• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

The Official Whisk(e)y Thread

JBZ

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2003
Messages
2,247
Reaction score
17
I had a chance to try Baker's Bourbon (also a Jim Beam product) yesterday. It is a 7 year old, 107 proof bourbon. I found it very enjoyable. At 107 proof, it has a good kick to it, but it isn't the run-away freight train of Bookers (which can run as high as 127 proof). Overall, a very smooth, but full, taste. I'd love to tell you that it has a strong taste of caramel with hints of vanilla and leather (or something similar), but I have no idea where serious tasters come up with all of these flavors (undoubtedly a deficiency of my palate).

Recommended.
 

Luc-Emmanuel

Distinguished Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2005
Messages
1,580
Reaction score
17
(Luc-Emmanuel @ May 04 2005,14:13) Burried deep in my pirate's cove, I have a bottle of Blanton's single barrel, and this stuff is just mind-blowing. About 65 proof, a drop is enough to set the house on fire.
Is that really just 65 proof, or is it 65 percent (130 proof--Booker's territory)? The Blanton's SB I have is 93 proof (46 1/2 percent).
sorry, my Blanton's is exactly "131.7 proof". single barrel, uncut. Really nasty stuff
thumbs-up.gif
.luc
 

BjornH

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
497
Reaction score
1
Suntory "Hibiki" 17 year. Beautiful, smooth, mellow. Almost like a fine cognac. The 21 year old is good too. I hope one day to try the 30 year.
This is indeed great stuff. I had a bottle given to me but it's sadly almost finished. My regular sip is Balvenie Doublewood and Jameson, when I'm feeling cheap or recon I won't notice the difference
sarcasm.gif
B
 

globetrotter

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Sep 28, 2004
Messages
20,341
Reaction score
422
I have seen suntory but never tried any. does anybody know what "type" of whisky is would be considered?
 

Tyto

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2004
Messages
386
Reaction score
0
I have seen suntory but never tried any. does anybody know what "type" of whisky is would be considered?
Judging from the process described on their bottle and box and elsewhere, it's essentially a single malt. I've only had the 12-year--can't find the 18+ around here--but I imagine that Hibiki and Hakashu (sp?) are distilled in the same manner.

I love Suntory, but the taste is more reminiscent of bourbon to me--extremely sweet.

And whoever mentioned Balvenie earlier as a go-to malt is right on the money--it's wonderfully smooth, and a great value (can be had for as little as $25 sometimes).
 

Mike

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2002
Messages
423
Reaction score
1
Anyone read the newest issue of Esquire? There is a short blurb on what they call "The Best {Cheap} Whisky In America" or words to that effect. They say its Rittenhouse Bottled In Bond Straight Rye. Anyone tried it? I'd like to get my hands on some, but its not shipped to Michigan. Anyway I could PayPal someone to pick me up some?
 

RJman

Posse Member
Dubiously Honored
Spamminator Moderator
Joined
Dec 10, 2004
Messages
19,159
Reaction score
2,086
Has anyone tried Black Bottle? It's supposed to be a very good and reasonably priced blend of Islay malts. I don't know if it's available Stateside.
 

Tyto

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2004
Messages
386
Reaction score
0
For those of you with access to a Trader Joe's, they've introduced their own bottling of Bowmore 18 for $39.95--A complete steal.
 

jcusey

Distinguished Member
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Apr 24, 2003
Messages
1,803
Reaction score
54
Originally Posted by Tyto
Judging from the process described on their bottle and box and elsewhere, it's essentially a single malt. I've only had the 12-year--can't find the 18+ around here--but I imagine that Hibiki and Hakashu (sp?) are distilled in the same manner.

Suntory bottles a number of different varieties of whisky. The most commonly-seen ones, at least in the US, are Yamazaki 12 YO and Yamazaki 18 YO. Both of these are single-malt whiskies, pot-distilled twice (like most Scotch), and aged in Japanese oak. There are also single-malt offerings from Suntory's other distillery, Hakushu, and many blends, the most distinguished of which is probably Hibiki.
 

jcusey

Distinguished Member
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Apr 24, 2003
Messages
1,803
Reaction score
54
Originally Posted by RJMan
Has anyone tried Black Bottle? It's supposed to be a very good and reasonably priced blend of Islay malts. I don't know if it's available Stateside.

Well, not that it matters much to you now that you're in Freedom, but it is available in the US at Binny's and probably elsewhere. It is very good.
 

tangerine

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2006
Messages
693
Reaction score
1
Rye...
The Old Van Winkle Rye and Sazerac 18 YO mentioned earlier are very good, if you like these, I also recommend Black Maple Hill 18 YO. They are a bottler, not a distiller, and I don't know who made their most recent batch, but it is very good. Previously they have bought whiskey from Van Winkle and Even Kulsveen. They bottle bourbon, too, offering an 11, 14, 16 and 21 year old. I have had the 11 and the 21 and they are both good in their respective niches.
If you can find Hirsch Rye, it is very similar to the Van Winkle Rye, in fact I believe Hirsch got the better barrels from the old Michter distillery and I will take the Hirsch over the Van Winkle if I can find it.
Classic Cask also has great rye. I have had a 22 and a 21 YO. The price on the last batch has gone through the roof, $135 US.

The Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 YO is great bourbon, haven't seen it mentioned yet so thought I would say it.
 

Alter

Distinguished Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
4,321
Reaction score
144
Originally Posted by jcusey
Suntory bottles a number of different varieties of whisky. The most commonly-seen ones, at least in the US, are Yamazaki 12 YO and Yamazaki 18 YO. Both of these are single-malt whiskies, pot-distilled twice (like most Scotch), and aged in Japanese oak. There are also single-malt offerings from Suntory's other distillery, Hakushu, and many blends, the most distinguished of which is probably Hibiki.

Suntory makes excellent products. Even some of their blended whiskies, which are very inexpensive here in Japan, are quite nice.

I was told that the overall quality of their blends is improving because of poor sales of the single malts in the last decade. The result is that higher quality, and older, whiskies are being used in some of the less expensive blends.
 

jcusey

Distinguished Member
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Apr 24, 2003
Messages
1,803
Reaction score
54
Originally Posted by Alter
Suntory makes excellent products. Even some of their blended whiskies, which are very inexpensive here in Japan, are quite nice.

I was told that the overall quality of their blends is improving because of poor sales of the single malts in the last decade. The result is that higher quality, and older, whiskies are being used in some of the less expensive blends.


One thing that frustrates me is the lack of availability for Suntory products (and indeed, for any Japanese whisky, including Nikka, which I am dying to try) here in the US. As I wrote previously, the only Japanese whisky that I have ever seen here is the Yamazaki 12 YO and 18 YO. I would think that there could be a market for the rest. Of course, that may just be wishful thinking on my part: I want to try them, so I assume that others will, too.
 

itsstillmatt

The Liberator
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Mar 11, 2006
Messages
13,969
Reaction score
2,086
JCusey-

There are a few shops in Japantown San Francisco that have a pretty good selection on Japanese whisky. I am not a big whisky drinker, so I do not know which brands you are interested in. PM me if you want the names of the shops.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 35.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 60 38.7%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 27 17.4%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 28 18.1%

Staff online

Forum statistics

Threads
505,162
Messages
10,579,096
Members
223,884
Latest member
mickspilloto
Top