Too drunk too make a new thread. New Booze Thread.

[clare]

No, what you need to do, Peacocks, is take the wine out of the box, so it's just in its bladder. Then you attach the bladder to your rotary clothesline. Players stand under the clothesline in the path of the bladder and then spin the line. If the bladder lands over your head, you drink, while it's still attached to the clothesline. This game is called "Goon of Fortune" (the bladder is a goonie bag).

[elpollodiablo]

I bought a bottle of Basil Hayden's today because I wanted to try a new bourbon and the selection at the liquor store in town is seriously limited. Really wish I could have picked up something more offbeat, like another rye, but this is decent sippin' bourbon, I suppose. It's not materially better than the Buffalo Trace, though it's a little less sweet and grassy, a little smoother and a bit spicier. I dunno. I'll probably just end up making cocktails with it. :/

[elpollodiablo]

Actually by the end of this glass I've really warmed up to it. That peppery spiciness is really nice.

[Antero]

Basil Hayden's is quite friendly.  Not mindblowing, but very friendly.

[elpollodiablo]

Found a can of Gosling's ginger beer in the fridge. 2oz Basil Hayden's + 4oz Gosling's = mmmmmm

[elpollodiablo]

Today I brewed 10 gals of beer with a dude and was later gifted a bottle of Redbreast 12.

Also these came in the mail

[Antero]

Those glasses are fantastic, good score.

[JamesSchneider]

Yay!

My boozing today is sad, as I'm sick.

My hot toddy
1 tsp raw honey
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 twist of lemon
1 heavy pour of Jim Beam
1 amount of boiling water

[Greg Nog]

God, I love those glasses!  Good for scotch, but I also drink Ouzo out of them all the time.

[elpollodiablo]

They will be filled with bourbon and Irish whiskey until I get a bottle of scotch. It has been a long time since I bought a bottle of scotch.

[Antero]

well get some fucking scotch then

[elpollodiablo]

But what! And no more than $60.

[justinh]

At $5 per 750mL, possibly the best deal in Australian beer

[Antero]

But what! And no more than $60.

Talisker 10 and Caol Ila 12 are both about $60.  I'll never say no to those.  Or Bunnhabhain 12, which is fantastic now that they upped the proof a little and about $15 cheaper - that's in a Talisker-y direction.

[davy]

Ok maybe it's not that great if the wine you drink comes out of a box and you twist open a valve to get it in your glass like a water jug thing. Because then you treat the wine like water.

I've become a devoted fan of the Bota Box. Their Old Vine Zin and Shiraz are TOPS and the price is right.

[davy]

Also these came in the mail

I just bought two of those! (They have not yet come in the mail, but I'm already thinking about what kind of scotch I'm going to buy in honor of getting to use them.)

[davy]

But what! And no more than $60.

Talisker 10 and Caol Ila 12 are both about $60.  I'll never say no to those.  Or Bunnhabhain 12, which is fantastic now that they upped the proof a little and about $15 cheaper - that's in a Talisker-y direction.

My suggestions would be Glenrothes Select Reserve, Balvenie 12, or Macallan 12. Those should be a little less than $50 most places. I'm especially high on Glenrothes right now, and they've got a number of enticing options in the $45-$75 range.

There's also a really great, pretty scotchy single malt from Virgina called Wasmund's that Dave bought for me when he visited a hundred years ago. Same price range. Still one of the most enjoyable bottles of whisky I've had.

[elpollodiablo]

Gotta say my tastes have veered away from scotch in the last five years or so. Much more about the bourbons, ryes and Irish whiskeys. Unfortunately in this provincial backwater there's a limited selection of each (I think I've bitched before about Ohio's state-controlled liquor agencies; they can't order anything special for you without putting it through the state bureaucracy, and so generally they won't even try).

I've been reading a little bit about non-chill filtered scotches, like the Glenlivet Nàdurra, which are supposed to have much more malt flavor in em. That sounds like something I could get behind, but I'd be reluctant to buy a bottle of Glenlivet, honestly. Any recs for good non-chill filtered scotch?

