Mid-High end Liquors...

[Fallen]

Crossposted from the SR Boards.


I have recently purchased some Crown Royal Special Reserve for my friend as a gift for Christmas. I realized while shopping that I do not know all that much about the various refined brands of liquor such as Jack Daniel's Single Barrel or CR. Spec Reserve. The only liquor I spend the extra cash for is Southern Comfort 100 proof. I find I simply like the flavor much more than the regular brand.

My question is are any of you experienced with the various Step-up alcohols available at your average liquor stores? Is it worth the extra cost? Are there any particular drinks you prefer? I understand some of you may look down upon anything that isn't 200 years old, though any information on what you drink and what you might recommend would be helpful.

Red label JW

[Fallen]

What is that? I am pretty ignorant when it comes to most alcohols, may need to spell it out for me.

[Anebriated]

johnny walker red is what he was referring to i believe.

Soco 100 proof is definately better and worth the extra bones.

Vodka to me is worlds of difference between brands. Absolut is generally a pretty smooth vodka, and not terribly expensive. Granted you wont get a handle for $12(bankers club) but Ill play the extra for a better liquor if I have the choice.

Rum, it all tastes like water to me, I dont drink it anymore.

Whiskey, Jack Daniels is simply the best. Its not too expensive and it has a good taste(if you like whiskey).

Pretty much the more you throw down to purchase the liquor the smoother and better the taste will be. There are some exceptions to that but not too many.

Ask someone over 21 for more info, I left out alot of the liquors like amaretto and baileys but covered the most common drink types.

[Edited on 12-20-2004 by Elrodin]

[Keller]

Jonny Walker Red Label

[Fallen]

Interesting. Anyone else have a prefered brand?

[Sweets]

I always treat my self to Merry's White Chocolate over the holidays. It's not all that expensive and it's very....very....very...very...yummy.

Harmnone, if you like Bailey's, I have a feeling you may appreciate the Merry's.;)

[Edited on 20/12/2004 by Sweets]

[Mistomeer]

Patron Anejo Tequilla and Belvedere Vodka. Neither is terribly expensive and both are completely worth it.

[Iriscience]

Its all about Cognac.

Hennessy
Remy-Martin (XO only VSOP and 1738 taste like shit)
Courvoisier

My personal faorite is Hpnotiq. It's vodka and cognac and tastes damn good.

[Soulpieced]

I've heard good things about Patron tequila. I'm partial to tequila myself, but really haven't tried that many.

[Makkah]

Louis XIII (i've only had 1 shot of it once, considering each bottle costs over a G)

[Edited on 12-20-2004 by Makkah]

[Makkah]

Hpnotiq is pussy shit, btw.


rht

[pennywise]

Jack Daniels Single Barrel. Not too expensive (45-55), great taste, pretty smooth. Best whiskey for the money.

[peam]

Johnny Walker Gold is the way to go. It's a much, much better than Red, and you can taste the difference.

Blue's even better, but it's hard to get and costs a hefty chunk of change.

[Marl]

Don Julio teguila
Grey Goose vodka
and good ol homemade W.Va "Brandy" $30 bucks a quart, well worth it.

[Jenisi]

Grey Goose all the way.

[Flurbins]

I recently learned that Jose beats the hell out of Toro.

[Valthissa]

Originally posted by Iriscience
Its all about Cognac.

Hennessy
Remy-Martin (XO only VSOP and 1738 taste like shit)
Courvoisier

My personal faorite is Hpnotiq. It's vodka and cognac and tastes damn good.

I agree that cognac is the one liquor where more money actually buys a significant improvement in quality.

cognac is what a great single malt scotch wants to be when it grows up.

the older the better.

A Remy-Martin bottle of XO should last you several years.

also, try an Armangac (quality level at least XO, but Hors d'age preferred)

C/Valth

[Mistomeer]

Belvedere is so better than Grey Goose.

[Hulkein]

Schlitz Bull Ice, High Gravity Ice Brewed Malt Liquor

That is High-End.

[Alarke]

Im not much of a cognac drinker myself, but here's my thoughts on liquor from the eyes of a college kid.

Vodka - If you're taking shots, doesnt matter so much what you're doing cause the idea is just to get drunk anyways, so just go cheap. If you're making a cosmo, martini, or something nice, get some nice Grey Goose, goes down smooth with little burn and nice aftertaste.

