The whiskey tribe and Trade!

pretty decent week around here - even if I missed out on a bottle of Stagg at the local store.
Was able to find Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Very Old Barton, Sazerac, and Henry McKenna 10.
Was also gifted a bottle of Breckenridge High Proof 105
and knocked off a bottle of Forty Creek Copper Pot Reserve with a good friend
 
l1ranger said:
pretty decent week around here - even if I missed out on a bottle of Stagg at the local store.
Was able to find Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Very Old Barton, Sazerac, and Henry McKenna 10.
Was also gifted a bottle of Breckenridge High Proof 105
and knocked off a bottle of Forty Creek Copper Pot Reserve with a good friend
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Was that a bottle of $1500 Stagg or a $400 bottle of Stagg Jr.?

In either case, out of my price range. Buffalo Trace is ok but I like Eagle Rare 10 better. Not familiar w/the other brands that you've mentioned. May try to find a bottle of Eagle Rare 17 that people rave about. Don't think I've seen one anywhere yet but I really haven't been looking because it's a few $'s above my current price limit.

However, I did go on a binge at Total Wine and More today and bought the following to add to my scotch/bourbon collections. Spent just under $500 for the lot, which is my current knife limit but no bottle cost more than $100.

The Scotch purchases included:

Balvenie 14 Week of Peat
Macallan 12 Double Cask
Bowmore 15
Johnny Walker Double Black

The Balvenie is a Speyside blend of theirs finished in peated scotch barrels and is only produced 1 week a year; hence the name. Drinking a glass of it right now and it's quite nice. A very light taste/nose of smoke. Not a lot but just enough to distinguish from normal Speyside. A very nice aroma and very smooth after you lighten it w/a little water. A great sipper.

The Johnny Walker Double Black is supposed to me a smoked version of Black. Mixed reviews on it and they don't say what brand they use to add the smoke. Bought it to compare w/JW Green (which I like) that is blended w/Tasliker, Linkwood, Craggnmore and Caol Ila (all over 15 years) to make an excellent non-typical peaty blend.

The Bowmore 15 is supposed to be heads above Bowmore 12 and well worth the extra $30. It received a Double Gold in the most recent SF Spirits competition and looking forward to trying it. Hope it's comparable to Lagavulin 16.

I bought the Macallan 12 Double Cask to compare w/the Balvenie 12 Double Cask that i already own/enjoy. It's actually NOT double cask, like Balvenie which is 1st stored in Whiskey Oak and then in Sherry Oak barrels over a 12 yr period. instead, Macallan build it's own barrels made partially of American and European Oak which are then "treated" w/sherry and, when they're ready, are filled w/their Highland single malt and kept in the barrels for 12 years.

Should be an interesting comparison when I'm ready to open the Macallan.

As for the Bourbons, I bought a variety of bottles that were well reviewed and that I thought would appeal to me:

Larceny Small Batch (a wheat mash 68% corn/20% wheat considered better than Maker's by at least 1 reviewer)
Old Tub (a very cheap and old stype bourbon that is on a lot of "best bourbon" lists)
Widow Jane 10 (which is finished w/mineral water from NY which is puportedly better than the water used in KY)
Noah's Mill (a blended bourbon bottled at 114.3 Proof, which is a good enough reason for me to try it)
Pinhook Bourbon Country (75% corn/20.5% rye bottled at 95.5 Proof; Cask Strength at 115 Proof is supposed to be better but couldn't find it.)

Will offer my opinions on these bourbons as soon as I get around to trying them. The Eagle Rare 10 and Michter's US1, which are currently my favorites, will be my basis for comparison.

BTW, I always drink my scotches straight (with only a touch of water to taste) and always drink my bourbons w/a cube or 2 of ice.
 
