Your favorite brand of or Aging your own wiskey

[Ducati1198]

I am new to whiskey drinking. I know my way around rum fairley well though. I was just wondering what types you gentlemen drink. Right now my brand of choice is from Down Slope Distilery in Denver. I am letting it sit in a 1 liter charred oak barrel to give it a little something extra. It is coming along very nicely.

[Devilpup]

I'm completely new to whiskey, so far I've only had Jack Daniels, Elijah Craig 12 year old, and Johnnie Walker Black Label. I know, I know nothing top shelf. JD is well Jd and IMHO fit only when the end result is intoxication by any means. The Elijah Craig was ok but just not my favorite. JWB I really liked and has got me looking into the world of Scotch. Best of luck, you'll have to keep us posted on how it turns out.

[Theseus]

More of a bourbon man myself, but when I drink whiskey, I usually reach for Jamesons.

[1OldGI]

More of a bourbon man myself, but when I drink whiskey, I usually reach for Jamesons.

Yeah that, in order of preference (whiskey) Jameson, Bushmills, (bourbon) Maker's Mark, Jimmy Beam, George Dickel

[Theseus]

Yeah that, in order of preference (whiskey) Jameson, Bushmills, (bourbon) Maker's Mark, Jimmy Beam, George Dickel

Make sure to try some Wild Turkey American Honey if you haven't already.

[Foxhill]

I like most of the single malt scotches, but my stand-by's are Glenfiddich if I'm going to be having several and Talisker or Lagavulin if I'm only having one or two. Bruichladdich and the Balvenie (both kinds) are also among my top ten.

[Paintman]

Boy I do love a good whiskey. Scotch is my preferred "Sipping" whiskey if I'm in the mood to have it straight. If I'm mixing I'll have Jameson. I'll also occasionally have Jameson straight if I'm out and plan to be drinking a lot. No use spending $15 on a dram if I'm just going to drink it so that I can have another immediately after it…

As far as high end go, he's what's in my cabinet atm:

Laphroaig 10yr: a good all around Islay with just enough of the peaty taste.
Lagavulin 16 yr: more peat than the Laphroaig but interestingly more mellow. Very warm. The laphroaig needs a little water to open it up, so I usually take it with an ice cube, the Lagavulin is just fine on it's own
Balvenie Doublewood 12 yr: A nice speyside, not a sweet at the Macallan Elegencia, but right up there, very drinkable.
Mallacan Elegencia 12yr: My very first bottle of Scotch and to date, my favorite type. Sweet and deep with a honey and vanilla finish
Macallan 10yr: It's alright. It's like the Elegencia's little cousin. Not quite as well rounded and little acidic. Better than nothing
Bowmore 10yr. Another Islay. I can't stand it actually. It was given to me as a gift because the previous owner didn't drink scotch. After tasting this, I know why.

I've also tried various bourbons and rye whiskeys and mostly enjoy them in the odd Old-Fashioned. I'm apt to concur with the judgment that Johnny walker blue is nice, but it ain't that nice. I can easily pick up a lovely Scotch for half that price.

[BenjamanBarker]

I am a BIG scotch and whiskey fan!! I ALWAYS have a bottle of Makers' (either original or 46) and Woodford Reserve in the house! Also try to keep a of Johnny around (i like green, gold and blue but Blue is WAY over priced IMO) I'm also a HUGE fan of Basil Hayden!

Edit: I know Makers is a bourbon but I kinda lump Whiskey, Bourbon and Scotch together a lot!

[HamburgO]

I am a BIG scotch and whiskey fan!! I ALWAYS have a bottle of Makers' (either original or 46) and Woodford Reserve in the house! Also try to keep a of Johnny around (i like green, gold and blue but Blue is WAY over priced IMO) I'm also a HUGE fan of Basil Hayden!

Edit: I know Makers is a bourbon but I kinda lump Whiskey, Bourbon and Scotch together a lot!

Woodford Reserve - one of the best bourbons in the world, and good value for the money.

Have recently discovered American rye whisky. Not quite as sweet as bourbon, very complex, fiery and woodsy, interesting stuff. The Sazerac 18yr. old is a stellar example of the breed, as is Stranahan's - an excellent bottle from a small family distillery around Denver, CO.

On my old friends the scotches:

Johnny Blue - Have to agree with you, especially since I've occasionally found it at US $130 in the past few years, vs. the BS $200 most vendors like to charge for it. Good, but not that good, and at that price, there are many single malts that are way more interesting, such as:

Laphroaig 25 year old - I like Laphroaig from the time it's just a wee lad of 10, but the adolescent 15yr. old and fully mature 25yr. old are truly works of art... ah, that brought a tear to me eye, think I'll go have a splash of

Ardbegh - another fine 10year old product from the magical isle of Islay, which I shall have to pay my heartfelt respects to one day!

However, after all these years, my favorite all-round remains the affordable and understatedly elegant 16yr. old Lagavulin... BTW, also owned by Johnny Walker. Black label has a good dash of this stuff in the blend...

ETA: On aging your own - I am quite sure that if I kept a barrel full of whisky in my house, it would not live past its first year

[chay2K]

Jameson Irish whiskey and Buffalo Trace bourbon for me.

Where did you find a 1 L whiskey barrel, and did it come pre-charred? Thanks.