Alcoholics Associated

[FatherAlabaster]

3 minutes ago, SurgicalBrute said:

Great Lakes supposedly makes a good one too, but I haven't seen it pop up around here yet. Some of the specialty beers I can understand, but it's weird how some beers from a brewer, even if there's nothing rare about it, just don't pop up in an area

Maybe it's to do with the preponderance of local stuff, like you were saying about your area. Wish some more of these local NEIPA specialists would tackle a rye, now that I'm thinking about it.

 

That High West stuff is available around here but it's more like $50 a bottle if I recall. I have heard great things about it. Even the cheaper ryes are more palatable to me than comparable bourbons, I used to really like Old Overholt for the $20 a fifth cost. I don't think I'm buying a bottle of nice whiskey anytime soon, gotta wait for my ship to come in here.

[AlSymerz]

Looking at all those Whiskeys on the previous page there is only one of them (High West) available over the counter in this country and we'd nearly need a second mortgage to buy that one.

 

[GoatmasterGeneral]

2 hours ago, KillaKukumba said:

Looking at all those Whiskeys on the previous page there is only one of them (High West) available over the counter in this country and we'd nearly need a second mortgage to buy that one.

 

I've purchased Knob Creek while in your country, (made by Jim Beam which is owned by Suntory, a Japanese company that also owns the Basil Hayden's and Maker's Mark brands) and yeah it was fucking $86 AUD which is about $60 US or roughly 50% higher than the $40 I'd have to pay for it here. Too bad all they seem to actually make right there in OZ is single malts which I'm not a big fan of at all.

[AlSymerz]

Yeah Knob Creek is at most stores, as is all flavours of Beam and Markers Mark. Beam is bottled here under license I believe but not sure about the others. In most cases if it has to be imported by the case it increases the cost and therefore makes the availability less.

The supermarket bottle shops and the smaller places are less likely to import the higher cost stuff because they then have to mark they price up more making it a smaller seller. The larger bulk buy type stores, of which there is only a few, will import in larger numbers bring their cost down, but with government taxes and profit they still make the price higher but people think they are getting something special for a bargain price because that's what the shop advertises.

That High West was $99 bottle from an online store that doesn't guarantee stock levels are accurate and able to be shipped immediately. In a large 'discount' liquor store, paying rent and wages etc, that would be $120-150 and marked as a special price.

[blaaacdoommmmfan]

On 1/28/2022 at 9:11 PM, KillaKukumba said:

I suppose in some ways my ulcer did help me cut back even further, but that only flares up occasionally, usually after too much salt or citrus. However I'd cut down a heap more than that years ago and I don't really know why. I think I just got sick of the high price of booze, then got sick of drinking beer, then got sick of drinking cider, then prices went up again and confirmed my thoughts so I just gradually went back to bourbon or whiskey only. Now I have half a cartoon of beer that's been sitting here more than 12 months and I only open when I want to make a beer batter for some fish, even then the smell of the open can reminds me why I gave up drinking the stuff.

 

That's a good reason to cut back pal re your ulcer. I had a ibd flare up for about 2 years so drinking was so unpleasant during this period so  I just stopped for nearly all of it until the troublesome area was zapped💥from what I saw on camera survey I knew I must cut back and I did. 😱😁

Good reason to cut back re the price of the drink. It's expensive. Less so with offers😁 

[AlSymerz]

Between cigarettes and alcohol I used to spend a fortune on my vices. In the 80's it was about $25 for a case of beer (24 cans or bottles), $23 for a bottle of Jack Daniels and about $7 for a packet of smokes (30's). These days it's about $50 for a case (premium/boutique up to double that), $45-50 for a bottle of Jack and $40 for a packet of 30 smokes. I'd have to sell too many cows every week to keep up the habits I used to have.

[GoatmasterGeneral]

When I went off to college in South Carolina in 1979/80 the cigarette machine in the dorm hallway dispensed packs of 20 for 50 cents. That's when I started smoking every day. I quit in 2007 when they had gotten up to $15 a pack in NYC. Can't even imagine anyone being willing to pay $40 a pack even for 30. But I can't imagine anyone paying $15 either even though I know I did.

Case of 24 beers was $7 to $10 back in 1980 for the mass produced bargain brands, Bud or PBR or Coors or something. Nowadays the macro bargain brands go anywhere from $16 to $20 a case, although a 12-pack will also generally set you back in the $12 to $17 range so it makes sense to buy it by the case if you drink the bargain swill brands.

The craft beer that's become so popular these days often comes in 4-packs which can be priced at anywhere from $10 to $25 or even more. Seems like I've been seeing a lot less $10 or $12 4-packs lately and a lot more $15 or $18. It's like paying bar prices for the beer you drink at home. But I usually only have one or occasionally two in a day. In 1980 I was probably drinking a dozen or more at a time.

[AlSymerz]

Smokes here go up at least twice a year because they are indexed to rise with inflation. It's not the wholesale sell price of them that goes up it's the tax portion that the government collects that goes up, but since we don't have Price + Tax no one really knows what the tax they pay is, which is probably just as well.

