Whats a good kind of liquor to have for occasional use?

TackzoTackzo Acolyte
edited August 2010 in Life
I want to buy a high quality bottle to use sparringly. I'm turing 22 and I don't have a job or anything so I was gonna buy it with my birthday money. I won't be using this bottle to get drunk for no reason cause i'm bored. I think i'll use it for occasions like one of my pets dies or something like that.

The size bottle would be a fifth. Here's what I have in mind.

-Hennessy
-Crown royal
-Bottle of scotch (in movies and stuff people seem to keep a scotch under the desk or something)

Thats all I got so far. Thanks.

Comments

  • fanglekaifanglekai Regular
    edited August 2010
    What kind of liquor do you usually drink? Are you partial to whiskey, rum, vodka, or tequila? I can recommend quite a few. What are you looking to spend? Price range is very important. Are you looking for a $30 bottle, a $70 one or $100+?

    Things to look for:
    The aging. How old is it? Typically the older it is the more it costs. However, a bottle of 21 year old Appleton's rum might be expensive, but you might not like it. That's where we get into special varieties or brand particulars. Check out places like bourbonenthusiast.com for whiskey. They have lots of reviews on tons of whiskeys. Google reviews on rums or tequilas. Some people will HATE Appleton's but love Ron Zapaca 23 Solera. It's all about personal preference.

    The rarity. Rare stuff costs more. Doesn't mean it's necessarily amazing.

    The flavor. Quality costs money. People with skill who make small batches will charge more for the product than Bacardi who mass produces shit rum. Flavors will vary by region, brand and even year. This is where reviews come in handy. Tasting spirits is every bit as nuanced as tasting wine. Some whiskeys have intense flavor. You may not like the flavors, though. You might prefer Buffalo Trace to Knob Creek. Good flavor is the hallmark of premium liquor, even though it might not be your favorite flavor combination.

    My picks for sub-$100 liquor:
    Rum: Appleton's 12 year or 21 year. Ron Zacapa 23. Havana club (anything over 7 years is great). Flor de caña (anything, 7 or over is lovely). Don't bother with 10 cane. It's too harsh. Botran makes a nice 12 year. Pyrat XO is a choice for some. Sipping rums are going to be aged a minimum of 12 years, up to 21 or so. Most premium rums aren't widely available in the US. I can't get Flor de caña where I live, for example.

    Whiskey: Buffalo trace, Van Winkle. With bourbon you're going for flavor. They may or may not be super smooth. Quite a few good ones are over 100 proof. Bourbon snobs say anything less is watered down. Bourbon Enthusiast is the place to check out for recommendations. I don't drink premium bourbons, mostly because they don't sell many where I live.

    Tequila: Don Julio. It's delicious. The best tequila for sipping is añejo, which is aged a minimum of 1 year I believe. Some are aged longer. Don't bother with reposado or blanco. You want añejo. It costs more than the others because it's aged longer, but it's worth it. Tequila has a nice peppery taste, it may have floral, citrusy undertones. Any good tequila in the US is going to cost you $50+ a bottle. Avoid the ilk that is Patrón. Chances are if you see it advertised in Maxim, it's not quality liquor.

    Vodka: Not my thing.

    Scotch: Never got into it. I think it's an old man's drink to be honest. It's also really expensive. You'll want to look into single or multiple malts and whether it's a highland or lowland. Tastes differ immensely when it comes to scotch.

    Some people like Johnny Walker Blue, Green or Gold. It's really expensive, though.
  • TLVTLV Regular
    edited August 2010
    Kahula, mix it with chocolate milk and you will barely notice the alcohol.
  • vOmitreevOmitree Acolyte
    edited August 2010
    Glenn Livit, 18 year old scotch whiskey is fuckin rad for occasional use, not really meant for recreational use though.
  • duuudeduuude Regular
    edited August 2010
    Occasional use?? wtf?

    Jim Beam is delicious and affordable.. not to mention it mixes well with just about anything you can think of.
  • TackzoTackzo Acolyte
    edited August 2010
    fanglekai wrote: »
    What kind of liquor do you usually drink? Are you partial to whiskey, rum, vodka, or tequila? I can recommend quite a few. What are you looking to spend? Price range is very important. Are you looking for a $30 bottle, a $70 one or $100+?

    I don't have a kind of liquor I drink. What i'll rule out though is rum & vodka. And I don't think i've even tried and gin or tequila. Pirce, no more than $50 (fifth)
  • TackzoTackzo Acolyte
    edited August 2010
    duuude wrote: »
    Occasional use?? wtf?

    Jim Beam is delicious and affordable.. not to mention it mixes well with just about anything you can think of.

