mrt144King of the NumbernamesRegistered Userregular
edited May 2012
JUNE FIRST WA LIQUOR STORE CHANGEOVER!
Over under on Bourbon brands carried at Broadway QFC: 4
Over under on Rye Whiskeys brands carried at Broadway QFC: 2
Over under on Gin brands carried at Broadway QFC: 6
Over under on Bourbon brands carried at Broadway QFC: 4
Over under on Rye Whiskeys brands carried at Broadway QFC: 2
Over under on Gin brands carried at Broadway QFC: 6
Over
Push
Under
What I want to know is how quickly QFC will have store-brand liquor on the shelves.
GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
Speaking of the June 1st changeover in Washington. I was in Safeway last night picking up a few things, and they already have the hard alchohol out on shelves in the wine/beer section, with white tapestries over the shelves that say "Not Yet! Come back June 1st!".
The only stipulation for a Canadian rye whiskey to be labeled as such is that it be made in Canada.
Yup.
In rum-related news, my sister gave me a bottle of Ron Zacapa as an early birthday present and it is smooth as all hell. I don't recall what specific kind it is, but the bottle mentioned it was a blend of aged rums ranging from 6 to 23 years.
They shouldn't even call it that, really, since it often has no rye in the mash. I mean, come on!
I have never really enjoyed Canadian whiskey either, but that's because - like every other whiskey or liquor in general - the crappy baseline brands are the most popular and easiest to find out of the country.
There are much higher-quality Canadian whiskeys that you can get. I've seen a number of high-end single malts available at the LCBO - Glenbreton has one that looks like it's in almost the exact same bottle as Rock Hill Farms bourbon, except with a caribou on it, and a few other nice-looking ones - and Forty Creek has a few premium blended whiskeys that are apparently made completely differently and compare favourably to good bourbon. Apparently Canadian whiskey is often distilled from a blended mash without much care for the optimum conditions of each component, whereas the nice Forty Creek stuff has the components distilled separately so they start with good whiskey before blending.
I'm not sure to what extent the nicer blended Canadian whiskeys employ the addition of grain spirits and caramel for colouring/flavour, but I hope it's minimized or absent, because that's a large part of what makes it gross.
I have yet to try these though, since they have typical high-mid-shelf pricing for Ontario ($70 a bottle for the Forty Creek Confederation Oak, and $85 and up for Glenbreton single malts).
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mrt144King of the NumbernamesRegistered Userregular
I'm really surprised everyone is taking the under on Gin.
So I recently discovered that a dry tequila Manhattan is a tasty drink, and rather pretty due to being clear (I tend to like the source-forward character of young but unfiltered alcohols like blancos). The only problem is that it has a somewhat unpleasant nose. It's really good if you like herbal tastes. I feel like a nice substitution for a sweet variation of the drink would be replacing the vermouth with jagermeister, just because the result could be named "the frat house mistake."
After spending a ton of money exploring scotch, I've toned it down a bit working my way through bourbon. I haven't worked up the gumption to spend on Van Winkle yet, but among things I've tried and liked (Elijah Craig, Bulleit, Four Roses, WT101, the super cheap 1783, which wasn't bad for the price), Craig is far and away my favorite.
I'm not the biggest taster in the world, though, so I tend to gravitate toward high proof/big flavor bourbons. Anything with too much subtlety just goes over my head. My birthday present will be Laphroaig QC unless I chicken out and get Macallan 12.
I know Canadian gets shit on a lot, but there has to be something worth exploring (aside from CC/Crown) on the shelf, right? Or is it all garbage?
I suspect @podly knows all about impossible to find liquor but the little research I've done seems to point to getting buddy buddy with a liquor store owner being the only way to have a good shot at getting some
Honestly I haven't noticed it, I just assumed my eyes glossed over it. Is it super hard to find, or do places just not keep it because it doesn't move like Woodford or Makers do?
Van Winkle doesn't stay on shelves because it's goddamn excellent bourbon, and VW distilleries only makes something like 7000 cases each year. Lots of stores don't even get it on the shelf because people have reserved it. You have very little chance of getting the 20 or 23 year stuff (which is $200 or $300 in the US, usually, per bottle), but if you can find the 12 year Lot B, it's a very affordable (more like $40 in the US, $70 in Ontario) and amazing drink. Very strong black cherry flavour. The 10-year versions are also really excellent. I've never seen anything beyond those two here in Canada though.
If you like high-proof, strong-flavoured bourbon, you should probably try the Jim Beam higher-end stuff, like Booker's, Baker's, Knob Creek, etc. Booker's is 126 proof and the best of the lot. Another one I'd recommend for strength of flavour would be Ridgemont Reserve, but only if you like Woodford Reserve - it's a similar flavour, but stronger. Reminds many people of nail polish, if they are feeling uncharitable.
