whiskey recommendations

Ruz

I know a few years ago there were lots of beer/whiskey threads on PC. i need to ask if anyone has some good recommendations for a present maybe 15 year old whiskey around 400 dollars
I be this thread gets closed soon lol

aesir

Dunno if you can find it for the price, but pappy van winkle, rip van winkle, and anything with van winkle in the name is something most collectors really want to get their hands on.  

Maccallan rare cask is nice.  Under your price point by 100.

RyanB

Depends on the whiskey drinker. 
I prefer a peaty single malt.  My two favourites are Lagavulin and Laphroaig.  For $400, you could probably find a 25 year old Laphroaig.  Smells like a smokey campfire mmmmmmm.
If you want something smoother, you could go with an 18 year old Macallan with a sherry finish, probably $350-ish.

My favourite cheap whiskey is $25.  Alberta Premium Dark Horse. 

Ruz

thanks for the recommendations guys, will have   a look see

Joopson

I'll recommend Laphroaig as well. It goes for like $60 a bottle in the US, and it's fantastic if you like smokey whiskeys. But it can be overpowering, if you don't love smoky flavors.

St. George whiskey (and heck, all their spirits) is great too, and a little more subtle.

notwithstanding

Joopson said:

I'll recommend Laphroaig as well. It goes for like $60 a bottle in the US, and it's fantastic if you like smokey whiskeys. But it can be overpowering, if you don't love smoky flavors.

St. George whiskey (and heck, all their spirits) is great too, and a little more subtle.

I love the smokey whiskeys they really pack a savory punch

mystichobo

It really depends on the person you're buying for. Some people aren't a huge fan of peat/smokey flavours.

Is it anything in specific you are buying it as a present for? If it's an anniversary or birthday it might be worth looking into something that was bottled in the year being celebrated. You could also potentially get a bottle, and a set of engraved Glencairn scotch glasses if you want something extra.

I do love my peaty Islays; Lagavulin's Distiller's Edition is a pretty all around fantastic whisky, Ardbeg Uigeadail is great too, but much more on the peaty side. I also haven't yet had a Laphroaig I've been unhappy with, but there is quite a bit of variation of flavours in their range.

If you're looking for something a bit smoother (and not an Islay!), I'd suggest maybe Oban or Talisker.

Ruz

well it's for a present for visiting relatives and I am aiming for reasonable quality and presentation
This one is a bit cheaper but still looks ok
https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/25865/glen-garioch-15-year-old-the-renaissance-1st-chapter
 this one  is waaaay out of my budget but interesting bottle
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mortlach-Generations-1939-year-old/dp/B018IAQTX0/ref=sr_1_5?s=alcohol&ie=UTF8&qid=1470610637&sr=1-5&keywords=whiskey

I think anything 'overly' peaty would not be a good choice and maybe it has to be 12 to 15 years old
I will have a look at the Laphroaig also, cheers:)

Rafael_Vieira

Ok, if you want to impress and reeeally are in the mood to make 400$ your base price... Maybe a Bunnahabhain 25 Year Old? It attends all your points (-age), the presentation is good, the quality is beyond the normal, and you will probably find it between $230~$300. I would post more stuff and even links, but I think I'll be probably flagged as spam since I'm a new user so maybe another time.

Happy drinking 

cptSwing

RyanB said:

Depends on the whiskey drinker. 
I prefer a peaty single malt.  My two favourites are Lagavulin and Laphroaig.  For $400, you could probably find a 25 year old Laphroaig.  Smells like a smokey campfire mmmmmmm.
If you want something smoother, you could go with an 18 year old Macallan with a sherry finish, probably $350-ish.

My favourite cheap whiskey is $25.  Alberta Premium Dark Horse. 

I'm a fan of Connemara.. one of the few peated Irish single malts.. you won't get to spend 400 bucks though, I'm afraid.

https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/cooley/connemara-22-year-old-whiskey/

Geezus

Ruz said:

...for a present maybe 15 year old whiskey around 400 dollars...

...can I be your friend?

