Developing a liquor collection

[Beorn]

I'm in the midst of starting a liquor collection that I will add to gradually through the year. Hopefully I can be restrained enough so that it will grow despite only making a purchase every couple of months.

Price range I'm looking at is $25-$50

At first I was thinking of starting a Scotch collection.

But, the first Scotch I bought was this:

I'm pretty sure it's the best scotch in it's price range and everything else will just be a letdown with the possible exception of Macallan which would cost a few more bucks.

So I'm looking to branch out.

Right now I have these as well as the Ardbeg:

I'm thinking my next additions will be these two since they're on sale for $19 and $37:

Ftr, this thread is also a great place to just talk about booze.

 

[KitchenFly]

I like liqueurs I have two in my collection.

Those bottles are beautiful looking, my eye likes what it is seeing.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

I'll have to contribute some tomorrow. let.me put my thinking cap on and figure out some solutions to your quandary.

 

[Beorn]

I like liqueurs I have two in my collection.

Those bottles are beautiful looking, my eye likes what it is seeing.

They look beautiful.

Mind sharing the names (since they aren't clear)?

 

[KitchenFly]

It looks like you are building a nice collection. Will you be enjoying them along the way?

 

[KitchenFly]

That should help you to read the labels.

This Israel made port I have been told is quite special.

I won't to tease it but I want to keep it I think I might see if I can find an other bottle of it and then drink the first.

 

[Beorn]

I think I'm going to do some rotation of the following:

1. A very nice bottle of something $50-$60
2. Two nice bottles for $50-$60 combined
3. A 1.75 L of a Premium Mixer/Cocktail base for $30-$50
For example:

 

[Beorn]

It looks like you are building a nice collection. Will you be enjoying them along the way?

Yes!
Hopefully slowly so it will grow!

I'm almost out of the Ardbeg and Monte Alban. But now that we're out of the holiday season they're being opened less.
I've been particularly good about preserving the Hine. It is Delicious!

 

[KitchenFly]

Yes!
Hopefully slowly so it will grow!

I'm almost out of the Ardbeg and Monte Alban. But now that we're out of the holiday season they're being opened less.
I've been particularly good about preserving the Hine. It is Delicious!

Sounds like you are enjoying your quality time shearing good drinks with friends.

A special pass time I like to enjoy with my closest friends at times of get together meetings.


I would like to purchase and try this coffee liqueur. MR BLACK

Her is a link to some fine Australian product mostly made by small payers in the industry.

11 of Australia's most interesting spirits

 

[Beorn]

That should help you to read the labels.

This Israel made port I have been told is quite special.

I won't to tease it but I want to keep it I think I might see if I can find an other bottle of it and then drink the first.

I love Port!
I don't think I'll be experimenting with more expensive ports since they won't last so long once they're open.
I love me some Ruby Cockburn and Roquefort cheese.

 

[KitchenFly]

I have some nice Cabernet Paste, it goes nicely with dry crackers and dry cheeses. Orrrrr

 

[five sounds]

I was gifted a bottle of Patron Cafe for my birthday and it's surprisingly smooth and delicious. Not usually one for shots or neat pours, or for overly sweet liqueurs, but this strikes a really nice balance that makes me enjoy it without a mixer.

Also the proof is I think the same as normal Patron, so it's no sissy shit lol

 

[ceecee]

Oh great thread.

We've always had booze but I started taking it more seriously about 5 years ago. I wanted to build a collection so that it didn't matter if I was making a drink for myself or making a drink for myself and a bunch of friends. I would have the major ingredients on hand, only needing to get some lemons, limes or mixers.
They always list these as the basics;

Vodka
Gin (London dry)
Tequila
Bourbon
Rye
Rum (light and dark)
Scotch whiskey - you have that.

As far as your wants for the next purchase, your choices are good. I like Tito's, Bombay is good gin. Rum, you may want both the dark and the white. I have a bottle of Balvenie Caribbean Cask - it's so good. Glenfiddich and Glenmorangie are excellent of course but I have a soft spot for Canadian whiskey, I always have. I always get the eye roll from connoisseurs but, that's what I like.

Think about the fortified stuff like vermouth, dry and sweet. Cointreau but you can get triple sec (I like Cointreau better.) My drink making varies through the year, I grow lots of mojito mint, rosemary and lavender to add to drinks in summer. I know mixed drinks may not be your thing but, just consider them. You can't do much better than a good cognac on a really cold winter night.

 

[Beorn]

Oh great thread.

We've always had booze but I started taking it more seriously about 5 years ago. I wanted to build a collection so that it didn't matter if I was making a drink for myself or making a drink for myself and a bunch of friends. I would have the major ingredients on hand, only needing to get some lemons, limes or mixers.
They always list these as the basics;

Vodka
Gin (London dry)
Tequila
Bourbon
Rye
Rum (light and dark)
Scotch whiskey - you have that.

A good checklist.

As far as your wants for the next purchase, your choices are good. I like Tito's, Bombay is good gin. Rum, you may want both the dark and the white.

I generally don't care for white rum, but I am interested in trying cachaca. Might be good to try some in the summer.

Glenfiddich and Glenmorangie are excellent of course but I have a soft spot for Canadian whiskey, I always have. I always get the eye roll from connoisseurs but, that's what I like.

Pfft. whatever. You like what you like.

Think about the fortified stuff like vermouth, dry and sweet. Cointreau but you can get triple sec (I like Cointreau better.)

