The Whisky (Whiskey) thread

[Down by the River]

Some friends and I can't afford to regularly buy nice bottles, so we've decided to start a scotch club so that we get to taste different scotches, figure out what we like, chance to socialize, etc.

Anybody ever done something similar? Thoughts on group size, what to do with left-over bottles (we figured just raffle off each bottle at the end of the night)? Any experience, positive or negative, would be helpful.

[ckamo]

Some friends and I can't afford to regularly buy nice bottles, so we've decided to start a scotch club so that we get to taste different scotches, figure out what we like, chance to socialize, etc.

Anybody ever done something similar? Thoughts on group size, what to do with left-over bottles (we figured just raffle off each bottle at the end of the night)? Any experience, positive or negative, would be helpful.

Not really quite the same, but my coworkers and I used to take turns bringing in bottles of scotch to share (not during work). We drank together often enough that we'd have maybe 2 bottles open at any given time and we wouldn't bring another in til we polished off a bottle. You don't get to sample that many at once (especially if they decide they've found "the one"), but it was a more affordable way of having scotch.

I think raffling them off could cause a bit of bitterness if the same person kept winning them, lol.

[Green Building]

Some friends and I can't afford to regularly buy nice bottles, so we've decided to start a scotch club so that we get to taste different scotches, figure out what we like, chance to socialize, etc.

Anybody ever done something similar? Thoughts on group size, what to do with left-over bottles (we figured just raffle off each bottle at the end of the night)? Any experience, positive or negative, would be helpful.

Never a negative experience with a whisky share, unless the people are wieners to begin with and you don't want to hang with them. Since they are your friends, I don't see that as an issue.

What we did was have everyone bring their own bottle of whatever, with a predetermined floor on price, and we always decide no ceiling. Bourbon is welcome too. Just have it early, before any scotch tastes. And with say an $80 minimum, that is going to be one fantastic bourbon.

To start, every bottle was poured, in order of taste/region (think Highland before Islay), nothing too revolutionary, and if we had fewer than say 5 or 6 people, we did 2 rounds of each flight. Yeah, by the end we are well on our way with our 1 1/2 - 2 oz pours times 5 or 6 rounds and run through twice. But hey, that's the point of a tasting, to taste.

By the end of the night the bottles are usually within a few ounces of each other, and here is how we usually finish things off.

If we want to keep it simple we put numbers in a hat, and hold a whisky draft.

If we want to go a little more complicated, we add a few twists. Everyone but the host still picks draft position out of a hat. To start, the host gets first pick for cleaning up the inevitable mess and so forth. If he wants to keep the bottle he or she supplied, proceed as normal to the second pick. If he or she snags another bottle, then the person who brought the bottle the host nabs then gets next pick, regardless of their draft number and the draft order continues from there. For example, If the host grabs a bottle that someone picking 4th out of 6 picks brought, that person now picks second instead of 4th, the 5th pick is now 3rd, the 6th pick is now 4th and so on.

It's a little screwy reworking the whisky draft like that, but it usually leads to a few laughs, and everyone is kind of loaded so no-one really cares about what they leave with.

If there is a major dud at the tasting, that person is sent home with it, but that rule has never been implemented.

There are many ways to do it, you could also just tell people they are taking home what they bring and leave it at that.

Most importantly, have fun, and make sure there are a few things to eat handy. Whisky nights need snacks to help soak up the booze.

I hope this helps you in some way.

[Green Building]

And now I'm about to open a bottle that I picked up a few days ago. I'm really excited about this:

[Down by the River]

Never a negative experience with a whisky share, unless the people are wieners to begin with and you don't want to hang with them. Since they are your friends, I don't see that as an issue.

What we did was have everyone bring their own bottle of whatever, with a predetermined floor on price, and we always decide no ceiling. Bourbon is welcome too. Just have it early, before any scotch tastes. And with say an $80 minimum, that is going to be one fantastic bourbon.

To start, every bottle was poured, in order of taste/region (think Highland before Islay), nothing too revolutionary, and if we had fewer than say 5 or 6 people, we did 2 rounds of each flight. Yeah, by the end we are well on our way with our 1 1/2 - 2 oz pours times 5 or 6 rounds and run through twice. But hey, that's the point of a tasting, to taste.

By the end of the night the bottles are usually within a few ounces of each other, and here is how we usually finish things off.

If we want to keep it simple we put numbers in a hat, and hold a whisky draft.

If we want to go a little more complicated, we add a few twists. Everyone but the host still picks draft position out of a hat. To start, the host gets first pick for cleaning up the inevitable mess and so forth. If he wants to keep the bottle he or she supplied, proceed as normal to the second pick. If he or she snags another bottle, then the person who brought the bottle the host nabs then gets next pick, regardless of their draft number and the draft order continues from there. For example, If the host grabs a bottle that someone picking 4th out of 6 picks brought, that person now picks second instead of 4th, the 5th pick is now 3rd, the 6th pick is now 4th and so on.

It's a little screwy reworking the whisky draft like that, but it usually leads to a few laughs, and everyone is kind of loaded so no-one really cares about what they leave with.

