I'm so excited about this beer that I remembered this old thread to post about it: If you live in the market (I've seen it in Ontario), Barley Days' Wind & Sail. It's dark and full-bodied enough to be interesting to drink several of, but is also light enough to be a good session beer. And while it might not win any points among the types who "don't like beer" or only go for bud light, I think it's something people who don't normally drink darker beers could really get into. I also went to Boston and got one of these from Sam Adams: Gonna open it for a friends' birthday. A collaboration between Sam Adams and Weihenstephaner, supposed to be champagne-like, using only the four ingredients allowed in the reinheitsgebot.
And I went out and bought 2 more bottles - each to his own. I thought it was a unique beer that is fun to share with friends.
This isn't all that special, but I have seen a lot of American Breweries jazzing it up like it is something magical. Water, hops, yeast, barley. Not that hard to make something tasty with it. Germans have been doing it since 1516.
Speaking of Germans, I found my new favorite beer. Since the powers that be at Spaten decided to stop selling Dinkel Acker dark in the U.S., I had to search for something else. On a whim, I bought a bottle of Schneider Aventinus while on vacation in Williamsburg: It was the most delicious beer I'd had in a long time, maybe ever. The next time I got down to Atlanta, I bought out Sherlock's entire inventory of it, plus a couple of these for good measure: The Eisbock is a more concentrated version (12% alcohol vs. 8%), having had some of the water removed by freezing. I highly recommend either one, unless you shop at Sherlock's in Kennesaw.
I'm looking for a new bottle of Bourbon or other type of good whiskey. My wife and I are big fans of Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey. I'm had and like Knob Creek and Makers for Bourbon. I got a bottle of Basil Hayden recently and I wasn't a fan. It seemed to only work mixed with Ginger Ale. I really thought we'd like it but we didn't. Neat, mixed with all sorts of stuff, etc. It just isn't for us. I'd love any suggestions for bottles in the same range, $30-$50 or so a bottle. I don't want to make the Basil Hayden mistake again. I'd like something heavier, oakier, more woodsy and less floral/medicinal. Bookers? Bakers? Woodford? Bulleit? Eagle Rare? I'm also open to something interesting in the Tennessee, Rye or other Canadian suggestions. I prefer peaty, medicinal scotch whisky like Ardbeg, Laphraiog, etc. but lean darker and heavier with other styles of whiskey. Any suggestions or opinions would be awesome. Thanks.
Bulleit is awesome. Especially for the price. They make both a traditional and a rye. It is a damn fine sipping bourbon. Buffalo Trace is also very nice; cheap too. Woodford Reserve is my absolute favorite so far. Right amount of caramel/sweetness to char. If you're just going to mix it, get Buffalo Trace. Tennessee is starting to blow up too. Also watch out for Texas whiskeys to be hitting soon. Recent article in Imbibe mentioned a bunch of new distilleries are about to release. Can't help you on Scotch. If you have a Total Wine near you, I suggest you make the trek out there. They have at least 50 brands of bourbon, 50 brands of Scotch, a dozen Irish Whiskies, and a couple Japanese.
Thanks for the suggestions. I wish Total Wine carried hard liquor here. North Carolina has ABC stores and hard stuff can't be sold outside of their crappy state run system. The choices aren't great but most big name items can be found easily enough. I'll check to see if I can get Buffalo Trace. I'm good in regards to scotch. I know what I like and don't and have a lot of experience. It's the American stuff that I'm trying to learn more about. Crown has been my go to for years for neat and mixed non-scotch(I know it's probably a waste. I don't drink enough for it to matter.)
Bulleit is very oak-y and is my go to sipping bourbon. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2
If you want a seriously intense whiskey, Booker's is awesome. Bookers is Basil Hayden's leather-jacket-wearing, chain-smoking, bimbo-fucking older brother. Personally it's a little heavy for me, so Woodford's Reserve it is. That stuff is quality. Very, very high quality.
