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Sherry
Jan 1, 2023 0:21:28 GMT
Post by Moose on Jan 1, 2023 0:21:28 GMT
Am just having a glass of this, for the first time in ... well a couple of decades as Col bought a bottle. I actually like this stuff - much more than I like wine. Anyone want?
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Sherry
Jan 1, 2023 1:07:06 GMT
Post by jayme on Jan 1, 2023 1:07:06 GMT
*holds out empty glass*
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Sherry
Jan 1, 2023 1:09:02 GMT
Post by Moose on Jan 1, 2023 1:09:02 GMT
This was the pale stuff - I was more fond of the dark stuff back in the day. This actually wasn't as nice when it came down to it
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Sherry
Jan 1, 2023 2:32:29 GMT
Post by Kye on Jan 1, 2023 2:32:29 GMT
Being Anglican, I won't say no to a glass of sherry
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Sherry
Jan 1, 2023 9:12:37 GMT
Post by JoeP on Jan 1, 2023 9:12:37 GMT
Hmm, no sherry in the house. I wonder if Finland even has sherry...
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Sherry
Jan 1, 2023 9:50:11 GMT
Post by tangent on Jan 1, 2023 9:50:11 GMT
I've cut back drastically on the sherry since I started with diabetes but I could try a small glass
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Sherry
Jan 1, 2023 9:51:34 GMT
Post by jayme on Jan 1, 2023 9:51:34 GMT
Hmm, no sherry in the house. I wonder if Finland even has sherry... It did in the late eighties. My sister-in-law, Cheri, was an exchange student there.
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Sherry
Jan 1, 2023 12:35:52 GMT
Post by whollygoats on Jan 1, 2023 12:35:52 GMT
Sherry? Isn't that the stuff that they taint oaken barrels with to give single malt Scotches their superb flavor?
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Sherry
Jan 1, 2023 23:51:36 GMT
Post by Moose on Jan 1, 2023 23:51:36 GMT
I dunno, I had never heard that but it's possible.
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Sherry
Jan 2, 2023 1:28:00 GMT
Post by whollygoats on Jan 2, 2023 1:28:00 GMT
It's not just possible, it happens quite regularly. The Scotch distillers don't use new oak barrels to age their product. Instead, they employ the once-used barrels that the US Bourbon industry cannot reuse (by law). It is now considered a requirement for proper flavoring. Then, there are those Scotches which are decanted from the Bourbon barrels are often then transferred to sherry casks, or port casks, for additional aging and flavor-enhancement. Both provide a 'sweeter' and 'fruitier' flavor to single malts. If you hear a Scotch claim that it was aged with oloroso, they're talking sherry casks. I personally prefer those varieties which age with sherry and port barrels.
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Sherry
Jan 2, 2023 1:42:51 GMT
Post by Moose on Jan 2, 2023 1:42:51 GMT
I've never really been able to taste the difference between different whiskies - except for JD, which I really don't care for.
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Sherry
Jan 2, 2023 3:41:09 GMT
Post by kingedmund on Jan 2, 2023 3:41:09 GMT
I’ve never truly acquired the taste for whiskey. I don’t mind some wine or a fruity drink once in a blue moon but it’s not something I miss or go out of my way to get. Now, chocolate is another complete story!
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Post by tangent on Jan 2, 2023 15:00:03 GMT
Neither did I [acquire a taste for whisky] until I visited Edinburgh and bought four miniature samples along with a booklet that explained the different brands. I can understand why you are not fond of the common or garden varieties.
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Sherry
Jan 2, 2023 18:07:59 GMT
Post by whollygoats on Jan 2, 2023 18:07:59 GMT
Hey....I know distilled liquors aren't everybody's 'cup of tea', so to speak. I came to be a Scotch drinker because of heritage, and consequently, proximity. Like most budding adults, I sampled most kinds and listened to my equals and betters on their choices and rationales. Beer, of course, was cheap and very available. However, it tends to put me to sleep; in one or two beers. Wine was fine, but it has an even worse effect: it induced GERD. Also, it was a bit more expensive. Particularly the 'good stuff'. And thus the relationship with distilled spirits began. Oh, it was rough, alright. A family holiday party while I was still underage, I was exposed to too much vodka, compliments of a robust Lithuanian guest. To this day, I will not knowingly or willingly drink vodka, thanks to sick drunk of that event. I sampled, in a far more circumspect manner. I initially preferred Irish (Bushmills, actually), but was won over to good Scotches as time went on. Of course, typical spirits were, to the average schmo like me, pretty damned expensive. Good ones, even more so. This suited me fine, as I had come to view over-imbibing as a possible road to ruin. (And, I would spend more of my 'entertainment' budget on cannabis.)
