Tip jar

If you like CaB and wish to support it, you can use PayPal or KoFi. Thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy the site - Neil.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Support CaB

Recent

Welcome to Cook'd and Bomb'd. Please login or sign up.

March 19, 2024, 07:24:26 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Enjoying a glass of whiskey

Started by kalowski, April 06, 2021, 10:46:28 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

kalowski

When I was a young drinker, u didn't understand whiskey at all and would very rarely get a bottle of cheap Bells to get really drunk. Maybe at a wedding reception or some other bug family do I might have a whiskey and ginger with an uncle (not a euphemism).
But now, as I stare my 50th year in the face, I like the odd drop. I love the mightily tough peat taste of Laphroaig, and u am currently enjoying a ten year Bushmills.
Any other readers made the leap to whiskey? I will even allow bourbon in this thread.

The Bumlord

Gives me a terrible headache.


I think I'm going off drinking tbh, need to start on the hard drugs.

bgmnts

Sip of Penderyn or something is nice every once in a while but I'm a Metaxa man through and through.

Echo Valley 2-6809

I think a blended Bell's or Teacher's was what I started out on. Nothing wrong with that but I'd go for something else these days if I was still drinking whisky regularly.
Laphroaig was like nothing I'd ever tasted before - didn't take to it at first, but by the third glass I was hooked.
I think the nicest one I ever tasted was a Macallan 10-year-old single malt that someone shared with me at their house, but looking at the price of a bottle now I wonder if I've misremembered it, or if my friend had won the lottery without telling me.

Pedant's corner. Bell's and Laphroaig are whisky/Scotch; Bushmills/Irish is whiskey.
(As in the cryptic crossword clue: Whiskey, right? That gets mistaken for scotch  (6) 
Spoiler alert
THWART - anagram of W R THAT
[close]
)

Quote from: kalowski on April 06, 2021, 10:46:28 PM
When I was a young drinker, u didn't understand whiskey at all and would very rarely get a bottle of cheap Bells to get really drunk. Maybe at a wedding reception or some other bug family do I might have a whiskey and ginger with an uncle (not a euphemism).
But now, as I stare my 50th year in the face, I like the odd drop. I love the mightily tough peat taste of Laphroaig, and u am currently enjoying a ten year Bushmills.
Any other readers made the leap to whiskey? I will even allow bourbon in this thread.

I might as well be the first to point out that Scotch whisky is never spelt 'whiskey'.

EDIT: too slow - second to point out.

The Culture Bunker

I've never been one for drinking spirits at all, with the notable exception of Drambuie, which I got a taste for while on Honeymoon in Edinburgh. I'm not sure whether that counts as whiskey, though.

Wish I'd bought that bottle I saw on Friday, though, as I could go for a sip about now.

touchingcloth

Quote from: Echo Valley 2-6809 on April 06, 2021, 11:09:16 PM
Pedant's corner. Bell's and Laphroaig are whisky/Scotch; Bushmills/Irish is whiskey.

It's actually quite the opposite way round. It's Scots which has the "e", hence The Angle's Share.

flotemysost

Quote from: Echo Valley 2-6809 on April 06, 2021, 11:09:16 PM
Pedant's corner. Bell's and Laphroaig are whisky/Scotch; Bushmills/Irish is whiskey.

I didn't know this, cheers! I always assumed whiskey was just a US spelling, as in "... A-Go-Go".

Laphroaig is probably the first one that got me intrigued too - tried a bit when I worked behind a bar in my teens, as whenever customers ordered it (rarely) it smelled like nothing I'd come across. I still really know nothing about the different types to be honest, but I think I have a rough idea of what I like.

One of my friends has membership to a club where you get regular deals and invitations to tasting events, we've been making plans for ages to go to one together but obviously no idea how soon that might happen.

Edit: ahhh, dunno who to believe re: spelling now


Bum Flaps


He's adding Es, not taking them away.


I actually applied for a job at a well-known whisky distiller a couple of years back, and the application form had a question asking me to tell them why I was passionate about FMCGs (fast-moving consumer goods). Fast-moving consumer goods, I ask you. Anyway, I wrote some old shite and they must've liked it enough to give me an interview.

