# Forbidden fruit...



## The Gabba Goul (Feb 11, 2005)

What Scotch (not available in the US)...do you wish was??? Personaly I'd have to say as far as single malts go it's the 21 YO Glenfeddich hands down, and as far as blended goes it's either Swing or white label...I'm leaning a bit more towards swing though...


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## jcusey (Apr 19, 2003)

My friendly neighborhood liquor superstore has Johnnie Walker Swing, but I gather that it is not widely distributed in the United States.

As for me, I want Royal Lochnagar 12. And the various Four Roses bottlings, although that's not Scotch. :icon_smile_wink:


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## The Gabba Goul (Feb 11, 2005)

Pardon my ignorance...but I always thought that Four Roses was supposed to be...well...not that good...

I've never sampled any of their offerings, but I was once told that it was just like a fancier JD or something along those lines...if you could please point me to somewhere that I could get a bit of education on this brand I would much appreciate it...


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## jcusey (Apr 19, 2003)

The Gabba Goul said:


> Pardon my ignorance...but I always thought that Four Roses was supposed to be...well...not that good...
> 
> I've never sampled any of their offerings, but I was once told that it was just like a fancier JD or something along those lines...if you could please point me to somewhere that I could get a bit of education on this brand I would much appreciate it...


Four Roses was one of the best-selling Bourbons in the United States in the '30s, '40s, and '50s. At some point after Seagram's bought Four Roses in 1943, they made the decision to send the Bourbon overseas to Japan and Europe and to sell only blended whiskey in the US. From all accounts, Four Roses blended wasn't any great shakes, as is common with most blended American whiskeys. Kirin Brewery bought Four Roses in 2002 and began to reintroduce the Bourbon in the US. Right now, it's available mostly in Kentucky, although they plan to expand distribution over the next couple of years.

Four Roses is unusual for a Bourbon distillery in that they have two different mashbills and 5 different yeasts, giving them a total of 10 different Bourbons. Each of these they barrel and age independently, then blend them in varying proportions for the final product. In this respect, they reflect the Seagram's blending philosophy. They currently have three bottlings in the US: Yellow Label, which is their entry-level offering; Small Batch; and Single Barrel. See the Four Roses website. All of their Bourbons are well-respected by Bourbon enthusiasts, which is more than can be said of Jack Daniel's (Tennessee Whiskey, not Bourbon). See, for example, this thread on the StraightBourbon.com forums.

(Incidentally, Four Roses does a good deal of contract distilling for Diageo, which eventually came into possession of many of Seagram's brands and distilleries, including the Four Roses distillery before it was sold to Kirin. The two Diageo-owned, Four Roses-distilled brands that I know of are IW Harper and Bulleit. Bulleit is widely-distributed, and despite the tons of marketing hokum that Diageo surrounds it with, it is very good.)


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## a tailor (May 16, 2005)

great english movie for whiskey lovers.
"tight little island"


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