The Alcohol thread?

Zlatan;3211337 said:

That said though it is kind of an old tradition and usually done by grey old alcoholics in local pubs.

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Yes, this is exactly what I'm looking for!

BayernBoz;3211263 said:

Sir Sir_Didier_Drogba, what whiskey would you recommend? I've recently grown quite a liking for it and would like to get some recommendations. So far I'm liking the Dalmore 12 y.o. and J. Walker Double Black. Recommendations under $50 would be appreciated. Unless it's a stunning whiskey that must be tried and there's no cheaper substitute.

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Alex's advice is pretty sound.

If you are interested in bourbon's at all, my number one recommendation at that price is Four Roses Single Barrel, just delicious.

In terms of Single Malts, at that price I like 12 yo Balvenie, Auchentoshan 12 yo, The Glenlivet 15 yo and Ardbeg 10 yo (that may be closer to $60 in the states). Dalmore is also very decent. Glenfiddich, Laphroaig etc all worth trying. Personally, I steer away from Glen Moray, Aberlour and Highland Park. But single malts are all a matter of personal taste, some people would be the opposite of me!

If you need recommendations of blended scotches or Irish Whiskeys, Alex is the man to ask as I am not a big fan of the former and know nothing about the latter.

skiptomylou;3211254 said:

Red wine is pretty nasty. Even more coming out of me. I think life would be easier if I developed a taste and/or penchant for it.

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A great red wine with a great rich meal is what makes my life worth living.

I agree that when you're just knocking back cheap red hooch to get drunk it can get pretty nasty.

I've had Irish whiskey before and really liked the smoothness of both as Alex mentioned (Bushmills & Jameson). I still prefer both when I'm drinking to get drunk because both are much cheaper than good single malts. What I'm looking to do is to expand my list of good whiskies and being that they're not necessarily cheap, it's best to go off recommendations of more experienced whiskey drinkers.

I've heard of most of those you listed Sir_Didier_Drogba, especially Ardberg 10 gets mentioned a lot with experts, as well as Glenlivet. Just got my dad a bottle of Glenlivet 18, so I'm waiting for him to open it.

Have either of you had both the Dalmore 12 and 15? Is the 15 worth the price bump? I'm heading out for another bottle and wouldn't mind paying extra if it's worth it.

Thanks to both of you for input.

What is the price difference?

Yeah, the ones I mentioned are fairly common, I can recommend some more obscure whiskys if you like but I haven't seen them outside of Scotland so I dont know if there's much point? Also the more obscure ones tend to come in at over $50. There are 30-40 different Single Malts which are fairly easy to get hold of, which most stores and supermarkets carry at least some of and most whisky stores almost all of - when starting out on single malts the trick is to work your way through those and work out which you like and which you dont and develop a taste for certain varieties - then you can start to work out what sort of flavours and regions you like as well as which distilleries, and when you go searching for more expensive and exclusive whiskys you will have a base to work from. Whisky bars are a good way to try several different distilleries for the price of one bottle, I did that a lot in Scotland, then made a note of the ones I liked to buy bottles of in future.

I thought Bayern Boz was in NYC. I could be wrong or confusing him with someone else. But if you can find it anywhere outside of Scotland, I would guess New York is the place.

Oh yeah, probably, sorry I just assumed somewhere in the states

But the point remains, might aswell go through the easily available and reasonably priced ones first and develop an idea of what you like before delving into the expensive and the obscure.

A 750ml of Bushmills goes for around $17 and a solid single malt is about $40 to $50. You are exactly right, I want to develop a good base before moving on. My friend offered to get me a bottle of the J. Walker Blue Label but I turned it down because I don't want to spoil myself just yet (although I've heard that the Blue is way overrated and overpriced).

I'm from California btw, about half hour from San Francisco so I'm pretty sure I could get my hands on a lot of whiskeys sold outside of Scotland as well.

To be perfectly honest, one of the real joys of Single Malt Scotch (WHISKY btw, no e in Scotch) is the variety, and it's about finding one YOU like.

Buy some, try not to buy the same region twice in a row until you've got an idea of what you prefer (and built a collection). It's a very subjective thing. It's all about finding what YOU like.

Shifty, red wine, I started by sharing a bottle with friends at dinner. Sipping one glass quite slowly. Red Wine tastes MUCH sweeter, fruitier and lighter when you sip tiny amounts.

Before that I actually started appreciating the flavour by licking it off my fingers when I "accidentally" spilt little bits, pouring it at my pub.

If you got a "decent" box, and even had a quarter of a wine glass (like a shot, but SIP it) every day, I'm sure after a few months, a decent bottle would taste GREAT.

Wine is actually great for getting drunk on too (except for the hangover). As there isn't man twelve+ percent drinks you can drink so quickly (and drink all night too), once you get used to it.

Oh, also Shifty, going by what you've said you like, make yourself a White Lady/Chelsea Sidecar. You like gin, you like orange liqueurs.

They're awesome. Especially with the northern summer coming up. And they're about 30%, and when made in perfect proportions, sooo smooth. The sour lemon juice cuts through the alcohol, the sweet triple sec (get Cointreau or another decent one) cuts through the sourness. Mmmmm

It has such a gay name though. If I order a Chelsea Sidecar and the bartender grabs the brandy I'm going to have to be like "oh, with gin" and he'll be like "you mean a white lady".

Do you ever drink Brandy Old Fashioned? I heard Wisconsin is the only place in the world where people actually drink those...

Why does the title of this thread come in the form of a question?

I never have, but I should probably give it a go. I've pretty much avoided all brown liquors like the plague, but I do remember raiding my dad's liquor cabinet a decade ago and enjoying the brandy. But yes, I think population increases in other parts of the country have made this stat obsolete, but Wisconsin used to drink more brandy than the rest of the USA combined.

It's not a gay name. White Lady is for a man to lap up.

If it was called black man's penis, I could see why you'd not want it in your mouth.

Just say the difference is a Chelsea Sidecar doesn't have egg white, but a white lady does (a white lady doesn't always, but if you use it as a point if difference, who'd argue!?). And stress CHELSEA side car, ie. From London, and therefore gin.

Just a quick note to advise people to stay away from Stella's Cidre. Went on a 12 hour easter extravaganza with a couple of mates who were back from London, didn't start drinking the stuff till about 3 and I had the hiccups by 6, couldn't stop hiccuping all night

Never had Stella's "Cidre", but used to drink nothing but Strongbow. This is amazing to me because the stuff is so sweet that it's now almost unbearable to my palate.

The Cidre from Stella is a really nice drink but it just gives me a headache and the hiccups if I go binging on it. As for Strongbow, it's alright but it's no where near the nicest of ciders. Things like Stowford Press are where it's at.

Can't beat a bit of Bulmers in a beer garden.