Anything non agave that tastes good?

[bn087]

I can go into a package store in hopes of finding something tasty that isnt tequila and after just minutes of looking I find myself back at the agave section sorting through bottles I havent tried yet. This really isnt a problem because its always good to get what you like over something you are unsure of, but I wouldnt mind broadening my spectrum just a little bit.

I havent really tried other spirits at a high priced level but there are a lot out there I am curious about. I really cant stand Crown Royal or Jack Daniels by themselves...they are rough and the flavors are too bold...I guess I'm not much of a Scotch/Whisky/Bourbon fan...but I dont know the differences at all when it comes to that stuff. I have heard of Booker's True Barrel Whisky and heard it is fabulous, but for 55.00 I am unsure to expiriement.

Vodka doesnt have enough character to it. I have never tried a decent Rum but my grandfather was from Belize and they are large exporters of Rum and sugar cane, so I would love to try something "native" to my family if yall may have an idea. I am seeing different spirits like Absinthe, Grappa, Armagnac, and Sake but have never tried anything like that. I've tried a few cogancs like Courvourseir or Hennesey but thought they were much to syrupy...


Any ideas guys? I'm sure some of yall have non agave drinks here and there...what are your favorites? I will not touch anything like Sambuca or Jager....YUCK!

[tvJefe]

If no tequila is to be had, I will drink scotch. There are many similarities to the longer-aged tequilas. You taste the same woods and secondary flavors of vanilla and caramel and chocolate. I find scotch to be a little drier than tequila but it's still a good choice and quality scotches are available at most quality restaurants.

[IceCold]

Gin...

Seems alot of Tequila drinkers I know also enjoy the bitter dryness of a good gin, crisp with a citrus mixer of your choice, I guess we just favor the salty/savory side of the taste card.

[bn087]

I like that idea....Gin!

I love a fresh Tom Collins. I refuse to drink Gin straight....maybe its not made for that but I had a shot of Bombay Saphire a couple months ago and that was the WORST shot of anything I have ever had in my life. Thinking back still makes me gag.

As for scotch...maybe it doesnt float my boat, I prefer the Reposado and Blanco tequilas over most Anejos and Extra Anejos...scotch may be just too woody.

Whats up on Armagnac? I heard that its good for the heart, is it similar to Cognac (which I dont like much)

I forgot to mention Wines and Beer since we are on a "non-agave" thread. For wines, anything red is too bold for me. I think Merlot and Cabrinet taste like feet with a sour punch. I have had a bottle of Moet Chanden Chamapgne [54.00] (I think this is what it was called) and it was amazing. I also experimented with White Zifandel and Pinot Grigio; neither of which I liked.

Beer is great...especially in this drought we are having in Texas. When the air is muggy and hot, an ice cold beer will suit me well. My personal favorite is Coors Light...but I also like Bud Light, Shinerbach, Ziggenbach (I think this is a Texas beer), Modelo, and of course Keystone on a budget. I havent spent too much time sizing up quality beers but I hear Shiner makes a 100.00 24oz beer. It has 25% alcohol and is best served neat without chilling. That sounds awful to me, what do yall think?

[wench]

I found myself in a non-tequila-friendly environment on our last vacation, so I went directly for the Guinness/Jameson Whiskey combination - side by side. Start with the beer and chase it with a sip of the shot and the whole cocoa/caramel nuance will come through well. Strongbow, K, and Woodpecker all make excellent ciders; I also get into foreign and microbrew beers.

If there's a good wine list, we tend to gravitate towards the "interesting" whites and reds on the drink menu. Also, one can never go wrong with Champagne; making sure that it's true Champagne (made in Champagne, France).

Being Scottish, I suppose it's my duty to try and get into Hendricks gin in mixed drinks, since I never took much of a shine to scotch whisky.

If none of these items are present at the establishment, AND there's no good selection of tequila, I'm already saying my goodbyes and looking for my car keys. :P

[wichie13]

I was a beer man before I found Tequila, but even then I was always trying the imports and the Micro brews.

I also like Irish Whiskey on ice, you get a good one and you would be surprised how good it tastes. Right now I keep a bottle of Red Breast in my bar. Its one of those tastie less heard of brands for a decent price.

[Kamikazee]

I've got some good stuff for you to try...

