Bargain whiskies I recently discovered

[Jackal]

calvarez - 3/31/2016  1:08 PM

I would never violate the law.  Never.  It's just cleaning fluid after all.  I think you can ship cleaning fluids?

It's funny, Flaviar (an overseas seller) ships 100% of its orders via USPS.  They come from their postal service (Croatia?  Slovenia?) to ours.  My friend gets them all the time and has answered a casual question about the contents.  The postal person laughed and said it's illegal, here's your package, enjoy.

Depends on the cleaning fluid.  If it has a flash point equal to or less than 60*C, then it is a no-no (without listing it as a Class 3 hazardous material, and giving it all the proper packaging and labeling according to the Code of Federal Regulations Title 49).  The cutoff is somewhere between 5-10% alcohol by volume.

[calvarez]

So do you know the story behind why it's a violation with USPS, but not other carriers?  I assume it's related to the fact that the mafia still controls interstate alcohol distribution, but why wouldn't that affect the others too?

[Jackal]

calvarez - 3/31/2016  1:19 PM

So do you know the story behind why it's a violation with USPS, but not other carriers?  I assume it's related to the fact that the mafia still controls interstate alcohol distribution, but why wouldn't that affect the others too?

I know the law goes back 100 years or so.  Probably having to do with bootlegging.

With UPS and Fed-Ex, you have to have someone on the other end, who is 21 or over, sign for it.  There are a bunch of declarations that must be filled out, and with UPS, it has to go ground (they won't do DG by air).

I am sure that both Fed-Ex and UPS require class X or Y UN combination packing (Fed Ex most likely variation packaging, because they like to be difficult).

[calvarez]

They are 50/50 on having someone actually sign for it.  Sometimes it gets left, sometimes not.  But you make a good point that if there's no process for 21-up signatures with USPS, then it's a legal problem right there.

Tracking says my cleaning fluid will arrive tomorrow.  Can't wait to clean my tongue with it.

[calvarez]

Got a bottle of Faultline blended Scotch yesterday.  It was surprisingly good, and not watered down (50% ABV).  It's a golden straw color and comes in with strong cereal/malt scents and flavors.  Easy to drink, you'd never guess it's 50%.  At $25 it's a smokin' deal.

[calvarez]

Jack Daniels single-barrel rye...mmmmm...  And cheap.  I'm far from a Jack fan at all, but their single-barrel variations are good.  The rye is very spicy, not too watered down, and dirt cheap at Costco.

[Freedom30five]

My favorite cheap whiskey is Weller 107, I love the stuff.  I really don't like scotch too much, but the Monkey Shoulder is pretty good. I'm not too picky though, Canadian Club (the reserve is actually pretty darn good for a $20 bottle), Rebel Yell, Old Grandad (Bottled in Bond is awesome), Old Forester, heck, even JTS Brown, I'll drink them all.  The local liquor stores (no liquor is sold outside of a liquor store in TX) all have decent cigar selections, the last time I was at one  I spent more on cigars than I did on booze.

[calvarez]

Copper City whiskey, from right here in Arizona.  It has a juniper scent and flavor to it, somewhat like gin, but not so much to mask the whisky flavor.  It's damn good.  $30-ish.

[GameOfCigars]

I am a fan of some good old Clan Mcgregor (sp?).   Another one of my favorites was Old Crow.  An ex of mine from back in the day gave me a fifth and I decided to drink it over the span of 4 hours.  I later then jumped off the front porch and somehow landed on my feet and didn't die.  But more recently, I have been paying a premium for Japanese Whiskies/Scotches as well as a bottle of Lagavulin that has been consumed was too fast.

[frankj1]

difficult to find a bargain single malt scotch, though sometimes Glenmorangie Original can be found around here for $34-36.
But I got a tip on Glen Moray 12 year Speyside single malt. For $30, a great value. A few drops of water and this is pretty good.

[Otter]

We've been serving a lot of Hellcat Maggie in our lounge, it's a surprisingly good whiskey!

http://www.acespirits.com/hell-cat-maggie-irish-whiskey.html

[frankj1]

today, picked up a bottle of Trader Joe's Kentucky Bourbon Straight Whiskey. 45% abv, no age listed on label but must be at least 4 years old.
Says "distilled by Bourbon Square Distilling Company, Louisville, KY, so not from the mega factory in Indy...$15.99

easily worth that price...but not much more

[calvarez]

That sounds great and others review it well, but unfortunately the Trader Joe's closest to me has no liquor at all.  Don't know if the others here do.

