“The grain components that are mashed together, fermented, and distilled to make whiskey can tell you a lot about the flavor profile” that you’re going to get in your glass, Siemer explains. The mash bill is the mix of grains used to make the whiskey you’re drinking. Once you’ve learned more about what styles of whiskey you’re looking for, you’ll feel more ready to invest in a pricier bottle. Neff recommends setting your baseline by tasting a few of the affordable brands listed below first. You’ll often find a cheaper whiskey that is identical to something fancier, but with maybe a couple years different in the aging.” Amy Fisher of Louisville, Kentucky, reminds us: “Most American whiskey doesn’t need to age as long as a brandy or scotch to be great”-the difference is that whiskeys undergoing maturation in cold Scottish climates may need more time than American whiskeys sitting in oak casks in a hot rickhouse in Kentucky do. “The industry puts in a ton of effort to separate you from your money, but there aren’t that many distilleries in the world, and many ‘grocery store’ brands are made by the same people who make pricier options. “That may open their horizons if they’re used to only consuming a handful of popular main stream brands.“Get to know your budget brands before spending money on things that are more expensive,” advises Michael Neff of t he Cottonmouth Club in Houston. Plus, when you’re educated on your purchase, “you can give the person receiving the gift a cool snippet about the brand and what makes it different,” Minor says. Steven Minor, corporate director of beverage at 1 Hotels & Resorts recommends seeking out apps like Tequila Matchmaker to learn about alcohols you’re interested in. When trying to distinguish a good bottle, make yourself aware of the obvious markers of an alcohol’s luxury like its “smoothness, distillation, and aroma,” says Breijo, as well as, “the brand’s history, design and marketing.” These factors all give significant insight into whether you’re buying a worthy spirit. We hate to say it, but it helps to do a little homework. Which begs the question, when looking to gift an alcohol that feels truly special, how do you know if an expensive price tag is actually reflective of its quality or is it just hype? Not to mention the fact that, “The line between what’s luxurious and what’s trending has blurred over the years due in large part to celebrity endorsements and name drops in top-charting songs” says Ernesto Breijo, food and beverage general manager at The Standard Spa Miami’s Monterrey Bar. When we’re in this kind of predicament, sometimes it feels easier to spend as much money as we can afford to impress, but considering that a bottle of high-quality liquor can range anywhere from $50 to $1500, it pays (literally) to have at least some knowledge about how to choose an expensive alcohol that’s actually up to snuff. Even if you know your boss would love a good bottle of bourbon this holiday season, or a rare Japanese whiskey would be ideal for your significant other, if luxury alcohols aren’t your forte, cherry picking the perfect one can be a shot in the dark.
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