By the time of my first foray to Britain, I had settled on Scotch and decided that I wished to visit and tour an actual distillery. At that time, Americans were completely clueless about single malt varieties. Most Scotch was blended. The name at the time with a huge reputation was Chivas Regal. When I saw railroad tanker cars painted with their logo in a switching yard, I got off the train. It was the tiny Scots town of Keith, where there were two distilleries. The Chivas distillery was closed, but the Justerini & Brooks (J&B) distillery was open and....they gave tours. Well, I asked for one and got it, despite being the only visitor. I also got a beaker of test whiskey, as the revenue man was there and the doors were open so the distillers could sample their aged barrels. I did not know it, but that was my first taste of single malt Scotch. It was one of several different distilleries which supplied the single malts to blend into their flagship brand, J&B. It was good.
I'm not going to even try to explain the difference between malt and grain, but it is basically the type of grains allowed and the type of distillation. There are six types, based upon grain, malt, and blending. Then there are regional differences....there's Highland, Lowland, Speyside, Campbelltown, and Islay. All of the regional types can have flavor profiles which differ, but there is a common thread which unites them, even though I have not discerned some of them. There is also some push to create an 'Island' or 'Coastal' region, like those spirits from Skye and the Hebrides. The most notable flavor, and remarked upon, is the peaty flavor of some of the more complex Scotches, usually from Islay. Peatiness is a very idiosyncratic choice in flavor. Some like it, many do not. I tried them and decided I did not like the heavily peated varieties and ended up deciding upon a 'light and fruity' single malt from the Speyside region....Glenfiddich. This I stocked in my home for near thirty years, as I tried various other brands over time. During my foray to the Orkney Islands, I was exposed to an 'Island' single malt whisky, Highland Park Einar, which had the taste profile of a rich and fruity Highland single malt, with a lilting aftertaste of peatiness. Like the pleasant aura of a campfire. The trouble was, it was not sold in the US. I got it in the duty free shop in the airport.
So, since I've returned from the last foray, I've been sampling various Scotch whiskys I'd never before tried. My latest find is the Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban, a 14 year old aged in both oloroso and port barrels. It is a step up from their Lasanta, which is a 12 year old, only additionally aged in oloroso barrels. Their bottom line is a 10 year old aged in the standard Bourbon barrels. No real peat at all. They are pretty standard Highland whiskys, but they have a rich and fruity flavor that I've come to like in my Scotch.
To the uninitiated, the peated whiskys can alienate some drinkers from ever tasting the broader flavor profiles within the Scotch family. Too many assume that this is what all Scotches taste like. I know that if I had judged Scotches based upon my tasting of Laphroig, I would never had tried any more. But Laphroig, along with Lagavulin, are HEAVILY peated. It is a rather unique flavoring that appeals to a few. To me, they smell like waterproofing for boots. Nasty. But, there are those who relish the flavor of all that peatiness. These Scotches have been pushed as the 'manly man's Scotch', and celebrities like Nick Offerman advance that view. The thing is, most Scotches do NOT taste like Islay Scotches. They are the outliers of the crowd.
So...tangent? Can I ask which four you got, which you liked and why? Have you gone back to try any of those in your guide to sample? And....Did you get anything aged beyond 12 years? (I generally cannot afford - Scots blood, y'know - any Scotches beyond 14 years aged.)
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Sherry
Jan 2, 2023 18:57:16 GMT
Post by Kye on Jan 2, 2023 18:57:16 GMT
tldr Personally, my favourite whiskey has always been Talisker
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Sherry
Jan 2, 2023 20:16:49 GMT
Post by whollygoats on Jan 2, 2023 20:16:49 GMT
tldr Personally, my favourite whiskey has always been Talisker An excellent island Highland Scotch with moderate peatiness. I myself keep a bottle of Talisker 'Storm' in my modest collection. It hails from the Isle of Skye. When I wish to demonstrate 'peatiness' to a newcomer, I'll ply them with Talisker. Then, if the drinker indicates they like the peatiness, I'll offer them a dram of Laphroig.
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Post by Kye on Jan 2, 2023 21:06:01 GMT
Good choice! I've tried Storm but I don't like it as much as the original
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Post by tangent on Jan 2, 2023 21:42:33 GMT
So...tangent? Can I ask which four you got, which you liked and why? Have you gone back to try any of those in your guide to sample? And....Did you get anything aged beyond 12 years? (I generally cannot afford - Scots blood, y'know - any Scotches beyond 14 years aged.) It was a long time ago but I feel fairly sure it included Dalwhinnie and Talisker. I soon realised that I prefer the more complex flavours such as Talisker and Lagavulin. I also like the salty taste of Oban. Dalwhinnie is a bit tame for my liking.
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Post by Moose on Jan 3, 2023 0:33:27 GMT
I would just dump coke in all of them
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Post by tangent on Jan 3, 2023 12:44:03 GMT
I would just dump coke in all of them At £76 for a 16-year-old bottle of Lagavulin, that would be a considerable waste. You would be better off with turps, otherwise known as Napolean Brandy.
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Sherry
Jan 3, 2023 13:59:51 GMT
Post by kingedmund on Jan 3, 2023 13:59:51 GMT
I would just dump coke in all of them *dying. I’m dying* That to me is like making that drink lasted longer.
