An AH Booze Cruise

[mdwest]

In light of how popular the Whiskey Appreciation thread has been... I thought I'd ask about other spirits...

Whats everyone's preferences? Any particularly excellent bottles out there that are little known or heard of that you really like or enjoy?

When a fine whiskey isnt available, or youre just looking for a nice alternative, whats your go-to adult beverage of choice?

I'll start with fine rums.. having spent a good bit of time in the Caribbean and scooting around latin america over the years I have learned to appreciate a nice sipping rum...

What I think is probably the finest rum ever bottled surprisingly comes out of Haiti of all places.. Rhum Barbancourt 15 year is absolutely divine.. and extremely affordable for an aged spirit (about $50 for a 750ml bottle).. the challenge is finding it anywhere in the US.. not a lot of places carry it.. so on the rare occasion I see it, I always grab a bottle..

Up until about 2010 I was still traveling to Haiti for work fairly regularly (have been traveling there off and on since the mid 90's).. you could pick it it in liquor stores around Port Au Prince for as little as $12 a bottle back then.. I miss those days (and also miss Haiti sometimes in a weird sort of way..)...

another absolute favorite is Ron Zacapa XO... I was just in Guatemala last week and managed to catch 2x liter bottles on a special at the duty free for $199 out the door.. most places in the US carry the 750ml for about $100 a bottle here.. so getting 2 liters for roughly the same price as what 1.5 liters would have cost here I thought was a good deal.. Its been a few years since I have sipped Zacapa XO, so I poured a couple of fingers last night over a single cube of ice.. it was just as wonderful as I remembered.. silky smooth, just slightly sweet, with rich toffee notes on the finish...

I think I'll be pouring a couple of more fingers of the XO tonight!

 

[wesheltonj]

I agree with you on Rhum Barbancourt. I’ve had the 15 year it’s pricey at Total Wine. I buy the 8 year to make my rum and cokes. (I’ve had the 5 year it’s crap). I also like Rhum Clement also available at Total Wine. The white rum from Clement is crap too. Montebello from Guadeloupe, I have been unable to find that one in the USA. And my fallback Mount Gay. When traveling outside the USA Havana Club.

 

[Dewald]

We have some wonderful pot stilled brandies in the Western and Northern Cape in RSA. I am a whisky man, but for the lack of a good Auchentoshan 12, Aberlour or Balvenie I will settle for a good brandy.

Die Mas, Van Ryn and Nederburg Solera, are all excellent. My brother is a winemaker, and has been at the head of Van Ryn production for the last 5 or 6 years, so I am fortunate to never have a shortage.

 

[Red Leg]

Just not a fan of rum. Like all good things I am sure it is an acquired taste, but at my age, I'm not goin to take the time.

For an evening something, I prefer Irish, or a single malt, or a nice cognac.

Green Spot is relatively affordable and smooth as polished glass.

The only Irish I prefer more is Wild Geese. It has a bit more heft, but is till very smooth.

I love all the non-peaty single malts (I ate mud as a child and don't need to drink it now). A great single malt that I have discovered are the Matsui Kurayoshi whiskies from Japan. I know - Japan - but it is hard to argue with excellence. But shop for this one carefully! prices vary by 400%

And my favorite cognac is Maison Surrenne. It is also affordable, but difficult to find. It is an exquisite thing before heading to bed. And no, like any other civilized person, I do not mix it with coke or pollute it with ice.

 

[cash_tx]

Noble Oak has become my go-to bourbon; about $34 at Total Wine, and I think is one of the best kept secrets on the market.

My go-to Scotch has been Shieldaig 18, but it's a little harder for me to buy once it jumped from $58 to $120 per bottle. And for a splurge, Johnny Walker Blue.

And for red wine, I'm perfectly happy with Two Buck Chuck's from Trader Joe's, as long as it's chilled.

 

[mdwest]

Just not a fan of rum. Like all good things I am sure it is an acquired taste, but at my age, I'm not goin to take the time.

For an evening something, I prefer Irish, or a single malt, or a nice cognac.

