Worst thing in your bunker

[camduncan]

As well as Bourbon / Rye, I'm a big fan of Canadian Whisky's... and regularly enjoy different versions of Canadian Club and Crown Royal as well as others when I can get them.  I was excited to try a recent arrival to Aussie shores - Collingwood Blended Canadian Whisky.  It's toasted Maplewood stave finished according to the label.  It has an amazing nose - full of syrup-like maple notes, but that's where the good ends.  To be honest, I find the taste  an acidic, unbalanced atrocious mess.  Nothing I do with it works - neat, on the rocks, mixed.  Quite literally the first bottle in my 20 + year journey into whiskey that I'm giving serious thought to tipping down the drain.

[Mattk]

This one. It's still from the time where they were being super sketchy, but the liquid is really tasty. So I love it, but hate it at the same time. I really don't keep bad stuff in my bunker. But this has some bad karma with it, so that's why this one still sits.

[Kepler]

28 minutes ago, Mattk said:

This one. It's still from the time where they were being super sketchy, but the liquid is really tasty. So I love it, but hate it at the same time. I really don't keep bad stuff in my bunker. But this has some bad karma with it, so that's why this one still sits.

Sounds like since it's actually tasty, the best approach would be to just drink it quickly and then turn the page by finishing it off and forgetting  about it. Rather than letting it linger in the bunker as a constant reminder.

But perhaps that's why you (subconsciously) keep it around (? ) ... as a lesson learned...

[Mattk]

21 minutes ago, Kepler said:

Sounds like since it's actually tasty, the best approach would be to just drink it quickly and then turn the page by finishing it off and forgetting  about it. Rather than letting it linger in the bunker as a constant reminder.

But perhaps that's why you (subconsciously) keep it around (? ) ... as a lesson learned...

Indeed, that's exactly why if it's the worst thing in the bunker I'm happy. But nothing worse. It is the gatekeeper.

[PhantomLamb]

11 hours ago, 0895 said:

Why ruin good cocktails thought?

 

You get out of it what you put into it.

I should've specified, when I say "cocktail" in this context, I mean mixing it with Coke or gingerale, not anything proper.

[PhantomLamb]

12 hours ago, LCWoody said:

I’m just going by what’s been somewhat popular lately. This is NOT IN MY WHEEL HOUSE (Old Tub). I tried to like it but can’t stand it. I gave it to my son to mix with Dr Pepper. I have definitely had worse in the past, but as of late, this is it to me. 

Crazy how different palettes can be, I love the stuff.

[Marekv8]

13 hours ago, LCWoody said:

I’m just going by what’s been somewhat popular lately. This is NOT IN MY WHEEL HOUSE (Old Tub). I tried to like it but can’t stand it. I gave it to my son to mix with Dr Pepper. I have definitely had worse in the past, but as of late, this is it to me. 

I gave mine to my wife to mix in with her store bought eggnog, as I couldn’t make it through a pour. She loves it. 

[smokinjoe]

13 hours ago, LCWoody said:

I’m just going by what’s been somewhat popular lately. This is NOT IN MY WHEEL HOUSE (Old Tub). I tried to like it but can’t stand it. I gave it to my son to mix with Dr Pepper. I have definitely had worse in the past, but as of late, this is it to me. 

I did not like this at all, either.  Its been pushed back in my rotation so far I honestly couldn’t tell you where the bottle sits, now.  

[GaStikboy]

26 minutes ago, smokinjoe said:

I did not like this at all, either.  Its been pushed back in my rotation so far I honestly couldn’t tell you where the bottle sits, now.  

I thought it was an ok mixer.  I was excited to get to try it -first year in Tx; but not a huge fan of peanut funk in my bottle drinking it neat.

 

My worst bottle is either Smooth Ambler Big Level or Rhetoric Forged Oak.  One is way to young with not much going for it and the other spent to much time in the barrel.

[fishnbowljoe]

I decided to “get rid” of my Red Stag and Skrewball. No, I didn’t pawn them off on Galvin0791. With the purging going on here by some folks, I decided to join in. 

 

As far as Old Tub goes, there was only about a 1/3 of my bottle left. I had a small taste, and it joined its RedStag and Skrewball brethren.  As I mentioned before this is different. I didn’t find it that offensive when I first opened it. However, this is one of those odd bottles that seemed to go downhill some after opening it. Again, and as I said before, I won’t be buying another one. 
 

Biba! Joe

[flahute]

20 hours ago, BottledInBond said:

I have a reasonable tolerance for burying craft crap or other whiskey in cocktails. Sometimes I’ve even gone half/half of the less desirable with a standard pour from one of the majors into a cocktail just to help make it easier. But, sometimes that acetone and wet cardboard stuff still shines through. And it takes seemingly forever when you do it these ways, and you have a bunch of these bottles that accumulated over time.