The Goods And Services Tax (GST) is 10% but things like booze, fuel and smokes have extra taxes added to them. We have at least 2 separate taxes added to fuel, of which one increases twice a year and some annalists suggest that more than 70% of what we pay at the pump is tax. Cigarettes are in a similar situation, I don't think it's as high as 70% taxes but it will be one day. Alcohol is not taxed quite as heavily last time time I looked. However anything over 40% alc vol is taxed at something like an extra 15% to stuff under 40%. 

[Dead1]

I don't mind all the extra taxes on these goods.  In fact I am opposed to all the income tax cuts especially for rich and upper middle class.  Back in the old days top marginal rates were like 67% (US peaked at 91%).

 

And if people want to be stupid and drink and smoke then let them pay taxes!*  I'd also jack up taxes on products with high sugar content, electronics and products with large amounts of packaging.

 

*Says an ex-smoker and ex-alcoholic.

 

 

[navybsn]

13 hours ago, Dead1 said:

I don't mind all the extra taxes on these goods.  In fact I am opposed to all the income tax cuts especially for rich and upper middle class.  Back in the old days top marginal rates were like 67% (US peaked at 91%).

 

And if people want to be stupid and drink and smoke then let them pay taxes!*  I'd also jack up taxes on products with high sugar content, electronics and products with large amounts of packaging.

 

*Says an ex-smoker and ex-alcoholic.

 

 

I agree. This stuff (minus electronics but there is an argument to be made) are harmful to a person's health and add to the overall burden of everyone through the healthcare system/increased health insurance premiums/etc. No problem with collecting a little bit more off these products.

It's not just electronics. Packaging on everything is getting to be over the top. My recycling bin is overflowing every week with cardboard, plastic, and paper from stuff we buy and/or junk mail. Horribly wasteful. My wife brought home a new cat yesterday and the associated stuff he needs seeing as we got rid of the stuff for our previous cat. Once I had put everything together, I had quite the pile of cardboard and plastic leftover. Most was completely unnecessary, but I do understand it makes the shipping more efficient.

[AlSymerz]

In the last 4 weeks I've bought a new shed, a new bed in a box, a new vacuum cleaner and a new bike. The amount of cardboard I have here is going to take me 2 months to get rid in my normal recycling bin along with our normal recycling which is collected every 2 weeks. I will rip it up into small pieces to fit in the recycling bin but it's still a crap ton of cardboard of which all was pretty much necessary to get the items too me.

 

[blaaacdoommmmfan]

On 1/29/2022 at 3:49 AM, markm said:

Kayaking in Nepal-whoa! That sounds amazing. My local runs are on the Potomac in and around Washington D.C, Maryland and Virginia. I've done a fair amount of sea kayaking mostly on the Chesapeake Bay which is a differerent kind of experience. More about the journey and the experience of touring an area going from A to B and enjoying the beauty versus whitewater which is what I do these days. Nothing insane. I like to have fun and work on skills without scaring the living shit out of myself. A lot of class III with some class IV. 

Teaching wise, mostly beginners on flat water (strokes and rolling) and in class II current. I'm taking a certification WW class this winter. My cert is in SK but I can use it to teach WW. Also beginner flat water trips which are a breeze. 

On the whiskey front, seems like rye's are having a moment. Overall, I'm more of a traditional bourbon guy but I've been dabling in rye. Just splurged big time. and picked up a bottle of Jefferson's straight rye whisky finished in cognac casks single barrel. It's a select pick from my liquor store. Man, it's good. They say least nine months (but up to 19) resting in ex-Cognac casks. The finish is supposed to add some sweetness to the spice and heat of the rye. The cognac finish is really nice. There's a touch of orange in the finish. 

And grabbed a seasonal Southern Tier Irish Cream stout. 

Mark m good to hear from you. 

Re kayaking I've googled the class 3 and  class4 rapids look very exciting but potentially very dangerous.. My standard is flat water on a river so some current on that.  😁The whitewater stuff sounds more exciting. All those places you teach cool. It be boring I think to teach on the same place all the time ☺️  re the Nepal stuff it was fun. It was white water rafting. Well it was fairly sedate most of it, but  there was white water sections that were exciting.. Instructors were excellent probably there main reason we didn't fall in for those sections. Also have you kayaked anywhere cool abroad. My great aunt kayaked Alaska🥶 

The Jeffersons stuff sounds good. When I'm in funds I'm going to get some koval rye 100% rye whisky from the home of rye. Chicago 😁 ok just kidding. It's not a straight rye so it will have more bite. I would have got straight rye but after reading gg's post I changed my mind.

Also I got an email from Highland park about entering draw for a 1960 edition. £22000. I'm guessing that's an investment for  rich people but not to be drunk. 

 

 

[markm]

Four Roses, Single Barrel-one of those first steps to the high end of bourbon often touted. $40-50 U.S., closer to $50 in my area, don't know if that's due to inflation, but a solid bourbon that is smooth enough to drink straight or on the rocks, neat for me. Just grabbed a bottle. Complex enough without tasting like an after dinner desert drink but there is sweetness to heel the fire.  Easy pick, readily available. From memory, a step up (in taste and price) from small batch.

