Evangelos

I am thinking this is synonymous with Pyrat Cask 23, but I am not sure. I guess I would feel very silly if it is.

I saw it on the list of rums to be sampled at the Whiskyfest in Chicago yesterday. http://www.maltadvocate.com/html/chilist.html

BRNIR $2300 Pyrat Cask 23 $250 Mt Gay Tricentennial $300 El Dorado 25 year $275 Bacardi Millenium $750 ...off the top of my head. I am sure there are more I am missing. As for the BRNIR, I dont think there is a more expensive rum, but it is a 4.54 liter demijohn.

The other single malt I own that is overproof is the Macallan cask strength (aged 10 years in a red labeled bottle) Tough to drink without water, but I have done it to get a feel for the spirit. Since then I only drink it with water.

It's funny or maybe just a compliment to Aberlour, but the first time I had the a'bunadh I didn't need any water. It was very smooth for such a high proof spirit. I have had similar proof whiskeys and have always needed the water to cut it a little bit. I do cut it with a little water now though.

Perfect thanks!

For the record I am a big fan of the speyside single malts and in particular, the Macallan range. Mac 25 IS one of the greatest single malts I have ever tasted. I liked it so much I went out and bought a bottle for $275. Mac 18 is very ncie as well, but I have tried Mac 18 and MAc 25 side by side and Mac 25 wins hands down. Don't get me wring, Mac 18 is a trully wonderful whiskey.

i am still looking for a blue wax top hirsch 16. can you still get them?

Aberlour A'bunadh is my favorite cask strength single malt whiskey. 59.8%

Are there ever any Rum festivals/tastings in the NYC area?

What might be a good reference is a quick list of each type of whisley and what it means to be that type of whiskey We just need a volunteer to do it and get it all in one thread and possibly then get it pinned For Example: Bourbon - is an American form of whiskey made from at least 51% corn, or maize, (typically about 70%) with the remainder being wheat, rye, and malted barley Single Malt Scotch Whiskey - is a type of Scotch whisky, distilled by a single distillery, using malted barley as the only grain ingredient Blended Scotch Whisky - Single Grain Scotch Whisky - Single Cask Malt - Pure Malt/Vatted Malt - who can continue this for us? keeping them short and concise is key I think

Doesn't drinking a Top Shelf spirit and mixing it with anything defeat the purpose? Maybe it's just me...

Look around, I see it more often at $70 a bottle, not $100. Bevmo link says none available.

Yes, the Michter's distillery has been closed for some time now. Check this link for more info: http://www.hirschbourbon.com/ http://www.winebow.com/spirits/hirsch.html As for the bourbon they released a number of bottles from the old distillery. AH Hirsch 16 year (1st release of this bourbon with a blue wax top) AH Hirsch 16 year (1st release of this bourbon with a black wax top. export only) AH Hirsch 16 year (2nd release of this bourbon with a gold wax top) AH Hirsch 16 year (3rd release of this bourbon with a gold FOIL top and is the most readily available) AH Hirsch 20 year (near impossible and has holy grail bourbon) AH Hirsch 19 year (VERY limited and another holy grail bourbon) AH Hirsch 15 year (I think there was a 15 year as well, but i am not 100%. Search straightbourbon.com for the answer to that one. Possibly another export only version) As for why the prices are going up it's because this great bourbon will never be made again. Well, unless you can buy, renovate, and reopen the original michter's distillery as get it going again!

I didn't realize it was a white rum. The "funky" red bottle hides the color in photographs. Thanks though.

Is it a sippable rum? How does it to compare to RZ 23?

Anyone have any opinion of this rum? Is it an aged rum or a white/light rum? All I know is that it's made in Africa and has a pretty nice looking bottle.

I see it regularly for $30 to $33, I wouldn't pay much more than that for it. Try wine library in Springfield, NJ for great pricing. It has a very intense vanilla flavor. A little too sweet for me, but it is good.

chef koo, you received some pretty good responses in this thread, did you ever happen to buy any of the suggested whiskeys and try them out? Any results? Opinions? Let us know.

I am not so worried about the age, but rather the taste. I'll give the AE21 another try and see if I can appreciate it more. Thanks for the feedback.

