First is the tequila I was introduced to last week. Soooo good. It does to Patron Silver what Patron Silver does to Jose Cuervo. Second is a Single Malt scotch I was introduced to a while ago. Really good stuff at a reasonable $55/bottle. I really like Belbair single malt also. Their 18 year old is tasty. For every day after work relaxation I stick to Johny walker either Green, or Gold. I prefer my scotch on the rocks. A buddy of mine tried to make fun of that a few months ago, but I am old enough to drink my booze the way I like it without having to feel guilty or pressured about it. For Bourbon I am a big fan of Bookers. Got introduced to it in Louisville, KY airport many years ago. Single cask 115-127 proof stuff that goes down as smooth as mothers milk. Now, of course I am Russian so I always get asked what vodka I prefer. I detest Russian brands. They taste like swill. Grey Goose and Belvedere are my preferred brands and I will mostly take them in dirty martinis. I am also a big wine lover, but that is certainly something that cannot be written about in any concise sort of way. Last week my wife bought me a 60 bottle wine cooler for our anniversary. It's not going to get here for another week or so, but I am looking forward to building that collection.
And here is how it sounded last year when I saw him in concert :biggrin5:: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLmtJGL2JIQ]Billy Idol singing Rebel Yell‏ - YouTube[/ame]
the Laphroaig - I had the scotch sampler at the hotel bar on my recent vacation (four 1/2 oz samples) and that was one of them. Very good stuff. I have a bottle of 12 year old Highland Park at home; it's not quite as smokey, but is very smooth. There is no comparison between these types of scotches and the socks and vomit stuff my dad used to buy.:lol: Speaking of tequila, my brother-in-law had a bottle of El Jimador and it was nothing like the tequila we normally see here (Tequila Sauza). It tasted more like a fine rum - you could sip it straight, no salt or lime required. We could hardly believe it was tequila.
Expensive stuff.... http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=110709720243&index=5&nav=SEARCH&nid=20612028414#
Ha.. I missed that... I think my eye sight is going... I will have to see if my guy can get that.. will report later.
My wife had a beautiful Scotch sent to me 5 years ago for our 10th anniversary... a 15 year-old Caol Ila that was not sold in the US at the time (she had it pulled from a cask-only sales shop in Scotland and shipped)... beautiful stuff! It hits you hard with peat smoke for 2-3 seconds, then transitions to salt (like the smell of the ocean). After 1-2 seconds of that, you get the warmth of the alcohol and the taste of malt. It's a stunning experience every time I pour a bit. Honestly, though, If I'm going neat, I'd much rather have Irish than Scotch. Scotch takes too much attention and focus when I'm ready to relax and let my mind wander a bit. I got an incredible bottle of 20 year-old Jamieson's Master Distillary Blend (sold only at the distillary in Ireland) on our honeymoon and I prefer a simple bit of Powers Irish (whatever I can find locally) when I just want something simple and warming, which is most of the time. It is like drinking a glass of warm vanilla. We have our first trip to Scotland planned for next year, so I'll have to get myself educated! Any thoughts of water vs. no with Scotch? I've heard experts say that you have to add a bit of water to get the true flavors to shine, but it seems a bit like asking Gordon Ramsey to have some Tabasco Sauce sent out.
Used to drink that back in the day when I could only get it through a "special" stewardess friend of mine. :cornut:
They actually carry it at Trader Joe's around here. Good stuff. I am trying to figure out why the top half of the bottle tastes like peat and the bottom half tastes like smoked bacon.
I'd assume that it isn't so much that the Scotch changes flavor... it's the aftertaste of what you did after drinking half the bottle that is sticking with you while you drink the second half, trying to forget. :wink:
1. THANK YOU for starting this thread! I HATE beer and never drink it..... don't have time to get all bloated and not even get a decent buzz? 2. I am a rum and tequila girl at heart. I think my favorite tequila is 1800.... even over some very expensive, and smoother ones. I haven't been introduced to good rum yet, so I just let the Captain have his way with me :ihih:
Years ago I drank Capt Morgan occasionally but lost interest after a while. If you like the Capt, you ought to give Cruzan 9 a try. I think it's a real improvement and it's priced about the same.
I think it would have been fairly recent if you did because it seems to be fairly new. Looks like it's only been avail for a little over a year...or maybe it was avail elsewhere but only in the US for a year or so...something like that. Cruzan 9 Launch
Not that I drink much, once a month would a lot for me, so when I do quality trumps quantity by long shot. When it comes to rum, one of my favorites, Mt Gay with a splash of tonic and a lime is what I ask for. To bad it's not well know outside of cities with a large sailing contingent.