Gin - Typically you wont be taking shots of gin unless you're desperate, if you're making something like long islands anything works, but again, sea/bay breezes you'll wanna go a step up, since it's mainly gin.

Rum - Captains is always a safe rum, it is a great shot, and it mixes very well, can go with different styles of captain's depending on the intended flavor.

Tequila - El Toro is the devil... if you can afford it, take the step up, Cuervo gold is great, girls love it and make slammers with shots of 1/2 7up 1/2 tequila, it's a blast. Vanilla tequila if you want a change is surprisingly good.

Whiskey - Jack is the best in my opinion, but a close second is Jim if you wanna go a little cheaper, and it's still great. SoCo 100 as stated is a great choice too, all what you feel like at the moment.

Brandy - something like Christain Brothers is a high quality good tasting Brandy if you want to make something like a brandy manhatten.

Some lighter things i would suggest for mixing drinks would be butterscotch scnapps, rootbeer schnapps (smells like those rootbeer barrels), bailey's, amaretto (big thing for girls, things like amaretto sours are great). Suggested drink on my part if you dont wanna taste heavy liquor is Rum and Rootbeer (2 shots captains)

[Flurbins]

Jagermeister + Red bull. Can't believe nobody said this.

Also had one time 1/2 jager + 1/2 blackhaus, and I think I remember it being quite tasty.

[Back]

Red label? Black! Get Blue if you can.

Cabo Wabo. Clear baby.

[Rutilcaper]

Originally posted by Flurbins
Jagermeister + Red bull. Can't believe nobody said this.

Nobody mentioned it because he was asking for higher end liquor, not monkey feces in a bottle.

How anyone drinks Jager is beyond me.

As for Belvedere vs Grey Goose, Belvedere is certainly better, but around here costs like $10 more a bottle. I think it's worth the difference, not everyone will.

[HarmNone]

Originally posted by Sweets
I always treat my self to Merry's White Chocolate over the holidays. It's not all that expensive and it's very....very....very...very...yummy.

Harmnone, if you like Bailey's, I have a feeling you may appreciate the Merry's.;)

[Edited on 20/12/2004 by Sweets]

That's not one I've heard of, Sweets. I'll certainly give it a try! :)

[Ben]

Originally posted by Rutilcaper
How anyone drinks Jager is beyond me.






whattttttttttttttt?

[Rutilcaper]

Come on. The stuff is like bottled vomit.

[Alarke]

I enjoy finer liquors as much as anyone, but Jager and Golds is amazing.

[Tsa`ah]

Cognac - Despite the Courvoisier label claiming to be the choice of Napoleon, it isn't the same label Napoleon carried off with him in exile.

Courvoisier is an OK cognac, but by no stretch is it the best cognac ... just the new blue of the hood and those pissed off that they were born white.

Martell is a good descent cognac, a Jersey house ... but still good.
Hennessey for the price is good, but I personally prefer eastern European brands of cognac ... brandy if you're hung up on nomenclature.

An Armenian labeled cognac called Ararat comes to mind as one of the best.

Bourbons - Most single barrel portions are worth the money. Be it JD or Four Roses.

Vodka – You get what you pay for.

[Back]

Safeway, or CVS Vodka. Working mans drink.

[AnticorRifling]

Rum - Captain Morgan's Silver. Good spiced rum that mixes well.

Vodka - Vox is good.

Liquor - Chambourd Rasberry Liquor. Very sweet, for mixing but you can drink it straight I guess...(I wouldn't)


Best drink in the world is the silver rum + the chambourd + blue curaco + sour mix. It's called dirty bong water and it's like a liquid sweet tart (or liquid panty dropper if you prefer) it's a real good way to get shit faced without having to punish yourself or anyone else.

[Hulkein]

<<Courvoisier is an OK cognac, but by no stretch is it the best cognac ... just the new blue of the hood and those pissed off that they were born white. >>

:lol2:

hahahahahahaha, awesome.

[Rutilcaper]

My dad used to drink Courvosier and Hennesy. I grew up wondering if my dad was secretly Edward E. Humphrey.

You know. Do the humpty hump.

[AnticorRifling]

Originally posted by Rutilcaper
My dad used to drink Courvosier and Hennesy. I grew up wondering if my dad was secretly Edward E. Humphrey.

You know. Do the humpty hump.

Stop what you're doin cause I'm about ta ruin the image and the style that you're used to.