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sgt1372 said:
Widow Jane 10 (which is finished w/mineral water from NY which is puportedly between than the water used in KY)
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A friend got me a bottle of Widow Jane as a gift last year. Absolutely excellent. Being a native New Yorker (living out of state now), I can tell you the water up there makes a lot of things better: bagels, pizza, whiskey, etc.

All kidding aside, you really can taste the difference the mineral water makes.
 
ShannonSteelLabs said:
Damn. I gotta step up my game lol!
You guys have quite the collection.

I recently tried a blended scotch at a friend's house. But I can not for the life of me remember what it was. It was pretty good. Definitely on the smoky side but I don't think it was a full Islay.
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There's a very nice blend called "Big Peat". You may have had that.
 
Just tried a shot (1.5oz) of Noah's Mill w/2 cubes of ice.

When I opened the bottle I was hit with the delicious aroma of dark chocolate. After I poured it and let it sit awhile, the aroma changed for me to honey and A LOT of spice!

Didn't sip it straight but even w/2 cubes of ice in it for awhile, it was really HOT and I had to add another cube of ice to smooth it out. It was great sipping after that

It's not an everyday dram for me but a special pour that I'd equate w/my Islay single malts. Something to savor. Definitely not a mixer. And highly recommended but not for whiskey novices.

It's expensive for a bourbon but I think it's worth the price.

Oddly, the proof is about the same as the Glenlivet Nadurra that I recently drank straight w/just a little water and I will try another jigger of Noah Mill just w/a touch of water to see how it compares.

Update:

Just tried a shot of Noah's Mill "neat" and it still ran pretty hot until I diluted it w/an equal amount of water which is a lot less water than the 3 cubes of ice I used before.

In this concentration, the aroma is much more intense and complex with a strong acetone scent that denotes the heat; a mixture of orange, cinamon, vanilla and caramel. It needs to rest for 5-10 mins and the water helps dissipte the heat. Again not a daily pour but something that would go well with a cigar.
 
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sgt1372 said:
Just tried a shot (1.5oz) of Noah's Mill w/2 cubes of ice.

When I opened the bottle I was hit with the delicious aroma of dark chocolate. After I poured it and let it sit awhile, the aroma changed for me to honey and A LOT of spice!

Didn't sip it straight but even w/2 cubes of ice in it for awhile, it was really HOT and I had to add another cube of ice to smooth it out. It was great sipping after that

It's not an everyday dram for me but a special pour that I'd equate w/my Islay single malts. Something to savor. Definitely not a mixer. And highly recommended but not for whiskey novices.

It's expensive for a bourbon but I think it's worth the price.

Oddly, the proof is about the same as the Glenlivet Nadurra that I recently drank straight w/just a little water and I will try another jigger of Noah Mill just w/a touch of water to see how it compares.
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I've seen Noah's mill a few times but never went for it. But that flavor profile sounds awesome!
 
Ice and whisky is a non-starter for me. I much prefer "straight-up". I know of some very knowledgeable folks who do it that way, though. So, it doesn't mean you're a bad person if you prefer that.
 
sgt1372 said:
Just tried a shot (1.5oz) of Noah's Mill w/2 cubes of ice.

When I opened the bottle I was hit with the delicious aroma of dark chocolate. After I poured it and let it sit awhile, the aroma changed for me to honey and A LOT of spice!

Didn't sip it straight but even w/2 cubes of ice in it for awhile, it was really HOT and I had to add another cube of ice to smooth it out. It was great sipping after that

It's not an everyday dram for me but a special pour that I'd equate w/my Islay single malts. Something to savor. Definitely not a mixer. And highly recommended but not for whiskey novices.

It's expensive for a bourbon but I think it's worth the price.

Oddly, the proof is about the same as the Glenlivet Nadurra that I recently drank straight w/just a little water and I will try another jigger of Noah Mill just w/a touch of water to see how it compares.
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I've never heard of that one, I'll have to keep my eyes open for it, that sounds amazing.

