What are some tolerable high percentage alcoholic beverages to get into?
I bought some good quality rye whiskey, and it was frankly revolting. It was like drinking Diesel and I will probably be pouring that swill down the drain at some point.
On the other hand, I got some apricot brandy, which I did enjoy.
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@ragingloli send the Rye over. It is certainly an acquired taste like many beverages
High Alcohol does not always equate to quality of taste on your palette. Aging also has a huge play in quality of taste on some beverages.
I like a nice 23 year old Rum
Good botanical Gin
High alcohol content Beers are fun to try. It also depends on what your palette likes (IPA, Ale, etc)
@ragingloli I have never tried that one. Rye has a much different taste than Bourbon or Whiskey. I know many Bourbon lovers that detest Rye.
I have a 10 year Pig Whistle that is great for making Old Fashions, but not so great to drink straight up.
Enjoy the Libation crawl.
Try Irish whiskey. Can’t beat it with a sick. Or Moosehead beer from Canada. If you can get it. God taste but a lot of alcohol content. But it’s better than the watered-down horse piss we call beer in Texas. Just drink it at home. I got hold of a six pack of that stuff once, then went to a bar and got a tad belligerent. That was a BIG dude. Kind of re arranged my face for me. And I did some boxing when I was younger. He still messed me up.
HA!
Drinking rye from Finland is kind of like drinking champagne from India. It’s never going to be the real thing – no matter how hard they try, or how much you pay for it.
And after almost 5 years of tending bar I gotta agree with FF. Whatever you’re pouring it comes down to personal taste, and higher alcohol content (abv/proof) doesn’t actually mean more or better taste. In fact increasing the proof will usually burn out any subtle distinction in flavor that gives different liquors their character. That’s why drinkers who appreciate taste will usually look for lower alcohol (around 80 proof or 40 abv), or add water to their shot.
But hey, if none of that matters to you and it’s just about getting shitfaced & punishing your liver, here you go :
https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2014/07/ten-of-the-worlds-strongest-spirits/6/
I’ve served most of the stuff on this list. Frankly I think it’s crap unless mixed correctly in the right cocktail. So jump in – but never pay more than $6USD a shot, or $20 per bottle for any of this junk. Only suckers with too much money do that.
@JLoon
Well, I paid 60€ for the bottle of brandy.
@ragingloli – Oh well. Live and learn.
At least you like it ;)
and 50€ for that bottle of finnish whiskey
@ragingloli – You have too much money.
But I say that with love.
P.S. – We forgot to mention tequila and mezcal, but my own thought is those liquors are in a class by themselves.
They don’t necessarily belong on a shitlist of cheap burnout beverages, and the agave base delivers a special drinking experience. But they’re so different it’s hard for me to comment in a way that makes sense.
Maybe a job for @bob _
Bob?
HEY BOBB!!!
For Christmas I bought myself some Absinthe, exclusively due to its reputation. When I got it home, and started looking online for preparation and mixing, I was horrified to see it is supposed to taste like black licorice, which I detest. I also found out its bad rep is not deserved. So, no hallucinations.
@filmfann mmmmmmmmm Absinthe!! bring on the hallucinations!!
Total myth. I guess I have to go experiment with mushrooms
Reason I ask is that thujone is the stuff in absinthe that creates the euphoric/hallucinatory sensations. In the US thujone content in absinthe is limited by law to 10ppm. In Europe it’s legal up to 35ppm.
Big difference. So I can’t legally serve the real thing at my bar – or even buy it from any of our suppliers stateside. I have to go to Canada and pick it up from a store in BC, and then I can only offer it to friends at home.
But when I do it’s… very interesting.
If 40 proof, 20% alcohol is high enough for you, Fonseca Bin 27 Port is delicious!
Also, Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey is cheap and fun to sip. 66 proof, 33% alcohol.
You picked rye, it’s the harshest. Not smooth at all. That taste must be acquired.
Try a little maker’s mark and see if you like that. It’s smooth and sweet but distinctly whiskey. If you’re not into that then bourbon whiskey is not your thing. Spiced rum may be though if you like brandy.
@JLoon Saint George’s, methinks.
@filmfann – Yeah, it’s US made & tamed way down. We have this in stock along with Lucid. A close match to the taste of real absinthe – but only 10ppm thujone. No real psychoactive potential at all.
Try spiced rum. Like Admiral Nelson.
@filmfann I had some Hapsburg XC on a ski trip last year to Austria. Quite an adventurous experience!!
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