Ducati Monster Forum

Im trying to get into single malts.  Just bought a bottle of laphoraig 10 year... Its not bad but its not what i was hoping for.  Little too spicy.

So what scotch do you suggest?

This.

(http://www.ahardyusa.com/images/productimages/image_f8.jpg)

Whether or not you should add water to your whisky is entirely about personal taste. Many who drink their whisky neat say they do not want to spoil the taste by adding water to it.

However, there are just as many whisky drinkers who say that adding a touch of water, especially soft still spring water will enhance the aroma and flavour of a whisky and bring out the whiskies hidden characteristics. It is worth noting that tap water can contain high levels chlorine and would spoil rather than complement your whisky, if this is the case with your tap water it is best avoided.

The true lover of whisky will drink there whisky as the professionals do, with a little clear water. Adding a little water to whisky before drinking will prevent the strength of the whisky numbing your senses and reducing your enjoyment of the whisky. It is widely said that you should dilute your whisky with a fifth water. Everyone's tastes varies, so its worth adding just a little water at a time to see what you prefer. Having said all that I do agree that some whiskies are best without any water added.

Adding ice to your favourite single malt Scotch whisky is such a shame. Putting ice in your whisky will only reduce the temperature of the whisky, freezing its aroma and the smell, and will only dull the taste of the whisky. Many people do add ice, if you are one of them why not try it without, we assure you it will be like drinking a different whisky.

i have tried many times to acquire a taste for scotch.
cant do it.  :P
i still gravitate back to the irish whiskeys

Philistine.

side note: my answer to this thread assumes that there is a differentiation being made between true "Scotch" whiskey, and all other whiskey varieties (irish, canadian, etc,........)

yes ;)

I like them all!

Try Glenfiddich 15 year.  If you can find the Solaris, try that.   [thumbsup]

I'll drink scotch...

if you put vodka in the bottle...

any other whiskey is....drinkable.

Many of the single malt scotches can be very peaty, kind of overwhelms everything else.

Of the ones I've tried, the one I like best?   Oban.

If you are looking for a clean, cheapish  single malt I recommend
The Glenlivet
http://www.theglenlivet.com/

If you want a more upscale clean scotch try
The Macallan
http://www.themacallan.com/splash.asp

Both scotches are well distributed (you can buy it pretty much anywhere) and they have different products to match your wallet.

I have to agree wholeheartedly with someguy. [thumbsup] I would definitely advise against ice in your scotch...it locks out the true flavors and only gives you that medicinal sting.

As for a decently priced, fairly middle of the road single malt, try a Speyburn 10 yr. Not too peaty or smokey, and overly stick sweet either. And reasonably priced as well.

Personally, I go for Aberlor, Dalmor, or Legauvelin. But I'm never one for turning down any Scotch! [beer]

We need to go drinking  ;D

I am a total whore for speysides... macallan is the bomb diggity, yo  ;D

whatever that means.

single malt is totally where it's at. except for islays... not my bag.  ;)

macallan and aberlour are my faves.  glenlivet, esp. the 18, is very good as well.

but my absolute second favorite single malt isn't a scotch. the 18 year yamazaki from suntory is... sublime... :) :) :)

I like Glenmorangie, Jamesons (I know, not scotch), and Maker's Mark (again, I know).

Glenfiddich is good too.

"...Any Glen will do."

 [laugh] ;)

I keep the following in stock(or try to.)
Glenmorangie

Glenlivet

Johnny Walker (blue label)

The Glens are for company. No one gets the blue but me.

Thanks guys.

I was disappointed when i learned that jameson was a blended whiskey.. because i love that suff.  doesnt mean i love it less, just that its.. well.. blended.

blends aren't necessarily the devil. some of them are mighty tasty.

There is nothing wrong with a blend.


There is something wrong with adding mixers to scotch.

ummm, eww! who does that? they should be shot!

I had some jackass pour coke into a glass of johnnie walker gold I gave him.



I threw him out of the house.

fixed

Has anyone tried laphoraig? its... interesting.

the only thing i can compare it to is chloroceptic. yeah the cough supressant. 

I mean, i like it, and ive got a nice buzz, but i dont think ill be drinking it all night.

