Combat MIssion "Hit"

[Guest Germanboy]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mark IV:

I would rather sip the Lagavulin, Talisker, or Laphroiag, to be sure, but due to cost I reserve them for special occasions and nights out.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I bought my stuff in Europe when we still had duty free. Those were the days. I fly a lot inside Europe, so that was cool. Now the cost is so high, I have almost gone dry - makes coping with reality much less pleasant, of course.

And for taste, I love Laphroaig. So I am more into the, shall we say, distinct ones. If I want to drink something bland, I order Heineken.

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Andreas

[Mark IV]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Germanboy:

If I want to drink something bland, I order Heineken.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Believe it or not, my favorite beer and a frequent CM companion is from Thailand: Sing Ha (Germans established the original brewery around WWI). Washes down the scotch real good.

(pirate voice) Aye, har.

[CrapGame]

Mk IV, Germanboy, fiftymicrolitres,

I must say this has been the most informative thread I have read in a long time. I thank you all for the lessons. I am a barkeep on Sundays, though perhaps I would be better called a beer slinger, as the establishment I work at attracts a rather unsavory sort who prefer draft beer due to its cheap price. I rarely see a person ordering a cocktail, yet alone a single malt.

Mark IV, you have convinced me to re-examine the Black label. As I am still developing my taste for Scotch, I will give it another shot. Indeed the Blue is too expensive. The Macallan 18 year old is far cheaper.

fiftymicrolitres, great name by the way, I am a big fan of Bookers. If you like that, I do recommend Knob Creek. Another tasty bourbon, in a similar price range to Bookers, and I believe the alcohol content is slightly lower.

German Boy, is trying to find Talisker worth the effort? I have Lagavulin and Laphroiag on my list to try.

And to all, I do recommend Grey Goose vodka. Not much more expensive than Stoli Christal, but absolutely worth the money.

I'm getting thirsty. Let me know if you have any other ideas.

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CrapGame out

[guachi]

I like tequilia and I'll second the call for Patron. Really good stuff.

I believe there are five levels of tequilia:

silver/white, gold, reposada, and two others that I think mean old and really old.

If you want to get hammered on cheap stuff, go for silver or gold, although I don't particularly like gold. Much of it is just colored for American tastes.

A good sipping tequilia begins at the reposado level. But make sure that you have good salt and good limes to go along with it.

Jason

Note: I learned this stuff off the Food Network on a show called 'Taste' - one episode of which ws dedicated to tequilias (on cinco de mayo, naturally). But I did have a taste for Patron before that.

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Betas available to everyone are just publicity stunts anyways. -FK

[Guest Big Time Software]

What is this, alt.scotch.panzers?

My first experience with Scotch was in College. Hated it. But that's probably because it was the bottom-of-the-barrel 3-bucks-a-gallon stuff, since that's all we could afford! I've wanted to try something better. Does anyone have a recommendation for a scotch newbie like me? Something not too expensive or complex (yet) since I figure I'll need to work up to that to appreciate it.

I do have a somewhat (?) experienced palate for good Tequila and red wines. Patron is one of my favorites too. I haven't tried the "Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia". If you guys do, lemme know how it is!

You guys just better hope I only crack open the '97 Côtes du Rhone Villages while I'm playing CM, and not while I'm coding CM. Hey, what's the deal with these flying panzers in the v2.04 patch?!

Charles

[Bratch]

Charles,

There is a wide spectrum of single malt Scotches available to meet your preference in taste.

For a strong smokey taste go with the 16 year old Lagavulin. It is incredibly smooth but has an intense character and flavor.

If you like a less harsh, sweeter malt, I recommend the 15 year old Dalwhinnie.

The Macallan, which is available in a number of ages, the 15 year old is good, is also very drinkable with more of a sherry taste. This is due to the barrels the whiskey is aged in.

These are some of my favorites, I have tried many others but these are well suited to introducing someone to the wonderful world of single malt whisky.

As a warning there are some which should not be served to your worst enemies, I usually save them for visits from the mother-in-law. As a general rule stay away from the cheaper ones that claim to be single malt. They are rarely aged past three years (the minimum under law) and are often harsh. I was not pleased at all with Glenfiddich, it looks like dirty water in the glass and has a taste to match. Anything you can buy in the local Kmart is a good thing to stay away from.

Oh, BTW, try it first straight in order to appreciate the flavor, then you can add a little spring water to taste. Some people like to add ice but why hide the flavor of a good whisky by chilling it, save that for the cheap stuff. And NEVER, absolutely NEVER mix it with soda, that would be sacrilige of the highest order.

[Hakko Ichiu]

So much to cover in this thread, so I'm not even going to try. I'll just pour out a few random drams of wisdom gained by experience:

The Macallan -- for my money, the standard by which all other malts can be judged. One day, I shall try the 25 year old, and then, perhaps, I shall die, for I will have nothing left to which to aspire.

