OT: ~The Beer, Spirits, & Nightlife Thread V5~ Time For Good Beer

[vikingGoalie]

Bought 3 more bottles of this stuff this morning...

Last night I finished the bottle I had purchased a few weeks ago. It's so smooth it's like drinking silk. Hell I must have drank about 80% of the bottle at room temperature and even when warm the stuff is as smooth as can be, has a crisp and clean taste, and doesn't burn at all.

Move over Ketel One, I now have a new favourite. And I highly reccomend it to anyone here who likes vodka.

Have you tried Boyd and blair potato vodka? I think that's my favorite now.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Have you tried Boyd and blair potato vodka? I think that's my favorite now.

Never heard of them. I don't even know if we can get them here.

Keeping on the topic of vodka though, have any of you ever tried Beluga vodka from Russia???

I'm trying to decide if it's worth picking up despite the $55 price tag at the LCBO.

 

[SaintLouHaintBlue]

Is there a difference between the grain/starch used in vodka?
I've noticed that some vodkas are made from rye, but I can't discern a strong rye character (and I love rye).
What would be considered the best? Potato?

 

[StaalForOne]

Early February.

Anyone have any yet? Neat that they have it in a can now.

 

[Crafton]

I did get a bottle, here's my assessment:

I think you are spot on when you say that American craft whiskey is a good product but not necessarily worth the cost. I'm pretty new to craft whiskey, so I don't have a whole lot to compare this to.

That being said, rye is probably my favorite grain - in bread, in beer, and in whiskey. I can tell this is rye whiskey - and not a bourbon drinker's rye, but a rye drinker's rye. It's not especially complex, but - (from what I've read) Copper Fox malts their own grain using wood (apple and cherry) instead of peat, and that comes across when I drink it.

I'm not so sure about their aging process (wood chips were added). The flavors are good, but it might have helped with a longer aging, still keeping those same flavors.

In the end, this is a very earthy, rustic, spicy, "raw" tasting rye whiskey, so in that sense, I think this is really good stuff. I paid $43 for the 5th, which I do not regret , although, yes, I do think the price is a tad inflated (big emphasis on the word "tad"). At $35ish I would drink this stuff regularly.

Thanks for the review. I really appreciate hearing what actual drinkers have to say about craft whiskeys. What you allude to when you talk about 'bourbon drinker's rye' is really on point - a lot of American rye (excluding Indiana-LDI/MGP rye (which is 95% rye), i.e. what goes into Bulleit, Templeton, James E. Pepper, Smooth Ambler and George Dickel Rye) is only 50-60% rye (i'm thinking of Rittenhouse, Beam, Sazerac 6YR and others, which i do enjoy) and therefore more attuned to the palate of a bourbon drinker.

I appreciate a rye with rich, grassy, earthy tones (what you so accurately describe as 'rustic') so this sounds right up my alley. And historically, when Monongahela Rye was a legitimate and popular style of rye - young, earthy ryes were what people drank.

I don't think Copper Fox has distribution on the West Coast, but i'm planning a visit to DC/NOVA in a few months, so i'll be sure to grab myself a bottle.

 

[WVP]

Anyone have any yet? Neat that they have it in a can now.

Picked up a 4 pack a few weeks ago. Thought it was awesome...not sure what the beer world is saying as I've dropped out of the scene for the most part.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

For you serious whiskey lovers I must ask, are whiskey stones a gimmick or are they actually useful?? I keep seeing them around in stores and have debated about whether or not to pick up a set?? And since they cost a bit more...are the stainless steel ones the way to go??

 

[HuskerTornado]

For you serious whiskey lovers I must ask, are whiskey stones a gimmick or are they actually useful?? I keep seeing them around in stores and have debated about whether or not to pick up a set?? And since they cost a bit more...are the stainless steel ones the way to go??

I got a box of them for free. They're ok, depending on what you are expecting out of them. They cool down your drink a few degrees, but obviously warm up quickly out of the freezer. I typically use 4 of them to cool down a drink.

 

[SaintLouHaintBlue]

For you serious whiskey lovers I must ask, are whiskey stones a gimmick or are they actually useful?? I keep seeing them around in stores and have debated about whether or not to pick up a set?? And since they cost a bit more...are the stainless steel ones the way to go??

This is sort of a complicated answer. There may be some use, but I personally would never pay money for a "whiskey stone".

In my opinion, whiskey tastes better with some degree of dilution - a splash of water , a single, melted ice cube, a heavy cut of water, or on the rocks. I almost always go with a splash or a single cube. When I am tasting a whisky for the first time I will dilute it past the 50/50 point - not for enjoyment, but to completely cut the alcohol burn and get a complete sense of the flavors present.

Also, among whiskeys, some tend to be "sweeter", like bourbon, and some are less sweet - they might have a peaty character, like scotch, or and earthy rye character.

