Cables, Coffee, Cycles, and Cocktails

[Tarheel]

• Well since slushie boy won't say if he has tried it or not I'll tell you what my history professor once told us.  Maybe not as smart as Carl, he was one of the foremost authorities on bourbon in the US and did his dissertation on bourbon.  He could link bourbon to all important historical events.  Dr. Crowgey was also our fraternity advisor.  His advice "if you're going to mix it with anything go for the cheapest, highest octane alcohol because once it's mixed you're tasting the mixer.  Save the good booze for drinking neat or on the rocks".  I put stock in that advice and would also venture that price is not always indicative of a good pour.  YMMV.

[CECAA850]

12 minutes ago, Tarheel said:

•  His advice "if you're going to mix it with anything go for the cheapest, highest octane alcohol because once it's mixed you're tasting the mixer.  Save the good booze for drinking neat or on the rocks".  I put stock in that advice and would also venture that price is not always indicative of a good pour. 

Smart man.  Too bad none of it rubbed off.

[rplace]

Vodka is vodka is vodka once you are past the really cheap stuff. Especially if you are mixing it with heavy syrups, sugary mixers or other girlie options, for reasons stated above. If you get much beyond tasting it straight up, side by side, back to back, I don't think many can tease out the differences. Several pages back was the Gin discussions. There is a spirit that has many variants and worth pages of ramblings by the likes of you blokes.

 

If you are looking for a once size fits all Vodka that does not break the bank and goes reasonably with all things. Grab a handle of Tito's and be done. Save your fretting and nuanced discussion for speakers and Gin. 

[dirtmudd]

On 5/8/2018 at 10:27 AM, CECAA850 said:

I would expect nothing less.

 

You don't google search vodka.  You go out, buy some and try it.  If you like it, put it in your memory banks.  If you don't, move on.  Personally I prefer potato vodka over the grains.  A VERY inexpensive yet good vodka is Monopolowa.

We would do that ... If you were paying ! And shipping it to us..

 

Then we would let you know..

 

Or Chuck should....

 

Just send me coffee....

[richieb]

1 hour ago, jimjimbo said:

 

I'll bring a pillow.

 

--- Nice. You can have sweet dreams and count bottles of Trump as you doze off ----

[rplace]

2 hours ago, billybob said:

And along came: 

 

 

Does this come with a free pack of Tic Tacs so you are ready for some "grabbing" after a few shots?

[CECAA850]

41 minutes ago, Tarheel said:

• Well since slushie boy won't say if he has tried it or not

All kidding aside (and I do enjoy the back and forth).  I don't believe I've ever had that brand.  If I had, and it was good, I'd certainly remember and would have been a repeat buyer.

[CECAA850]

27 minutes ago, rplace said:

If you are looking for a once size fits all Vodka that does not break the bank and goes reasonably with all things. Grab a handle of Tito's and be done. Save your fretting and nuanced discussion for speakers and Gin. 

This is exactly why YOU need to buy the bottle you're referencing @Tarheel.  I can't stand Titos.  Lots of people LOVE it.  They sell an ocean of that stuff every year so it must be good right?  Everyone has different taste in music, speakers and cocktails.  No ones opinion is wrong to them.

[rplace]

1 minute ago, CECAA850 said:

This is exactly why YOU need to buy the bottle you're referencing @Tarheel.  I can't stand Titos.  Lots of people LOVE it.  They sell an ocean of that stuff every year so it must be good right?  Everyone has different taste in music, speakers and cocktails.  No ones opinion is wrong to them.

 

I'm not saying it is fantastic Vodka (since there is no such thing ). But it is a safe bet. I think just Vodkas a more marketing than substance. For my money Stoli is a staple in my liquor cabinet that has about 3 vodkas (for visitors) at least 15 different rums at any given time and 4 or 5 rotating gins. Dimmit, man can't you see I am trying to steer the conversation to Gin not Vodka. Come on now! 

[CECAA850]

4 minutes ago, rplace said:

 

I'm not saying it is fantastic Vodka (since there is no such thing ).

Are you going to Hope?

[rplace]

2 minutes ago, rplace said:

Dimmit, man can't you see I am trying to steer the conversation to Gin not Vodka. Come on now! 

 

Looks like I have to take matters into my own hands by quoting myself. If you are looking for something unique and different give this a try. Good on the rocks but a tad bit of alcohol burn. Makes a really nice G&T.

 

[jimjimbo]

35 minutes ago, rplace said:

 

Does this come with a free pack of Tic Tacs so you are ready for some "grabbing" after a few shots?

Yes, and of course, an NDA.

[jimjimbo]

40 minutes ago, richieb said:

 

--- Nice. You can have sweet dreams and count bottles of Trump as you doze off ----

Not dreams, it's nightmares.

[CECAA850]

1 minute ago, jimjimbo said:

Yes, and of course, an NDA.

Keep it up and you'll set the record for locking the longest running thread in forum history.

[rplace]

Just now, CECAA850 said:

Are you going to Hope?

