Developing a liquor collection

[uumlau]

Yeah, that's a decent rum, and I've had it a few times. These days, I tend to either go cheaper (for rum and cokes) or more expensive (for sipping).

 

[Beorn]

Yeah, that's a decent rum, and I've had it a few times. These days, I tend to either go cheaper (for rum and cokes) or more expensive (for sipping).

It's nice because it is sippable, but not too expensive to mix.

 

[Beorn]

You may want to consider making it yourself, it's easy and very good.

Yes! I think I just might.

 

[KitchenFly]

Just opened a 54year old bottle of Tawny Port, taste beal nice and smooth.

Cheers

 

[Beorn]

Over the last month or so I put together this list of Spirits to buy. Some of it is composed of old favorites while there are a few substitutes for more expensive (overpriced) popular options based on some web research. I tried to keep it around the $30 range and even still it will probably take me more than a year or two to get through (especially with inevitable additions to the list and replacements of some that get used up) unless my finances change significantly. But, I like to have a big over-arching plan and work through it strategically.

Here it is:

Campari $33 1L
black grouse- blended scotch $30 750ml (need to taste test this first, but I'm highly interested in using this in an amaretto cocktail)
gozio amaretto- $24 1L
Amarula $21 1L
Bombay Dry $30 1.75L
Bushmills $45 1.75L
Rittenhouse Rye $23 750ml
M&R sweet/dry vermouth $13 1.5
Del Maguey Vida Mezcal $34 750ml
Olmeca Altos Plata Tequila (1.75L) $39
Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao Oranges Ameres 750ml $23
angostura bitters $7
Evan Williams Bourbon 1.75L $24
Ardbeg/Laphroag $54
Macallan $64
Clement Mahina Coco Coconut Liqueur (750ml) $23
Leblon Natural Cane Cachaca Brasil (750ml)$25
Pimm's cup $24 750ml
Clement Rhum Vieux Select Barrel Rum (750ml)$28
Marie Duffau Napoleon Bas Armagnac (750ml) $31
Herradura Tequila Anejo (750ml) $49
Lejay Creme de Cassis Blackcurrant Liqueur (750ml) $29
Chambord (750ml)$33
Bols Elderflower Liqueur (750ml) $16
La Caravedo Pisco Puro Quebranta (750ml) $20
PLantation Pineapple rum 750ml $28

Any comments or thoughts are appreciated.

I will try to give a more thorough review of what I have on hand now. Right now, I'll just mention that I've been enjoying Bombay Sapphire G&Ts and that I tried my first Sidecar last night. It was a pretty high end version with Grand Marnier (from a mini), Hind Cognac, and fresh squeezed lemon. It was good as I like sours, but I feel like I need to mess with the proportions to keep the lemon from overwhelming the nuances of the cognac.

 

[Lark]

I will just list a couple of things I think are essentials:-

Bourbon. Jack Daniels IS the best, Jim Beam and really poor if you ask me, I dont prefer either Scotch or Irish when it comes to Whiskeys. Recently tried the honey JD and its nice, there was a limited edition honey Bushmills which I liked too but the original is the best I think, for either sipping or mixing.

Creme du menthe

Creme du Caco (spelling)

kahluha (spelling)

mint schapps

honourable mentions:- Bailey's cream, bristol creme, tai maria

From those I can make two or three different combinations or cocktails which are great but you can drink most of them by themselves if its what you fancy too.

It depends what you're creating the cabinet for, I've got some friends, tea totallers who actually have amazing wine cellars or whiskey collections because they see them as investments which appreciable value. If you cant afford property or other assets, can wait long enough, its not a bad investment.

 

[uumlau]

One doesn't often see Evan Williams in the same list as Macallan.

Is there something about Evan Williams that you particularly like? (My aunt likes it, as it's the cheapest bourbon that she can tolerate.)

