D'ye fancy Scotch whisky?

[uuglypher]

I've never had a malt whiskey in my life, I'm a beer drinker. But I'm game to try your choice with you.

Here's an easy test to see if you'll possibly appreciate a single-malt scotch whisky:

If you can get neat ("straight up", undiluted) bourbon ("corn likker", " Kentucky sippin' whiskey") past your nose, you probably won't like either blended or single-malt scotch whisky - and vice-versa. Those who can enjoy equally the spirits of fermented corn and fermented barley malt are rare.

I should add that it's been my observation that folks whose first whiskey choice is rye ("Canadian") whiskey, can, in a pinch, take the occasional detour to either bourbon or Scotch without severe distress.

To bring this around to significance apropos of the PB's ... One winter vacation from college in the late 50's I was camping off a sand track south of route 72 and southwest of Mt. Misery. An old fellow I first took to be a classic "Piney" walked in on my campfire after dark. He did so politely- having called "haloo" from the darkness; I'd not heard his approach. When he said "guid evenin'" I had trouble understanding him until I realized he spoke with a thick Scottish accent. We passed a pleasant hour or so in conversation. He was originally from the Isle of Skye where he had cut peat and had come to the States just after the war (the one "to end all wars" ) Said he'd found work with a blueberry grower and as a gatherer of sphagnum peat and stayed in area. He gladly accepted a small draught of blended Scotch (I couldn't afford single malts in those days) before he left to return to his abode - which I assumed was nearby but never saw and to which I hadn't been invited. He had a Scottish surname which I've forgotten except that it wasn't one of the "Mac..." names. Perhaps Campbell , or Cameron... or some lowland family name; can't tell you for sure. At any rate, Asa Pitmann did say he knew of him, but wasn't sure where he lived, and added that he'd been a successful moonshiner during prohibition who had never been busted by the feds. Joe Palmer, for whom I worked shortly thereafter, also knew of him. I've often wished I knew if he'd distilled corn mash, which most moonshiners did, or if, true to his Scottish heritage, somehow had gotten hold of barley to malt and ferment and distill. Probably the former. Lots less labor intensive for an equal amount of hooch in the days when quality was probably judged more by proof than by any other feature of the product.

There are some interesting folks to met in the pines.

Dave

 

[BEHR655]

Here's an easy test to see if you'll possibly appreciate a single-malt scotch whisky:

If you can get neat ("straight up", undiluted) bourbon ("corn likker", " Kentucky sippin' whiskey") past your nose, you probably won't like either blended or single-malt scotch whisky - and vice-versa. Those who can enjoy equally the spirits of fermented corn and fermented barley malt are rare.




Dave

Oh I don't know Dave. It so happens that my favorite "shootin' whiskey" is Jack Daniels. As you know it is a sour mash and not bourbon. Now when it comes to being a little more refined my choice is scotch on the rocks. I do enjoy the single malts but blends are just fine with me as I think the Jack has deadened my taste buds.

Steve

 

[uuglypher]

Oh I don't know Dave. It so happens that my favorite "shootin' whiskey" is Jack Daniels. As you know it is a sour mash and not bourbon. Now when it comes to being a little more refined my choice is scotch on the rocks. I do enjoy the single malts but blends are just fine with me as I think the Jack has deadened my taste buds.

Steve

Oh I don't know Dave. It so happens that my favorite "shootin' whiskey" is Jack Daniels. As you know it is a sour mash and not bourbon. Now when it comes to being a little more refined my choice is scotch on the rocks. I do enjoy the single malts but blends are just fine with me as I think the Jack has deadened my taste buds.

Steve

Yeah, Steve,

I do suspect that Jack Daniel's does have that deadening capacity of which you speak. And I envy you, Steve, for your ability to appreciate both corn likker as well as Scotch! Would that I could, but, sadly, I'm not among that limited and privileged number that can. And I certainly don't disparage the blended Scotch whiskys; in fact when the weather's warm to hot I drink Ballantine's blended Scotch whisky with a dash of water and ice almost exclusively. For me, the malts are best when the weather is more bracing. But it is, after all, purely personal preference, not?

