Whiskey / Whisky / wanna-be

bonkey · 13-10-2002 1:51pm #1

I'm just wondering....

I'm a big whiskey/whisky fan (I'll use one spelling from now on, but I mean both if you're a pedant)

Actually, to be more correct, I should say that I'm a big fan of malt whiskey (single or vatted), and a lesser fan of blended whiskey.

What I am not a fan of are Rye Whiskeys, or other grain whiskeys. This automatically means that pretty much everything produced in Canada/America is not a whiskey for me, even if it says it on the label. If it aint malt-based, it aint whiskey for me - its grain alcohol.

I'm just wondering if others make this distinction?

Is Jim Beam a whiskey? Or Jack Daniels? If so, then why isnt vodka a type of whiskey? Its made from grain-alcohol as well.

Kali · 13-10-2002 2:37pm

Blended whiskeys are malt and grain-whiskeys mixed..

Vodka isn't aged like whiskeys are, therefore doesn't take in any of the characteristics of the barrels or aging techniques.

bonkey · 13-10-2002 3:22pm

Originally posted by Kali
Blended whiskeys are malt and grain-whiskeys mixed..

Aye, and its the grain-whiskey in it which ruins the taste for me in most cases.

There are some blended I've found that I like, notably Irish where the triple-distillation seems to take the edge of the grain-whiskey for me. By and large, though, blended Scottish I find undrinkable, as with "straight" Scottish grain- whiskey.

Vodka isn't aged like whiskeys are, therefore doesn't take in any of the characteristics of the barrels or aging techniques.

Ah, this is a good reason. Hadn't thought of that one. Doh!

Borzoi · 14-10-2002 10:56am

Originally posted by bonkey

Is Jim Beam a whiskey? Or Jack Daniels? If so, then why isnt vodka a type of whiskey? Its made from grain-alcohol as well.

Aren't JB and JD referred to as Bourbons, to distinguish them from what we would consider Whisk(e)y?

As Kali said, Vodka is not aged in oak nor uses any other cask techniques

bonkey · 14-10-2002 4:57pm

Originally posted by Borzoi
Aren't JB and JD referred to as Bourbons, to distinguish them from what we would consider Whisk(e)y?

Except that Bourbon is considered to be a *type* of whiskey.

jc

mayhem# · 14-10-2002 10:27pm

You haven't lived until you've drank a Islay malt.....

whiteshadow · 23-10-2002 9:46am

here's how it is...

Burbons which are a type of whiskey are aged in fresh oak casks/barrels for several years.. the tanins from the wood seep into the whiskey giving it the distinctive pissy-perfume taste.

(After pro-habition this ritual of fresh oak casks created somthing like 30,000 jobs and so obviously the americas kept with it)

Irish whiskey on the other hand is aged in old casks, old sherry/scotch whatever, and all the tannins have left the wood... giving it a distinctive lack of pissy-perfumed taste.

rubadub · 23-10-2002 4:03pm

have a look at http://homedistiller.org/ it will explain everything

Kali · 23-10-2002 4:16pm

iirc JD is a tennessee whiskey which added to the bourbon aging is filtered through some special wood.. bah memorys gone on exactly the name..

whiteshadow · 23-10-2002 4:18pm

some special wood.. bah memorys gone on exactly the name..

OAK

rubadub · 25-10-2002 9:07am

JD actually add colouring to their whiskey, pure piss! the budweiser of whiskies

Occidental · 25-10-2002 9:30am

Just drink Green Label Bushmills or if you can find someone stupid enough to pay for it, Midleton. Islay and the other scottish peat malts are all good, but the prices are ridiculous.

BTW, agreed JD is piss.

bonkey · 26-10-2002 6:06pm

Originally posted by Occidental
Just drink Green Label Bushmills or if you can find someone stupid enough to pay for it, Midleton.

Yeah - Midleton is pretty nice. I remember the first New Years that Messr Maguires on the quays (Dublin) opened, they had a bottle of it with the wrong price in the compter. Shot-for-shot it worked out at equal-to or less-than the retail price for a bottle.

