OT: Favourite Whiskey

[Channelcat]

Canadian Club 20 Year Canadian Whisky

I really wanted to like this stuff. I just found it a bit harsh or something. Couldn't put my finger on it.

 

[Arthur Fonzarelli]

Hoping with the return of hockey the 10-20 off topic threads like this here on hfboards disappear.

But I LOVE whisky so I'll play.

Canadian: Canadian Club with Gibsons a close runner up. The only thing useful about Crown is the purple bag, & I haven't played marbles since grade 6. CC used to make a 100 proof version in a black bottle but I haven't seen it on shelves for at least two years which coincided with the Chairmans Select version (green label) suddenly appearing. Ever since then I go back and forth with the basic 1858 ($23), the Small batch Classic 12 ($28) & if having guests over the 9 year Reserve which is well priced at $58.

Bourbon: Buffalo Trace ($42). Have a buddy that drinks & collects all thing Jack Daniels & I've made a successful convert of him. On the subject of bourbon, if anyone is interested in a custom made George Dickel speaker cabinet, I won one last year and would be willing to part with it at a fair price.

Scotch (single malt): Cardhu Single Malt ($78). Fun fact, Johnny Walker has owned the Cardhu distiller since 1883 & Cardhu is the principal ingredient in all Johnny Walker blends. Cardhu has been a staple in my cabinet for the last decade & it's price point from the MLCC is within most people means. On the high end, I absolutely love Oban. The Little Bay single malt is $100, but if I'm blowing that kind of money I'll spend a little extra & for the 14 year old Highland ($127).

Scotch (blended): Not into blended scotch as much, but I bought several Johnny Walker sampler packs as gifts over the last holidays and kept one for myself. Best $100 I've ever spent. Included four 250ml bottles of Black, Gold, 18 year, & the high end Blue. Great value as the pro rated bottle of Blue alone made the package worthwhile. I can certainly see what the big deal and why a full bottle goes for $300.

Japanese: Whisky drinkers need to try this, particularly if you enjoy single malt scotch its' closest relative. I've only tried a handful but thoroughly enjoyed Suntory, Nikka & Hibiki. During the quarantine the local MLCC had none in stock & I was advised to try Iwai Tradition. The first few drams were great, but I ended up going overboard and finished the bottle playing cards with a girlfriend. Neither of us felt good in the morning with a hangover and a lingering aftertaste of cloves that lasted for half the day.

 

[Mathil8]

Hoping with the return of hockey the 10-20 off topic threads like this here on hfboards disappear.
Japanese: Whisky drinkers need to try this, particularly if you enjoy single malt scotch its' closest relative. I've only tried a handful but thoroughly enjoyed Suntory, Nikka & Hibiki. During the quarantine the local MLCC had none in stock & I was advised to try Iwai Tradition. The first few drams were great, but I ended up going overboard and finished the bottle playing cards with a girlfriend. Neither of us felt good in the morning with a hangover and a lingering aftertaste of cloves that lasted for half the day.

Didn't mind the Suntory Toki for the price. The Nikka from the Barrel always surprises me though, I somehow keep forgetting how good it is. Haven't tried Hibiki or Iwai Tradition, I'll have to give them a go at some point. Wish they had more options for Japanese whisky, as they've definitely been doing some good things.

 

[nobody imp0rtant]

I'm always fascinated by discussions on Scotch and where people lie on the spectrum of flavors. I will say I've seen more people turned off Scotch by an ardent peathead than anything else. Yes, you love it, but not everyone does. It's really not a solid strategy to plunk a glass of Ardbeg 10 down in front of someone as their introduction to Scotch whisky unless your intent is to keep the rest of the bottle to yourself.

I think that strategy is right up there with "slice meat so thin your in-laws will never come back".

 

[SoCalJetsFan]

Favorite is JP Wiser’s 18 yr

if I am drinking whiskey all night to get loaded then just CC and water is fine although this is rare since I am really a beer drinker.

Someone else mentioned The Balvenie and I agree they have some excellent whiskey.

 

[drumzan]

View attachment 356010

I’m a Casamigos Reposado guy. But for half the price...I’ve discovered Espolon which is almost as good.

 

[Howard Chuck]

Lagavulin 16 is my go to whiskey.

I love it occasionally, but I can't bring myself to spend the money on it as a regular whiskey. My normal is a Glenfiddich or Glenlivet 12 and for other 'normal' occasions, it's Wisers Deluxe.

