theginguy's Profile
Bottle of Scotch for a gift
He has Johnny Walker Black and Gold...... and Balvenie
So I think that he's up for some peat. If he likes JW then he will like Talisker.
Should I really give gin another try?
I know that I'm a little late here but I just thought I would add to the thread.
I personally like Tanqueray, I don't mind the heavy juniper taste. But you might want to try a couple of others that are a little different. Hendrick's and Bluecoat. You might not be able to get Bluecoat where your from, but if you can, give it a try, it's a little more on the citrus side and Hendrick's is a little different as well.
Q-Gin is pretty smooth and more like Vodka.
But again, I stick with the Tanq. My favorite mixed drinks are the gimlet and of course Tanqueray & Tonic. You might want to try these two, both the tonic and lime juice take a little bit of the "pine taste" out of the gin.
Did anyone receive a special bottle for XMas?
My in-laws got me a bottle of The Macallan 12. They know that I really like Macallan. :)
Bottle of Scotch for a gift
Here are a couple more suggestions....
1. You might want to expand your boyfriends collection a bit. How about a nice Islay? The Lagavulin 16 is a really nice scotch.
2. Or another suggestion would be for a classic Islander in the Talisker 18.
3. Try a good Highland Malt in Glenfarclas 17.
4. Or a lowland in Glenkinchie 10.... although this one's a little cheap. But you could do like a Talisker 10 and Glenkinchie 10 maybe.
Anyway, just some more suggestions. I think any scotch lover would like all of these.
Tito's Vodka
Tito's is really good for a mixer to fruity cocktails in my opinion. It's pretty smooth and it's pretty cheap. I would rather drink Tito's then Smirnoff or Absolute in mixed drinks.
But I don't like it straight; on the very rare occasion that I will actually drink Vodka straight, I enjoy Grey Goose.
But I mostly use Vodka in Martini's where I usually use Stoli's or Ketel One.
Tito's has a very distinct "corn" flavor to it which I don't really like in my Martini's.
But it's not a bad Vodka. I have gotten a pretty good headache from it before though, which is another reason I stick with Ketel or Stoli's. These two seem to treat me better the next day.
Eggnog
I am throwing a small little Christmas party for friends and I was thinking about making some alcoholic eggnog.
So if anyone has any good recipes I would appreciate it.
Also what is the best liquor for eggnog.
I was thinking Capt. Morgan's, it has that nice vanilla taste.
Every day Bourbon & Scotch
Hey Wagger,
Actually, yeah, I can special order a bottle of Legend for around $25.00. I've really been thinking of trying it. Thanks for the input, because I forgot about Bowmore. My local store doesn't carry any Bowmore's. I've not tried any Isley's. I'm not sure how I would like the Bowmore, but I've been wanting to try it.
Need some advice on Irish Whiskey.
I've had Jameson's Original and it's not bad. I'm not an Irish Whisky drinker though. I tend to go with Scotch or Bourbon because of the added taste.
But I've read that the 12 year is very much like the original in taste but it is noticeably smoother. Of course, like scotch, is it worth the price difference. That's up to you to decide.
But I've also read, from many sources (almost too many) that Red Breast is better then the two before mentioned Jameson's.
When I fineally get around to getting a bottle or two of Irish Whisky for my house bar, It'll probably be Black Bush and Red Breast... or Connemara if I can find a bottle.
Every day mixing Tequila, Rum and Gin.
To try to answer your question the best that I can, it's mostly a matter of budget. I can't afford to buy a lot of bottles. So therefore, I'm trying to find the best possible spirit for the best price. This combined with the fact that I'm limited as to what brands I can get at my local liquor store makes it necessary for me to find a couple of good affordable brands.
Plus, my mood often dictates what type of spirit I drink and what type of drink I'm going to make. Once I find a good brand of anyone spirit, I usually am very happy to stick with that brand.
With that being said, what I'm looking for here with this post are inputs from anyone who has had the above mentioned brands and or could suggest something similar. My main focus is again getting the best quality for the best price on a dependable spirit that won't give a hangover.
Every day mixing Tequila, Rum and Gin.
OK.... well I've decided on my Everyday Scotch, Bourbon and Vodka. So now it's time to move on.
Scotch and Bourbon were my main concerns, as I drink them the most. But I do like other liquors. So....
Now it's time for me to decide on my Tequila, Rum and Gin for everyday and large gathering mixing.
For Rum I tried Bacardi Silver and found it absolutely horrible. I don't see how someone should be allowed to sell something like that. It tastes bad and it makes you feel bad.
So for Rum I'm looking at Cruzan's White and or Mt. Gay's Silver. I need to stay cheap and with brands that I can readily get. All I want from a light rum is a nice taste, smoothness and something that won't give me a headache.