[Rutilcaper]

Exactly. :cool:

[Jorddyn]

Originally posted by Alarke
Im not much of a cognac drinker myself, but here's my thoughts on liquor from the eyes of a college kid.

Print your post. Save it. Re-read it in 10 years, keeping in mind the title of the thread. You'll appreciate the same giggle I just had.

Jorddyn, former "Yukon Jack" aficionado

[Jorddyn]

Originally posted by AnticorRifling
Vodka - Vox is good.

Liquor - Chambourd Rasberry Liquor.

Mix the two :)

Jorddyn, :heart: Chambourd and Absolut

[Fallen]

Thanks alot guys. I may print this thread out next I go to a liquor store...which wont be for a while though.

190 Proof alcohol + Drinking games = Wish for death

211. There is nothing finer

[firegirl]

For Cognacs, I suggest Remy Martin XO, Hines and Paul Giraud are pretty good cognacs. They run approx 150-200.

For bourbon, my personal favorite is Glengarioch. Usual price is about 120.00 but worth it in taste. Of course, the classics that have a good name is Oban's and Glenmorangie if you didn't want to go with the usual JW, Glenfiddich, etc..

Someone mentioned Jack Daniels being a bourbon... Is it considered under that category? Can never figure out what JD falls under.

For exotic stuff, I love Chatreuse cause it has a pretty good kick and I just like saying the name.

Prices are Canadian but I am guessing it will run about the same prices there.

[DeV]

Originally posted by firegirl
Someone mentioned Jack Daniels being a bourbon... Is it considered under that category? Can never figure out what JD falls under.

I think it would fit under the category of Tennessee whiskey.

[Tsa`ah]

JD is a bourbon.

[DeV]

The process used to make JD is only a tad different than that used to make true blue bourbon.

Charcoal mellowing is what makes JD a Tennessee whiskey instead of a bourbon. It's arguable but I'm fairly certain it's a Tennessee whiskey even though people also consider it a bourbon.

[Meos]

I can't remember that name exactly... I think it was vistrovia.. anyway its vodka and it's got a blade of buffalo grass in the bottle. Smooth, and it gets ya DRUNK!

[hectomaner]

hennessy period

only liquor i would drink for the last 5 years of my drinking career.

got all you could want, low end, middle end, high end.

i still have an untouched bottle of richard hennessy....... mmmm.....

Rubinoff vodka. How can you go wrong with $8.00 a handle?

- Arkans

[Anebriated]

Jagermeister + Red bull. Can't believe nobody said this.

While Jager is amazing that is the absolute worst drink you could make with it. The combination of the stimulant and depressant is horrible for your body. If you do drink this I hope you arent drinking too much of it.

[Jahira]

I can't believe no one has mentioned Bacardi 151. I love that crap!

[AnticorRifling]

Crap is right. That stuff is the devil's tool. It tastes like a bag of hammered assholes but it does, quite quickly, fuck you up.

[TheRoseLady]

Originally posted by AnticorRifling
Liquor - Chambourd Rasberry Liquor. Very sweet, for mixing but you can drink it straight I guess...(I wouldn't)



Love love love this stuff.

My husband will buy those little bottles for when we travel - I usually like to savor a drink before doing things I best not mention in this thread. :blush:

[Parkbandit]

Originally posted by Alarke
Im not much of a cognac drinker myself, but here's my thoughts on liquor from the eyes of a college kid.


College Kid? What kind of silver spoon in the mouth kind of college kid are you? When I went to college, we drank the following:

Vodka: "Pub Club" brand - Plastic 2 liter. Tasted horrible, but was a very economical way to get blasted.

Gin: "Pub Club" brand - Plastic 2 liter. Tasted horrible, but was a very economical way to get blasted.

Rum: "Pub Club" brand - Plastic 2 liter. Tasted horrible, but was a very economical way to get blasted.

Tequila: "Pub Club" brand - Plastic 2 liter. Tasted horrible, but was a very economical way to get blasted.

Whiskey: "Pub Club" brand - Plastic 2 liter. Tasted horrible, but was a very economical way to get blasted.


And for REALLY special occasions, we would run across the border to good ol' PA and get Grain Alcohol and mix it with everything.

[AnticorRifling]

Military special and aristocrat vodka, gin, rum, etc. Same as above.

[Eiderfleur]

Originally posted by Tsa`ah
Cognac - Despite the Courvoisier label claiming to be the choice of Napoleon, it isn't the same label Napoleon carried off with him in exile.

