I know asking for opinions is opening a can of worms. Stocking my bar and looking for suggestions for the best/smoothest after hunt/shoot bourbon and scotch. Try to keep under $75.00 a bottle. Go for it guys.

Thanks

Laphroaig Select easy to find $50.
For $100, and worth every penny, Lagavulin Offerman. Get it right now. It will not last long if it isn't sold out already.

Dedicated whisky/whiskey drinker here. Counterpoint: Rye. Pikesville, if you can find it. If not, Lot 40, if you can find it. Might be half the price. Or Michter's rye. Might be easier for you.

Bourbon? Wild Turkey 114 is delicious. As is plain old Buffalo Trace, bottled at collegial strength.

Don't get me started on Scotch malts. I'll be banned for hijacking the forum.

A subject close to my Heart though with limited disposable income. Blended Whiskey I will recommend so I will start with Sheep Dip not a good name for a Whiskey but the bottle contents far better than the name, Jonny Walker Red Label, Famous Grouse.
And from the Emerald Isle Bush Mills. On a more extravagant note Islay Whiskies single Malts for Christmas.

As a Child of the Desert-Brother to the Coyote I'm bound to the Cactus for spirituous Guidance and a Good Buzz! Plastic bottles...just fine....

Any of these will work. I’m lucky to live smack down in the middle of bourbon country.

Woodford Reserve has recently become my favorite bourbon.

I'm not a big fan of Scotch though.

If you want smooth and don't care about impressing with name brand Costco has a large bottle of blended Scotch for $20 that is wonderful for the price. They also have a 15 year single malt that is great at about $35. The Irishman is a blend of Scotch and irish and is very good but will be about $50. I am not a big Rye drinker but had Basil hayden after a quail hunt last year and it was remarkable. When you get ready to splurge Balvene triple cask is a top choice but last I checked it was $150

Famous Grouse and Old Forrester are my go-to favorites. If you want something different, try aged dark rum. I picked up a 15 year old Matusalem from the Dominican Republic for $27 at the local ABC store. Try that with whiskey/whisky. It’s delicious.

My daddy said drinking Scotch just proves you can cultivate a taste for shixt if you eat enough of it. Regular folks down here don't make much difference between Bourbon and Tennesse sour mash, so Jack Daniel Black is pretty popular, and the better do it yourselfers still have a discriminating clientele.
Mike

My daddy said drinking Scotch just proves you can cultivate a taste for shixt if you eat enough of it. Regular folks down here don't make much difference between Bourbon and Tennesse sour mash, so Jack Daniel Black is pretty popular, and the better do it yourselfers still have a discriminating clientele.
Mike

May I suggest trying the 12 year old blended Scotch with a Kirkland label at Costco. It’s imported from Scotland and distilled by Alexander Murray. There is a single malt reasonably priced as well.

Don't forget the medicinal value of Jack Daniels...


Spray the back of throat during cold and flu season to stave off illness.

What a great tour!

Mike, it sounds like your Father had an artistic flair in his use of language. And it certainly appears that Life imitates Art!


I tried scotch one time back when I was in college. I didn't have to try it again and again to know it was shit.

It's nothing but Bourbon for me, and the worst Bourbon I ever drank was far and away better than that scotch.

Good vodka, Irish Whiskey and bourbon can be gotten at reasonable prices.

Good Scotch is overpriced, but The Macallan, Glenlivet, Glenfiddich and Glenmorangie are all good scotches and "light" enough for novice Scotch drinkers. Some of the types are very much an acquired taste, such as Islay.

To my tastes Johnny Walker Red or Black, Dewars and others in the same class are crap and taste bad.

Your best bet is to go to a good liquor store and ask them for recommendations.

If you go to bars Jameson's or Bushmill's are always my choice. Good quality at a reasonable price.

We usually stuck with brandy and cigars.

I like Old Turkey...
JR

Could not agree more ,Glenlivet 12yo is my favourite single malt but I find Jameson`s is always pleasant and comes in at a good price here !

