What should I buy when REALLY strapped for cash ?

[SixCats!]

Hi all,

Newbie SixCats! here in Maine, USA. I'd like to know what you fine folks would buy in the way of "Spirits" when really strapped for cash ? In my neck of the woods in Maine, the available, lowest price on Irish Whiskey is Kilbeggan @ $15.00 a 750ml. I've no idea if Kilbeggan is any good. Kellan is $20.00 a bottle. I tried a NIP of Kellan last night and I found it aweful. Much too bitter and pretty hot. I must confess, it did taste much better after I added a Tea spoon of Spring water. Still, I don't think I'd buy Kellan again. Please, please tell me Kellan is NOT representive of all COOLEY Whiskey. TAMDHU 10 Scotch @ $22.00 is a BARGAIN ( I loved it) and at it's low price is a must have for my collection. Colontarf @ $22.00 (haven't tried). Powers @ $22.00 is quite nice indeed and Bushmills Original (@ $23.00 a 750ml) I was quite a pleasant surprise. Black Bush is $32.00 in Maine plus tax. In my neighboring State of NH, Bushmills Original is only $19.00 a bottle and Jameson 12 is a whooping ten dollars LESS expensive than Maine's price coming in at $34.00 a bottle. So, in a "nut shell" is there a better dram to be had in Maine/NH than POWERS ($22.00 plus tax) or Bushmills Original (NH price of $19.00) ? Kilbeggan anyone ?

Regards,
SixCats!

[DavidH]

Is there no plain Jameson? My own bottom line would be Powers and Jameson, and I don't think these compromise on taste, they are just excellent value.

[SixCats!]

Hi David,

Ahhh yes, there is plain Jameson available however, I'm not sure of the price. Somewhere, (most likey the web)
I got it in my mind that I should NOT consider "plain Jane" Jameson as there are much better choices available. So, should I consider plain Jameson over Bushmill Original or Powers Gold label ? How about Tullamore Dew ?
Oooh, I hate it when I read reviews that are completely opposed (in the case of Kilbeggan). Some thinks it a good deal and quite nice, the other half hate it!

Regards,
Tom aka SixCats!

[DavidH]

In that price range I wouldn't say there are "better" choices than Jameson, just "other" choices waiting to be explored. At least with the basics you can try them out in a bar to decide if you like them or not.

I'd choose Jameson or Powers or Tullamore Dew over Bushmills Original or a Cooley blend. That's just me though.

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

Powers Gold Label is the one I always go to for an everyday drink and cheapest alternative. Usually around 23.99 here but it was reduced to €17 last year so I have a few in stock. Also bought up some Blackbush lately as it was reduced to €19.99 a bottle down from €27.99

I find Bushmills original fine but possibly a bit too sweet for my likes and get bored of it quickly. Personally I don't overly like Jameson as I find it has quite a metallic character for some strange reason and I find Kilbeggan quite light but if stuck I'd not turn my nose up at any of them.

[jcskinner]

Can't beat the Black Bush for value.

[SixCats!]

Hi guys,

Thanks for your thoughts/suggestions. JC, yea, Black Bush would no doubt be my first choice of those Iisted but,
(at least here in the States) BB is 1/3th. more expensive that Powers, Bushmills Original, Kilbeggan, Tullamore Dew or (Scotch wise) Tamdhu 10. IWC, man, I too would of bought several Black Bush at that price. Nice going!
Dave, I think you "nailed it". Considering the low cost of the "basics", no doubt I will (sooner or later) try them "others". Thanks.

Regards,
SixCats! aka Tom

[Fionnán]

Hey SixCats,

As a fellow stateside member with a bit of experience buying in the lower bracketts (i'm a college student after all...), i'd recommend Powers as the most interesting bottom-brackett option. Here in the U.S. it tends to be cheaper than even the standard Jameson and its got plenty of warm pot still character and spice in it. hope that helps!

[SixCats!]

Hello Fi,

Thanks for the recommendation on the POWERS. As a matter of fact, POWERS was my second purchase
(REDBREAST being the first). I very much enjoyed the POWERS and will no doubt be buying more in the future especially considering it's price! Here in Maine, POWERS is about $20.00 which makes it my "go to" dram when I'm low on cash. I should mention that I also rather enjoyed (the NIP) of Bushmills Original I tied which sells for about the same price as POWERS. I'm still hoping to hear some more opinions on Kilbeggan which cost only $15.00.
Money being so tight these day, I don't want to blow $15.00 on something that (MIGHT) be lesser quality than POWERS.
So, let me put it this way to ya'll, is Kilbeggan worth saving $5.00 over the cost of POWERS or BUSHMILLS ?
I mean, five bucks is five bucks.

Regards,
SixCats!

