The Whiskey Thread

[KITNfury]

a buddy left me a bottle of Eagle Rare 10 yr on NYE.  should i be excited?  the smell makes me want to heave a little as do most bourbons.

it's a good value single barrel but a little light in character.  Not the worst thing by a long shot and something someone who doesn't drink whiskey ought to be able to handle on the rocks (only way I do it except for things like Jameson 18 year which I do neat).  ER is not a far cry from Basil Haydens.

I pretty much only drink whiskey these days.  American, Irish and Canadian.  Not a big fan of any whisky I've tried to date. A very good value whiskey I recently tried was Old Grandfather 114 ($22). Spicy with a good alcohol flavor on the tongue. ... however not much burn going down.

Redbreast Irish is good but not cheap.  Blantons is a good American but also kinda pricey.  Lots of good options in the $20-35 range.  Usually can get better for more money but like most things,  there are diminishing returns imo.

[AST]

a buddy left me a bottle of Eagle Rare 10 yr on NYE.  should i be excited?  the smell makes me want to heave a little as do most bourbons.

it's a good value single barrel but a little light in character.  Not the worst thing by a long shot and something someone who doesn't drink whiskey ought to be able to handle on the rocks (only way I do it except for things like Jameson 18 year which I do neat).  ER is not a far cry from Basil Haydens.

I pretty much only drink whiskey these days.  American, Irish and Canadian.  Not a big fan of any whisky I've tried to date. A very good value whiskey I recently tried was Old Grandfather 114 ($22). Spicy with a good alcohol flavor on the tongue. ... however not much burn going down.

Redbreast Irish is good but not cheap.  Blantons is a good American but also kinda pricey.  Lots of good options in the $20-35 range.  Usually can get better for more money but like most things,  there are diminishing returns imo.

yeah, i'll probably just stick with scotch.  thanks for the info.

[EMAWmeister]

Bulleit 

[kso_FAN]

FANw got me these:

[EMAWmeister]

Tried them yet? I tried a cheap set once and they made the whiskey taste different.

[kso_FAN]

No change in taste. They don't make the whiskey quite as cold as ice, but they are very nice.

[The Big Train]

that reminds me i havent used the granite ones i got for christmas, will report when used

[Cire]

I got some granite stones and some whiskey glasses that need broken in.  I got a couple bottles for my bday.  A Jameson black and some sort of 12 year bourbon

[scottwildcat]

Bulleit 

yes so good

[ChiComCat]

http://www.amazon.com/Whiskey-Distilled-Populist-Guide-Water/dp/0670016802/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421603499&sr=1-3&keywords=whisk+e+y

Got this recently and am looking forward to reading it.  I have heard good things

[The Big Train]

just read the reviews and description, looks like it should be pretty good

[cDubya]

The stone ones are pretty "meh". They'll cool a drink a little, but not really worth the hassle from my experience.

[HerrSonntag]

So, I've always understood that the water from the melting ice is important in a glass of whiskey... that the water helps bring out the flavor of the whiskey (lest you only taste the ethanol product)  As such I never understood whiskey stones, you're dulling the flavors with out cold without releasing them with water, right?

Also, why the stones at all?  I guess its pretty dorm room-y but you could just keep your whiskey chilled if that's what you're after and use stemware if you're worried about your hand heating it up.

What i'm saying is I just don't get it, man.

[kso_FAN]

Good points.

I like it with the rocks though. I also splash a little water in even with them and now I can sip it and never worry about getting really watered down. It's nice.

[Spracne]

So, I've always understood that the water from the melting ice is important in a glass of whiskey... that the water helps bring out the flavor of the whiskey (lest you only taste the ethanol product)  As such I never understood whiskey stones, you're dulling the flavors with out cold without releasing them with water, right?

Also, why the stones at all?  I guess its pretty dorm room-y but you could just keep your whiskey chilled if that's what you're after and use stemware if you're worried about your hand heating it up.

What i'm saying is I just don't get it, man.

You can always add the exact quantity of water you would like (say, 1 tbsp) and then add the stones.  In that sense, the stones allow for more precise control of your water:whisky.  They also lend themselves to a more consistent drinking temperature throughout your imbibement as they do not exchange energy with the solution as rapidly as ice does. 

[Gooch]

I have these and they work great.

[waks]

So, I've always understood that the water from the melting ice is important in a glass of whiskey... that the water helps bring out the flavor of the whiskey (lest you only taste the ethanol product)  As such I never understood whiskey stones, you're dulling the flavors with out cold without releasing them with water, right?

Also, why the stones at all?  I guess its pretty dorm room-y but you could just keep your whiskey chilled if that's what you're after and use stemware if you're worried about your hand heating it up.

What i'm saying is I just don't get it, man.

Unless a whiskey is bottled at cask strength (would be mentioned on the label), then water has already been added pre-bottling. So you don't really need to add more water to bring out the flavor. Doing so just further dilutes the whiskey, which is fine if this is your preference but not necessary.

[Cire]

I have these and they work great.

Have in my freezer

[HerrSonntag]

So, I've always understood that the water from the melting ice is important in a glass of whiskey... that the water helps bring out the flavor of the whiskey (lest you only taste the ethanol product)  As such I never understood whiskey stones, you're dulling the flavors with out cold without releasing them with water, right?

Also, why the stones at all?  I guess its pretty dorm room-y but you could just keep your whiskey chilled if that's what you're after and use stemware if you're worried about your hand heating it up.

What i'm saying is I just don't get it, man.

Unless a whiskey is bottled at cask strength (would be mentioned on the label), then water has already been added pre-bottling. So you don't really need to add more water to bring out the flavor. Doing so just further dilutes the whiskey, which is fine if this is your preference but not necessary.

Just because whiskey is diluted to 80 proof down from cask strength doesn't mean that is the optimal water:ethanol level to appreciate the finer notes of a good whiskey.  You're right that its essentially preference but there's nothing magical about 80 proof as it relates to enjoyment. 

The reason why all booze in the US is sold at 80 proof (for the most part) is because that is the lowest alcohol to water ratio that, when mixed with gunpowder that the chowder would still light.  This was how, back in the day, that you could be certain that what you were being sold was what it purported to be and wasn't some kind of adulterated water. 

Similarly cask strength shouldn't be considered inherently better for its stiff constitution.  Its not the way it "ought to be" its simply stronger because the distillers want the solvent effects of the alcohol to be present in higher quantities to speed up the barrel aging process.

[pissclams]

I have these and they work great.

Have in my freezer

boil the water a couple of times before loading those up and your ice will be clear.
if some downgrade served me a giant white ice ball in my drink i would end his throat.

[puniraptor]

Sheep Dip - blended scotch. Fun name. Dominant molasses and white flour flavours which I hate.     Two racoons.

[The Tonya Harding of Twitter Users Creep]

those look like boobs lol

[ChiComCat]

I have these and they work great.

Have in my freezer

boil the water a couple of times before loading those up and your ice will be clear.
if some downgrade served me a giant white ice ball in my drink i would end his throat.

http://www.wintersmiths.com/collections/shop/products/the-ice-baller

Get one of these and the ice will be clear.  I use it and really like it

[JMart]

Hope you're all well. It's been a while...

I'm affiliated with this company - www.timeandoak.com. The product is legit, but try it yourself. If you decide to order, use the promo code JAYMART at checkout.

I welcome any and all feedback.

[puniraptor]

fun scoop, jmart. welcome home.

are you saying that i can infuse normal whiskey with those sticks and make it amazing?