The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

Been a while but I'm still breathing. Had a reasonably lousy steelhead season this past winter and I think, since I can, I should get out of my comfort zone and explore So Oregon next Feb. Still seeing the NorCal gf and no, she isn't blind and deaf.

I thought this question was addressed before, but I can't find it, if it was.

I'm going hiking and fishng with my youngest brother next month in CO. We've been trying to do a trip like this for more than 15 years. I want to bring something potent along to drink and don't have much experience with this, being a beer and wine guy. I have been experimenting with Scotch this past year, but not enough to know much.

Suggestions? Is single malt scotch much better than blended? Brand recommendations? There's a lot out there that costs an arm and a leg, and my biz is still in recession. Any suggestions on that aspect?

Ed Kelliher, you're needed

First, Ed drinks IRISH WHISKEY, not Scotch. If you went that way you could try some decently priced whiskeys or some cough medicine, also known as blended scotch. I would just get some decent American bourbon and put it in a non-breakable container to have along as snake bite medicine...we know that real fishermen don't drink while on a trip...inhale maybe, but not drink.

Yes, single malt is much better than blended, Bruce. If you want something kind of smooth to start with, a 12-year-old Macallan won't break the bank. If you want something that is a little peatier, Laphroaig is great. On the other hand if you can find Black Maple Hill Bourbon that's pretty delicious and reasonably priced. Not recommending buying from BevMo (support your local fine liquor shop) but for reference:
http://www...tail.aspx?ProductID=1590
http://www...mp;N=0&ProductID=703
http://www...m/detail.asp?sku=1026880

And I bet Ed would sip a Scotch whiskey or bourbon if one were placed in his hand...

You know, Andy, I bet your right, about Ed that is.

Thanks a million for the info. I've tried Laphroaig's and enjoyed it, although I think it's probably an acquired taste. I looked for it in a specialty store in upscale Bryn Mawr, PA when I visited my brother (don't have many options in my small town)and it was priced at almost $60. Big difference compared to BevMo (which I've never heard of prior to your post).

I'll look into Maccallan's.

Gracias Amigo.

Thanks for setting me straight about blended vs. single malt, Charlie.

If you're going to drink whiskey then you should only drink Irish whiskey since they are the ones that invented it. Some Scots still try to cling to the possibility that they may have invented it but they didn't. The first whiskey distillery was in Ireland. The word "Whiskey" comes from the Gaelic phrase "Uisce Beatha" which means "Water of Life." Uisce is pronounced Ish keh and "Whiskey" is the closest the stupid English could come to saying it and somehow it stuck. Scotch is the Scottish attempt at whiskey making. They use peat to heat the mash and it gives it a smokey kind of flavor. Peat is basically just dirt and the Irish would never use dirt to make whiskey! Bourbon is an American corn mash abomination that we've tried to pass of as whiskey. You can't make whiskey from corn. The Irish invented it and they make it from grain so if it's made from corn then it isn't whiskey and it sucks. Irish whiskey has been around for more then a thousand years and bourbon is only a few hundred years old so they can't have perfected it to the degree of the Irish yet. The Irish take more pride in distilling their whiskey then others do too. Irish whiskey is distilled 3 times while scotch and bourbon are only distilled 1-2 times usually. The Irish put more effort into it. If you're gonna do it, do it right!

I'll bite. I've got many years to try it all. Give me a few suggestions that aren't TOO expensive. It's been a tough couple of years!

Jamesons and Bushmills are probably the most known. Kilbeggan is a good Irish whiskey that's under the radar to some degree. You can spend $80-$120 for a good bottle of any of those but you can spend as little as $20 too. Depends on it's age. Ed is definitely the one to talk to about this. I know he's big on Jamesons.

Thanks, Shawn. Duely noted.

Bruce,

You are going for effect right? Your palette isn’t sophisticated enough for the criteria you have set up. Stick to your Manischewitz MD 20/20 or if you are newly into California wines, try Gallo’s Mountain Red with the thumb hold on the bottle. If you want to go ethnic, then load up on the Thunderbird wine or Akadama's plum wines. And the price is right and won't hurt your budget. You should be sticking to tequila anyways based on your home turf. 8^)

Your fan club in the Marysville/Yuba City area has moved out of Johnson's Bait and Tackle. The enigma is fading fast. Expand your horizons and hit Oregon.

Sir,
Mad Dog 20/20 is NOT a Manischewitz wine, it's a Mogen David. Tequila, U of AZ, Final 4, 1990ish, NEVER AGAIN! Never saw the game. Heard it, though.
Wine, I know a bit about. Beer, too.
Only way to learn about the harder stuff is to drink it! OR is definitely intriguing. Just remember, it's 16 hours to the American, 19.5 to the T, about 22 to the Smith. That's a hell of a lot of driving.

Oops! There should be a comma between Manischewitz and MD 20/20. Kind of early for you to be thinking steelhead on the T, much less the nightmarish drive/commute, but I like your style. When do you register to vote in our fair state? I thought you were making the move in order to take advantage of the resident license fees. Did the traffic scare you off or was it the gf? There is definitely lots of water this year. Lets see how much gets grabbed by the water barons and if the fish return.

Almost forgot, are you taking the spey rod with ya backpacking in CO?

Its good to see you posting again.