i have a whiskey question re. 'burn'
 

what makes a whiskey 'hotter' than another?

i have knob creek, makers mark, and basil hayden's whiskeys. i listed them in order of 'heat'. knob creek is 100 proof, but i don't think that explains why it has so much more bite than makers mark, nor why makers mark at 90 proof has so much more bite than basil hayden's.

any ideas?

plus, i think jim beam rye is pretty damn nice.... not quite as smooth as basil hayden's (also a rye), but pretty good.

This is going to be a long thread ;)

I drank a double shot of Sunset Very Strong Rum recently. Good God...

lord....

St. Vincent Sunset VERY STRONG Rum - Rum Review - Ministry of Rum

Dump them all and move to vodka. Recommend Crystal Head for starters.

There are many reasons why one is "harsher" than another, but you can boil most of it down to quality. A better whisky will be (or at least should be) smoother.

First off, you're drinking bourbon, which is variant of whisky, like scotch or rye. It's basically the same stuff, but the flavour is significantly different. Our Canadian rye is closer to a blended scotch or whisky, whereas bourbon is quite different. It's sweeter, and has a slight fruit to it that a rye whisky or blended scotch doesn't have. It's not necessarily better or worse, just personal preference. I love them both, but in much different ways.

Try some blended scotches next - you'll probably find them a little more harsh, but it's a different flavour. Then step up to a single malt - that's where you're really going to find the ultimate smoothness, but with that comes price.

Whiskies are almost as complicated and varied as red wines, so there's a lot involved in answering your question properly. The best way to find out is also the most fun way - experimentation.

Laphroiag or The Macallan - on the expensive side, but nice sipping whiskey

Oh Lord, Whiskey ! Lotsa brands to tempt your taste. You'll find the one you like. Keep drinking. I was about 60 when I found Woodford Reserve. Like breathing mountain air!

Gonna go out on a limb here and say it has to do with filtering and how much the charcoal can absorb from the spirits during the filtering and the storing/aging process.

There are a few good sites to learn about Whisky but it really comes down to personal preference.

About Whisky; What makes scotch whisky (whiskey), malts and blends today - Scotchwhisky.com

Whisky.com Complete Guide to Scotch Whisky
Scroll to the bottom for the links.

i thought the burn was the alcohol. right?

Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!
That's my favorite Whiskey too!

This is my go to drink when I need a stiff one. Surprisingly cheap for the quality it offers. I recommend all the time.

i like vodka, too. my personal favorite (yes, i've had crystal head) is tito's. very smooth, a 'sweet' finish.

i think this might be the case. perhaps fusel alcohol absorption.

i don't think so, linearly. basil haden's has a little burn (80 proof), jim beam (80 proof) has nearly none, makers mark (90 proof) has some burn, knob creek (100 proof) has a lot of burn.

i think that alcohol content is part of the story, but not all of the story.

i am going to look for this. thanks for the recommendation!

good to know. thanks!

okay. i think i found my answer: fusel alcohols. turns out that fusel alcohols are a big part of what gives a whiskey its flavor.

who knew?

I thought fuel alcohol was for race cars.

OK, what the hell is fusel?

D, recommend anything by The Glenrothes if your looking for a smooth single malt. Cheers

long chain thingies with a -OH on the end of it

long chain alcohols.

Fusel alcohol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

as i like glenlivet, and having looked at the taste profile for glenrothes, i bet i would like this single malt. i'll keep an eye out for it. thanks!

I don't always drink whiskey, but when i do, I drink White Owl.

A white, (or clear) whiskey:

http://www.canadianwhisky.org/wp-con...wl-523x330.jpg

This will treat you right:
BevMo! - Macallan Scotch 18 Year

:D

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1338400411.jpg

Much is down to personal preference. Use a whisky sniffer glass and pour in a finger's worth. Take a sniff. If it burns the nose, add a drop or two of water. Keep adding drops of water until the burning sensation is gone. Now you can use your nose to enjoy the liquid sunshine. I recommend warming the whisky with you body (your hands mainly), the drink changes with temperature changes.

My advice is to buy several bottles; bourbons, scotch, blended, single malts, and have weekly tastings with a friend or two. Each Friday I have whisky tastings with an attorney friend at his office. We rate each whisky on a 1-100 scale, we usually watch the Isle of Mann video blogger, Ralfy on YouTube for tasting notes and general info.

Two personal bourbon favorites are Maker's and Corner Creek. Bushmills scotch is a standard at our tastings. Of course it gets expensive when the single malts are on the list, but that is where the best whisky is.

If it turns out you just don't have a very good whisky, throw an ice-cube or two in the glass to mask the shame of the distillery and drink chilled.

Cigars should not be overlooked here either, they can pair nicely with scotch.

I have fallen for Woodford Reserve also...

However I stumbled over Johnny Walker Black label at Trader Joes' for $39 and picked up a bottle. (Just checked and can be had at BevMo for $29... DOH!!!!)

For medicinal purposes only of course!

I have tasted this and yes it is nectar of the gods... at $160 a bottle it should be :eek:

This may be the best advice I've ever seen.

it turns out that my palette prefers bourbons. makers is at the top of the list. also, although not a bourbon (strictly speaking), jim beam rye.... ah the HORROR.... it is smooth and delicious. go figure.

I'll throw another +1 at Woodferd Reserve then, nice and easy to sip on. I'm also quite fond of this:
Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1338415119.jpg

I like Knob Creek and Booker's. I'd like to expand my horizons further - although I only drink Bourbon in fall and winter.

Best I've ever had is Jefferson's Presidential Select: Buy Jefferson Jefferson's Bourbon Presidential Select 18 Years Single Barrel online for less at Wine Chateau

I gave it to my dad as a gift for his retirement, he was kind enough to share. Not sure if it can be found anymore. . . .

Costco has their Kirkland brand small batch bourbon that is pretty tasty. I heard that it is Bookers with a different bottle. Don't know that for sure but I like it.

Dave

I'm going to disagree a little on this. Blended is made for consistent taste year to year. Single malts while mostly very good and smooth aren't always.

Most blended by definition, started out as single malts that weren't that good to begin with. Lots of singles you've never heard of that were sold to Dewers or whomever to blend.

^ this is great advice. Spot on for bourbon. Adding a couple of drops of water removes the burn, and if you have a decent nose, it really opens up the aroma.

Vodka, souless. It's for heathen commie bastards. Whisky is a gift from GOD.

i like vodka, too. tito's.

for a smooth irish whiskey, try redbreast neat of course.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1338447471.jpg

Every whiskey tasting I have been to (Scotch), highly recommends adding water to the whisky. So while it may be very manly to drink it neat and "never add water", you are actually missing out on a lot of the flavours, complexities and subtleties. Coincidentally, with water there is no burn.

I call it "Spice"

^^^ This man is good. :D

I was on the "Whisky Trail" in Scotland a number of years ago while on tours of the distilleries I found out that "blended" scotch"is not simply a blend of single malts. To reduce the cost of production and standardize the flavour year after year, they are allowed to use whiskies made from grain other than simply barley, notably corn. I believe premium blends such as Johnny Walker "black" usually have a higher percentage of single malt. Cheers