Scotch

[Napoleon54]

I hadn't ever given much consideration to scotch because it's relatively expensive and I didn't know anything about it. So many varieties, etc. I'd had Bowmore once or twice and didn't at all like the peatiness of it... like licking an ashtray. Bleh.

Then a few months ago my brother made a recommendation, so I took the plunge and got a bottle of Glenmorangie. Since then I've taken a real liking to it and have burned through a few bottles. First the Original (standard 10yr), then Lasanta (the original transferred to a sherry cask for 2yrs), now sipping Quinta Ruban (original + 2yr in a port cask). I can't get enough of this stuff, it's just friggin' amazing.

Any other scotchaholics here? What do you like, what do you recommend? If anyone would care to recommend other non-peaty scotches, I'd be interested in trying them.

[guiseppewv]

I do not like scotch at all. Yuk!

One thing that amazes me is that the Japanese have become really good at producing great single malts. They even won the 2008 Best Single Malt. LINKIFIED (http://www.whiskymag.com/awards/wwa/best_single_malt.php)

I have thought about trying some of the stuff here because it is so highly rated.

Try the Bunnahabhain 25 Years Old Single Malt. It won the best unpeated of the year. It can't be bad.......or cheap. :)

[Prngr44]

Never had it.

[attgig]

I love scotch. I was introduced to it with Glenlivet 12 year. it's relatively cheap (30-40 bucks) for that bottle. But since then, I've been spoiled. I love love love Macallen. the more number of years, the better...hahaha. but I can only usually find the 18 year at costco every now and then for about 70 bucks. I've given a go at the other glens, but will still prefer glenlivet over those. I also have a bottle of Macallen from a duty free shop (1851 inspiration) that's really good but a little sweeter than the normal line of macallens.

There's also the beast known as johnny walker, and truth be told, I'm not a fan. The blue labels are yummy, but waaayyy to pricey (I've managed to get a glass at a company function once, and off of one of my friends who's a high roller, and got free drinks at a casino). Any other johnny just isn't as good as a single malt.

And guiseppewv, there's also supposed to be a super rare asahi single malt (the same guys who make the beer), that's supposed to be good. is that the same bottle?

[attgig]

Try the Bunnahabhain 25 Years Old Single Malt. It won the best unpeated of the year. It can't be bad.......or cheap. :)


haha. yeah, you go over that 20 year mark, and it's ridiculous how much you're paying. 18 years is usually as high as I'll go. and even then, i'm spoiling myself.

[VTGreg]

Not a fan of Johnny, regardless of the color of the label. My favorite thus far is Macallen. I have both the 12 and 18 at home. I've had a glass of the 25 before but that is a bit too pricey for my liking. I also like Glenmorangie but haven't tried all of the varieties. Glenlivet is also solid in the 12 or the 18.

I do not like lagavulin. Tastes like chewing on an ashy stump. Nor do I like Glenlivet 21, which tastes like gasoline. Other than those, I tend to enjoy most of the stuff I try.

[attgig]

Wow, I haven't had a 25 year macallen. mmmmm.

glenlivet 12 is my standard base drink, while 18 is for nicer occasions. i haven't tried 21 year glen, but can't imagine it tasting like gasoline!

[GraingerGuy]

"Scotch, scotch scotch. Scotch in my belly. I love scotch."

:)

Nothing to add, this was just the first thing that popped into my head when I saw the thread.

[Napoleon54]

Hey attgig, I picked up a small (375mL) bottle of 12yr Glenlivet on the way home today, sipping it now. This is pretty good stuff! I can see why it's your standard, especially considering the more reasonable price. It's a bit smoother and more complex than Glenmorangie. More subtle, relaxed, well-rounded, not quite a sweet, maybe a little mossy/earthy. Same nutty kind of notes but less intense. IMO Glenmorangie is easily described as almond biscotti. This Glenlivet is tougher to summarize. I'm picturing a pile of almonds sitting on a mossy log in a forest.

[Napoleon54]

How do you drink your scotch: neat, with little water, with an ice cube, with lots of ice cubes, etc? Does it depend on the scotch?

[Cheesypuff]

i love scotch. i find scotch really smooth and full of taste. I like drinking it neat, but i'll occasionally throw in an ice cube or 2. gotta have the right glass to drink scotch tho, without the correct glass, a scotch can be ruined :) I like sticking with Glenlivet, but the lowest i'll go is j.walker.

[zenbooty]

Not a fan of Johnny, regardless of the color of the label. My favorite thus far is Macallen. I have both the 12 and 18 at home. I've had a glass of the 25 before but that is a bit too pricey for my liking. I also like Glenmorangie but haven't tried all of the varieties. Glenlivet is also solid in the 12 or the 18.

I do not like lagavulin. Tastes like chewing on an ashy stump. Nor do I like Glenlivet 21, which tastes like gasoline. Other than those, I tend to enjoy most of the stuff I try.

