Whisky drinkers? Which is best? (2024)

I tell you what I did do recently was add a drop of water to the Plantation Overproof @69%. It didnt half dull it down. It made it taste like rum... I was like nah m8 I like that fire, so I ditched that glass and went back to neat

Slightly off topic, but I'm in the process of making my own Gin from scratch. I've got 3*4.5L demijohns fermenting at the minute. In 2 weeks they'll be ready to be distilled into vodka using a water distiller and charcoal filters. From there add flavoring, then distill again to make Gin. 3rd distillation to up the proof to 50-60% (dependent on other factors).

Initial outlay for distiller and filters is around 200 notes. Cost per liter (ignoring outlay) will be around a fiver.

Hixs said:

Slightly off topic, but I'm in the process of making my own Gin from scratch. I've got 3*4.5L demijohns fermenting at the minute. In 2 weeks they'll be ready to be distilled into vodka using a water distiller and charcoal filters. From there add flavoring, then distill again to make Gin. 3rd distillation to up the proof to 50-60% (dependent on other factors).

Initial outlay for distiller and filters is around 200 notes. Cost per liter (ignoring outlay) will be around a fiver.

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What's the legality of that in France? I can vaguely remember talk of legislation cracking down on the fruit brandy makers which seemed quite popular (the brandy not the legislation)

Hixs said:

That's a decent wack for a 43%. I assume it's a fav of yours?

I am a bit of a proof monster, esp when it comes to pricing!

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I've regained my affection for it since Demerara Distillers stopped sugar dosing in the last few years. Although they refer to it as a 'caramel' process but regardless of what they say, caramel adds colour, not sweetness.

Sugar dosing still goes on within a lot of "premium" rum brands to give an artificial veneer of smoothness. Although I prefer rum to be a spirit, not a quasi-liqueur. Ferrand (Plantation) still do this but not noticeably in their OFTD overproof rum.

The reason for the price is this is a genuine age statement 15 yo product. Like some countries eg. Jamaica/Barbados, an age statement has to be the minimum age of rum in the bottle (as well as no additives, barring caramel for colour).

Again, a lot of "premium" brands use the 'solara' system of aging whereby if the say, call it 23 yo, the amount of 23 yo rum in the bottle could be minimal. It could be comprised of mainly 5 yo distillate.

Btw, if you think OFTD has fire, try puss*rs 151 (75.5%). It puts hairs on your chest then singes them straight off again.

Anyhoo back to the rum thread, no more of this cross talk heresy

Hixs said:

Destilling your own alcohol is illegal but the gear to do it is freely sold..

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I do love the French tendency to simply ignore rules they don't like. I think it comes from beheading all your aristos.

Over here however we're still inclined to tug forelock so you have to buy an "adjustable" water distiller or one for "laboratory experiments"

Platelet said:

I do love the French tendency to simply ignore rules they don't like. I think it comes from beheading all your aristos.

Over here however we're still inclined to tug forelock so you have to buy an "adjustable" water distiller or one for "laboratory experiments"

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You can buy the stuff here as well. A friend used to distillate his own hooch, home brew and make wine.
You can buy the kit, just not use it without a licence. Which obviously every UK based buyer would have, and should be easy for any law officer to ascertain by cross referencing licences issued by stills bought

David Alexander said:

You can buy the stuff here as well. A friend used to distillate his own hooch, home brew and make wine.
You can buy the kit, just not use it without a licence. Which obviously every UK based buyer would have, and should be easy for any law officer to ascertain by cross referencing licences issued by stills bought

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I know. It's just not openly sold for that purpose. Hence the ability to adjust the temperature your water distils at down to 60-70c.

Platelet said:

I do love the French tendency to simply ignore rules they don't like. I think it comes from beheading all your aristos.

Over here however we're still inclined to tug forelock so you have to buy an "adjustable" water distiller or one for "laboratory experiments"

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Water distiller is what I'm going to be using. If in time the gin works out then maybe upgrade to something more permanent and modify one of the empty horse boxes into a 'brew' area. Kinda pondering beer too. That's a fair wack to buy the gear though.

"PUBLIC SERVICE ALERT" :

Please bear in mind the explosion hazards and the risk of distilling and concentrating methanol in making homemade spirits.

"ALERT OVER"

My recipe is tried and tested. Have no fear. Will be using the methanol in the workshop, so no wastage either.

Anyway I've dragged this well off topic now...

Couple bottles due in the mail monday. Some BT because it's cheap and some Finnlagan cask str - it's a decent drop for 40 notes at 58%. I was gifted a bottle for my bday last year and have been meaning to grab another.

Some bourbon classics

I picked up an Aerstone 10 and Bushmills 10 for £15 and £20 at the Cheetham Hill local. Aerstone Sea Cask is one of my favourite mass produced single malts. I didn't realise the Bushmills was as much of a bargain but there's a few bottles left behind the counter.

That Aerstone is good. I've had the land cask but for me, the sea cask is the more balanced of the two.

Aerstone - lovely, simple. Sleight sweetness, some salt tang, clean white pepper from the cask finish.

Bushmills - more rounded, sweetness, less pepper on the finish.

These are both 10 year age statement single malts. Bushmills the more expensive. Aerstone Sea Cask punched way above its price point.

David Alexander said:

That Aerstone is good. I've had the land cask but for me, the sea cask is the more balanced of the two.

Aerstone - lovely, simple. Sleight sweetness, some salt tang, clean white pepper from the cask finish.

Bushmills - more rounded, sweetness, less pepper on the finish.

These are both 10 year age statement single malts. Bushmills the more expensive. Aerstone Sea Cask punched way above its price point.

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I enjoyed the Aerstone Sea Cask when I tried it a year or so ago, but most of the time I prefer something smokier or peatier. So I tried the Land Cask, but that just didn't do it for me, I was left feeling disappointed.
Since then I tried the Sea Cask again, and enjoyed it much more - I think your excellent description of it is right, it is far more balanced and the strangely peppery taste (which I couldn't find words for at the time, but thanks to you I now can lol) sets it off nicely.
It's becoming a favourite "not my usual whisky" go-to whisky.

Drew Who said:

I enjoyed the Aerstone Sea Cask when I tried it a year or so ago, but most of the time I prefer something smokier or peatier. So I tried the Land Cask, but that just didn't do it for me, I was left feeling disappointed.
Since then I tried the Sea Cask again, and enjoyed it much more - I think your excellent description of it is right, it is far more balanced and the strangely peppery taste (which I couldn't find words for at the time, but thanks to you I now can lol) sets it off nicely.
It's becoming a favourite "not my usual whisky" go-to whisky.

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Yes, probably could have said white pepper and got it. I think what Aerstone Sea Cask demonstrates is where a strong sense of what you want to achieve is married with age. Aerstone pulls off is an aged, balanced simplicity. I've as a few whiskies in my time and it's not as easy a task as it may seem.

So many NAS offerings are just not on point because the base spirit is too raw.

We've all had them. Suckered by reductions from £35 odd to £25 on the supermarket shelf. You'll always pick Aerstone up for £25 somewhere.

£15 at Simply Local and it's less familiarity breeds contempt, more hail fellow well met