Watchlords

Last Friday, due to budget cuts in the company, we were moving out of the office, to - temporarily - work out of our homes. To mark the end of a certain time, we the office crew had a wee barbecue. My colleague and her husband, both of whom have spent a few years in the distant land of Murica, have done their best to impress. Ribs. Proper Murican burgers. And, in the very middle of the table, a bottle of Jack Daniel's.

Now, I know that some will rebel at calling Jack a bourbon. "Ain't no bourbon, motherfucker! It's Tennessee whiskey!"
Well, it is a bourbon until the point of charcoal filtering. Bourbon with a twist. Then again, call it as you please.

It was bloody hot that day, so I really needed a drink upon arriving at my colleague's place.

I really had foul memories of Jack Daniel's, said memories dating back to the prom night. Jack on the rocks, not much to eat, dancing, more Jack, smokes, smokes, smokes... First it had me engaged in a series of rather fierce skirmishes with gravity. Needless to say, gravity won most of them. And then old (no.7) Jack decided, that it's gonna be great shenanigans, to push the contents of my stomach out, the way they came in.

I couldn't fucking look at bourbon, for a long time. Then came Scotch, then came a few great days in Berlin, with the penultimate day of drinking having cured me out of whisky for quite some time.

But recently, I did muster myself to try Scotch again. Asked for a few recommendations, and... Yeah, next payday, hopefully it's gonna be a bottle of Dalwhinnie.

Returning to the barbecue - after the first glass to quench the thirst came the time to eat. The meats were quite damn tasty, and quite damn spicy. So, what Mr. Bloke did, he's been extinguishing that with Jack on the rocks.

I seriously didn't know that I'll ever like Murican booze again. Bad memories of JD Old No. 7, a faint memory of Jim Beam tasting like fuckin' moonshine... And there, after ten glasses of Jack, I had something of an epiphany. I liked it again.

Today, drove down to the local supermarket. Full of hope more than a Donkey's full of himself, I walked to the shelves with booze. Jim Beam, Jim Beam, more Jim-fuckin-Beam. Oh, fuck you, Mr. Beam, I'll be better off driving the extra mile to Tesco for the Jack. Or indeed anything else. So there I am, looking through whatever booze Tesco had to offer. Jim Beam. No, fuck you, Jim, you make me wanna vomit. Jack Daniel's. Hmmmm. Wild Turkey... Had Wild Turkey a few years ago. I'd like to say I remember it, but it would be a lie. I remember not hating it, and that says something. Pulled out the phone, checked the account balance. OK, the salary's there, no down payment blues... OK, Jack or the Turkey. Ahhh, well, decision was made by a coin toss, and the Turkey it is.

So, I just had a glass of Wild Turkey on the rocks. In theory, nothing fancy, just their basic bourbon. But as much as I thought I'd never say that...what a fuckin' bourbon it is. Mild and spicy at the same time, not leaving a single foul note in the aftertaste... A true ode to all things great among all things Murican. Perhaps the bourbon aficionados here will say, "Mr. Bloke, but why the fuck are you writing an ode to something as common as Wild Turkey? There's more fancy shit out there!"
"Perhaps. Why? Just for the love of it."
"Of Wild Turkey, dropping the F-bombs or of doing write-ups?"
To which I can proudly say, "Of all of the above."

Good on ya, mate...Wild Turkey 101 is a most excellent value choice, imo...

I love bourbon, well the ones I have had anyway. Which are not that many. Apart from that cinnamon stuff, yuk.

Haven't had any WT since college. Bourbon is enjoying quite the little renaissance in the US. Just found a new bottle myself distilled from all local grains and quite a few small batch distilleries making great stuff. The one I have is from Laws Whiskey House- if their distribution has hit your area they're bound to have a bottle you'll like. A lot.

3Flushes wrote:Haven't had any WT since college. Bourbon is enjoying quite the little renaissance in the US. Just found a new bottle myself distilled from all local grains and quite a few small batch distilleries making great stuff. The one I have is from Laws Whiskey House- if their distribution has hit your area they're bound to have a bottle you'll like. A lot.

I'll keep an eye out...my favorite sipper is Knob Creek Single Barrel these days..open to trying something different, though..

Of late, I've tried both Jim Beam and WT Honey, and Jim Beam Red Stag...nice mellow sipping on the rocks.
Scotch has taken a backseat in lieu of bourbon and Tito's Handmade Vodka

Thunder1 wrote:Good on ya, mate...Wild Turkey 101 is a most excellent value choice, imo...

I had the 80 proof. Nevertheless, I guess it still does remain excellent value for the money.

3Flushes wrote:Haven't had any WT since college. Bourbon is enjoying quite the little renaissance in the US. Just found a new bottle myself distilled from all local grains and quite a few small batch distilleries making great stuff. The one I have is from Laws Whiskey House- if their distribution has hit your area they're bound to have a bottle you'll like. A lot.

