Savage Beatings Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 For a good single malt Scotch, I like the Macallan (sherry casks make a huge difference IMHO). The 12 year is fine, and not too spendy. I also like the Balvenie a lot. Otherwise if I'm mixing a drink, I like a decent Canadian whiskey... my preference is Seagrams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Cornelius Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 ANY... in a glass bottle, not blended... works for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DemonKnight Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 Maker's mark +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiley Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 I've been sipping off of an 89 Bowmore, a 90 Imperial Speyside, a 96 Edradour, and a 98 Ardbeg. I've got quite a few bottles of Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, and Macallan but keep turning to the lesser known producers of Scotland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiley Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 Speaking of Scotch and Scotland. Everywhere over there serves it with water (on the side). Even though they say it helps release the flavor I can't bring myself to dilute such a fine drink. This is correct. All of the tastings I've been to they give you a small bottle of water. It's not a matter of diluting it, the water cuts through the initial alcohol bite you get and releases the flavors of the scotch - honey, butterscotch, nut, etc. You just add about a tablespoon or a quick pour. I was a little hesitant at first but it really allowed me to "taste" the components of each whisky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlanta Cracker Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 For a good single malt Scotch, I like the Macallan (sherry casks make a huge difference IMHO). The 12 year is fine, and not too spendy. I also like the Balvenie a lot. Macallan would be a good one to try if you're just starting to try out single malts. It's not too harsh and the 12 year is excellent. I've had a bottle of the 18 year once and it was awesome. You might also add some ice if you're just starting which will cut the intensity a little. That's kind of what I did. As I drank more I grew to appreciate the flavors and gradually phased out the ice alltogether. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiley Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 (edited) Here are some notes I took on a tasting back in 05: The Whiskys:Bladnoch, Lowland, 12 year, The Breakfast Malt The lightest of the group. A good drink to start the morning off on. Flowery, vanilla nose with a nutty buttery taste and a white pepper finish. This distillery is now closed and no longer produces. Glenturret, Speyside, 12 year Sulfur, iodine nose, piney finish Strathmill, Speyside 10 year Sherry profile due to the whisky aged in sherry casks. Sweet taste mid-palette with a white pepper finish. Peat was added during the final stages. Mortlach, Glenlivet area Honey nose, vanilla-honey mid-palette, pepper finish. Side note: Cannot buy anywhere and it was Winston Churchills preferred drink Edradour, Highland 10 year Butterscotch nose with an inital taste of butter and raisin. Slight sweet finish due to the aging in Sherry casks. My personal favorite - bought 4 bottle at $57 a piece Imperial, Speyside 15 year (unchill filter) Interesting nose, I was picking up a banana nose. Very intriguing. Mid palette I picked up a slight pear taste with the sharp finish something leafy which I couldn't quite place. Clynelish, N. HIghland, 10 year Very salty medicinal nose. The initial taste contradicted that with a slight honeysuckle taste. I couldn't pick much up on the finish because I forgot to add a little water. Benriach, Speyside 12 year. closed in 1890 but reopened in the 60's I think Smokey nose. Medicinal flavor on the initial palette. I really fely like I had just drank some liquid smoke. It's a very rich and agressive whisky which actually left my mouth a little dry afterwards. Bowmore, Islay, 12 year Another favorite, bought 3 bottles at $52 a piece One of the first legal distilleries in Islay. Salty and sea-like nose. Butterscotch sherry nose with the initial taste that lingered around a pear. The sherry flavor lingered throughout the mid palette and the finish. This was the most flavorful of the group, pepper, salt, seaweed(?) with a very long smokey finish. I was very intrigued with the combination of the sweet sherry flavor and spicy finish. ETA: I was walking sideways after this tasting as usual. Edited December 19, 2007 by twiley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Cornelius Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 This is correct. All of the tastings I've been to they give you a small bottle of water. It's not a matter of diluting it, the water cuts through the initial alcohol bite you get and releases the flavors of the scotch - honey, butterscotch, nut, etc. You just add about a tablespoon or a quick pour. I was a little hesitant at first but it really allowed me to "taste" the components of each whisky. wurd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Cornelius Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 I've been sipping off of an 89 Bowmore, a 90 Imperial Speyside, a 96 Edradour, and a 98 Ardbeg. I've got quite a few bottles of Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, and Macallan but keep turning to the lesser known producers of Scotland. yup im running threw the lesser known stuff from my favorite store... some good stuff can be had at the 30 and 40 range... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundaynfl Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 (edited) Another vote for Woodford. One of my favorites! As far as Scotch goes, my favorite is in one of my friends basements in Florida. It's a Solera that he started 20 plus years ago in an old Sherry cask. Whenever he pours a glass he pours premium aged scotch into the barrel.... Yummy!! Edited December 19, 2007 by sundaynfl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wirehairman Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 I'm not a big drinker anymore, when I was I more preferred Bud Light & a freezing bottle of Jaeger to anything else. However as I'm getting older my tastes have evolved into trying the finer things. Whiskey has been one thing I've hesitated on because I've never had anything better than Gentleman Jack and Crown. Crown was ok, but I always found the flavors a bit too rough for my tastes. To me before whiskey was a thing for old guys & mixed drinks, but lately I've been wanting to give it a real shot (no pun intended). Anyone have something that will not break the bank & should give me a very good starting point to enlighten my taste buds? Whiskey is my drink of preference, so I don't always have the top shelf hooch sitting around. Pendleton is a very affordable whiskey in the "Canadian" style that puts Crown to shame. As for Scotch, I personally prefer Sheep Dip over all others, including some very high end stuff I've had. Fortunately, my unrefined tastes save me a bunch of $. