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I've been called a beer snob by some folks. I don't buy it. I love good beer, sure. But I also drink Bud, Miller (High Life), Coors (gold not silver) and PBR. It's all good. And different times and places require different types of brews. The last time I went to the beer store to buy a little some some, I walked away with a 12-pack of PBR and a 4-pack of Belhaven Scottish Ale. That's pretty standard for me. The dichotomy of the choices, not the actual beers themselves.
I have been a tequila snob at one point in my life though. It was between 12-15 years ago when good tequila first started hitting big here in the States. If it wasn't anejo and it wasn't expensive, I wasn't interested in it. I tried it all. I remember finding a shitty restaurant in Jacksonville, FL that, for some reason, had a bottle of Porfidio Single Barrel Anejo behind the bar and they were selling it on the ridiculous cheap. That was a good night.
Then, somehow, I started to enjoy the blancos and reposados even more. They were stronger tasting, peppery and had a delicious tequila flavor. I know...tequila with a tequila flavor. Sounds weird, right? But some of the anejos are aged to the point where they taste mellow enough to be a Bourbon. That's when I really knew I had become a tequila snob. Because I could easily wade through the crap (Patron) and the uber-expensive (Herradura Seleccion Suprema) to find the hidden gem that was Cazadores Reposado. Or something similar.
Too late of a start in life to become a Scotch snob. It's such an acquired taste and there are so many distilleries that I just don't have the energy to focus myself into becoming a Scotch snob. And I like good Bourbon, but there are so many folks that I know that can spot a great Bourbon from a mile away that I usually defer to them when it comes to picking a good sipper.
But I think I want to become an Irish Whiskey snob.
It appeals to me on many levels. I'm a product of a primarily Irish background, for one thing. And there aren't nearly as many distillers in Ireland as their are in Scotland. But there is definitely some good stuff out there.
Yesterday, I had to pick up a bottle of Bourbon at the liquor store to bring to a party (to make these) and I spied a bottle of Irish Whiskey I had never seen before.
A 1994 Knappogue Castle pot-stilled Single Malt Irish Whiskey.
It was much paler than any whiskey I had ever seen before. And the price was downright reasonable for a Single Malt at $33 for a liter. So I figured why the hell not?
I had a wee glass when I got home from the party and it was absolutely delicious. Love at first taste. Not the best whiskey I've ever had, but unbeatable for the price.
So yeah...I think I want to become an Irish Whiskey snob.
Everyone has to have a goal, right?
Note: Remember to play the Bug-Eyed Trivia Challenge every day. All the fucking snobs are doing it.
Pissed in the corner by Verdant Earl at 12:01 AM
Bella@That damn expat said...
That's a noble goal.
What's wrong with enjoying a good drink?
Start off with a wee drap of Jameson's. I believe its now distilled in Cork, although if memory serves it started life in Dublin.
It mixes well when taken with stout or lager, but strangely not with beer.
My wife's totally a beer snob. She won't drink Bud, Coors, PBR, any of those.
I found this post to be very interesting.
Being that I have no clue about anything you wrote, I now feel the urge to try bourbon and scotch. I have no clue what irish whiskey even tastes like. Is it strong?? Is bourbon strong? When i say strong i mean does it burn your throat and intestines as it goes down into your body???
Bella - nothing wrong at all.
Jimmy - Jameson and Bushmills are the two most common types of Irish Whiskey over here. I've had my share (and three other folks shares) of those two before. Now it's time to move onto bigger and better things. Although Bushmills Single Malt and Jameson 18 year-old are absolutely delicious. A bit on the expensive side, though.
Avitable - I know some folks like that. I dunno. Time and a place, like I said.
Michelle - most standard whiskey is around 80 proof. There are some higher proof spirits available, but generally you will find them around that. And they only burn all the way down if you light them on fire first. I wouldn't suggest that.
I'm trying to pretend I'm a wine snob, but realistically, I'm just kind of turning into a wino.
As far as whiskey goes, I like myself a small glass of Bailey's Irish Creme over ice now and then. Is that something an Irish Whiskey snob would snub their nose at?
Jameson's and Coke at the Holiday Cocktail Lounge on St. Marks. Earl,I know you're with me...who else is in? The night's not over until we prematurely vacate a taxi. I'm out.
Just be careful. That shit's dangerous !
you've ALSO been called a dick.
Kate - love the wino line! And nothing wrong with Bailey's.
WLC - Jameson and Coke is the bomb, yo!
Heff - I promise to practice safe boozing.
Slyde - No, that was Saturday or Friday that you called me a dick. Get your dates straight, man.
I've been a tequila snob before. I never really drank it much, but then a boss of mine learned me the proper way to drink it. The only kind I would drink for the longest time was a Porfidio Cactus (reposado) at $90 a bottle. Since they removed that from the states some years ago (it's now back, but at $120 a bottle), I've scaled back my tequila consumption A LOT. We have 1800 Silver and Patron Silver in the house, but mostly for those times when we make margaritas.
I don't remember the last time I did a shot. Easily over a year ago.
Marty - Porfidio was a perennial favorite of mine. The reposado came in that purple or blue round bottle with the small cork, right? Great stuff.
A podcast that I listen to, The Mind of Men, review a cigar and a drink at the end of each show. I think that they usually do a bourbon.
Even though I don't drink I still find the reviews interesting.
Ookami - funny, before I started to like whiskey I was always intrigued by it. I always wanted to try it. Took me a while though.
I've never been to big on Irish Whiskey. My whiskey tastes run to bourbon or a good Canadian Blend.
I love tequila but I am not a snob about it. Give me a bottle of Cuervo Gold and I'm one happy dude.
Evyl - I'm definitely more comfortable with Jose Cuervo than i used to be. I USED to be a tequila snob.
Nothing wrong with being a "drink snob" - I'm a bit of a beer snob, but I figure it's cuz i've tasted enough to know what's crap and what's not! - Nothing wrong with that :)
Zig - nothing wrong with that at all. Admirable, even. :)
I'm not sure I am a snob but I definitely am picky about my beer. I don't like american beer or light beers. There's no point in them, if you ask me. I am also a slow drinker so my beer has to taste good at room temperature too. I may only have one every once in a while, but when I do, it has to be good. I love some irish ales and heavy, dark beers. I think I can live without whiskey though. But I could become a vodka snob. :)
Teeni - don't even get me started on vodka. It's a neutral spirit. Technically, they should all taste the same. I just don't get premium vodka.
Last weekend when I was at the grocery store, I bought some wine in a box......
Needless to say, I am headed in the opposite direction as you....times are tough here in the Southwest.
I hate whiskey, but that bottle is PRETTY!
Oh, Im sorry..did I de-manify the whole whiskey snob thing for you?
Bruce - cutting back doesn't mean sacrificing that much. But I don't really drink wine, so wine out of a box might be okay in my book.
~E - Not at all. And funny because it's a very plain bottle as whiskeys go. Looks more like a bottle of wine.
@earl... yep, blue bottle with the small cork. I've drank many bottles of that in the past. Now it's just memories.
Hi there! Popped in to say my boyfriend, who normally drinks single-malt scotches, also bought a bottle of Knappogue recently after doing a tasting at our local liquor/wine shop. He is now a BIG fan!
Normally I like bourbons but it is very nice! And like you said, a bargain at that price!
Trisha - thanks for the pop-in. I found an even weirder whiskey bargain last night at the local liquor store. A Rittenhouse Rye BiB 100 for $15. It won the North American Whiskey of the Year a couple of years ago and it was surprisingly mellow on the rocks. Gonna have a few more tonight while enjoying/trashing on the Oscars.