Talisker -- If you can, get the 30 year old, when they still used the malt that came from Skye, rather then from a central depot on the mainland. Rare and expensive, but definitely different.

The Glenlivet -- the eight year old is definitely a beginner's tipple. If you can get to the distillery, they have some more interesting stuff. But Balvennie Double-wood is a poor imitation of the Macallan.

Other Scotches to imbibe: Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Glenmorangie (the older the better). Up in Scotland, one can find all sorts of strange and wonderful products, especially at the specialty shops in Edinborough or Aberdeen. Barring that, duty-free at Heathrow has a fair selection at so-so prices. I'll probably stock up there in a couple of weeks.

Maker's Mark -- easy to find, easy to drink, much better than Mr. Daniels's stuff.

When CM2 comes out, it'll have to be Vodka. All other tipples need not apply, except maybe kvass (yuck).

For CM3, Grappa, Arak, Ouzo, and Cognac, Armangac and Calvados.

Cheers.

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Ethan

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Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe

[Mark IV]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Big Time Software:

Does anyone have a recommendation for a scotch newbie like me? Something not too expensive or complex (yet) since I figure I'll need to work up to that to appreciate it<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Keeping your request, rather than our preferences, in mind, I would recommend you start with Dewar's. Ice yes, water on the side, never soda.

Next stop, Johnnie Walker Black. Now you've bracketed the quality light and darks of the blended spectrum. Nice whiskies, no shocks to the system.

If you're still with us (will this all be in the same night?) follow the recommendations above. Many single malts WILL taste like cat piss until you've acquired the palate.

[:USERNAME:]

Carbona carpet cleaner still packs the cheapest buzz under the sink.

Other than that I like the big plastic 1.75l of vodka with the chintzy red label. I mix a vat of buzz cola and this rocket fuel together and either get drunk or strip the shelac off the cabinets.

Bourbon, whiskey and such are for old farts who have burnt out almost all thier taste buds and need to waste money.

Lewis

[Jarmo]

Sheesh. just look at this.

You got me drinking again!

And after I had been dry for almost ten hours.

This time it's Chivas Regal, which I my favourite.

Too damn expensive for me though, as I butcher it with ice,

and may even add cola or gingerale.

Mansion House is my other favourite.

Never got the taste for the walkers.

[Guest Big Time Software]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Hakko Ichiu:

For CM3, Grappa, Arak, Ouzo, and Cognac, Armangac and Calvados.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Whattaya mean CM3? I cracked open the '68 Calvados on the day CM shipped.

Hey, the GIs drank it in Normandy! It's relevant I tell you!

Charles

[THumpre]

Call me pedestrian, but I enjoy Bushmills Irish Whiskey myself- drank far more than I ought to while in college..

BTW nice to see LOSERNAME is maintaining his usual standards

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No matter where you go, there you are.

[Guest Germanboy]

Hmm, so many posts to respond to...

CG, yes, Talisker is worth walking through a desert without water, crawling the last 400 miles. It is worth rebuilding the Apollo rocket, if they had left a bottle on the moon. Do I make myself clear on this?

Steve, I think The Macallan is a good start on single malt. I never got into the blended stuff and I had some rough experiences with Bourbon. Also with Dalwhinnie, which is otherwise a perfectly pleasant but a bit boring whisky. Combination of having a bottle of that and a bad break-up, I can't even look at the bottle again.

Bushmills, there is one drinkable and that is Black Bush. Stay away from the red one, unless you want to have it as 'Hot Whiskey' (recipe above). The single malt version is too expensive for the taste experience, you are better off with Scotch Single Malts.

Lewis, so now we know what you drink before posting, that makes it a lot clearer why you post what you post. Try the Betty Ford Clinic, maybe?

Did I catch everyone?

Oh no, beer - never heard of Sing Ha. Are you sure it is not Chinese Tsingtau beer? That is from the former German colony of the same name, and until about 1989 was brewed in the original German brewery from imperial times. The only quaffable Asian beer, Asahi Dry excepted.

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Andreas

[nijis]

Over here in the brand-conscious Middle East, Johnnie Walker is virtually the sole drink of the elite, just as Marlboro is the only cigarette. The presence of the ultrablack hues on the Johnnie Walker spectrum--Gold and Blue--usually indicates that there are Gulf royalty at the table. Of course, the true powers-that-be in General and Military Intelligence would only drink exotic Scottish brands to show off their MI6 connections, while the salt-of-the-earth types stick to Johnnle Watker's Black Table, Gacardi Rum, or Gordoon's Dry Din, all brought to you by Nile Distilleries for only $2 a bottle and only 10 percent methanol by volume.

