Single Malt Scotch of Choice

[Nely]

Originally Posted by GOAT LOCKER

Most Islays still run $40-$50 a bottle. It seems most of the big $, old scotches are highland. Bowmore has some good scotch, but watch out for the cheap "Bowmore Legend" that goes for about $20 a bottle Just my opinion of course, and no offense to those who like the stuff

Oh man you are scaring me!

[ProSpkr]

Originally Posted by voidone

- Glenfiddich Solero - oh so smooth

My all time favorite!

[Nely]

Originally Posted by GOAT LOCKER

Most Islays still run $40-$50 a bottle. It seems most of the big $, old scotches are highland. Bowmore has some good scotch, but watch out for the cheap "Bowmore Legend" that goes for about $20 a bottle Just my opinion of course, and no offense to those who like the stuff

You were right. Tried it and it was horrible, taste like rubbing alcohol with a nasty metallic finish.

[GOAT LOCKER]

Originally Posted by Nely

You were right. Tried it and it was horrible, taste like rubbing alcohol with a nasty metallic finish.

Just save it for when you've already had 5 or 6 drinks

[colgate]

Laphroaig scotch is tar and smoke? Ya think? I would decribe it as peat, pete and peaty. Mine wasn't smoky in the least. Peaty through and through which is reflective of the method of production. They leave the good stuff under heavy layers of peat to hasten the process. I hear these places are a ticking time bomb, so hot is the fermentation process. You can google the web and see some pretty impressive pictures taken after one burns to the ground because the peat catches fire spontaneously.

Originally Posted by voidone

It all depends what I'm in the mood for, but some favs are:

- Bowmore Speyside with that smoky ocean taste
- Highland park 12 yo - great with a fullbodied cuban
- Glenfiddich Solero - oh so smooth
- Laphroigh - tar and smoke
- Glemorangie Port Wood

I was thinking about buying a Glemorangie 1991 Sauternes Wood in London a few months back but decided not to. *stupid stupid stupid* I envision that to be really good.

[par]

Like many others here i really like Dalwhinnie. It's an excellent and superbly smooth single malt. The distillery is well worth a visit although quite far off the whiskey trail (i did the b&b thing in scotland a few years ago).

For that nice peaty taste is really enjoy Lagavulin and Laphroaig. I'd say that Laphroaig is my favourite of the two.

Talisker isn't too bad either. Ardbeg is excellent, particularly the ones over 21 years of age (but really, really hard to get).

For the money though, Dalwhinnie is hard to beat.

[kansashat]

30 year old Springbank

[SlimDiesel]

Not an experienced drinker of fine spirits here. The only single malt I've had is Glenlivet 12 yr and it is mighty good, especially with a good smoke. I was raised on Dewars blended because my dad drank that in his Rob Roy's.

[carbonbased_al]

Bowmore 12 year. My absolute fav.

[Wetterhorn]

After drinking Irish Whiskey (blended) as my whisky of choice, last weekend I was in Denver at Pint's Pub and tried some single malt scotch. Pint's Pub is reputed to have the largest selection of single malts west of the Mississippi - I have no idea if that is true or not.

Anyway, I became intrigued by the whisky (I can't even tell you what I had and no, I didn't drink that much!), so I decided to start trying some other single malts. Because I didn't want to invest large amounts on whisky I didn't care for, I decided to begin by sampling the Highlands, Speyside, Islay, and Lowlands malts, but not the super premium ones as I learn the taste and character of the whisky.

I read that one isn't supposed to drink Scotch with ice, but I like my Irish Whiskey that way, so I decided to try it that way. Sorry if this is a major faux paux, but what can I say...

So far, I have bought two bottles. The first was Speyburn 10 and I found this to be pretty sweet in taste - I tried it over the rocks and neat, and I found I enjoyed it over the rocks better. Of course, this was the way I drink Irish Whiskey.

My second bottle was Bowmore Legend and it is difficult to describe the taste. Very smooth, with a finish I have never experienced before. I have no idea whether or not all Islay malts taste like this, but it is interesting. Again, I preferred it on the rocks over neat.

I will have to work on these two bottles for a while before my next experience. One liquor store employee who seemed pretty knowledgeable, warned me about the Lowlands malt - he said it tasted like iodine! Does it?

This new adventure reminds me of my experience with cigars and how I sampled (and still do!) many kinds of cigars and like to smoke a wide variety of cigars. I bet I will do the same thing with Scotch.

Yet another slippery slope....

