Dead Guy Whiskey Pt 2

The Flavor.

I knew I had to buy a fifth of Dead Guy after tasting a whiskey and coke at their brewery in Portland. It had an interesting and unique flavor that made it stand out from the ordinary whiskeycoke. And so tonight, for no other reason than my lack of self-control, I dug into my bottle of Dead Guy.

I started off drinking it straight up, working my way though the different incarnations of whiskeydrank. Drinking it neat was surprisingly pleasant. It doesn't have the fire that usually comes with a normal whiskey, but it still very much so 80 proof. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but there are definitely distinct flavors happening that normal whiskey doesn't have. Maybe even a citrus flavor in there.

Drinking it with ice was good, but I think I almost prefer it without. The warm temperature balanced the flavor well. Don't need the ice to balance out the pain we're used to with whiskeys.

If you're feeling like you need a solid bottle of whiskey, I would absolutely recommend Dead Guy. I would even call it a celebration whiskey (at about 40 bucks a pop, you better have a good reason). I think I can say confidently that this and Maker's as my favorite whiskeys.

Dead Guy Whiskey

Dead Guy Whiskey, made by the same folks at Rogue Brewing Company in Portland, Oregon

From the label:
"Honoring unique rogues whose spirit lingers long past their mortal existence.

Dead Guy Whiskey is distilled from the sweet wort of Rogue's award-winning Dead Guy Ale. Distiller's yeast is added and the sweet wort is fermented for 7 days then double distilled in a 150 gallon copper whiskey still and ocean aged in oak."

Costs a little under 40 bucks, but it's a small-batch, kind of custom made whiskey, so I'll take it. Rogue's beer is so damn good... well, you'll just have to wait until next time to hear about the taste.

Doc Starfish

Rich and Rare

Ok, fuck our lives. Tonight started out with Rich and Rare. I was determined to buy a whiskey for less than ten dollars, because that is not available in Washington state. Something about liquor laws fucking us all over.

Rich and Rare may or may not have been a good decision. Early in the night, we enjoyed its taste, commented on its caramel flavor, surprised that it didn't burn quite like Old Crow did. It cost 9.60, compared to Jim at about 18. Sure. Bret is not doing quite as well as I am at this point. He is flopping all around, and I am blogging about our experience. So just about as bad as Old Crow, without the nostalgia, and a little bit more flavor. I can only assume it will hurt in the morning. We'll see how that goes.

"Better than gasoline?"-Drunk Nate
"Better." -Drunk Bret

Mattingly & Moore

Oh M&M, with tagline of "Mild and Mellow" and otherwise nondescript labeling, what a trainwreck you are. Like any of my reviewed whiskeys, M&M had to be experienced straight for the first few occasions. Seemed both Mild and Mellow at first. It doesn't have the burn of fire I'd normally associate with a sub-ten-spot whiskey. It became less kind as time went on.

This 80 proof straight bourbon whiskey lets you know it's whiskey. You do not fight with it; it just fights you. The flavor seemed to get worse as the bottle went on. Not a sipping whiskey unless you're already to the point where climbing the really tall construction crane on Ann Arbor's state doesn't seem like a bad plan. Dr. Burnett will attest to this one needing a mixer. It does seem to make movies that have french overdubs and russian subtitles make more sense but not by a lot. Pants will be optional especially in public.

Produces a standard whiskey hangover. Requires diner coffee and some eggs to fight.

The price tag fell off the bottle but it was under $10 for a fifth, a 2-liter of coke, with tax included. Jim price comparison is whatever I've said for East Lansing before.

I'd buy again to give it another chance. 1876

Joining the Canadian Club.

Professor Wiley has posted about this particular brand of drink before, but I would just like to highlight some other side effects that one may experience while drinking Canadian Club whiskey, or as I like to say 'joining the canadian club'.

It is not an exclusive club. The membership fee is about $12-15. The difficult part is the initiation process.

Unlike other whiskeys, CC seems to cause people to make incredibly bad decisions, forget that there is a difference between right and wrong, and black out. After joining the club, you may hear about your 'initiation' from other people for weeks after. Recollections of these events may begin with the phrase "You're never allowed to be around firearms again!" or "Do you remember going to the hospital?" or "That was my sister!". Something to that effect. You will probably wake up someplace that is not your bed or house.

Aside from that strange side effect, CC is not bad to drink. Tastes alright for the price range, comes in all size bottles, a good standard Canadian whiskey. Besides having to fix your life after drinking, the hangover is typically minimal.