Last night I tried both of these rums side by side. I have had the RZ23 before so it was no surprise to me how good it was. I was VERY disappointed with the AE21 though. It tasted harsh, had very little sweetness, and was just bland. When I went back to RZ23 I was relieved. I am almost thinking I have a bad bottle or is this what AE21 really tastes like? It was not easy to sip whereas the RZ23 is a beautiful sipping rum and it goes down smooth.

HEY KEN! Nice to see you here as well! Here is a perfect example of people with differing palates. Ken knows his whiskies and one of his favs is Lagavulin. I like whiskey as well and do not really like Lagavulin at all. It's way too peaty and smokey for me. I can see WHY people like it, it's just not my thing. I prefer the sherry flavor profile in the Macallans or in Aberlour A'Bunadh. Things like this happen in the whiskey world and there isn't one TELL all of whiskies. If it was that easy there would only be one brand for each type and we'd all be drinking it!

I am going to agree with most people here about developing your own palate as the way to go. I gave you my opinions because it's good to have a starting point. I have an online database of all my spirits and tasting notes and ratings just so I remember what I like and why and when... https://67.85.199.137/em/tequila.nsf/frmall I do know one thing, once you dive into the whiskey world, there is no turning back. I started and now I am hooked. I want to try everything. There is so much out there, you will find what you like. As for the last question you asked. Let's try this. Question: "What is the best and purest whisley?" Answer: Irishman: "Irish Whiskey" Scotsman: "Single malt scotch whiskey" Master distiller in a bourbon distilley: "Bourbon whiskey" ... You get the point. It's all about what you like. Enjoy the ride!

I will attempt to give you a few suggestions since that is what you are looking for, but before I do that I'll give you a slight rundown of myself and what I like. I like a LOT of different spirits. I love bourbon, single malts, GOOD blended scotches (not so much the lesser ones), tequila, rum, gin, cognac, beer basically I am a big fan of GOOD, top shelf type spirits. Understand, the longer a spirit is aged, the more it will cost and typically the smoother the spirit will be, but not always! Also, I drink ALL my whiskies, tequilas, and rums NEAT. No ice or water 95% of the time. I someetimes cut my drink with spring water IF the proof is really high. One of the bourbons listed below I used to cut with water, but now I drink it neat. If you don't drink these neat, it might be worthwhile to try the less expensive bottles first and work from there. With that said, I will give you some high and price low recommendations of whiskey I like: Bourbon Whiskey Elmer T Lee Tremendous for the price. Reminds me of pumpkin pie. $22 Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Lot B Excellent bourbn, deemed "nectar" by some, but trully great for $35 George T Stagg Good, but VERY high proof. Might need to cut it with water. 131+ proof. $50 Eagle Rare 17 Another great one for $50 Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20 Another van winkle product, but different than the one above and currently my favorite bourbon on the market. $80 Single Malts When I first got into single malts I started with the brand I saw most around stores and seemed pricey and had a broad range. That brand is Macallan. I think it's the Nike of SMSWs. It's always a great product, but you pay a little more for it due to it's popularity and availability. It always performs though at leaat IMO. After trying many many more SMSWs I still think some of the Mac's are among my favorites. Macallan 12 - great starter SMSW for $35 Mac 18 - once you learn to appreciate the 12, try this one but the price jump is significant, $100 Mac 25 - My favorite SMSW to datea dn one of my top 5 spirits of all time so far. Unbelievably good, but I only drink it on special occassions. $300+ There are TONS of SMSWs out there, but Macallan is pretty regularly available. What I like about the Macallan is the hint of sherry tastte in them. It's very nice. Blended I don't have a lot of experience in this realm because I don't really like the blends as mucha sthe single malts, BUT wth that said the one I am going to recommend velow opened my eyes to what a blend can be. Johnnie Walker Blue label Wow, what a blend! 100 times better than the black (which I am not a big fan of) and ultra smooth. I am sure other HIGH end blended whiskies are great like JW Blue, but I have't tried them yet, but they are on my list! Hope this helps and good luck! I am new to this forum, but intend on being around more often. Some great stuff here!

A very nice list, thank you. I hear good things about the Santa Teresa 1796, Appleton Estate 21, and Cruzan Single Barrel.