Just remember to add water to your taste! Enjoy.

I'm going to remember that one, Der Ami!
JR

Yes, indeed. Partial to El Dorado 12. It's a thick, sweet Demerara that can be cloying if sipped neat. But. A glass of that with a squeeze of lime juice and a small slosh of water is one of my favorite cold-weather, fireside drinks. Without the lime juice, it pairs well with a cup of strong black coffee, taken in alternate sips.

First, I rarely if ever sneer at another man's drink of choice. Unless it's a cooler. Maybe a few of you are feeling a bit insecure.

Second, Bourbon, Rye Whiskey and Scotch Whisky. There is swill and sublime with each. I typically have more Scotch than anything else, purely because in my little town, there is a better selection. Here's the current assortment of Scotch. (a bit hard to get them in one pic).

My two favorite drinks, outside of good craft brewed beer of course, are Makers Mark and Tanqueray. I will also drink Bushmills on occasion.

Smoothest stuff under 75.00 around here would be:
Old Forester 1920
Larceny barrel proof c922
Woodford double oaked store select

Picked up a OF single barrel store select 132 proof for 99.00 Sunday that I like much better than the 10yr RVW!

[quote=eeb If you want something different, try aged dark rum.[/quote]

https://www.papaspilar.com/pages/papas-rum
JR

You guys and your hard booze.

Best,
Ted
______________________________________________________
I never acquired a taste for the stuff, because I was never in that big of a hurry to get wasted.

Luxury.

I will always remember my first and second glasses of Laphroaig 10. First one was, 'What in Hell did I spend my money on? This tastes like tincture of iodine!' Second one was, 'Hrrm! Buggers may be onto something.'

Ardbeg 10 is Laphroaig double-shotted with chain. Two university-educated Glaswegians having a fistfight in one's mouth. It remains the stiffest, most daunting malt I've ever consumed. Love the stuff. Haven't had a glass in ten years, but it's memorable.

Fudd, the bottle on the other side of the Laphroaig is Tallisker from the Isle of Skye. If you want peat, those three cover the bases. Your description of Ardbeg is on the money! Hahaha.

Smoothest Scotch malt I know of would be Glengoyne 10. No peat at all. Closest thing the Scots make to an Irish, by my lights. Goes down like milk. I adore it, and buy it whenever I see it.

Smooth is good, but no peat? How can it even be Scotch?

The Laphroaig Select is incredibly smooth as well, but it has some peat. The Offerman Lagavulins are the benchmark for me in that regard.

Does anyone cook with scotch? If you want to try something really different and really outstanding mix equal parts of a really peaty scotch with a high-end soy sauce and good maple syrup. Immerse an inner skirt steak or a flat-iron steak in it for 12-24 hrs and then grill to rare over a hot fire. I promise you it will be outstanding and something really different. But use a high-peat scotch like an Offerman or 16-yr Lagavulin.

On last year's Grouse Camp 2.0, the Jamison never got touched.

Brent, going to try that marinade.

Let me know what you think. A flank steak will work too, but it's not fatty enough to be optimal.

For a very full-flavored, yet smooth bourbon you should try Clyde Mays 6yr 110 proof. It's based om MGP's 60/36/4 mash bill.

I don't really appreciate a Scotch that smells/tastes of a peat bog. You will argue that I cannot appreciate the 'good stuff'! I personally vote for Fireball--Proof I guess that there is no accounting for taste?

I am in no way an expert on whiskey but to my taste Four Roses Single Barrel is mighty fine.

