Whiskey anyone?

As my buddy and I were enjoying a sip of Redbreast today I began to wonder what else out there I have been missing. I'm not talking about run of the mill crap, but truly enjoyable fine whisky, or whiskey depending on where it originated from.

My favorite is Lagavulin. Very peaty scotch whiskey and not too expensive even.

This reminds me i need to open the woodford reserve bottle i bought the other day.

Not really a whisky affectionatto, but I was offered some of this--which is the flagship spirit at the Jameson Distillary. It is unbelievably smooth. It's also unbelievably expensive ($140/750ml)

I guess this is a definition type of thing. I am sitting hear now enjoying my second belt of Elijah Craig thinking it is a nice inexpensive spirit.

With that said, Oban. It is a wonderful Scotch. It is about $80 a bottle but a local bar does a single/double/triple for $5/7.50/10. Really easy to justify at that price.

Ditch the "whisky". True blooded Americans drink bourbon!

I'm a fan of the Buffalo Trace distillery line from Pappy Van Winkle on down. Four Roses single barrel and small batch are good.

I have a bottle of Elijah Craig Small Batch in the cabinet just now, it's very nice.

Makers Mark is swill and only fit to be mixed with coke.

Woodford Reserve strikes me as too sweet and overpriced but that's just a matter of preference. I prefer my bourbons to fall into the category of "liquid smoke".

1910 Pendleton Rye

I have to agree that it isn't Whiskey so much as Scotch and Bourbon. That's where the good stuff is at. There is some solid stuff from Japan though... I am rambling...

Check out Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey.

In reply to Beer Baron:

This is a solid choice. A friend went to college in this town and introduced me to it. Not bad stuff.

My favorite varies depending on taste, but right now I'm in an Elmer T Lee phase (Bourbon from Buffalo Trace). Recently I was swapping back and forth between a bottle of 10 year Glen Grant (Speyside Scotch) and Port Charlotte Heavily Peated. The Port Charlotte is an Islay almost as good as Lagavulin but about half the price.

A friend got me some Japanese Whisky called Nikka Coffey Grain and it is AMAZING. Apparently, they brought a Coffey still in from Scotland back in the sixties. Good stuff.

A co-worker got me a bottle of Watershed which is distilled in Columbus. I'm not sure what the buckeye state is good at, but it ain't making Bourbon. They need to leave it to us down here on the right side of the river.

Willet makes some fine small batches. I've got a Pot Still that is delicious and the Rowan's Creek and Noah's Mill and fine products too.

I usually keep Basil Hayden in my flask because it's good enough to drink but cheap and common enough to share with the uninitiated and I don't get too ticked off when they want to put water or ice in it.

Beyond that, I keep a few more bottles of various Bourbons and Scotches around the house. Some Four Roses, Blanton's, Bookers, Knob, Woodford - the double oaked is different-in-a-good-way. Makers is good for Bourbon Slush or a sour. I just finished my bottle of Glenmorangie but there's still a few bottles of different ages of Glenlivet in the cabinet.

I cannot abide that stuff they make in Canada and Jameson is just awful.

If you ever find yourself in central KY, I highly recommend taking any and all distillery tours you can. Buffalo Trace gives really nice tours with several to choose from, and they do it at no cost to you. Barrel House in Lexington is a neat micro distillery that's worth checking out. Heaven Hill is crap, but they have a nice museum that's free, so stop by Willet and get on the list for a tour, then go to Heaven Hill's museum while you wait.

And now I think I need to have a couple fingers. Ooh.. phrasing....

Big fan of Old Grand Dad bottled in bond. Cheap? Heck yeah!

Scotch causes me to break out in hives. I've tried a number of bourbons and the only one I found so far that I like to sip is Knob Creek (the regular one, not the 100 proof version). I usually mix Evan Williams green label with generic cola.

Three fingers here....

Of W.L.Wellers

In reply to secretariata:

Try Elijah Craig. It is better (imo) than knob creek

My go-to bourbon is Eagle Rare; scotch, Laphroaig 10. When I scrapped my dead Focus, I used the proceeds to pick up a bottle of Lagavulin 16. Well worth it. RIP my friend.

I can't afford to find a scotch I like. Haven't met a truly bad bourbon yet though. I need to go buy a bottle for Tuesday, it will be needed no matter what happens.

Beer Baron wrote: Check out Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey.

Another fan here. My daughter brought me a bottle for Christmas a couple years ago. Liquid Nirvana.

singleslammer wrote: In reply to secretariata: Try Elijah Craig. It is better (imo) than knob creek

I have, two different versions. One was a 12 or 13 year aged version. Have also tried 2 different Woodfords. Not to my taste...

dculberson wrote: My favorite is Lagavulin. Very peaty scotch whiskey and not too expensive even.

Any of the Islay malts really are near perfection.

KyAllroad wrote: Three fingers here.... Of W.L.Wellers

I was very on board with this for quite a while. Until I got into Scotch...

My friend who is using my house this weekend as a hotel brought me a bottle of larceny. That may be my new go to cheap bourbon depending on how cheap it is; my current go to is Woodford unless I can find Very Old Barton. Next step up I like Michters.

I have some eagle rare. I got it since it was way under priced; it's good but not for me.

Big fan of both bookers and bakers, but they're too expensive.

Then a work friend dropped off some angels envy finished in some barrel that isn't the normal one it is finished in. That was really good, but I need to try it when I'm not with my mother in law since anything would have tasted good then.

Never been a fan of scotch, but I do want to try some lagavulin thanks to Ron Swanson. Jameson and Crown I keep as mixers.

Tullamore Dew.

I've currently have a bottle Bulleit Bourbon and Bulleit Rye . My un-refined taste tells me I like it a lot. I'm sure there are much better bottles out there, but i enjoy it and my wallet doesn't hate me too much either when I buy a bottle.

Boy, you guys bars are set really high. Mine is two notches above rotgut.