[JeffRaider]

Definitely Glenmorangie is a great one. I know Glenfiddich isn't a top of the line single malt, but it's usually the best scotch they serve at the nightclubs my girl drags me out to. Ugh. In fact, I've agreed to go tonight, for no better reason that being drunk passes the time until Combat Mission shows up.

Actually, I made the mistake of ordering "scotch" once, not "Glenwhatever", and they brought me some JW Red Label. UGH.

As for bourbons, JD and JB are my personal choices, though I've still got a bottle of M'sM in the liquor cabinet.

[Formerly Babra]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by fiftymicrolitres:

How consumed? Straight up in a brandy snifter.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Amen, brother.

[Phoenix]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by guachi:

I believe there are five levels of tequilia:

silver/white, gold, reposada, and two others that I think mean old and really old.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

There's really only two "good" kinds.

Reposado and Anejo.

Reposada means "rested" and by law must have been aged for 2 months to a year.

Anejo means "aged" - and must have been aged for a minimum of 1 year, no more than 5.

Any other kind of distinctive title on the label is just something the distiller puts on their bottles.

[Phoenix]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Big Time Software:

I haven't tried the "Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia". If you guys do, lemme know how it is!

Charles<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Charles, I have had it. Several times.

It's incredible.

It's dark in color. Incredibly rich and full bodied. Unlike any other I have tried and I've tried a LOT of them.

Next time you get to a bar that has an excellent selection of Tequilas try it there. Probably cost ya $6 for a "shot" (1), but it's worth it since it's around $80 per bottle.

I just saw one today in my grocery store. Yeah, we have some excellent grocery stores in California!! I almost bought it. I will soon.

We've got a sports/college bar in town that has around 30 premium Tequilas. Mmmmmm!!

(1) Of course you know you DONT shoot this kind of Tequila. It's best serverd in a Brandy snifter.

[This message has been edited by Phoenix (edited 06-17-2000).]

[Mark IV]

Originally posted by Germanboy:

...yes, Talisker is worth walking through a desert without water, crawling the last 400 miles. It is worth rebuilding the Apollo rocket, if they had left a bottle on the moon. Do I make myself clear on this?

I'm sure we would get along.

I had some rough experiences with Bourbon.

Never could stand the stuff. My dad drank Jim Beam, so that was all I could steal, and I had decided I wasn't a whisky drinker. Discovering scotch changed my life. I was headed down, down, spiraling under the kitchen sink where the floor cleaners and, apparently, Username are found, when I discovered the true nectar of the gods.

Oh no, beer - never heard of Sing Ha. Are you sure it is not Chinese Tsingtau beer?

Yes. Very. Seek it out- a lot of Thai restaurants serve it here in CA. Avoid the other Thai offering found in some, called Chang- yecch. Sing Ha is the name you want on the label, spelled just like that. From Thailand. A little similar to Dos Equi Amber if you like Mexican stuff (liquids, that is) but better.

[:USERNAME:]

Carbona is best in a brandy sniffer..just dont drink it..

[CrapGame]

I go away for a short trip to the liquor store to try and reinforce what I have learned to day, and what happens? I find out Charles has been here. This thread is getting better and better except for the couple of posts I don't need to mention. Informative to a new level.

So I had no luck finding Lagavulin or Laphroaig today. I did manage to find a bottle of Dalwhinnie, which I see has been recommended a couple of times here. And Germanboy, I shall continue my quest for Talisker ASAP. Thanks for the advice.

Unfortunately, I cannot comment on Tequila. In college, I lived next door to a kid named Rico (seriously) who drank tequila by the bottle - nightly. This stuff was so bad, it made Two Fingers tequila seem like a great vintage Dom Perignon. Needless to say, Rico was a lot bigger than me, and when he got loaded, he had a bad habit of putting me in a headlock and forcing me to drink that crap. There are few things that I can think of that are worse than having a lot of really cheap tequila pouring out of your nose. It has been 11 years since I lived next to Rico, and I still have nightmares about that crap. So much so, that I won't serve it at my bar.

Charles, on another note, do you have any recommendations on introducing a newbie to Red Wines? My wife and I are relatively new to the wine thing, and would appreciate any ideas for a starting point. Thanks

Gentlemen, outstanding posts. I am going to go grab a scotch. I think I will try the Dalwhinnie I got today.

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CrapGame out

[Guest Big Time Software]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by CrapGame:

Charles, on another note, do you have any recommendations on introducing a newbie to Red Wines?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Note to self: try not to drone on so long about red wine that one's audience goes to sleep and regrets having asked about it in the first place.

OK!

First issue, what sort of wines do you like already? If nothing comes to mind, that's OK. But maybe there are some wines you already know about. It doesn't matter what.

I ask this because it can tell me something about your taste. Perhaps you like sweeter wines, or maybe not. Maybe something with a strong full-bodied fruit taste, or maybe not.

