Fine Liquor

[Quality Start Machine]

Who likes free Scotch?

[Quality Start Machine]

DPD.

Costco was kind enough to have bottles of 2013 Lagavulin Distiller's Edition today for $60.

It's all I can do to not just drink a Big Gulp's worth of it, it's so fucking good.

The peat's really smoothed out, and the usual iodine notes are nonexistent.

Don't get me wrong, there's still a little smoke to it, but this is what I'd expect to be served to me as I sat in the leather wingchair next to Gord himself.

[Quality Start Machine]

TPD.

A good friend offered me two different bourbons this weekend - FEW Spirits Bourbon, which was OK. But then he offered me one from Florida, of all places...

St. Augustine's port-finished bourbon. I highly recommend grabbing a bottle when given the chance.

[Chuck to Chuck]

TPD.

A good friend offered me two different bourbons this weekend - FEW Spirits Bourbon, which was OK. But then he offered me one from Florida, of all places...

St. Augustine's port-finished bourbon. I highly recommend grabbing a bottle when given the chance.

I've been working my way through Bulleit and Woodford Reserve, both bourbons and ryes. But I've also had a chance to sample Chicago's own, Koval.  http://www.koval-distillery.com/newsite/

Might go on a local tour.

[Saul Goodman]

I humbly seek the current wisdom/learned degeneracy of the Desipio crowd.

I never tried alcohol until I was in my 30s. (I know, I know, that explains a lot.)

People keep asking me what I like and the answer is, I don't know yet. So I have a chance to do this right! No crushing 64-packs of Natty Light in a dingy frat house. No sir, I'm gonna be a classy drinker.

So what's the best stuff for a brand-new, 8-month, occasional social drinker to try and what's worth avoiding altogether? What should I order at a bar to not look like a complete jackass? This is probably your only chance to advise a new drinker without attracting police attention! I'll revisit the rest of this thread in time, but it might assume a little more working knowledge than I have. So far I've tried some red and white wines, basic cocktails (martini, old fashioned, whiskey sour, daiquiri, nothing else memorable), and some beers. Mostly pale ales and an IPA or two. And a Hefeweizen. I have not tried Bud, Bud Light, Miller, Coors, or Busch and am not really planning to change that.

And Malort is already #1 on the Try list, so don't even bother. (It's not.)

[Quality Start Machine]

I humbly seek the current wisdom/learned degeneracy of the Desipio crowd.

I never tried alcohol until I was in my 30s. (I know, I know, that explains a lot.)

People keep asking me what I like and the answer is, I don't know yet. So I have a chance to do this right! No crushing 64-packs of Natty Light in a dingy frat house. No sir, I'm gonna be a classy drinker.

So what's the best stuff for a brand-new, 8-month, occasional social drinker to try and what's worth avoiding altogether? What should I order at a bar to not look like a complete jackass? This is probably your only chance to advise a new drinker without attracting police attention! I'll revisit the rest of this thread in time, but it might assume a little more working knowledge than I have. So far I've tried some red and white wines, basic cocktails (martini, old fashioned, whiskey sour, daiquiri, nothing else memorable), and some beers. Mostly pale ales and an IPA or two. And a Hefeweizen. I have not tried Bud, Bud Light, Miller, Coors, or Busch and am not really planning to change that.

And Malort is already #1 on the Try list, so don't even bother. (It's not.)

If you're in a bar and want to try a gateway Scotch, most watering holes stock either Glenlivet or Macallan. Get them neat (no ice), you can always add an ice cube if you want. For bourbon, the good starters are Makers Mark and Knob Creek. If your local bar has Woodford Reserve, try that. Again, no ice, you can always add it in if you want.

[Tonker]

I humbly seek the current wisdom/learned degeneracy of the Desipio crowd.

I never tried alcohol until I was in my 30s. (I know, I know, that explains a lot.)

People keep asking me what I like and the answer is, I don't know yet. So I have a chance to do this right! No crushing 64-packs of Natty Light in a dingy frat house. No sir, I'm gonna be a classy drinker.

So what's the best stuff for a brand-new, 8-month, occasional social drinker to try and what's worth avoiding altogether? What should I order at a bar to not look like a complete jackass? This is probably your only chance to advise a new drinker without attracting police attention! I'll revisit the rest of this thread in time, but it might assume a little more working knowledge than I have. So far I've tried some red and white wines, basic cocktails (martini, old fashioned, whiskey sour, daiquiri, nothing else memorable), and some beers. Mostly pale ales and an IPA or two. And a Hefeweizen. I have not tried Bud, Bud Light, Miller, Coors, or Busch and am not really planning to change that.

And Malort is already #1 on the Try list, so don't even bother. (It's not.)