It's a bit on the smokey side. Btw, get yerself a cigar.

My fave is Macallan 25.

Scotch with rocks is debatable to me ... sometimes I go with it and sometimes without ... I think the size of the cubes does make a difference. One nice steakhouse I visit is the only place I know that serves a large single rock instead of little cubes. It melts just right to add that water component to smooth the scotch's bite. And if you let it melt all the way, well, you're just not drinking fast enough!  [evil]

You pound beer. Scotch you sip, and enjoy.

I prefer mine neat.

Well thats a WHOLE 'nuther thread.

us too!  me and my M8 have just decided to taste our way through the single malt at a local bar we found with a really nice rack!  we're doing a shot a week, Friday's after work before we leave work-town together for home-town.
i take notes and then forget what i've written them on and throw them away.  [bang]  last week i washed the matchbook cover we'd written about Balvenie on {chemical up the sniffer, nice taste, peaty and light smoke afterburn.  i DO remember that.}
do you like reading?  Iain Banks wrote the most amazing book, basically a travelogue of Scotland seeking out and trying big names and small. because desired taste varies person to person, one of the best resources in the book has been the tiny pronunciation guide in the back- helped me out, anyway, ordering things.  Whee!  Raw Spirit, in search of the perfect dram (http://"http://www.amazon.com/Raw-Spirit-Iain-Banks/dp/0099460270/").

i'm really against a certain chemical taste i can't nail down except "tastes like 7".  i like smoke and i like peat.  as soon as i can remember what i've tried and what i think about it = whee!  the problem with setting out to learn this stuff is the stupid complicated names, while i'm getting buzzed i'm not going to remember them!

and sometimes i cave and order a mixed drink, Rusty Nail, and don't call the scotch.

... also, every other week i opt for old favorite, Chartreuse VEP.  delays my progress, seriously.

+1 for fiddich and walker blue label both very good [thumbsup]

try the 30...  [evil] like... buttah...  [beer]


that said, I usually drink mine neat, but w/a splash of cool water.  my ice cube tray has the right size cubes for the, er, amount I like to sip on. so it's one piece of ice for me (filtered, then frozen, not the ice maker kind of ice).

and I can certainly sit and enjoy a glass of single malt for a good long while  :)

me too, and in a coffee mug 8)

Wow! I just had flashbacks of one of my teachers in junior high ... he'd always walk in bleary eyed with a cup of something in his coffee mug. And it ain't coffee that's for sure.  [wine]  +  [coffee]

Oh, and of all classes to be teaching, he was the shop teacher. Talk about meaningful safety lessons from him on band saws and belt sanders!  [roll]

Yeah that's good stuff too. There's even a few even older ones I've tried too. Good stuff! But spendy.

My 3 faves so far are Highland park 18, Bruichladdich and Oban.  All very different.  The Bruichladdich would make a great "starter Scotch", very light with very distinguishable notes and a seawater finish......awesome!

One to avoid is the Talisker 10, unless of course you like diesel fuel and honey mixed, with a burnt rubber finish....  Ive had a bottle of Talisker 25 on the shelf for about 5 years, Im almost afraid to open it cuz the 10 is so gross. 

A very good inexpensive one is the Dalmore 12.

Yes, any glen- will be good.  I am a fan on the livet.

For single malts I usually drink a 12 yo Laphroig at home. It's like smoking a cigar and drinking at the same time. I also like The Macallen in either an 18yo or 25 yo variety. I have recently started sampling Johnnie Walker Green, which I find to be quite good. I didn't think I'd like a blend as well, but it's pretty tasty.

If you like the green, try the blue.

After work last night, I settled into my chair with a glass of blue with a splash of Fiji water, and just sat and read for about an hour. First time I've done that in months.


Aaaaah.

The Green is spicy!  Blue is smoooove..

Laphroig, Bruichladdich, Glenmorangie (the Port finish is espcially tasty), Oban, Balvenie

Basically the Islay whiskeys when I'm in the mood for something heavy, or a Speyside if I'm not. Islays are generally improved for me if I dilute with a drop of water. Tends to 'sweeten' them up a bit. But I'll leave the Spaysides undiluted.