[GoatmasterGeneral]

The 4-Roses single barrel is good shit, 35% rye, 60% corn, 5% malted barley at 100 proof, aged a minimum of 7 to 9 years. The small batch blends some of their whiskey with that same mashbill with it's other more traditional bourbon mashbill of 75% corn, 20% rye and 5% malted barley bottled at 90 proof aged for 6 to 7 years.

All the 4-Roses offerings are either one or the other or a blend those two mashbill recipes and then they also make each one in 5 varieties using 5 different yeasts and blend them in different combos to make different flavor profiles. Problem I personally have is that the small batch is so good for the money ($32 - $35) that it's hard to justify spending the extra $15 - $20 for the single barrel.

[markm]

I'll have to pick up some small batch to compare, but I think I found it a little harsher to drink neat. Then, again that was near the beginning of my whisky pandemic exploration and I've got my whisky legs under me a little better now. 

[GoatmasterGeneral]

2 hours ago, markm said:

I'll have to pick up some small batch to compare, but I think I found it a little harsher to drink neat. Then, again that was near the beginning of my whisky pandemic exploration and I've got my whisky legs under me a little better now. 

I've never A/B'd them together back to back at the same sitting so I have no idea. I drink a lot of different whiskeys and I drink all of them neat. The 4 Roses single barrel is aged longer, it's smoother, and has a more complex flavor as well as a higher rye content so I would consider it to be 'better' than the small batch. Just not 50% better where they have it priced. So just like with audio junk I wouldn't often be tempted to pay 50% extra for something if I know I can get something 90% as good for 2/3 the price. The law of diminishing returns applys for much more than just audio equipment.

[RelentlessOblivion]

No beer in the fridge so figured I might as well make myself a whiskey sour… Anything to get rid of this wild turkey 101 someone’s daughter to be a theNo beer in the fridge so figured I might as well make myself a whiskey sour… Anything to get rid of this wild turkey 101 someone thought it to be a good idea to give me as a gift

[blaaacdoommmmfan]

On 2/7/2022 at 8:43 AM, RelentlessOblivion said:

No beer in the fridge so figured I might as well make myself a whiskey sour… Anything to get rid of this wild turkey 101 someone’s daughter to be a theNo beer in the fridge so figured I might as well make myself a whiskey sour… Anything to get rid of this wild turkey 101 someone thought it to be a good idea to give me as a gift

Getting a bad gift is very annoying relentless. When my brother strayed off my rum shortlist for my birthday. I got said bottle sent back by my brother and a suitable bottle sent. It was worth.  My wife said I was terribly rude.I wasn't,honest. 😁

[RelentlessOblivion]

25 minutes ago, blaaacdoommmmfan said:

Getting a bad gift is very annoying relentless. When my brother strayed off my rum shortlist for my birthday. I got said bottle sent back by my brother and a suitable bottle sent. It was worth.  My wife said I was terribly rude.I wasn't,honest. 😁

That’s what happens when your friends know you are a whiskey drinker but don’t know anything about whiskey… generally I’d say anything I can’t drink neat isn’t worth having but the wild turkey isn’t bad for making cocktails with I guess, and it’s pretty good to cook with

[navybsn]

1 hour ago, RelentlessOblivion said:

That’s what happens when your friends know you are a whiskey drinker but don’t know anything about whiskey… generally I’d say anything I can’t drink neat isn’t worth having but the wild turkey isn’t bad for making cocktails with I guess, and it’s pretty good to cook with

Gotta have some table whiskey for mixing and such.

[RelentlessOblivion]

True, and cocktails might be a better gateway into the world of whiskey then just killing it with Coke. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m off to collect my Lagavulin 16yr the bottle-o finally have for me.

[SurgicalBrute]

2 hours ago, navybsn said:

Gotta have some table whiskey for mixing and such.

That's what Evan Williams is for...and you can drink it straight in a pinch

[blaaacdoommmmfan]

On 2/8/2022 at 11:21 PM, RelentlessOblivion said:

That’s what happens when your friends know you are a whiskey drinker but don’t know anything about whiskey… generally I’d say anything I can’t drink neat isn’t worth having but the wild turkey isn’t bad for making cocktails with I guess, and it’s pretty good to cook with

I can imagine what legendary tennis superstar  John McEnroe would do if his present was not so good. I can imagine him saying to present giver. Hey you "This present 🎁 sucks.  please get me X,y or z "😁

[RelentlessOblivion]

3 minutes ago, blaaacdoommmmfan said:

I can imagine what legendary tennis superstar  John McEnroe would do if his present was not so good. I can imagine him saying to present giver. Hey you "This present 🎁 sucks.  please get me X,y or z "😁

Well I think moving forward I’ll just send out the shortlist of whiskeys I already like, still could be worse at least it wasn’t one of those stupid gimmick Game of Thrones whiskeys…

[AlSymerz]

I was drinking raspberry cider and then passionfruit and mango rum last night. Talk about a sugar hit, fell like IV sugar straight to the heart!