If you're in a bar and want to try a gateway Scotch, most watering holes stock either Glenlivet or Macallan. Get them neat (no ice), you can always add an ice cube if you want. For bourbon, the good starters are Makers Mark and Knob Creek. If your local bar has Woodford Reserve, try that. Again, no ice, you can always add it in if you want.

Try it for yourself, but in my opinion, far better than adding ice is to add a few drops of room-temperature water to your single malt.

[PenFoe]

I humbly seek the current wisdom/learned degeneracy of the Desipio crowd.

I never tried alcohol until I was in my 30s. (I know, I know, that explains a lot.)

People keep asking me what I like and the answer is, I don't know yet. So I have a chance to do this right! No crushing 64-packs of Natty Light in a dingy frat house. No sir, I'm gonna be a classy drinker.

So what's the best stuff for a brand-new, 8-month, occasional social drinker to try and what's worth avoiding altogether? What should I order at a bar to not look like a complete jackass? This is probably your only chance to advise a new drinker without attracting police attention! I'll revisit the rest of this thread in time, but it might assume a little more working knowledge than I have. So far I've tried some red and white wines, basic cocktails (martini, old fashioned, whiskey sour, daiquiri, nothing else memorable), and some beers. Mostly pale ales and an IPA or two. And a Hefeweizen. I have not tried Bud, Bud Light, Miller, Coors, or Busch and am not really planning to change that.

And Malort is already #1 on the Try list, so don't even bother. (It's not.)

If you're in a bar and want to try a gateway Scotch, most watering holes stock either Glenlivet or Macallan. Get them neat (no ice), you can always add an ice cube if you want. For bourbon, the good starters are Makers Mark and Knob Creek. If your local bar has Woodford Reserve, try that. Again, no ice, you can always add it in if you want.

Try it for yourself, but in my opinion, far better than adding ice is to add a few drops of room-temperature water to your single malt.

I'll let others jump in on the liquor, but in terms of beer, you should try some stouts and darker beers to see if you like them.
Since this is all new, try a Brown Ale and an Amber Ale too.  You may "graduate" from those eventually, but they're very good for new beer drinkers.
After that, try a couple sours. 

IIRC, you're in SoCal, so you have no shortage of options. 
Look for Modern Times (Black House) or Firestone Walker (Mocha Merlin, not on Nitro) to start with stouts. 

[Bort]

I humbly seek the current wisdom/learned degeneracy of the Desipio crowd.

I never tried alcohol until I was in my 30s. (I know, I know, that explains a lot.)

People keep asking me what I like and the answer is, I don't know yet. So I have a chance to do this right! No crushing 64-packs of Natty Light in a dingy frat house. No sir, I'm gonna be a classy drinker.

So what's the best stuff for a brand-new, 8-month, occasional social drinker to try and what's worth avoiding altogether? What should I order at a bar to not look like a complete jackass? This is probably your only chance to advise a new drinker without attracting police attention! I'll revisit the rest of this thread in time, but it might assume a little more working knowledge than I have. So far I've tried some red and white wines, basic cocktails (martini, old fashioned, whiskey sour, daiquiri, nothing else memorable), and some beers. Mostly pale ales and an IPA or two. And a Hefeweizen. I have not tried Bud, Bud Light, Miller, Coors, or Busch and am not really planning to change that.

And Malort is already #1 on the Try list, so don't even bother. (It's not.)

If you're in a bar and want to try a gateway Scotch, most watering holes stock either Glenlivet or Macallan. Get them neat (no ice), you can always add an ice cube if you want. For bourbon, the good starters are Makers Mark and Knob Creek. If your local bar has Woodford Reserve, try that. Again, no ice, you can always add it in if you want.

Try it for yourself, but in my opinion, far better than adding ice is to add a few drops of room-temperature water to your single malt.

Agreed.

[PenFoe]

I humbly seek the current wisdom/learned degeneracy of the Desipio crowd.

I never tried alcohol until I was in my 30s. (I know, I know, that explains a lot.)

People keep asking me what I like and the answer is, I don't know yet. So I have a chance to do this right! No crushing 64-packs of Natty Light in a dingy frat house. No sir, I'm gonna be a classy drinker.

So what's the best stuff for a brand-new, 8-month, occasional social drinker to try and what's worth avoiding altogether? What should I order at a bar to not look like a complete jackass? This is probably your only chance to advise a new drinker without attracting police attention! I'll revisit the rest of this thread in time, but it might assume a little more working knowledge than I have. So far I've tried some red and white wines, basic cocktails (martini, old fashioned, whiskey sour, daiquiri, nothing else memorable), and some beers. Mostly pale ales and an IPA or two. And a Hefeweizen. I have not tried Bud, Bud Light, Miller, Coors, or Busch and am not really planning to change that.

