[7x57]

No, VMPS never made any whiskey. This is about a whiskey that a VMPS owner might like if they are into sipping whiskey while listening to music through VMPS speakers. Nobody else writes about this.......SO WHY NOT???

What is a VMPS whiskey? It is a whiskey that delivers outstanding value for money, meaning that it is very reasonably priced and competes with very expensive whiskies. It is usually American made like VMPS speakers were American made, and does not suffer the import duties and excessive taxation that Scotch whisky suffers, but stands up to those excellent whiskies in comparison. It will not be the most mass produced whiskey, but aimed at discerning drinkers. Thus, it isn't going to be Jack Daniels or Jim Beam.......or Johnnie Walker Red.

My favorite American whiskey is Rye, not Bourbon, though Bourbon has some very credible offerings at reasonable prices such as Bulleit, Buffalo Trace, Four Roses and Wild Turkey 101, to name only a few. So I will put forth my top three Rye choices, and let the Bourbon lovers add theirs. As a bonus, I will list the two Scotch whiskies I have bought the most of in the past. Scotch is a bit out of my price range at present, and Rye whiskey is the rising star on the American whiskey scene. For readers in the UK, Scotch and Irish whiskies are priced a bit more reasonable than here and Bourbon may be a bit hard to find outside of Jim Beam and Jack Daniels, and American Rye almost impossible to find (sort of like VMPS speakers in the UK).

Wild Turkey 101 Rye. A good high proof Rye and a real bargain at around $25 per bottle considering the high proof. Usually could use a bit of water to tame the alcohol burn. I believe the rye content is around 65%, so more rye flavor than the very common "barely legal Rye" Old Overholt and Jim Beam Ryes at 51% rye content, not to mention those are only 80 proof, and when you factor in the low proof, you would be a fool to not grab the Wild Turkey 101 instead. This is one of the most widely distributed Rye whiskies in the USA, and usually found in most good liquor stores. This is my standard Rye that all others are judged against. If I pay more, it had better be an extremely good Rye.

George Dickel Rye. About $5 per bottle cheaper than Wild Turkey 101, but a lower proof rating of 90%. I drink this one neat, no water, no ice. It is unique for Rye whiskey in that it uses the maple charcoal filtering process that Tennessee whiskey is known for, as George Dickel is a Tennesse whiskey brand and better than the more popular Jack Daniels. It also has a very high rye content of 95% and 5% barley malt. There is NO CORN to blunt the rye flavor. No age statement, so it is rather young, but the charcoal filtering takes off the rough edges of young whiskey. It is chill filtered, so some flavor is lost in the process. However, it is unbeatable at only $20 per bottle. Definite cherry and spice flavors that any good Rye whiskey is known for. This is an affordable daily drinker. Spending more than this for a mixer Rye would be foolish. Sort of like spending more than VMPS price for a speaker.

Rittenhouse Rye Bottled in Bond. Bottled in Bond means it is 100 Proof and aged at least 4 years in a government bonded warehouse. The price comes in between Wild Turkey 101 and George Dickel Rye. The rye content percentage seems to be the lowest of the three, and is not much over 51% if any over at all, making it the "barely legal Rye" of the three listed here. If you are a Bourbon drinker, this may be your choice as it has the highest corn content and will taste the sweetest. I would usually grab the other two if given the choice, but if they are not available then it is the "no brainer" substitute. Anything that saves you from having to grab the ubiquitous Jim Beam Rye is to be appreciated. Many of the good bars will use Rittenhouse Rye BIB as their standard mixer, and there is no reason to pay more for a mixing Rye. If you like your Rye in a mixed drink such as a Manhattan, this may just be your best choice. It is widely distributed (unlike VMPS speakers).

Of course, if you have very deep pockets and like Rye, then grab the Pappy Van Winkle. It's your money.

By far the Scotch whiskies that I have bought the most of in the past have been Talisker and Laphroaig. They are very strongly flavored, and that is why I probably like Rye over Bourbon when it comes to American whiskey. I like the taste of Talisker the best, but Laphroaig is a bit less pricey. The new Laphroaig Quarter Cask is better than the standard 10 year old bottling at only a very small price increase and it is a big hit with Laphroaig drinkers. If you want a good Islay style blended Scotch on the cheap, mix 2 parts Talisker with 1 part Laphroaig and put it in your favorite cheap blended Scotch such as Lauder's. 15% by volume of these two single malts give a very definite Islay flavor profile. I have a preference for the western island single malts when it comes to Scotch. As for Speyside Scotch, Glenlivet is the standard bearer, available everywhere, and lower priced than Talisker or Laphroaig. I'll drink it if you are buying it.

I'm going to pour me a shot of Dickel Rye and listen to Dire Straits through my Ribbon Monitor 1 speakers. May you go do something similar.