I'll leave it to a connoisseur to speak to the finer distinctions between "bourbons" and "sour-mash"whiskeys, and Jack Daniel's for that matter, but as I've understood the matter, they all are based on distillation of fermented carbohydrates of (mostly) corn (maise) origin. And I think most if not all straight bourbons now available are produced by the sour-mash method - sort of like sourdough bread, in which a bit of the last batch of finished mash is added to the new mash and yeast before the fermentation starts. And as for Jack Daniel's (and maybe one or two others ?) not being "bourbon" ?? I think the only difference in their manufacture is that the distillate is slow-filtered thru some special charcoal before being aged in the traditional charred white-oak casks. To the mind of a simple "lumper" like me they are all "corn likker" or, as the Brits like to call them "American whiskey" (from maise) as distinguished from "Canadian whiskey" (from rye), "Irish whiskey" (from unmalted barley), and (of course) "Scotch whisky" (always spelled without an "e" ... and made from malted barley).
Please fill me in where I'm in error. I truly hate to be wrong about things of such moment and consequence as whiskey and whisky.

After dinner, while awaiting feedback to the above, I'll think on the matter over a slowly appreciated wee dram of Glen Morangie , which is, IMO, a fine dessert malt .

Best,
Dave

 

[BEHR655]

I'm no connoisseur. Just a consumer. I always though that Jack Daniels went through less processing than bourbon. I always figured it was my job to do the final processing.

Steve

 

[RednekF350]

Ahhhh...Good Whiskey.
Part of the lifeblood of a true woodsman.
I love good bourbon and it is one of life's simplest pleasures at the end of a long cold day in the deer woods.
Steve, Jack Daniels is a "Tennessee Whiskey" by name (check the label) and it meets the Govt. definition for Tennessee whiskey. I personally prefer Gentleman Jack which goes down like water. They took all the edge off of regular Jack when they made this stuff.
Here are a few links to the legal requirements for bourbon and the history of the name bourbon itself.
http://www.heavenhill.co.nz/prod01_copy(6)11.htm
http://www.straightbourbon.com/articles/ccname.html

If you want to try a good "cheap" Bourbon try Old Crow. It is one of the oldest bourbons made and it is actually damn good for a little money. $10.00 for a 750ml bottle.
I usually take the 1.75 liter jug to camp.
We put it on the table for our guests in deer camp who really wouldn't care if they were drinking anti-freeze so I don't waste any high dollar stuff on them.
Now for the good stuff sip some Knob Creek Straight Bourbon.
Heaven in a bottle boys and its a product of the good ole US of A.
No kilts here Dave.
Scott

 

[uuglypher]

Ahhhh...Good Whiskey.
Heaven in a bottle boys and its a product of the good ole US of A.
No kilts here Dave.
Scott

Ahhh... Gotta tell ya; for many years I've listened with envy to my many friends who, like you, wax ecstatic about the varieties and virtues of their particular favorites among the corn-likker-sort o' whiskey, and I'll have to admit that it's been probably too many years since I last gave the stuff a decent try. Your comments on "Gentleman Jack's" have stimulated my resolve to give it an honest go at the nearest watering hole I can find find that stocks the stuff.
I'll keep y'posted.

By the bye, Scott, no kilts here either! I decided many years ago it was an unforgivable unkindness to humanity for me t'wear a kilt in windy country. Y'see ... when a strong gust would lift m'kilt, a' the women folk would be sore distracted an' thereafter dissatisfied an' morose ... an' a' the men nearby would be left wi' a persistent, damaging sense o'inferiority an' lessened self-esteem... An' I was always taught as a wee bairn t'be kind an' thoughtful, and ne'er t'be cruel an' hurtful... e'en inadvertently.

A guid nicht t'y'all,
Dave

 

[long-a-coming]

12 bottles of whiskey

All this talk about scotch and whiskey makes me want to share a camping whiskey adventure: About (roughly) 12 years ago 12 good friends attending Univ of Delaware departed south to the Great Smoky mountains for a week long camping trip. Myself and one other buddy were the reps from South jersey, the rest of our crew were from Rochester, Nyack, Long Island, Virginia and some townies(Delaware residents). We were and for the most part still are predominantly beer drinkers but we enjoyed the occasional whiskey and/or scotch. Each man attending this trip had to bring a minimum of two items: a flannell shirt and a bottle of whiskey. From what I remember there was of course Jack, Wild Turkey, Old Crow, Early Times, Dewars, Beam, Makers Mark and other brands. We also brought a lot of beer which ran out on a Sunday. We headed into town and piled up several cases on a counter top in a small mom and pop store. A woman asked if we were kidding and said "You best put back all that beer. We don't sell alchohol on Sundays."
We were irritated at first but then realized for this night Whiskey and Scotch would be in control. The night was one to remember, down in a valley with no other campers around and an amazing sky. There was a comet streaking across the sky that entire week, and that night 12 bottles went down. We took turns cooking potatoes and onions all night. A tremendous night with only one bad moment: During a fire jumping competition, McDermott broke his leg by clearing the flames but landing on a log. He refused medical treatment and just sat in a chair for the remainder of the trip.

