The presentation of it is shockingly well done. It's always there in the background of the wide shot with both guys, and it's very prominent when the camera shows only the guy on the right. It grabs your attention by being crooked and not matching the overall look of the room. As cheap as it looks, a good amount of thought went into it.
Man... I've had some rough ones. I used to be a J&B guy when I first ventured into the Scotch (Or any Whiskey, really) pantheon. Although one night at a bar, I asked for a Scotch and soda for the hell of it as I've never had one. I noticed the bottle they were pouring was Dewars. Whatever, right? I didn't specify or anything, so it's fine. I was talking to someone and took that first sip... only to get hit with the thought "Yep, that just ruined my night." I can only imagine what expression was on my face to the person I was conversing with. I honestly thought it was the soda, as I'm not super keen on it period and chastised myself for thinking it was going to be good, swearing to leave it alone after that. Until I ended up at a company party (My girlfriend's) with an open bar years later, after having lived in Japan and REALLY got into whiskey there and the push into higher-end Scotches over the years since that first Scotch and soda. So I'm conversing with someone while at the bar and ask for a Scotch, it's an open bar so I'm expecting something like Cutty Sark or possibly even J&B and began to get nostalgic over it. Only for them to pour a glass of Dewars over ice. It was free Scotch and I didn't specify "Neat" so I didn't think there was reason to complain. As I'm talking, I take a sip and boom "Yep, that just ruined my night." AGAIN. Even with the ice dulling everything. It took me a serious half hour to actually down the rest of it. Which is weird because it isn't "Bad" per se, it's just that every time I drink it, I'm left with that reaction like when you go to drink Coke in a cup and it turns out to be tea... the tea isn't bad, it's just not what you were expecting.
Taste is so subjective, I'm not a fan of Bulleit Bourbon. I recently bought a bottle, and when I got home my wife said "you don't like Bulleit Bourbon" I had totally forgotten I had bought a bottle before, and complained the whole time drinking it lol. But she remembered... she always remembers...
I admire how you can analyze, distinguish, and verbalize variety of flavors. There is a deficiency of flavor descriptions, and you are doing a fantastic job conveying the flavors.
The deeper I get into y'alls channels (emphasis on the plural) the more I enjoy the content. The knowledge is respected but the humor and honesty is so enjoyable. Thank you so much for recognizing the Beam!
Jesus. I lucked out and found one lone bottle on the shelf at my local store for ~$50 and I have never seen it since. No clue what that was all about but it was okay imo, not worth 120 euro at all though.
i think the beginners list for whiskey should consist of the most diverse spectrum of flavors so that a beginner can pin point the flavor profile they like in a certain type of whiskey then go from there.
@@eveny119 , I agree, I don't want anything that has a taste or smell of "eucalyptus". I normally drink Evan Williams Bourbon. I am now trying Seagram's VO Whiskey which seems a little smoother, less bite. What would you recommend for smooth, less bite, and something that has a flavor other than alcohol?
Good rum should be sipped like good whiskey. The flavors differ, but so do those of whiskey. Ron Zacapa, Ron Barrelito, and Barbancourt are among my favorites. Prefer rum in warm weather, often, over whiskey.
Didn’t even know y’all had this channel!! I love it!! Thank Daniel for introducing me to scotch back when I worked at the wizard academy and you allowed me to partake in your “tours of Scotland” at the top of the tower. I tell that story all the time.
The weirdest thing about starting to get into whisky is that all of the sudden people in the whisky culture will come out of the woodwork to you. A day after I had my first scotch (Glenfiddich 12) I was telling a friend of mine how much I enjoyed it and out of nowhere he goes "oh man if you like that you'll love this stuff!" And proceeded to pour me a glass of Johnny Walker Blue Label. I've never looked back.
I immediately regretted that I didn't take y'all opinion serious enough after trying Highland Park 12 T_T. It tasted in the following order - little sweetness in the beginning (nice), (but then punch me in my face) peat, total burnt charcoal, chemical soap water because of the iodine taste. The smoky/peat taste even lingered for a long time too. I all of a sudden understood what you meant by mermaid bath water after the 1st sip of Highland Park 12. I like Four Roses single Barrel and Angel's Envy very much though. Btw, thanks for introducing me to the whiskey journey. =)
Interesting, I put Glenmorangie Original (10yo) above Glenfiddich 12. Not because it is better but because it is the base for the rest of the line so a good lead-in for a beginner to start exploring the other finishes with a sound foundation of where they started. For a small 6 pack scotch (mid-range, beyond beginner bar) to cover most of the bases... Glenmorangie Original - Floral Vanilla, toffee, and orange. The low-cost drinker Oban 14 - Balanced and leather notes Tamdhu 15 - Ultimate sherry notes Talisker 10 - The brine and seaweed notes Lagavulin 16 - The smokey bottle Longmorn 16 - The smooth long treat You could do a lower-cost version of the above for example Laphroig over Lagavulin etc. I would love your take on a mid-range "Scotch selection" the emphasis here is selection as in trying to cover the main categories.
