Have a seat at the bar.

[mitlen]

Anything clear (vodka/gin) tastes bad enough masked let alone neat, now adding anything so a decent whiskey is blasphemous

I don't drink clear liquor  ....  should have specified.

[tomterp]

Anything clear (vodka/gin) tastes bad enough masked let alone neat, now adding anything so a decent whiskey is blasphemous

I strongly prefer whiskey but Catoctin Creek makes an interesting gin from the leftover whiskey from the end of the distilling process. 

[mitlen]

I strongly prefer whiskey but Catoctin Creek makes an interesting gin from the leftover whiskey from the end of the distilling process. 

Have you seen "The Rum Diary"?

[Terpfan76]

I like my moonshine clear... or Apple Pie, yum.

[tomterp]

Have you seen "The Rum Diary"?

No.   

[mitlen]

No.   

There's a scene where one of the characters (Moberg) steals the filters from the local rum factory to squeeze the extract from the distilling process to make homebrew.

[tomterp]

Cool.  It's good to recycle.

THey don't describe the process here on the web site but if you tour Catoctin they disclose the odd truth about the gin.

Nice thing is you can get a tasting sampler.  Unfortunately it's a tiny quantity and only one sampler group per person, but if you go with someone else you can try everything before deciding if you want to plunk down >$30 for a bottle of something.

http://catoctincreekdistilling.com/products/watershed

[mitlen]

Cool.  It's good to recycle.

THey don't describe the process here on the web site but if you tour Catoctin they disclose the odd truth about the gin.

Nice thing is you can get a tasting sampler.  Unfortunately it's a tiny quantity and only one sampler group per person, but if you go with someone else you can try everything before deciding if you want to plunk down >$30 for a bottle of something.

http://catoctincreekdistilling.com/products/watershed

There's a group I ride with (motorcycle) that does a tour there.

[GburgNatsFan]

My (very limited) experience with unaged rye whiskey is that it was... weird. Sort of lemony/fruity astringent... not what you'd expect. It was Catoctin Creek Mosby's Spirit. I drank it all, though.

I'd like to try their Roundstone Rye, but it's hard to find here in MoCo.

Has anyone ever tried rye whiskey?  I hear it's pretty good.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I take my Jack with a few rocks.  Just like Frank.

[blue911]

My (very limited) experience with unaged rye whiskey is that it was... weird. Sort of lemony/fruity astringent... not what you'd expect. It was Catoctin Creek Mosby's Spirit. I drank it all, though.

I'd like to try their Roundstone Rye, but it's hard to find here in MoCo.

That was lemon scented pinesol

[tomterp]

My (very limited) experience with unaged rye whiskey is that it was... weird. Sort of lemony/fruity astringent... not what you'd expect. It was Catoctin Creek Mosby's Spirit. I drank it all, though.

I'd like to try their Roundstone Rye, but it's hard to find here in MoCo.

Forget those Spirit spirits.  One slight notch above moonshine.  I've got a bottle gathering dust right now.  Probably decent for making certain cocktails, just have to find the motivation.

[Nathan]

No one picked up my at Tom.

[GburgNatsFan]

That was lemon scented pinesol

I was going to say witch hazel, but...

[GburgNatsFan]

We've been disappointing you a lot lately.

No one picked up my at Tom.

[Nathan]

Wow.  Such miss.  Very disappoint.

[tomterp]

Has anyone heard from Nathan lately?

[HalfSmokes]

Forget those Spirit spirits.  One slight notch above moonshine.  I've got a bottle gathering dust right now.  Probably decent for making certain cocktails, just have to find the motivation.

I actually really like copper fox's Rye even though it's only aged for 1 year, besides, if you like what a distillery is doing and want them to stay around, someone has to buy the un/barley aged stuff if they're going exist for the ~30 years to get enough batches of aged stuff under their belts to make a great product- otherwise it'll be all Diageo (not that I mind their single malts, but healthy independents tend to push the majors to release a better product in most industries)

[tomterp]

I actually really like copper fox's Rye even though it's only aged for 1 year, besides, if you like what a distillery is doing and want them to stay around, someone has to buy the un/barley aged stuff if they're going exist for the ~30 years to get enough batches of aged stuff under their belts to make a great product- otherwise it'll be all Diageo (not that I mind their single malts, but healthy independents tend to push the majors to release a better product in most industries)

Have you tried Wasmund's Single Malt?  Or his rye for that matter. 

[HalfSmokes]

Have you tried Wasmund's Single Malt?  Or his rye for that matter. 

I have both in my cabinet at the moment - the Rye is great, I think the single malt is just too young to be really good, but it's not bad

[tomterp]

I have both in my cabinet at the moment - the Rye is great, I think the single malt is just too young to be really good, but it's not bad

Too young because it's not even aged a year.  But if they aged it further it would be absorb too much from the apple and cherry wood chips.  I keep thinking they should double the time and cut the chips, try to keep the incredible flavor while softening the bitter upfront attack.

[HalfSmokes]

My guess/hope is that they have some casks aging traditionally, but they need to move product to keep the lights on in the mean time

[houston-nat]

rum?  That sounds odd. I do like an old fashioned if there isn't too much sugar in it, but i'm more of a manhattan drinker.

I had it at a very, very fancy pants bar in Frankfurt called Jimmy's. The waiter was in a suit and tie, the regulars were smoking cigars, the women were all in formal gowns or evening dresses, and there was a guy playing a mini grand piano.

I asked the bartender, "What's your favorite drink right now?" He said, "Probably a rum old-fashioned." I ordered one, watched him make it with perfect showmanship, and then drank one of the most delicious, harmonious cocktails in my life.

I've ordered it twice here in the USA. The first time, it was pretty good. The second time, the bartender admitted he had never heard of a rum old-fashioned, and the flavors simply did not cohere. So you need a bartender who knows and likes the drink. Tall order, I guess.

[imref]

sounds interesting. Light or dark rum?

My favorite drink overall is a Paloma, which consists of tequila, grapefruit soda, and lime juice served in a salt-rim glass.  In Mexico it's the most popular tequila cocktail (margaritas are a tourist drink).  Unfortunately I rarely find bars outside of Texas, Arizona, and Mexico that have ever heard of it.

[Dave B]

I actually really like copper fox's Rye even though it's only aged for 1 year, besides, if you like what a distillery is doing and want them to stay around, someone has to buy the un/barley aged stuff if they're going exist for the ~30 years to get enough batches of aged stuff under their belts to make a great product- otherwise it'll be all Diageo (not that I mind their single malts, but healthy independents tend to push the majors to release a better product in most industries)

I get what you are saying, but that is a long game. The craft beer movement became what it is because macrobeers sucked. People just tolerated them. I don't know if whiskey and other things like soda need craft movements because the incumbents already make good stuff people actually like.

It's easy to improve upon macrobeer. A novice can do it. To make something better than a good not great whiskey might be hard for a newcomer