1800 Anejo.
No scotch or Bourbon for me.

One bourbon,one scotch and one beer

I’m no connoisseur like Steve Voss is, but my everyday favorites are:
Alaskan Amber (beer)
Old Forester 100 proof
The Balvenie 12
Famous Grouse


When I’m feeling fancy:

Edradour Old Calendonia 12

Glenmorangie LaSanta

Don Julio 70

Perhaps sacrilege to some, but I really enjoy Drambuie after a cold day of hunting. For scotch I keep it simple with Famous Grouse. A good German lager on a hot day as well.
Karl

Torture, as l can no-longer enjoy many of my past favorites (the lingering aftereffects of Lyme's). Pure corn whisky is still an option (Baby Blue) as are other spirits (rum, tequila, vodka, etc.). Oh well...vino with a good meal, port with desert.

Not sure why anyone would care about what I like, but here goes.

Bourbon don't like it very much

Scotch On a hunting trip I like a cheap one [maybe with a bit of smoke] like Old Smuggler. Must have with ice and water in those plastic Motel glasses

Rye In Canada, and now available here, Wiser's is great. Add Pendelton to the list, too My favorite at home.

Le Fusil tells about a scarce brand of scotch, The Edradour. When I was in the retail liquor business, The Edradour supply was kept "off the shelf". It was a wee bit hard to get. Things have probably changed since then. I have been a consumer, rather than a huckster, for going on 24 years now. I have had it all, but I still don't enjoy an Islay. With the ridiculous prices of single malt in the last decade or two, I have learned to enjoy a higher end bourbon when in a spending mood, but Evan Williams Black when I want my money's worth without being cheated.

Le Fusil tells about a scarce brand of scotch, The Edradour. When I was in the retail liquor business, The Edradour supply was kept "off the shelf". It was a wee bit hard to get. Things have probably changed since then. I have been a consumer, rather than a huckster, for going on 24 years now. I have had it all, but I still don't enjoy an Islay. With the ridiculous prices of single malt in the last decade or two, I have learned to enjoy a higher end bourbon when in a spending mood, but Evan Williams Black when I want my money's worth without being cheated.

Some might find this odd, but some of the single malts and blends coming out of India are pretty good. They can't call it Scotch, since that is (legally?) reserved for what comes out of Scotland, but I've tried several and they were pretty good at a reasonable price.

Where do they get peat in India? I suppose it must be there somewhere, but I've never heard of it at southern latitudes.

The peat comes from the cows

The Japanese also make a decent light bodied scotch

Beats me, I just drink it

Definitely, in a hurry to get wasted….

Best,
Ted

It's a song, Ted. Tom Waits.

I try to keep it simple. Highland Park (12), Talisker (10), and my all-time favorite (one of Michael Jackson's, too), Cragganmore (12). I haven't bought any for a while, but the Cragganmore might be outside the price range.

Written by Rudy Toombs, popularized by John Lee Hooker and George Thorogood.

No kidding, Dick Tracy. Did you happen to pay attention to the lyrics and what the song was actually about?

Idiot.

Best,
Ted

Yeah, I know the tune. Wasn't sure if you did. You miss on a lot of things.

BTW, how many grouse did you kill with just wads this year?

One bourbon and one beer would barely be enough to start a mild buzz. And just the taste of the scotch would likely make me puke... so I'd get nothing at all out of it except being left with a bad taste in my mouth.

[/quote]

Yeah, I know the tune. Wasn't sure if you did. You miss on a lot of things.

BTW, how many grouse did you kill with just wads this year? [/quote]

None. How many Springfields did you blow up this year?

Best,
Ted

Comebacks like Ted just made to The Nutty Professor are a good reason why we should be able to give a post multiple "Likes"...

Pics of the bar..,
If any of you ever come through northern Utah…let me know….open invite. Ya, even guys like BrentD. That’s how I roll. Straight up A-hole…but I take care of my people. Hell, we can all find something to drink to!!!!


The Edradour. Brought back direct from Scotland courtesy of one of my best friends and hunting partners, Tim Jones.


How many of you have one of these!?? Courtesy of my brother. He’s SF and was in Scotland training with the SAS.





I don’t how many of you have experienced this delightful concoction….but it is devine!!!

That's a lot of gun cleaning solvent, Dustin.