Evil Multifarious on
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The JudgeThe Terwilliger CurvesRegistered Userregular
10-year is available at a couple of stores in the Portland area. Think the higher-range stuff is a need-to-order situation.
Last pint: Turmoil CDA / Barley Brown's - Untappd: TheJudge_PDX
Yeah, ran by the store I frequent tonight and what I thought was Van Winkle was definitely not. So that really isn't an option. I also watched Ralfy's video on Canadian and they didn't have anything he mentioned as being decent.
Oh, and I visited the Chartreuse distillery, got a bottle of the green one from there:
At 55% it's quite a bit stronger than the yellow 40% version, but the herbs taste much clearer in the green version, and it seems to have much more character.
Over under on Bourbon brands carried at Broadway QFC: 4
Over under on Rye Whiskeys brands carried at Broadway QFC: 2
Over under on Gin brands carried at Broadway QFC: 6
Over
Push
Under
What I want to know is how quickly QFC will have store-brand liquor on the shelves.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS (I went to the Westwood Village QFC in West Seattle down by my house, rather than the Broadway store):
Bourbon - way over. They had nearly a dozen brands, if you include Jack/Gentleman Jack, but still over if you abide by the strict definition of bourbon.
Rye - under. Only one that I could see.
Gin - over, barely. 7 varieties on the shelf.
Unfortunately, if my QFC is any indication, we're in for a pretty massive price hike. Everything on the shelves with the exception of the uber-popular mass market brands was at least $3-4 more per bottle than they were at the state stores, and that's BEFORE you tack on the 20% tax. I really wasn't planning on increasing my liquor budget with this changeover...
So, liquor thread, I want to try out a higher-end Canadian whisky in hopes of being a bit more patriotic in my tastes. I'm trying to choose between Sazerac's Caribou Crossing
the Glenbreton 10-year single malt
and the Forty Creek Confederation Oak
But I'm worried that these expensive bottles ($85, $87, and $70) will get me a whisky that's basically a light bourbon, when I could get a big, delicious, excellent bourbon like Booker's for the same price.
So I secured some whisky for my cabinet.
lagavulin-16yo.jpg
laphroaig10yo100.jpg
Good stuff, good stuff.
Oh, and I visited the Chartreuse distillery, got a bottle of the green one from there:
Chartreuse-Verte.jpg
At 55% it's quite a bit stronger than the yellow 40% version, but the herbs taste much clearer in the green version, and it seems to have much more character.
I have the lagavulin 16 and the chartreuse, myself.
I ended up not being a fan of the green drink; I think I need to find a better thing to mix it with.
Lagavulin is fucking awesome, however.
SW-4158-3990-6116
Let's play Mario Kart or something...
Chartreuse is a bit of an odd bird, in that it seems to divide people quite clearly into those who like it and those who don't. Personally I like it quite a bit, but some of my friends didn't think much of it when I brought a bottle back.
Had to visit the distillery, since I've been living a couple of dozen kilometers from it. The Chartreuse Massif can be seen from my apartment. :P
There are a couple of ways to drink Chartreuse. One that we had at the distillery was basically to think of it as a whisky. Add a few drops of water, and sip. An ice cube also works, since it doesn't really manage to dilute it down, but cools it a bit and adds a bit of water.
Some people here(I'm staying in Grenoble) drank this drink called Green Chaud during the winter, which is basically hot chocolate with a bit of Chartreuse mixed in. It's pretty good, but once again seems to divide people into those who don't care for it and those who find it absolutely delicious.
The student parties and such also have a local variation of a drink called TNT, which is one part Chartreuse, one part Vodka and three parts Orangina, taken as a "shooter" which is basically a double shot. It's pretty tasty IMO.
I suspect @podly knows all about impossible to find liquor but the little research I've done seems to point to getting buddy buddy with a liquor store owner being the only way to have a good shot at getting some
Alright, you guys convinced me. I put down a couple bids on the 23-yo version on eBay. Seems like that's the only way I'm ever going to get a shot at a bottle, even if it is a bit pricey.
In honor of WA's new alcohol sales intermediaries, I have decided I should man up and start drinking my sorrows away. Recommend me a cheap to moderately priced whiskey or bourbon, thread?
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Podlyyou unzipped me! it's all coming back! i don't like it!Registered Userregular
Posts
Over under on Bourbon brands carried at Broadway QFC: 4
Over under on Rye Whiskeys brands carried at Broadway QFC: 2
Over under on Gin brands carried at Broadway QFC: 6
Over
Push
Under
What I want to know is how quickly QFC will have store-brand liquor on the shelves.
Under
Under
That shit Canada makes doesn't count as a Rye.
The only stipulation for a Canadian rye whiskey to be labeled as such is that it be made in Canada.
Yup.
In rum-related news, my sister gave me a bottle of Ron Zacapa as an early birthday present and it is smooth as all hell. I don't recall what specific kind it is, but the bottle mentioned it was a blend of aged rums ranging from 6 to 23 years.