EarthQuake

This is the whiskey thread now. I don't have recommendations for $400 bottles, however, some nice bottles that pretty much anyone can afford:

Rittenhouse Rye - $30, great for mixing, makes an awesome Old Fashioned, hard to find a better bottle at this price point.
Woodford Reserve - $40, great for mixing or even on the rocks, one of few bourbons I care for. I've bought many bottles that were not as good but cost significantly more.
Pow-wow Botanical Rye - $40, my current favorite, is excellent on the rocks. Works well in mixed drinks as well, but it's a shame to do anything but drink it on its own. Definitely an interesting bottle that's worth a try if you're into rye.

I'm not big into Scotch but do enjoy the more subtle flavors of Japanese Whiskey:
Nikka Taketsuru 12 year, if you can find it, is a very good bottle around $60-90. Nikka Taketsuru without an age label is good too (and what has replaced the 12 year as they've essentially ran out of it). Nikka 17 is good as well but you get into 3-5x the price and honestly I just think that's a bit silly.
Hibiki 12 is nice too in the same price range as Nikka, but similarly hard to find these days. 

Add3r

Ardbeg Uigeadail is one of my new favorites.  Its smokey (like a camp fire in your mouth, kinda smokey deliciousness) and oh so damn smooth.  Its like $60 a bottle, but it's some serious quality for the price.  One of the oldest whiskey distilleries, and they have had a whole lot of time to perfect it (as well as the bottle design, super classy).  Usually found in 18yr's, and is rated a solid 5/5 on every site I find selling/rating it.  Can't recommend it highly enough.

Ruz

geezus, no probs, but I only buy brown ale for friends:)
EQ thanks for the recommendations, prolly gonna go for a slightly dearer one though
Add3r - Ardbeg Uigeadail looks interesting too

so far I am thinking of
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Glen-Garioch-Single-Scotch-Whisky/dp/B009SS6AJK/ref=sr_1_2_s_it?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1470593903&sr=1-2&keywords=Glen+Garioch+12+year+old

https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/17158/wemyss-spice-king-12-year-old

https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/25865/glen-garioch-15-year-old-the-renaissance-1st-chapter

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dalmore-Malt-Scotch-Whisky-Glass/dp/B00PUIYCJM/ref=pd_sim_sbs_370_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=410gy1+SIsL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160,160_&psc=1&refRID=734K2HCHANKY0JQWSX14

skyline5gtr

That's some price tag, my fav is american honey for 20 bucks I need to explore more lol

RyanB

skyline5gtr said:

That's some price tag, my fav is american honey for 20 bucks I need to explore more lol

Most of the 18+ year old single malts I've had have been given to me or I tried at whiskey tasting events.  Locally, there is a festival called Hopscotch where you can try shots of whiskey that would be $15 - $25 each in a pub for $3 - $5. 

I get two expensive single malts each year, plus two Laphroaig quarter cask ($70), everything else is blended whiskey $40 or less. 

skyline5gtr

Jesus lol, Im too poor to hang with you guys lol

repete

Bushmills 16 yr

https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/bushmills-16-year-old-3-wood-whiskey/

One of the best single malts you can get, it's so soft on the palate you wont believe it.

Ruz

shame it's sold out repete:)

repete

Yes people are having problems getting there hands on the stuff

You might find it here:
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/bushmill+sixteen+old+single+malt+ireland+whisky+county+antrim+northern+united+kingdom

Gav

Finally, a GD thread that is important!

I like Rye:
Whistle Pig (one of my favorites)
http://www.joesdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/whistlepig-straight-rye-whiskey.jpg

FEW (really good, about 60 a bottle)
http://professorcocktail.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Few-Spirits-Rye-Whiskey.jpg

Sazerac (the brand, not the cocktail...believe it's the same distillery as Buffalo Trace..)
https://media2.caskers.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/1000x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/a/sazerac-6-year-old-straight-rye-whiskey-1.jpg

Corsair Ryemageddon (got this as a gift and really enjoyed it)
https://img.thewhiskyexchange.com/540/brbon_cor5.jpg


Side note for those going to GDC, we should gather a group of whiskey snobs and go here:
http://hardwaterbar.com/drink/

Also, if anyone goes to my homeland, Vancouver, Shebeen is one of the best whiskey bars I've been to - it's very laid back and has a great list:
http://www.shebeen.ca/whiskey-list.pdf

