What are you drinking?

[Irish Insanity]

Bell's Oberon is a great wheat beer. A GREAT ONE. Bell's is 30 minutes from my house.

You live quite close to me

 

[IrishSteelhead]

Would have to say my two current favorites are Two-Hearted and Hopslam. I used to not like IPAs, but man have they grown on me.

 

[NDinMich]

Would have to say my two current favorites are Two-Hearted and Hopslam. I used to not like IPAs, but man have they grown on me.

Those are two good ones.

If you're ever in MI, pick up some Huma Lupa Licious by Shorts (not sold outside of MI). That and Little Sumpin Sumpin by Lagunitas are my 2 favorite IPA's.

 

[irishmarine]

Enjoying a cold yuengling draft...

 

[Irish Insanity]

If you're looking for something other than rum, I'd probably go with an Irish whiskey or a bourbon. Among Irish whiskeys, I'd start with Michael Collins 10y, Redbreast 12y, or Tullamore Dew 10y. For bourbon, I'd recommend Buffalo Trace, 1792 Ridgemont Reserve, or Old Forester. All of those bottles can be had for $20-40, so no big loss if you don't like it.

I'm just ususally a whatever happens to be at the bar drinker, which isn't very often. Captain just seemed to become what I drank when I did, over time. The only whiskey I think I've ever had is Jack. And I'm looking for something a bit smoother than that, and move away from bar type drinking.

 

[BobD]

Tonight:: Crown on the rocks.

 

[gkautz10]

Bell's Oberon, last of the season. Found an awesome deal that was just trying to get rid of the stuff. This is usually a decently expensive beer around 15-16 bucks for 12 pack, I got it for 15.99 a 24 pack! I was beyond pumped and bought 2 cases.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I'm just ususally a whatever happens to be at the bar drinker, which isn't very often. Captain just seemed to become what I drank when I did, over time. The only whiskey I think I've ever had is Jack. And I'm looking for something a bit smoother than that, and move away from bar type drinking.

I stand by my previous recommendations then.

 

[pkt77242]

Right now a glass of Ardbeg Beist.

Last night I got together with some friends to sample some beers and whisky, the following is a partial list of items sampled

Founders KBS
Widmer Old Embalmers 2012
Oskar Blues Ten Fidy
Straffe Hendrik Brugse Tripel
Dogfish Head Bitch's Brew
Alagash Tripel Reserve
St. Feuillien Speciale
Affligem Noël
Lost Abbey Red Barn
Lost Abbey Devotion

The whiskies
Port Ellen 1974 17yo
Glenmorangie 25
Old Pulteney 12
HP 12 (the round shoulders bottle from the early to mid 2000s)
Hart Brothers Bruichladdich 1994 16yo finished in an Ardbeg cask
And the notorius Loch Dhu Black

Well that is all that I can remember at this time.

 

[Bishop2b5]

I've really gotten into IPA's lately. Moved out to S. Dakota from Alabama three years ago and discovered a lot of the microbreweries here are very good. Squatters out of Utah makes a killer IIPA called Hop Rising Double IPA that's my favorite. Some of the New Belgium brews from CO are also nice.

 

[pkt77242]

AD Rattray Caol Ila 1984 26yo. A very nice whisky. Some sweetness to balance out the peat and saltiness.

 

[ShawneeIrish]

Right now a glass of Ardbeg Beist.

Last night I got together with some friends to sample some beers and whisky, the following is a partial list of items sampled

Founders KBS
Widmer Old Embalmers 2012
Oskar Blues Ten Fidy
Straffe Hendrik Brugse Tripel
Dogfish Head Bitch's Brew
Alagash Tripel Reserve
St. Feuillien Speciale
Affligem Noël
Lost Abbey Red Barn
Lost Abbey Devotion

The whiskies
Port Ellen 1974 17yo
Glenmorangie 25
Old Pulteney 12
HP 12 (the round shoulders bottle from the early to mid 2000s)
Hart Brothers Bruichladdich 1994 16yo finished in an Ardbeg cask
And the notorius Loch Dhu Black

Well that is all that I can remember at this time.

Awesome, awesome beer! I had some regular Founder's Breakfast Stout the on Friday which is still great but not on par with KBS. I had a Southern Tier 2XMas Ale the other day as well which was a new one for me, nice Winter ale if anyone is looking for a holiday brew to try. I also bought a sixer of Shiner Holiday Cheer this weekend and thought it was awful.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Founders KBS
Widmer Old Embalmers 2012
Oskar Blues Ten Fidy
Straffe Hendrik Brugse Tripel
Dogfish Head Bitch's Brew
Alagash Tripel Reserve
St. Feuillien Speciale
Affligem Noël
Lost Abbey Red Barn
Lost Abbey Devotion

I wish Allagash distributed to Arizona. It's one of the few domestic breweries that does Belgian styles justice.

 

[Black Irish]

I drank almost an entire bottle of Red Breast yesterday. That stuff goes down almost too smooth. I feel surprisingly good today, though. Not sure if that's a good thing.

 

[Polish Leppy 22]

Mad Elf by Troegs

 

[IrishSteelhead]

I wish Allagash distributed to Arizona. It's one of the few domestic breweries that does Belgian styles justice.

