Beverages of All Kinds

[Ziggy]

I had some of those Jack and Cokes! They were actually pretty good. I'd get them again. But I wont be surprised if I never see them in the supermarket again. That happens with so many things (especially if you like it).

For energy drinks, I do actually like Red Bull. I've tried a sip of one or two others, and they're mostly horrible. But I like the way Red Bull tastes. I limit myself to the smallest size, and only 1 per day. When I Googled it, the small size has about as much caffeine as a regular cup of coffee. Maybe even less. Ever see those "extra caffeine" coffees? And there probably isn't any more sugar in them than what some people add to their coffee. Still, probably not the best thing to be drinking daily, which is mostly why I limit myself to one.

[Gucci]

I’ve seen the extra caffeine stuff in pod form. Years ago, there was a KCup pod called REVV that Allegedly had twice the caffeine. Even three times the caffeine depending on the sources. I’ve had Nespresso pods that had 20% more caffeine from the Vertuo line (the bigger pods). You definitely felt it in both cases.

If I remember correctly, you’re over in Long Island, right? I don’t know the laws out there when it comes to sales of spirits, but over in the five boroughs I think they could only sell the Jack and Coke stuff and liquor stores while regular beer and malt beverages can be sold supermarkets.

[Ziggy]

Yep, Long Island. It depends on the alcohol content. When I purchased Jack and Coke, it was from a supermarket. Supermarkets here can sell some alcoholic beverages besides beer, but only when the alcohol content is low. I forget what the threshold is. So you'll find Mike's Hard Lemonade and that sort of think in supermarkets, maybe cooking wines. But those Mai Tai rum drinks that are really strong, those you have to go to the liquor store for.

[marurun]

A lot of people who are allergic to peach are also allergic to almond because they are closely related plants. The real problem is that artificial peach flavoring is usually almond-based, so it’s typically a lose-lose for anyone with peach allergies

[marurun]

So, my mixing whisky is typically Old Grand-Dad Bonded 100 Proof. It's affordable and mixes well.

And my cheap(ish) beer of choice is Trader Joe's hefeweizen.

[o.pwuaioc]

My new cheap go-to for bourbon whiskey is Evan Williams. Maybe I don't have the most sophisticated palate when it comes to liquor, but I think Evan Williams is great for the price. Jack Daniel's is too expensive now, and I got kind of sick of it.

I drank way too much Evan Williams when I was in college. It's way cheaper than the rest but isn't swill. In fact, I'd say it's better than Jack Daniel's, but I haven't tasted either in many years. Over time though I lost my taste for sweetness, and now, while I can do it, I mostly prefer scotch to bourbon.

Does anyone here drink energy drinks?

Every year or so, typically when it's hot, I'll splurge on a Red Bull, but that's the extent of my energy drink consumption. I tried a Rockstar a couple years ago, and I found it vile. I don't know how I was able drink so much (so, so much) of it in college.

Talisker and Lagavulin are my thing. Along with Oban. If you like the Storm, you should try Dark Storm. It is a travel retail exclusive that is supposedly smokier than the standard Storm. You can order it through websites like Fine Drams if you don’t plan on traveling overseas.

Regarding Lagavulin, I’m a fan of the standard 16 year and 8 year is quite good too. The 16 year has gone up in price though. The 11 year Offerman edition is pretty awesome. It’s sort of their experimental line where they finish the whiskey in different types of casks. The first edition I gifted it to someone so I don’t remember what that was finished in, but I have the second edition, finished in Guinness beer cask, the third one was finished in charred oak casks, and the most recent one was finished in Caribbean rum casks. I have a bottle of the 12 year special release from 2018 that’s bottled at cask strength, but I haven’t cracked it open yet. From what I gathered, the 12 year special release is where it's at if you like Lagavulin. Just enough time in a barrel to round out the edges but still get lots of the distiller's influence and at cask strength.

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll definitely seek out Dark Storm. Although I will be traveling soon, not to Europe (where I presume it's being sold).

Have you tried Kavalan Taiwanese whisky?

[Gucci]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll definitely seek out Dark Storm. Although I will be traveling soon, not to Europe (where I presume it's being sold).

Have you tried Kavalan Taiwanese whisky?

I have not but always wanted to try them. Their Solist series are always in the top running for awards. They can be pricey: from a couple of hundred to several hundred bucks. But they are cask strength so money well spent if you’re into the brand.

[o.pwuaioc]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll definitely seek out Dark Storm. Although I will be traveling soon, not to Europe (where I presume it's being sold).

Have you tried Kavalan Taiwanese whisky?

I have not but always wanted to try them. Their Solist series are always in the top running for awards. They can be pricey: from a couple of hundred to several hundred bucks. But they are cask strength so money well spent if you’re into the brand.

So this is when having a Taiwanese friend comes in handy. You can only bring back so much if you visit, but it's worth bringing back, as the price is so much better than here in the US.

[Gucci]

Very true. Domestic prices will always be better.

There are three sites that ship to the US and is dependent on the state you live in: The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky World, Fine Drams, Hard to Find Whisky, and the recently added Master of Malt.

The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt have 30ML samples. Fine Drams and Whisky World have a great selection of travel retail exclusive bottles.

[Gucci]

The other day, I went to the local super market and saw they had olive oil in a plastic bottle. I thought that was outrageous for extra virgin olive oil. Glass bottles I thought was the norm. I didn’t want anything from the plastic to impart flavors onto the olive oil.

I just saw a post today that Johnnie Walker Red Label now comes in the plastic bottle. Just awful. I’m not a scientist or anything but having a liquid with 40% ABV and in constant contact with plastic isn’t a good idea.