The What's In Your Liquor Cabinet? Thread

[derspiess]

I think you need Knob Creek, yes.

It may not be my  favorite bourbon these days (though still a close second), but it was the first small batch bourbon I tasted, and you never forget your first.  I think I first tried it the first year it was bottled.  And of course the bottle is cool as hell.

What about some Basil Hayden's instead of Buffalo Trace?

How about I stick with the Buffalo Trace and just mail you a dollar. 

[Syt]

I brought a bottle of JD Single Cask home today.

[Caliga]

How about I stick with the Buffalo Trace and just mail you a dollar.

Ok.

[Caliga]

I brought a bottle of JD Single Cask home today.

JD is the competition (Brown-Forman), but it's so damn good that you are forgiven, my son.

[Caliga]

...which reminds me: at the tail end of my Alabama trip I stopped by the JD distillery and toured it.  I need to finish up that AAR.

[Syt]

I brought a bottle of JD Single Cask home today.

JD is the competition (Brown-Forman), but it's so damn good that you are forgiven, my son.

My parents had a bottle that one of my American brother in laws polished off. To make up for it he bought a new special bottle, hand labeled, in a fancy decanter. I used to sip secretly from the bottle, and my parents' liquor cabinet smelled of JD. I think it's about the only whiskey I recognize immediately by smell. Well probably also Connemara, but I haven't tried many other peated whiskies.

[Caliga]

I just brought up a bottle of Jim Beam (rī)1 from the bar and shall review it shortly.  I don't think I've ever had straight rye before.

[fhdz]

I've got a bottle of Bulleit, a bottle of Ardmore, and a bottle of a local vodka. And some bitters. There's also a bunch of weird mixer-type liqueurs and such that I never use.

[Ed Anger]

I still have at least 6 bottles of unopened Jack my former boss and mentor gave me.

[fhdz]

Wife likes good tequila, and usually has some silver Patron around.

My boss swears by that shit.  Is it really so much better than typical tequila?  I'm hardly a tequila connoisseur so I really have no way to tell by taste.

Tequila is a liquor where probably more than any other, improvements in quality make a far superior product. Cheap tequila tastes like rocket fuel and isn't even worth using in margaritas.

[PRC]

Wife likes good tequila, and usually has some silver Patron around.

My boss swears by that shit.  Is it really so much better than typical tequila?  I'm hardly a tequila connoisseur so I really have no way to tell by taste.

Tequila is a liquor where probably more than any other, improvements in quality make a far superior product. Cheap tequila tastes like rocket fuel and isn't even worth using in margaritas.

Absolutely true, this is the case with Tequila!  Silver Patron is great stuff, the Anejo is awesome as well.

[Admiral Yi]

Tequila is a liquor where probably more than any other, improvements in quality make a far superior product. Cheap tequila tastes like rocket fuel and isn't even worth using in margaritas.

Not sure I agree about the margs, but agree that tequila is the booze that improves the most when you move up from rail.

Cal, try a sip test.  Good tequila can be sipped like whiskey.

[Caliga]

CAL'S REVIEW OF RĪ(1) BY JIM BEAM:

Neat: Very nice legs, still clinging to the glass a full ten minutes after swirling.  Nose is very sweet, almost like Maker's Mark level sweetness.  Hints of rock candy, licorice and vanilla but not particularly spicy.  Taste is interesting... not really like any other whiskey I've ever tasted.  Smoother and stronger than I expected (according to the label, it's 92 proof), yet not nearly as sweet as a bourbon.  Strong earthy tones vaguely reminiscent of Laphroiag (and in fact the color is more of a Scotch color than a Bourbon color).... this reminds me more of a Scotch than a Bourbon which is odd because it was distilled in Clermont, KY with (I presume) the local limestone water.  Overall the taste is pretty unremarkable and doesn't have much in the way of spicy notes, which from what I hear of ryes  is supposed to part of their draw.  It is however exceptionally smooth, which like I said is a nice surprise.  Very, very light mouthfeel.

Cut with a splash of water: Really no difference in the nose at all, except I detect a slight band-aid/phenol odor now.  The water really seems to bring out the spiciness though.  Notes of cherry, licorice, more earthy, a bit of chocolate.  Even more Scotch-like.

Overall, I think this is an ok spirit.  I wouldn't recommend it neat because it's too bland, but it'd probably also work well as a mixer.  In general it reminds me of Scotch.  If you blindfolded me and had me taste it, I would probably guess that's what it was, although it's a bit less woody than the Scotches I'm used to (so I'd probably guess it was cheap Scotch).  It is remarkably 'light' in character, which to me isn't a good thing, but probably also reinforces it as a good mixing spirit.

I got the bottle free, but I believe it retails for $50.  IMO that's way, way overpriced given what you're getting here.

CAL'S GRADE: C

[Admiral Yi]

That's a dumbass name.  Tell Princessa to track the naming dude down and punch him in the nuts.

[fhdz]

That's a dumbass name.  Tell Princessa to track the naming dude down and punch him in the nuts.

Concur.