What's Your Poison?: Beer, Wine and Spirits

[JTMacc99]

I don’t know my way around scotch the way I know other things, but I agree with Bastet’s recommendations across the board. I’ll add in that I really like the Balvenie Caribbean Cask, which I think adds the 14 to the list. 

[Bastet]

5 hours ago, JTMacc99 said:

I don’t know my way around scotch the way I know other things, but I agree with Bastet’s recommendations across the board. I’ll add in that I really like the Balvenie Caribbean Cask, which I think adds the 14 to the list. 

Yes, I believe 14 years is right, and I keep meaning to try that Caribbean Cask version of Balvenie.  I don't go through scotch the way I go through bourbon, so there's less turnover and I often forget what I wanted to try and just grab one of the usuals.  I'm making a mental note; we'll see if it's still there next time I'm at the liquor store.

[Athena]

21 hours ago, DeLurker said:

In my research, Japanese whisky has raised some interest.  Apparently, only a few have been cleared for sale in the US and they are getting good reviews from the ones I can find.  Have any of you sampled any?  And what were your thoughts on them?

I live in a whiskey household and we have a collection American, Canadian, Scotch, and Japanese whiskies. I tend towards single malt scotch and I also like small batch North American distilleries as well. There is on from Chicago that I like: Koval. That may be of an interest. There are a lot of "domestic" distilleries popping up, but not all of them do whiskies and they are younger which can be a hit or miss. Koval has different varieties; I like the millet one.

I second @Bastet's choices for Scotches, a similar one to the Talisker and Laphroiag is the Lagavulin which is sold in 12Y and 16Y.

For Japanese whiskies, my partner is into them but due to low availability, he's had to buy them when travelling abroad or other friends have brought them back for him. They can be good but it's also hard to find them. The blends are nicer than most of the blends in the wider market. I would say they are better than Johnnie Walker Black for example. You generally do get you pay for with blends. I've had Johnnie Walker Blue Label and it was very good.

[HunterHunted]

On 9/16/2018 at 11:10 AM, DeLurker said:

OK drinksters, special request:  I tend to give consumable gifts for presents unless someone I know has a specific need for a more durable item (recent home purchase, that kind of thing).  My default consumable for Christmas is usually a decent bottle of champagne since that usually comes in handy for most people since New Year's comes up a week later.

I may deviate this year for a few of my brothers or as we approach some more somber moments at family get-togethers, where popping a bottle of bubbly may not be quite in sync with the moment.  I'd like to get a better scotch, but looking for something a bit less well known.  My brothers would be familiar and conversant in all the variants of the Johnny Walkers or the brands that are comparable to that.  I've got a HUGE knowledge gap here myself since I've never cared for whisky in any of its varieties.

In my research, Japanese whisky has raised some interest.  Apparently, only a few have been cleared for sale in the US and they are getting good reviews from the ones I can find.  Have any of you sampled any?  And what were your thoughts on them?

I don't know anything about whisky, but you can find these samplers and tasting sets that might be a decent gift for someone who likes whisky, but doesn't necessarily want to risk a ton of money trying new ones.

http://www.whiskyshopusa.com/jameson-whiskey-trilogy/

https://www.masterofmalt.com/samples/whisky-samples/scotch/

https://www.masterofmalt.com/tasting-set/

https://www.totalwine.com/scotch/single-malt/glenmorangie-sampler-pack/

https://www.totalwine.com/spirits/scotch/single-malt/grangestone-single-malt-gift-pack/p/172387375

https://www.tastingcollection.com/en/tasting-sets/whiskey-tasting.html

[DeLurker]

@HunterHunted - the sampler collection is brilliant, so thank you!

And thanks to the comments by @JTMacc99 & @Bastet, he ended up with this lovely birthday gift

 

It includes the Doublewood 12 YO

Doublewood 17 YO

Caribbean Cask 14 YO

 

I'd still appreciate any research you can do for me in time for Christmas!

Edited September 17, 2018 by DeLurker

[DeLurker]

Any thoughts on Bunnahabhain 12?

I totally admit I mostly am interested just because I love the name*.  What, if any, better known brands would it be comparable to?

*It is like a Sesame Street name.

Edited September 17, 2018 by DeLurker

[Mindthinkr]

@DeLurker I used to live in Scotland. You have already gotten a lot of great choices. Bunnahabhain is good too. Here is a choice that is not so peaty. (The ones from Islay are very good but have a strong peat aftertaste.) This one is milder. People who don’t normally like Whisky tend to enjoy it. 

