Ok, Scotch drinkers

Vulcan Bob · Sep 8, 2015

What's your weapon of choice? After a twenty six year lay off of da booze I figured at age sixty one I should have the wisdom not to over do it this time! My old favorite is "The Famous Grouse" it's a blended Scotch that's nice and smooth for me, poured over ice of course. I tried a few single malt's but so far no winners, a bit too harsh for my taste. I'm told that the good single malts are from the north of Scotland, any thoughts on that?

Beruisis · Sep 8, 2015

After having sampled most of them I've settled on Aberlour & then also Edradour. both single malts. I really don't care for the heavy smokey stuff.
smooooth!

hoc9sw · Sep 8, 2015

Try Balvenie Doublewood. That's a good starting point for single malts, and always in my bar for folks who don't know scotch at all. I prefer Islay heavily peated - Laphroaig, Caol Ila, Lagavulin, Ardbeg.

hoc9sw · Sep 8, 2015

BTW - a "single malt" could come from anywhere. They even make one in Texas. For starters, go with a Speyside (Scotland) brand (Balvenie is that).

Arik · Sep 8, 2015

Single malt is just that, single malt. What's in the bottle is what was in the barrel when it was distilled and aged. It can be from anywhere and doesn't mean it's automatically good. With blends they take some from the older barrels but mostly from the younger ones. You can have 20 year old blended but in reality it's 30% 20 year old and 70% 5 year old. The age on the bottle will be whatever the oldest aged liquor was used even if it's only a small %. And again it doesn't necessarily make it bad

STCM(SW) · Sep 8, 2015

Arik said:
Single malt is just that, single malt. What's in the bottle is what was in the barrel when it was distilled and aged. It can be from anywhere and doesn't mean it's automatically good. With blends they take some from the older barrels but mostly from the younger ones. You can have 20 year old blended but in reality it's 30% 20 year old and 70% 5 year old. The age on the bottle will be whatever the oldest aged liquor was used even if it's only a small %. And again it doesn't necessarily make it bad

You have it backwards:

"All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three years.[1][3] Any age statement on a bottle of Scotch whisky, expressed in numerical form, must reflect the age of the youngest whisky used to produce that product."

hoc9sw · Sep 8, 2015

The age on the bottle is the youngest whisky (when discussing "Scotch" whisky). That is why there are so many out there with no age statement, and there will be more as the older products are used up. The distillers have to sell something, but they may have to add some very young barrels to get the volume / ABV that they need.

Baggy Wrinkle · Sep 8, 2015

After years drinking the peated single malts, I have returned to the smoother blends. One of the "oldie but goodie" blends is Haig's Pinch Bottle 12-year old. Balvenie Doublewood is indeed a very smooth single malt; highly recommended.

GaryS · Sep 8, 2015

Only whiskey distilled and aged in Scotland can be labeled "Scotch". Which is why the very nice, but elusive "Balcones Single Malt Whiskey", is labeled that way. Same with the very nice, not elusive, but very expensive single malt from Japan.

Famous Grouse is a very good blend, in part because it has MaCallan 12 as one component. It's also not outrageously expensive.

Dalmore Gran Reserve was good and inexpensive when it was Dalmore Cigar Malt. Now I understand it's pretty pricey.

All of the preamble having been said, The Balvenie Doublewood, is a favorite of mine. Along with MaCallan 12. Those are very good not too expensive single malts. If you want to spend some more, try MaCallan 15 Fine Oak, or Balvenie Portwood.

Those are the ones I like, but the truth is you have to taste a good number of them before you decide on what YOU like.

It's all about what tastes good to a particular palette.

Celebrate diversity, try them all.

CScott · Sep 8, 2015

Baggy Wrinkle said:
After years drinking the peated single malts, I have returned to the smoother blends. One of the "oldie but goodie" blends is Haig's Pinch Bottle 12-year old. Balvenie Doublewood is indeed a very smooth single malt; highly recommended.