[jcskinner]

I can't speak to American prices, since distributors and retailers there will price things differently, and tax and duty is different.
But in my opinion, Black Bush is the best value on the market. In its price bracket in Ireland, there isn't' anything to touch it.
Powers is probably IDL's best value production. And for me while Kilbeggan, the Locke's blend or Tyrconnell can be cheaper, I think the Locke's 8 year old is the best value of Cooley's own brands.
Paddy and basic Jameson can sometimes be a smidgen cheaper than most of these ones, but they just don't rock my world, I'm afraid.
Here's a pricelist from RMW in Scotland, which is in sterling, but gives an indication of the relative pricing of standard Irish whiskeys:

http://www.royalmilewhiskies.com/compar ... id=W_IRISH

Best bargain I ever had was the Bushmills 1608 anniversary edition for £30 at the distillery. But I don't think that's likely to be repeated, and if I was looking for a bottle and was low on funds, I'd likely opt for the Black Bush unless something else was on very special offer, such as that distillery sale was.

[Fionnán]

unfortunately JC, Blackbush's price gets a bit lost in translation over the atlantic. Over here, $28 for a bottle of BB would be considered a bargain price, with less reasonable places charging $35+. On the other hand, powers tends to go for $18-21 if you know where to look. Blackbush's still an indisputable cracker of a whiskey though and well worth keeping in stock even at U.S. prices

[jcskinner]

The OP's problem is that most of the answers he will get here will be from an Irish and not an American context.
The titles asks what people buy when they are strapped for cash. People have offered honest answers based on what they buy where they are.
But he seems to object to receiving answers on the basis that prices are different where he is. Not much to be done about that.
Personally, five bucks might be five bucks. But I'd rather pay a few bucks, or euro, or pounds extra and get a nice whiskey I know I'll savour over a series of occasions, rather than choke down some raw Cooley supermarket whiskey and congratulate myself on saving tuppence-ha'penny.

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

I think the OP really wants to know whether it is worth spending 15dollars on a Kilbeggan. Going from the point of view that you like Powers and Redbreast I don't think the Kilbeggan is going to set your life on fire. To me it is a bit lighter than even the Bushmills regular but with a drier finish however it does have a lovely ripe pear and apple nose which also comes through in the taste.

At the end of the day no one can really know how you will react to the Kilbeggan ... is there mini's or 1/4 bottles for sale in your area? It would be good for you to taste it anyway just to measure it against what you have already tried and if you get nothing else from it you will be building up your taste spectrum which is very usefully in your exploration of whisk(e)y in general.

However to put it in prespective the top selling blends in Ireland are in order Jameson, Powers, Paddy & Bushmills regular. However the most popular blend drank by whiskey drinkers in Ireland is Powers as a lot of Jameson goes into mixed drinks. This can be put down to those being historically the most freely available whiskies in Ireland but Kilbeggan has never really caught on after nearly 10years on the market in Ireland.

[JohnM]

For me, I'd be buying Powers if I was strapped. I'd be buying it anyway, though. I think it's a super whiskey and is my favourite of all the cheaper ones. One of my favourites of all Irish whiskeys. Great value for an Irish whiskey.

I believe the White Bush does very well in blind tastings, although I haven't had it in a long time.

I'd also agree with Locke's 8.

[SixCats!]

Hi guys,

Thanks again for all your responses. JC, ok, I see you point. However, I am not trying to "object" out of hand the responses/suggestions from others. Perhaps I should of worded my question more clearly to avoid confusion.
I think IWC has a better handle on what I was trying to ask. Basically, is there something Irish Whiskey
(such as Kilbeggan) that is as good (or better) than basic Powers or Bushmills Original ? That's all. Judging from the responses, it would appear that I would be better off spending the extra $5.00 to $8.00 dollars and buy either the Powers or Bushmills Original. As I stated before, Bush Black is (without a doubt ) a much more serious
(read better) Whiskey however, here in the U.S., BLACK BUSH is priced in the $35.00 range. Nevertheless, I will continue to purchase BB (and the more expensive) Redbreast but, I'm always on the look out for the "best bang for the buck" Whiskey. If Powers and/or Bushmill Original is that "best bang", I have no problem with that whatsoever! I am just seeking advice from those with more experience in the ways of Whiskey. Perhaps I will just have to take my chances and give the Kilbeggan a whirl. IWC, to the best of my knowledge, there isn't any NIP's of Kilbeggan to sampled (at least here in Maine). I guess I will have to just have to try the Kilbeggan and decide for myself. Thanks.

Regards,
SixCats!

[Fionnán]

in continuation of JC's point, if anyone on the irish side of the atlantic's mildly curious about how the tilting of prices comes out with exportation to the states, this website is fairly indicative of what would be considered very reasonable U.S. Prices:

www.bevmo.com

[jcskinner]

Basically, is there something Irish Whiskey (such as Kilbeggan) that is as good (or better) than basic Powers or Bushmills Original ?