 

Here’s the thing. I buy 1.75s of EWBIB for $25 as my cheapest basic bourbon pour for making basic cocktails (I make a lot of cocktails with rye as well though). I totally enjoy a EWBIB and ginger ale when I’m not in the mood for meat pours. Why put in effort to try to slowly make my way through all that other crap? In the past I always felt guilty, like it was a shame to waste any whiskey. But, I can certainly afford more of the EWBIB to replace the craft stuff forced into cocktails, and probably enjoy it more anyway......

Yes to this in spades. I've drained poured quite a few of those as well. There's no hiding that wet cardboard.

[PaulO]

I'll join the  Old Tub chorus.  I won't call it the worst.  I will say no chance for repeat purchase here.  My problem with Old Tub is it tastes like it was not aged long enough.  I got this strong flavor of raw biscuit dough in the finish (white dog).

[webfoots]

I’m finally ready to declare my bottle of Woodinville bourbon as my worst that I currently have. I even tried it in an old fashioned tonight and still get a young wood off putting note that dominates the glass. 

[Ravensfire]

On 12/4/2020 at 11:53 PM, Mattk said:

This one. It's still from the time where they were being super sketchy, but the liquid is really tasty. So I love it, but hate it at the same time. I really don't keep bad stuff in my bunker. But this has some bad karma with it, so that's why this one still sits.

Pour it on a decanter and forget where it came from.  Guests look at anythinf in a decanter as special.  Glad all my guests like Buffalo Trace.. 

[geclbxf]

4 hours ago, Ravensfire said:

Pour it on a decanter and forget where it came from.  Guests look at anythinf in a decanter as special.  Glad all my guests like Buffalo Trace.. 

That made me LOL very early in the morning, TY for that!

[ThirstyinOhio]

Cleveland Whiskey Batch 1...I bought a whole case of it when it came out as I like to support local small businesses but it is absolutely horrible.  The one side benefit, is that if you start off with that, EVERYTHING else tastes 5x better than it would have if I didn't start with it as a warm up.  

[PaulO]

Isn't Cleveland Whiskey the one with a proprietary industrial process they claim to speed up aging.

I remember seeing at one time they offered a flavored Christmas Whiskey - I shudder to imagine. 

[jbutler]

On 11/3/2020 at 2:43 PM, StarSurfer55 said:

This got me to wondering what is the worst bottle you have in your bunker.

It isn't even a contest. Consider the fluid level and that I opened this bottle almost 20 years ago; that says it all.

[smokinjoe]

1 hour ago, jbutler said:

It isn't even a contest. Consider the fluid level and that I opened this bottle almost 20 years ago; that says it all.

Dang Boss, and you probably dropped that on the Gazebo table a couple times...and it’s STILL almost full!!

[flahute]

6 hours ago, smokinjoe said:

Dang Boss, and you probably dropped that on the Gazebo table a couple times...and it’s STILL almost full!!

EXACTLY!

[AlfaLarreo]

Fillibuster finished in French Oak, barrel select for Wine and Cheese Place.  Just awful!

[B.B. Babington]

On 12/8/2020 at 3:59 PM, jbutler said:

It isn't even a contest. Consider the fluid level and that I opened this bottle almost 20 years ago; that says it all.

 I might be out west in few months.  If so, would love to swap dram for dram to see what's she's like.  I had a mesquite while back that was great, maybe leather clad?  Curious about his one.  

[jbutler]

46 minutes ago, B.B. Babington said:

 I might be out west in few months.  If so, would love to swap dram for dram to see what's she's like.  I had a mesquite while back that was great, maybe leather clad?  Curious about his one.  

It tastes of mesquite, wintergreen, and Bermuda grass extract; though I must admit I probably haven't tasted it in a decade. Let me know when you're in the vicinity, and we'll brave it together.

[StarSurfer55]

12 hours ago, jbutler said:

It tastes of mesquite, wintergreen, and Bermuda grass extract; though I must admit I probably haven't tasted it in a decade. Let me know when you're in the vicinity, and we'll brave it together.

So I am curious.  Just what does Bermuda grass extract taste like?

[jbutler]

34 minutes ago, StarSurfer55 said:

So I am curious.  Just what does Bermuda grass extract taste like?

Like McKendick Western Style Whiskey of course. Seriously now, I suppose the conventional term is "chlorophyll", though what I'm talking about is the flavor corollary to the odor of freshly cut Bermuda grass.  It was apparently a poorly executed attempt at humor on my part.