So me n my mates drank it all over the course of the evening

Islay and the other scottish peat malts are all good, but the prices are ridiculous.

I think Scottish Malts arent too expensive. Then again, I usually only buy them duty-free, which helps

jc

Corega · 26-10-2002 8:48pm

Yeah Midleton Very Rare ( at 12 yo yo's a pop where I worked ), having said that I was on the Jacky D's last night, fantastic stuff. it made me all content and bubbly on the inside

bonkey · 28-10-2002 1:27pm

Originally posted by rubadub
JD actually add colouring to their whiskey,

So do a lot of Scottish distilleries. I would go so far as to say most of them do. Im pretty sure the Irish distilleries do so as well with most of the Irish whiskies.

In fact, its so common a practice that there is now a revival in "traditional" whiskies which do not have artificial colouring.

For example, check out www.blackadder.com

jc

Kell · 01-11-2002 12:17pm

Actually, to contradict you all, a blend is simply a blend of two different whiskeys from two different distillers. In fact, your bottle of single malt from lets say Lagavulin (delectable) actually contains several years distillations. The age of the bottle indicates the youngest whiskey in the bottle. Grain/Malt doesnt come into it. In fact, the Irish ones provide you with the slightly smoother falvour that some Scotches (I still find Scotch resolutely more palatable than Irish) as they dont use grain they just use un-malted barley.

JD is a sour mash and doesnt strictly fit the Bourbon category either. Sour mash I am nearly sure comes from sugar cane.

Heres some recommendations for you Whiskey buffs-

Lagavulin
Dalwhinnie
Middleton
Springbank (the 21 year old port finish is heaven)
Balvenie- especially the double wood finish
Glenmorangie port wood finish and also madeira wood finish
Glen Turret- if you can get your hands on it
Antique Rare- blend of malts from distilleries that are mostly out of business over 50 yrs
Bushmills Malt
Jamie 1780
Bowmore- especially the 15 yr old Mariner
Aberlour
Cardhu
Glenfiddich 18yr old
Glenlivet

I had better stop. Making myself thirsty.

bonkey · 03-11-2002 6:39pm

Originally posted by Kell
Actually, to contradict you all, a blend is simply a blend of two different whiskeys from two different distillers.

....

Grain/Malt doesnt come into it.

In fact, the Irish ones provide you with the slightly smoother falvour that some Scotches (I still find Scotch resolutely more palatable than Irish) as they dont use grain they just use un-malted barley.

Not quite...

Grain Whiskey is any whiskey not made from malted barley. Or, alternately, any whiskey which isnt a malt whiskey.

Blended Whiskey is any whiskey which contains malt whiskey and grain whiskey. A "pure" mix of malted whiskeys (i.e. without unmalted/grain whiskey) is called a "vatted" whiskey.

Irish whiskey, incidentally, is smoother than most scottish whiskies because of its triple-distillation. Most Scots Whisky is only double-distilled, and the few which are triple-distilled are typically a match for any Irish single malt. You cant really compare any scottish whisky to Irish blended whiskey because AFAIK, we triple-distill all our grain whiskey as well, whereas all Scots grain whisky is only double-distilled.

jc

mayhem# · 03-11-2002 7:04pm

Originally posted by Kell

Lagavulin
Dalwhinnie
Middleton
Springbank (the 21 year old port finish is heaven)
Balvenie- especially the double wood finish
Glenmorangie port wood finish and also madeira wood finish
Glen Turret- if you can get your hands on it
Antique Rare- blend of malts from distilleries that are mostly out of business over 50 yrs
Bushmills Malt
Jamie 1780
Bowmore- especially the 15 yr old Mariner
Aberlour
Cardhu
Glenfiddich 18yr old
Glenlivet

I had better stop. Making myself thirsty.

Mmmmm, salive glands working overtime here!
You and myself should meet up sometime for some serious tasting....

E.

Whiskey / Whisky / wanna-be

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