Just checked - it appears that where I live, it costs 3x its US price. When I get a raise, then, well, it's on the wishlist.
I remember talking to a guy from Chicago on WUS (been helping him to learn authenticating vintage Omegas), and the conversation went into the booze territory (I think it was something about the dial font on one piece being as blurry as my vision after going a glass too far). From what he has told me, the craft micro-distilleries are indeed sprouting like mushrooms these days, distilling everything from straight bourbon to Scotch-style single malt whiskies.

Of the not-so-hard-to-get bourbons, anyone here tried Woodford Reserve? Good, or piss? Planning on trying that out, after I get my hands on a bottle of the Dalwhinnie 15 y.o. (single malt Scotch).

MKTheVintageBloke wrote:

Thunder1 wrote:Good on ya, mate...Wild Turkey 101 is a most excellent value choice, imo...

I had the 80 proof. Nevertheless, I guess it still does remain excellent value for the money.

3Flushes wrote:Haven't had any WT since college. Bourbon is enjoying quite the little renaissance in the US. Just found a new bottle myself distilled from all local grains and quite a few small batch distilleries making great stuff. The one I have is from Laws Whiskey House- if their distribution has hit your area they're bound to have a bottle you'll like. A lot.

Just checked - it appears that where I live, it costs 3x its US price. When I get a raise, then, well, it's on the wishlist.
I remember talking to a guy from Chicago on WUS (been helping him to learn authenticating vintage Omegas), and the conversation went into the booze territory (I think it was something about the dial font on one piece being as blurry as my vision after going a glass too far). From what he has told me, the craft micro-distilleries are indeed sprouting like mushrooms these days, distilling everything from straight bourbon to Scotch-style single malt whiskies.

Of the not-so-hard-to-get bourbons, anyone here tried Woodford Reserve? Good, or piss? Planning on trying that out, after I get my hands on a bottle of the Dalwhinnie 15 y.o. (single malt Scotch).

Yes, the Woodford Reserve, like the KC Small Batch, are 2 celebrated entry level offerings to the premium bourbon market...both highly recommended..

The Woodford won't disappoint. If you haven't had a Wheaties bourbon, give some WL Weller Special Reserve a shot. Wheaties whiskers are just so silky smooth they have spoiled me. Damn near anything from the Buffalo Trace distillery will please the palate.

http://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/b ... l-weller#0

If you haven't recently ventured off into single pot still Irish whiskeys don't pass up a chance to try Green Spot or Yellow Spot. Absolutely divine.

Now, I know that some will rebel at calling Jack a bourbon. "Ain't no bourbon, motherfucker! It's Tennessee whiskey!"
Well, it is a bourbon until the point of charcoal filtering. Bourbon with a twist. Then again, call it as you please.

The legal requirements for using the word "bourbon":

- distilled in the USA
- grain mixture that is at least 51% corn
- aged in unused charred oak barrels

JD meets all of those, and could call itself "bourbon" if they chose. But they don't.

(I like Maker's Mark.)

Unrelated to bourbon but I've developed a taste for Japanese single malt whiskey.

They have the good grace not to call it "Scotch" but it's still among the best damn "scotches" I've come across.

I've been happy with High West's offerings. I think they're in the business of finishing whiskeys they haven't distilled while they get their own made and aged. I drink rye as often as I do bourbon. I keep buying High West Double Rye.

I'm a fan of Canadian Club, smooth and goes very well with ginger ale and ice, but easy to drink just with a chunk of ice.

Nothing wrong with The Bird, whether the 81 or 101 proof. Same for Woodford. As far as Tennessee whiskey, Geo. Dickel No. 12 from Tullahoma TN is my go to for an Old Fashioned - with their "Barrel Select" to sip on Sundays. Rye? Rittenhouse all day - although you'd be surprised at how tasty Old Overholt (bottled at 4 yrs.) can be.

bobbee wrote:I'm a fan of Canadian Club, smooth and goes very well with ginger ale and ice, but easy to drink just with a chunk of ice.

Hear, hear!

Falstaff wrote:Rye? Rittenhouse all day - although you'd be surprised at how tasty Old Overholt (bottled at 4 yrs.) can be.

More of my favorites. Old Overholt is a lot of bartenders' personal go-to, at least here in Minneapolis. Cheap and good.

Oddly enough, I have never tried Canadian Club. I did hear of Maker's Mark and Buffalo Trace. Both seem to be available locally. As to Japanese whisky, I do know a few folks who tried it, and were pretty impressed.

Of the non-Scotch and non-bourbon kind, there are two Irish whiskies I like, the Connemara 12 and the Bushmills Black Bush. Connemara is quite mellow, while the Black Bush... Very spicy, not mellow at all. Good for bloody cold days, the Black Bush.