Which Country Makes the Best Whiskey?

Well we got the whiskeys and the bourbons covered. I have so far enjoyed my education on bourbon. I am looking forward to some E.W. Williams. The Maker's Mark def. hit the spot, but it costs a bomb.....

Any Scotch drinkers like to chip in and offer a few suggestions for nice Scotch blends? Anybody drink any kind of whiskey we haven't covered yet?

Lecture Mode ON
As for kids and drinking....nothing I say will stop them. Never stopped me. Only to say that if you are going to drink, do it responsibly and enjoy the drink rather than use it as a road to just getting drunk. A fine wine with good food or a tasty whiskey sipped and enjoyed while talking with family and friends beats the hell out of hangovers and stomach pumps.
Lecture Mode OFF

Has to be scotland with their rich heritage and knowleadge about whiskey passed down the generations.

Originally posted by howmuchisthedoggy
Well we got the whiskeys and the bourbons covered. I have so far enjoyed my education on bourbon. I am looking forward to some E.W. Williams. The Maker's Mark def. hit the spot, but it costs a bomb.....

I dont mean to nitpick but Evan Williams is just Evan Williams- or E.W. if you want to abbreviate like I do- but nobody actually calls it E.W.

As for Markers Mark, where did you get yours?

My 750ml bottle cost 23 bucks at Longs Drug- only about 5 dollars more than Jack Daneils, and just a hair less than other high end products like Gentleman Jack and Evan Williams Single Barrel. Not bad considering how much work goes into it.
Maker's Mark is small batch and goes through a labor-intensive process of moving barrels during different seasons to enhance temperature differences and cause it to "breathe" better in the cask, and thus age better.

Maybe you got the Gold Label though... what proof is your bottle?

Oh... and I didn't think to ask where you're located. You aren't in America right now I guess, and that would obviously make a difference.

Originally posted by DaMikester
Has to be scotland with their rich heritage and knowleadge about whiskey passed down the generations.

'

I agree.

Go scotland!

Originally posted by The Vagabond
I dont mean to nitpick but Evan Williams is just Evan Williams- or E.W. if you want to abbreviate like I do- but nobody actually calls it E.W.

It's cool, if I'm wrong correct me. When I'm sippin' whiskey or bourbon the memory sometimes isn't the best!

As for Markers Mark, where did you get yours?

My local shot bar has an amazing collection of drinks. I just asked about bourbons and the Master whipped out 7 or 8 bottles. No Evan Wiliiams, but he pulled a bottle of Maker's Mark out. It could have been Gold Label for all I know, I have only seen one bottle of Maker's Mark in my life. I think it was 101.7 or 107 proof. The label was a goldy color though....

Oh... and I didn't think to ask where you're located. You aren't in America right now I guess, and that would obviously make a difference.

Native Irish, living in Northern Japan. So some drinks are harder to buy than others.

We seem to have some Scotch fans in now! Come on lads, give us some recommendations! Never mind just saying Scotland is the best! I want to go out and sample some of your "best" for myself!!

If you had 100+ proof Makers Mark I'm pretty sure we're talking 101.5. I'm not even sure it's available in the US. I hear its nice and pricey too. Somebody told me 100 bucks a bottle- but he didn't specify the size of the bottle and I didn't get the impression that he knew the difference between the least sanitary of orifices and a hole in the ground anyway.

Has Japan got anything good for export?

Originally posted by The Vagabond
If you had 100+ proof Makers Mark I'm pretty sure we're talking 101.5. I'm not even sure it's available in the US. I hear its nice and pricey too.

It was 101 point something, so I guess it was 101.5. I got the impression it was difficult to get and just over 100 dollars a bottle. It wasn't on the shelf, he whipped it out from one of his secret stashes. The Master appreciates a good tipple as well!

Has Japan got anything good for export?

They tend to just knock off other whiskeys and make their own versions. Most of what I have tasted is very similar to Jack Daniels or a generic Scotch. I tend to drink

Black Nikka
whisky.vangeest.nl...
Burahai
whisky.vangeest.nl...

I doubt you could get either of them from export.

As I said before, I am primarily an Irish whiskey drinker. However I am looking to expand my tastes and try a variety of whiskeys.

Originally posted by howmuchisthedoggy
As I said before, I am primarily an Irish whiskey drinker. However I am looking to expand my tastes and try a variety of whiskeys.

The Jameson I've tried wasn't everthing I hoped- although I may revisit it again soon just to be sure it didn't seem worse than it was just because I wasn't used to whiskey at the time.

Any particular variety of Jameson or other Irish brands you'd like to recommend?

Johnnie Walker Blue.

An acquired taste at an acquired price, £20+ a glass but worth it.