*I see now the Bunnahabhain is no-chill. I think that may be the winner if I can find it.

[coldforge]

The Edradour non-chill filtered was tasty. A little pricier. Among the ones mentioned above, I think Antero's are the more interesting suggestions. I actually was just gifted a bottle of the Talisker 10 and have been happily reacquainting myself with it. I've also been really enjoying the Springbank lately. I've only had the younger version but I'd like to try both. I also recall really enjoying the Glen Garioch, which also falls in that price range, but I had it a little later in the night so my impressions are not as distinct.

For another single malt recommendation I love the Yamazaki 12; it's nicely balanced, with some smoke, but not enough that you can't have a couple over the course of the night—and still more interesting than, say, the Glenlivet.

In general I've been moving away from peatier Isla styles to the more layered styles. In all my booze these days I've been really going for good structure: I like bottles that can present an interesting array of flavors, especially bright ones these days, that don't step on each other's toes. To that end one of the most exciting whiskies I've had recently was the High West Rendezvous Rye—did I talk about this already? 

My latest booze pickups have been beer though; I finally got our brewer friend to swing down to my local beer emporium, mostly because I knew he'd be knocked out by the selection, but also so he could point out some good picks. I'm trying to remember what I ended up getting. I think there was the Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura—here's a fucking hint: don't name your brewery after a style of beer that I hate if you actually specialize in something completely different that I like quite a bit—plus I got a bottle of this weird traditional Finnish beer that seems to utterly baffle the internet beer rating folk. I got a bottle by my friend's 'favorite brewery in the world', which is this tiny place that sits directly across from Allagash and is entirely operated by two brothers, both of whom have day jobs, and so take all-night shifts just to put out their product.

[davy]

Gotta say my tastes have veered away from scotch in the last five years or so. Much more about the bourbons, ryes and Irish whiskeys. Unfortunately in this provincial backwater there's a limited selection of each (I think I've bitched before about Ohio's state-controlled liquor agencies; they can't order anything special for you without putting it through the state bureaucracy, and so generally they won't even try).

I've been reading a little bit about non-chill filtered scotches, like the Glenlivet Nàdurra, which are supposed to have much more malt flavor in em. That sounds like something I could get behind, but I'd be reluctant to buy a bottle of Glenlivet, honestly. Any recs for good non-chill filtered scotch?

*I see now the Bunnahabhain is no-chill. I think that may be the winner if I can find it.

Have you seen this?

http://www.burnstewartdistillers.com/pdf_files/0000/0008/PRESS_RELEASE_unchillfiltered_.pdf

[elpollodiablo]

Oh man I just had a couple of Jolly Pumpkin ales last night that were fucking *amazing.* Their seasonal "brown" ale (which probably has some brown malt in it but is more of a golden-brown color) with cocoa and spices is maybe the best I've had from them (aside from a 5 yr old bottle of Oro de Calabaza, which, fuck).
Totally hear you on the name of the brewery, though; it's one that I ignored for a long time because the name sent the wrong message. I really, really love their house style; aging in those barrels with the brett gives it a nose and a finish like no other. Jolly Pumpkin is actually leading me to a greater appreciation of sours.

[Antero]

For another single malt recommendation I love the Yamazaki 12; it's nicely balanced, with some smoke, but not enough that you can't have a couple over the course of the night—and still more interesting than, say, the Glenlivet.

Yeah, this is a good one.  Japanese whiskys in general are quite enjoyable.

[JamesSchneider]

Fully agree. I was quite a Scotch fan whilst living in Scotland, but general pricing has eliminated my ability to Perdue that fandom stateside. The local beer culture has been much kinder to me in Grand Rapids.

[elpollodiablo]

Oh man you live in GR James? Maybe I knew that and blanked on it. A brewer friend of mine visits family up there all the time; he talks about Hopcat like it's the Dome of the Rock.

[YojimboMonkey]

I wanted to check out Hopcat last time I was in Grand Rapids but it was the first stop on a 2 man multi-city Michigan brewery tour so we had to take it kind of easy (though kind of easy did involve a couple of high test offerings at Founders).