StillSmart

Several of them have released a white dog version, hoping to cash in on the moonshine craze I guess. I have seen one here that is sold in mason jars and they also have an Apple Pie version. I have tasted my own and have no intention of paying money to try theirs when most of the flavour comes from aging in oak. To each his own.

Myles wrote:

Phantom wrote:Hum ? A Kentucky bourbon. Still prefer a Tennessee sour mash.....

Is this a "Battle of the Barrel" issue?

Nah, Just that when I was working out what I liked, I preferred JD etc, to the likes of Jim Beam and the like.......

A few months ago, one of our local supermarkets' product demonstrators were giving out samples of a cherry bourbon. I'm not entirely sure, but I think it was Jim Beam's "Red Stag".

I tried a drop and my initial impression was "OMG, that's headsy".


What have you lot done to my palate?


Only joking, I appreciate having my taste buds educated.

A little education can go a long way..

Robert.

Or in Jim Beams case....

A little ignorance can go a long way.

Is it just a "gap in the market" mentality or do the people making some of this stuff not have tastebuds? Personally, I'd want what I was making to be the best it could be but would that change if I had a profit margin to think about & cuts get wider as a result?

Out of interest, what is it about Jack Daniels that you guys don't like?

Do you find it an unrefined product - wide cuts or something like that?

Thanks

Sensation wise I don't like the way it burns or the sting on your tongue, this is what I am learning to be called "headsy". I still like the flavour of a corn whiskey, if there was one out there (readily accessible) with the smoothness of a well aged malt I dare say I'd be happy with it

It's not that I dislike JD as such, I just find it unremarkable and have tried others which I have found to be preferable for the same or less money.

To be honest, I don't know enough about non-Scottish whiskies or whiskeys to elaborate any further.

Check my list, there's one Welsh offering, no American, Canadian or even Irish.

Bell's is the biggest selling blended Scotch in the UK, does that mean it's the best?

As stated before, there's no right and wrong, we're all different and it's all about personal tastes. My father-in-law likes Teacher's - where's the sense in that?

Benoit wrote:Is it just a "gap in the market" mentality or do the people making some of this stuff not have tastebuds? Personally, I'd want what I was making to be the best it could be but would that change if I had a profit margin to think about & cuts get wider as a result?

Yes indeed - whiskey made by accountants

Yes, unremarkable is a good description for JD. Inoffensive is another. If it was ice cream it would be artificial vanilla flavour. I prefer a Bourbon with more character and nuances. Once you taste a complex Bourbon, JD just seems bland. But I drink it straight to enjoy it.

I suspect the lack of distinct character is part of the reason behind it popularity (along with the marketing). There is nothing in it that someone would taste and say "Yuck! I don't like Bourbon".

GrunthosTheFlatulent wrote:
Bell's is the biggest selling blended Scotch in the UK, does that mean it's the best?

As stated before, there's no right and wrong, we're all different and it's all about personal tastes. My father-in-law likes Teacher's - where's the sense in that?

Those lines made me smile
20 years ago I would have thanked you for Teachers, I recall it being like a sweetened Bells.
Today I try to avoid both.
Taste IS very personal.

Robert.

I used to think that Cutty Sark was good Scotch Whisky!

More than 30 years ago I started buying that one after reading that it was blended for the US market, to give it a try, does it still exist?

Robert.

I have not looked for it or noticed it in a good 20 years. I don't recall much of it, other than drinking enough to require a morning trip for an IV. The 40C weather did not help. I am older now, and marginally wiser. It looks like it still exists:
http://cutty-sark.com