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Sherry
Jan 3, 2023 14:41:24 GMT
Post by whollygoats on Jan 3, 2023 14:41:24 GMT
I would just dump coke in all of them **blinks** **blinks, again** That's what rum, vodka, and everclear are for.
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Sherry
Jan 3, 2023 15:00:51 GMT
Post by whollygoats on Jan 3, 2023 15:00:51 GMT
So...tangent? Can I ask which four you got, which you liked and why? Have you gone back to try any of those in your guide to sample? And....Did you get anything aged beyond 12 years? (I generally cannot afford - Scots blood, y'know - any Scotches beyond 14 years aged.) It was a long time ago but I feel fairly sure it included Dalwhinnie and Talisker. I soon realised that I prefer the more complex flavours such as Talisker and Lagavulin. I also like the salty taste of Oban. Dalwhinnie is a bit tame for my liking. Yep...That's what 'sampling' is all about and it is particularly necessary with Scotches. We have a local outlet which does 'flights' of spirits...four shots of different brands, usually of the same liquor, to compare and contrast. IIRC, they won't sell you a flight unless you've already ordered a meal, as they are out in the periphery of the urban area, away from any mass transit, and they don't want their customers littering the roads. It sounds like your flight was packaged for home use....of which I heartily approve. I'm not a fan, but agree that Oban has a 'salty' flavor. It rather surprised me and it was the first Scotch I've heard referred to as 'coastal'(a distillery at sea level is hardly 'Highland'). I wondered whether they'd used sea water instead of clear spring water. I, of course, wouldn't call the more peaty flavors, 'more complex', but 'less subtle'. I think most Scotches have complex flavor profiles, but the peaty ones are much less subtle and more intimidating. They generally hail from the Islay region of Scotland, off the southwest coast. I finally came down favoring the less peaty and more fruity, or floral, Highland malts, particularly those aged in sherry and port barrels. For me, that was a move from Speyside malts to the Highland malts, although one of my new favorites is a Lowland variety, Achentoshen Three Barrel (having passed through three barrels, bourbon, sherry, and port, before being decanted into glass bottles). Dalwhinnie is at the border of Highland and Speyside; I considered it a fine Highland Scotch, but not particularly notable. One of these days, I'm actually going to have to get around to trying a Lagavulin. My current favorite is Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban, which is also a Highland aged through three barrels.
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Sherry
Jan 3, 2023 18:14:48 GMT
Post by whollygoats on Jan 3, 2023 18:14:48 GMT
Hmmm...The Master of Malt online site sells home testing kits. It looks as though it is five separate drams per kit and there are a variety of kits for various whiskies, and beyond. It seems like a useful site for those interested in doing some sampling in something that is of mild interest. I think the actual bottler is an outfit known as Drinks by the Dram. I think they are UK centered. Here: Master of Malt tasting sets.
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Sherry
Jan 3, 2023 23:48:01 GMT
Post by whollygoats on Jan 3, 2023 23:48:01 GMT
This was the pale stuff - I was more fond of the dark stuff back in the day. This actually wasn't as nice when it came down to it So, there's pale sherry and dark sherry? And, cooking sherry? And then, there's port, which, I believe, is dark. And, how does Madeira fit into the hierarchy (if you know). Anybody? There was a period when I kept a cream sherry on hand and I still have a set of sherry glasses (and liquer glasses, too), but I don't think I even have any cooking sherry anywhere. But then, my liquor cabinet is bereft of Bailey's, brandy, and Bushmills, so I'm in a sorry state.
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Sherry
Jan 4, 2023 0:45:20 GMT
Post by Moose on Jan 4, 2023 0:45:20 GMT
I've never had cooking sherry and I don't know how it differs from regular sherry. I do like a bit of port though I've not had it for years.
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Sherry
Jan 4, 2023 1:37:25 GMT
Post by whollygoats on Jan 4, 2023 1:37:25 GMT
Cooking sherry is low-quality sherry sold specifically for cooking purposes. Never meant to be used as a cordial, although some have no standards whatsoever.
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Sherry
Jan 4, 2023 1:41:52 GMT
Post by Moose on Jan 4, 2023 1:41:52 GMT
Is it alcoholic? *has no standards whatsoever*
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Sherry
Jan 4, 2023 1:45:17 GMT
Post by whollygoats on Jan 4, 2023 1:45:17 GMT
Good choice! I've tried Storm but I don't like it as much as the original What would you say is the difference? When I tried Storm, I thought it dialed the peatiness back a bit from their original, but it had been years since I'd sampled the original. Is that your impression, or something else?
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Sherry
Jan 4, 2023 1:48:17 GMT
Post by whollygoats on Jan 4, 2023 1:48:17 GMT
Is it alcoholic? *has no standards whatsoever* Yes. It has as much alcohol as most sherry, it just doesn't have an idyllic flavor profile. Prolly of the same status as Mogan David's finest fortified.
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