Dutto
Landlord.
Not really when compared to the production of the base spirit. :thumb:
Even I can pick up an old barrel.
Even I can pick up an old barrel.
The new wave Gin liars?,,,,
- Thread starter Druncan
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Sadfield
Landlord.
Interesting that from your previous link Lagavulin are quite proud of the warehouse man. Must be his Forklift skill.
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Opened a powder keg, here eh?
It's just a load of botanicals to me, Sorry only extract(ing) ;0p
Gin = no ageing = big quick profits for generic alcohol cocktail
It's just a load of botanicals to me, Sorry only extract(ing) ;0p
Gin = no ageing = big quick profits for generic alcohol cocktail
If I may weigh in briefly on the subject of whiskey...
I think you're both giving to much weight to what is essentially half of one very long process. The production of the base spirit is a skilled process which gives a distinctive flavour character to the finished spirit. So is the selection of ageing barrels and the blending of the final product (though this stage obviously does not contain the possibility of actually killing someone who drinks it).
You're also both ignoring the fact that the terroire has an enormous impact. Island whiskeys taste like the sea for a reason.
To argue that any part of a long and complex process which all combines to make one final, complex product is more skilled or more important than another seems a bit daft. It's like arguing about whether selection of the grain bill or the actual mashing is "more skilled". They're just different skills.
I think you're both giving to much weight to what is essentially half of one very long process. The production of the base spirit is a skilled process which gives a distinctive flavour character to the finished spirit. So is the selection of ageing barrels and the blending of the final product (though this stage obviously does not contain the possibility of actually killing someone who drinks it).
You're also both ignoring the fact that the terroire has an enormous impact. Island whiskeys taste like the sea for a reason.
To argue that any part of a long and complex process which all combines to make one final, complex product is more skilled or more important than another seems a bit daft. It's like arguing about whether selection of the grain bill or the actual mashing is "more skilled". They're just different skills.
Sadfield
Landlord.
Agreed. My original point was just that. The new wave of gin producers are adding value to a product and skilled work done by someone else. I find it interesting that UK gin from small batch producers are globally regarded as a premium product of known quality, and win awards, often through adding locally sourced botanicals giving a base spirit terroire. Yet the OP holds a different, more cynical view. Which I find odd on a homebrew forum, where people often do the same thing by adding different qualities to pre-made wort.
I repeat, I never mentioned whisky in my original post. Dutto manufactured an arguement, and I played along for my own amusement.
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I repeat, I never mentioned whisky in my original post. Dutto manufactured an arguement, and I played along for my own amusement.
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Now I'm not knocking Scotch Whisky, even though my ancestry is Irish (we probably had to give them the whisky to convince them to wear the kilts, which also originated in Ireland.) Anyway, we both loved a good fight, and the Scots actually improved it. A good scotch is a combination of the original spirit, which is produced from similar malts to those we use with beer, a rather old fashioned method of distillation which includes rather inclusion of various parts (I forget the term at the moment,) then mellowed in an appropriate cask for an appropriate time. A couple of interesting asides - peat-smoked whisky originally took it's flavour from the malt being toasted over a fire built with Irish peat - and a rep from a renowned French winemaker admitted to me that American Oak produces better brandy than French oak...
Back to Gin - the original spirit can come from anywhere (much like schnapps and modern vodka,) the actual drink became popular by Moonshiners adding Juniper and other spices to their spirit to make it palatable - hence Martinis hit their peak in America during prohibition.
Back to Gin - the original spirit can come from anywhere (much like schnapps and modern vodka,) the actual drink became popular by Moonshiners adding Juniper and other spices to their spirit to make it palatable - hence Martinis hit their peak in America during prohibition.
![BREWING THERMOMETER STICKERS ACCURATELY MONITOR FERMENTING BEER & WINE LIQUID TEMPERATURES 5PCS HOME BREW SPIRITS WINE LCD ADHESIVE [US]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/311DDjo2X3L._SL500_.jpg)
Sadfield-
I think he was attempting to make a point rather than deliberately start an argument.
But again, I see both sides. Gin is, at it's simplest level, just grain spirit flavoured with juniper and other, supporting flora. I absolutely and completely acknowledge that selecting and balancing those botanicals takes real skill, which I do not possess. It is a crucial part of making Gin, and in fact it wouldn't be gin without that step. But equally, I instinctively draw a distinction between those making gin from scratch and those merely flavouring pre-produced spirit. I acknowledge that such a distinction is probably not rational.
I suspect this whole discussion is a good litmus test for weeding out the "AG snobs" :)
TheQuokka- Interesting fact: the Scots are Irish. The Scots were a northern Irish tribe who invaded and pushed the native Picts to the south and east. They brought kilts and whiskey with them when they invaded, and conquered so much of the country that the Saxons to the south simply referred to the whole country as "Scotland" (even though at the time is was several kingdoms, much like England was).
I think he was attempting to make a point rather than deliberately start an argument.
But again, I see both sides. Gin is, at it's simplest level, just grain spirit flavoured with juniper and other, supporting flora. I absolutely and completely acknowledge that selecting and balancing those botanicals takes real skill, which I do not possess. It is a crucial part of making Gin, and in fact it wouldn't be gin without that step. But equally, I instinctively draw a distinction between those making gin from scratch and those merely flavouring pre-produced spirit. I acknowledge that such a distinction is probably not rational.
I suspect this whole discussion is a good litmus test for weeding out the "AG snobs" :)
TheQuokka- Interesting fact: the Scots are Irish. The Scots were a northern Irish tribe who invaded and pushed the native Picts to the south and east. They brought kilts and whiskey with them when they invaded, and conquered so much of the country that the Saxons to the south simply referred to the whole country as "Scotland" (even though at the time is was several kingdoms, much like England was).
Cassette tape cleaner.
I thought I was bad.......ðŸËâ°
[Gets a bag of crisps and pours a quick half of his brewery beer]
No, it was the argument
AG Snobs! Love it.:thumb::thumb:[Goes and rubs the new SS BIAB 50l kettle, Hah, little do they know :twisted:]
Dutto
Landlord.
Most of the Island Malts taste like TCP to me so I much prefer a whisky like Glenmorangie. :thumb:
With a staff of at least fourteen the Glenmorangie Distillery in Tain is wildly overstaffed when compared to Lagavulin's eight.
I wonder if that is why they make a better whisky, or is it that they have more skill? :whistle: :whistle:
We will never know! :lol: :lol:
Dutto
Landlord.
I started to love it in Ukraine back in the 90's. It seemed to be so thick that it poured more like a light syrup rather than a spirit. Delicious! :thumb:
Check out ...
https://williamschase.co.uk/collections/vodka?gclid=CNu9nMON0NQCFcYV0wodX4MPQA
Their 40% ABV vodka says that it is "grown, distilled and bottled in England" and it came in response to Googling "potato vodka UK".
That is the good news! :thumb:
The bad news is that at ã38 a bottle you have expensive tastes! :whistle:
More affordable is Luksusowa Potato Vodka at ã16.59 a bottle as per ...
https://www.drinksupermarket.com/luksusowa-potato-vodka-70cl?gclid=CJGN_PaO0NQCFWUq0wod1_8D3Q
It is a Polish Vodka which is a lot nearer to Russia than England.
Good luck with your search. :thumb: :thumb:
