How to Pick A Whiskey

Picking a Whiskey

Knowing how to pick a whiskey, whether it is your first or your hundredth comes with a lot of decisions, and it can be difficult to always know how to pick the right one.  Sometimes you know what you’re looking for and go straight to it, or maybe you peruse your store and browse.  Either way, the goal is to find the best bottle to enjoy or stow away in your own stash.

When I’m in the liquor store, I watch other people as they go about picking a whiskey.  While there are those who know what they’re buying or know what they have been told to purchase, I often witness novice hesitation.

It is easy to sense the confusion – after all, we have all been in this situation at one time or another in our journey.  And many of us are still likely pause every now and then as we decide who gets to come home to the bunker.

How to Pick a Whiskey

“… approach the selection process methodically.”

BACKGROUND QUESTIONS

Regardless of our experience, it seems certain questions still hang there:

– What was it my friends shared last weekend?
– These bottles all look the same, but which one of these three variations should I get?
– What am I after?
– Which one am I supposed to ask for?
– What should I do?

Not so long ago that person was me (or maybe it’s you now).  I had no idea what makes a $40 bottle better than a $20 one, let alone why another was $60 or more.  I wasn’t willing to fork out $40 on a whiskey I might not like.

Then it dawned on me … approach the selection process methodically.

STEP 1: WHISKEY STYLES, PROOFS, PROFILES AND PACKAGING
How to Pick a Whiskey

The staff at a good liquor store can guide you to quality whiskeys in a variety of whiskey styles: Scotch whiskey from Scotland, Canadian whiskey, Japanese whiskey, and American ryes and bourbons.  Each will have offerings in a variety of alcohol by volume (ABV) or proof.  For example, 90 proof whiskey has a 45% ABV and some may exceed 140 proof (70% ABV)!  Luckily, every bottle has its proof and ABV written clearly somewhere on the label, removing confusion as you decide the alcohol level you prefer.

Each style has its own profile.  Scotch’s, for instance, have the widest array: delicate, earthy, fruity, salty, and smoky.  Some say Japanese whiskeys are similar as many borrow scotch distilling techniques.  Canadian whiskeys have their own traits and are highly favored by many and American ryes can run spicy and bourbons sweet.

Bottles can be found on the shelf in varying sizes: 375 ml and 750 ml being the most common.  There are dozens and dozens of brands, but to begin, consider selecting bottles from common distillers.  Many common distillers offer 375 ml and smaller bottlings.  Again, let the staff guide you.

STEP 2: HOW WILL YOU BE ENJOYING YOUR WHISKEY?

It has been said enjoying whiskey is like hitting life’s pause button.  There are so many ways to enjoy a dram or two as you sit back and discuss the day’s or week’s events with friends:

– Will you mixing your spirit with a cola or using whiskey as a mixer? If so, you may not want to invest in a higher priced offering.
– Will you be enjoying your whiskey cold over ice (on-the-rocks)? Be sure to select one that can stand up to a little water as the cubes melt.
– Will you be sipping your pour neat or with water? Often the subtleties of a fine whiskey can be detected best with minimal additions.

STEP 3: WHISKEY BUDGET
How to Pick a Whiskey

Only you know how much you can spend.  Very few of us like to experiment with our hard earned cash, even on something we intend to enjoy.

Before entering the store, set a spending limit.  You might be comfortable with $25-30 and there are plenty of good whiskeys in this range.  If a bottle under $25 fits better into the initial budget, there may be fewer gems in this range, but a good liquor store staff member can guide you.

If you are fortunate and your budget is a bit more flexible, say $30-$45, there are dozens of fine whiskeys from which to choose.  If you can spend even more, there are many premium options to choose from. Keep in mind, good whiskeys from outside the country may cost a bit more, so plan accordingly.

STEP 4: ASK AN EXPERT

Now, perhaps most importantly: ASK SOMEONE! … Ask the store or liquor department manager.  Ask the staff.  At the very least, ask the patron standing next to you.  They might be in the same bad way you are.

Or maybe, the person standing next to you knows a little bit.  We whiskey drinkers are a strange lot; we love talking about our favorite spirit, but will seldom speak first. 

Way back when, I simply asked my local liquor store manager, Adam.  He asked what I was looking for … scotch, bourbon?  Fruity?  Sweet?  Oaky?  What about smoky?  Adam pointed out examples, helping narrow down my options, even though he acknowledged he had yet to try all the bourbons on the shelf.  To this day, he is still my go-to guy for whiskey information. 

SUMMARY

So when picking a whiskey, approach the selection process methodically …

STEP 1: Style, Proof and Profile.  Do you want a big smoky scotch?

STEP 2: How are you enjoying your whiskey? On the rocks?  Neat?

STEP 3: Budget. Do you want to buy bottles in smaller sizes first?

STEP 4: Ask an expert!

The staff should be able to help narrow down which fit the criteria you give them.  They will help narrow choices from hundreds to maybe ten at the most.  Not so scary then!  And maybe the staff will have a recommendation from those ten to make it even easier.


APPLICATION

For my first whiskeys, I wanted bourbons with lower proofs so they wouldn’t burn me (Step 1), ones I could enjoy neat (Step 2), and priced in the $25-$30 range so they wouldn’t break the bank (Step 3). With my expert, Adam, (Step 4), I settled on two 350 ml bottles, (spending only a bit more than my $30 budget). In the end I was able to begin comparing.  I gave the whiskeys I selected a fair chance to impress, refraining from the higher proof or price offerings; I knew I wasn’t ready, though these would come by refining my answers to the steps the longer I practiced the method.

Today, in the three or four other liquor stores I frequent, the managers and staff – my experts – recognize me and know my profile and are quick to point out a potential product they feel I might enjoy, which I often do!

Next time you find yourself staring at the shelves, ask around before deciding how to pick a whiskey at the liquor store.  I’m sure you’ll enjoy the newly recommended bottle … And if not, you’ve just discovered a bottle or distiller to be more wary of in the future.

To know how I rate the whiskeys included in my bunker, click here!

Let me know your thoughts … To leave a comment or share how you go about picking a whiskey, click the “Leave a Reply” button below.  Cheers!

Written by Brian Dawson

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Featured Photos by Adam Wilson, Javier Allegue Barros, and Andrew Seaman on Unsplash

Maker’s Mark Private Select ID Director’s Cut Batch #7 Review

Hannah’s Maker’s Mark Private Select ID Director’s Cut Batch #7 Review

Original review written January 21, 2020

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Out of the three Idaho Batches I’ve had of Maker’s, this one is my second favorite for its intense warmth and dark fruity flavors. Read my full Maker’s Mark Private Select ID Director’s Cut Batch #7 Review here! 92/100

VITALS:
Maker’s Mark Private Select ID Director’s Cut Batch 7 Review

– Made In: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Maker’s Mark Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
– Age: 8 yrs. 9 weeks
– Mash Bill: Corn=70%; Soft red winter wheat=16%; Malted barley=14%
– Casks: Char #3
– Barrel Entry Proof: 110
– ABV: 54.3% (108.6 proof)
– Maker’s Mark Private Select Idaho Division Cut Batch #7 MMPS ID-DCB7 finishing staves:
4 Baked American Pure (P2) to provide brown sugar, vanilla, caramel and spice
3 Roasted French Mocha (Mo) to provide char, maple and cacao
2 Maker’s Mark 46 (46) to provide dried fruit, vanilla and spice
1 Seared French Cuvée (Cu) to provide toasty oak and caramel
0 Toasted French Spice (Sp)
– Stave Selectors: The Idaho State Liquor Division and Chris Bailey of “The Whiskey Bar” in Boise, Idaho, USA
– Price: $69.95 USD in Idaho

Visit makersmark.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

I imagine waking up with this bourbon and walking outside to recline on a slightly chilled, sandy beach as the sun comes up. With a salty breeze and soothing pastel colors, Batch #7 warms the soul and starts your day with a smile.

Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash

NOSE:

Rich oak erupts from the warming glass, along with a dusting of brown sugar. There’s some nutmeg, but it’s pretty minimal. Deep inhales grant a deep vanilla custard and dark, but sweet cherries.

Sweetness just continues to pour from the glass with maple candies making a sudden appearance and maybe a hint of apple, but that is so subtle, it’s hard to get it to last in the nose, but it does make for an elusive freshness.

There isn’t a strong alcohol presence, despite being more than 50% ABV.

PALATE:
Maker’s Mark Private Select ID Director’s Cut Batch #7 Review

– Mouth Feel: A rough texture that clings to my tongue – very nice.
– Balance: Maybe the flavors and blend are a bit simple, but it’s executed very well.
– Visual: Mahogany in color, there are fat legs that cling to the glass after vanishing and then reappearing just under the crown.

– Taste: The spice opens up a bit more on the first sip, now being black pepper.
Apples come out as well, powdered brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon on top with some caramel that is almost burnt. Dark cherries are here too, mixing with its lighter cherry cousin, the maraschino. Both are very juicy and sweet, combining well with the spices.

The oak is still here too, but it comes across as a sawdust.