It is most excellent.  Also Glenmorangie Cellar 13 is absolutely divine. If you go for a MaCallan just know that the 10 year old is better than the 12 year old. You would think it’s the other way around but for this brand it isn’t although tastes will vary. 

Edited September 19, 2018 by Mindthinkr
Punctuation

[DeLurker]

I've been doing some more research following @HunterHunted line of thought and came across this lovely gift idea... Drinks by the Dram Advent Calendar.

They have a variety of different liquid refreshments available and it seems like a good way to sample some different brands.  If you click on where to buy, a couple of the links show International Shipping.  So if you have someone that would appreciate a gift along these lines or just want to make sure you receive a gift you can appreciate yourself...

[HunterHunted]

What an interesting idea. I've seen Advent calendars with candies, chocolates, cookies, teas, and plant seeds, but not booze. Neat.

[BW Manilowe]

On 9/20/2018 at 11:15 AM, HunterHunted said:

What an interesting idea. I've seen Advent calendars with candies, chocolates, cookies, teas, and plant seeds, but not booze. Neat.

They also make them with makeup samples. A YouTube vlog I watch fairly regularly showed the vlogger doing 1 last year. I think she said she got it from Sephora, but I’m not totally positive.

[JTMacc99]

‘Tis the season for Southern Tier Pumking Ale. By far my favorite fall seasonal beer. 

[Mindthinkr]

5 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

They also make them with makeup samples. A YouTube vlog I watch fairly regularly showed the vlogger doing 1 last year. I think she said she got it from Sephora, but I’m not totally positive.

How neat. My granddaughter would love that. 

[ebk57]

4 hours ago, JTMacc99 said:

‘Tis the season for Southern Tier Pumking Ale. By far my favorite fall seasonal beer. 

I also love their Warlock - the pumpkin stout.  I may be picking some up tomorrow!

[JTMacc99]

I had that in a bar last week. Delicious!

[DeLurker]

We had the birthday breakfast this morning for my brother & sister-in-law (combined because they were supposed to be out of town the prior two weekends but rain happened).  The Balvenie gift set was a welcome gift and one my brother looks forward to sampling, especially after his son-in-law mentioned. how really really good the 17 yo DoubleWood is.

The same son-in-law got him a bottle of Akashi whisky (from the label it looks like a blended white oak but the kanji is one none of the kids* could fully read).  My brother and his s-i-l each had a small glass and I had a taste.  They both are whisky drinkers and said it was very good and very smooth.  I never drank whisky because even the good stuff burned, but this was very nice.   My nephew, who also is not a whisky drinker, took a taste and said he liked it too.  This is what the bottle looked like.

 

*Between my 2 kids and my 2 nephews, we have a fairly decent understanding of Japanese and the variants of kanji.

Edited September 23, 2018 by DeLurker

[chessiegal]

We went out to dinner with friends on Friday, and I ordered a glass of Prosecco. The wife, who is my age (68), said what is Prosecco? I was so surprised. She's not a non-drinker and is well traveled. After visiting Italy 2 years ago, Prosecco is my favorite wine choice.

[Bastet]

When I went to my local liquor store last week to pick up a bottle of Laphroaig quarter cask (scotch), they were having a tasting of Ketel One's (vodka) "Botanicals" line.  It has been out since May, but I had somehow missed it.  Unlike flavored vodka, this is made like gin - distilled twice, the second time with the botanical recipe (all natural ingredients) added. 

Unlike Ketel One's flavored vodkas, e.g. Citroen, the Botanicals line has no carbs, and, compared to regular Ketel One, it's about 25% lower in calories and about 10% lower in alcohol by volume -- so it's not technically vodka, which has to have at least 40% ABV.  Diet vodka?  Light vodka?  Almost vodka?  It sounds like something I'd roll my eyes at, but it tasted good. 

It comes in cucumber & mint, peach & orange blossom, and grapefruit & rose.  They're all quite flavorful (you can really smell the cucumber and peach, especially, as you're bringing it to your mouth), but not overly sweet (although I will have to see if it becomes too much sweetness for me after a few in a row), so I liked them.  The order in which I listed the flavors is the order of my preference; I picked up a bottle each of the first two.  I sampled them all on the rocks, and they go down very smoothly, but would also be great with club soda. 