I’ve probably had 50-70 whiskeys at this point, and Beam is the one I keep at the front of the cabinet. It follows the classic process and isn’t some overpriced branding exercise. It has a very simple profile, but very enjoyable and the price is easy on the wallet.
Just a little trivia, Sylvester Stallone movie “Bullet to the Head” every time he goes into a bar, he asks for bulleit bourbon. They never have it, so he brings his own bottle and rents a glass.
I'm beginner to moderate whiskey drinker. The first whiskey that got me into whiskey was Jack Daniels. I still absolutely love it!! I'm enough of a whiskey snob to know the difference between shity whiskey and expensive whiskeys. Lol. I honestly am not a fan of Jim Bean though. ☹ I really tried to get into it and it's not for me. But, I did just subscribed to you guys and I absolutely love you all!! Thank you for teaching me more about whiskey! I really appreciate it! 😊❤
My first whiskey was Jack Daniels, too. I think it's a lot of people's firsts. I rarely drink it neat anymore, but I still love making cocktails with it when I bother to have a bottle in the house. There's definitely a nostalgia factor. I've certainly branched out, become more of a Scotch drinker, found what I like and what I really really like. Now I'm kind of checking out bourbons more, to keep exploring. I have yet to get into ryes, but I'm definitely interested in trying some. Sadly I'm in very much of a beer area, and it's hard to get much variety in whiskey. The good news is I can get some really great locally-brewed craft beers, and everybody's got a huge selection. The bad news is I can't find a bottle of Bruichladdich or Caol Ila to save my life, and there's rarely more than a three or four different kinds of American whiskey in a given store. There's a fair bit of Irish whiskeys, a moderate selection of the most popular Scotch whiskys, but the rarer stuff is almost impossible to locate outside of really specialized shops that are inconvenient to get to.
I drank my very first MACALLAN 12 while watching your show. You guys are informative, articulate with great knowledge of whiskey. Watching your show was like hanging out with my comrades. ✌🏼
As someone that’s been dabbling in whiskey recently this video was super helpful, I bought a bottle of wild turkey today and I’m loving it, I can’t wait to explore more whiskies! Great channel and content boys
In our blind whiskey taste test, the Highland park 12 actually won by a landslide. Not my personal favourite, since I prefer more peated smokey whiskeys, but an amazing whiskey non the less
@@thomaslong4909 i like it yeah, but i prefer whiskeys like the Bowmore 12, Connemara, Finlagen and Ledaich. A Lagavulin 16 or Laphroaig once in a while is nice though.
LuLz, I'm not a whiskey guy and I still really enjoy these videos. 1) I like learning about things I don't know about and these vids are incredibly informative. 2) Both these two dudes are complete goofballs in the best way. When their dork and nerd powers combine: it makes for remarkably entertaining videos.
I love you guys (Including Brian). Still love hearing my toast, I'm vain like that ;P Think I'll pick up an Caol Ila tomorrow. Great video as always, but how about a top ten Whiskies 'NOT' for beginners?
Jason Fisk Whiskies NOT for beginners: 1. Laphroaig 10. One of my favourites, but too powerful for beginners. 2. Lagavulin 16. See no.1 3. Ardbeg 10. See no.1 4. Aberlour A'Bunnadh. Great Whisky. Too powerful for beginners. 5. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. See no. 4
When I tried Monkey Shoulder, first of all I loved it. The bottle I had had a nose if banana bread, which seems weird, cuz Ive seen you guys taste it multiple times and that never get brought up. I guess all people have different palettes and all bottles are different!
As a beginner, I wanted to enjoy Monkey Shoulders so badly, but that oak taste clung to my tongue so intensely... I felt like I had licked a wooden ice cream stick
My first proper whiskey was lagavulin 16. I might have had the odd sip here or there of whatever my dad had been drinking, but lagavulin was my first proper whiskey, and I immediately fell in love with it
Isn’t that how many guys talk??? They do seem like they’re on something...or drank a bit before...you know, like drunk guys having “conversations” at the bar.
Price is a thing for a beginner because they don't know what's available at each price point. If you're going to start someone on the paved highway to whisky-loving Hell, you have to suggest things that are affordable. So, smoothness and drinkability and affordability are the 3 keys to a good start.