 

[highlander]

I will try to give a more thorough review of what I have on hand now. Right now, I'll just mention that I've been enjoying Bombay Sapphire G&Ts and that I tried my first Sidecar last night. It was a pretty high end version with Grand Marnier (from a mini), Hind Cognac, and fresh squeezed lemon. It was good as I like sours, but I feel like I need to mess with the proportions to keep the lemon from overwhelming the nuances of the cognac.

Somehow, I completely missed this thread. I don't know a lot about hard liquor as I'm more of a wine person but IMO for sure Tanqueray and Hendricks are better gins that Bombay. Also, for the money, I recall this stuff being pretty good.

 

[Lark]

Rum, how could I forget Rum, I used to drink it a lot.

Although I dont like Capt Morgans, Malibu or even Bacardi particularly, I prefer brown or black to the clear varieties, although proper Rum is Navy Rum, Black.

That stuff is great.

I would have recommended Poteen, especially the ones made from plumb skins, infused with brandy balls or other sweets, although its hard to be sure of any of it, hard to find the good stuff.

 

[Beorn]

One doesn't often see Evan Williams in the same list as Macallan.

I like straddling classes like that.
I am a son of a West Virginian and an Englishman.

Is there something about Evan Williams that you particularly like? (My aunt likes it, as it's the cheapest bourbon that she can tolerate.)

I like it. It tastes good alone, in old fashioneds, or in mint juleps.

I'll probably add a bottle of Blanton's to my list, but in general I think the bourbon craze is kinda crazy. I've had plenty of Knob Creek and Maker's Mark along with a couple of other higher end bourbons and I just simply only marginally like them better than EW, honestly.

I also sort of see this all from a market perspective where there are segments of the market that are under-performing and can be taken advantage of (like rum, cognac, and brandy) and segments that are over-performing (bourbon) and should be generally avoided.

I'll take my Hine Cognac over any bourbon I could get at $50-60.

 

[Beorn]

It depends what you're creating the cabinet for, I've got some friends, tea totallers who actually have amazing wine cellars or whiskey collections because they see them as investments which appreciable value. If you cant afford property or other assets, can wait long enough, its not a bad investment.

I will never do that.
Drinks are for drinking.

 

[Beorn]

Rum, how could I forget Rum, I used to drink it a lot.

Although I dont like Capt Morgans, Malibu or even Bacardi particularly, I prefer brown or black to the clear varieties, although proper Rum is Navy Rum, Black.

That stuff is great.

I would have recommended Poteen, especially the ones made from plumb skins, infused with brandy balls or other sweets, although its hard to be sure of any of it, hard to find the good stuff.

I'm very interested in getting a variety of rums as they seem to be well priced. It's cool that each different country and island puts out a different variety unique to them(or thousands of varieties in the case of Brazil).

I've read up some on tiki drinks and look forward to experimenting with them in the future.

 

[uumlau]

I like straddling classes like that.
I am a son of a West Virginian and an Englishman.




I like it. It tastes good alone, in old fashioneds, or in mint juleps.

I'll probably add a bottle of Blanton's to my list, but in general I think the bourbon craze is kinda crazy. I've had plenty of Knob Creek and Maker's Mark along with a couple of other higher end bourbons and I just simply only marginally like them better than EW, honestly.

I also sort of see this all from a market perspective where there are segments of the market that are under-performing and can be taken advantage of (like rum, cognac, and brandy) and segments that are over-performing (bourbon) and should be generally avoided.

I'll take my Hine Cognac over any bourbon I could get at $50-60.

If you like Bourbon in general, it pays to look at other mid-range bourbons. I typically look for something in the $25-35 bracket (for 1.75 L, not 750 mL) that makes my palette happy. As I mentioned earlier, Four Roses is my go-to bourbon, for flavor and for not giving me an awful headache, and is in that bracket.

High end Bourbon, like high end of any liquor, has diminishing returns as the price goes higher. I tend to not purchase things like Maker's Mark for my collection. But I will order Maker's at a bar, because almost all bars carry it, and it tastes so much better than Jack or Jim Beam.

