What's your drop of choice?

[Clivevon]

Since you are talking about bourbon maybe I could get some advice..
I'm more of a wine drinker - especially red Riojas. Not really a whisky drinker - I do drink a fair bit of it but my scotch has to have dry ginger in it so I buy the regular blends - no point in ruining a good malt. I have some good malts I have been bought as presents but they last me years - really there for guests - remember them? I like scotch & dry, gin & tonics, real ale, & a now & then treat for me is Drambuie, Cointreau, or Amaretto - with or without ice. BUT a few years ago I was bought a bottle of W L Wellers 12 year old bourbon. My Australian sister in law bought it in Singapore on the way over here for a visit. and I liked it - a lot. Much more than the mainstream single malt scotches I have tried. Problem is I have never been able to find it for sale in UK. So for bourbon I drink Makers Mark - nothing fancy, just the regular stuff. Thats good too, but not the same as the W L Weller. So my question is - as someone who knows nothing - what would be a good alternative to W L Weller 12 year old bourbon - without breaking the bank ??
Listening out with interest...

[chasmains]

I spent my college days in Louisville, KY. And I married into a fabulous family from there, so I visit a lot. Bourbon is my primary choice, with Maker’s Mark #1. I like their mixed barrel stave specials a lot too. They build barrels with different oak species which caresses the flavor enormously. My spouse loves Willett Pot Kettle and it is spectacular too. Others: Bulliett 10 Year old, Buffalo Trace and Woodford Reserve Double Oaked. As stated above, Elijah Craig is great. I’m not a barrel proof guy, but their flagship is great to me.

I also have leanings in the Agave branch of distillery as well. Hornitos and Cazadores 100% blue Agave tequilas in Reposato (aged in barrels about a year) and Anejo (aged about 2 years). Both are fabulous. White Tequilas are for shots. I like flavor. But I also like Mezcal, a wonderful smoky product of green Agave.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Lassies can’t resist threads about whisky .

Long ago an article in a sailing magazine described the Malts Cruise rally and from then on, sailing this area was on my bucket list.

We have now spent most of the pandemic in the heart of single malt country. Not a bad place to be during this crisis .

My current favourite is Talisker Skye with its Goldilocks amount of peatiness.Skye is way too busy for my liking, but if you are ever visiting Talisker, the Oyster Shed is well worth searching out.

Jura Journey with its much softer peat also often makes its way on board, as it can often be found on special for an irresistible price in larger supermarkets. Last summer we had one wonderful week anchored on the wild west coast of Jura so it is now enjoyed for sentimental reasons.

SWL

PS There was unfortunately no stopping when the current whizzed us past both the Caol Ila and Bunnahabhain distilleries, although they beckoned enticingly through the misty rain.

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by Clivevon

Since you are talking about bourbon maybe I could get some advice..
I'm more of a wine drinker - especially red Riojas. Not really a whisky drinker - I do drink a fair bit of it but my scotch has to have dry ginger in it so I buy the regular blends - no point in ruining a good malt. I have some good malts I have been bought as presents but they last me years - really there for guests - remember them? I like scotch & dry, gin & tonics, real ale, & a now & then treat for me is Drambuie, Cointreau, or Amaretto - with or without ice. BUT a few years ago I was bought a bottle of W L Wellers 12 year old bourbon. My Australian sister in law bought it in Singapore on the way over here for a visit. and I liked it - a lot. Much more than the mainstream single malt scotches I have tried. Problem is I have never been able to find it for sale in UK. So for bourbon I drink Makers Mark - nothing fancy, just the regular stuff. Thats good too, but not the same as the W L Weller. So my question is - as someone who knows nothing - what would be a good alternative to W L Weller 12 year old bourbon - without breaking the bank ??
Listening out with interest...

Boy am I with you on the Weller.

Try Makers Cask Strength. It retails in the U.S. for around $55 and at least here it's easy to find. 108 proof so it's not as strong as other "cask strengths" but much more flavor than the standard Makers.

Another really nice bottle is Four Roses Small Batch Select. Similarly priced. Lower proof.

If you can find it, Blanton's Single Barrel. It's funny; in Russia, you could get it easily. Here in Boston, it shows up and runs out pretty fast. It's the bourbon you give non-bourbon drinkers to hook them on bourbon.

If you can handle 120 proof, Knob Creek Single Barrel.

Disclaimer: I am a bourbon snob but I work for none of these companies.

Seaworthy, I would love cruising into Caol Ila to visit. Did I mention that I own two square feet of Laphroaig's bog?

[Clivevon]

Thanks for the pointers DMF - I will try them.

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by Clivevon

Thanks for the pointers DMF - I will try them.