I'm all for a little ice in whiskey, just enough to cool it down from room temp and add a little water. Definitely helps with the higher proof and/or cheaper stuff. I have a Hydroflask insulated rocks cup. A solid pour in there and one ice cube usually keeps it at the right temp for me.
 
I've been a fan of Noah's Mill for several years...but it sometimes lacks consistency. These days, I reach for Rare Breed far more often.

I haven't tried the Four Roses single barrel in years; but the Small Batch is a long time favorite.

The Woodford Wheat Whiskey is a nice sipper. Maybe I'm biased, though, because I was there when they were doing their first barreling of it.

I prefer the Knob Creek Single Barrel over the lower proof small batch by a considerable margin.

A lot of reviewers are saying great things about Early Times BIB. It's got some decent flavor; but it's so alcohol forward that it's hard to find it. I ran it through an aerator, and split it into two bottles...hoping that getting some air will mellow it. At this point, though, I'd sooner recommend Old Forester BIB as a budget pour.

I like a lot of buffalo trace products; but their distribution and allocation practices (and the subsequent ridiculous pricing) have turned my attention to other distillers
 
Silent H said:
A friend got me a bottle of Widow Jane as a gift last year. Absolutely excellent. Being a native New Yorker (living out of state now), I can tell you the water up there makes a lot of things better: bagels, pizza, whiskey, etc.

All kidding aside, you really can taste the difference the mineral water makes.
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Tried an oz of Widow Jane 10 today.

Can't say I can tell the difference the mineral water makes but it's a nice pour. Tried it straight, with a little water and then w/a cube of ice. Like it best w/the ice.

A little hot on the nose but goes down smooth even neat. The water helps bring out additional favors and cut the heat but, for me, a cube of ice makes it perfect for sipping.
 
sgt1372 said:
Tried an oz of Widow Jane 10 today.

Can't say I can tell the difference the mineral water makes but it's a nice pour. Tried it straight, with a little water and then w/a cube of ice. Like it best w/the ice.

A little hot on the nose but goes down smooth even neat. The water helps bring out additional favors and cut the heat but, for me, a cube of ice makes it perfect for sipping.
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I like Widow Jane too.
I haven't tried the Widow Jane 10 yet.
But I've hat their Bourbon and Rye. AND I tried the one that is aged on oak and apple wood. Definitely different, but I really enjoyed it.

Speaking of rye I really need to grab some more.
Just moved (literally just need to move my mountain bike then I'm all done).

Hopefully the liquor store has that Balcones Rye I've been eying for a while....

If not I'll grab some Whistle Pig, or High West.
 
I bought a bottle of Highland Park Viking Honor (12 yr) for the holidays.
Some of the reviews have been fairly negative claiming a massive change in the taste. I dunno. I'm afraid I'm not enough of a purist. I've had the old Highland Park. It was good. Now I've had the new. It's different, but also good. Based on memory, the new seemed a little less smoky, a little more fruity. Still very nice. Still very lingering. I can spend an hour sipping away at a shot of it.
 
Just bought and tasted an oz of Highland Park 12 and really liked it.

It's bottled at 96 proof in sherry cask barrels and, while it tasted ok, adding some water really smoothed it out and brought out some really pleasant odors and flavors.

The odor of the Orkney peat is very mild and I smelled no smoke to speak of but it presents a really sweet nose of honey and (to me) cherries and mandarin orange. Very similar in taste (except for the light peat flavor) to Highland/Speyside single malts barreled in sherry casks, like Maccallen and Balvenie. Some reviewers complained about a bitter after taste but I did not experience that at all.

Really easy to drink and it paired really well w/some See's dark chocolate molasses chips and I think it would also go well w/food but I think that the nose/taste is really too delicate to pair w/a cigar that would just overwhelm the dram.

A good choice to introduce someone to peated single malt and one they may become one of my easy drinking single malt favorites.
 
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So, just a few more scotch tasting notes. I'll try to be brief.

