Other than Whisk(e)y?

@GotOak91 Ever since I've started managing a import craft beer store I have to say that I enjoy the odd imperial stout / imperial porter as long as it's done well. I've got quite a few friends trying to get me into brandy and cognac, and a good friend on Connosr has been suggesting tequila and rums to me for a while, but I've got to be honest. Cash can be a bit of an issue as I actually have to try the beers I sell (otherwise how can I know what YOU'LL like) and even though that's tax deductible it does eat up a fair bit of my income. The rest of my play money goes straight into different whiskies.

I've enjoyed some rums, tequilas and cognacs before, but none have managed to grab me in quite the same way as whisky does. I don't know why, something about the way it all comes together in nose, mouthfeel, taste, finish, all of it, somehow makes whisky the clear winner every time so far for me!

@SquidgyAsh Most understandable, there is nothing like the craftsmanship that goes into a bottle of whisk(e)y and I thank you for your response for this is my first thread and I wasn't sure what kind of reaction Id get amongst the mostly whisk(e)y drinking community.

@GotOak91, yes, there is probably at least one other non-whisk(e)y alcohol thread, but it's getting hard to find them now if you don't have the near-exact discussion title.

I like a large range of spirits, just as I like a large range of types of whisky: aged rums, brandies (terroir-esque ou non), gins, various beers, especially the dark ones, etc. What has surprised me, and took a while in the making is that Tequila/ Mezcal has become my favourite spirit love outside of whisk(e)y. I always considered Tequila to be 'the final frontier' that I might never like. Not so now, not at all. It took me awhile for my palate to like blancos. I do now. What's left? I still have never had a pisco that I liked. One day, maybe.

Absolutely ! I very much enjoy Irish Whiskeys, Rum, Brandy, aged Tequilla, the subtilities of Vodka, and tasty liqeurs, such as Tuaca and DramBuie. There are many wonderful rums such as Goslings Old Rum, Pyrat XO, Zaya, Ron Zacappa, Ron Centenario, Matusalem, Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva, Santa Teresa 1796, Zafra, etc. Some are sweet and some are dry ... it all depends what mood I'm in.

Ales are wonderful, but really high in calories; wines are great, but high-priced and perishable, esp after opened. In general, it is all about choice :)

@AboutChoice I like you rum choices unfortunately can't find a couple of those around me without having to take a road trip to the nearest major city like the S.T. 1796 and the Ron Centenario among a couple of those.

@Victor Im not the greatest fan of tequila/mezcal and I would regard it as you did as "the final frontier" probably doesn't help that I haven't had great experiences with it or the lack of finding premium tequila/giving it the attention it deserves. Regarding the mezcal though, it seems like something Id enjoy more since the pinas are cooked.

@GotOak91 The Don Julio Anejo is beautiful. My experience with tequilas is minimal, but when I decided to give them a try I tried to go with one that I'd heard nothing but good things about. I believe it ran me $200 or somewhere close for a bottle of it (almost 10 yrs ago now, not sure what it goes for these days), but we brought it out for special occasions and EVERYONE loved it. When they could breathe again :D

@SquidgyAsh I have heard great things about Don Julio it seems like a worthy distiller of tequila to try when I get the chance. I know of a bar that sells Don Julio I might have to try it hopefully it won't be too oxidized but it would still be a better bet to try it before making the considerable investment.

@GotOak91 It's definitely worth it. If I'm in a bar and we move away from whisky and they have it, this is where I take the group!

@GotOak91, you might be able to order many good bottles from NY or NJ ... check the shipping policies of the online liquor stores out there; also DAndM.com in Calif.

@SquidgyAsh, for the Reposado and Anejo, Don Julio is also one of my favorites (for sipping). And I would assume that @Victor also knows about these: Centenario and El Tesoro (all around $60). I don't sample Tequillas too often, but they can be an alternative treat now & then. But please save the cheap tequillas for the Margaritas :)

@AboutChoice Just looked at DAndM.com as a preliminary lookover and that looks like a great site. Im kind of surprised I haven't heard of it. Im going to take a more indepth look here shortly thanks for the recommendation.

I like ethanol

@NilsG Nice :) I think we all do in one form or another.