Ah, Haig & Haig Pinch Bottle. . .My first taste of whisky, 1966, Whisky Row, Prescott, Arizona. I've tasted others since.
Scott

Comrad · Sep 8, 2015

I'm a Scotsman and I don't always drink Scotch but when I do I prefer Johnnie Walker Black with a little splash of water over ice.

Never found a single malt that I really liked.

H Richard · Sep 8, 2015

I am a died in the wool scotch drinker, and switch back and forth from blended to single malt. My favorites are the Islay malts, especially Lagavulin. A sleeper is Singleton, (comes in a green oval shaped bottle that unfortunately I can't find in my home town). If you live in the Seattle area, there is a small place in Snohomish, Fred's River-town Alehouse. They have the largest selection of Single Malts I have ever seen, as well as a huge selection of local brews. His list is now a book of many pages of malts. The food is excellent as well. We can't visit the state of WA without a stop at Fred's. It's also a neat area to Antique.

riverrat38 · Sep 8, 2015

Black Label is very nice.
I also like the heavy stuff.
Famous Grouse's crusty uncle; Black Grouse,
and Laphroaig.
Lotsa flavor.

Best,
Rick

Coldshooter · Sep 8, 2015

Oban is worth trying it seems to be a bit less costly here. On a very wet chilly day try a 50-50 mix of Laphroaig and Drambuie it isn't so much about taste as running off the chills.

Vulcan Bob · Sep 8, 2015

Well folk's, I learned a bit about Scotch! I'm one of those fellow's who having found one I like I stick with it. Figured I would test the waters a bit to see whats out there. Thanks for the info all!

MarineSgtjimh · Sep 8, 2015

Glenlivet 15 year old and Glenfiddich 18 year old are worth a try. Famous Grouse is my everyday scotch

American1776 · Sep 8, 2015

I'm no expert but I prefer scotch when it comes to spirits.

I like Johnny Walker Black. Dewers isn't too bad. Chivas is nice as well.

Stu1205 · Sep 8, 2015

Dewars, on the rocks (very little ice) or Johnny Walker Black if
Dewars isn't available.

Stu

TexasRaider · Sep 8, 2015

Vulcan Bob said:
Well folk's, I learned a bit about Scotch! I'm one of those fellow's who having found one I like I stick with it. Figured I would test the waters a bit to see whats out there. Thanks for the info all!

Good question to ask, glad to see all the answers; makes the cockles of my Irish heart warm up to know there's that many Scotch aficionados out there.

Personally, I like Laphroaig, especially on a cold winter's night. You literally can taste the sea battering the island's rugged coastline, and if you close your eyes you can almost see it, too....

However, some folks think it is way too harsh, and I admit it took a full bottle to understand it. The first guy I bought from (a Wiggy's on 6th Street in Austin) told me:

"Try this. Trust me. After the first drink you'll say 'I can' believe I just paid $45 for this rot!' but by the end of the bottle, you'll say 'I can't believe I got this for only $45!!'

He was right, I did.

One reviewer once wrote of Laphroaig that it was like fighting a bog monster that was on fire to the death, but in the middle of the death grapple your eyes lock, you fall in love and suddenly kiss. Strange metaphor, but bizarrely accurate...it's the stuff dreams are made of.

The Balvenie Doublewood is also excellent, and the Glenlivet 12 is always a great place to start, but I preferred the Glenfiddich 12, as it seemed a bit lighter, a bit thin and didn't have the slight heft Glenlivet did, but both are very good. The Macallan 18 is a favorite for special occasions, but it costs about half what a Sig SP2002 does these days, but it is as warm and butter smooth as can be imagined.

And yes, while Irish whiskey is NOT really Scotch, my heart and blood did descend from Éire, so I have to say that Tullamore Dew and Jameson's are a great way to go on an 'everyday' tear, at least for one tumbler, anyway.

Cheers!

Doc Hollywood · Sep 8, 2015

Livet or fiddich 18 year old is my poison

Ok, Scotch drinkers

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