How to Best Enjoy Black Label Whiskey?

[Polymath257]

You prefer the version comprised of synthetic flavour and high fructose corn syrup fizzy water?

There's no accounting for taste...

I actually prefer a ginger tea with some bourbon.

 

[Debater Slayer]

If I wasn't having it neat, that would be my choice, too.

@Debater Slayer - other options:

- cola (if you want something simple that you can sip on)
- an old fashioned made with scotch (if you want to be fancy)
- a Rob Roy (if you have and like vermouth)

What is the best ratio to use between the Cola and the whiskey? When I had vodka and rum, Cola was definitely the easiest on my stomach out of the other mixers I tried, so I may use it in this case too.

 

[Debater Slayer]

The best way to enjoy Black Label is to sell it and get some pure malt instead.

A celebration? So why aren't you drinking a good single malt rather than that mass marketed blend? A good whisky is drunk with just a small splash of water. If one is adding something like coke it isn't a good whisky, or if it is you're ruining it and hiding all the complex flavours. You are basically drinking alcoholic coke. If you're just drinking to get drunk this is of course all irrelevant. "Pace of drinking" makes me concerned it will not end well, but that's probably just me, quality rather than quantity - two glasses at most.

I'd say spend a little more and get a nice, mellow single malt. Maybe Balvenie? Something not too "peat-y".

Then I would say add just one ice cube

My friend chose the drink as a gift for me, and it was his idea to invite me over. So I'm not going to make any fuss about it because I'd rather stick to etiquette and take the gift gracefully.

I could suggest single malt for our next drinking night, though. Sounds like it would be interesting to taste.

 

[Heyo]

My friend chose the drink as a gift for me, and it was his idea to invite me over. So I'm not going to make any fuss about it because I'd rather stick to etiquette and take the gift gracefully.

OK, that's reasonable.

I could suggest single malt for our next drinking night, though. Sounds like it would be interesting to taste.

Wine connoisseurs differentiate about 20 flavours, whisky friends over 80. Whiskey (malt) is one of the most complex drinks. It takes some time to get used to it but it's worth the learning.

Oh, btw. don't take us too serious when we rant about "inferior" drinks or rituals of drinking. To each her/his own.

 

[Revoltingest]

I'd like to think that you're making this up but you probably aren't.

I invented the drink.

 

[Secret Chief]

My friend chose the drink as a gift for me, and it was his idea to invite me over. So I'm not going to make any fuss about it because I'd rather stick to etiquette and take the gift gracefully.

I could suggest single malt for our next drinking night, though. Sounds like it would be interesting to taste.

I've eaten and drunk plenty of things out of politeness in my time!

If you look into malts it's a whole world of drinks on its own. Ralfy's Youtube channel is excellent imo.

My favourites tended to be in the top left quadrant.

 

[exchemist]

Right, I'm bored now cos I can't drink the stuff anymore.

I sympathise, having been diagnosed with a tendency to atrial fibrillation, which can be brought on by alcohol. Since I like wine with my evening meal, it tends to be the apéritifs and digestifs that get scrapped. I haven’t had a rusty nail now for about 2 years.

But I confess I did have a ‘Ti Punch’ last night......, without I’ll effects.....

 

[Secret Chief]

I sympathise, having been diagnosed with a tendency to atrial fibrillation, which can be brought on by alcohol. Since I like wine with my evening meal, it tends to be the apéritifs and digestifs that get scrapped. I haven’t had a rusty nail now for about 2 years.

But I confess I did have a ‘Ti Punch’ last night......, without I’ll effects.....

Have you tried any of the better AF wines?

Wine & Sparkling Wine Archives - Alcohol Free Drinks

 

[exchemist]

I've eaten and drunk plenty of things out of politeness in my time!

If you look into malts it's a whole world of drinks on its own. Ralfy's Youtube channel is excellent imo.

My favourites tended to be in the top left quadrant.

View attachment 41844

That’s an interesting chart.

The malt I try to keep in stock at home is Bowmore: peaty but smoother and less medicinally phenolic than Laphroaig.

 

[exchemist]

Have you tried any of the better AF wines?

Wine & Sparkling Wine Archives - Alcohol Free Drinks

No, and actually I don’t need to. I find I can handle 3 units in an evening , so what I do is decant 3/4 of a newly opened bottle into empty screw top half and quarter bottles, ensuring they are full, so little air is present to oxidise the wine, and put them in the fridge, to slow down the rate of reaction. I then drink the remaining quarter. I find I can enjoy each quarter bottle almost as if it was freshly opened, and it is enough to accompany food, though one needs to hold back a bit if there is cheese. A 1/4 bbl is 2.5 units of most European wines, so safely within my limit. I just need to get the bottle out an hour or two before dinner, if it is red, to warm up. A quarter bottle warms up pretty fast (surface:volume ratio). I use a smallish wine glass, to make it look more generous on the table.

In this way I can continue to enjoy the fairly large amount of Bx in my cellar, most of which dates from when my (French) wife was alive. So at the moment at least I am managing to keep up the standards of our married life .

 

[Secret Chief]

No, and actually I don’t need to. I find I can handle 3 units in an evening , so what I do is decant 3/4 of a newly opened bottle into empty screw top half and quarter bottles, ensuring they are full, so little air is present to oxidise the wine, and put them in the fridge, to slow down the rate of reaction. I then drink the remaining quarter. I find I can enjoy each quarter bottle almost as if it was freshly opened, and it is enough to accompany food, though one needs to hold back a bit if there is cheese. A 1/4 bbl is 2.5 units of most European wines, so safely within my limit. I just need to get the bottle out an hour or two before dinner, if it is red, to warm up. A quarter bottle warms up pretty fast (surface:volume ratio). I use a smallish wine glass, to make it look more generous on the table.

In this way I can continue to enjoy the fairly large amount of Bx in my cellar, most of which dates from when my (French) wife was alive. So at the moment at least I am managing to keep up the standards of our married life .

I see you are a professional at this.

 

[exchemist]

I see you are a professional at this.

Haha, not really, but my reaction to the diagnosis was that this was serious: better put that chemistry degree to work and find a system. And it does work. So my lifestyle has been saved.

 

[Secret Chief]

Haha, not really, but my reaction to the diagnosis was that this was serious: better put that chemistry degree to work and find a system. And it does work. So my lifestyle has been saved.

Likewise. When my neurologist gave me the news, within a fortnight I was a world expert on AF beers.

Beers Without Fears

 

[exchemist]

Likewise. When my neurologist gave me the news, within a fortnight I was a world expert on AF beers.

Beers Without Fears

Yes, this sort of thing does concentrate the mind. In my case there was a whole cellar full of good wine at stake. I thought I was being condemned to a sort of Evelyn Waugh black comedy existence, in which, having built up this cellar, I would be unable to drink it!

What I need to do now is resist the exciting offers from the wine soc etc, since at the rate I’m now going I don’t really need to buy any more, of red at least, for the next decade!

 

[Heyo]

That’s an interesting chart.

The malt I try to keep in stock at home is Bowmore: peaty but smoother and less medicinally phenolic than Laphroaig.

I'm more a Speyside guy but paradoxically, when it comes to Islay, I like really peaty stuff, Lagavulin and Ardbeg. They may be peaty but they also are rich in other flavours.