I just managed 17 bottles of Deschutes "The Abyss". An annual seasonal stout hailed by some as "the world's best. Interesting to note it has a "Best after" date of Dec 2013. I have 11 bottles of the 2011 release, 7 bottles of 2010. I need to research when these peak. Anywho, if you don't have one now there's always next year!

blog.seattlepi.com/thepourfool/2012/…

beership.com/deschutes-the-abyss-2012-stout…

My journey started with wine about ten years from now when I was in my late twenties and this love affair still continues. Wine was the starting point for my sensoric development and Whisk(e)y soon became my second love. If I´m not in the mood for Whisky I really enjoy aged rums (e.g. old Enmore, Caroni or Albion...), cognacs (Pitaud Extra is my current favorite) and armagnacs (Darroze etc...), grappa (Berta riserva del fondatore,Romano Levi ...), fruit brandies especially from austria, italy and germany (capovilla, reisetbauer, guglhof, rochelt) and tequilas (Don Julio 1942 anejo is my favorite).

I was never that much into beer but some artisan distilleries really make terrific products with great depth and quality. As you mentioned cocktails - they are a great field to explore and try new things (smoking, teas, bottle aging to name but a few).

I love wine. I enjoy white wine when it's hot. I especially love Italian white wines. And when it's not that hot I enjoy red wines. Chile, New Zealand or Australia are my favourites.

I tried rums but couldn't really get into them. Maybe I didn't try the 'right' one. The best I've tested was Matusalem 15yo. And I didn't really like it neat.

I used to drink cognacs before my whisky journey. But now I don't drink them at all.

I may have a beer or too from time to time. And some vodka on a rare occasion.

Actually, I think whisky has helped me appreciate other beverages even more. I didn't like cognac before, but now I think it can be a very pleasant drink. I've always liked red wine, but I can get more from the nose now than before. But beer is what has improved most for me thanks to whisky. Rather than just pouring it down the throat I focus more on the taste now. So thanks whisky!

@AboutChoice, re Tequilas, Viva El Tesoro Anejo! ...still haven't opened that very special bottle of Don Julio 1942, @maltster. THAT will be a very special day.

@NilsG Ditto for me. Whisky showed me that other spirits aren't always about shots and getting drunk, and instead allowed me to see the subtle nuances in each distinct type.

@michaelschout @NilsG And quite opposite for me) As soon as I started appreciating whisky I almost stopped drinking and enjoying other strong beverages. They all seem boring and flat. And another facet of it - when I enter a liquor store I can't convince myself to spend money buying another drinks, given there are so many whiskies I want to try))

a) Rums (good, aged premium rums - St. Nicholas Abbey 12, El Dorado 12 / 15 / etc.) b) Pisco (when used in Pisco Sours or other mixed drinks) c) imported beers, especially strong stouts like Sinha (Sri Lanka) or Dragon (Jamaica), or the Innis & Gunn line of oak aged beer. I find that a lot of the mass-produced North American beer is rather awful...

I enjoy a dinner with wine, dessertwine and Cognac and cuban sigar one weekend, and mikrobrew or homebrew and whisky the other weekend.

@YakLord I, again agree that macrobrews made in the U.S. are disgusting once you've had a microbrew (from anywhere) you can't have another American mass-produced beer ever again. Its just not the same.

@NilsG I agree the art of tasting whisk(e)y has taught me to enjoy other beverages also. I do agree that whisk(e)y is my primary choice for deciphering with my senses so far anyway.

@Wodha The Abyss sounds great Ill have to get one next year.

@GotOak91 Hahaha the macrobrews piss me off with how many people come into my beer shop (it's mainly micro beers and completely craft beers) asking for Heineken, Corona, Emu Bitter (Aussie macro beer) Budweiser, Miller Genuine Draft, etc etc etc you pick the country and you'll find that SOMEONE want's that country's Pale Lager brought in for them as it's "sooooo goood!" Sorry folks but please give me a beer with some flavor!

I do enjoy vintage ports a lot besides whisky. And am fond of the wide range of beers(import) found in my area

70% of the time I'm a beer drinker, almost all my favorites are microbrews (Founders, Green Flash, Stone, Ballast Point). I drink mostly porters and stouts; however, they can be hard to find in the summer so I switch over to IPAs. I also love red wine, but it only makes up about 5% of intake. Whisky gets the rest!

@Max oh the worldwide sales of beer have drastically decreased since I started my whisky journey. I don't drink beer half as much as before, but when I do it's more enjoyable.

However, drinking whisky has brought one negative thing. I don't seem to enjoy nihonshu (Japanese rice wine) as much as I did before. And I'm honestly sad about that.