I like Knob Creek and Makers Mark a lot and was just going to get another bottle of one of those but I do like trying new stuff. I've had Woodford and liked it. Haven't had a whole bottle so my experience is very limited. Sounds like Booker is right up my alley in regards to bourbon. I wish they made more of these smaller batch, higher priced bourbons in mini bottle size. I know you can get a mini bottle set that has Basil Hayden, Knob Creek, Bookers and I think Bakers in one little set as they are owned/distributed by the same company but it doesn't seem easily available and might have been just a one time thing. You can get those mini bottles of all the major high volume popular brands but it would be nice for companies to offer $2-4 mini bottles so people can really sample a wider range without the fear of dropping $50 for a bottle of stuff you might not like. I don't go to bars like I used to so it's harder to try new stuff without the high priced, full bottle gamble.
Never met a bottle of bourbon I didn't like. Only a bottle of bourbon I wouldn't buy again. You, sir, clearly do not like bourbon.
Anyone have summer time drinks? Rum and gin until September. I use a lot of gin in mine because of the floral component. The Gin Smasher (from Imbibe): 1.5 oz Gin 2 wedges orange 1 wedge lemon handful of mint leaves 1/2 oz simple syrup Peychaud bitters In a mixing glass muddle the syrup and mint together. Add ice. Juice the fruit, pour the gin. Shake violently. Strain into crushed ice filled rocks glass, garnish with a few dashes of bitters. I'm going to try a rum version as well as a gin version today. I think this is better suited to rum. Precise Mojito: Handful of mint 1 oz simple syurp 1 oz fresh lime juice (or 3/4 fresh Key West lime juice - very sour) 2 ounces silver rum Club Soda (approximately 1.5 oz) Muddle mint, lime, syrup in a Collins glass. They say tearing up the leaves makes them bitter, but I think a bruising the whole leaves with the muddler releases a lot more menthol. Don't be too gentle, crush 'em. Once muddled, add ice, then rum. Stir or shake the hell out of it. Top with club soda, give it another stir to incorporate. Top with a drop more club soda. All of these amounts have to be exact or it throws the whole drink off. Grapefruit Cocktail: 1.5 ounces Gin 1/4 oz lemon juice 1/4 oz St Germain Elderflower Liqueur 1/4 oz dry vermouth 1 oz red grapefruit juice Orange or Peychaud bitters Shake over ice, strain into martini glass. Top with 3 dashes bitters.
It's not that I don't like bourbon. And I haven't disliked any I've tried, including the Basil Hayden. I just don't like spending the $50 plus for bottles that I don't love. I'd gladly spend that and more for bottles I love. I'm partial to Islay scotches and the few brands I really love hit the pocket book hard. I'll gladly drop $100 per committee bottling of anything Ardbeg ever produces.
Bulleit makes a 10 year that is fantastic as well. I sipped it on the rocks in Friday night and was pretty impressed, and I normally dont drink a ton of bourbon straight.
Reposting from the drunk thread, because it is relevant: I'm not usually into Sprite, but I got a Sprite Zero bottle earlier today, had some, and am now having drinks with the leftovers. At first I was just throwing shit together, but then I consulted my favorite site, barnonedrinks, and found this: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.barnonedrinks.com/drinks/-/6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.barnonedrinks.com/drinks/-/6</a> ... 10888.html It is very yummy. I like the site because you can search by ingredient and the results will show both the drink name and a synopsis of the ingredients. Other sites, if you search by ingredient, will only return the drink name and then you have to click on each link to see the other ingredients.
Ive been on a bourbon kick lately and have tried everything from Pappy Van Winkle 20yr to Makers Mark. My favorite 2 $50 ish bourbons are Blantons (super smooth and a touch sweet) http://sourmashmanifesto.com/2011/0...-blantons-rock-hill-farm-and-kentucky-spirit/ and Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2013 (smooth but much less sweet). http://sourmashmanifesto.com/2013/08/27/2013-old-forester-birthday-bourbon/
I recently got introduced to Forty Creek, and I'm not a neat drinker but loved it neat. Silk-smooth whiskey.