I have enjoyed reading the threads on cheap whiskey and vodka.

I like all the scotch regions and bourbon.
Id like to treat myself to some top shelf bourbon and or scotch, but I don't want to pay a high price if it's no better than the usual mid priced ones mentioned in other threads.

My definition of expensive would probably be in the 50 to 150 dollar range, but I'd be happy to hear what others think.

Any Ideas?

That price for the 750ml or the 1.75L/half gallon/handle/whatchamacallit?

And are ya looking for scotch, bourbon, Canadian, blended, etc?

Pappy Van Winkle is the best IMO.

Good luck finding it. And I cannot even imagine what it sells for now.....

http://liquorama.net/pappy-van-wink...pla&gclid=CLe7iOHBsdACFYMCaQodesgMOQ


2-3k?

Write a check..

Wow.

Fuuk it, buy the Old Beezer.......

Believe I paid $190 for last bottle of 20 year old.

The MSRP on the 23 year old is about $250.......

Ardbeg, Laphroaig,Lagavulin - Almost any
Octomore- Damn good but more than I will pay.

Redbreast Irish Whiskey.

Not over the top expensive around here it about $70 for a .750 L.

Best whiskey I have ever tasted and yes, I have had some others in the $200 $250 range for .750 L.

drover

tag

Suntory Yamazaki 12 yr is the best whiskey I have ever bought.

Woodford Reserve Double Oak

Old Crow, especially their large batch, multiple barrel version aged for at least 6 months.

Caol Ila 12 yr. old . (Islay single malt)

I believe the 3 month to be a much more solid value........

Lord Calvert.



Clark

I don't know if you can really find the metrics to definitively say "This Bourbon is the Best". Always an individual thing, though many people will agree on one or another.
My particular favorite is old Fitzgerald, but it's not widely distributed, so most won't be familiar with it. Not a particularly expensive brand.

I'll try Old Fitzgerald the next time I get to a liquor store that carries it.

I had some Bushmills 21 this week that was pretty damn good.

Don't knock the Lord, that's good stuff..

While on a recent business trip my associate and I were working late and our client called us and asked us to meet him at a country club (I had never been to a country club before) for a drink. He asked what we were drinking. I asked for Jack Daniel's on the rocks and my associate asked for <something> Reserve and Ginger Ale. The client laughed and said said "one of those is gay and the other is crap! I'll order you something decent".

He ordered us Hudson Baby Bourbon. It was really good. I am not an expert but I liked it a lot and drank a lot of it that night. I think it is about $50 a bottle but I can't find it in Colorado.

http://www.tuthilltown.com/tuthilltown-spirits/hudson-baby-bourbon/

Like everything else in life, one must first define "expensive" and go from there. For example, Johnny Walker Blue is VERY expensive and definitively NOT worth the cost.

i'm not going to spend a lot of money on something i'm going to piss out.

besides i can make my own.

Unless you shop in parts of Kentucky, a few cities in Ohio or Indiana, you won't find it

For me, stepping into the $30-50 range was all it took. Moving from Dickel/Wild Turkey level up to some of the small batch stuff like Jeffersons, Knob Creek[regular], Tin Cup, Bowman Bros etc
$10-15 more dollars than what I had been typically spending for 750ml and I'm quite content.

Not a drinker, but did like fighting cock when I had it years ago. Anyone tried that?

Apparently CUMMINScowboy ain't just a clever name.

William Larue Weller. About $80. Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve $75 or so...

Both of those are consistently scored every year in the 95-96 range. Gotta be honest though, ever since I started drinking W.L. Wellers Special Reserve, there's not much reason to spend 400% more.

Wow, I thought that Lord was a Northern Montana thing.

I like a bottle of Single Barrel Jack Daniels.

I only drink it at Christmas time.

I am sure it can be found on-line.

I live the next town over from the Tuthilltown distillery and have bought a couple bottles of their Baby Bourbon and I always thought it was not a good value. It's not bad, but IMO you can find better at much better prices. You may not know this but is only aged like 6 months in very small casks and they use all kinds of things to "speed up" the aging process. It still tastes young to me. I think some people are enamored with it because it is expensive and made in limited quantity. In a blind taste test I don't think it would beat out many of the decent bourbons with an age statement.