On the day of the interview, the whisky boss picked me up in an old Land Rover and we drove for miles into depths of the Highlands. Eventually we got out of the Landy and walked for miles across heather moorland, jumping on tussocks between peaty pools, scrambling up gullies and sliding down screes until we came to the side of a burn where an old man with a long white beard emerged out of the mist to greet us. The whisky boss explained that the old man's distant ancestor had set up this illicit still here on the banks of the burn after fleeing from the ranks of the defeated Jacobites at Culloden in 1746.  The old man fixed me with an iron gaze and said 'laddie, my distant ancestor set up this illicit still here on the banks of this burn after fleeing from the ranks of the defeated Jacobites at Culloden In 1746. He famously said that he had only two passions in life: the restoration of the House of Stuart to the monarchy of Great Britain & Ireland, and fast-moving consumer goods. Since the former cause was lost, he had thrown his heart into the latter'. The old man asked me, now with a tear in his eye, 'laddie, do you think you could do us proud, and be as passionate about fast-moving consumer goods as my ancestor and me?'

I knew then that they had seen through me as a charlatan, and I resigned myself not only to no whisky job, but a long walk home through bog, mountain and moor, dressed in my work interview suit and a pair of shiny black brogues, now ruined. I actually only got back last Thursday.

Read this post, and be assured that I would never tell lies about anything related to whisky.

touchingcloth

Quote from: Clatty McCutcheon on April 07, 2021, 12:03:51 AM

I actually applied for a job at a well-known whisky distiller a couple of years back, and the application form had a question asking me to tell them why I was passionate about FMCGs (fast-moving consumer goods). Fast-moving consumer goods, I ask you. Anyway, I wrote some old shite and they must've liked it enough to give me an interview.

On the day of the interview, the whisky boss picked me up in an old Land Rover and we drove for miles into depths of the Highlands. Eventually we got out of the Landy and walked for miles across heather moorland, jumping on tussocks between peaty pools, scrambling up gullies and sliding down screes until we came to the side of a burn where an old man with a long white beard emerged out of the mist to greet us. The whisky boss explained that the old man's distant ancestor had set up this illicit still here on the banks of the burn after fleeing from the ranks of the defeated Jacobites at Culloden in 1746.  The old man fixed me with an iron gaze and said 'laddie, my distant ancestor set up this illicit still here on the banks of this burn after fleeing from the ranks of the defeated Jacobites at Culloden In 1746. He famously said that he had only two passions in life: the restoration of the House of Stuart to the monarchy of Great Britain & Ireland, and fast-moving consumer goods. Since the former cause was lost, he had thrown his heart into the latter'. The old man asked me, now with a tear in his eye, 'laddie, do you think you could do us proud, and be as passionate about fast-moving consumer goods as my ancestor and me?'

I knew then that they had seen through me as a charlatan, and I resigned myself not only to no whisky job, but a long walk home through bog, mountain and moor, dressed in my work interview suit and a pair of shiny black brogues, now ruined. I actually only got back last Thursday.

Read this post, and be assured that I would never tell lies about anything related to whisky.

To be frantically correct you should have wrote " as passionate about fast-moving consumer goods as my ancestor and I".

mothman

I've been to every distillery on Islay. Well, the ones that were open in 2004 anyway. Straight off the early ferry, drive to Bowmore for the tour[nb]You haven't lived until you've heard Bill Patterson say "Bowmore" in a promotional video.[/nb] and then saw the error in my plan when I had my first free dram. At half-nine in the morning. MrsMoth had to drive.[nb]Caol Ila and Bunnahabhain weren't doing tours. But we did tour Lagavulin, Laphroaig and Bruichladdich.[/nb]

I've just finished a bottle of Lagavulin 16yo, one of my favourites. I get a bottle every couple of years. I have a Caol Ila in reserve my parents gave me, and right now I'm into a bottle of... shit, I'll have to check later, I can't remember the name. A newer distillery, some friends at work gave me a bottle for my 50th.

Other tours we've done: Penderyn in Wales. Old Pulteney (MrsMoth's favourite) in Wick. And Glenfarclas in Speyside.[nb]When we went to Scotland for that '04 trip, MrsMoth decided she should try some single malt whisky before we started in earnest. Staying at a hotel in Ayr, we each picked a bottle at random from the huge selection behind the bar. She chose Old Pulteney, I chose Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength. To this day they remain favourites.[/nb]

Mostly though right now I'm really into drinking Kentucky straight bourbon on the rocks. I blame my ongoing Justified binge.


Jasha

Is Cardhu any good?. I received a bottle in a leaving hamper at work which also contained a large jar of coffee assorted club/penguin/wagon wheels and babybels (which pretty much sums up my work lunch).A quick check revealed it's £37ish a bottle so at least 2 people put in more than the regulation fiver

checkoutgirl

Quote from: Utterdrivel on April 06, 2021, 10:59:05 PM
Gives me a terrible headache.

