29 of 30 - For Science!

[aggienaut]

   As you know, I am extremely dedicated to scientific inquiry. As such, when last christmas a friend gave me a $60 gift card for Beverages & More, I naturally saw the opportunity for science!

   Specifically, I was going to buy as many of those little bottles of whiskey/whisky/scotch as I could and compare and contrast until I felt I knew something about the subject!

   From what I've been able to put together, Scotch IS better (imo), though I'm still extremely suspicious of their lack of an e in "whisky."


Whiskeys I noted to be good: (in appx order)
Glenlivet (single malt scotch)
Glenfiddich (single malt scotch)
Kilbeggan (irish whiskey)
Cutty Sark (blended scotch whisky)
Jameson (irish whiskey)
Dewar's (blended scotch whisky)
Johnnie Walker Black Label (blended scotch whisky)
Johnnie Walker Red LAbel (blended scotch whisky)


Whiskeys I can't decide if I like (in no order, because, yeah)
Chivas Regal (? scotch)
Macallan (single malt scotch)

Blegh
Bushmills (irish whiskey)
Wild Turkey (bourbon)
Kessler (american blended whiskey)
Jim Beam (bourbon)
Maker's Mark (bourbon)


   Back in college I thought I hated whiskey, but that was because I'd only tried it as shots or "whiskey and coke." Whiskey and coke has always tasted like asphalt to me. The above research was conducted sipping it straight at room temperature.


Related
Experimenting with Controlling Substances

Comments

[skitty.livejournal.com]

You can't really compare Scotch to Irish to bourbon, though. They're not the same. It may be that you prefer Scotch, but placing single malts, blends, Irish and bourbon from a variety of quality tiers is a bit cacophonous, isn't it?

I'd recommend, rather than including whiskeys like Macallan and Jim Beam in the same experiment, try comparing Macallan to other well-regarded single malts, like Lagavulin or Glenmorangie. Compare Johnnie Walker to Cutty Sark or Chivas. And at least give bourbon a chance: try Blanton's or Booker's or Basil Hayden's. You still may not like it, but what you're doing is like comparing Coors to Guiness and then saying American beer sucks.

Forgive me if I got excited; I am passionate about bourbon, although I acknowledge it isn't for everyone. :)

[heethen-crone.livejournal.com]

Agreed. Scotch is Scotch, bourbon is bourbon.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

As to dividing into categories, maybe, but my goal wasn't really to figure out what was the best of its type, but just what I liked and didn't, seeing as going in I had no opinions at all on the entire class of whiskey/whisky/bourbons... And not knowing anything I didn't know what a good bourbon was -- just got everything they had on the shelf (:

If I have a chance to try such things I certainly won't pass it up though. (:

[magsmom.livejournal.com]

and for another lovely drink try a wee drop of Bushmills (Irish) over ice. Ahhhhhhh...it's relaxing just to think about it.