The definitive HARD LIQUOR thread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, since maybe January or a bit before of this year, I've been exploring more Irish whiskies.
For me, I haven't yet gone up to Redbreast 12 or, from the other place, the Laphroaig 10 (both are at about the entry level for top-notch stuff: roughly $70 US. Too rich for my blood, since I'll typically sip from a bottle (in a glass!) over the course of a day or a long evening, and thereby finish it.
Most recent "first time" bottles have been:
Bushmills Black Bush. Superb. Would go to it again any day.
Jameson Black Barrel. No. It reminded me of sawdust sprinkled with sugar.
The Quiet Man. A relatively new whiskey. I approved, but wouldn't necessarily buy it again. Not too much there, although it's a smooth sipping whiskey. A bit overpriced as well: maybe they had to license the name from the John Ford estate! :)
Glenmorangie 10 (a Scotch, you can probably tell from the name). Delicious. Citrus notes, beautiful color and aroma. Only 80 proof, but I did find a few drops of water opened it up.
And, at this very moment, Teeling Small Batch. 92 proof, but I don't get any alcohol burn from it, and like some of the more complex whiskies, it's well advised to take one's time with it. I had a few glasses neat, but my tongue did get a bit fatigued from the higher proof, so I'm liking it much better with a few drops (literally!) of water. Lets the quality shine a bit.
Would not buy again
Jameson Black Barrel
Jameson "original" (no, I've drunk many bottles of it, and it's delicious and smooth, but there are other Irishes at the same or even lower price that are more interesting to me).
Donegal (don't remember exactly why, but it was pretty nasty is what I recall)
Hell Cat Maggie (ditto: just untempered raw street-brawling stuff. a novelty).
Tullamore core expression. (I know people like it, and it's likely in even the smallest liquor stores, but I just find it smooth and uninspiring, although the light citrus and grass notes are worth noting).
Favorites not mentioned above
Kilbeggan (standard model: I don't think the Single Grain is worth the slight increase in price, and while the Small Batch Rye was neat, I think it's more a novelty).
Slane. A newer company. Hearty and complex.
Paddy's. I think it's the very best of the low-mid-shelf offerings. It has completely replaced Kilbeggan as my favorite "daily drinker" (no, I don't drink daily, it's just an expression). Peppery, sharp, and good for what ails me.
Jameson Cask Mates (either aged in IPA or Stout casks: both are good and a bit more complex than other Jameson).
Teacher's Highland Cream. An affordable blended Scotch, with a fair amount of peat and a great deal of subtleties. 86 proof.
Any variety of homemade Salmiakkikossu: an infusion of vodka made from the Finnish Pfazer brand of Salmiakki salted licorice candies. In a short time (a few hours) it turns the vodka almost black in color, and is an extremely .... acquired ... taste. I love it, though. The Finnish Turkish Pepper candies are absolutely nothing like Dutch or Swedish salted licorice candies: MUCH stronger, and a hard candy with the ammonium chloride in the center, not a "chewy" licorice. I made a batch with 1.75 L of Finlandia, but next time I'll use the cheapest vodka. I drink it neat, but I think people use it in cocktails as well: I wouldn't know.
And for a real kick-you-in-ass, grow hair on your chest, Ezra Brooks Straight Rye at 90 proof.
Those are just the empty bottles I can see from my desk.
Next purchases will likely be Johnnie Walker Black (actually, I'll probably order it in a bar: I just want to see what it tastes like), and Writer's Tears Copper Pot Still Irish.
Aspirational purchases: Redbreast 12. Laphroaig 10. Probably never happen.
When can find: Writer's Tears supposedly releases its base expression in cask strength, maybe once a year. No luck yet. Oh well.