Johnny is a blend. Blends are weak. They're blended in order take all the individual character from each batch and cask, and produce a more mild, even, and consistent flavor. Its the top 40 of scotch.

All the ones you mentioned liking are single malts. Each batch, and sometimes even each cask is bottled independently, maintaining its character. The tiny change in humidity between a cask nearer the cellar exit and the one 10 feet into the room, or a tenth of a degree difference in room temperature, or casks made from trees grown in different types of soil, each would have an impact on the flavoring and fermentation of the whiskey as it sits and ages for years.

[zenbooty]

How do you drink your scotch: neat, with little water, with an ice cube, with lots of ice cubes, etc? Does it depend on the scotch?
Neat if its in the 80 proof neighborhood. Sometimes you'll get one that's bottled "cask strength," around 125 proof. They're fermented to that level for preservative reasons. Then generally most whiskeys are diluted with water when bottled to get them down to the typical 80-85 range which is best for drinking. But sometimes they'll bottle it and market it at cask strength. I generally take those with water on the side so I can add what I want.

[VTGreg]

Wow, I haven't had a 25 year macallen. mmmmm.

glenlivet 12 is my standard base drink, while 18 is for nicer occasions. i haven't tried 21 year glen, but can't imagine it tasting like gasoline!

Trust me, I was every bit as surprised. The stuff wasn't cheap and I bought a bottle of it. It was so bad I actually contacted the US distributors and swapped out the remainder of the 21 for a bottle of 18. The customer service was top notch.

How I drink the scotch typically depends on what kind of scotch it is. I'll drink the good stuff neat because it tends to be a bit smoother but will drink the rest with and ice cube or two.

[attgig]

How I drink the scotch typically depends on what kind of scotch it is. I'll drink the good stuff neat because it tends to be a bit smoother but will drink the rest with and ice cube or two.


ditto.

[attgig]

Hey attgig, I picked up a small (375mL) bottle of 12yr Glenlivet on the way home today, sipping it now. This is pretty good stuff! I can see why it's your standard, especially considering the more reasonable price. It's a bit smoother and more complex than Glenmorangie. More subtle, relaxed, well-rounded, not quite a sweet, maybe a little mossy/earthy. Same nutty kind of notes but less intense. IMO Glenmorangie is easily described as almond biscotti. This Glenlivet is tougher to summarize. I'm picturing a pile of almonds sitting on a mossy log in a forest.

I'm glad you're enjoying it.
also, you should be aware of the different whiskey regions:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotch_whisky#Whisky_regions
almost like wine, diff regions will have diff tastes.

[attgig]

Johnny is a blend. Blends are weak. They're blended in order take all the individual character from each batch and cask, and produce a more mild, even, and consistent flavor. Its the top 40 of scotch.

All the ones you mentioned liking are single malts.


I'll have a scotch on the rocks, please. Any scotch will do, as long as it's not a blend, of course. Single malt, Glenlivet, Glen Galley, perhaps, any glen.

Um... a malt Glen Gary for me and my friend here. And if you tell that bartender to go extra easy on the water, this 50 cent piece has your name on it.

[guiseppewv]

You're a big winner. I'm gonna ask you a simple question and I want you to listen to me: who's the big winner here tonight at the casino? Huh? Attgig, that's who. Attgig's the big winner. Attgig wins.

[attgig]

You're a big winner. I'm gonna ask you a simple question and I want you to listen to me: who's the big winner here tonight at the casino? Huh? Attgig, that's who. Attgig's the big winner. Attgig wins.

:thumbup:

kudos for getting the reference =)

[ArkiStan]

http://tv.winelibrary.com/2008/07/25/the-single-malt-scotch-episode-episode-509/

[guiseppewv]

winelibrary is a great site. I order wine from them frequently. Actually, I should say I ordered wine from them quite frequently when I was on the East coast. They are one of the reasons I am looking forward to going back. Inexpensive but great wine - you gotta love that!

[ArkiStan]

winelibrary is a great site. I order wine from them frequently. Actually, I should say I ordered wine from them quite frequently when I was on the East coast. They are one of the reasons I am looking forward to going back. Inexpensive but great wine - you gotta love that!

Agree it's a great site. It's not surprising that a person that truly knows how to enjoy different wines also knows how to appreciate the nuances and intricacies of a various scotch brands.

[Markel]

A store I was in today had a guy giving out some scotch samples. He had Highland Park 12, 15, and 18-year old, a couple of Famous Grouse and a couple of Macallen. (All three of those brands are owned by the same parent.) I thought the Highland Parks were great, especially the 18 (which some experts call the best scotch in the world). Not that I would ever buy a $100 bottle of scotch, but it was nice to taste it for free! :)

[ArkiStan]

just saw this the other day:

http://www.thedailydust.co.uk/2009/07/16/what-is-the-best-way-to-drink-whisky/#

[Napoleon54]

Still jonesing on scotch! Glenmorangie is still my top pick, especially the Quinta Ruban (port cask) and Nectar D'Or (sauternes cask). Lasanta (sherry cask) is decent but not worth the extra cost versus the cheaper 10yr Original.