If there is a major dud at the tasting, that person is sent home with it, but that rule has never been implemented.

There are many ways to do it, you could also just tell people they are taking home what they bring and leave it at that.

Most importantly, have fun, and make sure there are a few things to eat handy. Whisky nights need snacks to help soak up the booze.

I hope this helps you in some way.

Very helpful and glad to hear about the success with yours. I like your raffle scheme especially. We are all grad students so not making a lot of money, so we want to do something that isn't going to be expensive, but still get to at least taste quality scotch of different varieties. We will probably stick to just one bottle a month, that way it will be easy to retain membership and not have people cancel/drop out because they don't want to drop the 80-100 dollars each month.

[Down by the River]

Not really quite the same, but my coworkers and I used to take turns bringing in bottles of scotch to share (not during work). We drank together often enough that we'd have maybe 2 bottles open at any given time and we wouldn't bring another in til we polished off a bottle. You don't get to sample that many at once (especially if they decide they've found "the one"), but it was a more affordable way of having scotch.

I think raffling them off could cause a bit of bitterness if the same person kept winning them, lol.

Definitely! Maybe we will exclude the winner in month one from the draw in month two or something like that.

[Henrik Kesler]

Never a negative experience with a whisky share, unless the people are wieners to begin with and you don't want to hang with them. Since they are your friends, I don't see that as an issue.

What we did was have everyone bring their own bottle of whatever, with a predetermined floor on price, and we always decide no ceiling. Bourbon is welcome too. Just have it early, before any scotch tastes. And with say an $80 minimum, that is going to be one fantastic bourbon.

To start, every bottle was poured, in order of taste/region (think Highland before Islay), nothing too revolutionary, and if we had fewer than say 5 or 6 people, we did 2 rounds of each flight. Yeah, by the end we are well on our way with our 1 1/2 - 2 oz pours times 5 or 6 rounds and run through twice. But hey, that's the point of a tasting, to taste.

By the end of the night the bottles are usually within a few ounces of each other, and here is how we usually finish things off.

If we want to keep it simple we put numbers in a hat, and hold a whisky draft.

If we want to go a little more complicated, we add a few twists. Everyone but the host still picks draft position out of a hat. To start, the host gets first pick for cleaning up the inevitable mess and so forth. If he wants to keep the bottle he or she supplied, proceed as normal to the second pick. If he or she snags another bottle, then the person who brought the bottle the host nabs then gets next pick, regardless of their draft number and the draft order continues from there. For example, If the host grabs a bottle that someone picking 4th out of 6 picks brought, that person now picks second instead of 4th, the 5th pick is now 3rd, the 6th pick is now 4th and so on.

It's a little screwy reworking the whisky draft like that, but it usually leads to a few laughs, and everyone is kind of loaded so no-one really cares about what they leave with.

If there is a major dud at the tasting, that person is sent home with it, but that rule has never been implemented.

There are many ways to do it, you could also just tell people they are taking home what they bring and leave it at that.

Most importantly, have fun, and make sure there are a few things to eat handy. Whisky nights need snacks to help soak up the booze.

I hope this helps you in some way.

I'm definitely going to try this with some of my college buddies.

[ckamo]

Very helpful and glad to hear about the success with yours. I like your raffle scheme especially. We are all grad students so not making a lot of money, so we want to do something that isn't going to be expensive, but still get to at least taste quality scotch of different varieties. We will probably stick to just one bottle a month, that way it will be easy to retain membership and not have people cancel/drop out because they don't want to drop the 80-100 dollars each month.

Wait, were you the one that's at U of Toronto? I want in!

[Down by the River]

Wait, were you the one that's at U of Toronto? I want in!

Naw, SFU. Gotta find something to do on that hill

[King Heffy]

Recent additions:

Writers Tears was excellent, so thanks for all the recs on here. Crown Royal's cheap enough that I won't have a coronary when my girlfriend decides to mix it with coke, and it's drinkable neat or on ice although uninteresting. Saving the best for last, I'll be cracking both open tonight. Super excited about the Corryvreckan.

Edited September 13, 2014 by King Heffy

[Green Building]

Writers Tears was excellent, so thanks for all the recs on here. Crown Royal's cheap enough that I won't have a coronary when my girlfriend decides to mix it with coke, and it's drinkable neat or on ice although uninteresting. Saving the best for last, I'll be cracking both open tonight. Super excited about the Corryvreckan.

4 Roses is one of my favourite bourbons, and Ardbeg, well, that peat is right up my alley. I have only bought bottles of Ten, but have had Corryvreckan in a few watering holes and you won't be disappointed, at all.

Glad you liked the Writers Tears. The first time I had it I was very surprised at how smooth it is.

[Henrik Kesler]

I purchased some of this tonight as I'm newish to Irish Whiskey. The liquor store also has Green Spot which I believe I've seen recommended around here so I'll be giving that a try in the future.

Edit: After having this and directly comparing it to "The Frog," Connemara essentially tastes like a slightly peated Highland scotch. It's a very good taste, but I like more peat. Either way, I would definitely purchase again.

