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Best value priced whiskey?

Well... if I'm on a tight budget Ten High is pretty cheap. Otherwise I'd go for Jonny Walker black or sometimes I'll drink Gin with Orange juice. But my favorite drink is a Whisky Sour. And when it comes to beer I drink Budweiser. I drink a lot of things.
 

Meanwhile in the UK.

I've often wondered if anyone has used calcium hydroxide to perform a basic hydrolysis of ethyl acetate as a route to ethanol. I don't imagine for a moment that the resulting product is drinkable BUT if one begins with 99% ethanol, it's possibly easier that fermenting and distilling a mash of some sort.

But I see 'Turbo Yeast' has been developed that allows brewing to yield solutions of up to 25% alcohol. No mention of taste which leads me to suspect that while efficient, it isn't ideal for the connoisseur.
 

Meanwhile in the UK.

I've often wondered if anyone has used calcium hydroxide to perform a basic hydrolysis of ethyl acetate as a route to ethanol. I don't imagine for a moment that the resulting product is drinkable BUT if one begins with 99% ethanol, it's possibly easier that fermenting and distilling a mash of some sort.

But I see 'Turbo Yeast' has been developed that allows brewing to yield solutions of up to 25% alcohol. No mention of taste which leads me to suspect that while efficient, it isn't ideal for the connoisseur.
Turbo yeast is well known for causing bad flavors. It is strongly recommended to never use it for anything but a product which will be subsequently distilled (no wine, etc). And, actually, only on products which will be distilled to a high proof since the bad flavors can come through otherwise.
Moonshiner websites recommend not using it at all.
 
Turbo yeast is well known for causing bad flavors. It is strongly recommended to never use it for anything but a product which will be subsequently distilled (no wine, etc). And, actually, only on products which will be distilled to a high proof since the bad flavors can come through otherwise.
Moonshiner websites recommend not using it at all.

I presume it results in a lot of fusel alcohols being produced. That makes sense. Activated carbon will most certainly remove fusel alcohols but I don't suppose it's a methodology used by moonshiners. It requires a different approach. But I'm sure it's possible to essentially filter to end up with almost pure ethanol.

Vodka is made this way - 96% alcohol is mixed with (ideally) spring water.
 
I presume it results in a lot of fusel alcohols being produced. That makes sense. Activated carbon will most certainly remove fusel alcohols but I don't suppose it's a methodology used by moonshiners. It requires a different approach. But I'm sure it's possible to essentially filter to end up with almost pure ethanol.

Vodka is made this way - 96% alcohol is mixed with (ideally) spring water.
Vodka has to be distilled to 95%. Bourbons to no higher than 160 proof. (80%) Lower proof distillation allows more congeners to come through (which, I think, includes fusels). Congeners are responsible for hangovers, but also for taste. That's why Vodka has little character but much less of a hangover.

Anyway, I've read somewhere that they sometimes make to 40 proof "Vodka" and other spirits you can buy by using Turbo yeast and then charcoal filtering the hell out of it. No distillation.

 
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Someone joked that you could use a stack of molecular sieves to remove the water but it's hardly practical.
 
@darvocet21 I've seen those videos b4. He's the smartest moonshiner on youtube.

@AlsoTapered There also was a video on youtube, I think the nile red channel, he used a fractional column to get to 190 proof. Then molecular sieves to get rid of the water for 200proof.
 
FYI a good holiday gift distilled in Scotland.
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TJ's brand American bourbon & whiskey sell for $15 & up
 
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