And Malort is already #1 on the Try list, so don't even bother. (It's not.)

If you're in a bar and want to try a gateway Scotch, most watering holes stock either Glenlivet or Macallan. Get them neat (no ice), you can always add an ice cube if you want. For bourbon, the good starters are Makers Mark and Knob Creek. If your local bar has Woodford Reserve, try that. Again, no ice, you can always add it in if you want.

Try it for yourself, but in my opinion, far better than adding ice is to add a few drops of room-temperature water to your single malt.

I'll let others jump in on the liquor, but in terms of beer, you should try some stouts and darker beers to see if you like them.
Since this is all new, try a Brown Ale and an Amber Ale too.  You may "graduate" from those eventually, but they're very good for new beer drinkers.
After that, try a couple sours. 

IIRC, you're in SoCal, so you have no shortage of options. 
Look for Modern Times (Black House) or Firestone Walker (Mocha Merlin, not on Nitro) to start with stouts.

Even better, you should really just go into a good local brewery with a decent selection*, sit at the bar and explain to the bartender that you've just escaped from The Church or whatever depraved rationale for never having had a drink before and ask him/her to give you a good flight or two. 

There's no better way to find what you like.

*Note: I'm contractually obligated to mention that any SoCal brewery except Ballast Point is a good choice, as they are merely Big Beer in craft clothing.

[PenFoe]

Also, while it's not my bag, Hard Cider has come a long, long way and I know a lot of people drinking it. 
Worth giving it a shot.

[Bort]

Also, while it's not my bag, Hard Cider has come a long, long way and I know a lot of people drinking it. 
Worth giving it a shot.

Dry hard cider is actually very good. We have come a long way since the days my ex girlfriend was mainlining Woodchuck Brand Alcoholic Hummingbird Food.

[Tonker]

I humbly seek the current wisdom/learned degeneracy of the Desipio crowd.

I never tried alcohol until I was in my 30s. (I know, I know, that explains a lot.)

People keep asking me what I like and the answer is, I don't know yet. So I have a chance to do this right! No crushing 64-packs of Natty Light in a dingy frat house. No sir, I'm gonna be a classy drinker.

So what's the best stuff for a brand-new, 8-month, occasional social drinker to try and what's worth avoiding altogether? What should I order at a bar to not look like a complete jackass? This is probably your only chance to advise a new drinker without attracting police attention! I'll revisit the rest of this thread in time, but it might assume a little more working knowledge than I have. So far I've tried some red and white wines, basic cocktails (martini, old fashioned, whiskey sour, daiquiri, nothing else memorable), and some beers. Mostly pale ales and an IPA or two. And a Hefeweizen. I have not tried Bud, Bud Light, Miller, Coors, or Busch and am not really planning to change that.

And Malort is already #1 on the Try list, so don't even bother. (It's not.)

If you're in a bar and want to try a gateway Scotch, most watering holes stock either Glenlivet or Macallan. Get them neat (no ice), you can always add an ice cube if you want. For bourbon, the good starters are Makers Mark and Knob Creek. If your local bar has Woodford Reserve, try that. Again, no ice, you can always add it in if you want.

Try it for yourself, but in my opinion, far better than adding ice is to add a few drops of room-temperature water to your single malt.

I'll let others jump in on the liquor, but in terms of beer, you should try some stouts and darker beers to see if you like them.
Since this is all new, try a Brown Ale and an Amber Ale too.  You may "graduate" from those eventually, but they're very good for new beer drinkers.
After that, try a couple sours. 

IIRC, you're in SoCal, so you have no shortage of options. 
Look for Modern Times (Black House) or Firestone Walker (Mocha Merlin, not on Nitro) to start with stouts.

Even better, you should really just go into a good local brewery with a decent selection*, sit at the bar and explain to the bartender that you've just escaped from The Church or whatever depraved rationale for never having had a drink before and ask him/her to give you a good flight or two. 

There's no better way to find what you like.

*Note: I'm contractually obligated to mention that any SoCal brewery except Ballast Point is a good choice, as they are merely Big Beer in craft clothing.

I'm contractually obliged to mention that there's nothing wrong with Big Beer per se, and that Saul might find that he enjoys a Sam Adams Boston lager or a nice cold, fizzy PBR, say.  I do.

[Saul Goodman]

I humbly seek the current wisdom/learned degeneracy of the Desipio crowd.

I never tried alcohol until I was in my 30s. (I know, I know, that explains a lot.)

People keep asking me what I like and the answer is, I don't know yet. So I have a chance to do this right! No crushing 64-packs of Natty Light in a dingy frat house. No sir, I'm gonna be a classy drinker.