Heartburn for me, especially neat spirits. I'll never be part of that exclusive club of people who drink straight whiskey and say things that it has notes of. Peat, bark, pencils, baboons balls etc.

This one tastes of vanilla and oak.

touchingcloth

Quote from: mothman on April 07, 2021, 12:27:52 AM
I've been to every distillery on Islay. Well, the ones that were open in 2004 anyway. Straight off the early ferry, drive to Bowmore for the tour[nb]You haven't lived until you've heard Bill Patterson say "Bowmore" in a promotional video.[/nb] and then saw the error in my plan when I had my first free dram. At half-nine in the morning. MrsMoth had to drive.[nb]Caol Ila and Bunnahabhain weren't doing tours. But we did tour Lagavulin, Laphroaig and Bruichladdich.[/nb]

I've just finished a bottle of Lagavulin 16yo, one of my favourites. I get a bottle every couple of years. I have a Caol Ila in reserve my parents gave me, and right now I'm into a bottle of... shit, I'll have to check later, I can't remember the name. A newer distillery, some friends at work gave me a bottle for my 50th.

Other tours we've done: Penderyn in Wales. Old Pulteney (MrsMoth's favourite) in Wick. And Glenfarclas in Speyside.[nb]When we went to Scotland for that '04 trip, MrsMoth decided she should try some single malt whisky before we started in earnest. Staying at a hotel in Ayr, we each picked a bottle at random from the huge selection behind the bar. She chose Old Pulteney, I chose Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength. To this day they remain favourites.[/nb]

Mostly though right now I'm really into drinking Kentucky straight bourbon on the rocks. I blame my ongoing Justified binge.

Old Pulteney is great. Were you after the peated Penderyns as an Islay...tourist? I've not tried it myself, but the Penderyn's I have tried have been lovely if a little on the clinical/simple side, tastewise. Not simple in the way that a blended whisky can be, they've just weirdly tasted like Proper Whisky whilst having little complexity.

canadagoose

Quote from: Jasha on April 07, 2021, 12:32:52 AM
Is Cardhu any good?. I received a bottle in a leaving hamper at work which also contained a large jar of coffee assorted club/penguin/wagon wheels and babybels (which pretty much sums up my work lunch).A quick check revealed it's £37ish a bottle so at least 2 people put in more than the regulation fiver
Well, I like it. I'm quite fond of malt whisky, but I can't drink it neat now because of the digestive bother it causes. Any suggestions would be welcome as I would like to enjoy a nice Bowmore or something again.

Ian Drunken Smurf

I discovered Japanese single malts when I toured Japan in 2010. There were bars called Go Kyaku (500) where whiskies were 500 yen (about eur 4.50 at the time) and I made sure I enjoyed lots in various cities to make up for getting fleeced for 9000 Yen for a beer in a dodgy bar in Roppongi. I went to a distillery on Hokkaido when I was staying in Sapporo.

buttgammon

I wasn't especially keen on whiskey until about three years ago. Then I discovered Islay and it's become a much bigger deal. Ardbeg Uigeadail is my absolute favourite, just because it has the right balance of peat, smokiness and salinity, but that whole genre is amazing. I've got a bottle of Talisker on the go and am hoping to get a Caol Ila next, because it's one I haven't tried yet.

Last year, I got a port cask finished 10 year Tyrconnell single malt as a birthday present, and it was a revelation - the best Irish whiskey I've ever tasted.

kalowski

I knew the whisky/whiskey distinction, just couldn't be arsed fighting auto correct.
Some intriguing recommendations here I will look into when the Bushmills is done.
Quote from: checkoutgirl on April 07, 2021, 12:37:40 AM
I'll never be part of that exclusive club of people who drink straight whiskey and say things that it has notes of. Peat, bark, pencils, baboons balls etc.

This one tastes of vanilla and oak.
I'd say Laphroaig has more than "notes of peat". It's like drinking with a mouthful of turf. But delightful.

Paul Calf

Quote from: Echo Valley 2-6809 on April 06, 2021, 11:09:16 PM
I think a blended Bell's or Teacher's was what I started out on. Nothing wrong with that but I'd go for something else these days if I was still drinking whisky regularly.
Laphroaig was like nothing I'd ever tasted before - didn't take to it at first, but by the third glass I was hooked.
I think the nicest one I ever tasted was a Macallan 10-year-old single malt that someone shared with me at their house, but looking at the price of a bottle now I wonder if I've misremembered it, or if my friend had won the lottery without telling me.

