Perfect timing for a Scotch Whiskey thread. (At least, I think it was one originally, IIRC). I've never been a big drinker, and even less of a whiskey man, but I figured I should find out what I like. I bought small bottles of a variety of choices and held a night of blind taste tests, assisted by my wife. It was very educational, and I recommend it. Some things I learned:
Scotch: I sampled Chivas Regal 12 Y.O. Blended, and Highland Park single-malt. I preferred the blended, however I don't think I would ever ask for a Scotch, neither were my cup of tea.
Bourbon - I found my favorite to be Evan Williams, over several big name and more trendy brands.
Irish Whiskey. Brand was Bushmills. Harsh. I found it a bit smoother than Everclear, but not as easy to drink as nearly ANY other fluid found around the house. Liquid Plumber comes to mind. Sorry Irishmen.
Tequila: I only like the kind I can't afford. The ordinary tequila you can buy for under $25 does nothing for me, taste-wise.
Among whiskeys, my overall favorite is Canadian. Of those, Crown Royal. (Christmas hint, anyone???)
Vodka: It's vodka, not much to taste. I found Potato Vodka was smoother than the much more common grain vodka.
Overall choice for my palatte: Spiced Rum. But I found that in blind testing, a cheap knock-off called Admiral Nelson beat out the more popular Captain Morgain. (Out ranks him, anyway). Wife agreed.
Scotch must indeed be an acquired taste. But I don't see much of a purpose in deliberately trying to acquire a taste for something expensive, so I guess I won't be trying to hone by Scotch drinking skills. That's good news for all you Scotch drinkers, I won't be running up the demand and price of your chosen vice.
There were some other beverages in the blind test, however toward the end of the evening, it became difficult for me to form clear opinions about the relative tastes, or even keep track of what I was tasting. Maybe smaller samples and more time between them would have helped. I don't even remember the last few tests, but I know I did them, because in the morning, I found the little bottles were all empty. Come to think of it, I don't remember going to bed!
