High End Scotch - What's The Big Deal

[Rustyt1953]

Like Drm50, I met my Waterloo in '72 against a bottle of Vat 69 and hurled most of my internal organs. To this day the smell of Scotch triggers my gag reflex. That was the last time that I ever got sick due to alcohol intake. From that day on I went from a sprinter to a distance runner.

I wish it had never happened as I am sure I ruined a good thing for myself.

In a small private ceremony, beer and I exchanged vows and have been faithful ever since.

 

[Kinman]

That's simply amazing.

From which distillery?

As I mentioned he was a local judge and came from money back east. Scotch was his hobby and he had a dandy collection. Years back he and some friends had gone to Scotland and actually went into a distillery and bought their own barrel after tasting a few. I have to say that the 200 year old stuff was good but not as good as one would expect, I still prefer Bowmore. I was surprised that when the experts test whisky they add a splash of water...I like it neat or maybe with an ice cube if its extra peaty.

 

[Kinman]

"Well Sir I'm here to tell you they are not. I have sipped two hundred year old single malt"

Sorry, but I don't believe this at all. I've been drinking scotch for 40 years and I've never heard of or seen "200 year old" scotch.

I guess I'm simple enough to believe what someone whose knowledge I appreciated, being ignorant of the values of fine whisky. I've been lied to before it wouldn't be the first, maybe it was a slight exaggeration. I was also told by that gentleman that the Japanese are producing fine whisky and would soon be directly competing with the world's best, I tried his Suntori and was impressed. I'm simple enough in my taste to prefer a nice Canadian Rye over the best Scotch.

 

[Kinman]

I drank a 1/5 of Cutty Sark when I was 15. Put me under and out for two days. That was all the Scotch I ever wanted. Can’t even stand the smell of it now. I don’t drink like I use to, but if I have a shot it will be bourbon and maybe a little Crown. That’s as fancy as I get.

I did roughly the same thing with a 1/5 of Jack Black, ended up costing me an extra eight months in the Army...the smell used to turn my stomach, all these years later and I still don't care for corn whiskey...a good rye is a different story.

 

[Rustyt1953]

A quick web search yielded this. I think It meets the definition of "old".


Glenavon Special Liqueur Whisky
Date: between 1851 – 1858
Bottled By: Glenavon Distillery
Country of Origin: Ballindalloch, Scotland
Value: sold for £14,850 (about $21,149)

 

[robvious]

Gosh, you live close to, perhaps, the best scotch bar in the U.S.A.

The Dundee Dell.

Monthly tastings on a Sunday afternoon (check for the pandemic schedule -- it may be "different" now).

Last time I was there, the back bar held 860-odd single malt scotch whiskies. Mind blowing.

IT WAS... I really hate to break the news... the Dundee Dell has died from Covid-19... a local icon that was a block away from my first job after college... they went out fighting, but it is no more... their fish and chips were amazing too...

 

[Absalom]

Like Drm50, I met my Waterloo in '72 against a bottle of Vat 69 and hurled most of my internal organs. To this day the smell of Scotch triggers my gag reflex. .....

That happened to me at the end of basic training in 1978, but with a combination of pizza and (fortunately) Grand Marnier, not good whisky. Landed in the sick bay.

When I stumbled back into company quarters the next day, the captain greeted me with a cheerful "Ah, die Schnapsleiche!" (the booze corpse!). Rather embarrassing business.

Pizza took several years, Grand Marnier has been a lifetime gag reflex.

 

[Cellar Hound]

I’m sorry. I’m coming to this thread a little late....

Crazy thing..... I was just over on the “Single Malt Scotch Forum”... A guy started a thread wondering why someone would care whether a revolver was pinned and recessed....

 

[Drm50]

We were in Govt store in Ontario a few years back. Tradition we have big Spaghetti dinner with Wine and invite Canadian fiends. While buddies were on beer & wine side I went over to hard stuff. They always have something a little special just out of bond. This time they had Hudson Bays Finest Rye, 33 yrs old. I like rye so I bought a pint. We were on way back to camp and buddy ask what I bought. We decided to taste. He did a 180 and we went back and bought two 1/2 gal jugs. It was in crock jug with Hudson Bay’s old logo on it. People used to local rye rate it as broken glass in napalm.
This 33 yr old stuff was like cream soda and sneaky. We stopped and got a few more jugs to take home.

 

[S42N8]

I was starting to develop a taste for scotch, when the bourbon set in. There’s room enough for different tastes. If I may, give the scotch tasting a try! If you like it, congrats. If not, You gave it a fair try. Then try the Elijah Craig small batch... an excellent bourbon without the silly expensive price. If that’s not to your liking, you still know what you like. Then there’s the cigar thing

 

[71Scamp]

Ok guys, what's the deal with single malt scotch. I have never been a liquor drinker and my golf buddies are all bourbon and scotch officianados, to the extent that they look down their noses at Mcallum 12. What's the big deal and what am I missing. They say I have to develop a taste for it so we can go to Scotland drink scotch and play golf. Am I really missing something. I am fine with a bud light or two. Help me out here - am I a lost soul or what ?

"If you have to ask..."

 

[Turn4811]

Anything Single Malt that is more that 12 years old. My favorite is a 18 year old Balvenie Sherry cask aged. I can afford to get a bottle once a year.

That said, I am drinking a 12 year old blend. It is much cheaper and is not too far off in taste.

 

[n3s2]

Greetings!

To OP, maybe while in Scotland you can find and enjoy an exotic imported beer, unlike else anything made locally…..Bud Light!

Here a current favorite Scotch, Laphroaig, makes great hand sanitizer and mask replacement, internal use only of course.

Cheers!

 

[Aggie1906]

Fun thread. I will reserve any admissions wanting to keep my guns and license. OK, Scotch/rocks was a cheaper and easier buzz than the lots of Blue Ribbon I was used to in school. Ran into an old Scotsman dried out, he claimed. Was driving towards Bath back in the 80s. He said I should be drinking Johnny Red, so I did. Still my standby, though I move up in my blends now and than. Tried Johnny Gold, and like it. I do try to avoid "Old Horse Blanket" Islays usually.

 

[Cdog]

I'm a bourbon drinker.

I'm happy to say there are several very good offerings in the $30 range.

I can't say I don't splurge on a limited release once in a while, but for the most part Wild Turkey @ around $23/750ml is pretty good high rye bourbon!

I saw Elijah Craig mentioned earlier, for around $30 it's a bargain.

Much of the cost of anything is how it's marketed. I have some $100 bourbons that are nothing special.

Booker's can get the better of me. I've not had a sip of it that wasn't good.

Scotch is another story. I can't make myself pay the high prices for a mediocre pour.

I've had single malt scotch that taste of fruit, coal tar, and dirty socks, all in the same bottle!

I'm pouring from a $20 bottle of 100 proof bourbon as I type, and it's a perfectly fine sipper.

Hard for me to do that with scotch...

 

[glenwolde]

I've heard some say---I can't
attest to the truth of it---bourbon
drinkers are excellent people of
refined taste.

I've also heard others say that scotch
drinkers, again I can't attest to it,
are not very sophisticated.

So, what gins do any of you like?

I don't think so. The making of Scotch whiskey was perfected a couple of hundred years before Kentucky even existed.

Of course fans of each have the same complaint about the other's choice. Both believe theirs is "smoother". Personally I mostly prefer Scotch but it is an acquired taste.

 

[lawandorder]

Used to take a taste of the old Bushmills now and then.

No airs there just good old Irish.