Pedant's corner. Bell's and Laphroaig are whisky/Scotch; Bushmills/Irish is whiskey.
(As in the cryptic crossword clue: Whiskey, right? That gets mistaken for scotch  (6) 
Spoiler alert
THWART - anagram of W R THAT
[close]
)

I had an 18-year-old rum-casked Ardbeg in Amsterdam's legendary (but now defunct) whisky bar De Stil. The sweetness of the rum cut by the salty, medicinal tang of the Islay was something I never imagined could exist. A different drink with every mouthful.

timebug

I have a liking for Glenfiddich. I know among Whiskey buffs it is considered a low ranking malt, but whatever you like etc!

JaDanketies

Love a bit of whiskey. I don't think I fully understand it which I guess is something else I love about it.

The only problem I've experienced with whiskey is that it makes alcohol abuse easier. There's a much stronger association in my mind between a glass of whiskey and the sensation of drunkenness than there is for a beer. So there have been times when I've drank whiskey and I've thought, "oh yeah, that's just what I wanted," in a much more visceral way than I feel it with a pint of beer on a hot summer day.  Which isn't ideal. A bit like comparing IV drug use with taking a tablet.

Nice feeling though.

Chedney Honks

Quote from: Paul Calf on April 07, 2021, 09:08:46 AM
I had an 18-year-old rum-casked Ardbeg in Amsterdam's legendary (but now defunct) whisky bar De Stil. The sweetness of the rum cut by the salty, medicinal tang of the Islay was something I never imagined could exist. A different drink with every mouthful.

I can't promise it'll come close, and I expect you've already had it, but the Ardbeg Uigeadail is finished in bourbon barrels and sherry butts, and it's precisely that undercurrent of warm, sticky, dried fruit treacle which makes the salt and smoke and peat come alive. As you say, every mouthful brings something else. I don't drink much whisky these days but I always have a bottle of Uigeadail in for when the reverential moment takes me.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

My Dad enjoyed Caol Ila after a recommendation from here and loves Lagavulin, obviously.

I quite like mellower single malt, Speyside, etc but am starting to get into some with a bit more complexity, peat and/or spice.

Shout outs for Balvenie Doublewood, Macallan, Talisker.

Marner and Me

As someone who doesn't drink beer (it tastes fucking vile) My mates quaff Carling like no tomorrow. I had a sip and spat it out. I drink only spirits. Rum is now my favourite with Dead Mans Finger, Old J  Pull The Pin, and Bumbu (Probably classed as a liquor, a tasty banana flavoured spirit) being my favourites and all that can be drunk straight. As above Laphroigh is why whiskey of choice. I'm a bit soft so will take it with one ice cube. Jura is a nice one too, again usually with an ice cube. Getting into bourbons to Bulliet and Buffalo Trace are the go tos in that department. Sign of a good spirit is it can be drunk straight.

As for the next day, I find I am just tired, no headache, just have a good meal and a good sleep the next night. Right as rain.

Paul Calf

Quote from: Chedney Honks on April 07, 2021, 09:50:26 AM
I can't promise it'll come close, and I expect you've already had it, but the Ardbeg Uigeadail is finished in bourbon barrels and sherry butts, and it's precisely that undercurrent of warm, sticky, dried fruit treacle which makes the salt and smoke and peat come alive. As you say, every mouthful brings something else. I don't drink much whisky these days but I always have a bottle of Uigeadail in for when the reverential moment takes me.


Thanks. I shall definitely look out for that.

Quote from: Shoulders?-Stomach! on April 07, 2021, 10:05:08 AM
My Dad enjoyed Caol Ila after a recommendation from here and loves Lagavulin, obviously.

I quite like mellower single malt, Speyside, etc but am starting to get into some with a bit more complexity, peat and/or spice.

Shout outs for Balvenie Doublewood, Macallan, Talisker.


You might like Springbank. It's the only Scotch whisky that's still malted, distilled and bottled on the premises. If you like the light, mellow Speysides you'll probably like a Springbank.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Ta, will keep an eye out. Currently halfway through Talisker and Auchentoshan but might be a good birthday treat later in the year.

Butchers Blind

Quote from: kalowski on April 07, 2021, 09:07:17 AM
Laphroaig has more than "notes of peat". It's like drinking with a mouthful of turf. But delightful.

See, that's what puts me off. I've fallen over and had the misfortune of getting dirt in my mouth, delightful wasn't the experience I felt.