[drill]

i guess my fav is mac 30(25 is good also)
my everyday scotch choice is balvenie portwood (21yr)
and at 60 $ or so a bottle a great deal (for my tastes)

if your needing a scotch a little less exspensive there are many decent ones available,many of the forementioned ones are good and bowmore 17 should be added to that list

if you like the peaty/tarry taste in some scotchs then
Lagavulin (16) is a very good Islay

not long ago i had the chance to share a bottle of 25(yr) irish
(cant remember the name of it though)
that was excellent !

i find scotch to be alot like rum the older the better
as i cant hardly drink a 7 yr rum except in mojitos but some 15 or older and i can sip it just fine.

so many scotch's out there that you just gotta try alot to find your personal fave (i know i did)

k

[Wetterhorn]

Originally Posted by drill

i guess my fav is mac 30(25 is good also)
my everyday scotch choice is balvenie portwood (21yr)
and at 60 $ or so a bottle a great deal (for my tastes)

if your needing a scotch a little less exspensive there are many decent ones available,many of the forementioned ones are good and bowmore 17 should be added to that list

if you like the peaty/tarry taste in some scotchs then
Lagavulin (16) is a very good Islay

not long ago i had the chance to share a bottle of 25(yr) irish
(cant remember the name of it though)
that was excellent !

i find scotch to be alot like rum the older the better
as i cant hardly drink a 7 yr rum except in mojitos but some 15 or older and i can sip it just fine.

so many scotch's out there that you just gotta try alot to find your personal fave (i know i did)

k

Thanks for the information - very interesting. Maybe I am tasting the peaty taste in the Islay. Like I said, I am unable to describe it. It is pretty good though, and I have to try the Lagavulin (16).

Here is a question - does a higher price necesarily mean a better Scotch? I know in cigars, sometimes this is true, and sometimes it isn't. It really depends on the individual's tastes. I would imagine that this is true with Scotch.

I will also have to try the Balvenie Portwood (21). Michael Jackson rates it a 9 and writes, "Very complex. Toffee, creamy, winey, aniseed." Yet Jim Murray rates it an 8 and writes, "The port wood has altered the shape of the whisky. The malt plays a less significant part, which means limited complexity." Same Scotch tasted by experts and yet they differ significantly on whether or not it is complex! Again, I think my experience with cigars and that the same cigar is thought to be complex by one smoker and plain by the other.

Thanks again for the suggestions - I will let you know what I think!

[Wetterhorn]

Originally Posted by GOAT LOCKER

Most Islays still run $40-$50 a bottle. It seems most of the big $, old scotches are highland. Bowmore has some good scotch, but watch out for the cheap "Bowmore Legend" that goes for about $20 a bottle Just my opinion of course, and no offense to those who like the stuff

The Bowmore Legend is what the guy at the liquor store recommended for me to sample an Islay. It is different, I will admit that, and I can't really describe the taste. Funny that you when you drink it! I can't say I have had that experience....

[jgros001]

Originally Posted by Jeff

My fave would be Glenmorangie 15 year old.

Glenmorangie 15 Year Old = Good on the tongue, bad on the wallet

This is a great Scotch....Also, Oban is great very smooth. Laphroig also makes a scotch called something like the Cigar Blend that they market to cigar smokers - its pretty good but I like many others better. Worth a try though - it is not that bad in terms of price as other scotches.

[jgros001]

Originally Posted by Wetterhorn

Thanks for the information - very interesting. Maybe I am tasting the peaty taste in the Islay. Like I said, I am unable to describe it. It is pretty good though, and I have to try the Lagavulin (16).

Here is a question - does a higher price necesarily mean a better Scotch? I know in cigars, sometimes this is true, and sometimes it isn't. It really depends on the individual's tastes. I would imagine that this is true with Scotch.

I will also have to try the Balvenie Portwood (21). Michael Jackson rates it a 9 and writes, "Very complex. Toffee, creamy, winey, aniseed." Yet Jim Murray rates it an 8 and writes, "The port wood has altered the shape of the whisky. The malt plays a less significant part, which means limited complexity." Same Scotch tasted by experts and yet they differ significantly on whether or not it is complex! Again, I think my experience with cigars and that the same cigar is thought to be complex by one smoker and plain by the other.

Thanks again for the suggestions - I will let you know what I think!

No, price does not always equal quality. BUT, you will find that most of the time the higher prices are attributed to longer aging which will usually equate to a smoother drink.