Anyway, sorry bout the long ramble, I've enjoyed hearing all of your thoughts on the complexities of the scotch and the whiskey.
I raise up a glass of Early Times on the rocks to you!

 

[uuglypher]

We were irritated at first but then realized for this night Whiskey and Scotch would be in control. The night was one to remember, down in a valley with no other campers around and an amazing sky. There was a comet streaking across the sky that entire week, and that night 12 bottles went down. We took turns cooking potatoes and onions all night. A tremendous night with only one bad moment: During a fire jumping competition, McDermott broke his leg by clearing the flames but landing on a log. He refused medical treatment and just sat in a chair for the remainder of the trip.

Ah yes ! Grand evenings of that sort are either never-to-be-forgotten ... or simply not remembered at all - depending upon the individual's capacity and adaptive hepatic enzyme levels!

Cheers!

Dave

 

[RednekF350]

Dave
If I didn't worry just a little about my hepatic enzyme levels, I would have Knob Creek in my Oatmeal at breakfast.
You have to try Knob Creek and Gentleman Jack at the first chance you get.
And don't even get me started about my homemade wine.
Steve (Behr) has had a bottle and I think he thoroughly enjoyed it.
Simple unpasteurized grape juice and some sugar in a stainless beer keg with an airlock.
No chemicals to halt the fermentation or preserve it and I let it work till its done.
Another simple pleasure provided by (but maybe not wholly endorsed by) God.

 

[BEHR655]

Another simple pleasure provided by (but maybe not wholly endorsed by) God.

This is not the exact quote but it goes something like this:
"Beer is proof that God loves us"--Ben Franklin

And yes that wine was great. Can't wait to go hiking with you again.

Steve

 

[pinelandpaddler]

"...and wants us to be happy."

 

[BEHR655]

I thought I was missing something.
Thanks
Do you think he may have had a few pints in him when he said that?

Steve

 

[RednekF350]

This is not the exact quote but it goes something like this:
"Beer is proof that God loves us"--Ben Franklin

I have a tee shirt from the Tun Tavern in AC and according to the shirt, the quote is " Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy"

The juice will be prime in about another month. That isn't to say I am not drinking it now (like right now at this keyboard) for testing purposes.
Looking forward to another hike.
Scott

 

[strom]

applejack.........whiskey

for years, i had prided myself on being a drinker of the original applejack,or jersey lightning...........which i presumed was lairds applejack,brewed up in colts neck,by delicious orchards...............but in many readings i find that lairds product as old as it is...........is only 35 percent applebrandy,and the rest is clear grain alcohol...............i would love to try that old piney recipe of freezing hard apple cider,and throwing aways the ice...........that is probably the original and true apple jack..............they say that the french calvados is pretty close to it............next time in the liquor store, i will check the calvados bottle and see what the mixture is...........i must admit even lairds is too raw to drink straight...............but does have a lovely apple aroma........try it in a jack rose......the grenadine cuts the rawness nicely......press on guys, strom

 

[uuglypher]

for years, i had prided myself on being a drinker of the original applejack,or jersey lightning...........which i presumed was lairds applejack,brewed up in colts neck,by delicious orchards...............but in many readings i find that lairds product as old as it is...........is only 35 percent applebrandy,and the rest is clear grain alcohol...............i would love to try that old piney recipe of freezing hard apple cider,and throwing aways the ice...........that is probably the original and true apple jack

Apple Jack! I'd forgotten about that. My grandad's black sheep brother - my Great Uncle Harry Washburn - (ambulance driver in WW I, carney shill and barker, moonshiner, who finally died of tertiary syphilus in his late 80's) lived up in the mountains somewhere north of Bloomsburg, PA - and drank hard cider only as long as he had to, that is, 'til it got cold enough to freeze soz he could drink Apple Jack. Sad to tell, I never tasted any of my favorite Uncle's 'Jack, having been too young to partake while he was still making it.

Dave