For my taste the best scotch is the 18 year old Highland Park. I had the 30 year old Highland Park when my wife bought me a bottle when I retired, but that was too oaky and out of balance for my taste. Some of these very old whisky is for bragging rights. I did have a bottle of Van Winkle Special Reserve Lot B that was very good but at the $200 my wife paid, I wouldn't spend that on myself. It was very very good though.

Of the expensive bourbons that I've tried in addition to the VW Lot B, I've liked:

Jefferson's Reserve Small Batch
Noah's Mill's
Rowan's Creek
Four Roses Single Barrel
Russell's Reserve Single Barrel

Yup.

I have been given a bunch of the Blue and held it for quite a while... agree fully it is very over-rated.

I have trouble paying big money for bourbon when the same money gets you a far better single malt. The Knob Creek 120 proof is probably the only bourbon in the pricier range I can think of that earns it.

Ardbeg Uigeadail is hard to match...
Aberlour A'bunadh is spectacular...
Lagavulin 16 is really good when you want to see how tough you are

Never had a 21 year old single malt that was not pretty impressive.

Tried Oban once and liked it. Plan to find a bottle.

I wouldn't put it that way.

Lagavulin is my favorite so far

Booker's is pretty OK.

[/quote]

I have trouble paying big money for bourbon when the same money gets you a far better single malt. The Knob Creek 120 proof is probably the only bourbon in the pricier range I can think of that earns it.

Ardbeg Uigeadail is hard to match...
Aberlour A'bunadh is spectacular...
Lagavulin 16 is really good when you want to see how tough you are

Never had a 21 year old single malt that was not pretty impressive.
[/quote]

Thank you. Those look very interesting.

That one looks very good. Thanks

Channeling deflave:

Had one wild night with too much COCK about 7 years ago and don't need anymore of it.

-Sparky

Hi Art. If you are saying that it's easier to find a good inexpensive bourbon than scotch, so just get the bourbons that give the best value, I would agree with that. I like bourbon enough that any of the ones I mentioned are, for me, worth the extra expense once in a while. In order to get a decent scotch or japanese single malt, you HAVE to spend the bucks. It's not easy for me to find a bottle of single malt (or even blended scotch) at a value price. Besides the HP, I like the Balvenie Double Wood and Caribbean cask expressions. For a cheap blended scotch sipper, I used to buy Teacher's Highland Cream but the quality started to slip and it's not popular around here with very few stores carrying it. I prefer the HP as it not so smokey as to mask the more delicate flavors that I enjoy. It's all in the balance. The real peat monsters are just too much of a one trick pony for me, but, that is why they make and sell so many different ones.

So I do tend to look for value when I buy bourbon and will snap up the Weller SR and Antique whenever I find them and I usually have a bottle or two of the Evan Williams SB around, but the days of good inexpensive scotch have been gone for awhile now. I know of no scotch that currently interests me that is under $50.

Thanks for all the replies. I've had many of the ones listed, and consensus seems to be that other than the Van Winkles that are hard to find and very expensive, the 20 to 50 dollar bourbons I've been drinking are the best way to go.

I'm going to have to try some of the scotches mentioned though.

I've had Laphroaig, Talisker 10 and Balvenie Doublewood, and liked all those.

From the Scotch side, I like Dalmore 16 and from the Bourbon side Four Roses Single barrel are reasonably priced and very enjoyable.

Macallan 12 good stuff. Not Bunnahabhain 18 but it will do considering the cost difference.

MACALLAN 12 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKEY .750

$56.99
+$24.28 shipping. No tax
LiquorLiquidators.com

Bunnahabhain 18
$118.99
+$13.00 shipping. No tax
WineAnthology.com

Glenfarclas 10 Year Old and Glenmorangie 10 Year Old are great for their price bracket.

Highland Park 18 yr
Jameson 12 yr

On the Scotch side Balvenie Doublewood 12yr and Highland Park 18yr. Laphroaig every now and then.

stranahans Colorado,George T Stagg and Blantons are some American whiskeys I like.

I've tried Red Breast and other Irish whiskey, while good I wasnt blown away by it like many are.

Those are about as much as i'm willing to spend. I've had Pappy, while really good it dont make much difference because you cant find the stuff.

Bourbons:

- Rock Hill Farm
- Weller 107 Antique
- Old Forester Birthday Bourbon

Scotch:

- Glenfiddich 15 Year
- Glenfarclas 17 Year

Another vote for Laphroaig (10) here. I'm partial to the heavy peat scotch. I'll drink Talisker if the Laphroaig bottle is empty.