No, I was going to say I wish I was or we lived closer, because I have $20 that says with just a splash of tonic I can give you two Vodkas you pick and Titos and you can't pick out the Tito's in a blind test. If you can I'd like you to show me some truly unique Vodkas. I had one night with a retired Army Cornel co-worker that had all sorts of Vodkas I'd never heard of. He amassed them from years of world travel. Polish, Ukrainian, Australian, I'm not even sure.  He could tell you what made them unique and what to taste for much like a really well versed wine person. That was actually an education. Very interesting.

 

Now I'm not defending Tito's just saying I've been brewing my own beer for over 20 years, have a decent pallet and 90% of the people I argue with this about can't tell many vodkas apart once they get three shots in front of them. You surely could be in that 10% but most I know have some warped brand loyalty that makes they swear by X and hate Y with no way to back it up once poured into a blind glass. I got a house full of Klipsch speakers so no problem with brand loyalty. For some reason, in my experience, Vodka defenders that rant and rave about Grey Goose, Belvedere, that one in the skull bottle or whatever can't seem to back it up. A lot, not all, seem more like Bose fans to me. I don't see that in other spirits. Bud Light vs Miller Lite for sure but not most other "real" drinkers of wine, gin, rum, tequila.

 

Sorry for the rant. Just one of those things that gets me going. Probably because my sister absolutely must have Grey Goose then put 10 tons of mixers in it.

[CECAA850]

Just now, rplace said:

No, I was going to say I wish I was or we lived closer, because I have $20 that says with just a splash of tonic I can give you two Vodkas you pick and Titos and you can't pick out the Tito's in a blind test. If you can I'd like you to show me some truly unique Vodkas. I had one night with a retired Army Cornel co-worker that had all sorts of Vodkas I'd never heard of. He amassed them from years of world travel. Polish, Ukrainian, Australian, I'm not even sure.  He could tell you what made them unique and what to taste for much like a really well versed wine person. That was actually an education. Very interesting.

 

Now I'm not defending Tito's just saying I've been brewing my own beer for over 20 years, have a decent pallet and 90% of the people I argue with this about can't tell many vodkas apart once they get three shots in front of them. You surely could be in that 10% but most I know have some warped brand loyalty that makes they swear by X and hate Y with no way to back it up once poured into a blind glass. I got a house full of Klipsch speakers so no problem with brand loyalty. For some reason, in my experience, Vodka defenders that rant and rave about Grey Goose, Belvedere, that one in the skull bottle or whatever can't seem to back it up. A lot, not all, seem more like Bose fans to me. I don't see that in other spirits. Bud Light vs Miller Lite for sure but not most other "real" drinkers of wine, gin, rum, tequila.

 

Sorry for the rant. Just one of those things that gets me going. Probably because my sister absolutely must have Grey Goose then put 10 tons of mixers in it.

  Potato vodka and grain vodka have a distinctly different taste.  To me it's not subtle.  If you add tonic water or any mixer all bets are off, buy the cheapest stuff you can find ala Chucks professor's advice.  As far as vodka brand loyalty is concerned, I like what tastes good to me.  For years my gold standard was Chopin.  About a year ago a fellow forum member sent me a bottle of Permafrost from Alaska distilleries.  I had no pre conceived ideas on what to expect and I was absolutely blown away.  I'm currently hoarding several bottles that Jim helped me acquire as they're virtually impossible to find.  If you were going to hope I'd let you try some.  It's the best vodka I've ever had in my life. 

 

 

Does the @forummember function not work anymore?

[jimjimbo]

6 minutes ago, CECAA850 said:

If you add tonic water or any mixer all bets are off, buy the cheapest stuff you can find ala Chucks professor's advice. 

I disagree here.  You can still taste bad vodka even when it's mixed.  There are of course dependencies, but I think there are still differences to be recognized.

[Tarheel]

1 hour ago, CECAA850 said:

All kidding aside (and I do enjoy the back and forth).  I don't believe I've ever had that brand.  If I had, and it was good, I'd certainly remember and would have been a repeat buyer.

I wondered if you had tried it since there is a bottle behind you in the 2017 Pilgrimage picture (the one where you are shaking a batch(1st page as I recall).

[Ceptorman]

1 hour ago, CECAA850 said:

This is exactly why YOU need to buy the bottle you're referencing @Tarheel.  I can't stand Titos.  Lots of people LOVE it.  They sell an ocean of that stuff every year so it must be good right?  Everyone has different taste in music, speakers and cocktails.  No ones opinion is wrong to them.

Are you saying Titos is the Bose of booze?

[Tarheel]

1 hour ago, CECAA850 said:

This is exactly why YOU need to buy the bottle you're referencing @Tarheel.  I can't stand Titos.  Lots of people LOVE it.  They sell an ocean of that stuff every year so it must be good right?  Everyone has different taste in music, speakers and cocktails.  No ones opinion is wrong to them.

Heck Carl you recommended Tito's to me many years ago.....said it was made in Texas I think.  I don't hold a grudge though.  It was okay but not a keeper for me.  I do agree with Chopin and Winchester's Belvedere.

Speaking of vodka taste, and I think we must have done a thread many years ago, Winchester made a remark that had some value to me.  He said he didn't want his vodka to have a taste.  I surmised that the taste to him came through the distilling process or impurities.  I usually associate a good vodka as one that doesn't burn much on the first sip😑