Edited September 14, 2014 by Henrik Kesler

[Green Building]

I purchased some of this tonight as I'm newish to Irish Whiskey. The liquor store also has Green Spot which I believe I've seen recommended around here so I'll be giving that a try in the future.

Edit: After having this and directly comparing it to "The Frog," Connemara essentially tastes like a slightly peated Highland scotch. It's a very good taste, but I like more peat. Either way, I would definitely purchase again.

I've seen that on store shelves before, now that I've enjoyed my other bottle of Irish whiskey I'll be more likely to give others a shot.

First up though is replacing my peaty scotches as Laphroaig and Ardbeg were both recently emptied. Lag 16 only has a spot or 2 left as well.

The next trip to the liquor store is going to be a fun one.

What scotch would anyone here say they've had where the "salt" flavour was particularly noticeable?

[Down by the River]

Picked this up today:

[Green Building]

Picked this up today:

Far and away one of my favourites. I just read today that in 1981 the distillery closed only to re-open in 1997! I never knew that the whole time I had been enjoying this beauty that there was a chance I would never have been able to have it in the first place as I would not have been of age, or maturity, to enjoy this fine green bottle.

Also picked this wood flavoured scotch one up for the first time ever and found it to be pretty good, albeit a little safe flavour wise for what I typically gravitate towards:

[Down by the River]

Far and away one of my favourites. I just read today that in 1981 the distillery closed only to re-open in 1997! I never knew that the whole time I had been enjoying this beauty that there was a chance I would never have been able to have it in the first place as I would not have been of age, or maturity, to enjoy this fine green bottle.

Also picked this wood flavoured scotch one up for the first time ever and found it to be pretty good, albeit a little safe flavour wise for what I typically gravitate towards:

I always like the idea of woody scotches, as fresh cut cedar is one of my favourite smells of all time. But, such scotches are sometimes too smooth. Balvenie double wood was maybe the last one I had and it was like butter.

[King Heffy]

Looking forward to the free Macallan tasting at the Empress on Oct 23. I haven't tried their NAS statement expressions, but have enjoyed the 12. Hopefully I'll be impressed.

I also recently managed to acquire some of this:

The pumpkin spice overpowers the rest of the whisky, making it a little too sweet for my tastes. It's certainly drinkable neat, but I'm glad I didn't pay for it.

Next purchase is probably going to be the Glenlivet Nadurra, along with some kind of American Rye. I'm torn between the Rittenhouse and the Bulleit (Rittenhouse is about $50, with Bulleit being around $36). Is the Rittenhouse worth the price difference?

As for the Corryvrecken, wow. Definitely picked up a sour lemon note in there, but it worked incredibly well with the peat, along with hints of a really well cooked steak. Absolutely amazing and definitely worth the money if you're into the peat monsters.

Edited September 28, 2014 by King Heffy

[Henrik Kesler]

Looking forward to the free Macallan tasting at the Empress on Oct 23. I haven't tried their NAS statement expressions, but have enjoyed the 12. Hopefully I'll be impressed.

I also recently managed to acquire some of this:

The pumpkin spice overpowers the rest of the whisky, making it a little too sweet for my tastes. It's certainly drinkable neat, but I'm glad I didn't pay for it.

Next purchase is probably going to be the Glenlivet Nadurra, along with some kind of American Rye. I'm torn between the Rittenhouse and the Bulleit (Rittenhouse is about $50, with Bulleit being around $36). Is the Rittenhouse worth the price difference?

As for the Corryvrecken, wow. Definitely picked up a sour lemon note in there, but it worked incredibly well with the peat, along with hints of a really well cooked steak. Absolutely amazing and definitely worth the money if you're into the peat monsters.

Go with Bulleit. I've had both, and prefer the Bulleit by miles. Rittenhouse is wayyyy to sweet for a good rye, IMO. Rittenhouse is an 'old style' rye in that it's only 51% rye in the mash bill. The Bulleit is 95% rye, and a very good, if a bit in your face, whiskey.

[Heretic]

Sorry, this thread reminded me of these lyrics:

Pissing the night away
Pissing the night away
He drinks a whiskey drink
He drinks a vodka drink
He drinks a lager drink
He drinks a cider drink
He sings the songs that remind him
Of the good times
He sings the songs that remind him
Of the better times

In my "youth", I used to drink Canadian Club.

[Stizz19]

Some friends and I can't afford to regularly buy nice bottles, so we've decided to start a scotch club so that we get to taste different scotches, figure out what we like, chance to socialize, etc.

Anybody ever done something similar? Thoughts on group size, what to do with left-over bottles (we figured just raffle off each bottle at the end of the night)? Any experience, positive or negative, would be helpful.

We do spirits nights, mostly Scotch, quite often. There is 4 or 5 of us and we usually buy bottles between $70-$125 and just take it home after. After those nights and Christmas of 2013 my Scotch collection grew to about 11 bottles. Sometimes we will go halfers on a nice bottle as well, and are thinking of spending $200-$300 on a bottle when we find one we really like.