[frankj1]

calvarez - 11/20/2016  11:45 PM

That sounds great and others review it well, but unfortunately the Trader Joe's closest to me has no liquor at all.  Don't know if the others here do.

really not a sipper but for the $$$ more than good enough for Manhattans or other mixed bourbon drinks

[MacMac]

Since my post, I have tried several and like The Famous Grouse. I still have Monkey Shoulder on my list to try.

[calvarez]

Bought a real bargain this week that was a real sherry bomb, and at 50% it kept the flavor very well.

https://wineandcheeseplace.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=9414

[Deener27]

calvarez - 11/27/2016  6:51 PM

Bought a real bargain this week that was a real sherry bomb, and at 50% it kept the flavor very well.

https://wineandcheeseplace.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=9414

Surprising to me that it held up actually, since that one is a 5 year.  I have found that anything under 10 year is kinda flat to me.  But then again, I am huge fan of drinking the peat bog.

Used to hate Glenmorangie, but then got a bottle of the Lasanta and holy smokes, did that change my perception.

Just checked out the place you bought it at though, and they have a great selection and pretty good pricing.

[calvarez]

Invergordon 9 year bottled by Battlehill, available at Total Wine.  $36 for a very good Islay bottled at cask strength or near it (58%).  You'd swear it has chocolate powder in it, the salt and sea flavors are nicely muted but still clearly perceptible, and a few very small chips of ice tames it all very nicely.

[Hot Stuff x]

I'm not a whisky (or whiskey) guy, but people keep gifting me bottles.  Currently on the shelf:   Evan Williams Black, Bulleit Rye, and a bottle of Booker's, all of which were given to me by good friends.  I'll have a sip now and again, but usually I drink beer, or rarely, soju, sake, or makgeolli.    That Booker's is great, but I'm trying to make it last because I'll probably never hav another bottle.

[calvarez]

Meaning that you'd never buy it?  Why?  It's readily available and not expensive.

Also keep in mind that whisky oxidizes, so the flavor will change over time once the bottle is open.  The more air space, the more it changes.  Now, some get better with a little time and just a little air.  Some get terrible.  And also, tastes vary.  A guy in my Scotch tasting group brought an ancient bottle to a tasting that had a failed cork.  It was heavily oxidized.  I loved it, he found it undrinkable and gave it to me.

EDIT:  To be clear on timeframes...  Most will have noticeable changes within a day or two.  A month will give an obvious change.  After six months or so, you will have a marked change, especially as you get down to half bottle or lower.

[Dave S.]

Hot Stuff x - 3/2/2017  12:31 AM

. . . That Booker's is great . . . .

 

[Hot Stuff x]

calvarez - 3/3/2017  5:33 AM  Meaning that you'd never buy it?  Why?  It's readily available and not expensive.

 

I know it's not really expensive, But I can't get it here in Korea. And I wouldn't bother to buy a bottle in the U.S. and carry it back.  

 

[05Venturer]

Hot Stuff x - 3/1/2017  11:31 PM

I'm not a whisky (or whiskey) guy, but people keep gifting me bottles.  Currently on the shelf:   Evan Williams Black, Bulleit Rye, and a bottle of Booker's, all of which were given to me by good friends.  I'll have a sip now and again, but usually I drink beer, or rarely, soju, sake, or makgeolli.    That Booker's is great, but I'm trying to make it last because I'll probably never hav another bottle.

Bulleit Rye is a good one too

[calvarez]

This isn't cheap, but it's a bargain for what you get, relative to similar Scotch.  I brought this to a Scotch tasting event yesterday, and it scored less than a point under bottles that cost three times.  Glendronach Cask Strength special edition.  It's like drinking candy.  The competitors it almost beat were a Macallan Rare Cask $(280) and Mac 18 ($225).  The Glendronach is $99 at Bevmo.

[jagfandaddy]

Glenmorangie is my favorite. I guess since I toured the distillery in Scotland I found a fondness to it. Very interesting seeing Jack Daniels casks there. They said on the tour they buy them from JD.