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
They shouldn't even call it that, really, since it often has no rye in the mash. I mean, come on!
I have never really enjoyed Canadian whiskey either, but that's because - like every other whiskey or liquor in general - the crappy baseline brands are the most popular and easiest to find out of the country.
There are much higher-quality Canadian whiskeys that you can get. I've seen a number of high-end single malts available at the LCBO - Glenbreton has one that looks like it's in almost the exact same bottle as Rock Hill Farms bourbon, except with a caribou on it, and a few other nice-looking ones - and Forty Creek has a few premium blended whiskeys that are apparently made completely differently and compare favourably to good bourbon. Apparently Canadian whiskey is often distilled from a blended mash without much care for the optimum conditions of each component, whereas the nice Forty Creek stuff has the components distilled separately so they start with good whiskey before blending.
I'm not sure to what extent the nicer blended Canadian whiskeys employ the addition of grain spirits and caramel for colouring/flavour, but I hope it's minimized or absent, because that's a large part of what makes it gross.
I have yet to try these though, since they have typical high-mid-shelf pricing for Ontario ($70 a bottle for the Forty Creek Confederation Oak, and $85 and up for Glenbreton single malts).
I'm not the biggest taster in the world, though, so I tend to gravitate toward high proof/big flavor bourbons. Anything with too much subtlety just goes over my head. My birthday present will be Laphroaig QC unless I chicken out and get Macallan 12.
I know Canadian gets shit on a lot, but there has to be something worth exploring (aside from CC/Crown) on the shelf, right? Or is it all garbage?
I suspect @podly knows all about impossible to find liquor but the little research I've done seems to point to getting buddy buddy with a liquor store owner being the only way to have a good shot at getting some
If you like high-proof, strong-flavoured bourbon, you should probably try the Jim Beam higher-end stuff, like Booker's, Baker's, Knob Creek, etc. Booker's is 126 proof and the best of the lot. Another one I'd recommend for strength of flavour would be Ridgemont Reserve, but only if you like Woodford Reserve - it's a similar flavour, but stronger. Reminds many people of nail polish, if they are feeling uncharitable.
Don't know how it works for government run places.
So I got another bottle of Craig.
are you ever able to find the lower end pappies in the nyc area?
I'll pick up a bottle for housewarming etc
good bourbon is what it is
They have some really great brews coming out, especially for summer, like a hefeweisen, and kolsch, and a very odd but very good black kolsch.
apparently pappy is like drinking apple pie with vanilla ice cream and a cherry on top
i would probably fight someone for a bottle if it came down to it.
yup
it's better than a significant amount of sex I've had
for real
Good stuff, good stuff.
Oh, and I visited the Chartreuse distillery, got a bottle of the green one from there:
At 55% it's quite a bit stronger than the yellow 40% version, but the herbs taste much clearer in the green version, and it seems to have much more character.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS (I went to the Westwood Village QFC in West Seattle down by my house, rather than the Broadway store):
Bourbon - way over. They had nearly a dozen brands, if you include Jack/Gentleman Jack, but still over if you abide by the strict definition of bourbon.
Rye - under. Only one that I could see.
Gin - over, barely. 7 varieties on the shelf.
Unfortunately, if my QFC is any indication, we're in for a pretty massive price hike. Everything on the shelves with the exception of the uber-popular mass market brands was at least $3-4 more per bottle than they were at the state stores, and that's BEFORE you tack on the 20% tax. I really wasn't planning on increasing my liquor budget with this changeover...
the Glenbreton 10-year single malt
and the Forty Creek Confederation Oak
But I'm worried that these expensive bottles ($85, $87, and $70) will get me a whisky that's basically a light bourbon, when I could get a big, delicious, excellent bourbon like Booker's for the same price.
I don't suppose anyone has tried these?
I have the lagavulin 16 and the chartreuse, myself.
I ended up not being a fan of the green drink; I think I need to find a better thing to mix it with.
Lagavulin is fucking awesome, however.
Let's play Mario Kart or something...
Had to visit the distillery, since I've been living a couple of dozen kilometers from it. The Chartreuse Massif can be seen from my apartment. :P
There are a couple of ways to drink Chartreuse. One that we had at the distillery was basically to think of it as a whisky. Add a few drops of water, and sip. An ice cube also works, since it doesn't really manage to dilute it down, but cools it a bit and adds a bit of water.
Some people here(I'm staying in Grenoble) drank this drink called Green Chaud during the winter, which is basically hot chocolate with a bit of Chartreuse mixed in. It's pretty good, but once again seems to divide people into those who don't care for it and those who find it absolutely delicious.
The student parties and such also have a local variation of a drink called TNT, which is one part Chartreuse, one part Vodka and three parts Orangina, taken as a "shooter" which is basically a double shot. It's pretty tasty IMO.
Buffalo Trace generic bourbon