Anyhow, in advance of hearing your reply, I'll throw out a few suggestions and generalities that, if overheard by any Sommelier would have me subjected to a stern lecture and a lot of finger-wagging.

OK, first. Forget about any snobbery stuff. If anyone is telling you that you should only drink "finely aged" claret, or that you must sniff the cork lest you be labeled a Philistine, fuggedabout it. There can be a time and place for this, but not when you're starting out. Don't let it intimidate you. Just think about Frazier and Niles Crane pontificating about wines that are "chewy, but never prescient, with a fleeting attack on the palate" and have a good laugh - and then just enjoy the wine.

WARNING: I have no idea what I'm talking about. I only started learning about this wine thing about a year ago. Trust no one, but the truth is out there! OK...

So what to start with? I think that, to start, consider "New World" wines. By that I mean wines that come from anywhere but Europe. I make this recommendation not based on quality, but because wines from the USA, Chile, Australia, South Africa (and others) have labels that are easy to understand. They tell you the name of the winery, and the type of grape that's used. This is generally known as a "varietal" wine, after the "variety" of grape used (e.g. Merlot grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, etc.). Europe is different. Wines there are labeled by where they're made, usually the name of the town they come from. Each town has a traditional style of how it makes wine, and they just assume you know that wines from, say, Bordeaux are usually made mostly from Caberet Sauvignon with some Merlot blended in. That's a whole lesson in itself so don't worry about that for now. Stick with the simpler New World wine at first and determine what types you like, then move on.

So what to buy first? In general, I'd try:

1. California Merlot (medium-bodied, usually a nice fruit taste)

2. Oregon or California Pinot Noir (usually mellow and lighter-bodied, not too overpowering)

3. Australian Shiraz (mmmmm.... smoooth)

Echelon winery makes a good Merlot and a good Pinot Noir that shouldn't be too hard to find. Rosemount makes a good Aussie Shiraz that's also not too hard to find.

If you are feeling a little more adventurous and don't mind the somewhat-confusing European-style labeling which identifies wine by the place where it's made rather than the type of grape (well, usually that's how it is), then I suggest:

4. French "Côtes du Rhône" (grapey, jammy, delicious)

5. Almost anything Italian, but the easiest to start with is "Dolcetto" (usually Dolcetto D'Alba, "Alba" being the place where it's made). Just slightly sweet and easy to drink. Damn good stuff.

OK you're probably all asleep now so I'll stop. I hope that helps!

Charles

[This message has been edited by Big Time Software (edited 06-17-2000).]

[Seanachai]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Scott C:

For sheer naming style, no other scotch can compete with:

Old Sheep Dip!

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You know, when I was a mere youth, and had stopped into the Canadian liquor store at the border with my Dad, I was going along the shelves and found a red Australian table wine called 'Emu 666'. Wish I'd bought the damn thing to keep, for the label alone.

"This is not a wine for drinking, this is a wine for lying down and avoiding."

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After witnessing exceptional bravery from his Celtic mercenaries, Alexander the Great called them to him and asked if there was anything they feared. They told him nothing, except that the sky might fall on their heads.

[This message has been edited by Seanachai (edited 06-17-2000).]

[:USERNAME:]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Germanboy:

Lewis, so now we know what you drink before posting, that makes it a lot clearer why you post what you post. Try the Betty Ford Clinic, maybe?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hermanbouy

I hate the royal "we'.

Lewis

PS Tried Snobaholixs Anonymous lately?

[Bobbaro]

Every taste of Scotch I had experenced was the worst. I wondered at the sanity or at least at the tougue health of the individual who avowed the stuff. The brother of my ion in law fell on hard times with DWI and amended his ways by leaving what remained of a bottle of Scotch at my house where his brother was living at the time. Screwing up my courage I approached the bottle and in an expermental mood I lifted a little sample. Total shock!

It was Glenlivit aged 12 years. No comparison to the poison previously encountered. Of course I understand that palitability is not the only shock when you pay for it yourself.

I still search for a comparable experence in red wine. I have not had any that was not improved by taking it along with some food that covered some less than desirable strains of flavor. I have enjoyed it with some really stinky cheeses, but does any stand alone as a fine unsullyed flavor? Prices are not reliable. I have found some good drinking in 99 cent bargin bins (some years back), and payed way more for lesser experences. I am no elevated con-a-sewer of sophisticated and trained palate in these matters. I am more like a kid, and when ice-cream sucks, it sucks. On the otherhand it can be wonderful.

So the same with beverages made from rotted vegetable matter. You gotta suspect such products. So when you check one out that actually tastes good, inspite of the included products of decomposition, you can thank your stars. Of course there are those with the toungues of vultures, who enjoy rotten flavors. Take care you do not risk your wallet on advice. Trust your own tongue, if not only, then mainly.