For gin I'm looking at Beefeaters, Tanqueray, Bluecoat and or Citadelle. I like a very London Dry taste, I don't like Plymouth that much and am looking for a good Juniper taste. I've tried all of these, I just can't make up my mind. Bluecoat is a little on the citrusy side, Beefeaters is OK and I really like Tanqueray and Citadelle, with Citadelle obviously being cheaper.
For Tequila well, there's not much for me to choose from for a blanco. I'm looking at either Jose Cuervo's Classico or Sauza's Blanco.
I havn't really made up my mind about these two.... but I don't really like Cuervo at all. It tends to treat me a little rough.
But I was looking at Tequila 30-30's Reposado. My liquor store can't get the blanco. So I was thinking about just getting the Tequila 30-30 instead of a blanco... I can get it for $25.00 a fifth, which is a little more then the Sauza Blanco, but it's 100% agave.
So any help would be most appreciated. Thanks.
Every day Bourbon & Scotch
Hey Sku,
Yeah, for awhile there, It was the Grouse for me. But even though I do like the more sherried flavor, I prefer a bit more peat. But I wouldn't turn a Grouse down for sure. They are both in my opinion pretty equal to quality, just a little different in taste.
Every day Bourbon & Scotch
I've had both the red and black several times. Don't get me wrong, I like JW a lot. The Black of course is a little smoother. But I just personally steer towards the more "highland/cigar" smoky taste, vrs. the "campfire/smoke" taste. Plus, again, I just find JW a little hot for my taste.
Every day Bourbon & Scotch
Well, I've been on the hunt for my every day Bourbon and Scotch for almost a year now and I think I've pretty much narrowed it down. I've tried a lot of different brands in both categories and here are my two main criteria's:
1. it needs to be in my budget price range. For the east coast, somewhere between $15.00 to $25.00.
2. It needs to be a good mixer as well as decent on the rocks. I don't really like my whiskey straight or neat.
So... here are the winners.
Bourbon - Buffalo Trace. I narrowed it down to BT, Elijah Craig and Even Williams Single Barrel. But I like Old Fashions and I like something that has a pretty long finish and BT was the winner. I was hoping it was going to be the other two, because their cheaper, but for only a few dollars more, I think BT is worth it.
Scotch - This was a very tough one. Scotch isn't cheap and for my budget, well..... a single malt just isn't an option, even though I tried very hard to find one. So I settled for a blended scotch. My only problem with the blended scotch of course is the grain alcohol. But in the end, I was able to find a good blend that did a great job hiding the grain alcohol.
I used to prefer Speyside, but as I continued in my quest to find a good every day scotch, I came to appreciate the more Peatier/Smokier scotches. So I wondered away from the more traditional Spey's and started to focus on the smokier ones. First I really thought It was going to be Jonney Walker, but alas, JW is just a little too hot for me. Plus, I found that it just didn't have the peaty character I was looking for. So finally after much searching, I came back to one of the blended scotches that I had tried early on.
Dewar's White Label. I find it has a really great balance and has a good Highland type of peat flavor to it. It's pretty smooth and within my price range. It mixes well and it's readily available. So Dewar's it is, but white and the twelve year.
Now on to Tequila and Rum.
Oh almost forgot.... Stoli's is my Vodka and Citadelle is my gin. But they have been constant for awhile.
Anyone tried Lunazul Tequila yet?
I just saw a bottle of Tequila 30-30 today and I was wondering about that as well?
Anyone tried Lunazul Tequila yet?
Apparently a Mexican made Tequila distributed by Heaven Hill, Lunazul Tequila is 100% Agave and pretty darn cheap. I can't find any good reviews about it online, so I was wondering if anyone has tried it yet? I'm thinking about picking up a bottle today, but I don't really want to try something new without knowing anything about it.
Tequila Infusions? (ISO cheap white tequila)
Sauza Blanco isn't 100% agave. But it is a good mixer. My favorite Blanco is 1800 select silver. It has a good agave taste, it's pretty damn smooth for 100 proof and it is cheaper then the top shelf tequila's.
Honestly, I like it with a lemon twist. But you could try infusing it with a number of different fruits and I bet it would turn out great.
Help with Scotch/Whiskey for Groomsmen Gifts???
Dude.... Me and S.R.on.F. are really on the same page. :) :)
Looking for a Frozen Drink with Banana
There's a place in Key West, I can't remember the name of the bar, but it served nothing but frozen slushy's. It had about 50 or so slushy turners on the wall. It was a favorite beginning place for the night. Anyway here's a recipe for a frozen daiquiri.
1 1/2 oz light rum
1 tbsp triple sec
1 banana
1 1/2 oz lime juice
1 tsp sugar
1 cherry
Combine all ingredients (except for the cherry) with 1 cup crushed ice in an electric blender. Blend at a low speed for five seconds, then blend at a high speed until firm. Pour contents into a champagne flute, top with the cherry, and serve.
