Whisky (e?)

Hello,

I'm a 23 year old duder and I just bought a bottle of Makers Mark. I'm not much of a hard A guy (you can probably tell by how I refer to liquor.) But a recent reddit thread, and a recent acquirement ofbeer belly has made me want to learn how to enjoy liquor.

A little info on me and my drinking. I LOVE beer. I used to hate it, but now I love it. My uncle is a craft beer wizard that teaches a beer class at a college in Oregon; he taught me how to love beer, and so did living in Portland in general. I started by drinking cheap beer and Admiral Nelson Rum; I can't drink rum anymore.

I drink a lot of beer, and haven't drank hard alcohol more than 4 times in the past 2 years, and when I do it's like a teenager (ala Dan)--mixed with soda or chased with soda. But now, trouble in paradise. This past year I have gained some excessive beer weight; while the responsible thing would be to stop drinking and exercise all the days I don't have hang overs, I want to keep drinking but not so many calories. So hard A. I want to learn how to drink liquor like a fuckin adult, but not like any adult like fuckin Don Draper (big difference between him and Axel Rose).

A recent reddit thread I came across was talking about whisky. Someone recommended Makers Mark as a good starting whisky, so I bought some. Now I'm drinking it, with one ice cube, even though they say room temperature water is better, and every other sip is not so bad. But I don't know what to look for and how this compares to the cheap as stuff I usually chase with coke. I would also like to drink other alcohols, but whisky is fine for now. SO if any of you duders could give me some guidance I would appreciate it.

Cheers

Well I'm not much of a bourbon guy as its too sweet but Makers Mark is definitely one of the better bourbons that are a blend and moderately priced. If you really want to know how it compares then buy a hip flask of some shite cheap bourbon like Jim Beam or Slate (usually only used in mixers) and have a sip of that and then your Makers Mark. You'll notice the difference.

I love me scotch and the equivalent of doing that would be drinking a delicious Single Malt (Laphroaig Quarter Cask for example) or a best of the rest blend like Chivas Regal or Vat 69 (yeah Vat 69 probably ain't a good example but I like it) and then drink Johnny Walker Red. JW Red taste like fucking turps to me as does JW Black, Green, and blue.

The way I look at it overall, if you drink it and your face tenses up like you've bitten a lemon or an onion then the shite is no good,

I feel like I've made this full loop. When I first started drinking I was way into the cheap college kid beer and sugary cocktails. Then I had my craft beer phase, which was a great way to spend a ton of money on not getting very drunk. Then I started getting into Scotch. At a certain point I realized that spending $80 every other week wasn't a great way to go, so I started getting cheaper and cheaper. Now my go to drink is Evan Williams, some bottom shelf bourbon, with some ice and a little water. It's great. It's cheap, it gets me drunk, and I like the taste. It's so freeing.

I found wine a good middle ground between tasty, fattening beer and straight up harsh hard liquor. You don't have to spend a whole lot either. There are plenty of good, cheap wines. Anything with a date on the bottle really.

Liquor will still do that to you. Fun fact for all those would-be dieters out there.

Do some sit-ups.

I'm a Jim Bean and Jack Daniels guy myself, I drink that stuff straight but won't touch any other liquors besides the occasional Captain Morgan.

As has been said, scotch can be a real treat if you get into it. This gentlemen sums it up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVG1U-faqHY

That said: don't throw your whiskey on the floor.

Drinking more than an ounce of alcohol per day can lead to weight gain, according to a study published in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in May 2003. The type of alcohol doesn't make a difference, just the amount...

That's a quote from some Livestrong article, there aren't that many more calories in a typical serving of beer than in a typical serving of liquor. So I think cutting back in general as opposed to substituting is probably the better way to stop gaining weight. That being said, I don't know shit.

@aquamarin: While I appreciate the liquor advice I'm not looking for beer advice. I can drink cheap shit when it makes sense (broke or someone else bought) but I still appreciate a tasty beer more than any other alcohol, and can get plenty drunk from them. I really just want to know how to properly drink whisky, or any other liquor, to see if I like it. Thanks for the cool chart though I will definitely look at it.