I have loved black coffee for most of my life and have just now (at 32) started to enjoy Scotch Whiskeys. I am sure it was mostly from living in Tennessee and thinking that Whiskey should taste like bourbon when I was younger but thank you for helping me to explore!
I've been searching for Hibiki for months and finally found one today! My son was stationed in Japan and brought home my first bottle. It's good! -Marine Mom
Thank you so much for these suggestions! I have my first memory of drinking whisky with my dad when I was 17, but had some bad experiences later on which threw me off. This got me back to buying a bottle for the first time in yeaars!
I have never had a whiskey except for a Jack & Coke at a bar once, and only because it was $1 well drink night. I normally just drink my Sam Adams and be happy. My boss, who's also a high school friend, recently had a child, his first and he asked me to help get them home from the hospital. So I pick them up, get them all home and unloaded and he tells me to come inside, we have to celebrate. So I go out on the deck and he comes out with a bottle, two glasses and two Cuban cigars. He handed me a cigar and pours two glasses. I pick up the bottle to see what it is, it says Redbreast 29. So that was the first whiskey I tried without a mixer. And let me tell you, it's a hell of a first introduction into whiskeys. Kind of spoils it when you start at the top
Just what i was looking for as I want to get more into whisky because it's so complex and interesting and has a lot of variety! Thanks, i will start with those 10 +1 and you have a new subscriber ;)
I have been drinking whiskey for years but after watching your videos I tried buffalo trace and for me it's the pound for pound best, I have never heard of half of what you guys show but I will channel my spirit sheep to do one from every country
I'm a tad ashamed I first found you through the Pewdiepie videos. But you guys are the most charismatic, uplifting people on this site. You've been bad for the wallet but great for the soul. Thank you so much for broadening my whisky horizons. If you're ever in Australia let me know and I'm happy to host you and show you what we have to offer.
Thanks for the help guys. I'm getting ready to attend a Firepit Whiskey tasting on Friday. I like to bring knowledge to every liquor tasting. You guys probably don't even realize how much info you say during your reviews. I started out many years ago with Rum. I get it, most guys are whiskey drinkers, it's the American way! Dig it. In the spirit of experience, why not try some really well rated Rums? Yes aging is questionable, and it's only sugar or molasses or juice... but there are many Rum where they don't add sugar after it's distilled. If you decide to do this, please remember Doorly's 12 year from FourSquare distilleries Barbados. Also try Flor de Cana 12 year from Nicaragua. Sugar-free as they say, means no sugar added after it's distilled. Cane grown in volcanic soil at the base of the San Cristóbal volcano. I don't want to miss the day you guys do this.
This is coming from a beer drinker but bare with me. What i`ve noticed is that a lot of people are turned off by the burning sensation you get frm whiskeys or hard alcohol in general. And people try to get it down as quick as possible or mix in lots of sugar to mask that which takes away from the natural flavors, i`m guilty for it myself i`ll admit. You guys have changed my perspective on that though. From what i read you can develop a tolerance to the burning you get and that`s probably when you can pick out all the flavors. When i diluted it it smelt really nice and I could pick out some flavors i couldn`t before. I might try diluting it more until i can pick out the flavors easier and than I won`t have to worry about that anymore.
As "sort of" beer drinker, I would say it's likely similar to hoppy beer. If you're not used to it, all you taste is hops. Once you've tried enough, that becomes more of a background flavor and it allows you find the nuance in each beer.
yeah it goes away after time. but honestly just a couple drops of water or whiskey stones or ice. just try a bunch of different types of whiskey from different brands and try them all different ways to find what you like, then roll with that and explore some more. shit stick the bottle in the freezer if you want. its yours for you to enjoy. i mean dont mix the best of the best(pappy or some fancy scotch) obviously but yeah. to be frank i can drink whiskey neat and do, but i also sometimes like it on the rocks(or cold) or mixed. and some whiskey can be better with a couple drops of water, this one scotch i drink with my friend i prefer that way, i find the flavor comes out a bit more. also try knob creek cold. people might bitch but thats a super smooth whiskey and thats how my one buddy who hated whiskey got into drinking it. he literally said its smoother then grey goose vodka which was also ice cold literally shot followed by shot. then sat there drinking an ice cold one in a freezer glass while me ad my buddy were playing a drinking game with shots of that and southern comfort jalapeno or some shit(it was spicy as fuck thats all i remember)
If you can't tolerate the burn, you need to drink it neat. You NEED to. Otherwise you'll never go past that block. I went from almost puking at the taste of ordinary beer to drinking specialty beers and neat alcohols all the way up to 60% cask strength stuff without breaking a sweat. The side effect is that a watered down spirit becomes obvious and it strains my budget to drink better stuff :P
Well, this is now 2 years old, but I'd love to add that from my experience, classic mainstream whiskeys like Jack and Crown can be good introductions if you get the subject to remove the coke and ice, and just focus on "tasting" the whiskey. I got a friend to do that once and very soon he was getting into Jack's single barrel and Scotch.