Everyone has a favorite and a go-to.

 

[Stumbledore]

Anything from Islay gets my vote. Then again, I don't have anything in my Scotch collection that isn't from Islay.

Whisky of choice, especially with a good book: Lagavulin 16.

 

[buggs]

Lagavulin 16 is my go to whiskey.

I enjoy Lagavulin 16 quite a bit. It's an Islay but is different enough from the 'ashtray' Islays that I enjoy it quite a lot.

On Maui a few years ago I stumbled across a most excellent deal on Lagavulin 16: $49.99 on special. I bought three (I subsequently traded one for a Dalmore 15 based on reputation which it didn't really hold up to; I wish I'd kept the Laga). That was at Costco, where my usual purchase is Oban 14 @ $50-55 depending on what they have it on for. I expect they've increased their pricing as well due to the new import duty stateside.

On the Big Island Costco is really the only reasonable store to buy whisky at. There are a couple of other good retailers with nice selections, but the prices are quite a bit higher and as a Canadian with a peso-equivalent dollar they aren't tenable. On Maui and Oahu I highly recommend Tamura's Fine Foods. Great poke and the whisky selection is quite stunning with very good and competitive pricing. Things like Oban/Macallan/Balvenie were only about $5 more than at Costco, where the selection if far less but if there's something you like, the price is quite stunning. For those that like/want the Johnnie Walker Blue Label it usually runs around $150 which is by far the best price you'll ever see. I don't think it's really worth even that, but that's just me.

 

[Buffdog]

I'm a moonshiner, so I don't buy whisky often.

When I do, I like Wisers. Grew up drinking VO because my parents did lol

 

[Wolf357]

That Laphroiag is like drinking a campfire...

Laphroig, Ardbeg are perhaps the peatiest of the Islay Scotches (and that’s saying alot) but are high quality whiskies in their own without the peat.
It’s a matter of personal choice...it’s been said “There is no such thing as a poor Scotch...it’s just that some Scotches are better than others”.
Kilchoman is also a Islay with far less peat... kinda what Laphroig would taste with far less peat...
Bang for your buck a Bowmore No 1 or 12 are decent Islays

 

[jgimp]

Whiskey, Forty Creek Copperpot followed by Gibson’s anything wet.
Scotch, Talisker 10yr followed by Lagavulin 16, an absolute peat and smoke monster

 

[GumbyCan2]

Cheap stuff to have on hand: 40 Creek
Bourbon: Woodford Reserve (cheaper) on hand, Blantons (more)
Reasonable scotch: Highland Park 12, Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Not quite as reasonable scotch: Lagavulin 16

Gimme some Red Shank Irish Whiskey and the in-laws become "fun-ny". And I have found 40-Creek to be enjoyable drinkable, more than Royal Crown actually.

 

[TheJadePipe]

Tangle Ridge

 

[Al Camino]

Can't go wrong with the classics. Golden Wedding and Silk Tasle.

 

[metallion1976]

Gibson’s for Canadian is my fave. The Venerable is a must try.
Woodford and Buffalo Trace for bourbon.
Macallan amber and gold are excellent as I’m not into Smokey, peaty scotches.
For flavored stuff, Canadian Club Dockside blackberry whiskey is unreal with ginger ale. Super tasty.

 

[Stumbledore]

I enjoy Lagavulin 16 quite a bit. It's an Islay but is different enough from the 'ashtray' Islays that I enjoy it quite a lot.

On Maui a few years ago I stumbled across a most excellent deal on Lagavulin 16: $49.99 on special. I bought three (I subsequently traded one for a Dalmore 15 based on reputation which it didn't really hold up to; I wish I'd kept the Laga). That was at Costco, where my usual purchase is Oban 14 @ $50-55 depending on what they have it on for. I expect they've increased their pricing as well due to the new import duty stateside.

On the Big Island Costco is really the only reasonable store to buy whisky at. There are a couple of other good retailers with nice selections, but the prices are quite a bit higher and as a Canadian with a peso-equivalent dollar they aren't tenable. On Maui and Oahu I highly recommend Tamura's Fine Foods. Great poke and the whisky selection is quite stunning with very good and competitive pricing. Things like Oban/Macallan/Balvenie were only about $5 more than at Costco, where the selection if far less but if there's something you like, the price is quite stunning. For those that like/want the Johnnie Walker Blue Label it usually runs around $150 which is by far the best price you'll ever see. I don't think it's really worth even that, but that's just me.