😂😂

Where’s the Colonel E.H. Taylor, Dustin? Otherwise, you look pretty well stocked…😊

I developed a taste for scotch when I turned 50. Glenlivet 12 is my everyday Scotch but I keep a bottle of Laproig Select, Talisker Storm and Arbeg around for special occasions. I really like the smoky peaty stuff. I recently developed a taste for Bourbons but some are a little "hot" for me but some of my favorites are George Dickel and Four Roses. But alas, where I live Bud Light, Busch Light Peach and Windsor are considered top shelf and for the few Scotch drinkers Passport is top shelf.

I just picked up a bottle of Balvenie 12 year double cask. I have something to celebrate next week, a mighty fine shipment of guns is arriving and we dram or two is called for.

On the subject of beer, this summer I was enjoying Smithwick's, a nice beer for the warm weather.

Ooh! I've had a glass of the Midwinter Night stuff during an informal dégustation in a Kentucky-born friend's Manhattan apartment almost a decade ago. He gave me a crack at a half-dozen bottles he'd refrained from draining until I could show up to visit, all bourbons and ryes. (T'was an, ahem, interesting 60-block walk back to my hotel afterwards.) That stuff and Colonel Taylor 100-proof straight rye were the standouts for me, and there wasn't an uninteresting bottle in the lot.

60 blocks?

63, to be precise. I got some good pictures, walking south along Broadway that night.

Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg. Islay in winter is on my bucket list, to see the geese and visit the distilleries. Highland Park or Balvenie when feeling wan and pale.

Glenmorangie brings me back to Aberdeen 50 years ago, and the sainted Professor Dunnett, who at a party one night took me by the hair, tipped my head back, and said "Young Frank, it is time you learn to drink whisky", and put the bottle in my mouth. He would bring his own bottle to parties, finish it off, and be at his desk analyzing data the next morning at 8.

Can't drink Bourbon. It goes back to Christmas Day 1966 and an unfortunate collision between Montagnard rice wine (complete with insects) and the bottle of 4 roses I stuck into my jungle fatigue trouser pockets to retaliate against the Montagnards making me drink that warmed over p---s.

I fell in love with Scotch in Pakistan in 1975 - the Pak Army at the time ran not on gasoline but on Scotch Whiskey before the Zia Coup against Bhutto. Can't drink it much any more. Am now limited to the occasional Vodka. But scotch whiskey is smoke and acid and an inescapable addiction. I also guess most of the South has Scot ancestry . . .at least it used to be except for Baldwin and Huntsville Counties in Alabama which are German. . . before the flood of Yankee migrant refugees seeking a better life.

Having a Scot ancestry doesn't necessarily mean you like Scotch, Gene. Tastes like bad scorched moonshine to me. I tried very hard to "acquire a taste" for it, but sometimes the juice ain't worth the squeeze. I'm a bourbon man.

Stanton, it's interesting conundrum. I came to understand early in my married life (about 1982 during a visit up from Africa) that the French absolutely love Bourbon. I can't explain it. I carry bottles of it when I visit relatives. I took engraved bottles to the mayor of Pretot-Sainte-Suzanne in 2019 and to the French Historian Dominique Francois for the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

I figured this out about 1982. If I had not been in government service, I would have immediately cornered the market on selling American bourbon in France. (And at a recent party for a hard corps group of para military contractors at my home, 4 bottles of bourbon disappeared in an instant - fortunately reinforced by bottles they had brought); the Glenlivett sat unused.

]

Loves me some good whisky, whether it be Single malt scotch(except the really heavily peated islay) , Irish(green spot), or good Bourbon(Wild Turkey rare, 4 roses, etc). I have a friend in Missouri who makes his own from a blend of 50% corn, 25% malted oats, and 25% Barley malt. It'll tickle your innards! lol.

For the readers' information, Four Roses was a very inexpensive blended whiskey in the fifties and sixties. Today's version of Four Roses is a premium to super premium bourbon of good reputation.