Forgot to add - Scotland of course

Nuff' Said

/end thread

Originally posted by Ocelot

Nuff' Said

/end thread

Oh, there's no way I can let you get away with that one ocelot. I've had plenty of jack, but the best? come on.

Strictly 80 proof, produced in large batches, and not nearly the care in making that you'll find in my new favorite- Maker's Mark.

The more exposure I get to other stuff, the more I see Jack Daniels as merely par for the course. It's drinkable for sure- I don't think I'd make a habit of drinking anything that wasn't as good as jack- but there is better stuff out there.

Plus I resent how over-marketed the name is. I don't listen to a band if I see the t-shirt more than i hear the songs on the radio, and I don't tout a whiskey which just might be making as much off of novelty items as it does off of the whiskey itself. Call me a communist if you want, but I resent corporations, and Jack Daniels has been developing a very corporate image.

No Doubt About It

France.

France makes the best whiskey, hands-down. Don't even think about telling a Frenchman his whiskey's not the best. People have died for less.

In France, whiskey isn't just a way to knock back the shakes, it's a passion, a way of life.

Jacques de Molay chose to die rather than reveal the secret of that smooth, smooth Templar whiskey, but the secret got out nonetheless, and as a direct result France is the undisputed whiskey capitol of the world.

Today, as everyone knows, it is impossible to say “French” without quickly whispering the word “whiskey” with a soft sigh and distant, wistful expression, straining one's ears for the distant call of accordions, the cry of the poodle.

Now that that's out of the way, I must confess that as much as I love the nose of a good Cochon Noir 90 proof, my heart and liver belong to Ezra Brooks.

It's grossly under-priced and one of the best whiskeys available on the mass liquor market.

When it comes to flavor and smoothness, Ezra Brooks pimp slaps Jack Daniels, holds his head under the toilet water and taunts him in a sing-song manner.

Ezra Brooks takes all the other whiskey's lunch money, baby.

Originally posted by The Vagabond
Any particular variety of Jameson or other Irish brands you'd like to recommend?

They move up in order of tastiness and price from

Jameson (Probably an export version you had....)
Jameson 12
Jameson Gold
Jameson Select
Jameson Millenium (Damn near impossible to get)

You seem to prefer smooth, so maybe any other brand of Irish Whiskey is not worth mentioning...

Originally posted by Majic
No Doubt About It

France.

France makes the best whiskey, hands-down. Don't even think about telling a Frenchman his whiskey's not the best. People have died for less.

Who did the french hire to do that killing?
I kill me- sorry I couldn't resist.

Now that that's out of the way, I must confess that as much as I love the nose of a good Cochon Noir 90 proof, my heart and liver belong to Ezra Brooks.

Ezra Brooks takes all the other whiskey's lunch money, baby.

I'll keep that in mind for whenever my neo-con masters tell me it's OK to buy french stuff. Just kidding- I could give a crap about boycotting people for their politics. I only boycott walmart, because any self respecting union man would.

Originally posted by The Vagabond
Oh, there's no way I can let you get away with that one ocelot. I've had plenty of jack, but the best? come on.

Didn't say it was the best. Just the one I like the most.

Fair enough. Leaves more of the good stuff for me :w:
Like I said, Jack is perfectly drinkable- I just have personal aversions to the brand these days.

Originally posted by howmuchisthedoggy
They move up in order of tastiness and price from

Jameson (Probably an export version you had....)
Jameson 12
Jameson Gold
Jameson Select
Jameson Millenium (Damn near impossible to get)

You seem to prefer smooth, so maybe any other brand of Irish Whiskey is not worth mentioning...

Thanks. And yeah, smooth is kind of important to me, because I've got a bit of dragon in me. From time to time, I attempt to breathe fire- and it hurts. So I like whiskey that goes down and stays there. Maybe I'd do better if I'd get in the habit of chasing it down with something. That's not usually my MO- usually me and my bro just sit down with a couple of tumblers and start putting a dent in the bottle.

Originally posted by The Vagabond
Maybe I'd do better if I'd get in the habit of chasing it down with something.

Now that you mention it, I do remember that a lot of guys in Ireland will get a small water jug with their whiskeys and water it down according to their taste. Usually with Powers or Paddys. It is considered sacrilage to water down a Jameson!!! Though you can cheat and have it on the rocks long enough to melt a little of the sting out of it.

Chasers are something I came across only in Japan. I remember getting the glass of water for the first time and thinking, do they reckon I am sort of wuss? I find it handy now, just to appreciate the taste a bit better each time.

As for sitting down and murdering a bottle with your siblings, nothing like it. I usually bring a Duty Free bottle of something nice home to Ireland with me and crack it open as I walk in the door.....

Well I've been hammering on a bottle of Dewar's lately, and I've got to say that I'm impressed. Scotch aint half bad.

Slide it into the list of my favs right above Jim Beam Black.