Author Topic: Have a seat at the bar.  (Read 79801 times)

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Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #525: January 09, 2014, 10:22:17 PM »
reviewers seem to love it, the lack.of age makes me skeptical, but Im definately going to get a bottle now.

 http://www.abc.virginia.gov/Pricelist/price.html. it seems like Abc doesn't want to acknowledge they carry it

Offline Dave B

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #526: January 09, 2014, 11:15:51 PM »
Finally somebody else here wakes up to the glory that is American rye whiskey.

Bulleit is middle of the road quality for rye, quite drinkable but not quite memorable.  I suggest you taste every rye you can find for the next couple of years, and then let's discuss.

Let me know if you need help in this quest.    :P

Rye kinda seems all over the place. I feel like they tend to be pretty sweet. Not so much like vanilla like bourbons. One I had was like apples (McKenzie). Catoctin creek is a little cough syruppy I think. Bulleit had a hint of mint. I just finished off a High West bottle from years ago and I didnt like. I guess I've tried a lot of other stuff in the meantime that I liked better.


Offline imref

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #527: January 09, 2014, 11:26:36 PM »
Rye kinda seems all over the place. I feel like they tend to be pretty sweet. Not so much like vanilla like bourbons. One I had was like apples (McKenzie). Catoctin creek is a little cough syruppy I think. Bulleit had a hint of mint. I just finished off a High West bottle from years ago and I didnt like. I guess I've tried a lot of other stuff in the meantime that I liked better.



what do you do with rye?  Drink it straight?  Old fashioned?

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #528: January 10, 2014, 07:05:46 AM »
Rye kinda seems all over the place. I feel like they tend to be pretty sweet. Not so much like vanilla like bourbons. One I had was like apples (McKenzie). Catoctin creek is a little cough syruppy I think. Bulleit had a hint of mint. I just finished off a High West bottle from years ago and I didnt like. I guess I've tried a lot of other stuff in the meantime that I liked better.

I bought a bottle of Catoctin Creek Mosby's Spirit. Mixed well with citrus stuff but was undrinkable straight.

Offline Dave B

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #529: January 10, 2014, 08:13:35 AM »
what do you do with rye?  Drink it straight?  Old fashioned?

 neat

Offline blue911

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #530: January 10, 2014, 09:06:46 AM »
So, beyond Sazerac, anybody got any good absinthe cocktails I should try (or have we already covered the topic)

I thought I'd bump this because I'm curious as well.

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #531: January 10, 2014, 09:09:28 AM »
The sugar cube is too fancy?

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #532: January 10, 2014, 09:11:41 AM »
Well, there's the "Death in the Afternoon" (actually a Hemingway staple):

"Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly."

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #533: January 10, 2014, 09:29:25 PM »
It is sometimes, I've found it in Reston (South Lakes) before.

They give a nice little half-hour tour if you go to the distillery, and you can buy it there slightly discounted.  Unfortunately, you can't actually taste it there, under Virginia's oh so intelligent liquor laws.   :doh:

Unless you go down during the week when nobody's around, and the proprietor likes you, and you become his "guest", and step out behind the back barn and he might then offer you a tasting.   :mg:

They also have a rye, even more expensive (and pretty good in its own right) but I recommend the Single Malt.  Note this has little resemblence to the refined and smooth taste of scotch.  It is aged only 16 months, but gets a ton of flavor from first the smoking process (wood chips in a wood stove with the malted barley suspended overhead above a perforated tin floor), then the aging where they put apple and cherry chips in the barrels.  It's not "smooth", but not harsh either and it is packed with a swirling melange of flavors.  I really love this whiskey.  Bold, proud, loud, a bit coarse, American. 

belle view abc has it. It's really good for a one year whisky, but it also has a bite like a one year whisky. I added some water and it's good, not great. I think it'll be very sippable and refreshing with a lot of ice in summer, but I don't think it holds up neat (maybe I'm a wussy :shurg:) My hope is that as the distillery gets older, they'll get a chance to age their stuff (they only got their license in 2007, so it's not like they've had time to age anything) and release some longer aged spirits as standard. It's good, but I'm not sure I'd put it in a league with the 10-15 year scotches. 

Offline tomterp

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #534: January 11, 2014, 09:21:40 AM »
I bought a bottle of Catoctin Creek Mosby's Spirit. Mixed well with citrus stuff but was undrinkable straight.

The clears aren't very good straight.

I'm working on a bottle of their Roundstone Rye now, probably what Dave didn't like much, and I'd say it's decent though not outstanding.  I liked Wasmund's rye better (though not the clear version) but I'm a sucker for aggressive flavors, and Wasmund's is pretty tricked up.

Offline tomterp

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #535: January 11, 2014, 09:24:29 AM »
what do you do with rye?  Drink it straight?  Old fashioned?

One small ice cube works nicely. 

A Manhattan is the classic rye cocktail.  Using bourbon is a bastardization of the real formula, but 90% of bartenders won't know that. 

It still pisses me off that Wild Turkey diluted their 101 rye down to 81, that was the perfect Manhattan driver.