The alcohol is stronger here in the palate too, but it still isn’t very aggressive aside from a tickle at the back of the throat.

With a Kentucky chew, black pepper, maraschino cherries and a feisty bourbon burn come into play, all of which make me smile.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Very long. The warmth from this bourbon is fairly strong, settling mostly in the mouth and throat, but I find it at the top of my chest too.
– Between Sips: Light cherries and oak shavings fill my palate as I pause before taking another sip, and such flavors continue to linger and linger.

– No More: This one calms down the more it breathes, but it is still warm – the cherries and the oak blending together very well that they are harder to distinguish. There is a growing wheat component as well, perhaps the cause of the mellowing taste overall.

The empty Glencairn presents with the cherry and oak staying side-by-side to the very end, with a sweet warmth permeating from the glass.

WORTH THE PRICE?

Yes. The fact that all batches reviewed were made for Idaho by Idaho State Liquor Division just makes them more special to me. Though Batch #7 is hard to find, I’d buy again.

RATING: 92/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 92/100 to access other whiskeys with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this distillery, click Maker’s Mark.

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Tincup American Whiskey Review

Hannah’s Tincup American Whiskey Review

Original review written January 16, 2020

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

I underestimated this one majorly. For around $30, it’s a steal if you like fresh and clean whiskies. Even though it’s not my favorite flavor profile, I will be repurchasing. Read my full Tincup American Whiskey Review here! 87/100

VITALS:
Tincup American Whiskey Review

– Made In: Denver, Colorado, USA
– Distiller: Tincup founder, Jess Graber
– Classification: Blended whiskey; using sourced high rye bourbon distilled and aged in Indiana, USA as well as a single malt whiskey from Colorado with water from the Rocky Mountains*
– Age: Minimum 4 yrs.
– Mash Bill: Undisclosed
– Casks: Char #3
– Barrel Entry Proof: Undisclosed
– ABV: 42% (84 proof)
– Price: $29.95 USD in Idaho

*Visit tincupwhiskey.com/ for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this whiskey here!

SETTING:

This one has the classic vibe of a 1920’s speakeasy, renovated with industrial light bulbs hung from the ceiling to cast the hidden space in a warm, yellow glow. The air vibrates with booming laughs and mellow jazz as you sip this nostalgic spirit.

Photo by Martin Adams on Unsplash

NOSE:

Pleasantly surprised with this nose, which consists of both spice and sweet. I detect white pepper and a light, but somehow musky vanilla tang along with a hint of leather. I also smell ripe peach fuzz/skin, corn, mellow oak and maybe a twinge of something herbal or floral in nature. The flavors seems easy to tease apart, but that isn’t a bad thing. No alcohol burn whatsoever.

All in all, I’m impressed with the variety I find here in the nose from several classic flavor profiles.

PALATE:
Tincup American Whiskey Review

– Mouth Feel: Very soft, like velvet. It has grit when rubbed the “wrong” way, but either way is enjoyable.
– Balance: Fair. Sweetness reigns supreme, but it’s light and easy to like.
– Visual: This whiskey is chestnut sherry in color (meaning to say, middle range), with a nice crown with clinging droplets. Not much for legs.

– Taste: Wow, I was not ready to be as instantly drawn to this one as I am. Still very little alcohol to speak of, but I can say that the herb and flower from the nose is mint and rose. The whiskey is exceptionally fresh and clean.

I still find peaches, decidedly white fleshed ones as opposed to yellow. There’s a mandarin orange quality here as well – not fresh, rather from a fruit cup and bathed in that simply fruit syrup.

I’ve lost the corn from the nose, but I can find sweet wheat instead. The spice is gone too, the mint carrying the seasoning burden alone. The oak is present, but my gosh, it’s subdued.

A Kentucky chew makes the flavors crisp, but the rose, peach, fruit syrup and some unexpected honeycomb kick in to make the mouth water.

I’d love to test this one out on a Mint Julep, but it’s pleasing neat too.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Medium. Not much warmth lingers long, but some of the other flavors remain.
– Between Sips: The rose petals stick to my tongue, and this leaves me with a fibrous sweetness. It’s not my favorite, but this fits with the feel of this whiskey, so I’m not upset or disappointed.

– No More: Some cherries peek out a bit more as I get further into the glass, but the freshness and cleanliness are still dominate. I’ve gotten used to the rose petals here in the finish, and I even like them.

The empty Glencairn is a syrupy oak, sweet and with minimal age detectable.

WORTH THE PRICE?

I will absolutely be buying this one again at the $30 and keeping it on the shelf in the bunker for when I’m in the mood for something light.

RATING: 87/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 87/100 to access other whiskies with this rating.

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