Not that fond of Whisky, for spirits I prefer rum and dark rum at that, or if it is summer then a nice gin and tonic.
For sipping and enjoying I love a good vintage port and my favourite is Dow's 1966 but that is very difficult to get a hold of now, and to think the last case I bought was priced at £26 per bottle. It is one of the better ones I have tasted.
https://www.vintageportshop.co.uk/products/Dow-Vintage-Port-1966-5

I'll be the cheap bastage uncultured 'merican here.

I don't drink for the flavor nor to get drunk, I mostly drink for the nice buzz (not quite drunk).

And I drink cheap, $18.99 vs. $45.95 (same size bottle) for what to me taste the same (sampling back-to-back shots)...






I'm glad I don't enjoy booze more than I do, helps keep me in check.

Interesting.

I got a bottle of that stuff for my birthday two years ago, and have slowly (as in - not half the bottle yet) been enjoying it. I had no idea until reading this thread that this had been such a pricey present!

Figures... the girl who gave it to me, I really under-appreciated her various qualities. Ah well... can't make up that mistake anymore.

Agree. But the folks who make it seem to feel it is indicative of what you'll pay.




"Shot to shot" is not the way to compare whiskies at all, on several levels...doesn't take culture, your taste buds can't tell the difference becasue it's impossible using your method.

A connoisseur you ain't, brother. Stick to what's on sale is my advice.

Hey, hey, now, I've read the reviews of Kirkland Canadian Whiskey from some snooty types, and it shocked each of them with how good it is.

Basically, it's Crown Royal that's been re-branded. So it's in that whole Canadian blended whiskey range of Canadian Club.

Pretty decent, can mix (if that's what one wants) and very shootable.

My palate isn't good enough to really tell the difference between Johnny Walker Black and Blue, to be honest, or at least not enough to justify the cost. The difference between the Red and the Black is, though.

I'll disagree that shot-for-shot is an invalid comparison. Lining up different whiskeys and trying them side by side is really the only way to tell. Granted, shooting them isn't; one has to sip them to tell the difference. But any whiskey that takes a ritual to drink is far too high class for me.

No, I'm not. But that's pretty much what I was saying...I think.

And not on sale, that's Costco's regular price. Same with their Grey Goose knockoff next to it (from the French makers of Grey Goose).

Yup. I read somewhere that Crown Royal doesn't age the Costco Kirkland brand as long (bottle says 6 years, regular CR is 8 - 10?).

And of course, you don't get the cool little bag. I used to have a container full but gave most of them away...

Was this for me? I already stated I'm not a whiskey snob, but I'm not going to then agree that because I think you can like it any way you like and any brand you like, that crap whiskey is "good" whiskey! Enjoy what you enjoy but that doesn't sell me on crap being quality, lol. It just means that you like the taste of low quality goods and if that's your palate, go for it. Have at it. But if you enjoy it for more than the effect it has, you start to learn about it, which means that there's right and wrong ways to compare. That's not really open for opinions- the palate can only reasonably tell the difference in certain conditions. Sorry, that's how the body works. Snobbery plays no part.

"Shot to shot" is an incredibly poor way to compare whiskeys. Firstly, as I said before, your palate is ruined doing that.

If you want to compare whiskey, you never do "shots" if an actual meaningful comparison is the goal, and you clear your palate between each type. You're going to be comparing only three or four types, max, per session, if you do any actual drinking of the whiskey at all.

As you learn your palate, you'll take 15 or 20 minutes to form an opinion of the whiskey...unless it's pond water whiskey.

I don't know what is 'ritual' about any of that. The only ritual I'm aware of is putting a glass to your lips.

Unfortunately, the palate declines with age (starting at 40 according to this article)...

https://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/article/sense-of-taste-changes-aging

Also, your dental hygiene can make a difference.

Cid, only part of that was meant for you!

I was referring to "snooty" reviewers - the type who insist on cooling their whisky with only the finest of authentic Scottish stones, diluted with the best of branch water.

I was also referring to whisky shots by volume, not by drinking. Shooting whiskey is boorish behavior (which I am not above). I agree that tasting different whiskeys takes time as well; but having several different types in one long sitting is the best way I've found to compare.

This is what we got for my son's 40th birthday last year, Invergordon Sovereign single malt, it was distilled the year he was born and bottled the year of his 40th birthday.