Whiskey, I know you've had plenty of 4 Peaks, but have you had Sleepy Dog? The brewery is in Tempe, and they make a damn good Hef and IPA.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Whiskey, I know you've had plenty of 4 Peaks, but have you had Sleepy Dog? The brewery is in Tempe, and they make a damn good Hef and IPA.

Thus far I've only tried Leg Humper, and it was solid. They make some of my favorite styles, so I'll definitely be trying more when I get a chance.

 

[NankerPhelge]

Ah! Finally a non-controversial topic that I can get excited about! As with my tastes in just about everything else, my drinking habits have changed as I get older. Now, I find that, in the warm weather, I just want beer, or a big mug of Bombay Sapphire and tonic with a bunch of lime. But, when it starts getting colder out, it is whiskey time. And, I've done plenty of "taste testing" over the years. Having run the gamut of bourbons of all kinds, a few years back I migrated to scotch. First the blends, then the single-malts. I can think of very few that I haven't at least sampled. I have come to the conclusion that the best I have ever had is Highland Park 18. I know it's all a matter of personal preference, but I like it better than any whiskey I have ever had, bar none, no matter what the cost. I can't hardly bring myself to drink anything else.

 

[Irish Insanity]

Ok, hopefully one last question. In what do you drink your drink of choice? Ok two, how? Mixed, on the rocks, straight..............?

 

[ACamp1900]

BevMo! - Kwak Belgian Ale

Had this for the first time this past weekend... very good.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Ok, hopefully one last question. In what do you drink your drink of choice? Ok two, how? Mixed, on the rocks, straight..............?

Whatever you drink your whiskey out of, it should have a lip on it to trap the aromas in the glass. Something like this is ideal.

How you take it should vary depending on what you're drinking. As a general rule, crappy and/or less expensive stuff gets mixed, and high end stuff should be appreciated on its own.

Regarding ice v. straight, most whiskey aficionados will say you should drink good whiskey straight, or with just a splash of water, since cooling the whiskey inhibits its flavor. This is technically true, and if your nose is trained to appreciate all the subtleties of a fine single malt, go for it. I'm not quite there yet, so I still drink the good stuff with an ice cube or two.

One downside of using ice is that your whiskey can get watered down if you let it sit for too long. Jumbo sized ice cubes can help mitigate this, since they melt more slowly. A sphere will melt more slowly than a cube, but they're also very inefficient to make and store. I've found a jumbo cube to be a nice compromise option.

 

[Irish Insanity]

I was thinking this Notre Dame Fighting Irish Leprechaun 11.5 oz Deep Etched Stemless White Wine Glass

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I was thinking this Notre Dame Fighting Irish Leprechaun 11.5 oz Deep Etched Stemless White Wine Glass

It's got a lip, so it'll work just fine.

 

[peoriairish]

So just drinking Jack D from the bottle is wrong? Well if that's wrong, I don't ever want to be right!

 

[Black Irish]

The purpose of dropping a splash of water into a glass of whiskey is to open up the whiskey and release the some of the alcohol, thereby revealing more of the flavors of the dram. Experiment with your whiskey and see which version, straight or splash of water, gives you the better taste. As far as glassware goes, the most important thing is that it is clean and free of residue that'll contaminate the taste of your whiskey. A narrow-lipped glass that funnels the bouquet to your nose is fine of you have a highly developed sense of smell. For the most part, any clean rocks glass will do the trick.

 

[Black Irish]

Right now I'm drinking a bottle of 2010 Roberto Ferrari's Barbera d'Asti. It's a dry, crisp red that goes down smooth. The producers store the wine in stainless steel vats to keep the wine from being influenced by wood. It gets shipped at 56 degrees to maintain taste integrity. If you're a fan of dry, brisk, medium-bodied reds (like Rioja) this is a solid wine. I'm pairing it with a bag of Fritos because it's late, Wawa is all that's open, and I'm just classy that way.

 

[Andy in Sactown]

Whatever you drink your whiskey out of, it should have a lip on it to trap the aromas in the glass. Something like this is ideal.

How you take it should vary depending on what you're drinking. As a general rule, crappy and/or less expensive stuff gets mixed, and high end stuff should be appreciated on its own.

Regarding ice v. straight, most whiskey aficionados will say you should drink good whiskey straight, or with just a splash of water, since cooling the whiskey inhibits its flavor. This is technically true, and if your nose is trained to appreciate all the subtleties of a fine single malt, go for it. I'm not quite there yet, so I still drink the good stuff with an ice cube or two.

One downside of using ice is that your whiskey can get watered down if you let it sit for too long. Jumbo sized ice cubes can help mitigate this, since they melt more slowly. A sphere will melt more slowly than a cube, but they're also very inefficient to make and store. I've found a jumbo cube to be a nice compromise option.

Great take Whiskey. I received a great spherical whiskey cube trey from joining the Johnny Walker's Gentlemen Club a few Christmas' ago. Even has their gentlemen with cane logo impression at the bottom (although, it doesn't translate to the ice well). I can attest they take much longer to freeze, but are totally worth it. Great cool, but not cold temperature and extremely moderate melting rates that seem to just add exactly the right amount of water.

 

[Greenaway]

Well I am drinking hot water right now for my throat get relief from cough.

 

[peoriairish]

I may have to look into finding one of these...

 

[Irish Insanity]

Again, don't laugh. What about one of those like plastic or whatever, freezable cubes that won't melt liquid into your drink?