Whiskey, Bourbon, and Other Fine Spirits!

thunderwagn said:
That looks good and BoB, but you've peaked my interest by what's showing up there in the background!
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The remote thermometer? Originally I used it as a boil timer. When the one I used for grilling crapped out I started using this one for grilling and got a 3 channel timer for brewing. The Coldspot has 5 sensors in the probe. You can opt to use the whole probe or just the tip, depending on what you're cooking. Using the whole probe causes the unit to read an average temperature from the probe tip to about 4 inches up the shaft. I've only used the tip setting, so don't know it the 5 sensor thing is just a gimmick or if it really works.
 
I've been trying to wrapy head around Manhattans lately and so far I just can't get a taste for them. I guess when it comes to whiskey cocktails, I'm just an Old fashioned guy...a real whiskey sour ain't bad either. The vermouth just throws me off. It tastes like something that has gone bad if that makes sense.
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Couldn’t agree more. Old Fashioned or just straight. A proper Old Fashioned is one of my favorite drinks...it’s amazing how brilliant I become after just one.

Cocktails are for the other spirits. :D
 
I love a good Manhattan, but too much sweet vermouth ruins them IMO. Slightly sweet as an after dinner drink is OK, but otherwise, I prefer them either a dry or perfect. I don't use bitters in any of them.
 
Prunes. I think the taste I get is dried prunes from the vermouth. @BOB357 maybe I'm going the wrong way and should decrease the bitters. I've been cutting back on the vermouth and upping the bitters.
Wonder if I should try a dry vermouth instead of a sweet also.
I'm a neat drinker too. That's the way I most enjoy my whiskey and scotch! I'm kind of determined though to try and find a common ground here with the Manhatten.
 
thunderwagn said:
Prunes. I think the taste I get is dried prunes from the vermouth. @BOB357 maybe I'm going the wrong way and should decrease the bitters. I've been cutting back on the vermouth and upping the bitters.
Wonder if I should try a dry vermouth instead of a sweet also.
I'm a neat drinker too. That's the way I most enjoy my whiskey and scotch! I'm kind of determined though to try and find a common ground here with the Manhatten.
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Try a dry Manhattan. Dry Vermouth and a lemon twist. Usually not made with Rye. The other one is a perfect Manhattan. A splash each of sweet & dry Vermouth with a lemon twist, cherry or both. I've even used Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry when we were out of sweet Vermouth.
 
About the only mixed drinks I ever have, and it is rare that I do, are Ron and Coke (usually have to be in the tropical regions to get into these), and Vodka and Sprite. I am typically beer, and or Scotch, Irish, or JD neat. Oh, and I have new affinity for the Buffalo Trace, again, neat.
 
thunderwagn said:
Prunes. I think the taste I get is dried prunes from the vermouth. @BOB357 maybe I'm going the wrong way and should decrease the bitters. I've been cutting back on the vermouth and upping the bitters.
Wonder if I should try a dry vermouth instead of a sweet also.
I'm a neat drinker too. That's the way I most enjoy my whiskey and scotch! I'm kind of determined though to try and find a common ground here with the Manhatten.
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Maybe try a different brand of sweet vermouth. I like a vodka martini now and then and it must include Noilly Prat dry vermouth for my liking. Most sweet vermouths are barely good enough for cooking.
 
I'm not much for spirits and liqueurs but I love the Patron Coffee. About one of the only tequilas I can stomach...I still blame my teen party years for this problem :)

I like the Japanese Nikka Coffee Malt Whiskey. Very smooth. They make a gin as well but I have not tried that yet.
 
Something a little different tonight. A buddy have me some cherry whiskey. It's really sweet. Super intense cherry that I'm sure comes from not only the cherries but the whiskey as well. I have to admit... It's delicious. I couldn't drink a lot of it, but man, that sweetness and cherry then cut with the whiskey burn/hug is just fantastic. Like most here, I like my booze neat, but I do enjoy playing with cocktails and I bet this would make an incredible whiskey sour.
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Coming up later, I took some advise from last week and purchased an extra dry vermouth, so I may whip up a Manhattan later to see if that helps my opinion on them.
 
thunderwagn said:
Something a little different tonight. A buddy have me some cherry whiskey. It's really sweet. Super intense cherry that I'm sure comes from not only the cherries but the whiskey as well. I have to admit... It's delicious. I couldn't drink a lot of it, but man, that sweetness and cherry then cut with the whiskey burn/hug is just fantastic. Like most here, I like my booze neat, but I do enjoy playing with cocktails and I bet this would make an incredible whiskey sour.
View attachment 11126

Coming up later, I took some advise from last week and purchased an extra dry vermouth, so I may whip up a Manhattan later to see if that helps my opinion on them.
Click to expand...
Have to say that looks really good. I may have to investigate further. Thanks for posting.
 
thunderwagn said:
Something a little different tonight. A buddy have me some cherry whiskey. It's really sweet. Super intense cherry that I'm sure comes from not only the cherries but the whiskey as well. I have to admit... It's delicious. I couldn't drink a lot of it, but man, that sweetness and cherry then cut with the whiskey burn/hug is just fantastic. Like most here, I like my booze neat, but I do enjoy playing with cocktails and I bet this would make an incredible whiskey sour.
View attachment 11126

Coming up later, I took some advise from last week and purchased an extra dry vermouth, so I may whip up a Manhattan later to see if that helps my opinion on them.
Click to expand...

One of the bartenders, Mel, I worked with back in the early 80s drank bourbon with Maraschino cherry juice. We called it a Mel's Manhattan. Maybe similar to what you're drinking. I kind of like that.
 
thunderwagn said:
Something a little different tonight. A buddy have me some cherry whiskey. It's really sweet. Super intense cherry that I'm sure comes from not only the cherries but the whiskey as well. I have to admit... It's delicious. I couldn't drink a lot of it, but man, that sweetness and cherry then cut with the whiskey burn/hug is just fantastic. Like most here, I like my booze neat, but I do enjoy playing with cocktails and I bet this would make an incredible whiskey sour.
View attachment 11126

Coming up later, I took some advise from last week and purchased an extra dry vermouth, so I may whip up a Manhattan later to see if that helps my opinion on them.
Click to expand...
Like Bob said, I couldn’t get a Manhattan out of my mind when I saw that. In the micro distiller world they call that sweet cherry whiskey a panty dropper. :p
 
As an old bartender, we generally applied that term to the opposite sex :) One of the bartender's favorites was the Cape Cod. (Vodka & Cranberry) you could load it up with Vodka and it wasn't detectable. I'm going from my fellow bartender's deeds and wouldn't have even considered doing such a thing :rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
You're a bad boy. Lisa should spank you :)
 
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