EMERGENCY - I'm drinking and the old drinking thread is closed!

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: EMERGENCY - I'm drinking and the old drinking thread is closed!

Gurt, have you tried the Appleton Estate 12 year? They stock it at my local woodmans.

It's spring, so my brandy mixed drink consumption is transitioning to more sidecars than old fashioneds. Even though I'm basically using well brandy and triple sec, it's still a great refreshment. Not for the citrus averse, of course.

[Gurtholfin]

Re: EMERGENCY - I'm drinking and the old drinking thread is closed!

Gurt, have you tried the Appleton Estate 12 year? They stock it at my local woodmans.

Yes. I have it.

It's a very nice sipper. It's the only Appleton rum that I like.

Quite economical compared to it's cost also.


If you're thinking of picking it up, I'd ask what you want to do with it. Sipper? Yes.

Too good for a rum & Coke.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: EMERGENCY - I'm drinking and the old drinking thread is closed!

Yes. I have it.

It's a very nice sipper. It's the only Appleton rum that I like.

Quite economical compared to it's cost also.


If you're thinking of picking it up, I'd ask what you want to do with it. Sipper? Yes.

Too good for a rum & Coke.

I don't know yet.

I agree, it's hard to think you would mix it with anything, which leads me to think if I'd just have it on the rocks like I would a whiskey/whisky.

Hard to think of a 12-year aged anything going into a cocktail, other than (at most) adding a faint (and I mean faint) splash of club soda/ginger ale to liven it up. It'd be like buying a fine cognac (instead of my usual Korbel XS) to put in my old fashioneds and sidecars at home.

[Gurtholfin]

Re: EMERGENCY - I'm drinking and the old drinking thread is closed!

I don't know yet.

I agree, it's hard to think you would mix it with anything, which leads me to think if I'd just have it on the rocks like I would a whiskey/whisky.

Hard to think of a 12-year aged anything going into a cocktail, other than (at most) adding a faint (and I mean faint) splash of club soda/ginger ale to liven it up. It'd be like buying a fine cognac (instead of my usual Korbel XS) to put in my old fashioneds and sidecars at home.

The El Dorado 12 is better and about the same price. Woodman's down here has it. Maybe yours does too.

If you're looking for a sipper, I'd get that first.


If you want a really tasty mixer (with Coke) that can also be sipped in a pinch - Plantation 5 yr Barbados. I believe a 1.75 is only like $33.

This is my main go to for rum & Coke and I sipped it neat from my flask on Saturday night as I froze my arse off at my kid's lacrosse game.

[FreshFish]

Re: EMERGENCY - I'm drinking and the old drinking thread is closed!

Have generally been neutral about Sam Adams brews, not excited about them and not putting them down either, basically just ignoring them.

Lately though the local wholesaler has been offering 12-packs for $12.99 (which is a decent price for this area) and so I tried their Porch Rocker merely because of the name.

It has an interesting flavor, probably better on warmer days than the cool ones we've been having lately. They mix in some lemonade with it. At first I was skeptical but it actually works pretty well if you are thirsty, sitting in a rocking chair on the porch after a long weekend day of physical labor.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: EMERGENCY - I'm drinking and the old drinking thread is closed!

The steakhouse we visited at the F4 (Bern's) had a Cognac from 1783 and a Madeira from 1820. Didn't spring for either...a bit pricey. Instead had a dram of Octomore, which was awesome, and a glass of Pyrat 1623.

[Gurtholfin]

Re: EMERGENCY - I'm drinking and the old drinking thread is closed!

The steakhouse we visited at the F4 (Bern's) had a Cognac from 1783 and a Madeira from 1820. Didn't spring for either...a bit pricey. Instead had a dram of Octomore, which was awesome, and a glass of Pyrat 1623.

What did the Pyrat set you back? A bottle of that is over $200.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: EMERGENCY - I'm drinking and the old drinking thread is closed!

What did the Pyrat set you back? A bottle of that is over $200.

$39 per pour

http://www.bernssteakhouse.com/Harry...ecialty-Drinks

[The Rube]

Re: EMERGENCY - I'm drinking and the old drinking thread is closed!

$39 per pour

Jesus! I can honestly say I've never paid out that for a pour for anything, and I've had some rare(r) stuff.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: EMERGENCY - I'm drinking and the old drinking thread is closed!

