• Welcome to OGBoards 10.0, keep in mind that we will be making LOTS of changes to smooth out the experience here and make it as close as possible functionally to the old software, but feel free to drop suggestions or requests in the Tech Support subforum!

Good whiskey, scotch and rye (anything but bourbon)

A

AMCDeac

Richard Joyce
Joined
Mar 27, 2011
Messages
942
Reaction score
68
Location
Charlotte
Yeah, I love good bourbon, too. But it has become harder to find good/great bourbons at the store.

So, as whiskey goes, I would recommend you try Suntori Toki. Excellent Japanese whiskey at a comfortable price point. Some NC ABC stores have limits on it (Avery County) but others let you clean the shelf (Mecklenburg). Good stuff.

What are your great finds?
 
Last edited:
AMCDeac said:
Yeah, I love good bourbon, too. But it has become harder to find good/great bourbons at the store.

So, as whiskey goes, I would recommend you try Suntori Toki. Excellent Japanese whiskey at a comfortable price point. Some NC ABC stores have limits on it (Avery County) but others let you clean the shelf (Mecklenburg). Good stuff.

What are your great finds?
Click to expand...

You realize that we talk about a lot of whiskey, rye, and scotch, right?

In fact, wfudkn is handing out scotch recs like it’s his job right now.

Also, Bourbon is a type of whiskey.

Also, dicks cleaning shelves is why there isn’t a ton of good bourbon available in stores. Maybe don’t do that.
 
Strickland33 said:
You realize that we talk about a lot of whiskey, rye, and scotch, right?

In fact, wfudkn is handing out scotch recs like it’s his job right now.

Also, Bourbon is a type of whiskey.

Also, dicks cleaning shelves is why there isn’t a ton of good bourbon available in stores. Maybe don’t do that.
Click to expand...

Not to put too fine a point on this but Bourbon is Whiskey (with an "e") and Scotch is Whisky.

I am an old fart who drinks and collects Scotch as a hobby. I have been to Scotland three times just to visit distilleries. I even made the trip over to Islay. (Islay is an island off the western coast of Scotland that prides itself with peated Scotch.) I keep a spread sheet detailing what Scotches I have had, when I had them, characteristics, ect. As of today I have had 527 different Scotches. (I do not include Japanese single malts because they are not Scotch. If I included them I could add about 30 more to my list.)

Yes, I know that I am completely bonkers. You don't need to tell me. :tard:

If you are interested in a particular Scotch let me know. I'll see if I can review it for you. We can trade opinions.

If you live in North or South Carolina I can tell you about the best Scotch store in the two states.

Just realize that you are dealing with a crazy man when you deal with me. :eek:
 
gfspencer said:
Not to put too fine a point on this but Bourbon is Whiskey (with an "e") and Scotch is Whisky.

I am an old fart who drinks and collects Scotch as a hobby. I have been to Scotland three times just to visit distilleries. I even made the trip over to Islay. (Islay is an island off the western coast of Scotland that prides itself with peated Scotch.) I keep a spread sheet detailing what Scotches I have had, when I had them, characteristics, ect. As of today I have had 527 different Scotches. (I do not include Japanese single malts because they are not Scotch. If I included them I could add about 30 more to my list.)

Yes, I know that I am completely bonkers. You don't need to tell me. :tard:

If you are interested in a particular Scotch let me know. I'll see if I can review it for you. We can trade opinions.

If you live in North or South Carolina I can tell you about the best Scotch store in the two states.

Just realize that you are dealing with a crazy man when you deal with me. :eek:
Click to expand...

See, this is the whole reason the internet was invented, to connect average joes like me with elite drinkers like you. First question, to help out those of us who like Scotch but don't want our spouses mad at us over the ABC bill: what are the best Scotch whiskys readily available in NC ABC stores at a reasonable price point (say, up to $35-40)?

And yes I want to know about the best Scotch store in NC/SC.
 
IMO there are good and great bourbons at every store. They’re hiding in plain sight where they’ve always been, they just don’t get the hype parade like the buffalo trace brands and the pappiez.