So what's the best stuff for a brand-new, 8-month, occasional social drinker to try and what's worth avoiding altogether? What should I order at a bar to not look like a complete jackass? This is probably your only chance to advise a new drinker without attracting police attention! I'll revisit the rest of this thread in time, but it might assume a little more working knowledge than I have. So far I've tried some red and white wines, basic cocktails (martini, old fashioned, whiskey sour, daiquiri, nothing else memorable), and some beers. Mostly pale ales and an IPA or two. And a Hefeweizen. I have not tried Bud, Bud Light, Miller, Coors, or Busch and am not really planning to change that.

And Malort is already #1 on the Try list, so don't even bother. (It's not.)

If you're in a bar and want to try a gateway Scotch, most watering holes stock either Glenlivet or Macallan. Get them neat (no ice), you can always add an ice cube if you want. For bourbon, the good starters are Makers Mark and Knob Creek. If your local bar has Woodford Reserve, try that. Again, no ice, you can always add it in if you want.

Try it for yourself, but in my opinion, far better than adding ice is to add a few drops of room-temperature water to your single malt.

I'll let others jump in on the liquor, but in terms of beer, you should try some stouts and darker beers to see if you like them.
Since this is all new, try a Brown Ale and an Amber Ale too.  You may "graduate" from those eventually, but they're very good for new beer drinkers.
After that, try a couple sours. 

IIRC, you're in SoCal, so you have no shortage of options. 
Look for Modern Times (Black House) or Firestone Walker (Mocha Merlin, not on Nitro) to start with stouts.

Even better, you should really just go into a good local brewery with a decent selection*, sit at the bar and explain to the bartender that you've just escaped from The Church or whatever depraved rationale for never having had a drink before and ask him/her to give you a good flight or two. 

There's no better way to find what you like.

*Note: I'm contractually obligated to mention that any SoCal brewery except Ballast Point is a good choice, as they are merely Big Beer in craft clothing.

I'm contractually obliged to mention that there's nothing wrong with Big Beer per se, and that Saul might find that he enjoys a Sam Adams Boston lager or a nice cold, fizzy PBR, say.  I do.

Noted.

Thanks, morans.

[PenFoe]

I humbly seek the current wisdom/learned degeneracy of the Desipio crowd.

I never tried alcohol until I was in my 30s. (I know, I know, that explains a lot.)

People keep asking me what I like and the answer is, I don't know yet. So I have a chance to do this right! No crushing 64-packs of Natty Light in a dingy frat house. No sir, I'm gonna be a classy drinker.

So what's the best stuff for a brand-new, 8-month, occasional social drinker to try and what's worth avoiding altogether? What should I order at a bar to not look like a complete jackass? This is probably your only chance to advise a new drinker without attracting police attention! I'll revisit the rest of this thread in time, but it might assume a little more working knowledge than I have. So far I've tried some red and white wines, basic cocktails (martini, old fashioned, whiskey sour, daiquiri, nothing else memorable), and some beers. Mostly pale ales and an IPA or two. And a Hefeweizen. I have not tried Bud, Bud Light, Miller, Coors, or Busch and am not really planning to change that.

And Malort is already #1 on the Try list, so don't even bother. (It's not.)

If you're in a bar and want to try a gateway Scotch, most watering holes stock either Glenlivet or Macallan. Get them neat (no ice), you can always add an ice cube if you want. For bourbon, the good starters are Makers Mark and Knob Creek. If your local bar has Woodford Reserve, try that. Again, no ice, you can always add it in if you want.

Try it for yourself, but in my opinion, far better than adding ice is to add a few drops of room-temperature water to your single malt.

I'll let others jump in on the liquor, but in terms of beer, you should try some stouts and darker beers to see if you like them.
Since this is all new, try a Brown Ale and an Amber Ale too.  You may "graduate" from those eventually, but they're very good for new beer drinkers.
After that, try a couple sours. 

IIRC, you're in SoCal, so you have no shortage of options. 
Look for Modern Times (Black House) or Firestone Walker (Mocha Merlin, not on Nitro) to start with stouts.

Even better, you should really just go into a good local brewery with a decent selection*, sit at the bar and explain to the bartender that you've just escaped from The Church or whatever depraved rationale for never having had a drink before and ask him/her to give you a good flight or two. 

There's no better way to find what you like.

*Note: I'm contractually obligated to mention that any SoCal brewery except Ballast Point is a good choice, as they are merely Big Beer in craft clothing.

I'm contractually obliged to mention that there's nothing wrong with Big Beer per se, and that Saul might find that he enjoys a Sam Adams Boston lager or a nice cold, fizzy PBR, say.  I do.

Noted.

Thanks, morans.

You won't hear me besmirching Sam Adams. 
They are (still) pretty far from Big Beer.