Ok, let's start here then.
Yes, there are loads of Irish whiskeys better than White Bush or Powers. But they're also more expensive.
For me, the entry level is probably above young Cooleys generally. I'd use things like Kilbeggan for an Irish coffee perhaps. But I just find that the step up in quality from them to the likes of Powers or Black Bush is more than worth the additional few quid.
I'd rather have one bottle I like than two bottles I don't mind. So when you're talking bang for buck, the consideration isn't just buck, it's also bang. And there ain't much banging about Kilbeggan or Tullamore Dew or White Bush or Paddy for me.
For me, young Cooleys, Tullamore, etc <Paddy < White Bush < Jameson < Powers < Black Bush < Redbreast. But I suspect pot still fans (and I'm one) would more often put Powers on a par or ahead of Black Bush. I grew up on the stuff though, and it's the whiskey in my mind that all others get compared to.
After that list, we're probably heading out of the budget territory of the market.
I think given the price levels you're encountering, Powers is your best bang for buck whiskey. To be honest, if Kilbeggan was going for 15 bucks here, I'd buy a bottle for guests and for mixing into coffee or hot whiskeys too.

[SixCats!]

Hi JC,

Sorry for all the confusion my friend. Thanks for making your points clear. Yea, I suspect your correct that
POWERS is probably going to be the best "all around" value here in Maine. Heck, I only wish BLACK BUSH was priced as reasonably here in Maine as it is in Ireland! Mind you, not that I don't like POWERS. JC , might you have ever sampled CLONTARF Irish Whiskey ? CLONTARF is another "INexpensive" Irish Whiskey here in Maine which I know nothing other than it's low price. Moving up the ladder, I did recently buy a bottle of Jameson 12 which I purchased while passing through NH from Maine on my way to Rhode Island. I couldn't resist buying the Jameson 12 as it is priced TEN dollars less than Maine's price of $44.00 (plus tax). There is no tax in NH so the JAMESON 12 at $34.00 is one heck of a deal here in New England. I put the JAMESON 12 "away" until next Fall. I sure hope I can resist opening it before Fall. Oooh JC, might you have any thoughts about POWER's 12 ? POWERS 12 sells for $43.00 plus tax in Maine. Surprisingly, POWERS 12 is NOT available in NH and is kind of rare here in New England. So, if I want a bottle, I'll have to cough up $43.00 (plus tax). Thanks again JC.

Regards,
SixCats!

[jcskinner]

Ah, Clontarf!
Once was memorably described on another whiskey forum as 'barely legal'!
That's the one with the lesbian ad, no?
I'd rank it below Kilbeggan and Tullamore Dew to be honest. Never tried their 'reserve', but I suspect it's not much older than the basic version.
Powers 12 is an awesome whiskey in my opinion. Well worth the extra. It's a proper sipping whiskey. Most of the rest of the brands you've been mentioning I wouldn't drink, to be honest. I might mix them if I was given a bottle. I wouldn't be likely to buy one.
Jameson 12 is where that brand begins getting interesting. Though I've never been too fond of the Jameson range (others swear by it), it is IDL's flagship brand.
I'm no great fan of the basic Jemmy, but the 12 yo is acceptable, and the Gold is splendid. Fans of the brand swear by the 18 yo and the rarest vintage reserve, but those are significantly more expensive (even if they are still half the price in the US they are in Ireland!)

[SixCats!]

Hi JC,

Once again, thank you for all your help Sir. I kind of suspected that Clontarf might fall into that "also ran" cataegory. Maine is now selling Michael Collins (The big fellow) Irish Whiskey now. I've thought about trying a bottle, however, at it's over $33.00 price, errrr, maybe not. I'll stick to the Powers or Black Bush. I've heard a lot of good comments on Connemara, however, it's priced in the $50.00 range. Some day perhaps. I'm hoping that the bottle of"The Irishman Original Clan" (aka 70) I have stored away proves to be as good as all the hype I've read. At least "The Irishman" isn't too expensive at $28.00 in NH. "The Irishman" is sort of rare here in New England so, I had to take a chance. Thanks again JC.

Regards,
SixCats! aka Tom Patrick

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

The problem you may have from this forum is you'll be talking to many people who have drank a lot of different whiskies and have long figured out their own tastes. It really is an impossible task to guide some one as peoples tastes differ immensely eventhough they may appear to be similar. A lot of us like, say, powers but JC may think Bushmills 21yo is faultless while I may not while it would be the opposite with the Jameson 12yo. I love Laphroaig but not Ardbeg, someone else may be visa versa while another again may love both. It really is that obtuse.