Help with Scotch/Whiskey for Groomsmen Gifts???
After thinking about this more; here are two more ideas that would work really well.
Scotch = Chivas Regal 18 Yr. I very good "light" scotch blend that "everyone" knows.
Other Whiskey = Crown Royal Cask No. 16. I very "light" but smooth and tasty whiskey that everyone knows.
I don't think you could go wrong with either of these.
I also second the flask idea. A good looking flask with some knot work would be totally cool. :)
"Dude, this ain't Macallan."
For what ever reason, I really do think that sometimes this happens. Now, as far Macallan goes, there aren't too many bars that stock Macallan where I live. It's more like Glenlivet, Dewar's, Chivas and JW. But try to get into any other single malts and it pretty much has to be a "Scottish or Irish" Pub type of bar.
Anyway, I was at a restaurant about a year ago and I ordered a Bombay and Tonic. I drink Bombay a lot at home and I know what it tastes like. Of course my ratio's were going to be different then the bar's because I add a lot more Gin. But never the less, I wound up getting a crappy gin instead of Bombay and I knew this without a doubt. When I confronted the bar tender, he apologized and said that he had made a mistake and then proceeded to make me a "real" Bombay and Tonic right there in front of me where I could see him.
I can see how at your average run of the mill restaurant, a bartender might get into the bad habit of using cheap liquor instead of premium liquor because most people probably won't know the difference. But then again, most people wouldn't specify a brand name of liquor unless they knew the difference in taste. Especially if it were ordered straight. I would think that if I were a bar tender and a customer came up and ordered a Macallan 12 without hesitating, that it would be a pretty sure bet that they knew what Macallan 12 tastes like.
And then.... even if you do try to pass a cheaper Scotch off as Macallan, what the heck are you going to use? About the closest cheaper Scotch that might be able to fool anyone would be Famous Grouse, but if you campared the two side by side, the Macallan obiously lacks the grain alcohol element and is a lot more sherried. But you never know.... especially if a restaurant is losing money and is trying to stay afloat.
Daiquiri craving
Hmm..... Well now, that's an entirely different drink indeed.
1-1/2 oz. rum
3/4 oz. curacao
3/4 oz. dry vermouth
1/2 tsp of grenadine
It's pretty darn good, absolutely different then my more "tropical" El Presidente.
My recipe comes from my cocktail book which I've had for a long time now, I've already added this recipe right next to it. Thanks for the great tip.
Searching for Olive juice (brine?) for Dirty Martinis
Everyone I know just adds the juice from the olive jar. I'm not trying to be funny or not answer your question, it's just what my friends and I use for a dirty martini. I don't drink them so I'm not sure if you can buy specifically "olive juice."
Help with Scotch/Whiskey for Groomsmen Gifts???
Since this is an open ended question, I'll try to suggest some bottles that might be acceptable for everyone.
As far as American Whiskey, you could go for a well known name and get something like Wild Turkey Rare Breed, which is around $40.00 here on the east coast. Or maybe something like Bookers, which is $60.00. Or if you can find it, maybe Pappy Van Winkle's 20yr Family Reserve, at around $100.00. I hear nothing but great things about this last bourbon.
As far as Scotch, it might be a little risky to give everyone an Islay. They are pretty strong in peat/smoke flavor. I would maybe lean more towards an aged Speyside. But if everyone is Scotch drinkers then, absolutely go with the Lagavulin.
But maybe something more like Glenlivet 18, Glenfiddich 18, Glenfarclas 17, or one of my favorites; Balvenie Sherry Wood 17 year.
Daiquiri craving
10 Cane is by far my favorite cocktail Rum. Angostura 1919 is what I drink with ice, but 10 Cane is my favorite for mixing.
I like your style. I'm not a big fan of the blender as well, always preferring the shaker. It's funny too, because I'm constantly getting weird looks from friends when I introduce them to a Margarita or Daiquiri that isn't frozen. They're like "wow, I haven't had one of them, non-frozen before!"
Anyway, here are a couple of my favorite's. 1. because they're simple and 2. because they're good.
Straight Up Daiquiri.
Around 4oz of 10 Cane. (I use over sized glasses)
close to 2oz of fresh lime juice (or you can opt for Rose's lime juice.)
If you go with the fresh lime juice, then throw in about a tea spoon of simple syrup. (sugar diluted in water)
Throw it all in a shaker with some ice and ( I prefer to stir over shake, but it doesn't make a hill of beans really, I just don't like all the air introduced by shaking, I guess it's because I drink a lot of stirred gin martini's.) any way..... stir or shake it .... "WELL".
El Presidente (I know you said "not fruity", but I really like this one and I don't over power it with the pineapple, I like to taste the rum most of all, so the pineapple is just a compliment rather then a cover.)
