I say... where to begin! I always frequent the corner shop for some Scrumpy Jack's which keeps me sane through the working week. For those of you unaware its a Cider with a bit of a kick. Should I have that one day off from the sweatshop then a working class date with Mr. Smirnoff is in order... or if I don't fancy that I might sail off with none other than Mon Capitaine Morgan's Spiced Rum. Alternatively should I feel thoroughly comfortable and blessed with the extra quid or 2 I may indulge and splash out on some Southern Comfort. On the somewhat rare occasion when I'm blessed with 2 days off in a row, then on the first day I may indulge on Absolute which by no means is the finest of Vodka's but I thoroughly enjoy the flavour and how it flows down the food pipe... on the 2nd day its back on the Scrumpy for the repairs. What can I say, I'm a fairly cheap date and I like my brands.
Really all the single malt whiskeys 15 years or older are pretty good. That is my opinion. However, I usually just get the 12 yr old glenlivet, because it actually opens up really nice with a couple of ice cubes in it, and it's reasonably priced too at $30-$40. There is a reason it sells so much, and that is because it is a really, really nice malt for the price.
@Repo Man If you like Absolute give Russian Standard (Platinum or Imperia) a try...so much smoother. The platinum is my go to. It will have a bite when first opened. After that, cannot be beat.
I'm a cream liqueur fan. Yeah, deal with it I usually have a little collection of various ones I want to try, but you can't go wrong with: or: I also found out earlier this year that I'm actually a wheat beer fan.
I used to drink Russian Standard but then I realised it was causing me to be sick the day after. No idea why, might just be some component of that particular vodka that I'm intolerant to.
Talisker 25 year old cask strength bottled in 2004 (yes, year matters -- based on flavor. Whisky doesn't age in the bottle). I'm almost out, and it is basically NLA -- I can order it from England and probably end up spending $500, but that's a bit crazy.
All Vodka 'should' be the same being neutral spirits. Basically alcohol and water. Since water is water, the variable is exactly which alcohols are present.
Best vodka I have had was given to me from a friend. It was a gift when he came back from Russia. Label wore off in the freezer (kept in the chest freezer at -5F). Not even all grain derived vodka is the same. Distillation and filtration are key. Good potato vodka is difficult to find. Shots during dinner with friends. Really more of a mixed drink fan. Favorite (in order): Gin(Hendrick's) & tonic (not really on the list/comfortable like a well worn pair of shoes) Black Russian Harvey Wallbanger Screwdriver Long Island Ice Tea Stinger Grass Hopper Whisky Sour Mai Tai Zombie Properly mixed, they all contain no more than 1oz. of alcohol.
Do NOT put ice in good whisky, ever. In fact, do not put it in any whisky. It's a big no no. Ice cools down the whisky making it the wrong temperature (impacting flavor), you also don't get a consistent drink because ice melts and the same glass will taste completely different 2 minutes later (more melted ice (water) in the whisky). Always use water, a few drops to a tea spoon amount in a decent dram. Do not drink it neat, whisky (and most spirits) need a few drops of water to open up, also alcohol can numb your taste buds so a few drops of water allow you to enjoy the taste more (and obviously the aroma). Ralfy is the man if you like whisky https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajqd62fE73E
For £100, maybe a Johnnie Walker Blue Label ? Depends if the bottle is just for you, or to be opened in front of friends and family. A £100 bottle of scotch will also let you compare their normal scotch to cat-piss when you go to their houses, this can be a particularly entertaining pastime. Personally I think cognac scales better pricewise and a £100 would definitely be well spent. But, because I am likely to drink it all to myself with no-one to impress, 2 x £50 bottles would be my choice. £50 gets you a big jump in taste and quality from the normal stuff. Luckily for me, nickollsandperks.co.uk is less than 5 minutes walk from my house. Some of their stuff is a little bit out of my price range though
Blue Label is just a sign of someone who has more money than taste. For the same money (or even quite a bit less), virtually every single malt is better and more interesting.