If you are thinking about joining the club, you may want to start with a trial membership before signing up to be a lifetime member. That's my advice.

On a side note, all of us here at whiskeyatnight would be more than happy to write a review for your favorite whiskey! Just send us a few bottles to base our critiques on and we'll get back to you withing a few months.

Here's something ridiculous:

Canadian Club

Mile-high Whiskey Blog #1

Though not a full fifth bottle experience, I thought this might be a fun whiskperience to share.

I flew down to San Jose this past weekend, and along the way my friend Marli and I decided that drinking along the way would be a good idea. It was on this trip that we realized that a double shot of whiskey for five bucks wasn't too shabby.

The Canadian club 10 year reserve treated me quite nicely on the trip. Sweet and delicious, pretty much no sting, plenty of whiskey goodness. Not gonna lie though, I was a little pissed when I realized I could have gotten Wild Turkey.

Old Crow

Work your way up from the bottom shelf at your local liquor store and you will quickly come across a bourbon by the name of "Old Crow". Quite reasonably priced at the cost of around 9 southern michigan dollars. This taste of Kentucky mud water will not disappoint, having well balanced bourbon flavors and a gentle aroma surpassing those of its more expensive counterparts. While consuming a bottle will leave you with a hang-over in the morning it will also leave you with money in your wallet. As far a budget whiskey goes I feel this cannot be beat.

The Gentleman

I figured it was time to contribute. For my debut, i have to begin with a variation on my favorite. The makers of Jack Daniels decided it was time to brake the age old myth that Jack is the drink most strongly correlated to bar stool beatings. Enter, Gentleman Jack. This little baby (a standard 1.0 liter is as small as they come in the area) will set you back a pretty penny,$40.99 at Jims. But before you go burning down your local liquor store for ripping you off (most likely statistics point to these actions as being Jack fueled), take a sip and read the bottle. This beauty is twice mellowed, taking of the strong edge that many Crown Royal drinkers (aka whiney snobs) complain about standard black label Jack. Alone or with its long time companion Coca-Cola, this is a drink for well established whiskey drinker*. The folks in Lynchburg also chose the perfect name to bottle it under, you will feel high class from the moment you buy it until the moment you wake up in the morning and say "holy crap did i drink whiskey last night", because the hangover was almost non-existent.

*An established whiskey drinker refers to one who need more than two hands to count the nights they cant remember due to this fabulous brown liquor.

Rebel Yell

Purchased on a Halloween liquor run, Rebel Yell proved a catalyst for a whiskey-fueled trainwreck. A fifth went for $16 in South Haven, MI. Jim goes for about $18 in comparison.

Rebel Yell is a little rough around the edges. It is an 80 proof Kentucky straight bourbon. Not as smooth as an Old Crow but nowhere near the harsh bite of many of its cheaper cousins. Drunk straight, it provides the standard bourbon flavors and aromas. Slight gasoline burn comes with taking it straight though. When mixed with a good amount of ice, the harshness faded. Mixed very well with some cola.

After putting down a good amount of the bottle between two people, the next day was a decidedly "yep, we drank bourbon last night" kind of mornings. Not nearly a "oh god, oh god, why do we keep buying carstairs" kind of situations.

This may not be my first choice for a rebuy but I wouldn't be oppose to it again. When compared to the Old Crow (which was also an integral part of the night), Rebel Yell came in second. Knock a few bucks off the price and it'll win more points for me.

1792

1792 Ridgemont Reserve

Ladies and gentlemen, we have bourbon. I'm currently sipping this feller, a pretty darn good representative of the bourbon family. You can taste the 93.7 proof, but still enjoy the bourbon-flavors going on. Definitely better with some ice. Perhaps it's better after rum. Cause that's where I am now.

Kate and I have been putting change in a piggy bank. This is piggy-bourbon.

Did you know, that 1792 was the year Kentucky entered the Union?

I'd say this is a fairly good bourbon, though I would rank Maker's a bit higher.

Yukon Jack

I will introduce this fifth with a quote, care of the label:

"Yukon Jack is a taste born of hoary nights, when lonely men struggled to keep their fires lit and cabins warm, boldly flavorful yet surprisingly smooth, there is no spirit like Yukon Jack... the Black sheep of Canadian Liquors"

Fuck. It was only years later that I found out Yukon Jack's true identity: a honey-flavored Canadian whiskey. Because when I first invested my 15 dollars into this golden bottle of pain, I could have sworn I was drinking a mixture of gasoline and honey.

