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Friday, January 22, 2010

Drunk The Mercury Whiskey Issue: Mr. Mayhew Recommends

Posted by Patrick Alan Coleman on Fri, Jan 22, 2010 at 2:26 PM

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Researching the Understanding Whiskey piece in this week's feature meant sitting in the dining room of whiskey expert Lance Mayhew and tasting my way through his tremendous selection of whiskeys both rare and not so rare. Poor me.

But, in fact, it was a tough evening. I had to fight to stay sober enough to ask questions that would be pertinent to the piece, while taking notes. I also had to fight launching into rambling conversations on far flung topics. I partially succeeded, stumbling away from the encounter with a head full of booze and knowledge, a notebook full of barely legible notes, and a recorder with two and a half hours of interview. Needless to say, I couldn't fit everything into the piece. Most painful was skipping Mayhew's whiskey recommendations.

I figure if you're heading out tonight, you may want to try something new. So, without further ado, here's the whiskey experts picks:

Balvenie Rum Cask- An amazing new release from Balvenie, this is a single malt scotch that will appeal to both the novice scotch drinker and the seasoned enthusiast.

Dry Fly Wheat Whiskey- Wonderful cinnamon tones mix with fruit notes to create an easy drinking but surprisingly complex whiskey.

Jameson's Irish Whiskey- The key to a good pickleback (1 shot Jameson's, 1 shot pickle juice), there is a reason that Jameson's is the go to choice for most of the restaurant people in Portland. Its slightly sweet, easy drinking and pairs well with just about everything.

Bulleit bourbon- 17% rye content makes this bourbon pack a nice spicy punch. Great for a manhattan or on its own.

Crown Royal Reserve- The next step up from regular Crown Royal, this is a fantastic Canadian whisky and easily worth the few dollars more than regular Crown. Great quality for the price.

Isle of Skye blended scotch- Reminiscent of a Chinese tea room, this blend shows just how masterful the best scotch blenders can be. One of my personal favorites.

One of my personal favorites from that evening was a blended Scotch called Black Bottle. It's an amazing all-Islay blend that reminded me of standing in an old bricked-in urban garden after the passing of a sudden violent thunderstorm. Go figure.

Not sure where to find these whiskeys? Why not try one of these fine establishments. Also, help a Blogtownie out and drop your own whiskey recommendations in the comments, below.

 

Comments (10) RSS

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1
Fuck that bourgeois bullshit. PAC, start being a man and start drinking Georgia Moon Corn Whiskey. That'll put some hair on your balls

http://www.liquorsnob.com/archives/2005/11…
Posted by Graham on January 22, 2010 at 2:42 PM · Report
2
No love for Pendelton? I know I've got a sweet tooth, but I've done my research and that's the best stuff out there!
Posted by Reymont on January 22, 2010 at 2:53 PM · Report
3
Fuck THAT bullshit, Graham. You want something that'll really put hair on your balls? I have a bottle of House Spirits single malt, pre-barrel, white dog that runs 100 proof. They sell it from their tasting room. It's local. You can shake the hands of the people who made it. Get some.
Posted by Patrick A. Coleman on January 22, 2010 at 2:57 PM · Report
4
You win this round Mr. Coleman.

Let me know when you get a bottle of Pyrat Cask 1623. Single best thing I've ever smelt in my entire life.
Posted by Graham on January 22, 2010 at 3:03 PM · Report
5
The Johnny Walker Black Centenary Edition blended Scotch is very good. I found it on sale for a few bucks more than regular Black Label, possibly because it is a close-out. It's very smooth, a touch smokey and all around a very enjoyable blended Scotch.
Posted by luckymike on January 22, 2010 at 4:47 PM · Report
6
I sense the need for some community involvement to help determine the best whiskey. Drinking at the Mercury HQ anyone?
Posted by namarchetti on January 22, 2010 at 5:06 PM · Report
7
I think Scotch is an aquired taste for most people. I, personally don't like Scotch, at least neat. The nice thing about Crown Royal is the purple bag it comes in. Very handy to stow things in, like my GPS when I'm not using it. Plus I have a CR bag with an Oregon anniversary badge on it.
Posted by ujfoyt on January 22, 2010 at 5:11 PM · Report
8
I'm with luckymike - that's the best sipping whiskey I've ever tried. I rotate between Walker Black, Beam rye, Wild Turkey, & Crown for the most part. Oh, and good ol' Evan Williams green label when cash is tight.
Posted by Peter Taylor on January 22, 2010 at 6:34 PM · Report
9
Sorry. Pendelton is a lousy, sweet-ass Canadian whiskey, re-bottled as an Oregon product.

Good bourbon? Old Weller. Great price and value.
Posted by jake on January 23, 2010 at 2:18 AM · Report
10
Absolute favorite: Balvenie 21 year portwood. It used to be decent value, but it's insane now.
Decent choice: Glenmorangie 12 (or 10? I forget) portwood, about $50
Good value: Abelour.

For bourbon, nothing beats Booker's.
Posted by Res Cogitans on January 24, 2010 at 4:41 PM · Report

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