With sweeter whiskeys, you would want to suppress that sweetness somewhat. Coldness numbs the tongue; food in general is perceived as being less sweet when it is cold. This is why whiskey stones exist - it's for people who want to cool the whiskey, but still want to drink it neat (and want that effect of having rocks in the glass). I imagine you could probably just use glass marbles or refrigerate the bottle.

I can't tell you how to drink your whiskey because that is a highly subjective thing. It all comes down to whether you typically drink your whiskey neat. I don't even know if the material itself is that crucial - the drink will lose it's heat to the stones regardless. Stainless steel conducts heat a lot better than stone or glass, so it will cool the drink the fastest.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

For you serious whiskey lovers I must ask, are whiskey stones a gimmick or are they actually useful?? I keep seeing them around in stores and have debated about whether or not to pick up a set?? And since they cost a bit more...are the stainless steel ones the way to go??

They're okay, but I barely touch mine. I much prefer larger circular ice cubes for a slow melt to using the whiskey stones. If you don't want any water near your whiskey, but still want a little chill then they do the job.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

So I ordered two regular Glencairn whiskey glasses and another Glencairn whiskey glass for Canadian whiskey off of Amazon.ca this morning.

Now to amble off to the liquor store to buy some 200-375 ml. sized bottles of different whiskies to try out. Any good suggestions?? I know I like regular Crown Royal and Glenfiddich 12 Year Old single malt.

Is Wiser's Deluxe or Forty Creek any good??

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

So I ordered two regular Glencairn whiskey glasses and another Glencairn whiskey glass for Canadian whiskey off of Amazon.ca this morning.

Now to amble off to the liquor store to buy some 200-375 ml. sized bottles of different whiskies to try out. Any good suggestions?? I know I like regular Crown Royal and Glenfiddich 12 Year Old single malt.

Is Wiser's Deluxe or Forty Creek any good??

Get the limited Idition.

 

[HuskerTornado]

So I ordered two regular Glencairn whiskey glasses and another Glencairn whiskey glass for Canadian whiskey off of Amazon.ca this morning.

Now to amble off to the liquor store to buy some 200-375 ml. sized bottles of different whiskies to try out. Any good suggestions?? I know I like regular Crown Royal and Glenfiddich 12 Year Old single malt.

Is Wiser's Deluxe or Forty Creek any good??

Forty Creek is very good, and easily one of the best values in whiskey.

If you are looking for another really good Canadian whiskey check out Pike Creek, very rich and flavorful. Another one that is supposed to be great is called Lot 40 Rye. That one is next on my list to try.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I've been jonesing for a Newcastle Brown Ale since this morning. I don't want to buy an entire case though.

 

[SaintLouHaintBlue]

I've been jonesing for a Newcastle Brown Ale since this morning. I don't want to buy an entire case though.

Well, they sell singles...

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Well, they sell singles...

Not in Pennsylvania. Unless you were referring to a bar.

And I only just realized that my location isn't beneath my avatar.

 

[Mister Hockey]

Not in Pennsylvania. Unless you were referring to a bar.

And I only just realized that my location isn't beneath my avatar.

Yes, they do. There are tons of six pack shops and Giant Eagles that do.

 

[Coastal Kev]

I've been jonesing for a Newcastle Brown Ale since this morning. I don't want to buy an entire case though.

Not a big fan of brown ale's. Try Boulder Chocolate Shake. Excellent Porter

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Yes, they do. There are tons of six pack shops and Giant Eagles that do.

Waaaaaaaaaait. I thought I always had to buy a 6 pack.

 

[bathroomSTAAL]

Chocolate beer is gross

 

[SaintLouHaintBlue]

Waaaaaaaaaait. I thought I always had to buy a 6 pack.

That might be true.

In Georgia, there is (or maybe was - they pulled the 'no sunday sales' law) some outdated liquor law where you cannot buy a single bottle of beer - minimum of two.

Why? Apparently during prohibition, whenever someone would obtain a quantity of bottled beer, they would sell off individual bottles out of there own home.
So outlawing single bottle sales became a thing, as if that would be eradicate beer sales.

This is what the owner of a liquor store told me, when I attempted to buy one bottle (22 oz) of stout.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Stocked up at the LCBO today and got...

And a bottle of this to try as I heard it's beyond amazing.

 

[HuskerTornado]

Yeah, that's the Lot 40 I was talking about looking to try next.

Let me know what you think when you give it a try.

 

[flaneur]

Stocked up at the LCBO today and got...

And a bottle of this to try as I heard it's beyond amazing.

the quality difference between the glenfiddich 12 and 15 is quite noticeable.

 

[SaintLouHaintBlue]

Glenfiddich 15 is pretty kickass.
Around that same price, Glenmorangie 12 is even more kickass.
Glenfiddich 12 does not appease my palate.

Please let me know how the lot 40 is, by the way.
That's a whiskey I'm definitely interested in, at 90% rye.