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Bruce,
Not sure how I missed this thread for so long. I usually hit the board every day, but I have been busy.
So, first, Bug should change his name to "Bog Savage". It was in fact the inhabitants of the Emerald Isle who invented Uisge Beatha, but it was so long ago that The Scots had not yet decided the crowd was just too rough for them and left for the Northern part of perfidious Albion. The took the idea of Whisky with them. The Irish kept making whiskey.
MY drink of choice these days is two ounces of Jameson, two drops of good water; repeat as needed. Standard James sells for 19.99 [$US] for a LITER at Trader Joe's. I have tried a lot of other Irish whiskies, and Jameson 18 yr old is some better than the regular Jameson, but not three to four times the price better. In a side by side comparison of eight Irish whiskies last fall, Jamo 18 was the only one I liked better than regular Jamo. Redbreast is okay, but about fourth or fifth on my list. Tullamore Dew is quite good, and Powers is okay. A new entry John L. Sullivan is okay but not worth to $25 a fifth I paid recently in Virginia.
Scotches: I don't much care for blended Scotch, and the only time I ever tried Johnny Walker Blue I was totally unimpressed. As far as single malt scotches are concerned, I really like several of them. I do NOT care for any single malt Irish whiskey that I have tried, but I may have missed one. IMNPHO, our lesser Celtic brethren do a better job than the Irish on single malts.
Macallan 12 yr old is very good, the 18 yr old is better, and the 25 year old is likely the best thing I have ever had in my mouth. It is smoother than silk, and finer than frog hair. I have never been drunk enough to order the 30 year old, and don't drink in many places that are apt to have a jar open. I am sure as hell not paying $ 525 for less than a fifth just to try it. I am sure it would be fantastic.
For a more peaty single malt I love Lagavulin 16 yr old, if I am only having one, or as a closer for the evening. You can still taste it three or four hours later, with the smoke hanging there in your sinus cavities.
I am still looking for a bourbon that I like as much as I like Jameson. I'd even settle for a Tennessee sipping whiskey. Have yet to find one, but I'll keep looking. I tried some Van Winkle old stuff recently, and it was good, but not good enough, and pretty pricey as I recall.
Macallan does have a 'cask strength' release. It's 110 proof as I recall, and provides a good jolt per unit weight.
If jolt per unit weight is your primary criterion, you might consider one of the 153 proof rums, or since you'll be in Colorado, buy a fifth of Everclear, and haul that up the hill.
Slainte'
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