Edited December 6, 2018 by Bastet

[MargeGunderson]

I need to buy cognac for a recipe. Any suggestions for a decent brand? 

[DeLurker]

OK beer drinkers - Buying a gift for someone who normally drinks Newcastle Brown Ale.  Any suggestions for something that would line up with that profile?

[Bastet]

Has anyone had Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select?  I have a friend who loves JD, but always mixes it with something.  I quite agree that's how JD should be consumed.  My local liquor store has a good deal on the Single Barrel, so I'm going to pick up a bottle for her - if she likes it well enough to drink on the rocks, great, if she just has a tastier whiskey to combine with her ginger ale, I'm not appalled by the mixing, heh.  But I'm curious if anyone here has tasted it.

(The same store has a good deal on Lagavulin's 16-year [single-malt Scotch], so I think I'll treat myself while I'm there.)

[Mindthinkr]

On 12/8/2018 at 3:29 PM, MargeGunderson said:

I need to buy cognac for a recipe. Any suggestions for a decent brand? 

Hennessy’s is what I use. 

[ebk57]

On 12/20/2018 at 3:09 PM, DeLurker said:

OK beer drinkers - Buying a gift for someone who normally drinks Newcastle Brown Ale.  Any suggestions for something that would line up with that profile?

I like Dogfish Head Indian Brown, Cigar City Maduro Brown, and Rogue Hazlenut Brown.  I've seen recommended for those who like brown ales:  Abita Turbodog and Sam Smith Nut Brown.  Good luck!

[DeLurker]

Just spotted this with the Jello in the grocery store...

I guess because it was tough to find the ingredients to make Jello shots?

[JTMacc99]

On 2/17/2019 at 10:24 AM, DeLurker said:

I guess because it was tough to find the ingredients to make Jello shots?

I guess if you're already drunk when you hit the store, this will help you figure it out. 

[larapu2000]

On 2/17/2019 at 10:24 AM, DeLurker said:

Just spotted this with the Jello in the grocery store...

I guess because it was tough to find the ingredients to make Jello shots?

I like how it says "JUST ADD VODKA"  and then in tiny print, "and water."

[ebk57]

Happy National Rose Day everyone!!  (that's the wine, not the flower - I don't know how to find the useful accent to put over the e)

[Bastet]

7 minutes ago, ebk57 said:

I don't know how to find the useful accent to put over the e)

There are different ways, and it may depend on what device you're using as to which ones will produce the right result, but on my computer I still use old-school ASCII, in which é is Alt 130.

[ebk57]

45 minutes ago, Bastet said:

There are different ways, and it may depend on what device you're using as to which ones will produce the right result, but on my computer I still use old-school ASCII, in which é is Alt 130.

Thanks.  I use a couple of those at work for currency symbols, but that doesn't seem to work on my home computer.  I'll see if it works at work on Monday.  If I remember, which is always dicey. 

[JTMacc99]

2 hours ago, ebk57 said:

Happy National Rose Day everyone!!  (that's the wine, not the flower - I don't know how to find the useful accent to put over the e)

Go to the internet, google “rose wine”, then copy the “Rosé” someone else figured out how to do, copy and paste it here. 

Just like I just did. 

[Mindthinkr]

Which rosé, however? I can get the accent by holding down on the letter “e” and a myriad of choices appear. Copying and pasting is good too as well as ingenious. 

[MargeGunderson]

Today I discovered bubbly rose in a can. Where has it been all my life? I must make up for lost time.....

[BW Manilowe]

9 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

Which rosé, however? I can get the accent by holding down on the letter “e” and a myriad of choices appear. Copying and pasting is good too as well as ingenious. 

If you’re on an iPhone, hold the e key down, then tap the é key (right-pointing accent mark over the e) after all the alternate e’s display.

[Lovecat]

Mac:  option-e, then type another e

PC:  control-apostrophe, then type an e

Fun fact:  You can also use these methods to put accent marks over other letters!  Just type the i, o, a, or whatever instead of the e. é ... í ... ó ... á ...

Source:  My name is Renée 🙂

[chessiegal]

Facebook reminded me today that 2 years ago we were dining al fresco waterfront in Florence, Italy. And so started my love of Prosecco.

[JustHereForFood]

I usually only drink wine, because I can't stomach hard liquor on its own, but in summer I tend to have cravings for cocktails. 

I wanted to ask, does anyone here have any recommendation for an easy to make cocktail with gin? Preferably without pieces of fruit in it (juice is alright) and not too strong.

