So booze hounds, help me get started
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Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 962
So I've been getting more into buying and enjoying various liquors as I build up a decently stocked bar. My current obsession is bourbon, and some rye whiskeys, however I want to get a well rounded stash built up. I do enjoy vodka, tequila, and cognac but mainly in the evening I settle down with a few fingers of whiskey in my glass. I don't need the cheap stuff, I drank my fair share of Lord Vladimir vodka in college, enough hangovers to last a life time. So far my favorites that I keep bottles of are Makers 46, Devils Cut by Jim Beam, Elijah Craig 12 year old Small batch (love this stuff at a great price also), Bulleit and Bulleit Rye, good old Jack Daniels, have a few McLellands scotch whiskeys, and some Ketel One.
Looking for advice on some of your favorites that I must acquire. Now I don't mind paying for quality whiskey, but a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle at an insane price won't be something I search out. Anything under 100 a bottle is preferable, and those great liquors that are small batch but still at a value price under 30a bottle are the finds I'm usually buying up. That's one of the reasons I love the Elijah Craig 12 year old, its also plentiful around here. So what should I get? Looking to diversify, so I need some vodka and tequilas, scotch and obviously more bourbon. Some names I've been told I need to try are some of the Four Roses stuff, buffalo trace, Old Fitzgerald.
Looking for advice on some of your favorites that I must acquire. Now I don't mind paying for quality whiskey, but a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle at an insane price won't be something I search out. Anything under 100 a bottle is preferable, and those great liquors that are small batch but still at a value price under 30a bottle are the finds I'm usually buying up. That's one of the reasons I love the Elijah Craig 12 year old, its also plentiful around here. So what should I get? Looking to diversify, so I need some vodka and tequilas, scotch and obviously more bourbon. Some names I've been told I need to try are some of the Four Roses stuff, buffalo trace, Old Fitzgerald.
Comments
I hadn't thought about any rums, excellent idea Shizz. I'll have to search out some Zaya next trip to the state store. I do remember really liking white rum.
Vodka: Tito's. American made, from corn, not potatoes, and about the smoothest vodka I've ever had. And not extremely expensive.
Single Malt Scoth: Balvenue Doublewood 12 year. Expensive, but I haven't found anything to compare to it.
Gin: Tanquerey for regular occasions, but for special occasions Hendricks is phenomenal. If you get it, you must drop a small slice of cucumber into--somehow the addition transform it into something unbelievable.
<br Rum: I've never tried Zaya, so until that time Myers Dark Rum is still my favorite.
I hadn't thought of gin, but I'll have to explore that. Its been a few years but I always liked the taste of even cheaper gin. Being from pa, we have tohit a state store and mine has bourbon out the wazoo, but all these things I want so bad like gin, vodka, rum on a higher scale they just don't have. Its sad, I go into the store and they have like three brands of gin all crap 10 buck a bottle hangover medicine, same with vodka. They do have some balvenie at least for some of us. I may have to get some Cuban trades to get the stuff I want. Freaking pa. I'll keep searching, and keep the great suggestions coming gentlemen.
I'm getting more and more in love with bourbons. Being a newb, I picked up a good snifter and am just FLOORED by what a difference a good sniffing glass and just a few drops of water can do. Put just a few drops of water in Elijah Craig 12 and covered the glass for a few minutes. First time I have taken a sip and clearly tasted marshmallow & sweetness with all the other typical flavors. Time to stock more bourbons away.
Bourbon, by law has to be 51% Corn but the other adjuncts are typically Rye, Wheat and Barley. Wheated Bourbons tend to have a softer, creamier, slightly sweeter pallet. Rye blended mash bills tend to have more pepper, and a drier profile.
Wheated mash Bourbons to try - Maker's (most commercially available), Willet (my top recommendation), W.L. Weller (12 is my fav but getting hard to find - made at Buffalo Trace).
Rye mash Bourbons - 4 Roses, Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare (made at Buffalo Trace), Colonel Taylor (BT), Blanton's (BT), Rowan's Creek (Willet), Noah's Mill (Willet), Black Maple Hill (Willet).
When you break it down, all of the Bourbon coming out of Kentucky is coming from about 7 distilleries. That's not to say that ALL Bourbon HAS to come from Kentucky. That's a myth. Bourbon can be produced anywhere in the US.
As for Rum - Zaya is not spiced. It's an aged Trinidad Rum. Very molasses heavy with lots of vanilla, oak tannins, a bit of pepper, caramel and spice notes. Zacapa (23) is a tad more complex with brighter, tropical fruit notes, oak, vanilla, caramel, bananas foster and sherried fruit notes. Plantation 20th (Pierre Ferrand) is wonderful as well with a very heavy Vanilla note, caramel, banana, oak and hints of tropical fruit. El Dorado 12 and 15 are excellent with 12 being the sweeter of the two and the 15 drying out a bit on the finish. Dos Maderas 5+5 is rich with big sherry and dark fruit. Those should all be available under $50.
On another note a good blended malt is Teacher's Highland Cream, one of the best blends for the price. There are lots of single malts in your range that are good. You might try some of these that others have recommended and let us know what you like. I drink a broad range of them.