C86G

It really depends on what you like. For example I cannot drink any smokey whisky. After trying 50+, my favroutite ist still Glenlivet 12. Glenmorangie (10 + Lasanta) are also one of my favs. Oh and btw, try the Plantation XO rum...

mystichobo

Not really a purchasing suggestion (because it's a PITA to get), but seeing as how this thread has become more general, I'm having a dram of this tonight:

Beestonian

On my trip to Japan, I got to try Yamakazi Single Malt Whiskey. It's the smoothest whiskey I've ever had. Really expensive to get outside of Japan though

EarthQuake

Yeah the next time I'm in Japan I'm gonna bring a bigger suitcase so I can bring home a bottle or two.

@Gav: if you're into Rye check out Pikesville Straight Rye, at about $50 it's another great every day sort of bottle. Similar to Few. The first bottle of Few rye I had a couple years back was crazy good but the last few (kek) bottle's I've had have only been good, I think they changed how they make it to meet demand, recent batches seem younger with more burn.

Hudson Manhattan Rye is another good one, and comes in an adorable little bottle. 

Geezus

Ruz said:

geezus, no probs, but I only buy brown ale for friends:)

Then let's be whatever it is that makes you want to buy me a ~$400 bottle of scotch.

Joking aside, I'm a big fan Highland Park.
Their 25yr is around your price range.


I usually go for their 12 or 18yr... which is much more within my price range.


If your friend likes peaty scotch, I highly recommend it.

My latest, "have on hand", whisky is Monkey Shoulder. This is a very affordable and extremely tasty blended whisky. Probably the best bang-for-your buck blended whisky there is, imo.

This also pairs beautifully with any "dark fill" cigar, such as a Leccia Black or a MUWAT KFC... if you or your buddy are into cigars.

EarthQuake

+1 to Monkey Shoulder, a very nice blended scotch.

Malus

My favourite:
https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/suntory-hibiki-21-year-old-blended-whisky/

Drocho

I like Lagavulin the most, personally, but I don't drink whiskey as much as I used to.

Ruz

so in the end i found the local supermarket had the exepensive ones in stock and they were a damn site cheaper than sites like the whiskey exchange.
I bought the bushmills 16 year old as the most expensive one, for about 65 quid

0xffff

Ohhhhhh yes.

skyline5gtr

Can anyone recommend something that is not 400 dollars lol something sub 100 ?

Kwramm

Beestonian said:

On my trip to Japan, I got to try Yamakazi Single Malt Whiskey. It's the smoothest whiskey I've ever had. Really expensive to get outside of Japan though

Thanks for the recommendation! I just found that one in my local supermarket for like 60 bucks

RyanB

skyline5gtr said:

Can anyone recommend something that is not 400 dollars lol something sub 100 ?

Alberta Premium Dark Horse (sometimes called Dark Batch) - $25
Laphroiag Cask Strength 10 year old - $70 (this stuff smells like peat moss burning, love it)
 

claydough

C86G said:

It really depends on what you like. For example I cannot drink any smokey whisky. After trying 50+, my favroutite ist still Glenlivet 12. Glenmorangie (10 + Lasanta) are also one of my favs. Oh and btw, try the Plantation XO rum...

2nd Glenlivet!
smoooooth...

supposedly the ads in the 50s n 60s use to tout tradition of a single drop of water but I just fill up a rocks glass with rocks.

Though not a scotch whiskey...
the most expensve drink I ever had was a snifter of Louis tres. ( Remy Martin Cognac Louis XIII )
A lot of places will enter your drink in a pool to win the Baccarat crystal when finished.

noodlemantra

I always find it interesting to see how much enthusiasm people can muster over booze. There's not a single liquor that I can drink for the taste. I invariably make that "just sniffed a skunk" look. Still, I might scarf down vodka in a social situation, but it's usually with the acknowledgement that I'll end up getting hammered and looking silly. Kudos to y'all for your boozethusiasm. You're better than I.

littleclaude

Ballantine Whiskey - You should treat yourself to this fantastic Whiskey container.

This is how it was created - http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?199855-3D-Printing-straight-from-ZBrush

RyanB

I usually drink everything neat but I found a new mixed drink that I love: cherry coke and Dark Horse whiskey.  It's dangerously easy to drink a lot of it.