Well, when I was young, the only experience I had with whiskey was just like NDom describes, and I would suffer through it thinking it was the nastiest tasting stuff imaginable. And I still really like beer. Not too much for the "white" liquors, although a good bloody mary on a football morning to get things rolling is good sometimes. Absolut Peppar Vodka really makes a good bloody mary.
But, a few years back, I just starting getting into sipping whiskey. I started with bourbons. Now, I never mix a good whiskey with anything (what's the point?). Some people like it on the rocks, and some swear that you have to add at least a few drops of water to release the full flavor, but I don't buy it. A really good whiskey is a work of art, with specially chosen water, ingredients, distilling process, and aging. So why take a work of art and screw it up by diluting it with ice or adding some crappy tap water? That's my theory, anyway, so I just pour it into a tumbler and sip away at room temperature.
Anyway, like I said, started with bourbons. I thought Maker's Mark was the best made, until I started really getting into the single barrel stuff, like Knob Creek, Blanton's, etc. I also really like Woodford Reserve quite a bit--the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby. My wife and I have a motorhome that we take as many trips in as we can, and one time we ended up on the bourbon trail through Kentucky, where all the distilleries are. I tried to talk her into us stopping at every distillery so I could sample all the bourbons along the trail. She didn't think me constantly drinking whiskey and driving the motorhome (she can't drive it) was a good idea. Funsucker. She doesn't share my love of whisky, by the way.
Then, as has happened to me periodically, I kind of lost my taste for the bourbons, and moved into the scotches. The blends and the single malts, each of which have their merits. Johnny Walker Black is still my all-around blended of choice--not too expensive, and a pretty good all purpose scotch. Likewise, Glenlivet 12 year old is a pretty good all-purpose single highland scotch, and not all that pricey. Comparing the single malts from the 6 different distinct distilling areas of Scotland is quite the trip. I really like the highlands and the speysides. Don't like the isleys at all. Spent about $90 on a bottle of Lagavulin, and can't hardly gag the **** down.
Have a bottle of 21 year old Glenlivet. It is like the nectar of the gods. Johnny Walker Gold is really damned good, too. Have never tried the Blue, but if it is to the Gold as the Gold is to the Black, then I'll bet it's like a taste of heaven.
Never was much into the Canadians. The Canadian Clubs and the V.O.'s in any of their manifestations just never seemed to have much flavor, or enough "balls" to suit me. Everybody raves about Crown Royal, but I always had that same complaint. But, I recently picked up a bottle of Crown Royal Special Reserve, and it has quickly become one of my all-time favorites. It is a canadian, of course, but it really has some body, and almost tastes like it has a touch of sweet bourbon blended in, to me anyway.
All this talking about whiskey is making me thirsty. Think I'll go get a nightcap.