Macallan 12 Double Cask (as compared w/Balvenie 12 Double Cask). A bit "hotter" than Balvenie w/an odd (hard to put my finger on) scent that not displeasing but not as enjoyable and smooth as Balvenie, given that it's not truly a double casked scotch are relies on a the sherry "flavoring" of American and European oak in a single cask; not 1st oak and then sherry. A nice attempt; not a failure but not better than they typical double casked scotches IMO.

Johnny Walker Double Black (as compared w/Johnny Walker Green Label). Green label is just a wonderfully smooth and favorful blend of 15 yr Tasiker, Linwood, Caol Ila and Cragganmore; the best JW has to offer for the masses IMO. Double Black is for peat lovers (like me) and not designed to please the masses. No mention of what's included in the blend but I'd guess mostly Lagavulin and Talisker than anything else. Lots of oak wood, peat, leather and smoke with undertones of dried fruit. I like it a lot (not more than Green) but it's more for peat fans than for others.

Compass Box Peat Monster. I just LOVE this blend of mainly Caol Ila and Lagphroaig (2 of my favorite Islay single malts) with a variety of different Islay/Highland single malts to achieve the blend that varies from year to year. I mainly taste Laghroaig in the mix but it's not the same and IMO actually better. So much so, that instead of just tasting 1-1.5oz from the bottle, as I have been doing, I drank 3ozs at the 1st tasting. Definitely a "winner" IMO and a must try if you like Islay single malts and particularly if you are a Laprohaig fan.

Update:

Also just tried the Pinhook Bourbon Country. A 95.5% proof mash of 75% corn/20% rye/5% barley which is only barreled for 3 yrs which probably accounts for the very light color and a brighter/sweeter flavor of dried fruit and spice w/very little evidence of wood on the palatte. Very easy to drink, especially if you add a cube or 2 of ice. There are other higher ABV and older aged variations that they offer now that I'd like to try but they are non-existant in my area. Was luck to find this bottle in Raley's of all places. Will be on the look out for the others when I'm out and about.
 
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I drink more bourbon these days than Scotch, but I still have a lot of (too many) bottles of Scotch and Japanese "Scotch" (e.g., Hibiki 17).

Leaving out Wellers, E.H. Taylor, and all versions of Pappy - all of which are now impossible to find in these parts, and concentrating just on the merely extremely hard to find, my favorite bourbons are Blanton's, Elijah Criag 18, Elijah Craig 12, Elmer T. Lee and Buffalo Trace.

My favorite single malts for the money are Springbank 12, Highland Park 18, Highland Park 12, Macallan 12, Balvenie DoubleWood and Glenmorangie The Lasanta. And as someone mentioned above, for a blended Scotch, it it hard to top the JW Green 15 YO for the money. JW discontinued it several years ago, but happily they brought it back. Far and away best bang for your buck among the JW line, IMO.
 
sgt1372 said:
Was that a bottle of $1500 Stagg or a $400 bottle of Stagg Jr.?

Larceny Small Batch (a wheat mash 68% corn/20% wheat considered better than Maker's by at least 1 reviewer)
Old Tub (a very cheap and old stype bourbon that is on a lot of "best bourbon" lists)
Widow Jane 10 (which is finished w/mineral water from NY which is puportedly better than the water used in KY)
Noah's Mill (a blended bourbon bottled at 114.3 Proof, which is a good enough reason for me to try it)
Pinhook Bourbon Country (75% corn/20.5% rye bottled at 95.5 Proof; Cask Strength at 115 Proof is supposed to be better but couldn't find it.)

Will offer my opinions on these bourbons as soon as I get around to trying them. The Eagle Rare 10 and Michter's US1, which are currently my favorites, will be my basis for comparison.

BTW, I always drink my scotches straight (with only a touch of water to taste) and always drink my bourbons w/a cube or 2 of ice.
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I'm not sure which Stagg it was, but VA is an ABC state, so its all coming in at retail and would have been 100 or less for the bottle.