If you find that Weller, that'll be me calling out "Permission to come aboard, Cap" from the dinghy

[Phyrcooler]

I tried to become a single malt scotch snob years back. Didn’t happen. I still maintain a couple bottles, including an aforementioned Lagavulin. I bring that out for some of my fire service friends. Usual response... “whoa... tastes like my brushfire gear!”. Definitely an acquired taste. Currently have open a little bottle of Dalwhinnie 15 which is a very nice sipper.

Otherwise, I drink a pretty varied lot - being neither rich, nor snobbish. Mostly Bourbons. So that was my vote. For everyday mixing - Maker’s Mark of course. Straight up or on a cube, my regular is a Buffalo Trace. Also in stock are an Elijah Craig, and just finished a bottle of Woodford reserve.

Although, I did recently discover a delicious bottle of very dark rum recently.

I guess I’m an equal opportunity imbiber!

[IslandHopper]

I just stick with old faithfull...



or...



or...

[s/v michaela]

In mexico..... Don Julio Setenta!!!

[jhulmer]

smoov!

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by IslandHopper

I just stick with old faithfull...



or...



or...

You know, Hopper, though I am an inveterate single-malt/single barrel bourbon snob, I can't fault someone going with the high-end blends. They definitely are smooth and versatile. I need to be smacked in the face with peat or heat, but I won't turn down that johnny gold if you're pouring.

I think it was the Boatman with the Crown Royal rye. I once employed a bottle of that to thank a Russian police major for doing me a solid. So I raise a cup to diplomacy.

[dannc]

Single Malts, thank you very much.

A few years ago we were on a boat in Scotland and stayed a few days in Campbeltown which had three distilleries in operation. I think they have opened a fourth since we visited.

We only visited two of the distilleries and only had time for one tasting. We still have a wee bit left in some of the bottles but we only drink from them on special occasions because we can not easily get replacements.

We were told that at one time there were 35ish legal distilleries in town, which is a huge number considering the size of the place. I laughed and asked how many illegal distilleries were there. We were told that so much water was being used at the distilleries at that time, that the town had a shortage of water for human use and they had to build a second loch to provide for the town.

Years later, I somehow surfed into a website that was about Campbeltown and the surrounding area. One of the things they mentioned was that the town had a number of craftsman building stills. Sometimes groups of people would pool their money to buy a still as a money making enterprise. Course, much of this was done illegally to avoid paying taxes. There were a couple of stills made in Cambpeltown that were found and destroyed in Arran island. This was back in the 1700s. There is now a legal distillery on Arran but we were not able to visit it though it was soooooo close.

A few years ago, a building was being torn down/refurbished in Campbeltown. I think it was a building that was making stills in the 1700s. As they did the work, they found a hidden chimney that led to a still that was buried under the floor. Me thinks it was one of the many illegal distilleries in the town back in the day.

At the distillery were we had the tasting, I went to the room for the samples, while my wife shopped for gifts for the family. The guy poured me a shot and said this whisky was made for women to like. Having said that, he said he made that statement at a tasting and a women got upset and gave them a bad review. I liked the whiskey nor was offended. The bad review was mentioned to us at the other distillery we visited in town.

Just then, the wifey walked in and wanted to try some whiskey. She like them all but she REALLY liked the "woman's" whisky. The man and I started laughing and he told her the bad review story. We bought a couple of bottles of whisky, including the "woman's" one.

Later,
Dan

[Scott Berg]

We have a large bar and pretty good wine collection aboard. It's like asking which is our favorite child but my wife likes lightly peated single malt from Scotland and Ireland; right now Edradour is the winner. I'm more of an Islay guy, Laphroaig is the current favorite...

[Argyle38]

Best Scotch I've had is Dalmore Cigar Malt. Got it as a gift from my wife's boss as a going away present. Smooth as can be but without that sweetness that you get from a Macallan that makes you think you're drinking Irish whiskey. It's a $200er so replacing it is a bit of a tall order, but we will pony up the money for another bottle at some point.

Best whiskey I've had is the "I.C. Shore" from the Halifax Distilling Company. Fantastic. Bought a 375 last time I was there. Won't make that mistake again.

Originally Posted by wolfgal

i've always had a soft spot for cognac, mostly Le Courvoisier
of course, grapes not barley, but pretty easily found in france
(think it's the french brandy)

I'm also a big fan of 'grape whisky's.' As Boatie said, give Armagnac a try. Larressingle and Chabot are my favorites, but I haven't tried many. You generally get the same quality for a bit less price. No need to pay for the XO and all that, get a VSOP and enjoy, imo.

[kayakerChuck]

I'm not too picky- mostly it's all good to my tastes. If I had to pick:

On the peaty end, Caol Ila

On the end of the scale that normal people enjoy, any of the Balvenie Doublewood.