Green Spot is relatively affordable and smooth as polished glass.

View attachment 563268

The only Irish I prefer more is Wild Geese. It has a bit more heft, but is till very smooth.View attachment 563269


I love all the non-peaty single malts (I ate mud as a child and don't need to drink it now). A great single malt that I have discovered are the Matsui Kurayoshi whiskies from Japan. I know - Japan - but it is hard to argue with excellence. But shop for this one carefully! prices vary by 400%View attachment 563271


And my favorite cognac is Maison Surrenne. It is also affordable, but difficult to find. It is an exquisite thing before heading to bed. And no, like any other civilized person, I do not mix it with coke or pollute it with ice.
View attachment 563272

I’m with you on Irish… as far as whiskeys go, Irish is a consistent favorite… Tullamore Dew is my absolute favorite “common” label and what I partake of more than any other spirit..

 

[Doug3006]

My favorite whiskey is Belle Meade Sherry Cask Finish.

 

[Doug3006]

I like Zara Grand Reserve 16 yo
rum.

 

[mdwest]

I like Zara Grand Reserve 16 yo
rum.

View attachment 563300

Another great rum!

Haven’t sipped that one in a while.. but it’s definitely very nice!

 

[Berettaco]

Sheildag and Tullamore are excellent choices - those were the two I was going to suggest

 

[Doug3006]

I really like Tullamore Dew…..and this song about it performed by Jig Jam….an Irish Bluegrass band.

 

[Boyd Brooks]

One of my favourite rums comes from Grand Cayman BWI. Governor’s Reserve dark rum is delicious neat or with a little ice.

My ultimate favourite liquor is from Canada. Sortilege is made in Quebec from rye whiskey and pure maple syrup, also awesome straight or over ice.

 

[mdwest]

One of my favourite rums comes from Grand Cayman BWI. Governor’s Reserve dark rum is delicious neat or with a little ice.View attachment 563302
My ultimate favourite liquor is from Canada. Sortilege is made in Quebec from rye whiskey and pure maple syrup, also awesome straight or over ice. View attachment 563304

Those both sound excellent. I may have to give both a try!

 

[Ravensview]

Governors reserve dark rum is good, Canadian hunter best cheap whiskey out there, mad dog 20/20 and boones farm wine……….wait that was a long time ago and the price point was right.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Thanks to a bottle of Bacardi 151, I hadn't had any rum in a very long time. But a friend convinced me to give Diplomatico a try.......yum yum with just a bit of ice. Don't let the relatively cheap price fool you.

 

[BnC 04]

Not a rum drinker by Old Kirk is my #1 bourbon, silky smooth at 130 proof.

 

[Ravensview]

In the summertime my favorite drink is tanquerey gin with tonic and ice, or as we call it in my neck of the woods gwinn and traunik, as it gets colder I like jack daniels honey whiskey on ice, still looking for a good cognac, I had a buddy bring me some back from Latvia but cant remember the name of it.

 

[mdwest]

In the summertime my favorite drink is tanquerey gin with tonic and ice, or as we call it in my neck of the woods gwinn and traunik, as it gets colder I like jack daniels honey whiskey on ice, still looking for a good cognac, I had a buddy bring me some back from Latvia but cant remember the name of it.

If you’re searching for a cognac you like but haven’t found a good fit yet, try a few armagnacs as an alternative…

Chateau De Laubade XO is particularly nice IMO

 

[Ravensview]

Will have to look for it, thanks for the heads up

 

[Dewald]

Sorry for hijacking the topic,

What wines are you normally served when hunting in RSA? I’m sure there is a market in the industry for a knowledgeable person to distribute our top tier Western Cape Whites and Reds to the lodges (hunting and not) all over the country.

My personal favourite is Storm wines Pinot Noir, followed closely by the same cultivar from Hamilton Russel and Bouchard Finlayson. I am also certainly not angry at a cold Chardonnay after a day in the bush.

Hannes Storm happens to be a close hunting friend, fellow Brno Mod 21/22 an FN collector and the custodian of a fine Rigby 450-400 3”, so I might be slightly biased…