Old Tub is decent, but its nothing to write home about, IMO. lacks in mouthfeel and depth of flavor

I grabbed a Noahs Mill back in October when I was in SC/GA. I like it very much. it is one that I will hold onto for occassions.

I have not had any of the Pinhooks, but have heard good things.

new to me whisk(e)y gets a neat pour. I get all nerdy about it and sip neat over the course of about 20 minutes with lots of sniffs, sips, and swirls.
after that, how I drink it depends on the pour and time of year. when I do use ice, I use a larger cube or sphere as oppossed to regular ice cubes.

I was gifted Woodford Double Oaked and a three pack of Heavens Door, and breckenridge high proof for Christmas. I have not cracked the Breckenridge or HDs yet, but the woodford was a good one. almost no burn, heavy coffee/butterscotch notes and a little hint spice on the back end. would recommend for anyone, but may be a good option for somethign new to the game that woudl be put off by the burn.
 
Bought 4 more bottles today.

Aberfeldy 12
BenRiach Peated Highland Cask Strength
Ledaig 10
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style
Pinhook Bohemian High Proof

Already tasted the BenRiach which at 120 proof is pretty heady stuff to try to taste neat; the heat just overwhelms any favor. Tasted best to me when I added water to dilute it to 60 proof which is the "sweet" spot for me when drinking either scotch or bourbon. Even at 60 proof the BenRiach still comes off a little hot but, after letting it sit and bloom in the glass for awhile, it gave off a very nice peaty flavor which made it all but indistinguishable from peated island scotches (apart from Islays which are very distinctive). A very nice bottle of scotch that will last twice as long the way that I drink it. ;)

Update:

Among the various bourbons that I've purchased and tried recently, the Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style stands out for it's complexity, nose and flavors and I've added it to Eagle Rare 10 and Michter's USA1 Small Batch as my favorite bourbons.
 
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Went on a "hunt" today for more whiskey (scotch and bourbon) and ended up spending about $1k on 7 bottles of bourbon and 5 bottles of scotch.

Here's what I scored:

Scotch:
Aberlour 16 (Double Cask - Oak/Sherry)
Aberlour Abundah (Sherry Cask Strength)
Bunnahabhain Toiteach A Dha (Smokey Two)
Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve
Genfiddich 14 (Bourbon casked)

Bourbon:
1792 Full Proof
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
Heaven Hill 7yr Bottled in Bond
Hudson Bay Bourbon
McKenna 10
Ressell's Reserve 10
Woodinville Port Finished Ltd Special Release 2020

Bought all of the scotches at my local (30 miles away) Total Wine and More (TWM).

Broke my $100 limit buying the Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve because it's hard to find and I wanted to see how well it tasted while smoking a cigar, which is another "bad" habit that I've been cultivating during the pandemic.

Found thes all the bourbon a small local liquor store that "specializes" in craft beers and certain hard to find liquor. Their bourbon selection was excellent; the scotch selection not so much, but most of the bottles I bought were NOT available at my local TWM or BevMo stores. This makes a total of 31 bottles of scotch and 20 bottles of bourbon in my collection.

Looking forward to going back to this store to buy a bottle of Michter's 10 and Weller 12 that were also on my "buy" list and were on the shelf but wasn't ready to spend another $500 on just those 2 bottles.

Maybe next time. LOL! ;)

Going to be drinking the Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve w/a full bodied La Aroma de Cuba "Mi Amor" robusto cigar in a little while. Tasting notes to follow.

Update:

Read online that Trader Joe's sells Dalwhinnie 15 for only $50. And, I also noticed that BevMo was selling the well reviewed Compass Box Great King St. Artist's Blend for just $40. So, just bottle of botte of each of these too. :)
 
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Anybody try Ardbeg Wee Beastie yet? VERY curious about this... like all the other Ardbegs.
 
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