@johnnyhalo666: You could try Elijah Craig 12 Year old bourbon, had that recently I liked it, maybe a little rough on the back end.

I suggest trying to learn to enjoy the taste; adding ice is not the way to do that. You did touch on this, though. Just adding some room temperature water is better.

Making the drink cold dulls the flavour. Some people don't mind this and it is seen as more acceptable than mixing.

Whiskey also comes in different forms that you might enjoy more or less. I am a bourbon man myself so I think Maker's Mark is fine (certainly better than stuff like Jim Beam White Label).

Again, just add a bit of water and try to hold the drink in your mouth when you take a sip. Don't just move it over your tongue as quick as possible... try and parse what you're tasting. Learn what you like, or just to like it all.

I think it makes it more enjoyable to take notes and try new, different bottles but that's just me. I don't know if that's something Don Draper would do.

Or drink it however the fuck you want because everything I just wrote is probably super pretentious.

@chrjz: I want hear the pretentious cuz they know the devil and his details! I've been holding it and thinking about the flavor profile, but sometimes its still pucker and swallow as fast as I can. I also used ice cuz I don't have room temp water on hand, but now I'm just drinking straight. What's the difference between bourbon, whisky, and whiskey? Sorry if I'm asking stuff you don't know. This is the most expensive bottle I have ever boughten for myself.

I'm enjoying that exact bottle right now. It's pretty good... I don't think it's rough on the finish but it does tend to linger and is a bit spicy. It's maybe not a beginners' bourbon.

@johnnyhalo666: The difference in whiskey pretty much comes down to where it's from and how it's made. A bit of reading can clear that up.

Also, now that you're drinking it straight, and possibly slightly inebriated, trying to learn the nuance of the whiskey might be difficult. So just enjoy it (responsibly, I guess).

Also, if you find yourself questioning the difference between this more expensive bottle and the cheaper stuff you've had in the past it would be fine to save your wallet and just drink that. If your palate expands while you learn to enjoy the cheaper whiskey, it will make buying the expensive bottles more rewarding.

The trick to enjoying whiskey straight is to learn to appreciate it in cocktails. Make yourself a proper whiskey sour or an old fashion. Those still taste like whiskey but temper the kick and the burn. You can use them to develop a whiskey tolerance and discover which whiskey you actually enjoy.

Stop chasing that glorious golden liquid with coke you heathen. You wanna grow up to be like Dan Ryckert? What would your mother think?

From your wording, it sounds like you might have a (lingering) alcohol problem. Perhaps consider cutting back a bit and start those exercises you were talking about?

Also, as someone before already said: switching to hard liquor will still provide you plenty of calories.

Anyway, I'm more of a scotch guy, so that's where I can chip in a bit. Some years ago I wanted to learn to enjoy scotch, as some people loved the stuff and I wanted to understand why. So I did some research and start trying different single malts. There are basically five different areas in Scotland after which single malts are named: Lowlands, Highlands, Speyside, Islands and Islay. The major difference between these areas is their the amount of turf in the ground, which adds to the smokiness of the whisky. The Lowlands have the least, Islay (one particular island with a lot of turf) has the most. Therefore, Lowland whiskies are the easiest to start with, although I believe there are only two distilleries left (Glenmorangie and another one).

I actually started with Highlands and Speysides, particularly the smoother ones (I still don't really like the sharper whiskies). Some easy starters are Dalwhinnie, Cragganmore, Cardhu and Oban. I still love all of these, the first three are some of my go-to-whiskies. Just try standard editions, don't bother with any special editions yet. As some here said, adding some drops of water helps to let the flavour come out. Drinking some water next to it might help if it's too strong, sometimes I still do that as well. Also, don't drink it immediately after you pour it out, otherwise the alcohol will come out too much, which isn't very pleasant. Let it air a few minutes.

Just do some research, try to find someone who loves these and can teach you a thing or two, try out some different Highlands, Lowlands and Speysides, and see what you like (also try Johnny Walker Black, it's a great blend). After you've gotten a taste for it, try an Islay to understand the difference. I'd recommend Caol Ila or Ardbeg, but there are six different distilleries to choose from.

From there, you can start to try out the different distilleries and editions and see what you enjoy the most. I hope you can learn to enjoy them like I did!