It was a cold and wintery night that brought me to this curiosity of a whiskey. It was syrupy and almost nauseating to drink, but Seawolf and I managed our way through about 3/4 of the bottle. Feeling ill, dizzy, and mildly high, we were then dragged off to see the movie Cloverfield. If you will recall this film, you'll know that the camera is all things shaky, spinny, flashy, and otherwise absolutely horrible for Yukon Jack-induced drunkenness.

The particular bottle in question was relegated to "punishment liquor" for drinking games. We would later realize that this bottle may have somehow "expired," as others reported previous positive experiences with the 'Jack.

Canadian Hunter

This is possibly the smoothest of the bottom shelf whiskeys. At a bank-breaking cost of $10, you may have to make some sacrifices to be able to purchase a bottle of this, but I guarantee that it will not be the last sacrifice you make by the time you're finished enjoying this adventure of a liquor. You will find it available in several varieties, from small plastic to standard glass,and finally to large plastic, and whichever you chose to go with, just make sure to follow the simple rule of finishing what you've started. We'll come back to that.
The presentation of this elixir is certainly a selling point. The label prominently features Tom Selleck, wrapped up for a harsh winter, shouldering a rifle, lead by a team of impressive looking sled dogs. His posture is that of one who is "not fucking around". His mustache makes manifest the masculinity held behind the label, serving as a fair warning to those who cannot deal with so manly a refreshment.
As I said before, this is a very smooth drink, and works very well straight, on the rocks, on the rocks with a bit of water, and (for those who love corn syrup) with the cola of your choosing. I've personally found that a little lime juice and Triplesec bring out an exotic spiciness that I can only assume otherwise hides behind the sled dogs. Canadian Hunter is a selfish mistress, and once opened, does not appreciate being neglected. That being said, the best way to approach a bottle is to remove the cap, discard it, and obsessively attach yourself to the bottle until you've gleaned all the sweet sweet poison from it. However, this may result in some unpredictable situations, even for the seasoned Whiskier.
After a good night hunting, you may wake up feeling like someone has surgically implanted a rusty shard of metal in the middle of your brain. This is normal. Not to bog you down with science, but you've essentially soaked you brain in Canadian Hunter, and the throbbing ache you're experiencing is simply the terrifying panic going on inside your body, like a mother coming home to a house filled with rabid bears devouring her loved ones. Calm your inside places back down the same way you'd calm a mother down in this situation: Brew some coffee that is capable of cleaning engines, and pour a good amount of whiskey into the second cup.

Carstairs White Seal

"Four Random Words, One...whiskey"

This started with "Get a pint of whatever whiskey you can find for $5". I came back with a fifth of carstairs and only had to spend 80 cents extra. This is the gasoline flavor I base all other gasoline-based whiskeys on. You can't get the taste to go away. Mixers barely help. Hangover will be known as a "I got a carstairs hangover" and all should understand. If you need, but not just need, you have a terrible urge to go over the edge into destruction-land, this is your ticket to ride. Taste is mainly of burning. A little whiskey char to it. The "fine neutral spirits" that are blended in are lower than fuel quality. This being said, I've had this on several occasions and probably will again. Price is around $6 to maybe $8 if you're getting ripped off in Houghton, MI. Worth a try at least once....like nighttrain.

Fighting Cock

103 proof of pure Kentucky Straight Bourbon rage. I've had many a night with this bottle and I keep coming back. I wish there were price tags still on these bottle cause I surely can't remember...so I say $16 in East Lansing, MI. Jim is centered around $20. This actually tastes good. It may get you wandering around town with Ian on a Thursday night busting down Greg's door and yelling gibberish, but it does taste good. There's a burn but the warm charred tones ease it away. Hangover depends on "a couple drinks" to "I'll take half the bottle if you take half". The latter is terrible. The apartments, agate house, and bridge house have made this a reoccurring staple of bourbon. The hands down standby.

Canada House

Tastes decent. It's a standard cheap, blended whiskey. It'll make you think more of whiskey than of gasoline (or kerosene). A dphaefs special delivery. This was $8 a fifth from what I remember (East Lansing, MI). Hangover was minimal but present. Jim Beam in comparison is around $18 to $24 but that's a guess.

Blagospherez

So, I realize to make posts there are permissions and whatnot. Thus, to edit this bastard, please send me a google id and we'll get this moving. I will have to know who you are first.

Whiskey Blog Race

So, it looks like I beat Nate in being the first to get a whiskey blog up and running. Maybe if he hadn't gotten that phone call.