Whisk(e)y

[daftbeaker]

Hmm. While I'm not going to say it's definitely fake it doesn't seem plausible to me. When you mix two liquids without agitation what you normally get is a fuzzy boundary layer and two clean layers which, over time, become one homogeneous solution.

I cannot see any simple way to have the liquids change places like that video showed without violating the Second Law. Unless of course the 'water' is actually a non-polar oil like lighter fluid

Edit - Having watched it again it seems to not be transferred through the card but through a small gap at one side of the glass. I may have to try this

[AUSloth]

Good trick! The points i'm looking at are:
First (and probably most important) magicians let the punters make the assumptions, looking at viscosity of colourless fluid during pour it doesn't quite flow right for water and has a high meniscous when filled the other fluid does not have to be whisky because its in a whisky bottle but it definitely has a lower viscosity when pouring.

Two if transfer occured through the card (ie pinholes) you should see a stream more likely it travels around the side of the card which will run it up the side of the glass making hard to see from the front on angle.

Three sufficient difference in density will prevent intermix and "cloudy" fringe effects from diffusion. The low volume laminar flow up the side of the glass will minmize intermix by turbulance (clear fluid pools on top of the lower glass so unless you get a close look at the transfer point it will be hard to see)

Four (sticky point) boths fluid need high enough viscosity for the suction created in the inverted glass to prevent fluids moving around the card from flowing out the gap between glasses.

Five I think its critical that all air is excluded from the shot glasses for it to work.

Two things i'd like to see are where the liquids are after another 10 min then the shots being skulled.

STILL A COOL TRICK THOUGH!

[daftbeaker]

I have hit on a cunning way of avoiding adding too much water to whisky by using one of the syringes I nicked from the lab last year

I'm not too sure about adding water in the first place though, it seems to take away a lot of the bite. It definitely changes the flavour but I'm not sure I prefer it.

Oh, I got a quarter cask Laphroaig that was going cheap at Tesco, I'm slightly disappointed it doesn't go cloudy when mixed with water but it does taste quite nice

[daftbeaker]

Laphroaig actually does smell similar to Iodine. I have a 100g bottle of resublimed Iodine on my bookshelf and tested this. it doesn't have the same acrid sting that I2 has but the general smell is rather similar.

[daftbeaker]

I think Bell's is my favourite blend, it tastes like whisky without the nasty ethanol aftertaste I got from Famous Grouse. Also, I really like Laphroaig now, I'm going to have to nip down to Tesco next time they have it on offer and grab a few bottles.

All in all, the whisky experiment has been a success. I still can't tell the difference between a single malt and a blend but I do know what I like now

[daftbeaker]

Laphroaig is rather tasty. I prefer it to Glenfiddich which I acquired a bottle of during christmas, much more flavour and less stinging ethanol taste

[Cardinal Fang]

Yay. Someone gave me a bottle of BNJ for Christmas.

CF

[PKMKII]

Got to take it easy, though, as The Boy has some friends coming over for the evening...

That's an argument for not taking it easy.

including girls...

And that's an argument for wearing the dalek helmet while you do so.

[black bart]

That's an argument for not taking it easy.

Yes, but not the sort of argument that convinces my wife. Fuck rationality, I need spousal approval ratings these days.

And that's an argument for wearing the dalek helmet while you do so.

The Dalek helmet was my 10 year-old nephew's. He got it for his 7th birthday. It has long since gone the way of all toys. Maybe I'll have to buy one on eBay...

The Highland Park is lovely. I swapped a few PMs with Black Bart (I'm sure he won't mind me mentioning this) about a choice of whisky for Monkey, and I talked him into getting a Highland Park. It would seem I talked myself into it too. I hope he is as happy with my choice as I am...

I've only just spotted this thread...congrats, what a great subject. I still haven't got round to trying Highland Park but I will.

There is a Welsh Whisky of some merit now. I passed the Penderyn distillery quite recently. They are calling it a tourist attraction but it is only a shed! it seems rather expensive to me.

[Arkaeon]

Single malts are made from the grain of one place/farm/field/crop, depending on how strict you want to take it. i.e. only 1 batch of malted barley. These tend to be pretty much vintaged like wines, i.e. how good was the crop that year? These also tend to be more local and family based, for good or ill.

Blended is made from barley from any number of different sources. Ideally, the maker knows the qualities of the various grains and mixes them just as needed to get the best combined flavor. In the case of cheap ones, they may just be buying grain off the wholesale market without much care. Cheap blends are the worst for this reason.

Whisk(e)y was beer once, before they started boiling it.

[Cardinal Fang]

Blended is made from barley from any number of different sources. Ideally, the maker knows the qualities of the various grains and mixes them just as needed to get the best combined flavor. In the case of cheap ones, they may just be buying grain off the wholesale market without much care. Cheap blends are the worst for this reason.

That's why I like the aforementioned Bailey Jarvey Nichol blend. They know what they're doing.

The good thing about blends is that they tend to be consistent. Single malts vary depending on year etc, so you can have good years and bad years where as blends, they pick from different sources to get the same consistent taste.

But yes - cheap blends where they don't give a sh*t are the absolute worst. Good only for mixing with hot milk, honey and cinnamon for an effective insomnia/ cold cure

CF

[black bart]

Nearly the weekend...time for a wee dram!

Oh wait a minute, I had a Laphroaig on Tuesday served to me by a delightful young bar maid who asked me if I wanted ice

[Arkaeon]

So far my favorite whiskies are by Glenmorangie of Tain, Scotland, particularly their "special cask" variety aged in formerly madeira barrels.

I haven't found a single whiskey of any variety or price made in North America that I would drink on purpose, except as a mixer with fruit punch or something. Prohibition seems to have turned that industry over to bootlegging hacks, and it has never recovered. Actually, every hard liquor from North America seems inferior. Can't think of any exceptions.

The Irish make pleasant enough distillations, but they all seem softer flavored than I'd prefer. I can get rum for that.

[Arkaeon]

Interesting point there. Maybe that's why they all taste like someone dropped pine shavings in the cask. Green wood. What could the government be afraid of? That some food poisoning will spread through the booze? It's flammable, for FSM sake, I think it will stay sanitary. Oh, well, that's typical of USA laws.

A similar law keeps American cheeses inferior to their European counterparts. All milk used in USA cheese has to be pasteurized, which has a souring/bittering effect on the cheese. It also has a more grainy texture, reduced creaminess. Raw milk is far better. I'm thinking of joining the ranks of home cheese makers if I can get a reliable source of true raw whole milk and etc.

[black bart]

What about Bison milk? If there are any Bison left.