Colorado whisky?

[danielbuck]

Stranahan's Colorado Whisky.

We just had a bottle of this after work, a group of us that gets together quite often and tries new (and also familiar) whisky(ey)s. I think the vote was unanimous, we've never had anything like this before, and we're going to pitch in to order a case. We decided that on the spot! To me, it tasted like candy, bananas, and lumber yard. A very strange combination, but it was quite honestly the best thing I have tasted since my last bottle of Highland Park 18Yr. But in a completely different an unexpected way.

I personally was expecting something bourbon tasting, but this blew my socks off. It was so different than anything I've had before, (we mostly drink scotches and bourbons, but we do try irish, japanese, and other whiskys), but this was different in a very good way. We were all very impressed.



So my question is not really about this particular whisky, but about "different" whiskys in general. Any tips on some strange/different tasting whiskys that we might look into trying for our future meetings? We try everything from $20 bottles, to $120+ bottles. As long as it's 40% or higher, and not a clear spirit, we'll try it! (though most of us will drink clear spirits elsewhere, our group together is about whisky)

[Mr Tattie Heid]

One that springs immediately to mind is Eddu Silver from Brittany. It's made from buckwheat, a grain traditionally used in Breton crêpes, and tastes as different from barley malt as from rye or wheat. I got to quite like it, but don't guarantee you will--it's definitely different. I imagine you'd have to order it from overseas--RMW had it, last I knew. There are some other European whiskies with odd profiles--the Swedish Mackmyra comes to mind as well.

For an American whiskey, you might see if you can find a bottle of Old Potrero, 100% rye and at brain-rattling strength.

Nothing like Old Fettercairn, either. Ha ha.

[Pete Smoke]

The whisky that jumps to mind as being strange/different is the single malt from St Georges USA - i had 'Lot 8'. Nothing wrong with it, quite nice in fact, but very odd. Berries, geranium and roses - Turkish delight, floral boiled sweets. That's about it, virtually no taste of whisky at all!

[Jolly Toper]

amrut from India is a must try, the Fusion, cask strength or peated cask strngth in particular. Also the Tiawanese Kavalan. Ther are so many but tese are my pick of the bunch, some are frustratingly hard to get your hANDS ON AND CAN BE VERY EXPENSIVE TOO. No idea why that was in upper case.

[mongo]

there's also loch "it tastes like burning" dhu, the black whisky.

[MacDeffe]

I was gonna suggest the same whiskies as Mr. TH and Jolly Toper did.

You can take a quick look at my favourites------------------------------------------------------------------------>


For some interesting US West Coast Whiskies I can recommend McCarthy's, it's peated. Not that different, you might think it's Lagavulin

Charbay. Very special. Good. And expensive

Steffen

[Mr Tattie Heid]

Psst...I'm informed that buckwheat is technically not a grain, although it's used like one, and malts like one...and therefore Eddu is technically not whisky. Please don't tell the SWA.

[Jolly Toper]

thats the last time I tell you a secret oh Pomme de Terre Tete

[Mr Tattie Heid]

But I saw it on Wikipedia.

[ColSanders]

I Had balcones blue corn whisky... was quite tasty... even at 55% abv as I recall. Their stillmen trained at Bruichladdich apparently... and they have an interesting still to say the least. I'm awaiting the release of their single malt...

[Pudge72]

I would second a vote on Old Potrero 18th Century Style Rye...tastes like you're drinking a grain silo!! Simply awesome, though not for everyone.

Along the same vein of 100% single grain mashbills, Koval Distillery in Chicago makes Lion's Pride 100% single grain whiskies with five different grains (oat, wheat, spelt, rye, and millet) in two different barrels to create a 'regular' and a 'dark' version of each grain whiskey (ten bottlings in total). I'm not sure if its charring vs. toasting, or what exactly the variation of the barrelling is that creates the two versions. The whiskies are aged less than two years in small (30 gallon) barrels. I have a bottle of the dark wheat, and have tried the 'regular' oat as a sample. The oat offers a broader taste profile, while the dark wheat gives a 'sweet and sour' profile (in a nice way) that is smoother than I would have thought for a two year old bottling, regardless of the barrel size.

Lion's Pride is non chill-filtered with no caramel.

[Johnny Murgatroyd]

Strange whisky? Try Hellyers Road Pinot Noir Finish, from Tasmania. The standard Hellyers is unconventional enough; the pinot noir finish makes it like nothing on earth.

[Willie JJ]

For stangeness I think the the best three mentioned so far are the St George (SF not Norfolk), the Balcones Blue Corn and the Old Potrero. I'm not a great fan of the St George, but the Blue Corn is interesting and the Potrero is amazing. Kavalan and Amrut are also very worth trying, but a bit less strange.