    This paticular bottle would be occasional yeah. If I want to just get drunk cause i'm bored or something i'll buy some cheap shit like steel reserve. I'll take Jim beam into consideration. :thumbsup:
  • fanglekaifanglekai Regular
    edited August 2010
    For $50 you can get some ok scotches. You can get a lot of good bourbons for that price. See what your liquor store has as far as brands and let us know. That might be helpful for us. Personally I don't like gin, but Tanqueray can be had for $25 ish.
  • fanglekaifanglekai Regular
    edited August 2010
    Black Velvet? Evan Williams Black? Man those are cheap and really not good. Those are for getting drunk.
  • fanglekaifanglekai Regular
    edited August 2010
    Very true but he did say it was for occasions when he just wanted to get drunk. I prefer expensive bourbons myself because i drink nearly every night and i look for flavor not necessarily high alcohol content. Four Roses Single Barrel is what i've been drinking recently and its really good and tasty.

    Haha he said he's not looking to get drunk with it.
  • edited August 2010
    Kaoliang.jpg

    tis wat i hav. cheap and effective,
  • acid_dropacid_drop Regular
    edited August 2010
    fanglekai wrote: »
    For $50 you can get some ok scotches. You can get a lot of good bourbons for that price. See what your liquor store has as far as brands and let us know. That might be helpful for us. Personally I don't like gin, but Tanqueray can be had for $25 ish.

    FUUUCK I hate scotch with the passion of a thousand burning suns. :angry: Got two different friends who won't drink anything but, I could never get in to it, and I'm used to Burbon, and Irish whiskey.

    And Gin. Gin is one of those things people either love, or despise. I love gin.
  • fanglekaifanglekai Regular
    edited August 2010
    Bourbon is so good. It's probably the best liquor to drink in America too.
  • acid_dropacid_drop Regular
    edited August 2010
    Hmm I misspelled bourbon. Boss was probably gettin' on mah case.

    Anyway, yeah for me It's Whiskey or Gin. Jim Beam is a good cheap whiskey. Dack Janiels is fucking nasty. I like Tullamore Dew for an Irish whiskey. Beef Eater is a good mid priced gin. yum Yum.

    Too bad I'm broke and can't drink till next week. FUUUuuuuu :angry:
  • MooseKnuckleMooseKnuckle Regular
    edited August 2010
    J&B scotch. on the rocks.
  • fanglekaifanglekai Regular
    edited August 2010
    Give me some Buffalo Trace or Elijah Craig 12 year and I'm set.
  • vOmitreevOmitree Acolyte
    edited August 2010
    J&B scotch. on the rocks.

    Dat shit is potent with wonderfulness!
  • fanglekaifanglekai Regular
    edited August 2010
    I've never tried J&B. I'll have to get some when I finish my Svedka and nasty whiskey I bought for cheap.
  • TackzoTackzo Acolyte
    edited August 2010
    Thanks for the responses. I went with a fifth of Jim Beam ($18)
  • fanglekaifanglekai Regular
    edited August 2010
    Jim Beam is for getting drunk. :facepalm:
  • vOmitreevOmitree Acolyte
    edited August 2010
    Tackzo wrote: »
    Thanks for the responses. I went with a fifth of Jim Beam ($18)

    :facepalm:/thread
  • fanglekaifanglekai Regular
    edited August 2010
    vOmitree wrote: »
    :facepalm:/thread

    It's frustrating that I wrote a really long post with helpful advice and the OP completely ignored it to go buy fucking Jim Beam. It wasn't even Jim Beam Black, which is at least tolerable.
  • vOmitreevOmitree Acolyte
    edited August 2010
    fanglekai wrote: »
    It's frustrating that I wrote a really long post with helpful advice and the OP completely ignored it to go buy fucking Jim Beam. It wasn't even Jim Beam Black, which is at least tolerable.

    Its a great post, named a lot of shit I would never have bothered trying, but I will make an effort to now once I live near a decent liquor store. And hopefully OP will smarten up when that bottle is drained.
  • DaSkipperDaSkipper Regular
    edited August 2010
    I just sip on Svedka Vodka all day honestly. I fucking love it.
  • TackzoTackzo Acolyte
    edited August 2010
    I stand by my decision... I haven't tried hardly and liquors and i'm 22. So I said what the fuck and went with the Jim Beam because it wasn't too expensive, i've never tried it and i've heard good things about it.

    When I get a job and have money to throw around, i'll try other (more expensive) stuff.
  • fanglekaifanglekai Regular
    edited August 2010
    The thing is, Jim Beam is for getting drunk. It's not pleasant to drink. It's for pounding shots and then chasing with Coke. The cheapest sipping whiskey I've had is Elijah Craig 12 year. It goes for $20.
  • KentKent Acolyte
    edited August 2010
    Southern Comfort or Wild Turkey
  • fanglekaifanglekai Regular
    edited August 2010
    Kent wrote: »
    Southern Comfort or Wild Turkey

    These are for getting drunk, not for sipping.
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