Before I had kids I had a $75 / month scotch habit

(now it's closer to $150   [evil][wine])

To me one of the best things about single malts is they are sooo unique.  For those starting out I suggest a Glenlivit  or Macallen since they both are very neutral high quality Scotches and branch out from there.

+1 on the port glenmorangie!


no kids, but I really try to not keep track of my scotch money... it's almost as useless as bike money...  [evil]

I totally forgot Lagavaulin 16.  I think it edges out the Oban in my top 3 list.

One of my favorites is Glengoyne 12, not the sherry cask.  I don't like the added finishes.  I had some Macallan 12 year the other day that was excellent.  Much better than I expected.  I haven't had it for awhile but I thought that Johnny Walker Black was pretty good.  I have a bottle of Gold that just don't like unfortunately. 

Now ive seen laphroaig  mentioned a couple of times, but i dont taste smoke... all i taste is cough medicine. 

The two times I enjoy a peaty scotches are:

1. When I have a cold and my sense of taste is reduced.   The strong peat will break through and wake up my taste (it is good).
2. When the weather is hostile (cold, wet, ugly).  The strong peat is wholesome and makes me warm.

Other times I prefer a more refined scotch, some of which were mentioned in earlier posts.

Loch Dhu

The black scotch.

Aged in charred barrels, giving a black color.  Very unique and rare.  Definitely an acquired taste even for scotch lovers.

In one review, the guy called it "like drinking bong water, but I like it"

Your taste buds have yet to awake from their long, scotch free slumber.


Start off smaller, and come back to it.

Expensive?

Remind me to explain to you what "neat" actually means....

i found it for around $25-30 for a bottle so no. 

but very interesting.  you won't find many professional reviewers who say they like it.  definitely worht a try.

Manochmore distillery. 

(http://www.maltmadness.com/62-02.jpg)

I had an "interesting" Loch Dhu experience.  Was at McCormick and Schmicks of all places, here in bethesda.  I spotted it on the wall, the  awesome Asian chick bartender poured the last of the bottle in my glass.  If you paid me one million bucks, I couldnt tell you what happened the rest of the evening.....think I walked home that night.  The only time Ive seen that stuff....

For $30 it is certainly worth a try.  All I need to do now is find it!

Good luck.  It is hard to find.  I have a bottle left but I am leaving that for a special occasion -- such as when I want someone to suffer from amnesia!

if you can afford to try the glenfarclas 21 its a beauty. I can't afford to buy a bottle but did pop for a shot at a local establishment... magic!

edradour is a nice one, i've got a cask-strangth bottle, now that was a nice gift...

damn... too bad its not past 6pm!

amateur.

hehe... you are quick, but not quick enough grasshopper...

I have to RIDE before 6pm...

maybe tomorrow grasshopper!

 [evil]

laphroig 10 year is my daily drinker... though I am not totally opposed to a highland every now and again.

Somehow I just knew I would find you here.  ;)

And yes, whiskies from the Isle of Islay are just plain nasty!  I even went there when I was in the UK hoping that it would be different, but...   [puke]

aye, something about the seaweed... its just not right

Hate to be contrary but...I am rather fond of Isly and the whiskey it produces.  Big and peaty and with that "of the sea" thing...briny sea air.

not at all, 'tis the beauty of scotch, something for everybody. but, the islay's don't catch my fancy. a character flaw to be sure... but my family is from the east of the country, so perhaps its genetic.

Right, so, laphoraig is for a mature pallet. 

Should i just go for one of the popular ones to begin with like glenfddich or johnnie walker?

any of the 'glens' are great places to start. you really cannot go wrong. start with the younger ones and if you find something you like try an older vintage... there can be an amazing difference

Theres a bar near here called the drafting room that has a great selection of scotches, maybe ill just try and go there more often.  Seems like a good place to get my bearings.

an excellent plan. many would disagree with me on this but i like my scotch neat with a wee splash of water to 'open it up'
your mileage may vary

I just got home from a trip to Ireland and Scotland...I tried Talisker while I was there and I am definitely not a fan...Macallan is amazing and I bought a bottle of Dalwhinnie 15 but I haven't tried it yet.  I was also informed by a bartender in Scotland that if I asked for ice in my drink I would be immediately expelled from the premises, but then again, they don't put ice in anything over there...unless it's Bailey's which is made even more delicious if you add a shot of brandy to it!  ;D

To go back to what the OP said, Scotch is pretty much like anything else you might try.  There are many different kinds and tastes and most of the fun is trying them out to see what you like. 