Good rum... If you'd like to try something more like old-fashioned carribean rum, look for a vintage-looking bottle of dark amber liquid called "Mount Gay Extra Old". Mount Gay is located in Barbados and is one of the world's oldest still operating rum distilleries, dating back to the 1700's. Its the genuine article, and highly regarded as the standard to measure against for rum. Extra Old is their premium aged sipping rum and is very well regarded by rum afficionados.

Wine... by your statements about red wines you've tried tasting sour and feet-like, I would say you would be much happier with a sweeter white wine. Try Riesling. Its a sweet german white wine thats very light and crisp and pairs well with seafood and salads. Chill in your refrigerator before serving. Chateau St. Michelle makes a nice Riesling that isn't too pricey either. Lambrusco is a sweet, slightly carbonated Italian red wine that you can also try, which you might enjoy. If you become interested in wine, I highly reccomend the book "Wine For Dummies". Its a great read and will give you a better education in wine than most regular wine drinkers have.

Hard Ciders... There are a variety of hard apple ciders on the market which are tasty, carbonated, somewhat sweet but not overpowering, and something like a cross between beer and apple juice. If you've never had hard cider, give it a try. There is also hard pear cider, which I like even more than the apple varieties, though its a little harder to find.

Beer... everyone has their own tastes on this, I personally tend toward dark irish beers, especially Murphy's stout which is somewhat like microbrewed guinness that is a bit smoother and slightly sweeter, and when I want something lighter and more of a summer beer, I opt for Widmer Hefewiezen with a squeeze of orange or lemon. Its wonderful stuff.

There is lots more out there but thats some to get you started!

[mwegryn]

A good single malt is always pretty tasty. I cut it with just a tiny bit of water to tame it, and also open it up a bit. I enjoy Balvenie, Glenlivet, and Macallan. Those are really the only ones I've tried to be honest. I've tried different ages, and the 12 years seem to be the best bang for the buck.
I also like dark rums. Mount Gay, and Gosling's are my two staples. I also hear Pyrat is very good, but same say it has a distinct flavor. Hi-Time has it for $25 a bottle right now. I would still like to try it though. And at that price I just may sooner than later. It's hard to beat a good rum and coke when I have a taste for something other than tequila.

[tvJefe]

Eep. Don't cut good scotch with water. It's just like tequila. Try Glenmorangie 12yr Port-Wood. Definitely doesn't need taming. Full, sweet, beautiful finish. I also like their 12yr Sherry-Wood.

[bn087]

So I've ventured out a little bit since I started this thread and tried some interesting "non agave" spirits. I really liked Pyrat Rum...it was nice to sip on and mixed well with coke (I guess thats all I need in a quality rum)...I also found some rum imported from Belize that was good. I tried some Jack Daniels Single Barrell but still just dont like whisky I suppose.

Beer - that has whipped me the most. I used to settle for the typical Bud, Coors, Miller...etc. But I decided to go down the beer isle one day at the liquor store and found out there was a lot more to beer than I've payed attention to. I started off with trying some of the different brews from the Spoetzl Brewery here in Texas. I love Shiner Bock....so I tried the new Shiner Bohemian Black Lager (this is by far the darkest and richest beer I have consumed); it was great. So I tried other Shiner beers; Shiner Blonde which isnt too good, Shiner Hefeweizen (good), Shiner 99 Heles Lager (really good)...and I tried other brands Landshark (not good), Longboard Island Lager (excellent).

But of all the beers I've tried, I have to say Flying Dog has got to be the strangest. I tried a variety pack of 6 different beers...the artwork on the bottles are from a guy named Ralph Steadman who was the personal artist for Hunter S. Thompsan's journals. His artwork is amazing to say the least...and very different. Anyways, the beers were alright...a couple were a lot better than the rest but the convorsation pieces the bottles bring are great when you whip em out at a get together.

James Boag's Premium Lager (Tasmania Beer) is the best beer I've tried to date. Its at Outback Steakhouse or your local liquor store for about 10.00 a sixer; its worth it though.

I dont understand microbrews and how beer really works, I just go and find something different and try it out...ale's, lager, light beer...I dont know much of the difference I just go by taste. I would say I have started my quest over the last couple months in the right direction...my last post on June 24th shows my favorite beer was Coors Light; and it was probably the last time I tried some....haha.