Jesus! I can honestly say I've never paid out that for a pour for anything, and I've had some rare(r) stuff.

Look at the rest of the list. There is a $1500 pour in there.

[The Rube]

Re: EMERGENCY - I'm drinking and the old drinking thread is closed!

Look at the rest of the list. There is a $1500 pour in there.

That's fine and dandy. Smalley's has a $500 pour in there, doesn't mean I'm paying it.

[FreshFish]

Re: EMERGENCY - I'm drinking and the old drinking thread is closed!

Jesus! I can honestly say I've never paid out that for a pour for anything, and I've had some rare(r) stuff.

I lived in an apartment above a bar for two years, and one night the bartender gave me a shot of chartreuse to try. That's something you sip slowly.

Supposedly the recipe goes back to the 1500s, but the monks of Chartre were unable to decipher it fully until 1737. Apparently it was first distilled to be medicinal, but it proved to be so tasty they also developed a "commercial" version, "green" chartreuse, in 1784 (which I was allowed to sample that night).

https://www.chartreuse.fr/en/histoir...euse-liqueurs/

[dxmnkd316]

Re: EMERGENCY - I'm drinking and the old drinking thread is closed!

That's fine and dandy. Smalley's has a $500 pour in there, doesn't mean I'm paying it.

I dunno, I paid $50 for a half pour of Balvenie 30 in Duluth and $62 for a full pour of the 26-year Glenfiddich at Bern's. I regret the Glenfiddich, I don't think that was worth $62. I would have liked to have tried it side-by-side with one of my favorites, the Glenfiddich 15. It seemed to be of similar quality, though I hate to use that term since it's such a personal preference.

The Balvenie 30, on the other hand, was not a mistake. I wanted to make sure it was going to be worth buying the bottle by trying a sample first. It was and I did.

[Gurtholfin]

Re: EMERGENCY - I'm drinking and the old drinking thread is closed!

I dunno, I paid $50 for a half pour of Balvenie 30 in Duluth and $62 for a full pour of the 26-year Glenfiddich at Bern's. I regret the Glenfiddich, I don't think that was worth $62. I would have liked to have tried it side-by-side with one of my favorites, the Glenfiddich 15. It seemed to be of similar quality, though I hate to use that term since it's such a personal preference.

The Balvenie 30, on the other hand, was not a mistake. I wanted to make sure it was going to be worth buying the bottle by trying a sample first. It was and I did.

The most I remember paying was $25 for a pour of El Dorado 21 while on vaca in St. Lucia. That's pretty high for rum, in my experience. Of course, rum and scotch don't share the same tax bracket.

Anyway, saved me from the possibility of a bigger mistake ($125 for a bottle) coz I didn't think it was all that good despite its great reviews. I actually MUCH prefer the 12, which is around $35 a bottle.

Also paid maybe $20 for the top Zacapa rum, can't recall the name, not the 23 which I've had at home and is under $40 for a bottle. Anyway, didn't like the Zacapa enough to bite on a bottle.

Radisson Blue by M.O.M. wanted $60 for a pour of that Pyrat. Um... no thanks. Bartender gave me a tiny pour for free though so I could try it. Was very good. Not $60 good though. If it retailed for around $100 a bottle, I'd have it here.

[Gurtholfin]

Re: EMERGENCY - I'm drinking and the old drinking thread is closed!

Speaking of $100 a bottle rum. Picked up this beauty in Chicago last week.




Had been eyeballing it for over a year. Was giddy walking out of Binny's with their last bottle.

Didn't get to try it first, but the reviews are so off the charts and mention tasting notes that I like, so I took the chance. In addition, the Diplomatico Reserva and Grand Reserva are two favorites of mine.

The packaging is really nice. The box is sturdy and textured on the outside and the interior is blue felt lined. The cap is solid metal.

The rum itself is very nice - similar to their other offerings, but smoother. Was an excellent purchase. Need to grab a backup next time I'm in Chicago before it's all gone.


I don't even have it on my shelf as it's in the box under the counter - liquor suffers from light although I don't really worry about that with my other bottles. This is a very special occasion only rum though and I don't want to have to explain that fact to guests.

I'll bust it out when appropriate. Celebrating a lacrosse state championship would be a good time.