If you really want a bargain, look for Ardbeg 7 aka Smokehead. Recommended for lovers of Islay ashtrays everywhere.

 

[sipowicz]

Bushmills Red Bush, hint of bourbon which I like.

 

[The Blue Baron]

Crown makes me gag. I like the Wayne Gretzky one lately. Jamison is solid.

bourbon style makers mark and Jim Bean reg.

 

[JetsUK]

Have a lot of faves, but a fan of the older Balvenies, Springbank 15 and anything 12 years and up of my hometown whiskey, Highland Park (we're a short hop from the distillery in KW, and it's a rare bonny scent on a chilly evening).

 

[barriers]

That's Protestant whiskey!

Just wanted to chime in that this isn't true. It's just distilled in County Antrim, UK but master distiller at Bushmills, Colum Egan, is Catholic. John Jameson however, was Scottish Protestant. Either way both distilleries are owned by huge international entities: Jameson by French liquor conglomerate Pernod-Ricard, and Bushmills by the English firm Diageo.

Anyone looking to try a new whisky should give Penderyn a shot. Distilled in South Wales it goes down sweet and smooth like a the best bourbons but will still put that fire in your belly like any decent Scotch will do.

 

[chaos4]

Gibson’s for Canadian is my fave. The Venerable is a must try.
Woodford and Buffalo Trace for bourbon.
Macallan amber and gold are excellent as I’m not into Smokey, peaty scotches.
For flavored stuff, Canadian Club Dockside blackberry whiskey is unreal with ginger ale. Super tasty.

Yes to the BlackBerry Whisky. Very tasty

 

[kanadalainen]

Aye - innit pure mad how many aw my wee pals tae drinkin yer Rye. Cannae stand the stuff, gets ma feelin weaponized.

 

[Atoyot]

Lagavulin is my "treat yourself" Scotch. Northern Harvest is the only Crown Royal I've found that's worth drinking.

 

[Fig]

Ooo, can I participate? I was born in Winnipeg and left when I was 3 if that matters (Born '87).

I consider myself a consumer of alcohol, not a connoisseur. I perhaps do occasionally suggest, while tipsy, that I have the tasting capabilities to embarrass a self proclaimed connoisseur of spirits though. I use my skills for good, not brag. I always want to make sure that those that come to my place end up with a drink they will enjoy and not be forced through something that isn't their style (ie: a bad Islay suggestion). I often have conversations about the whiskey flavour chart while enjoying spirits. I haven't consumed much in regards to spirits during Covid though (2-3 oz per week neat/in cocktails on average). I much prefer enjoying drinks in a social setting.


Canadian: Alberta Premium, Sweet Sippin' Maple whiskey

Crown & Canadian Club are kinda chemically tasting to me, Gibson is too raw alcohol flavour even for the 21 year. Alberta Premium whiskey is good and neutral. Unlike Crown, it basically has no smokiness to it. Alberta Premium vodka isn't good but the whiskey is quality stuff.

I also often suggest that a bad whiskey be mixed with ginger ale (or ginger beer if you have it) rather than cola. The ginger just blends nicer with the typical flavour profiles. I've had success in converting a few friends to this rule when they end up with something they feel is awful.

Sweet sippin' Maple whiskey is from a nearby distillery in High River. It comes in a maple leaf bottle. I serve it to guests on ice on occasion when I host brunch. It tastes like maple syrup (vs Crown maple which tastes artificial). Many guests have told me after consuming it that it basically is like drinking a maple syrup that doesn't coagulate in your throat.

American/Bourbon/Tennessee : Woodford's Reserve

I'd love to explore these more, but Mad Men has blown up both the popularity and the prices of bourbon.

Irish: Writer's Tears

Didn't explore it much, but this one stuck out. Jaimesons wasn't bad either.

Scotch:
reasonably priced: Kirkland 12/Glenfarclass /Laphroaig quarter cask/Auchentoshan 3 wood
unreasonably Priced: Laphroaig Cairdeas, Kilchoman Sherry cask strength

I've tried probably at least 30-40 unique scotches easily while maintaining a reasonable memory of what they were like. I loved the Islays for a while, but tinkered with the different regions for variation and I have a few drinking buddies who hate Islay so I tinkered in other regions to drink with them. Talisker (metal/pepper) and Laphroaig (salt/iodine) stick out to me as the most unique flavours of Islay and I enjoy these immensely. Lagavulin, Ardbeg and Kilchoman are also great, but Talisker and Laphroaig are more easy going to me and I'm far less likely to max out my taste buds sipping these. Lagavulin 12 is trash. Don't buy it. Ardbeg Uiggeadael is nice and tastes like campfire with a hint of marshmellows (kinda close in range to Bunnahabhain which is like smoke and taffy?). I'd love to try the Coryvrakken.