Like wine, some people like the pinot's while some like the Cabs.  Or Beer, some like a good Stout or some stick to their Coors light. 

For me I prefer the Glens, Morangie being my favorite. (Oban, Lagavulin also being fantastic)  I like the Sherry finish, but I prefer it without. The Islay's are an acquired taste.  For me it's like licking the north-west corner of a Scottish castle overlooking a Loch.

I also feel bad when drinking a good scotch on the rocks, or with water.  For me an 18 Glen Morangie neat is the way to go. 

+1!

drop of water for me please...just a drop though (.25-.5 oz)...basically neat. 

I learned to add a touch of water from a serious scotch drinker and it does open it up a bit...we are talking about seriously small amount of water though.

Unless, it is cask strength...then I usually dilute it with spring water to about 80 proof.

So i went to a bar last night that had macallan and laphroaig.... and a cigar selection.  The macallan was far too sweet, not my bag.  So i tried the laphoraig with water and WOW.  The cigar makes a difference.  I bought another cigar and went home and drank my own bottle.

Which Macallan?

12.  It wasnt -bad- just sweeter than i would have liked.  Didnt go too well with the cigar, thats why i bought the laphroaig.

Generally speaking I've found it much better as you go up in the years. One warning though: The price of a round goes up considerably each step. Consequently many bars don't stock the 25 and older.

Also, I've noticed the type of cigar does make a difference sometimes too. Macallan 25 and a Davidoff Millennium Blend ... oh yeah.  [thumbsup]

You should pick something better than a Phillies Blunt

I cant help it, im from philly.  And i love ground up tobacco leaves.

actually they sell pretty decent cigars there, as far as i know.  Im certainly not an aficionado.  One of them was called montecruz - negro cubano (i know its not actually cuban).

Cuban seed.  when Cuba nationalized all the tobacco companies in '63, the owners fled with as much as they could, including seed and plant samples.   Most relocated to Honduras, Dominicana or Nicaragua.

My favorite is the Flor de Farach.  Farach was a very very Cuban brand and he fled.  I actually bought a pre-embargo box of Farach Lonsdales, 40 year old cigars tasted like butter.  mmmm

If you can find the Flor de Farach, they are a good smoke. 

The other one was an ashton monarch.

im buying more cigars for sure.  but today... my breath will not quit.

Balvenie DoubleWood is a nice dram.

If you have a liquor store nearby that has a decent selection of mini-bottles that's a good way to try some different scotches without spending a ton. 

Here's a good site for some more ideas http://drwhisky.blogspot.com/ (http://drwhisky.blogspot.com/)

that's why they always sell Altoids at cigar bars...

I'll agree.  Doublewood is quite tasty and definitely a good catch for the price.  I prefer it to the 15 and 17.

Unlike most guys here, I actually like Talisker.  I think the distiller's edition is great.  It has quite a bit of phenol and peat without going overboard.  The 10 year on the other hand is definitely pretty harsh.  My other pick is the Lagavulin 16.  Very full flavored and smokey without being harsh.

I do have a confession though.  I drink Walker Black... with soda...   When going out, it's always consistent, every bar has it and it's unlikely to leave me with a dehydration headache.

Indeed. I'm all for expanding my horizons when it comes to sipping fine scotch (and bourbon...), but when it comes to having a good time, i stick with what i know. black label is is black label no matter where you go. I have found though, that if you leave that shit sit for too long, it tends to get a bit... musty, you could say.

I bought a couple cigars to try out.. gurkha and a nub.  Ive only smoked the nub so far, mild and tasteful but very short and slow burning.  Only 4.50 too, so i would suggest it.  Havent gotten to the gurkha yet.

I was recommended balvenie by a friend too, i think ill try that next.