $50 like the above whiskies do.

Please do yourself a favor and get a good glass. If you don't have a specialized whisky glass (tulip glass, narrower at the top than the bottom) a snifter works OK too. The right glass will concentrate the nose and really help to open up the full characteristics of the whisky. And yes, add a very small amount of water to the whisky. Think a few drops to no more than a half teaspoon depending on taste.

And NO ICE! Ice not only cools the drink but also dulls the flavors and aromas.

For my bachelor party we went to a scotch bar and the guys bought me a glass of The Macallan 25 y.o. It retails for a little over $1000 a bottle and the one glass set them back a little over $30 IIRC. It was the second best thing that happened to me that weekend.

[bort]

Hey! Are any of us of the desire to have a little tasting session here in 'tropical' Minnesota?

Bort? Chad tuba? RonR? Others welcomed too,

Sounds good to me!

Sounds good to me, too... however, very shortly I will be heading back to NY for the summer, so I'll have to meet you all the next time around.