Living in a new place with a guy who is into whiskey. I always hated the whiskey stuff. Makers mark and other stuff just burned my throat. Tried the Macallan 12 year and omg it is delicious. Gonna keep trying more.
Speaking of a challenge, try moving to a Middle Eastern country that doesn't allow alcohol! I don't particularly like whisky, I ADORE and LOVE it. This is gonna be the hardest few months of my adult life. Please keep making video's so I can get my daily whisky fix, sort of! Cheers or as we say in the Netherlands: Proost!
Jameson was my first whiskey. Instead of Glenfidditch, the first scotch I was recommended was Glenlivet. I don’t drink much, just a little bit for flavor and experience, but these are all getting added to my very-slow list to work through.
Buffalo Trace was the first bottle I bought at 21. Still a daily to this day. 5: Henry McKenna BIB 4: Four Roses Single Barrel 3: Eagle Rare 2: George T Stagg or EH Lee 1: Buffalo Trace
@@rondail5675 ew is definitely a cheaper bourbon, but it punches soundly above its price point. It's priced to compete with JD and JB, but blows them out of the water. I'd say their 1783 small batch competes with regular BT, and their single barrel is really a treat for the price you pay. It doesn't come close to comparing with other single barrels, but for $25, it's EXCELLENT.
I'm drinking Buffalo Trace right now. I've not had too many bourbons, but my favorite up until now has always been Bulleit. I think I need to rethink things, now.
Love your stuff. You definitely are an expert in highest degree. Our whiskey review is based on a lot of your knowledge and insights are profound! Luv it.
My first peated whiskey happened to be Laphroaig 10 and wow, the smell kicks your arse and taste buds before you've even tried it. Absolutely astonishing flavours completely blew my Dalwhinnie winters gold out the water for me
Laphroig is very good with a tad bit agressive smoke flavour. I prefer a Talisker 10. But when Talisker 10 or Laphroig aren't available I go with a light choice J.Walker double back. Still have to try Smokehead. But the whiskey that sucked me in to this world was Glenmorangie. Still one of my favourites to appreciate while alone.
Bought my first whiskey today after watching this episode. Buffalo Trace is my chosen start in to this world. I now need to learn how to pick out the smells. All I got was almonds and maple syrup? Am I going down the right path?
4 roses single barrel is my favorite. Another really good one is Maker's Mark Cask Strength. Much different from regular Maker's. There is a Russell's on the video shelf. That is surprisingly delicious too. One thing that needs to be mentioned is that as you get near 100 proof, it helps to add a couple drops of water. I like a small piece,dime sized, of crushed ice. It cuts the alcohol to the nose and opens the flavors up a lot. That 4 roses changes to a piece of Heaven with a little water.
Call me late to the show, but I recently found you guys. I'd add Glenfarclas 15 any day, for one specific reason: A first time Scotch drinker really liked it. We had a D&D session (NEEERDS, yeah yeah) and I was sipping Farclas and a porter during the session. This girl leaned over and asked if she could smell it, and really liked the scent. I suggested she tasted it (usually she drinks REALLY sweet ciders like Somersby) and said it was really, really good, but it burned a bit (I doubt you can kill that when you go from 4% to 40+%). If a complete newbie to hard liquor can fall in love with something like that, it's definitely a good starter.
Monkey Shoulder and Buffalo Trace were my first two whisk(e)ys and I have no regrets. It's been a couple years since I dove in, so I've since tried everything on this list and can honestly say that these are truly priceless recommendations for the whiskey noob. This video didn't just entice me into exploring whiskey, but helped me to explore the whiskey aisle with confidence. I'm not much of a drinker, but being that I'm a bit of a zymology nerd I have an extreme appreciation for the flavors brought out in the fermentation and aging of beer/wine/spirits/etc. and get great joy from sipping on a glass (or two) slowly, and with good company (or a good pipe/cigar), from time to time. Thanks for getting me into this world, gentlemen... it's been weirdly life-changing.