And on a related note, does anyone have experience with flavored gin? I have been thinking about trying strawberry or red orange Beefeater, mostly because of the color, but I only found it in regular sized bottles and it seems too risky to me to buy that much, if I'm not sure I will like it. How much of a difference is the taste from the regular gin, if you for example just mix it with tonic? Is it sweeter?

Thanks.

[chessiegal]

I drink gin and tonic every day. I only drink Beefeater or Tanqueray. I despise flavored gins. My husband puts fresh lime juice in his, but I like a little Rose's lime juice in mine. As for strength, that's why God made jiggers/shot glasses.

[Bastet]

25 minutes ago, JustHereForFood said:

I wanted to ask, does anyone here have any recommendation for an easy to make cocktail with gin? Preferably without pieces of fruit in it (juice is alright) and not too strong.

The traditional martini is probably out as too strong for you, so the simplest would be a Gin and Tonic or Gin Rickey (club soda instead of tonic) with a squeeze of lime or lemon juice, or a Tom Collins (gin and club soda, with lemon juice and powdered sugar).  Simple but with more juice, there's the Blue Canary, which is gin with blue curacao and grapefruit juice, or the Bulldog, which is gin with ginger ale and orange juice.

46 minutes ago, JustHereForFood said:

And on a related note, does anyone have experience with flavored gin?

No, that sounds odd to me - gin already has a distinct flavor.  Flavored vodkas I like quite a few of, but I've never tried a flavored gin.

[JustHereForFood]

Thanks for the suggestions! I have been occasionally drinking gin with tonic already and I mean just the gin and tonic, nothing else (I don't like ice), so I will try to add lemon, lime or grapefruit juice next time and see from there.

[larapu2000]

On 6/13/2021 at 6:03 PM, JustHereForFood said:

I usually only drink wine, because I can't stomach hard liquor on its own, but in summer I tend to have cravings for cocktails. 

I wanted to ask, does anyone here have any recommendation for an easy to make cocktail with gin? Preferably without pieces of fruit in it (juice is alright) and not too strong.

And on a related note, does anyone have experience with flavored gin? I have been thinking about trying strawberry or red orange Beefeater, mostly because of the color, but I only found it in regular sized bottles and it seems too risky to me to buy that much, if I'm not sure I will like it. How much of a difference is the taste from the regular gin, if you for example just mix it with tonic? Is it sweeter?

Thanks.

I LOVE GIN.  My favorite gin drink is the French 75, which I recommend making with Meyer Lemon Juice and rosemary simple syrup.  However.  I just made the best cocktail where I put strawberries in a blender, then strained out the seeds.  I added some fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and the strawberry mix with the gin.  The best part is you can do with any berry and it's great!  You can also use the strawberry mix to make a berry lemonade (1 cup sugar, 1 cup lemon juice, strawberry mix, fill water to 2 quarts) that makes it easy to mix.  It's a little sweeter that way, but you can reduce sugar probably by half!

[MargeGunderson]

@JustHereForFood, last summer I made frozen Tom Collins which were so nice when it was hot. If the link doesn’t work (it may be behind a paywall), let me know and I’ll post it.

@larapu2000, French 75 is my favorite cocktail. If that’s on a menu, it’s what I’m drinking. There is a drink at a local place I like quite a bit - gin, St. Germaine, Yellow Chartreuse and Prosecco (they call it the Bone Shaker).

[JustHereForFood]

2 hours ago, larapu2000 said:

I LOVE GIN.  My favorite gin drink is the French 75, which I recommend making with Meyer Lemon Juice and rosemary simple syrup.  However.  I just made the best cocktail where I put strawberries in a blender, then strained out the seeds.  I added some fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and the strawberry mix with the gin.  The best part is you can do with any berry and it's great!  You can also use the strawberry mix to make a berry lemonade (1 cup sugar, 1 cup lemon juice, strawberry mix, fill water to 2 quarts) that makes it easy to mix.  It's a little sweeter that way, but you can reduce sugar probably by half!

French 75 sounds interesting, I will have to try it. So far, I tried adding fresh lemon and grapefruit juice to gin and tonic and both have tasted much better than without. I have also been using citrus tonic instead of regular.

1 hour ago, MargeGunderson said:

@JustHereForFood, last summer I made frozen Tom Collins which were so nice when it was hot. If the link doesn’t work (it may be behind a paywall), let me know and I’ll post it.