I've always like whiskey in its various forms and frankly you just need to try a bunch of different cheaper stuff first. Don't buy stuff over $30-35 and don't just stick to bourbon. Things to try are Jameson, Johnny Walker, Monkey Shoulder, Evan Williams or Buffalo Trace maybe, all at 30 or less a fifth. After you've had a small variety of whiskey you'll likely find out not just how you like to drink it (rocks, neat, with water, etc...) but also what varieties you like the most. I'm a fan of Irish Whiskey and Bourbon personally and neat is the only way to go.

If you chill it, you take away the flavor and it's same if you water it down too much, so I don't like it on the rocks at all. If you put a little water in it it does bring out the smell and flavor a bit, but you run the risk of diluting it too much so start with just a few literal drops and work your way up. The goal of adding water is to cut the burn so you can actually taste the whiskey; the only whiskey I put water in now is rough scotch but when I was younger I put water or ice in most of my whiskey.

Like @chrjz said, just try to enjoy it for now and save your money. Take your time and let your pallet develop for now, you really can't rush it.

Hey man, with all whiskey (or good booze/spirits in general) you can add water to ANY amount, making it alcoholic to like beer levels even if you want to (1 part spirit to 7 parts water)- if you do it will taste like a coolaid-like whiskey drink, really not bad. Or you could just do a 50-50 mix. I think 25-75(spirit-water) is good. Anyways, its what they used to do in the WWII days.

"switching to hard liquor will still provide you plenty of calories."

Are you kidding me? Try drinking craft beer and then switch to something like seagrams or what have you. There is nothing to it (the seagrams). You can drink a lot of these craft beers in replacement of food they are so good (and heavy).

I know because I have, and I was wondering why I was so hungry.

I don't drink beer because I find it bland, and drinking litres of liquid in one sitting seems odd to me! So yeah, Makers Mark is my drink. I find it's the perfect all rounder. As you say, bourbons are a little sweeter and not as heavy as scotches etc. , so better for drinking in large amounts! (if that's your deal). I get mine with lots of ice - as that harshens the edge slighty, and gradually dilutes the booze, so you're not getting too drunk too quickly. Not using mixers will keep your hangover cleaner, too.
However, brown liquids like bourbon are still pretty heavy on the calories. A high end vodka like Grey Goose drank straight with lots of ice is a healthier, and delicious option. And you wont get much of a hangover at all.

Side note: In England (where I'm from) a single measure is 25cl. When I moved to the USA a couple of years ago, I wasn't aware that a measure over there is 40cl. So when I would drink doubles, I was having 80cl rather than the usual 50cl.
Probably why I made pals with some conspiracy theory pushing meth head bikers, and racist BBQ'ing swingers quite quickly (I only found out their "quirks" later). So yeah, watch yourself.

@dookierope:I've had a whisky sour a couple times, but I was already a few beers deep and only ordered it because I had heard another performer order it that night. I bet I would love it though after a night of drinking Makers.

@gregorygold: What are the beer options in England? Do you have IPA's, Stouts, Belgium fruity stuff? I only have a slightly less than shallow knowledge of beer, but what I gather is in England you guys generally have lower alcohol contents but beer is a bigger part of your culture. So someone like me, drinking American craft beers that get up to 14% alcohol% can handle more, and tastier beers, than you.

@johnnyhalo666: I recommend this gentleman's youtube channel. He can tell you all you need to know about drinking whisk(e)y.

To everybody beyond 21 and curious about this strong drink, here's Getting into whiskey for dummies according to another dummy (me):

1. Experiment. Start with the cheapest and go up. Right now my fave in taste and experience is the cheapest one that can be had in Sweden ("CLUNY"), and I have to climb the price ladder high to get anything that works better for me. It's a personal thing, don't feel bad or shunned or take shit for drinking cheap, as long as it works for you!
2. Use actual ice-cubes, stones are bunk.
3. To get the most out of it, drink it like the kind of thing that's legal for medical use in some states: Keep it in the mouth for some 20 seconds before swallowing, let it heat your entire mouth up. Not recommended if you have an open wound in the gums or a hole in a tooth.