Balvenie Rum cask is tasty and easy going.

The Kirkland 12 is fricken amazing value. It's in the same range as Glenfarclass, but for the price point, it punches way above its weight class in terms of price. A few buddies of mine had a whiskey night and we brought random stuff. The Kirkland 12 was punching in the same class as other bottles between $90-100 but you got like 3x the volume. The Kirkland 20 was also pretty good and better than the 12, but I easily would have no issues suggesting someone nab a 12 over the 20 for an "any occasion" option.

I hate oak. French oak, American oak... blah blah blah oak. Based on the words of one reviewer I randomly watched, "There is a harsh flavor, reminiscent of glue." Blegh!

Japanese: I've probably tried nearly 20 different ones and I always go back to Hibiki 12/17 (Harmony now instead of number statement). Yamazaki 18 and Suntory Royal also stick out. Suntory Royal has a finish that is reminiscent of plum flower?

Someone said Nikka from the Barrel. I really hope someone can confirm, but I swear it tastes like 95% similar to Highland Park 12 (I've had both bottles before, but never owned both bottles at the same time. Brought some to a party and it tasted nearly identical as the Nikka from the barrel, but unsure if I was a bit buzzed and wasn't tasting correctly).

I drink all my whiskey neat, but I tinkered with adding water for a while. All the other Nikka drives me completely bonkers when I add water though. The flavor changes completely. Most other whiskey/scotches, adding water enhances or concentrates the flavour of most spirits, but some of the Nikka can completely cross whiskey flavour chart quadrants. It's ridiculous.

Iwai isn't bad, but kinda herbal which some might not like. I thought it was good to have as a change of pace, but not a day in day out drink for me.

Hakushu is fine and within the top 5 of mine. I cannot for whatever reason pinpoint what type of flavour profile it has though.
Helios is completely screwy. It tastes like an energy drink devoid of sugary flavor with a ridiculous ton of smoke or something like that.

A great place to buy some weird and interesting stuff for whiskey in Japan... BIC Camera. Crazily named place to think about alcohol, I know. But I nabbed some $30-50 CAD bottles there and they were really good. One was a bourbon barrel finish from a distillery I didn't recognize (and since gifted to a friend as a partial bottle as a thank you) and the other was called Sapporo whiskey which tasted like a slightly diluted Hibiki Harmony (90% flavour) but only 40% price of a bottle of Harmony.

Other: Adelphi "The Glover". This is Scotch mixed with high end Japanese whiskey. Amazing stuff. Tasted it at a whiskey event and I ran out and bought two for super special occasions to crack it open.

Sullivan's Cove (NZ) was also tasty as hell.

Brugal Anejo rum: Amazingly value. Super cheap.
Half a dozen cognacs... Amazing value as well.

Reasonable wish list: some bartender to serve me a legit Aberdeen Angus cocktail (never tried). Every bartender I've ever asked will divert to the rusty nail. Not the same thing... Maybe I should just make one myself to the best of my capabilities....


I've also been tinkering around with gin lately. If I had to try and identify a flavour profile similar to the whiskey flavour chart, it's the following:
- Juniper
- Botanicals (herbs, spices and plants)
- Sugar
- Citrus

My current bottles are (and flavour profile IMO/IIRC):

Strathmore Gin (Edmonton) - Sugar > Citrus >Botanicals >>Juniper
Citadelle (France) - Citrus > Sugar >> Juniper > Botanicals
Doctor's orders (Kelowna) - Botanicals > Citrus > Juniper >> Sugar
Empress (Victoria) - Botanicals > Juniper > Citrus > Sugar
Bombay Sapphire East (England) - Botanicals >> Citrus > Juniper >> Sugar

My Gin and tonic recipe: Gin + tonic + lemon juice + salt + cucumber slice. I'll swap the gin based on the desired flavor profile of my guests.


I really don't want to be called an alcoholic... but I think the evidence is against me even though on average I consume perhaps 2-3 oz of spirits a week, if not less.