/ck/ - Food & Cooking

[Anonymous No.4114272]

So I've never really been into alcohol, but I'd like to be able to at least tell what's good whisky and what isn't. Is there a infopic or something I can look to?

[Anonymous No.4114275]

good whisky is any whisky you can drink without making that "EUGH, HARD LIQUOR" grimace.

[Anonymous No.4114307]

>>4114272
depends on the whiskey, theres many different kinds. theres regional drinks like scotch or bourbon that are made to strict standards of recipe, the type of barrel, alcohol per volume, how long it's aged, and country of origin.

then theres just standard whiskey, which doesn't have too many standards to meet.

if you want a deliscious bourbon try knob creek, its a little pricey but it's damn good. it's made in small batches, aged 8 years, 100 proof, and honestly one of the best whiskeys i've ever had straight with no mixers.

[Anonymous No.4114310]

>>4114272
>2013
Still thinking there is "good" whisky.

[Anonymous No.4114315]

>>4114272

[Anonymous No.4114517]

>>4114272
Depends what kind of whisky/whiskey you want to get. I can post some basics though.

Scotch and Irish are malt whiskeys (I'll just default to that spelling; it's the one used for everything but scotch generally), so they're made from barley. Irish whiskey is different in that it's traditionally triple distilled and often in a copper pot still, and also often has some unmalted barley included while scotch is pure malt. Rye whiskey is, not surprisingly, made from rye primarily; Canadian whiskey is generally rye. Bourbon is made primarily from corn, often with some rye included though in some cases wheat replaces the rye. Wheated bourbons are generally richer and sweeter but less spicy.

Scotch whisky is produced in several regions which traditionally produce quite different styles; Islay whisky, for instance, is (usually) very peaty and intense while Speysides are milder, sweeter, and fruitier.

Recommendations:
>Scotch:
Aberlour A'bunadh is probably my favorite at the moment. Aberlour, Glenmorangie, Balvenie, and Highland Park are all decent brands to start with; flavorful but easy to drink. If you want to jump in at the deep end and try an Islay go for Ardbeg rather than Laphroaig, I find it more balanced.

>Irish:
Jameson crested ten, Redbreast 12, Middleton, Tyrconnel

>Rye:
Whistlepig, Rittenhouse, Sazerac, Old Potrero

>Bourbon:
Booker's, Elijah Craig 12, Evan Williams single barrel, Blanton's, WL Weller 12

Last advice: don't drink whiskey because of its reputation. Drink what you enjoy, that's the point of it.

[Anonymous No.4114522]

>>4114272
Black bush. It's expensive here and I live near where they make it. It's very smooth though. You forget it's whiskey when you're drinking it. You use a mixer until you realise it tastes better on it's own.

[Anonymous No.4114532]

>>4114517
Jameson's is ok. There's much better though.
Scotch or Irish, always go for a single malt.
You'll taste it without the bite.
Black Bush is fantastic.

[Anonymous No.4114534]

>>4114532
Standard Jameson is meh-tier at best, but crested ten is a pretty substantial step up and still pretty affordable. It's definitely one I'd recommend for people just getting into whiskey, as it's pretty easy-drinking.

[Anonymous No.4114542]

>>4114534
I'll not put you down for recommending it.
It's a good call.

[Anonymous No.4114555]

Not to hijack the thread, but I mainly drink Jim Beam and haven't found anything I've liked as much while trying to branch out.

Are there any that are similar in taste and body but higher grade?

[Anonymous No.4114558]

>>4114555
Jim Beam is a pretty sweet bourbon so a wheated one would probably be your best bet. For a reasonably-priced choice your best bet IMO would be Maker's 46.

You could also try some of the Beam distillery's higher-end offerings, though they differ a bit imo from the standard JB; Booker's is particularly great but it's cask strength so if that's not your cup of tea go for Baker's or Knob Creek, particularly the single barrel version.

[Anonymous No.4114559]

>>4114558
Funny that you should mention Maker's Mark and Knob Creek, as I've tried both and they seemed a little more watery and not as flavorful as Beam, although I haven't tried the higher ends of either three.

I guess I'll just have to splurge one of these times to check them out.

[The REAL Sourdough !!2WuNblfHe6b No.4114582]

>>4114307
I'd not call Knob Creek "delicious". I personally can't stand it, but then I'm more of a Wild Turkey kinda guy (at least as far as bourbon goes). I do highly recommend Wild Turkey's Rare Breed and Jack Daniels' Gentleman Jack. Both are a cut above the regular fare and VERY tasty; smooth, aromatic, flavorful but not overpowering. Elijah Craig is also quite good as well. I suggest you avoid ALL forms of Jim beam except the rye whiskey.

Just as a general guideline, Scotch tends to have an earthy, smokey quality from the peat used to make the malt used in the mash. It also tends to be harsher the further away from England you get. I can only recommend one scotch as I am not a fan of the stuff; Speyburn 10 year old single malt scotch.

Irish whiskey is a whole other beast. Almost universally smooth, the general taste is that of mellow scotch minus the overpowering smoky, earthiness of peat (though peated Irish whiskeys do exist). Bushmill's, Michael Collins, Jameson's and Red Breast are geed to outstanding examples.

Rules of thumb
>Single malts are better than blended whiskeys.
>The older the better.
>Oddly enough, with Canadian whiskey, I've found that the cheaper it is, the smoother the taste.

[Anonymous No.4114588]

>>4114315
stahp

[Anonymous No.4114590]

>>4114555

[Anonymous No.4114626]

>>4114582
>>The older the better.
i love sitting back with an older bottle of whiskey and thinking back to what i was doing when it was being made.

i've got a 12 year old bottle of scotch made when i was my old hell raising 15 year old self without a care in the world and absolutely know idea how my life was going to be fliped upside down in about a year.

my bottle of knob creek was made when i was graduating from high school, had 2 jobs, making hella cash life was good.jpg

[The REAL Sourdough !!2WuNblfHe6b No.4114637]

>>4114626
I know the feeling. I've a bottle of 21 year old Bushmills that was in the wood about the same time I was learning to drive. It's my poteen of choice. Nothing quite like sipping a couple of fingers of good Irish and reflecting on the day's triumphs.

[Anonymous No.4114648]

>>4114582
>Gentleman Jack

Mah nigga, shit is smooth as fuck.