I know it's good when a single glass (of standard whiskey to glass amounts) is enough to get me feeling 100% right for an hour.

Not sure if you still live in Portland but we just did a meet-up like a couple weeks ago and are planning another one here soon. Didn't see you in the geo-location thread. PM me if interested.

BTW, a 1.5 oz shot glass of whiskey is typically 115 calories, and a low carb 12 oz beer ("lights" bud lights coors lights) are 95 per can... so hard alochol is not going to solve your beer belly problem. Alcohol contains calories so high alcohol content means more concentrated calories.

EDIT: just saw some people already mentioned this.

buy a hip flask of some shite cheap bourbon like Jim Beam

It's weird to hear someone refer to Jim Beam as cheap shit (especially in comparison to Maker's Mark) when they are roughly the same price here in the UK.

I think that's because Jim Beam is overpriced... at least the White Label is not very good, in my opinion. It would be fine for someone just starting out, though.

Still, there is a $15 difference between it and Maker's, where I'm from.

@creepingdeath0: You a Metallica fan there in the UK?

And whats up with the 666 johnnyhalo dude, you some kinda Satanist? Little creepy.... I just noticed.

And yes, @tokensonly, Scotch is the bomb.

Hey mang,

I like to experiment with my liquor. I have found Ouzo to be really tasty. My favourite is Ouzo Xenia although I don't know if it is available everywhere (Aus). It has a reasonably strong aniseed flavour that is delicious straight but can also be lessened with a little water.

@johnnyhalo666: England used to be that way, but it's pretty much the same as anywhere now - especially in large cities like London, there is a huge variety of beers on offer. But yes, generally, people favour weaker lagers.
I currently live in Maastricht, inbetween Belgium and Germany, and even with its ridiculous selection of beers, and quality beer brewing culture, I still find them to be generally dull and tasteless. I don't get the appeal of drinking litres of liquid.
Side note: I lived in LA, and people in my local would order Stella Artois as if it was some artisanal delight, when in England it's known as "wife beater".

@creepingdeath0: Where are you buying your makers from!? It's generally about at least a tenner a bottle more than Jim Beam. I just checked the average supermarket, Tesco, and JB was 12.95, MM 29.

Huge whiskey fan here. I've been around the block with bourbon, too sweet for my tastes generally, but I like it on occasion. I had a friend who is very much into scotch walk me through some samples a few times, and it ended up being a little too far on the other end of the spectrum. I like Canadian style rye for mixing generally, but not so much as a main course.

I've fallen deeply in love with Irish whiskeys, however. Jameson is a decent enough place to start, but I quickly gravitated to Paddy. I find it to be nice and mild, but with a unique enough flavor. It's a real drinking whiskey. It's become a bit of a house drink at my place for any sort of get-together and as a result, most of my friends have been turned onto it to the point that our local liquor store had an issue keeping it in stock for a while.

My general rule is to stick to the $20-$30 range for a bottle, as anything lower seems to be only worthwhile for mixing, along with inconsistent batch taste. Anything higher doesn't seem to be worth it, as much of the time the taste difference isn't worth the premium and perceived increase in quality. On the Irish note, my family picked up a bottle of Middleton Rare ($150) for a holiday dinner once, and after a few drinks, we dove back into the Paddy ($20), thanks to personal preference.

Try stuff out!

Couple of things on how to sample whiskey.

Swirl it if you want to, thats to see the color.

Bring the glass up to your nose and smell it

take a sip of it and taste it

Then swallow and see if there is a lingering after taste.

Add a little bit of water, wait 10 seconds, and repeat the above steps.

There is a good flavour map here that can explain to you what whiskey you like and others like it:

http://www.malts.com/var/plain_site/storage/images/choosing-whisky/a-world-of-flavour/the-single-malt-whisky-flavour-map/a-guide-to-flavours/125896-16-eng-ROW/A-Guide-to-Flavours.png

I would suggest getting a Lagvulin 16 year for its smokyness and petiness. In canada it costs $100 a bottle. The Balvenie Double Wood is a good example of rich and delicate.

More importantly have fun!