Being as I wasn't of sufficient age to enjoy Bourbon in the 50's and 6o's, I couldn't comment on that. I don't know as well about Wild Turkey in that era, but Wild Turkey rare breed barrel proof is some mighty tasty whiskey. Even the bargain-priced 101 gets plenty of respect. rare breed is ~$52, 101 is ~$27

Discounting the just OK 4 roses plane jane, the small batch at ~$30 is pretty good, and the single barrel at around $54 is even better. It starts there, and goes up to the stratosphere, like $800 for super select bottles. Yeah, I'd say it's a premium bourbon.

Cabin Still still being made? We called it Stab 'n Kill.

Yep, it's still around, but I tend to avoid such swill, Jim Beam, etc. I wouldn't even put it in bbq sauce.

A couple of years ago at my summer weekend hangout in ruffed grouse and spruce grouse country, the survivors at end of season. Some for mixing, most for sipping. The couple on the Ieft, I won't ever buy again. Glenfiddich 12's gotten too leathery in the past few years, and The Singleton, well, it just didn't do it. But the others... Yes.

I've settled in with Wild Turkey 101 as my everyday bourbon. A handle is +/- $45 here. There are many that have been mentioned here that I really like, but the smoke and earth of 101 is good to me. I'm going to try some Angel's Envy soon just because. The best bourbon I've ever had was Pappy Van Winkle 20 y.o. Fantastic. William Larue Weller is a close second. Stan and I be simpatico on Scotch, a hard no thank ye.
JR

You may really like Angel's Envy, John. I thought it was pretty dang good. Watch the mail. There be some Oak Park "Special" Corn Whiskey coming soon.

Oh Lord help me...
JR

Wild Turkey 101 == best value in bourbon, in my ever so humble opinion. Had a finger of Pappy Van Winkle a little while back, fabulous stuff. Pretty hard to come by here.

Heard the angel's envy was good, a couple of ladies at a recent party were ordering it in old fashioned's. I was sipping Glenmorangie at the time, and wondering if that was a good use for fine whiskey. I kept my thoughts to myself.

And further, Wild Turkey 81 is for amateurs.
JR

Not having read the whole of this thread, would put a thumb up for Larceny as being a very solid choice for a very consistently good bourbon. I like to call it the Pappy Van Winkle that you can buy. Don't knock it, unless you have both at hand to try... and before you've had a wee dram of anything else that might affect your pallet.

If you Like good bourbon, this is one that's generally available and reasonably priced, for the quality.

Is Imperial gone? Was my neighbor's favorite.....likely because of the cheap price.

My evening choice is now Macallan 12 year old, double cask. Not peaty. Very smooth. About $69 here in Santa Fe.

Imperial is a blended American whiskey, even though it may taste good, it is beneath the "xxx" of the posters on this site. I couldn't think of a word to replace my "xxx". Maybe "prestige" may make it. As I explained to a lady who asked me about the suitability of a spirit she was considering purchasing, "Madam, I drink for a completely different reason than you do." We then restarted our discussion on a different plane.

Bill, I realized some 25 years ago that folks drink for very different reasons. I was leasing the deer hunting on part of my land to a group from a city about an hour away. They fixed up an old tenant house on my land to use as a weekend getaway, base for deer hunting, and cooking. One occasional guest who didn't even hunt was asked one evening why he didn't mix his whiskey with something else, like a soft drink. He replied that if he were to do that it would defeat his purpose for drinking in the first place. I'm thankful that was never my intent, when I pour three fingers of bourbon over ice in the evening.

At least Stan has his quantities right.

Reminds me of my old friend Al Dueis. He and his buddies hunted on a farm in MN for years. Upon arrival, the owner always insisted they do a group tour around his wetlands. He would get in the back seat, pop the cork off a quart of whiskey and toss it out the window. Needless to say, the hunters slept well that first night.

Just had me some Wild Turkey Rare Breed. It's 101 kicked up just a notch. Good shit.
JR