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatGreg Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 I was fortunate enough to share a bottle fo Macallen 25 with a group of very close friends. Trust me, nothing compares to this fine scotch. I am really hoping that the wife gets me a bottle for my next birthday, but at $430 retail it may not happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylive5 Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 An excellent Scotch Whiskey should be taken neat. However, I have been known to put one ice cube in a glass with a double shot once in awhile. One should never ruin a decent S..W.. with a cola or 7-up or grape juice or orange juice or anything else. (Those things are for regular whiskey.) Just the thought sends shivers through my system. Of course a nice Irish Coffee works on wintery days. LOL As far as any blended swill you may purchase.... the more mixer you add to it the better off you are. Preferrabley something like 9 parts mixer to 1 part swill. Swill = Chevis, JW, etc. (Sorry Nick.) In fact... all blended Scotch is something to stay away from. When we were stationed in Scotland we tended to drink Bells as our everyday whiskey. Inexpensive and not bad at all with a pint on the side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 My fave of all time.....Loch Dhu..... Black as coal and smoother than a cheerleader's thighs. But at over $150/litre, can't afford it any more. Used to be in the $50 range. Other than that....Dimple Pinch is a very good blend (I know sky and I disagree on blends) and Sheep Dip is a very reasonable Malt and fairly smooth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isleseeya Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 My fave of all time.....Loch Dhu.....Black as coal and smoother than a cheerleader's thighs. But at over $150/litre, can't afford it any more. Used to be in the $50 range. Other than that....Dimple Pinch is a very good blend (I know sky and I disagree on blends) and Sheep Dip is a very reasonable Malt and fairly smooth. The loch du looks good The sheep dip well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiley Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 My fave of all time.....Loch Dhu.....Black as coal and smoother than a cheerleader's thighs. But at over $150/litre, can't afford it any more. Used to be in the $50 range. Other than that....Dimple Pinch is a very good blend (I know sky and I disagree on blends) and Sheep Dip is a very reasonable Malt and fairly smooth. Loch Dhu is good stuff. Me and a friend sat around one night and practically finished off a bottle. He still had 6 left too. I should also mention that while his business was open he had the largest publicly available Whisky selection in the state, probably midwest. Now he just has the largest privately held selection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Swerski Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 For a good single malt Scotch, I like the Macallan (sherry casks make a huge difference IMHO). The 12 year is fine, and not too spendy. Macallan fan here as well. I also enjoy Laphoraig (very distinct "peaty" flavor). The single-malts from the Scottish Highlands are top-notch overall. For casual, inexpensive drinking I usually drink Jack or Jameson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiley Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 Macallan fan here as well. I also enjoy Laphoraig (very distinct "peaty" flavor). The single-malts from the Scottish Highlands are top-notch overall. For casual, inexpensive drinking I usually drink Jack or Jameson. Laphoraig is very smokey and medicinal. I can only enjoy a bit at a time. Good stuff though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Swerski Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 Laphoraig is very smokey and medicinal. I can only enjoy a bit at a time. Good stuff though. Yeah, it has a pretty strong smoky/peat moss flavor. Probably not something that I'd want to drink every weekend, but it's a nice break from the norm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seattle LawDawg Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 I like the peaty scotches so I drink more Lagavulin than anything. The distillers edition (which may be impossible to get in the states) is top notch but the 16 is my go-to....it's much easier to get. I like the Macallan 18 more than the 12. The 25 rocks. Another that I haven't seen mentioned: Caol Ila: Another of my favorites. Glen Garioch 15 is a good highland scotch. THere are some good Highland Parks as well. I'm thirsty now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlanta Cracker Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 Laphoraig is very smokey and medicinal. I can only enjoy a bit at a time. Good stuff though. How is the flavor of Laphoraig compared to Lagavulin? I've tried the Lagavulin once in the past and wasn't that big of a fan of the smoke flavor. Perhaps it was because it was the 3rd or 4th drink of the night and would be better as a stand alone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seattle LawDawg Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 How is the flavor of Laphoraig compared to Lagavulin? I've tried the Lagavulin once in the past and wasn't that big of a fan of the smoke flavor. Perhaps it was because it was the 3rd or 4th drink of the night and would be better as a stand alone? They're both pretty smokey...that why i like them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 (edited) Bourbon: If you put a gun to my head an told me I could only ever have one bourbon for the rest of my life, I would have to choose between Knob Creek and Woodford Reserve, with the Woodford getting the nod in the end.Scotch: If I had to drink one scotch it would be easy. Balvenie Doublewood 12 year old Single Malt scotch Irish Whiskey: I will admit to not being particularly picky here, Tullamore Dew, Jamesons, or Bushmills all do the trick Rye: Sazerac is easily my favorite. Both good bourbons... Balla and I met the niece of the Woodford Reserve owner. I like Jameson's and Bushmills. Of course, there's nothing wrong with Jack Daniels or Crown, too. E2A: JoJo, your sigline is ridiculous. Edited December 19, 2007 by darin3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexgaddis Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 I love Windsor Canadian blended whiskey on the rocks... I will try moving up to better whiskeys when I can afford to do so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJoTheWebToedBoy Posted December 19, 2007 Author Share Posted December 19, 2007 (edited) Both good bourbons... Balla and I met the niece of the Woodford Reserve owner. I like Jameson's and Bushmills. Of course, there's nothing wrong with Jack Daniels or Crown, too. E2A: JoJo, your sigline is ridiculous. Thanks folks..... Friend of mine gave me a great bottle of Rum a few months back so I thought I would repay the favor since he's a Whiskey drinker, I would be willing to spend up to a Bill for a good bottle, but I don't drink it, so I had no clue. Darin..... Just a little over the top?????? Edited December 19, 2007 by JoJoTheWebToedBoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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