Wine, Scotch, Rum, Tequila, Vodka, and the like

Postby **tifosi77** » Wed Mar 06, 2019 4:03 pm

Seems odd the 52 year is only 82 proof
At first I wondered if it was cask strength... apparently it is.

As tif pointed out the storage conditions are what drive the alcohol content over time. Every cask of aged spirits is constantly losing ethanol (alcohol) and water, but water and alcohol molecules are different sizes. Water is relatively small compared to ethanol. Due to it being so small, the water can migrate through the cask at a much faster rate than alcohol can. Not only that, trees are sort of designed so that water can migrate through them. Ethanol? not so much...

So with both water and ethanol leaving the cask, what causes scotch to either stay steady/lose strength while american whiskeys get stronger? Climate. In order for water to leave the barrel, it needs to evaporate. In a cold/moist environment like the coasts of Scotland, this is a relatively slow process so the loss of ethanol and water are relatively equal, or ethanol leaves at a slightly faster rate causing the alcohol content to go down. In drier hotter conditions like Kentucky or Tennessee, the water leaves relatively quickly compared to the ethanol causing a relative increase in alcohol content.

Is this why something like bourbon is bottled as 'white dog', which is like isopropyl abv, cut with water to dilute, knowing it will proof back up over time?

Postby **count2infinity** » Wed Mar 06, 2019 4:06 pm

White dog is just unaged whiskey...

isopropyl? wat?

It's cut with water because the unaged spirit coming right off the still is like 70% alcohol. It won't "proof back up" over time if it goes right into a sealed bottle.

Postby **tifosi77** » Wed Mar 06, 2019 4:22 pm

But it won't go straight into a bottle if it's meant to be bourbon. That's what I mean, it's not just diluted because it's 70% alcohol, but also because it will increase in abv as it ages. So if the target is to age a bourbon for 15-years and bottle it at 100-proof or so, it has be diluted lower than that before it goes in the barrel. Right? Or is that accomplished by blending after the fact?

Postby **count2infinity** » Wed Mar 06, 2019 4:52 pm

Yes. Typically liquor that comes off the still is cut with water prior to going into a barrel for aging.

From there it's either bottled straight from a barrel (cask strength, single barrel would be on the label), diluted, or blended and diluted.

Postby **Shyster** » Wed Mar 06, 2019 5:29 pm

The part lost to evaporation over time is called the "angels' share."

Postby **MWB** » Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:37 pm

My last trip to the liquor store, I was undecided. I like ryes. The guy who works there, and seems to be a bit of a bourbon expert, suggested Old Forester. It’s very good.

Postby **Freddy Rumsen** » Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:50 pm

Bourbon is my daily portion of life.

Postby **MWB** » Fri Mar 08, 2019 10:03 pm

Same here. Mostly Bulleitt, but try different things every now and then. A friend had a bottle of Four Roses single batch I really liked.

Postby **Freddy Rumsen** » Fri Mar 08, 2019 10:11 pm

Elijah Craig is my daily drink.

Buffalo Trace as well.

Have a high dollar Woodford for special occasions.

Postby **MWB** » Fri Mar 08, 2019 11:36 pm

I’ve wanted to try Buffalo Trace, but haven’t yet.

Postby **blackjack68** » Sat Mar 09, 2019 12:37 am

My friend keeps a bottle of Buffalo Trace here for when he stops by.

Meanwhile, I’ve got my flask of Jameson’s ready for the AC St. Patrick’s parade tomorrow. Slainte!

Postby **tifosi77** » Sat Mar 09, 2019 1:07 am

My Irish roots go to Donegal, which is I think the only one of 26 counties in Actual Ireland that does not have a whiskey distillery.

Postby **Freddy Rumsen** » Sat Mar 09, 2019 1:14 am

I'm of County Offaly, but Bushmills for obvious reasons.

Postby **shafnutz05** » Fri May 10, 2019 7:58 pm

Decided to try Elijah Craig small batch bourbon tonight. This is a delicious drink, especially at the price point.

Postby **eddy** » Fri May 10, 2019 8:13 pm

Decided to try Elijah Craig small batch bourbon tonight. This is a delicious drink, especially at the price point.

Postby **Freddy Rumsen** » Fri May 10, 2019 9:12 pm

Elijah Craig is fantastic.

Postby **RonnieFranchise** » Fri May 17, 2019 8:14 pm

I'm not really sure what led me to first buy this gin from Brooklyn, but it's now my go to G&T gin. Very tasty.

Naturally, you can't buy it around here.

Postby **tifosi77** » Thu Jun 06, 2019 2:06 pm

A local upscale grocery is having a promotion: Subscribe to their email list and you are entered into a lottery to win the opportunity to buy one of 8 bottles of bourbon available from Old Rip Van Winkle distillery. One of them is Pappy 15 yr, which they are offering for $99.

That is fully $1,000 less than I would've expected. In fact, that is just a little bit more than paid for a 2 oz shot of P15 in NOLA a few years ago.

The full offering looks like it's just MSRP, no markup.

Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year $99.99

Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20 Year $184.99

Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 23 Year $279.00

Van Winkle Special 10 Year $59.99

Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year $69.99

Thomas Handy Ltd Edition $89.99

George T Stagg Ltd Edition $89.99

William Larue Weller Ltd Edition $89.99

Postby **eddy** » Sun Jun 09, 2019 1:26 pm

A local upscale grocery is having a promotion: Subscribe to their email list and you are entered into a lottery to win the opportunity to buy one of 8 bottles of bourbon available from Old Rip Van Winkle distillery. One of them is Pappy 15 yr, which they are offering for $99.

That is fully $1,000 less than I would've expected. In fact, that is just a little bit more than paid for a 2 oz shot of P15 in NOLA a few years ago.

The full offering looks like it's just MSRP, no markup.

Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year $99.99

Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20 Year $184.99

Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 23 Year $279.00

Van Winkle Special 10 Year $59.99

Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year $69.99

Thomas Handy Ltd Edition $89.99

George T Stagg Ltd Edition $89.99

William Larue Weller Ltd Edition $89.99

Those prices are pretty good. I just got a bottle of weller reserve for $23 and think people are crazy spending ridiculous prices for pappy. I have that stagg and I wouldn't spend that much for it again.

Postby **Pavel Bure** » Sun Jun 09, 2019 4:45 pm

I'm of County Offaly, but Bushmills for obvious reasons.

English trash.

Just kidding, toured the distillery, had a hot toddy and a glass of their 12 year. Good stuff all around.

Postby **count2infinity** » Mon Jun 24, 2019 8:34 pm

Bought "The One Bottle Cocktail" after hearing about it on NPR. Lots of interesting looking recipes. Made the "switchback highball" tonight.

2 oz rye
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz apple cider vinegar
1/4 oz maple syrup
1.5 oz ginger beer
Fresh mint garnish

Very tasty. I look forward to trying some of the other recipes.

Postby **tifosi77** » Fri Jul 05, 2019 3:53 pm

Nothing says "First Cookout Of The Summer" quite like a $450 tab at the liquor store. (Which did not include beer)

YouTube · Postby **mikey** » Fri Jul 05, 2019 5:00 pm

Scooped some handmade, local blueberry brandy today on the way home...hopefully that goes well...

Also got pretty decent at making mint juleps, just to say that I can...

Been working on a drink (like most drinks, I'm sure it already exists) that combines rye or bourbon, cherry juice, orange seltzer, and grenadine...I'm pretty close to getting it right I think...it has the potential to absolutely cripple people...

Postby **count2infinity** » Mon Jul 15, 2019 9:10 pm

A negroni with an orange twist >>>>>>> without one