Like many things, the value or worth can only be evaluated by the one doing the purchasing. If the individual feels that the enjoyment or satisfaction the item in question provides for him is commensurate with the cost, then that item is worth its price. A caveat that should be considered is that the person's perception of what qualifies as "worthy" does not give him the right to denigrate the less costly choice made by someone else.

Glenfiddich 12 year when I'm drinking scotch and the fantastic 18 year on special occasions

eagle rare when im drinking borbon

I could drink nothing but those 3 for the rest of my life and be a happy man

Awhile back, somebody posted about the small whiskey barrels that you can fill with cheap whiskey.

The poster said to fill a fifth sized barrel with Jim Beam and come back in 8 weeks for a pleasant surprise.

I hope to try that, but for now I will stick with JD. That has worked for me for over forty years.

I'd never had Elijah Craig until I saw it reco'ed here .

Saw some at local liquor store and decided to try it.

Very smooth and tasty. We opened it last night and four of us polished it off, drinking it neat, though I did add an ice cube to my wife's second glass per her request

Sorry math man, I love the old gal

It's a moderately priced whiskey ime

I quite enjoyed it.

It won't be the last time it graces our cabinet

Sorry, just not a fan. Last summer, I picked up a bottle of Blantons on the advice of some old guy on here, and just didn't really enjoy it, though I tried to the bitter end. Just not a whiskey guy I guess.

I also got a bottle of "better" gin, with the botanicals naturally infused by soaking the herbs and such in the gin rather than using extracts, and distilled in copper kettles. It was interesting, but not something I'd choose to drink straight either. Made a good gimlet and gin & tonic though. Must be something lacking in my DNA.

Try Bookers, Bakers, and Basil Hayden. Three good, and very different, bourbons. Hard to find someone that doesn't like at least one of them.
You might find the need to spend more unnecessary.

Blantons or Pappy if you are buying. Grin

Cheap doesn't mean your getting a good bourbon. Like many things you have to find an acceptable balance between cost and taste.

One of my favorite bourbons that's reasonable in Bulleit, Makers 46, next and slightly more into the expensive area in Bib & Tucker. I like Old Grand dad when I get a chance to pick it up but with a state run liquor fiasco many good ones aren't around.

I like Highland Park and Laphroaig. Lagavulin is a step up for me.

Macallan cask strength was a nice gift from my SIL. I don't think I can afford to replace it so it will be used very carefully.

Single Malt Scotches are a whole different thing. I've tried Laphroaig and thought it tasted like mouthwash. I also tried a couple other Islays and wasn't impressed.

My favorite is a Balvenie 21 PortWood though I don't buy it very often. It is amazing.

My go to is a Dalwhinnie 15, or The Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask.

Without going crazy on price, Jameson Irish Whiskey 18yr.
they don't use peat to process their barley like many Scotch whisky companies do.
smooth and complex but you won't get the heaviness found in scotch whiskies.

Im over the need for a single malt to enjoy a fine drop , some blends on the market are fantastic.
same applies to single origin coffee beans, best expressos I've had were from blended beans.

Just goes to show how taste buds can vary - I'd give up scotch if I had to drink Glenfiddich... Haha! Have had bottles of 12, 15 & 18 yr old - none appealed to me, but I know others that love 'em.

My go-to's are Glenlivet (any of em but plain ol' 12yo for regular consumption), Balvenie Double Wood, Macallan 12, and even JW Black every now and then. Also have Caol Isla, Lagavulin, Balvenie Caribbean, Macallan Special Edition No 1 and a couple of other Macallans, Highland Park, a couple of Japanese single malts given to me by customers from Japan, several of the Glenmorangie varieties,...

I like trying different ones, and I don't drink a lot. So a bottle of something else along with a 1.75L of Glenlivet 12 every couple of months has built up stock in my cabinet!

Just tried the Macallan Special Edition Number 1 and was really underwhelmed. Have enjoyed a lot of different ones and found them very nice and bought this one to see if it could replace the no longer available Cask Strength... not even close, especially for the money.

I'm not a Scotch drinker but I do enjoy Bourbon.

I grew up on Maker's Mark. The last couple of years I've been drinking Eagle Rare. Four Roses is also good, although I actually prefer the small batch over the single barrel.

You don't need that expensive cshit, buy black jack, it makes your dick hard.