I also really like Glenlivet 12yr and Aberfeldy (have had 12yr and 21yr). Glenlivet Nadurra (16yr cask strength) is wicked good, been sipping that lately.

I'm really interested in branching out a bit and trying different distilleries, but still not a fan of peatiness, so I'm wary of buying anything new. I guess I could tolerate a bit of peatiness, but nothing like that ashtray Bowmore. I had Lagavulin a long time ago and seem to think that it might fit into the "acceptible level of peat" category.

[attgig]

my wife became a fan of balvenie, and we've gone through a couple bottles together. still go back to mcallen though.

Still looking to score a japanese bottle though....

[Cheesypuff]

so whats the problem with a blended scotch? I do dig the single malts myself, but I also don't find a problem with a blended

has anybody ever tried a j.walker blue label?

[attgig]

so whats the problem with a blended scotch? I do dig the single malts myself, but I also don't find a problem with a blended

has anybody ever tried a j.walker blue label?


yes, blue label has good flavor and is pretty smooth. But, I just don't think that it's very good compared to similarly priced single malts.

I don't know if there's necessarily a 'problem' with blends, but from the blends i've drank, they're just not as good to their counterparts. they just don't have good flavor, and seem to be there for the alcohol.... even the more expensive blends, like the green johnny - the flavor is just lacking.... compared to a similarly aged mcallen

[ray]

Blue Label is good, but for the price I'd rather go grab a whiskey like Sazerac 18 or George Stagg. They are significantly better than any scotch i've ever tried.

[Napoleon54]

Ditto. For the price of JW blue label I'd rather have a very nice single malt. Blends aren't bad, they have their place, but it isn't on the top shelf. Just picked up a bottle of JW red label yesterday at a bargain. Also yesterday got a bottle of some cheap arse blended crap called Scoresby, $7, just finished it. Crap. Had the mouthfeel of sake, kinda thick and sticky. Not good, but, hey, it got the job done on the cheap.

[ArkiStan]

Ditto. For the price of JW blue label I'd rather have a very nice single malt. Blends aren't bad, they have their place, but it isn't on the top shelf. Just picked up a bottle of JW red label yesterday at a bargain. Also yesterday got a bottle of some cheap arse blended crap called Scoresby, $7, just finished it. Crap. Had the mouthfeel of sake, kinda thick and sticky. Not good, but, hey, it got the job done on the cheap.

Can somebody recommend a good single malt for around the price of a bottle of J.Walker Blue?

[VTGreg]

Can somebody recommend a good single malt for around the price of a bottle of J.Walker Blue?

How much is JW Blue?

[attgig]

jw blue ~ 175-200 ish. which is ridiculous

i've gotten a macallen a 18 year for ~100.
i believe their 21 year is ~200, but i've never pony'ed up the money for that.

errr...I don't know if i can think of one that's as expensive as the blue that i've actually tried. just get 2 bottles of the 18 year, and you'll be twice as happy as one bottle of blue =)

[tupacboy]

where did u find a macallan 18 for 100?

personally i like macallan 17 fine oak... yummmy...

jw blue = living off of hype... its not bad... but a macallan 18 is much better

[VTGreg]

jw blue ~ 175-200 ish. which is ridiculous

i've gotten a macallen a 18 year for ~100.
i believe their 21 year is ~200, but i've never pony'ed up the money for that.

errr...I don't know if i can think of one that's as expensive as the blue that i've actually tried. just get 2 bottles of the 18 year, and you'll be twice as happy as one bottle of blue =)

Macallan 18 runs more around $125-150 near me. There are a ton of great Scotches that you can find for under $200. Macallan 18 would be the near the top.

[tupacboy]

i got excited when i saw at bevmo handles of macallan 12 at $90

[attgig]

http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/04/asian-whisky-whiskeys-japan-suntory-nikka.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+seriouseatsfeaturesvideos+%28Serious+Eats%29

a little thing on foreign scotches.

and I got that mcallen 18 from costco when they do a run of the 18's once every now and then. the thing is, it's kirkland brand that's produced by macallen. not sure what that really means, but it's still pretty darn yummy.

[Houdini]

I'm a Scotch fan. We even had a dedicated Scotch bar at my wedding reception a few months ago. I've picked up nice bottles in cruise ship duty-free shops. Some of their sale prices for the Glens are great.


H

Edit: Also had a cigar bar with a Cuban guy rolling cigars

[tupacboy]

i love cigars!!! i have quite a collection ;)