The link didn't work, but I googled the name. It looks interesting, although I'm afraid it has too much ice for me, I'm not really used to drink anything with it, even in summer.

[biakbiak]

7 hours ago, JustHereForFood said:

will have to try it. So far, I tried adding fresh lemon and grapefruit juice to gin and tonic and both have tasted much better than without.

We have a ton of different kinds of bitters in our house but I do love using different citrus bitters (orange, lemon and lime) in my gin and tonics. 

[larapu2000]

On 6/17/2021 at 4:08 PM, JustHereForFood said:

French 75 sounds interesting, I will have to try it. So far, I tried adding fresh lemon and grapefruit juice to gin and tonic and both have tasted much better than without. I have also been using citrus tonic instead of regular.

The link didn't work, but I googled the name. It looks interesting, although I'm afraid it has too much ice for me, I'm not really used to drink anything with it, even in summer.

It's also good to know which gins are better for what kind of application.  I have found, for example, that some gins are just not as good in a gin and tonic but amazing with fruit/citrus flavors.  I think Sipsmith is my favorite "all around" gin, but I also love Hendricks for G&T and general mixing as well.  My fiance insists Haysmith is the best for Tom Collins.

Best Gin Brands for Gin Drinks

Edited June 18, 2021 by larapu2000

[JustHereForFood]

7 hours ago, larapu2000 said:

It's also good to know which gins are better for what kind of application.  I have found, for example, that some gins are just not as good in a gin and tonic but amazing with fruit/citrus flavors.  I think Sipsmith is my favorite "all around" gin, but I also love Hendricks for G&T and general mixing as well.  My fiance insists Haysmith is the best for Tom Collins.

Best Gin Brands for Gin Drinks

Thanks, I didn't even think of that. When it comes to wine, I always have a favorite brand, but with any hard liquor I sort of assumed it is all the same 😏. I have always used Beefeater so far.

[biakbiak]

4 hours ago, JustHereForFood said:

hard liquor I sort of assumed it is all the same 😏. I have always used Beefeater so far.

Gins vary so much! In addition to the multiple bitters I have currently 6 or 8 gins. Since you don’t like ice you might want to try a more floral gin that can just be served up and chilled to just sip!

[isalicat]

I normally only drink wine (merlot, cab, pinot grigio, pinot blanc, sauvignon blanc) but if I am going to have any hard alcohol at all, its a gin and tonic with a slice of lime. (Actually I am convinced that gin and tonics keep airplanes in the air, so I always have one pre-boarding if possible, and back in the day when I took long international flights, another one once they started serving drinks on board). I usually keep a bottle of Bombay Sapphire in the house but if anyone here with more expertise has a different/better recommendation, please go ahead!

[larapu2000]

On 6/19/2021 at 5:17 PM, isalicat said:

I normally only drink wine (merlot, cab, pinot grigio, pinot blanc, sauvignon blanc) but if I am going to have any hard alcohol at all, its a gin and tonic with a slice of lime. (Actually I am convinced that gin and tonics keep airplanes in the air, so I always have one pre-boarding if possible, and back in the day when I took long international flights, another one once they started serving drinks on board). I usually keep a bottle of Bombay Sapphire in the house but if anyone here with more expertise has a different/better recommendation, please go ahead!

The best part about gin is that the really great ones are still super affordable, especially when you compare it to bourbon or other liquor categories.  My faves are Sipsmith, Hendricks, and a few local distilleries are making some quality stuff near me (Indiana).  I also enjoy the Hendricks special gins they put out seasonally.  I have been a little disappointed in Aviation and the Botanist. They were fine, just nothing special.  I love Fever Tree tonics, especially the Mediterranean flavor. 

[Bastet]

12 minutes ago, larapu2000 said:

I have been a little disappointed in Aviation and the Botanist. They were fine, just nothing special.  I love Fever Tree tonics, especially the Mediterranean flavor. 

I haven't tried The Botanist, but I agree about Aviation.  And about Fever Tree tonics (I like their ginger ale, too).

[biakbiak]

Two of my current favorites are both from St. George’s their Terroir and Botanivore though their Rye gins are also delicious.

[Anela]

I want a margarita.  I hardly ever drink, but I wanted one on Sunday night, when I was upset, and Target couldn’t sell me a bottle on a Sunday.  🙄 

Edited June 24, 2021 by Anela