Offline tomterp

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #536: January 11, 2014, 09:29:50 AM »
belle view abc has it. It's really good for a one year whisky, but it also has a bite like a one year whisky. I added some water and it's good, not great. I think it'll be very sippable and refreshing with a lot of ice in summer, but I don't think it holds up neat (maybe I'm a wussy :shurg:) My hope is that as the distillery gets older, they'll get a chance to age their stuff (they only got their license in 2007, so it's not like they've had time to age anything) and release some longer aged spirits as standard. It's good, but I'm not sure I'd put it in a league with the 10-15 year scotches.

Most of the new distilleries are selling short-aged liquors.  Who can carry 5+ years of negative cash flow?  They have to ship product to be viable which requires innovation and perhaps some compromise.  The clears are a perfect example, cheap and easy to produce mean good margins.  I agree the Wasmunds has a bit of bite, don't agree that it doesn't hold up neat (wussy!) and wonder if in fact they are aging anything?   One thing's for sure, they'd have to dial back the wood chips a lot to age.  Just holding the existing blend longer would result in an overpowering flavor from the apple and cherry chips.  What they want to achieve is scotch like smoothness with the American wood flavors.  That would be a great whiskey.

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #537: January 11, 2014, 09:34:47 AM »
I would guess they are holding back some stuff to age.  I was reading that the clear is just cash flow for the micro distilleries,  so I can hope.  I'll probably keep buying it -  might as well support local,  but at their price point,  there are some pretty decent aged bourbons and you're starting to approach scotch range

Offline blue911

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #538: January 11, 2014, 09:38:35 AM »
Most of the new distilleries are selling short-aged liquors.  Who can carry 5+ years of negative cash flow?  They have to ship product to be viable which requires innovation and perhaps some compromise.  The clears are a perfect example, cheap and easy to produce mean good margins.  I agree the Wasmunds has a bit of bite, don't agree that it doesn't hold up neat (wussy!) and wonder if in fact they are aging anything?   One thing's for sure, they'd have to dial back the wood chips a lot to age.  Just holding the existing blend longer would result in an overpowering flavor from the apple and cherry chips.  What they want to achieve is scotch like smoothness with the American wood flavors.  That would be a great whiskey.

Green Hat Gin is working on Rye recipes and hope to start distilling this year. They figure a 3-5 aging is about all they handle.

Offline tomterp

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #539: January 11, 2014, 10:22:01 AM »
I would guess they are holding back some stuff to age.  I was reading that the clear is just cash flow for the micro distilleries,  so I can hope.  I'll probably keep buying it -  might as well support local,  but at their price point,  there are some pretty decent aged bourbons and you're starting to approach scotch range

I don't really care for scotch at all so no competition for my whiskey $, but like plenty of bourbons (Blanton's is pretty nice) and ryes of course as previously noted.

Another Virginia rye, Abraham Bowman Rye Whiskey (136 proof, $70) is an absolute beast.  Probably the best whiskey I've ever tasted.  See the review here at bottom:  http://sourmashmanifesto.com/2011/09/09/abraham-bowman-rye-whiskey-review-barrel-strength/



Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #540: January 11, 2014, 10:33:12 AM »
That's in the have to justify to wife price range.  I usually alternate whisky bottles,  right now I have most of an abelour 16 year (possibly my favorite scotch)  and the wasmund,  do it'll be a while before I get more

Offline tomterp

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #541: January 11, 2014, 01:23:35 PM »
That's in the have to justify to wife price range.

Christmas list.   :lol:

Offline Nathan

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #542: January 11, 2014, 04:22:37 PM »
Anyone like gin?

Offline imref

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #543: January 11, 2014, 04:52:59 PM »
Anyone like gin?

I was never a big fan though after watching Bourdain explain that martinis have to be made with it, I bought a bottle of good gin.  I'm still not a big fan.

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #544: January 11, 2014, 04:54:48 PM »
There's actually a gin ("Green Hat") produced in DC now...the first distilled spirits produced (legally) in the District since the Civil War IIRC.  It's not bad at all.



 
Anyone like gin?

Offline Mathguy

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #545: January 11, 2014, 05:04:39 PM »
Where is the distillery ?  Do they sell anything there ?

There's actually a gin ("Green Hat") produced in DC now...the first distilled spirits produced (legally) in the District since the Civil War IIRC.  It's not bad at all.



 

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #546: January 11, 2014, 05:07:45 PM »
Haven't been there yet, but I think they at least allow visitors.  Here's their website:  http://greenhatgin.com/

Where is the distillery ?  Do they sell anything there ?


Offline blue911

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #547: January 11, 2014, 05:49:49 PM »
Haven't been there yet, but I think they at least allow visitors.  Here's their website:  http://greenhatgin.com/

I drink Green Hat on occasion.

Offline Nathan

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #548: January 11, 2014, 05:51:03 PM »
How do you usually drink gin?

Offline blue911

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Re: Have a seat at the bar.
« Reply #549: January 11, 2014, 05:53:02 PM »
How do you usually drink gin?

Face down in the gutter.