LOL. Am I doing it wrong?That's what I call a "Craig's pour"!!
Official PCF Whisk(e)y Thread (35 Viewers)
- Thread starter jbutler
- Start date
LOL. Am I doing it wrong?
Not at all, brother!!! (y) :thumbsup
y) :thumbsup: More whisky is never wrong!
It was only a 3.5oz pourNot at all, brother!!! (y) :thumbsup
It was only a 3.5oz pour
Healthy!
We have a pretty good place in Sarasota that has good music every night, and sells Macallan 12 for $14 a pop. But that pop is a snifter around half full -- at least 4 oz.
The first couple of times we went there, I ordered doubles, until I figured out that was a waste of time and money.
:
That sounds like a place one would be happy to be a regular!Healthy!
We have a pretty good place in Sarasota that has good music every night, and sells Macallan 12 for $14 a pop. But that pop is a snifter around half full -- at least 4 oz.
The first couple of times we went there, I ordered doubles, until I figured out that was a waste of time and money.
Milo013
Flush
This Thirsty Thursday I thought I would acknowledge the coming hockey season with a review of Wayne Gretzky's Ice Cask Canadian Whisky. Aged in ex-bourbon barrels and finished for four months in Gretzky Estate Ice Wine barrels, this bottle intrigued me enough during a tour on Father's Day that I picked up a bottle. With training camps about to open across the NHL, it seemed the right call. The whisky is thick and oily in the glass. Tears form quickly and run fast.
The nose is sweet, hints of cinnamon and spun sugar are topmost. There are also raisins and a whiff of peanuts to be found. Having recently visited the CNE, it makes me think of the food building and some of the baked treats on offer there.
The sweetness carries over to the palate. It is a thick caramel sweetness, initially, with a sharp citrus quality (grapefruit?) that keeps it from becoming cloying before the cinnamon starts to warm the palate. There is a rich chocolate feel that follows, and the familiar spiciness of Rye finally asserts itself towards the finish. That finish is a good medium length . . . oak tannins drying and that nutty feel makes an appearance towards the end.
Water now, and that caramel sweetness is now a thick butterscotch toffee. The Rye spices come forward with waters influence, though not in an overpowering way. More just the assertion that this is a rye forward whisky in composition, even if the ice wine cask does tend to have it's say off the top.
All in all it is a very interesting take on Canadian Whisky, I would be very intrigued by how an older spirit might take to the finishing method but, for now, this version will suffice. I am definitely going to be trying out a couple of cocktail recipes with this one.
The nose is sweet, hints of cinnamon and spun sugar are topmost. There are also raisins and a whiff of peanuts to be found. Having recently visited the CNE, it makes me think of the food building and some of the baked treats on offer there.
The sweetness carries over to the palate. It is a thick caramel sweetness, initially, with a sharp citrus quality (grapefruit?) that keeps it from becoming cloying before the cinnamon starts to warm the palate. There is a rich chocolate feel that follows, and the familiar spiciness of Rye finally asserts itself towards the finish. That finish is a good medium length . . . oak tannins drying and that nutty feel makes an appearance towards the end.
Water now, and that caramel sweetness is now a thick butterscotch toffee. The Rye spices come forward with waters influence, though not in an overpowering way. More just the assertion that this is a rye forward whisky in composition, even if the ice wine cask does tend to have it's say off the top.
All in all it is a very interesting take on Canadian Whisky, I would be very intrigued by how an older spirit might take to the finishing method but, for now, this version will suffice. I am definitely going to be trying out a couple of cocktail recipes with this one.
I'm having my last glass of J. Walker Blue and I think my tastes have changed - I am not finding this as enjoyable as I have in the past. Is this common? I used to love this stuff - now, meh.
RocAFella1
Royal Flush
Totally common! I find my tastes changing day to day all the time.
gopherblue
Straight Flush
Blue is totally different from specific single malts—to me it has a much more subtle flavor profile and is simply much, much smoother. Both stemming from the fact that (a) it is a blend and (b) most of the whiskies that comprise it are much older than I normally drink. Is it worth the price? To me, not usually, unless I get a screaming deal. But it does have its place. To be honest, I prefer a peatier/smokier Islay most of the time, but it is a nice dram. But I think most folks’ expectation for it is that because of its celebrity and marketing, they expect to get knocked out by it. Often, it doesn’t live up to the hype or expectation.
Or has the whisky just deteriorated a bit as you emptied the bottle?
Never forget that JW Blue was created specifically to fleece wealthy Japanese businessmen on long flights between Japan and Europe.
That's why its total sales were limited to those flights only for the first couple of years of its existence.
gkitt80
Flush
Monkey Shoulder - affordable, damn good tasting ... can't beat it for an every day scotch
Klobberer
Full House
You drink scotch EVERY day? Nice...I have some Macallan 12 in the poker room for guests. I'm a Maker's Mark man, myself.
gkitt80
Flush
every day? no. Most days? maybe
Can that happen?
RocAFella1
Royal Flush
Yes, oxidation is a real thing. Finish up bottles that are on their last leg before they go downhill.
Well, that might be what it was. It did taste quite "off"
That's why I keep a bottle from the old Chivas special anniversary issue "A Century of Malts" ( a vatted blend of 100 single malts) around. Any last little bits go in there, for my own continuously evolving house blend.
(I do the same thing in the kitchen with spices and dried herb mixes...)
