Huh. I think I said that very poorly. Every good scotch I've ever had has been full of nummy flavor. But all the really good ones I've had were missing the alcohol bite I associate with lesser quality sample of scotch, and don't associate with good vodka.

Ah. They do have a smoother taste, but if you're not used to hard alcohol at all, there will be a bite and burn to it no matter how esteemed the malt. It read to me like you thought it should have the smooth lack of taste that good vodka is said to have. (I think good vodka is a myth, mind, as even the supposedly good stuff tends to make my brain explode into migraine land too often for comfort.)

I like Appleton Special in my rum and coke. Did your friend say what about it was wrong? In fact, when I need a flavourful rum to mix, Special is my choice (white is for making things alcoholic, and Estate is for drinking straight).

Oh, hell yeah. It's been around for maybe 6 months -- it's not as good as I had hoped, but it has its moments. (Particularly the luchadore named Snow Pea -- he's the one in the middle, who looks like, well, a pea pod -- whose signature move is called "The Cuddly Hug of Friendship," and who can only say his own name, much like Pikachu.)

Even better there used to be a live action luchadore kids show on American TV called Lobo Fuerte. The evil villain mastermind was a cyborg chihuahua. I have one episode on tape (which, curiously, has a Wishverse plot).

I've never run across a hard spirit that I couldn't taste, at base, as alcohol. Unfortunately for me (and fortunately for the makers of various mixers), the base alcohol taste, to me, is what I imagine Windex must taste like. You can distill Windex as long as you like; it still tastes like cleaning fluid.

In this, I am assured I am a Philistine. Anyway, the upshot is, any kind of alcohol neat, even "sweet" stuff like SoCo or rum, is mostly just yucky to me.

Yes, I can admit it -- wine coolers are my friend! You cannot shame me out of my enjoyment of wine coolers!!1!

I did a vodka tasting last year with, oh, probably 8 different good vodkas. Varying somewhat in quality, which was very noticeable. But even among the very best, there were subtle differences in flavor. Which is to say, there was flavor.

Then again, I like the taste of water, so maybe flavorless is just one of those concepts I don't get.

the base alcohol taste, to me, is what I imagine Windex must taste like

You should try Windex. It mightn't help you like hard alcohol, but at least you'll understand the true nasty.

Then again, I like the taste of water, so maybe flavorless is just one of those concepts I don't get.

I hate the taste of water, which may be where my vodka hate comes from.

I understand they're opening a Windex bar in Greenwich Village next month.

Damn it, fandom is being wanky. Why hasn't F_W caught up yet???

Someone make me go boot my work computer and earn a living.

You should try Windex.

No thank you. I am well trained in the Mister Yucky stickers of my childhood that Windex is the sort of thing that will lead to barf and hospitals, two things I generally try to avoid.

Have you tried Windex? Are you, like, still in possession of all your alimentary canal?