Spirits and hard liquor?!
i want to buy a bottle of each type, just affordable and for the average drinker, nothing special.
i was looking for
-tequila
-rum (white and dark)
-gin (normal and dry)
-scotch
-brandy
-whiskey
-bourbon
thanks all
Answers: hey all i'm going in a new direction with my alcohol collection. i already have 20ish bottles of liqueurs but now i want to buy some spirits.
i want to buy a bottle of each type, just affordable and for the average drinker, nothing special.
i was looking for
-tequila
-rum (white and dark)
-gin (normal and dry)
-scotch
-brandy
-whiskey
-bourbon
thanks all
Can't say for tequila, though I've heard the Sauza Tres Generacions i very nice.
Rum: You can get good rum for cheap. Stay away from Bacardi and Captain Morgans. Go for Havana club or Matusalem, both cuban. If you're American, all is not lost as you can still get Cruzan which is delicious.
Instead of a white rum (they're pretty useless, after all) get an anejo from the above or try Cachaca (sugarcane spirit) from brazil. Nice alternative.
Gin: London Dry is normal. Get Brokers. Get a Plymouth gin as well. Try Plymouth (it's the only one). Get Hendricks for something different and serve it with cucumber.
Scotch whisky: Johnnie Green for a good mid range blend people will recognise. Glenfarclas 17, Clynelish 14, Bruichladdich 15, any Glenrothes for middle range, easy drinking single malts to impress. Balvenie is good for low range and good. You can never go wrong with Macallan, but everyone has that.
Whiskey: I presume you mean Irish. Red Breast 12 year old. No contest. Cheapest for highest quality. Pure pot still and one of very few Ireland produces. If you can't find it, get Tyrconnel.
Canadian: I'll add my own section. Kittling ridge forty creek barrell select to sip. Gibson's or Wisers are good for cocktailing or sipping.
Brandy: Interesting Brandies are harder to find in my neck of the woods. Try VSOP or XO for a more mellow sip. Calvados is apple brandy and has interesting cocktail applications (try it with bourbon).
Bourbon: Old Rip Van Winkle is fantastic. The best from the states. Try Makers Mark as well.
Scorpion Mezcal
Captain Morgan Private Stock
The most common every day brands:
tequila- Jose Cuervo
rum- Bacardi Silver
dark rum- Bacardi 8 year
gin- Seagram's
scotch (blended)- Dewars White Label, or J&B
scotch (single malt)- Aberlour 10 year, Glenlivet 12 year
Irish whiskey- Jameson's, Powers, Tullamore Dew
Tennessee whiskey- Jack Daniels
brandy- Hennessey is by far the most popular (cognac), Clear Creek (brandy) is good too
bourbon- Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve
Here are my personal favorites in the order which you requested them.
Jose Cuervo Tequila
Bacardi Rum (the make both a white and a dark, Bacardi gold)
Beefeater Gin
Johnnie Walker Red label Scotch
As far as brandy, it depends on what flavor you are looking for, peach, apple, grape, etc. Paul Masson and Christian Brothers make a decent grape brandy.
Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey
Jim Beam White Label Bourbon
I'd also suggest Old Fitzgerald Bourbon. Of course those are your moderately priced bourbons, my favorite spirts are bourbons so I keep 18 year old single barrel Elijah Craig on hand but that runs about $45 per fifth. Maker's Mark is good too if you want to spend something between Beam and Craig.
With the exceptions of the Maker's Mark and the Elijah Craig, most of the rest of those should cost around $10 to $15 a piece for a fifth (750mL) bottle. The Crown Royal might be a little bit more, closer to $20. My advice would be sample a little of each style of liquor and if you're trying to build up a home bar keep a small stock of the average stuff of the types you don't like as much but spend a little more later on for some premium liquor of your favorite types. For example, I'm not a huge rum fan, but I love bourbon. So I keep a $10 bottle of rum and a few types of bourbon on hand for my own use. At any rate, have fun and drink responsibly as they say.
Sauza is always a good bet for tequila
For rum Bacardi will suffice and for a dark spiced rum captain morgan is always good.
Gin I am not sure about the normal but Gordon's is a good dry gin.
Scotch - Johnny Walker whichever label you prefer price-wise
Brandy - maybe something by paul masson
Whiskey - Tennessee = Jack Daniel's, Irish = Jameson
Bourbon - Jim Beam should make some good stuff for you.
Not the most expensive but it should suffice.
Cruzan rum
Dickel 12 whiskey
Jim Beam Black bourbon