Your possibly looking for back up or feed back to justify purchasing a Kilbeggan or Clontarf. The thing about cheap cooley blends is that evethough they are possibly not the most exciting whiskies they are created to be inoffensive and easy to drink. So if your looking for a cheap alternative just to have a regular nip I would never rule them out but once you build up your spectrum of taste you will possibly drift away from these type of whiskies and your bang for your buck meter may change in scope. It's a hard call but if clontarf is the same price as Kilbeggan give the clontarf a go as I think it is sweeter and closer to White Bush in taste profile. Michael Collins is totally over priced for the product and your paying a fancy bottle and the emotive association to Ireland.

It may be worth remembering that as you start your odyssey you may well enjoy a cheap blend as it is easy to approach but as you get into whiskey more you'll find that you will be looking for more and more flavour profiles and complexities. It's all part of the journey and nothing will help you more by tasting all types of whiskey's.

[SixCats!]

Hi IWC,

Thank you again for your help and guidance. I know you are correct. I realize that no one can tell me for sure if I might like a certain Whiskey (be it expensive or inexpensive). I'm old enough to know that in the end, it will be up to me and my taste buds. I realize that my "taste" is most assuredly subject to change. Several years ago, I use to be a Hobbyist/collector of Men's Fragrances. I started out buying popular "Designer" (less expensive) Fragrances but quickly graduated to VERY expensive "Niche" Fragrances. I belonged to many forums and I had a HUGH collection of Fragrances. I use to buy new/swap/traded Fragrances with Hobbyist from all over the World.
I was surprised how quickly my taste (in this case olfactory) changed (early on) from "sweeter" smelling Fragrances to (later in the Hobby) what many people would consider "rank/stinky" Colognes. I finally had to give up this hobby (which I loved) as it was just too costly. Fragrances from Houses such as "Santa Maria Novella", Creed, L'Artisian, Serge Lutens, Lorenzo Villoresi, Montale, MPG, etc. etc. etc. were among my favorites. A little 2.5 fl oz. bottle of some of the above listed "Niche" Fragrance cost about as much (or more) as a bottle of (for example) a Macallan 18 or Midleton Very Rare. I still enjoy smelling good but, it's more fun (and less expensive) collecting (and drinking) Whiskey/Whisky! Oooh, thank you IWC for your thoughts on the Michael Collins. You confirmed what I had suspected. Also, thanks for the info on the Clontarf. If it is closer in taste profile to the likes of Bushmills White, I may give it a try!

Regards,
SixCats!

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

Sounds like you know what your at so Six

However I do fear for you ... you have collecting in your blood and you know how to appreciate the good things in life ... if the whiskey bug bites you'll still be looking for bargains but they could well end up in the 50-75Dollar range

[SixCats!]

Hi IWC,

Yes indeed lol. Sometimes I scare myself with collecting. In addition to having gone NUTZ and collected "Niche" Fragrances, I have also amassed a collection of Vintage/Classic Home Audio gear. When I get "the bug", I over collect. Mind you, I am NOT a wealthy person whatsoever. I've just happened to be "Johnny on the spot" and found wonderful deals. I have (or have owned) loud Speakers from : KEF, B&W, Thiel, ElectroVoice & University Horns, Wharfedale W-90's, ESS AMT's, JBL's, Klipsch, Jensen, Stromberg Carlson etc. etc. etc. I own (circa 1950"s) Tube amps from : Pilot, Fisher, Scott, Heathkit, etc. As well as some nice Solid State Gear from McIntosh, Accuphase, SAE, NAD, etc. The funny thing is, after nearly 40 years of being into the home Audio hobby, my favorite/most listened to system, is my least expensive system (the Mono Stephens Tru-Sonic Horn and Pilot Mono amp) which sounds AWESOME on Classic Jazz especially. Now, if I could only find bargains on Whiskies! I can say, I am falling in love with BLACK BUSH (about $34.00 in Maine) and of course Redbreast (about $50.00 in Maine). Both are less expensive in NH. I THINK I will be content if I never spend much over that price range for Irish Whiskey.
Time will tell.

Regards,
SixCats!

[Mothrae]

To Sixcats:

Collecting can easily get out of hand. You'll have to visit my "museum" sometime. I have a lot of older audio stuff, such as Altec-Lansing amps and Voice Of The Theatre speakers and cabinets. I've done sound work in theatres and colected a lot of the old stuff that was heading for the dumpster. Best sound system in town, at my house!

As far as low-cost spirits, like many of you above, I buy Powers. I like the flavor of it. Here in the US, Powers 750ml will cost around $15.99, everything else is more expensive. We have a scotch here, not sure who makes it, called Old Smuggler. Costs between $19.99 to $23.99 for 1.5, depending upon where you buy it. Nice flavor.