McKenna BIB and Four Roses SB (esp Four Roses store picks) are examples that I can find in any store and be happy paying $35 while letting everyone else chase after the latest Jefferson space voyage or whatever.
 
gfspencer said:
Not to put too fine a point on this but Bourbon is Whiskey (with an "e") and Scotch is Whisky.

I am an old fart who drinks and collects Scotch as a hobby. I have been to Scotland three times just to visit distilleries. I even made the trip over to Islay. (Islay is an island off the western coast of Scotland that prides itself with peated Scotch.) I keep a spread sheet detailing what Scotches I have had, when I had them, characteristics, ect. As of today I have had 527 different Scotches. (I do not include Japanese single malts because they are not Scotch. If I included them I could add about 30 more to my list.)

Yes, I know that I am completely bonkers. You don't need to tell me. :tard:

If you are interested in a particular Scotch let me know. I'll see if I can review it for you. We can trade opinions.

If you live in North or South Carolina I can tell you about the best Scotch store in the two states.

Just realize that you are dealing with a crazy man when you deal with me. :eek:
Click to expand...

a good rule of thumb to go by with whether to spell it whiskey or whisky is if the country where it's produced has an e:

Whisky: Scotland, Japan, Canada
Whiskey: United States of America, Ireland
 
I was drinking Red Breast (12 year) Irish Whiskey last night. I do like
 
06deacon said:
IMO there are good and great bourbons at every store. They’re hiding in plain sight where they’ve always been, they just don’t get the hype parade like the buffalo trace brands and the pappiez.

McKenna BIB and Four Roses SB (esp Four Roses store picks) are examples that I can find in any store and be happy paying $35 while letting everyone else chase after the latest Jefferson space voyage or whatever.
Click to expand...

Totally agree... but this thread is about whisky, scotch, and rye, remember? (-:

My favorite budget rye is Old Overholt.
 
Been a while since I’ve had much rye but Rittenhouse is a good cheap option and 100pf too. The High West blends are good too although they’re more pricey. I like Sazerac as a sipper too although that’s basically vanished with all the other buffalo trace products.
 
gfspencer said:
Not to put too fine a point on this but Bourbon is Whiskey (with an "e") and Scotch is Whisky.

I am an old fart who drinks and collects Scotch as a hobby. I have been to Scotland three times just to visit distilleries. I even made the trip over to Islay. (Islay is an island off the western coast of Scotland that prides itself with peated Scotch.) I keep a spread sheet detailing what Scotches I have had, when I had them, characteristics, ect. As of today I have had 527 different Scotches. (I do not include Japanese single malts because they are not Scotch. If I included them I could add about 30 more to my list.)

Yes, I know that I am completely bonkers. You don't need to tell me. :tard:

If you are interested in a particular Scotch let me know. I'll see if I can review it for you. We can trade opinions.

If you live in North or South Carolina I can tell you about the best Scotch store in the two states.

Just realize that you are dealing with a crazy man when you deal with me. :eek:
Click to expand...

Ha! Finally found someone crazier than I about Scotch. I currently have 39 different bottles (mainly single malts) on hand and have probably tasted 100, or so. I tend to go for peaty scotches - Lagavulin 16 is one of my favorites, along with Talisker 18. I also go for the Macallan's and most of the Balvenie's (don't like their Caribbean Cask). My wife prefers any of the Tomintoul's. I haven't purchased a bottle in several years, but keep getting bottles for Christmas

One of the more unique brands I've tried is Poit Dhubh blended 12 - do you have notes on it?
 
Last edited:
I find OO undrinkable. Whenever I get a cocktail at a bar or restaurant that has an unnamed rye in it I always ask if its OO, and if it is I ask for a substitute. There is a funk going on that I just can't handle. It ruins any cocktail for me.
 
One thing to remember about ryes is that Canadian ryes can be called rye even if there's no rye in it. American ryes must have a minimum of 51% rye. Old Overholt and Rittenhouse are good choices for inexpensive ryes. I have an unopened bottle of legal prohibition rye that my father obtained in the early 30's. It is undrinkable (cloudy) due to the cork rotting.
 