I probably will get Cointreau because I do like Margaritas mixed with it. I just need to figure out a cheaper 100% agave Tequila to mix with it.

My drink making varies through the year, I grow lots of mojito mint, rosemary and lavender to add to drinks in summer. I know mixed drinks may not be your thing but, just consider them.

I like herb-y G&Ts so I think some simple mixers might be up my alley in the summer.

You can't do much better than a good cognac on a really cold winter night.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Olmeca Altos plata tequila:

or Patron if you want to spend a little more:

Titos and Grey goose make good vodka.

I prefer a local distillery we have here in FL that makes good gin, vodka and rum.

I also like the Kraken (coolest label in liquor and damn good stuff):

I like to have some Kahlua around for white russians when the mood strikes:

I'm trying to get into wine but having a hard time of it. I could dedicate entire threads to my beer and bourbon tastes.

Lately though I've been enjoying:

 

[PeaceBaby]

Your first post contains some nice choices. Ardbeg is an excellent scotch for the price range and Plantation Rum a winner as well.

I like a bit of an eclectic feel to the liquor cabinet, favoring choices that are proven yet off-beat. Gin is my favorite liquor, so you'll find me fancying that here. My husband loves rum, so can send you some more suggestions on that later too.

Let's start with gin:

You must have a bottle of Tangueray. I love the classic flavour but my tastes lean more to the Rangpur these days.



And Hendrick's. What well-stocked bar lacks either of these two gins?



To round it out, Dillon's makes some small batch gin that curls my toes.

Unfiltered #22 is flavorful and dirty, I just love it overpowering the mix:



And, the rose gin is divine:




P.S. let me know if you can't see or enlarge these thumbnails.

 

[uumlau]

I gave up alcohol for Lent. BUT I can still talk about it!

What I like:

Zaya is pretty awesome. Drink it neat, not as a mixer.

Gosling's is a very flavorful rum that I also enjoy straight, but it's not a crime to use as a mixer as its flavor is so intense that some people will like it diluted a bit.

The nice thing about rums in general is that the good stuff is still very cheap (around $30-40/750ml as opposed to upwards of $60).

I don't often buy Woodford. It simply doesn't last for long and it's too expensive to be a regular drink, when I can find lots of almost-but-not-quite-as-good bourbons for half as much. This is the bourbon I recommend to those who have never had a "good" bourbon and want to know what the experience is. If you don't like Woodford, you won't like ANY bourbon.

Drink it neat if you can. On the rocks if you can't. Don't bother if you're too intimidated for either.

Four Roses is my go-to bourbon for a casual drink at the end of the day. Not too pricey and it doesn't hit hard the next morning.

Herradura Silver tequila - Good for mixing (but it's an EXPENSIVE mixer!) and good to have neat. I once ordered a double of this off of the "Tequila List" at the Iron Cactus in downtown Austin (yes, TEQUILA LIST!), with a bunch of work mates who were in from out of town at the time. Most of them followed suit and were impressed that it made a good sipping drink, which is not typical for tequilas.

If you're specifically looking for a good mixing tequila for margaritas, this is Sauza Hornitos Reposado is the way to go. It's pricey, but not so much as a Herradura.


Other stuff? Vodka and gin are too much like "pure alcohol" for my tastes. If you want to make a fruity sweet drink with whatever kind of juice, vodka works because it doesn't taste like anything. Gin has flavor, but it all pretty much tastes the same to me. There is nothing interesting about it other than that it often packs a punch (upwards of 90 proof). Scotch, interestingly, I like - even the cheap stuff. But I end up not seeing the fascination with the more expensive brands (which are often more peaty rather than more smooth). I appreciate brandy, but for whatever reason I don't find it fascinating, kind of like my attitude towards scotch.

I'll keep these things around for guests, but let's just say that they last a loooong time in my liquor cabinet or cellarette.

I've an antique cellarette that looks kind of like the photo above. Its history goes back to Revolutionary War days, where it was reportedly used by ancestors of mine to help members of the Virginia Legislature escape the Redcoats. They just invited the army in for a drink, delaying them long enough (and making them drunk enough) so that their targets got away.

 

[ChocolateMoose123]

[MENTION=9310]uumlau[/MENTION] I love Goslings. On the rocks is nice. It is most known for pairing with ginger beer and some fresh lime juice (optional but it always tastes better as it cuts the sweetness) for a Dark & Stormy.

Pour the ginger beer/fresh lime then the Goslings on top. Technically not supposed to stir it together as it doesn't have the look of dark clouds on top. But whatever. It's all how you like it.

----------------
Scotch is a world of it's own.

A good starting point for building a collection would be to get a scotch from each part. Highlands, Islay, etc. They all taste different. Ordering scotches is easier than you think once you know the terroir. You can predict to a good certainty what the taste will be like.

 

[uumlau]

Yeah, I've explored scotches and am familiar with the varieties. I'm just much more likely to explore a new bourbon than a new scotch. This might be part of how I was brought up: most of my family (those who don't abstain) are bourbon drinkers. My 101 year old grandmother would have a glass of bourbon every evening, even in her last years of life.

 

[Poki]

I will take a picture when I get home. Apparently I have a lot according to others. I don't know what normal is.

I do buy a good bottle of tequila every bonus, any suggestions in the $100-150 range for a 1.5L or $50-75 for /750ml of tequila?