Courvoisier is an OK cognac, but by no stretch is it the best cognac ... just the new blue of the hood and those pissed off that they were born white.

Martell is a good descent cognac, a Jersey house ... but still good.
Hennessey for the price is good, but I personally prefer eastern European brands of cognac ... brandy if you're hung up on nomenclature.

An Armenian labeled cognac called Ararat comes to mind as one of the best.



A little bit of information I never knew about Armenia, I was told this by a Russian girl who has visited Armenia while she was living in Russia.

Apparently they make the best cognacs. (Don't shoot the messenger)

I don't drink anymore, I have an allergy to alcohol. It appears to have gotten worse over the last year, my fiance made me a mudslide the other day, only Baileys, Kahlua, ice cream and milk, (I added extra milk because my alcohol tolerance is so low and I no longer like the taste of alcohol so I was trying to make it taste more like chocolate milk) anyway after a while I felt like someone had taken a baseball bat to both my arms and reduced them to a pulp, Not nice!!!

Will ask my fiance about drinks, I'm really not knowledgeable, even when I did drink regularly, about seven years ago I used to drink JD.

As for Jagermeister... OMG That stuff is GROSS!! Probably because I hate licorice, I also hate pernod, or any other of those nasty aniseed tasting drinks.

[Nieninque]

Home made polish vodka is the biz.
In fact its the only spirit I can bear.
Otherwise I drink Stell Artois or red wine (white if I'm already pissed).

[Tsa`ah]

Originally posted by Eiderfleur

A little bit of information I never knew about Armenia, I was told this by a Russian girl who has visited Armenia while she was living in Russia.

Apparently they make the best cognacs. (Don't shoot the messenger)

Hence the hang up on semantics. Much like true Champaign only comes from France; true cognac only comes from France as well. Everything else is supposed to be called brandy. The reason for the big semantics hang up is due to the Eastern Block, namely Armenian brands, being better than the French brands.

I've had some four hundred dollar bottles of the French variety and Ararat is still by far the better. You just have to be cautious when you buy an Armenian label; Russian distilleries have taken to plastering their bottles in Armenian with designs that closely resemble true Armenian brands.

[Wezas]

I've always been partial to Grand Mariner.

Something about it just warms you up.

I just hit the whiskey right now :drunk:

[Carl Spackler]

Originally posted by Nieninque

Otherwise I drink Stell Artois.

definitely fell in love with that stuff when i was over in belgium.

Finlandia is a really good vodka for the price, only about 21 bucks or so for a fifth.

But in all reality i'll drink what you put in front of me.

[DeV]

I've recently discovered Southern Comfort. :loveu:

[Betheny]

I drink Coca-Cola, straight up. If I have to, I'll go for the pepsi.

On the bright side, I'm a sober partier, so I have a ton of fun without alcohol, and I encourage people to get as drunk as they want... because everyone knows I won't drink, and they're safe with me. I'll give them a ride home. :wedgie:

[Snapp]

Originally posted by DeV
I've recently discovered Southern Comfort. :loveu:

The first time I ever touched alcohol, it was Southern Comfort. I never barfed so much in my life and haven't touched it since. :(

[Betheny]

lol @ barf.

[DeV]

Originally posted by Snapp

Originally posted by DeV
I've recently discovered Southern Comfort. :loveu:

The first time I ever touched alcohol, it was Southern Comfort. I never barfed so much in my life and haven't touched it since. :( Awww... The only time I've ever gotten so drunk that I never wanted to touch the stuff again was the night I had rum, tequila, corona (ick), JD/coke and some other concoctions within a short amount of time. I was out of it for two days after.

[Axhinde]

Originally posted by DeV
I've recently discovered Southern Comfort. :loveu:

If you go the whisky route, I recommend Booker's. Made by Jim Beam, but a lot better. You seriously cant even taste it. Best 50 dollar bottle of alcohol I ever bought.

[Ravenstorm]

I'm not much of a drinker as a rule but Wild Turkey Honey Liquor (http://www.internetwines.com/wilturhonliq.html) is really quite excellent. Just like Wild Turkey, it's bourbon but it's been made into a liqueur. Quite nice and highly recommended.

And if you like Grand Marnier, Gran Gala (http://www.stockusaltd.com/brand_gran_gala.html) is very similar but at a more reasonable price if I recall right.

Raven