Deacon923 said:
See, this is the whole reason the internet was invented, to connect average joes like me with elite drinkers like you. First question, to help out those of us who like Scotch but don't want our spouses mad at us over the ABC bill: what are the best Scotch whiskys readily available in NC ABC stores at a reasonable price point (say, up to $35-40)?

And yes I want to know about the best Scotch store in NC/SC.
Click to expand...

Some good basic single malts would include Glenmorangie, Highland Park, The Macallan, and Glenlevit. All three have bottles going from around $30 to $1,500.

If you want a good Scotch with a lot of peat you can go for Ardbeg. A good blended Scotch is Johnnie Walker. A great blended Single Malt is Monkey Shoulder.

A good place to get Scotch in South Carolina is Frugal Macdoogal on I77 at the Carowinds exit. I GREAT place to buy Scotch in South Carolina is Souther Spirits in Indian Land, SC.

Good North Carolina ABC stores for Scotch are in Albemarle (I'm not kidding) and the two in Asheville. (I haven't tried any ABC stores east of Albemarle. There might be good ones out there.)

I'm sure there are people on this forum who know more than I do. If you have favorite Scotches and/or favorite stores let us know. I'm all ears. I would love some input.
 
gfspencer said:
Not to put too fine a point on this but Bourbon is Whiskey (with an "e") and Scotch is Whisky.

I am an old fart who drinks and collects Scotch as a hobby. I have been to Scotland three times just to visit distilleries. I even made the trip over to Islay. (Islay is an island off the western coast of Scotland that prides itself with peated Scotch.) I keep a spread sheet detailing what Scotches I have had, when I had them, characteristics, ect. As of today I have had 527 different Scotches. (I do not include Japanese single malts because they are not Scotch. If I included them I could add about 30 more to my list.)

Yes, I know that I am completely bonkers. You don't need to tell me. :tard:

If you are interested in a particular Scotch let me know. I'll see if I can review it for you. We can trade opinions.

If you live in North or South Carolina I can tell you about the best Scotch store in the two states.

Just realize that you are dealing with a crazy man when you deal with me. :eek:
Click to expand...

So what bottles/scotches would you recommend for someone who likes bourbon and rye whiskeys? I've had heavily peated scotch before and I know I don't like that. The only scotch I've had that I really like so far is Balvenie Doublewood (12) and Balvenie Carribean Cask (14), but those are at a higher price point than where I typically like to spend.
 
Whistle Pig old world rye, is the tits, I think its better than the Boss Hog. The only Whistle Pig I have no had is the 15 year old (FYI if you're all looking to throw in for a wedding gift). The Farmstock is their only stuff made in the US right now, everything else is shipped in from Canada. Farmstock Rye Crop 002 (this year's) is exponentially better than last years, so if you tried last years and didn't like it, give it another shot. The 10 year is fine, but at that price, you can find something you enjoy more.

Now for High West, I really enjoy the Bourye, kinda best of both worlds, they use to have a Son of Bourye too, but haven't seen it around recently. The Valley Tan (the one adorned with the face of Orrin Porter Rockwell the Mormon Assassin) is a Mormon Whiskey, its an oat and rye mixture, its pretty cool if you want to experiment with something different. Not gonna amaze you, but something to check off the list. The Silver Whiskey is their clear whiskey, and really should only be used to mix with a lemonade or sweat tea concoction.

Has anyone tried the Pig Nose blended Scotch or any of the Game of Thrones Scotches? https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2018/10/01/game-thrones-scotch-whisky-single-malts/1441836002/ I am not the biggest fan of peat, but am interested in giving these a try.
 
My favorite Scotch by far in the $60 range is Ardbeg Uigeadail -- Islay and superpeaty and smoking. Smells like a campfire. Regular 10 year Ardbeg and Laphroig 10 are my go-tos for a similar profile, that is a little cheaper.
 
This is probably a rube take but....... Scotch always tastes like what the air smells like coming out of a deflating car tire. Do not like, would not recommend,
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top