The drinking thread

[ShadySands]

My neighbor and I went in halves on a bottle of Jonnie Walker Gold. It is...alright...I guess. Neither one of us knows anything about whiskey so we just buy the most expensive / old one we can afford and see what happens. On the bright side, this experience has definitely proved to me that I prefer bourbon to scotch.

I generally prefer bourbon too but there is something about the peaty scotches that keeps bringing me back.

 

If you like peaty ans smokey scotches I can recommend a few but bourbon also tends to be cheaper unless you're drinking something like Pappy Van WInkle or something similar. I may be exaggerating a little but just a little.

Edited January 28, 2018 by ShadySands

[Azdeus]

I arranged a wine (blind) tasting for some friends. Bought a cheap wine for fun, just to see if they could detect it - interestingly everyone, even the wine newbies, agreed that the cheap one was by far the worst one.

 

Winners of the night were both classic french wines, a Pinot from Burgundy (from Dennis Bachelet) and a Syrah from Northern-Rhone (Combier).

 

The wines we tasted:

2015 Luís Seabra Vinhos Douro Indie Xisto

2014 Gérard Boulay Sancerre Rouge Cuvée Oriane

2015 Terroir Al Limit Soc. Lda. Priorat Torroja Vi de Vila

2011 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia (decanted 2 hours)

2015 Domaine Laurent Combier Crozes-Hermitage Clos des Grives (decanted 2 hours)

2014 Domaine Denis Bachelet Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes (decanted 2 hours)

2016 M. Chapoutier Marius Rouge (the cheap one)

 

Mix it up a bit next time, and add some white wine with dyes aswell, and try to do it double blinded

Edited January 28, 2018 by Azdeus

[Guard Dog]

I bought a bottle of Tin Cup American Whiskey. After a thorough vetting I'm afraid to say I can't give it my recommendation. First off, it's too sweet by half. Second of all the "burn" is just obnoxious for 84 proof. It's taken no character from the aging process. My guess is it wasn't aged nearly long enough. They don't put dates on the bottle so that's likely it. They don't want you to know. And the sweetness tell me the mashbill is flawed too because the yeast didn't consume enough of the sugars in the wort. And to top it off, it's a little expensive at $45 a liter. Jack Daniels actually tastes better. And I f-----g HATE Jack Daniels. 

[Fiach]

I bought a bottle of Tin Cup American Whiskey. After a thorough vetting I'm afraid to say I can't give it my recommendation. First off, it's too sweet by half. Second of all the "burn" is just obnoxious for 84 proof. It's taken no character from the aging process. My guess is it wasn't aged nearly long enough. They don't put dates on the bottle so that's likely it. They don't want you to know. And the sweetness tell me the mashbill is flawed too because the yeast didn't consume enough of the sugars in the wort. And to top it off, it's a little expensive at $45 a liter. Jack Daniels actually tastes better. And I f-----g HATE Jack Daniels.

 

May I recommend this Irish whiskey for you to try, Redbreast..... you're welcome, Slainté

 

https://youtu.be/I6stmin_260

 

Or Bushmills

 

https://youtu.be/4vkbw58Lfjk

Edited April 28, 2018 by Fiach

[Fiach]

I've never been this drunk.... I don't know if that's a good thing, or a bad thing

 

[Guard Dog]

I killed off the last of the Tin Cup by drowning it in Ginger Ale. I didn't really care for it but I can't bring myself to waste it. Then for the evening drinks I opened a new bottle of Four Roses small batch. I had two three finger low balls of that and concluded the "good stuff" is called "the good stuff" for a reason. 

[ShadySands]

Having some gin and ginger ale with dinner

[Fiach]

Having some gin and ginger ale with dinner

I grew up working in a bar and NEVER was I asked for a Gin n Gin! I love G n T, but now I'm very curious as it's something that never occurred to me as a combination. Ive tried brandy and whiskey with ginger ale....didn't like them, I tend to drink spirits neat, including gin, so, now it's on my bucket list, who woulda thunk it!

[ShadySands]

I drink a lot of Scotch and bourbon and I pretty much always have them neat. Vodka, depending on the brand, I can sip neat too. I don't like shots because I actually like the taste of good alcohol but stuff like gin, rum, and tequila are always mixers for me. I'm not a tonic fan and a friend put me onto vodka ginger ale and gin and ginger ale.

Edited May 6, 2018 by ShadySands

[Fiach]

I drink a lot of Scotch and bourbon and I pretty much always have them neat. Vodka, depending on the brand I can sip neat too. I don't like shots because I actually like the taste of good alcohol but stuff like gin, rum, and tequila are always mixers for me. I'm not a tonic fan and a friend put me onto vodka ginger ale and gin and ginger ale.

Yeah, I don't like shots either, I'm a sipper

[Epaminondas]

I drink way too much, which is just simply wrong. I drink too much to put on airs about any of it. I have an affinity for Scotch, Irish, and rye, but I detest bourbon. It's just too sweet a lingering finish for me. Give me a smoky Scotch over an aged bourbon any day. On the other hand, I'll drink bourbon also in a pinch. :noncommittal shrug:

 

So, I made this honey wine with blackberries recently. I had frozen some fresh whole ones, thinking of maybe using them in a secondary or something, but I decided to make blackberry margaritas for Cinco de Mayo. I bought up key limes, lemons, and (for a twist) tangerines. I got... Hornitos reposado? I wanted the Anejo but the wife wanted a lighter color. Anyhow it was cheap but good. I also picked up some Cointreau. I'm not much of a margarita fan, but it was good stuff. Probably too sour for a lot of folks, but I like sour, so all is good.