Cheers!

P.S. Bourbon drinkers and Canadian drinkers please feel free to post your favorite VMPS whiskies.

[G E]

An excellent idea for a thread!

I am more of a single malt scotch guy but there is one craft distillery in my home state of Iowa that produces an exceptional malt rye. Cedar Ridge Distillary is located between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City (U of I).

From their web site:
Cedar Ridge uses malted rye in its grain bill. To malt, the rye grains are soaked in water to germinate, then given a blast of hot air. Malting the rye generates an enzyme that is naturally helpful with the mashing process and adds weight and an extraordinarily complex flavor profile of toast and biscuit to the whiskey.

Last year my sister and her husband took me there. Frankly I wasn't expecting much, but I was blown away how good it was. I bought several bottles. And they went fast. It goes for $45 ish

Scotch-wise, at Costco I found an 18 year single malt on the Kirkland label. Very drinkable, a tad light maybe.

Just this week I rediscovered Aberlour 12 year. My oh my that is a nice nice drink!  More body than the Kirkland and it is barreled in sherry casks which comes through nicely.  My audiophile neighbor came over a few days ago and we put quite a dent in that bottle.

Both of these run $48 a bottle around here.  All pours are taken neat.

[HsvHeelFan]

Russell Reserve 10 year (from Jimmy and Eddie Russell at Wild Turkey)
Breckenridge Bourbon   a very nice bourbon from Breckenridge, CO.
Elijah Craig 12 year

HsvHeelFan

[7x57]

Thanks to all for sharing your favorites!

I should mention one more Scotch whisky. That would be Highland Park in the standard bottling at, I believe, 12 years old. This is known as the "All Rounder" because it is made from malted barley produced at the Highland Park distillery as well as 4 others from around various parts of Scotland. Highland Park is one of the few distilleries in Scotland that produces barley malt on site. Although technically a single malt since the blended malts in the mash bill are distilled at a single distillery, it tastes very much like Johnnie Walker Green which is a pure vatted malt made from several premium single malts such as Talisker, Caol Ila, Cardhu, and I forget what else. Highland Park malts are blended before mashing, and Johnnie Walker Green is blended pure malt whiskies after aging in completed. The other difference is the price tag, around $20 per bottle less around here for Highland Park. The taste is similar. That is saying a lot, as I consider Johnnie Walker Green the best value in the Johnnie Walker range. For a person who has never bought a bottle of single malt Scotch and as yet has no taste preference, Highland Park would be an excellent starting point. Much more approachable than the very strong Islay single malts for most new Scotch drinkers. It really does have some character from all the whisky regions of Scotland. Around $50 per bottle around here, last time I looked, and that is a below average price for an above average single malt Scotch. Scotch seems to have the highest price variance in the USA compared to other whiskies. In some places it hardly sells due to the high cost and the variety is thus very limited.

My VMPS speakers are an "all rounder" as well, as they work well with any type of music. Highland Park should be considered a VMPS whisk(e)y since they share this ability to appeal to a broad range of tastes. If Highland Park turns you off, then Scotch is probably not for you and you can look to other styles instead. Not my favorite single malt Scotch, but it is definitely "in the middle" of all the single malts I have tried and you can know which direction you should go, to a stronger peaty western island type or a milder Speyside or Highland type with sweet maltiness that would appeal more to a Bourbon drinker.

[Panelhead1]

  My taste in whiskers has changed many times. Used to be a Canadian drinker, VO through high school, 7 crown in college. Later Eagle Rare tasted really good to me. Never drank much Jack Daniels. Even though I grew up in Tennessee.
  My brother lives close to Lynchberg and got me to try George Dickel from Tullahoma TN. Much better than JD, and a great sippin whisky.
  Another friend introduced me to Wiser's as a better than Seagram's Canadian. Then ten years ago got my first bottle of Gibson's. Truly first rate.
  About a month ago I wanted a whisky. Looked in the cabinets and saw a half empty 1.75 of Jim Beam. Thought that it was crap, but taking up a lot of shelf space. Poured over ice and tasted. It was excellent. Lots of flavored, vanilla, wood, smoke, and spices. Guessing that bottle was brought over and left by someone.
  Estimated it has been here seven years. We had a whisky party in 2009 where visitors brought their fave and
 we ended up with a lot of open bottles left behind.
  I am going to go buy a bottle next week. Drank whisky for 45 years and never bought a bottle of regular Beam. Have tried most of the boutique Beam's and most are okay. Do really like Knob Creek. To me the best of the boutique Beam's. This is my recommendation as a VMPS whisky. Priced above the box store speakers but a bargain compared to the peers.
  I think the Pappy is a fad. Used to buy Old Weller 35 years ago. Pretty bottle. Even the 107 was only an okay drink.