 

[Lark]

I will never do that.
Drinks are for drinking.

I'm inclined to think so to and occasionally I like to test the claims of more expensive bottles of alcohol too.

On the other hand I think it makes sense of own assets with appreciating value sometimes, like now, the UK economy being tanked and all.

 

[Lark]

I'm very interested in getting a variety of rums as they seem to be well priced. It's cool that each different country and island puts out a different variety unique to them(or thousands of varieties in the case of Brazil).

I've read up some on tiki drinks and look forward to experimenting with them in the future.

Though there is such a ludicrous variety to Rum that sometimes I drink it and wonder how the hell its Rum, compared to the last one I drank, let alone any archetypical drink I have in mind.

 

[Lark]

I like straddling classes like that.
I am a son of a West Virginian and an Englishman.




I like it. It tastes good alone, in old fashioneds, or in mint juleps.

I'll probably add a bottle of Blanton's to my list, but in general I think the bourbon craze is kinda crazy. I've had plenty of Knob Creek and Maker's Mark along with a couple of other higher end bourbons and I just simply only marginally like them better than EW, honestly.

I also sort of see this all from a market perspective where there are segments of the market that are under-performing and can be taken advantage of (like rum, cognac, and brandy) and segments that are over-performing (bourbon) and should be generally avoided.

I'll take my Hine Cognac over any bourbon I could get at $50-60.

You know of course that the greatest whiskey cocktail is a bourbon whiskey sours.

 

[Lark]

I'm very interested in getting a variety of rums as they seem to be well priced. It's cool that each different country and island puts out a different variety unique to them(or thousands of varieties in the case of Brazil).

I've read up some on tiki drinks and look forward to experimenting with them in the future.

There is an incredible variety when it comes to Rum, in terms of taste, colour, appearance, my favourite is the navy rum and it was the first that I drank when it comes to Rum, when I discovered that Bacardi was a rum I was amazed because I thought, wait, the colour, taste etc. what's up with this? Real contrasts.

There are some rums that I really hate, I dont like the spiced rums so much, like Morgans, they are kind of strange punch cocktail beverages by contrast to what I think of as rum.

Another example of what you're talking about is liquors, the flavours, the countries of origin or extraction.

Following a recent holiday though I'm interested in some weird varieties of Sake or Chinese liquors which are meant to have cobra venom or extracts of that kind in them. Weird.

From the new year I'm going to start with my own collection, maybe adding something each month or two or three depending on my budget. I might begin by collecting the basis of a couple of my favourite cocktails and go from there, havent decided, I would like to go with Whiskey but I dont like the Scotch or Irish varieties, I like Bourbons and I find they are incredibly varied (like JD is good, most varieties, kentucky bourbon even is fine, Jim Beam is absolutely vile).

 

[Lark]

If you like Bourbon in general, it pays to look at other mid-range bourbons. I typically look for something in the $25-35 bracket (for 1.75 L, not 750 mL) that makes my palette happy. As I mentioned earlier, Four Roses is my go-to bourbon, for flavor and for not giving me an awful headache, and is in that bracket.

High end Bourbon, like high end of any liquor, has diminishing returns as the price goes higher. I tend to not purchase things like Maker's Mark for my collection. But I will order Maker's at a bar, because almost all bars carry it, and it tastes so much better than Jack or Jim Beam.

Interesting, when you do buy it in a bar do you just drink it straight or with water or ice?

I probably been to one good bar for drinking Whiskey, it was a hotel lobby, a five star place I think it was.

 

[uumlau]

I order on the rocks usually, but I occasionally enjoy it straight.

I'm not sure why you need a "good bar" for drinking whiskey. Whiskey is one of those products that doesn't change from place to place, as long as you get the same brand.

 

[Beorn]

Need to decide on something for my drinking game for the debate tonight.