[Orogun01]

I drink a lot of Scotch and bourbon and I pretty much always have them neat. Vodka, depending on the brand, I can sip neat too. I don't like shots because I actually like the taste of good alcohol but stuff like gin, rum, and tequila are always mixers for me. I'm not a tonic fan and a friend put me onto vodka ginger ale and gin and ginger ale.

I can have rum and tequila neat but hate gin (it's too sour) Vodka either in mixers or neat. Like Scotch but prefer Irish and I can't abide the taste of bourbon.

[Guard Dog]

I usually drink my bourbon on ice. But today I had a craving for a mixed drink. So I decided to make whisky sour. The problem is had no cherries for the sour mix. But I do have blackberries. So I pulped a few blackberries with water, lemon and lime juice (fresh squeezed of course). If you use a sweet fruit like blackberries do NOT add sugar. Mix in a blender a few seconds. Then add one part sour mix with two parts Four Roses or some other quality corn whiskey and shake with ice.

 

Gentlemen, that is mighty fine. Then relax with music and think your life over. I'm playing this:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMmTkKz60W8

Edited May 10, 2018 by Guard Dog

[ShadySands]

Can anyone recommend a good limoncello? I acquired a taste for it in Italy but the few brands I've tried here haven't hit the mark

[Zoraptor]

You can make your own, it's very easy since it's just vodka, sugar, lemons as the three essential ingredients. It's also the easiest way to get the right taste for you if you're having difficulty, since you can vary amount of lemon and sugar and any additions you might like such as cloves. Then again I like a strong tasting and fairly sour limoncello so my options are limited if I'm not willing to make it myself.

 

The only commercial limoncellos here are imported Italian ones I've never tried and local ones which won't be available internationally unfortunately.

[Fiach]

I arranged a wine (blind) tasting for some friends. Bought a cheap wine for fun, just to see if they could detect it - interestingly everyone, even the wine newbies, agreed that the cheap one was by far the worst one.

 

Winners of the night were both classic french wines, a Pinot from Burgundy (from Dennis Bachelet) and a Syrah from Northern-Rhone (Combier).

 

The wines we tasted:

2015 Luís Seabra Vinhos Douro Indie Xisto

2014 Gérard Boulay Sancerre Rouge Cuvée Oriane

2015 Terroir Al Limit Soc. Lda. Priorat Torroja Vi de Vila

2011 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia (decanted 2 hours)

2015 Domaine Laurent Combier Crozes-Hermitage Clos des Grives (decanted 2 hours)

2014 Domaine Denis Bachelet Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes (decanted 2 hours)

2016 M. Chapoutier Marius Rouge (the cheap one)

I'm curious what you think is cheap price for wine.

In Aldi you can get a great Portuguese wine for €6.50.... (called Animus) that can go toe to toe with alot of more expensive wines. You can get crap wine in many price ranges

[Gfted1]

My palate isnt even sophisticated enough to tell the difference between a $500 bottle of wine and a $5.00 box of wine.

[Guard Dog]

I am definitely doing this: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Watermelon-Wine

 

I just ordered a dozen empty wine bottles and corks from Amazon and I still have the 5ga wort pot from my failed beer making days to use as a fermentation vessel. And in a matter of weeks I'm going to have more watermelons than I know what to do with. 

[Fiach]

I am definitely doing this: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Watermelon-Wine

 

I just ordered a dozen empty wine bottles and corks from Amazon and I still have the 5ga wort pot from my failed beer making days to use as a fermentation vessel. And in a matter of weeks I'm going to have more watermelons than I know what to do with.

 

Git yer yeehaw! Freak on

 

https://youtu.be/BqV9NZSGIa4

[ShadySands]

I got some McKenna bourbon and so far I like it

[Guard Dog]

 

I am definitely doing this: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Watermelon-Wine

 

I just ordered a dozen empty wine bottles and corks from Amazon and I still have the 5ga wort pot from my failed beer making days to use as a fermentation vessel. And in a matter of weeks I'm going to have more watermelons than I know what to do with.

Git yer yeehaw! Freak on

 

 

Hey people laugh at hillbillies but there is a lot they can teach about self sufficiency.

[Fiach]

 

 

I am definitely doing this: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Watermelon-Wine

 

I just ordered a dozen empty wine bottles and corks from Amazon and I still have the 5ga wort pot from my failed beer making days to use as a fermentation vessel. And in a matter of weeks I'm going to have more watermelons than I know what to do with.

 

Git yer yeehaw! Freak onhttps://youtu.be/BqV9NZSGIa4

Hey people laugh at hillbillies but there is a lot they can teach about self sufficiency.

Wouldn't ever laugh at hillbillies, they make moonshine, we make poitín ( pronounced putscheen), I'm sure there is some historical connection , but I happen to love that song, my dad used to sing it to me when I was a kid.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poitín

Edited May 15, 2018 by Fiach

[Maedhros]

Not too into Gin, but tried a relatively new Gin called Bareksten that's supposedly the best in the world (and coincidentally from the city I live in). It's very different from any other Gin I've tasted, with lots of herbs and very concentrated and longlasting taste. (without that lingering taste of alcohol some Gins have). Loved it.

 

 

https://www.masterofmalt.com/gin/bareksten-spirits/bareksten-gin/

Edited May 31, 2018 by Thingolfin

[Gorth]

I've taken a liking to this lately... while tasty on it's own, it's like it was made for Camomille Tea (which is how I discovered it in the first place, felt sorry for myself while having a cold).

 

[ShadySands]

Avery Brewin Co. Pump[KY]n - Porter brewed with pumpkin and spices and aged in a bourbon barrel - 18.8% alcohol

 

It's an explosion of flavor and I'm not sure in a good way. A little too much bourbon