An ode to Macallan 12: This is seriously a great scotch. I have to say this really hits the spot with a freshly grilled steak and mushrooms. The scotch brings out flavors of the prime meat and the mushrooms. It is hard to deny the full flavor of the sherry mingling with the steak. It just pairs so well. The next time you have your steak (a bit on the rare side) grab your Macallan 12 and enjoy this flavor combo. I even had a drink of this and a bite of steak and man it was buttery smooth goodness. You are paying for the name though. I will say it is good, just not Monkey Shoulders good, in my opinion.
My favorites are The Woodford Reserve bourbon and the rye. I've had a few of the ones you just showcased, such as the Elijah Craig, Buffalo Trace, and the Four Roses. With scotch, I have always liked anything from The Balvenie, although I think I should expand and try an islay such as Laphroaig. This was a fun video. I just subscribed.
Intermediate version? I love black coffee, but Glenfiddich 12 is my favorite scotch. Like a faithful friend (or your dog bestie) or your most comfortable jeans. *sigh*
I suggest if you want to see if your the whisky kind of guy to start with jack Daniels they just came out with a rye. I consider myself super picky and jack daniels rye is a really nice whisky and cheap 20 bucks 18 at bevmo.
My first whiskey ever was Jack Daniels. It still has a fond place in my heart though I would rarely drink it neat now (still great in a cocktail). I quickly gravitated to Scotch, was somewhat ambivalent about Dewar's white label, then tried my first single malt with Talisker. I liked it, but I still wasn't sure I'd really become a Scotch drinker or even a whiskey drinker, until I stumbled upon Lagavulin by pure chance picking a bottle at random when I wanted to try something new. I fell in love, and I've been a diehard Islay fan ever since, branching out to Ardbeg, Bowmore, Laphroaig, and others, though locally I have a hard time finding anything from the other four distilleries outside of specialty shops. To this day I haven't found anything I like better than Lagavulin 16, but I keep looking. Ardbeg 10 and Bowmore 12 remain staples, and I try to never be without those three Scotches at home even as I buy a bottle here or there of other things as a I wish to spice things up with a little variety. I love that Scotch has such a huge range in flavors, I believe there's something for everyone, but I'm a black coffee kind of guy so the Highland stuff so many people like isn't really for me. Hey, that's great, more peaty goodness for me! For those about to turn 21, or maybe just new to whisky, my advice is try a bunch of different things. Don't try one bottle and then write off the whole thing if you don't like it. As has been said many times, there is huge variety of flavors, and until you really find your particular niche you're going to just try as many different whiskeys as you can. My favorite drink of all time, Lagavulin 16, is extremely polarizing. Go to a site with reviews and it's all 5 stars and 1 star reviews, with almost nothing in between. I think the best choice you could probably make is find a friend or two who is also interested in exploring the world of whisky, try some stuff together, and divide up what's left of your taste test bottles to whoever actually liked the stuff. If in your group of friends, nobody likes a particular whisky, make some new friends; I bet somebody would be really grateful to get a partial bottle as a gift. I got into alcohol first through the world of wine, and just as it's hilarious to me when somebody says they "don't like wine", I have the same reaction to people who say they "don't like whisky". Naturally, if you dig a little deeper you find out they tried only one or two kinds, then gave up, for wine or whisky. It takes a while to figure out if you like Burgundy more than Bordeaux, much less the product of one winery over that of another down the road using the same variety of grapes. Spend a little time understanding the different regions and styles, develop a vocabulary, and then try out stuff from different regions and styles until you start finding out what your personal preferences are. It's actually a lot of fun exploring these things and figuring stuff out. When you do find some stuff you like, try something that's supposed to be similar, and see if you like it more or less. Then try something that's really different, and maybe you like that too, or maybe not. I'm definitely a Scotch drinker now, but a year or so ago I started to explore bourbon, as a complete newbie. I still have a lot to learn, and I've definitely found some stuff I don't like, but it's still really interesting and I haven't had to pour anything down the drain, yet, thanks to friends taking bottles off my hands, or some creative mixing. Anyway, the point is, have fun with it, find some good drinking buddies, and don't get frustrated if it takes a while to find something you really like. There's absolutely no reason not to try anything at all if you think it might be an interesting experience. You don't have to stick to stuff that's "for newbies" when you're still a newbie.
That's no lie. It was one of my firsts AFTER I focused on more than just drinking and started paying attention to the notes and flavors and yea... Solid whiskey for sure.
You guys would get a kick out out of this. Basil Hayden can be $85-95 where I am and some people are into it because it's expensive. Am I the only one who thinks it has an odd funk note underneath?
![Top 10 Whiskeys for Beginners [Crowdsourced From Whiskey Lovers]](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