4oz of 10 Cane
1oz of lime juice
a splash of Grenadine (just a little splash or it will take over)
a couple of splashes of pineapple juice.
I keep frozen pineapple juice in the freezer, so I'll always have some available when I need it.
Tequila for Margaritas
Well..... Here is what I have been using. I like to go with brands that are very commonly available. The liquor stores in my area don't carry a lot of brands, so I have to settle with mass marketed brands.
First, I grew up in South Texas and I thought Jose Cuervo Gold "WAS" tequila. Now, I wouldn't give it to my worst enemy. So I ran away from anything Cuervo for a long time. I ended up preferring Sauza. But then one of my friends made me try the 1800 Reposado and I had to admit it was pretty good.
I prefer Blanco over Reposado for my Tequila cocktails. I also like Lemon over Lime in my Margaritas. I use Triple Sec because I can't afford Cointreau on a regular bases and I make Margaritas a lot. It doesn't really matter what brand of Triple Sec, but I've kind of stuck with Dekuyper's.
I used to use Sauza's Blanco and it is fine and under $20.00. If I'm making a lot of Margarita's for a big party, I'll still use it. But I have switched over to the 1800 Select Silver (100 proof). I like the 1800 better because it has a cleaner and stronger agave taste to me.
I also need to add that I don't do frozen Margarita's unless a guest asks me too. Because I like to taste the tequila. So my ratio of Triple Sec and lemon juice is smaller then usual as I add a lot more tequila, making it a lot more pronounced rather then hiding it. I'm in the camp that believes a "cocktail" should compliment a good spirit rather then hide it completely.
So anyway, as far as Tequila goes, I've been pretty much exclusively buying and drinking Cuervo's 1800 series. Which is a real surprise to me because of how much I dislike Cuervo Gold. But I have to admit, the 1800 tequila's are pretty darn good for their price point.
Cognac, Armagnac or Brandy
I had the pleasant experience of drinking some Courvoisier XO at a wedding a few months back. I ,of course, went to the store to start trying different Cognac, Armagnac's and Brandies after that.
I had never had any of these types of liquors up until that wedding and It's a little frustrating because I happened to be lucky enough to start with some of the best that Cognac can offer. So it was no surprise to me when I realized that the cheaper Cognac's, Armagnac's and Brandies just weren't even close to the XO's.
Anyway, I can't afford to buy XO and I haven't really found anything cheaper that is anywhere near as rich and complex as the Courvoisier XO was. Kind of like Scotch. Once you've had a really good Scotch, all of the others seem pretty bland.
So I was wondering if anyone could suggest any cheaper brands of Cognac, Armagnac or Brandy that might be a good everyday brand.
So far the only one that I've tried that was a good price that I found pleasant was E&J's XO Brandy. It's pretty good, but nothing like the deep, rich and complex Courvoisier XO.
Any idea's? Again, I'm not trying to pay anymore then around $30.00 on the east coast, (which means, It's about double from what people pay in California).
Gin testing?
just to add my two cents here.
There is a pretty big "gin movement" within the black communities right now as well. I have several friends whom I work with that are black and when we get together for cook outs and or to go to a sports bar, most of them are drinking gin and tonics.
As far as gin lovers go, I do think that giving an assesment of not knowing many gin lovers would be pretty accurate. Gin is just one of those spirits that you either love or hate. I like gin the first time I ever tried it as well and have liked it ever since. But I don't know anyone else besides my before mentioned co-workers who likes gin. It's either Vodka, Tequila, Rum or Whiskey, but not gin. I think the biggest thing for people to get over is the "this tastes like a pine tree" feeling. Once you get comfortable with the juniper taste, then you can really enjoy everything that a good gin gives.
Gin testing?
I've tried a lot of gin and keep going back to Beefeaters.
Gordon's is way too one dimensional and bland for me.
My favorite martini's are with Beefeaters. Beefeaters is also always available everywhere and usually at a good price. It is of course a few dollars more then Gordon's and Seagram's, but not much and has way more character and flavor.
My favorite drink is a mix between a gimlit and a tonic. I mix Beefeaters with tonic water and then add a splash of lime juice.
new bottle of whiskey
I have a weird question.
It seems to me that on some bottles of bourbon and scotch I get, that the first few pours from a new bottle tastes a lot more ethanolish. Then as I get to the bottom of a bottle, there's less 'alcohol' taste and more richer, complex bourbon or scotch flavor.
Has anyone else experienced this or am I imagining things. Let me give an example.
I got a bottle of Old Forester. The first few glasses I had of it, was very strong in alcohol/ethanol/rubbing alcohol, both in smell and taste. So I thought to myself, "yuck" I'm not buying Old Forester again. But then as I got down towards the bottom, the whiskey started tasting a whole lot better.
Should I kind of shake a bottle before I pour? Does the alcohol rise to the top of the bottle?
I don't know, kind of weird.