Milo013
Flush
Yes. As your bottle is drained there is more and more oxygen in the bottle to interact with the spirit. Over time a peated Scotch (for example) will lose it's smokiness. The key words are "over time". I doubt a bottle would change much over the course of a year. But if this is only an occasional sipper that last longer . . . well, it's possible that oxidation is responsible for the change.
Had an old fashioned tonight, with Evan Williams Black Label, which I now call the China clay of bourbon. If you can spend $16, you might as well spend $30 on Bulleit, and if you can spend $30, you might as well gets some Pappy; am I right?
One of my players brought a bottle tonight, and to be honest none of us were impressed. Neat it was boozy but otherwise a bit flat; a little water helped open it up. The player who brought it disliked it so much that he left it here.
I'll have to try again tomorrow when I can really focus on tasting rather than drinking while playing. Hopefully my opinion will change.
Milo013
Flush
THANK YOU . . . everyone seems to adore this stuff, but I just cannot get on board. Sampled it at a tasting event and thought "nope", only to be surprised to see so many folks raving about it's quality.
Klobberer
Full House
If it's gotta be cheap, it's gotta be Famous Grouse. Solid entry level scotch.
In my experience Craig, most bottles benefit from time in a bottle. Some bottles that you open and don't really care for the content, you revisit it a couple fo month and you're blown away. The exception to that is when there's only a two fingers left in a bottle and it stays on the shelf for way too long.
Regarding Monkey Shoulder, I find it just okay. But the Scotch experience is absolutely personal, and there's no right or wrong, just different tastes. If I can drink Laphroaig 10 at around $40, Pultney 12 around $37 and even Glenmorangie 10 at $30, I wouldn't go for Monkey Should personally, but I have lots of friends who like it...
On the Blue Label, I think it's fine. Compared to other bottles around its price it definitely lacks IMO. The Green Label though is a great pour at $50, specially the older 15yo version that was discontinued a few years back. The replacement is still good not not as good. And the Green is the only "Blended Malt" (if my mind serves me right, it's a Caol Ila, Talisker and Craigellachie blend) on the JW regular line-up btw, all the other bottles are Blended Scotch with a good percentage of Grain Whisky, even the Blue.
This is fantastic idea. I'm doing this. Need to decide what bottle to start with....
Milo013
Flush
I have heard of these . . . just cannot help but think that it cannot have any kind of distinctive flavour, which is kind of why I enjoy Whisky in the first place.
Well, just like a master blender at a distillery, you can steer it in any direction you like.
:
Milo013
Flush
I suppose, but I would liken it more to giving the keys to a NASCAR sled to a 16 year old. That sucker is going into the wall pretty quick.
Milo013
Flush
A rainy Malted Monday brings me back to Islay before I finish off a bottle of Laphroaig Quarter Cask without having posted a review. Quarter Cask is aged in standard ex-Bourbon barrels (Maker's Mark) for about 5 years before being transferred into smaller American Oak "Quarter" Casks for several months to accelerate the maturation process. It is then bottled at 48% abv. This whisky is Non-Chill Filtered (NCF). The spirit coats the inside of my glencairn in an oily film that takes about 20-30 seconds for tears to form.
Nosing is (surprise) a tarry smoke, like fresh paved asphalt. There is a briny sweetness like salted caramel which is very enticing. I have learned to allow Islay malts to develop their aromas, and that patience pays off with notes of leather, nuts, and, believe it or not, dill. It's like standing near a pickle jar.
In contrast to these airs, the first sip is honey sweet, with briny smoke quickly rushing in to remind you this is an Islay malt. After the initial blush, you will find vanilla and dark chocolate. There is, buried deep on the palate, just the slightest hint of bananas, before the earthiness of the peat and peanuts take over. Rising spice warmth leads to a drying oaky finish that fades into the smoky air which lingers in the mouth as you breath it in. For such a relatively young Scotch, it offers a fair bit to experience.
A few drops of water, now and, as the smoke clears, a creamier dram awaits. Still a burst of sweetness to begin, but now the flavours resolve more like a banana split, with chocolate sauce over vanilla ice cream. There are even chopped peanuts to be found. The finish suffers somewhat, both in being briefer, and offering less of that smoky beach fire reminder.
I think how you enjoy this whisky will depend on your preference for Islay Malts. A desire for peat smoke and brine can best be served neat, while a desire for more expressive flavours can be found with added water. Either way, this is a bottle to keep on the bar.
Nosing is (surprise) a tarry smoke, like fresh paved asphalt. There is a briny sweetness like salted caramel which is very enticing. I have learned to allow Islay malts to develop their aromas, and that patience pays off with notes of leather, nuts, and, believe it or not, dill. It's like standing near a pickle jar.
In contrast to these airs, the first sip is honey sweet, with briny smoke quickly rushing in to remind you this is an Islay malt. After the initial blush, you will find vanilla and dark chocolate. There is, buried deep on the palate, just the slightest hint of bananas, before the earthiness of the peat and peanuts take over. Rising spice warmth leads to a drying oaky finish that fades into the smoky air which lingers in the mouth as you breath it in. For such a relatively young Scotch, it offers a fair bit to experience.
A few drops of water, now and, as the smoke clears, a creamier dram awaits. Still a burst of sweetness to begin, but now the flavours resolve more like a banana split, with chocolate sauce over vanilla ice cream. There are even chopped peanuts to be found. The finish suffers somewhat, both in being briefer, and offering less of that smoky beach fire reminder.
I think how you enjoy this whisky will depend on your preference for Islay Malts. A desire for peat smoke and brine can best be served neat, while a desire for more expressive flavours can be found with added water. Either way, this is a bottle to keep on the bar.
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