Whiskey is the best. I don't recommend jumping right into scotch. It's an acquired taste, and even a seasoned whiskey drinker like myself only enjoys it on occasion. Also, on the rocks is the way to drink whiskey. Good alcohol shouldn't be mixed, and not actively watered down more than what you'll get from some melting ice. I've tried just about all whiskey at this point, so here's my recommendations on how to progress.

First, get a bottle of Crown Royal. It's easy to drink, and makes a nice introductory whiskey. Mix with coke to start with if necessary, but work in less and less coke until you're drinking it on the rocks. Once you start liking that, step up to bourbon. Bourbon will generally have a bit harsher of a taste. Maker's is a good introductory bourbon. I also highly recommend Bulleit Bourbon, Breckenridge Bourbon, and Woodford Reserve.

Then try some rye whiskeys. Most Old Fashioneds will use rye whiskeys, so that can make a nice introduction to rye. If you fancy that, try Bulleit Rye on its own. Once you've done that, move on to Irish whiskeys. Jameson is a good start. Then try Tullamore D.E.W. After that, give the Jameson Black Barrel a try.

Once you've done all that, you can start working in some scotch or go back to whichever of the previous drinks you like best. I generally have bourbon, rye, and Irish whiskey on hand at all times so I can pick one depending on my mood. Enjoy!

@gregorygold: Yes Stella Artois is shit. But I'm guessing by "wife beater" you mean cheap and tasteless? Something of a Budweiser?

It referred to how a the type men who would drink it would be the type to beat their wives, I believe (I grew in in the working class north!)

As has been mentioned, making old fashioneds (and don't skip the citrus) is a great way to appreciate the flavor of bourbon. Mint juleps are another similar option. Rye is another great thing to try; you can make old fashioneds with rye as well, but manhattans are just the best (and the differences between sweet vermouths can be incredible).

Now, the unfortunate thing with pretty much all of these beverages is that it is very hard to find a bar/restaurant that makes them well, so you really have to just buy all the components and DIY to get the full effect. For scotch, I generally opt for trying them at a bar first since bottles can cost an awful lot, and opening a bottle and pouring into a glass is pretty hard to get wrong.

Back to bourbon/rye though, there are tons of good, cheap options out there. Bulleit bourbon and rye are decent and can basically be found everywhere now. Buffalo trace is almost as readily available and I like it a bit better. I wouldn't worry about trying anything much more expensive than those until/unless you find that you appreciate and enjoy the flavors. (btw, I always find makers on the rocks to be much better with some bitters thrown in)

Some proper recipes for you:

http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/10/cocktail-101-five-essential-bourbon-cocktails-best-bourbon-cocktail-recipes.html

http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/10/cocktail-101-five-essential-rye-cocktails-what-to-make-with-rye.html

Good luck! It would be interesting to hear what you end up trying/enjoying/disliking :-)

Glenlivet 12 was my first whiskey and it's my favorite. Jameson Irish whiskey is alright as well. These are both cheaper, but still quite tasty.

Here's a good beginners list of whiskey's: Recommendations for beginners

Bulleit Rye is an excellent and affordable alternative to Maker's Mark. I love whiskey, especially bourbons, and I will drink them straight or with ice but what I really love is an Old Fashioned cocktail.

Double bourbon, splash of bitters and a little sugar mixed with water. Top with one ice cube. The perfect drink.

Wine is the best alternative. There are some good, relatively cheap bottles that taste good without you feeling like you are drinking your salary, but its availability really depends on where you live.

I was never into whiskey. I guess most of the stuff I drank was really rough...

Makers Mark!!!!!

Go to a whisky tasting. This way you get to try lots of different ones. You can also meet people and talk with them and learn a lot.
Here in Canada they are at the fancier liquor stores. Not sure where they are in other countries.

I only tend to drink around Christmas so I crack open some Aberlour. I did push the boat out one year and got that Abdun'h or whatever its called special batch that the distillery does every year. 60% but it loses the sherry haze which makes that blend so distinctive. Not entirely sure it was worth the £50 I paid for it.

I started off by grabbing some sample bottles and then settled on a few that I like. I wound up liking Scottish Leader after getting a bottle from a secret santa and Special Reserve had a proper kick to it. Discovered that at a wedding I went to.