I am American and love bourbon but wanted to expand on whisky. I tried some Scotch and my palette does not like malted barley. I tried Ardbeg 10 and my nose tried to remove itself from my face. I tried a low cost Irish whiskey called Kilbrin and I like the smoothness, the grain profile is good (not malty), it’s fruity, but it’s just too mild with no good flavor. Does anyone have a recommendation?
Irish Whisky
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Redbreast is very tasty. For my budget, it’s not something I drink regularly like my faithful Bulliett. Absolutely worth keeping a bottle around though
For me spirits with an ABV of 40 are just too mild. 42-45 is my low mark. I figured this out when I started to explore Rum. The higher proof cuts through the sugars and clarifies the overall tasting experience.
If you want to go down a rabbit hole, start sampling rum. No other liquor even comes close to the varietal spectrum of Rum.
If you want to go down a rabbit hole, start sampling rum. No other liquor even comes close to the varietal spectrum of Rum.
Good info. Rum is usually far too sweet for me. I’ll have to try something with a little higher octane
Yea I have hear a lot of good reviews about Redbreast 12 but does it have malted barley? I just don’t like that flavor. I wish I did because there is so many Scotches to try, but I guess my palate is in control.
To that, I don’t really know. But I do know that I have not yet acquired a taste for scotch. So I personally would not compare them to each other
My favorite genre anymore may be rye. (The ones that actually taste like rye bread, which is not all of them)
I do like bourbon.
I used to be in to scotch, but that's waned a bit. I usually like peated best (Laphroig Quarter Cask may be my favorite), but there are a handful of non-peated that I like (Dalmore Cigar Malt, Oban 14, Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban)
For a long time, I thought I just wasn't going to like Irish. I don't like most of them. But I've found 3 to my liking -- Tullamore Dew and Redbreast 12 are both worth drinking, but the absolute best is Powers. It's head-and-tails better than the others. If you like bourbon, you may like Powers.
I do like bourbon.
I used to be in to scotch, but that's waned a bit. I usually like peated best (Laphroig Quarter Cask may be my favorite), but there are a handful of non-peated that I like (Dalmore Cigar Malt, Oban 14, Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban)
For a long time, I thought I just wasn't going to like Irish. I don't like most of them. But I've found 3 to my liking -- Tullamore Dew and Redbreast 12 are both worth drinking, but the absolute best is Powers. It's head-and-tails better than the others. If you like bourbon, you may like Powers.
I also enjoy Redbreast 12. Another vote for Powers.
There are some Teelings I’ve liked. Since you didn’t like Ardbeg, I would stay away from Blackpitts (it’s a nice budget friendly peated whisky).
There are some Teelings I’ve liked. Since you didn’t like Ardbeg, I would stay away from Blackpitts (it’s a nice budget friendly peated whisky).
I have not got to Rum yet but I did see a review about FourSquare Nobiliary. Have you tried it?
Before spending money on bottles I'd suggest finding a good bar that does tasting flights and sample what they have to offer.
I don't pay attention to spirit reviews anymore. I must be the only person who does not care for Powers and Foursquare products.
I don't pay attention to spirit reviews anymore. I must be the only person who does not care for Powers and Foursquare products.
Their standard offering (which I think is the "gold label"?).
I did try a friend's upper shelf iteration of Powers (I forget which release), and didn't like it as much as their standard offering.
Those rare occasions I buy Irish, it's Jameson for me as it tastes fine and is cheaper than many. However, fortuntately I like Scotch better as there are blended ones I really enjoy and they're typically half the price of many (most?) Irish.
Long time Scotch fan here. Also dabble in bourbon, but prefer rye. Funnily enough I am awaiting delivery of a bottle of Red Breast Lustau edition to dip my toe i to Irish. A few thing have previously put me off. Firstly, the cost here in Scotland. Irish is quite expensive for a like for like comparison. You genrally have to travel a fair bit up the price point before you get something non chill filtered amd above 40%abv. Also having heard rave reviews I tried the standard Red Breast 12 and have to say I wasn't impressed. I know the oily smooth mouth feel is a seeling point, but I found it quite boring. I prefer a bit of an explosion of taste in the mouth that didn't happen. The Red Breast Lustau was a punt I was prepared to take due to its higher abv and Laustau sherry finish. I did manage to sample a bit yesterday in a whisky shop and was far more impressed than I was with the 12, so I reckon it was worth the gamble. Will be able to say more after a couple of drams from my own bottle.
So I think what you’re tasting & not liking in scotch is peat malted barley. Most whiskey has a portion of malted barley in the mix. Some Irish whiskeys have a small portion of peat smoked malt in there, but nothing like scotch. If you’d like to branch out a little, rye whiskey is a smooth option. Redbreast is a good choice too. If you’d rather not commit to a whole bottle, find a good Irish pub & get a shot. Bushmill’s & Jameson are 2 solid Irish whiskies with a couple of small batch offerings as well. Sa’linte!
Glenmorangie quinta Ruban 14 is a fantastic scotch. Even if you think that you do not like scotch ( a difficult concept in light of the very profoundly different varieties across Scotland. For example, Islay (eye-la) scotch and speyside scotch are as different as can possibly be.) You ought to try the Quinta Ruban. You might just be surprised. Also, a rye which is very good and reasonably priced is Noble Oak.
Red Breast is a mix of malted and unmalted barley, distilled in a pot still. This gives it the unique classification of 'Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey'. Scotch single malt has to be distilled in a pot still also, however as the name suggests the barley must be malted. To confuse things if a scottish distillery started using unmalted barley it would have to call it 'Single Grain Whisky' .Some of Irish whiskey's smoothness comes from triple distillation, a process which I think most if not all Irish whiskey goes through. Scotch single malt is nearly exclusively double distilled, with some exceptions. Hazleburn (which is the triple distilled Springbank), as well as Auchentoshan are both triple distilled. Benriach also have a triple distilled expression.
Many rums have sugars added. Look for barrel aged rums that have little to no sugar added. The agricole Rhums usually are free from added sugars. There are a ton of rums that taste nothing like Captain Morgan or Myers, in fact these junk mixer rums are greatly in the minority.
The problem is finding an outlet the carries a good selection. I’m lucky in that I live close to one of the great retailers for wine and spirits.
Good idea. I do buy the 50ml samples when available but those are mostly cheap selections.