Scotch anyone?

Another note on storage...
Has the bottle been standing upright or lying on it's side all these years?
If it's been standing, you're good to go. If it's been on it's side, trash it as it's now "corked".
Trust me, you do not want to sample any "corked" whisk(e)y!

tp

Say, would you pls explain that? No alcohol has ever survived in my house long enough to have that problem (!), but I am curious as to why wine would be stored on its side, but whiskey standing up...
 
I don't care for whiskey in any of its forms. It's a personal taste issue, nothing against it or those who enjoy it. I bought a bottle of Bacardi Ocho Anyos that is supposed to be a decent aged rum and I can enjoy that over a cube or two of ice. I tried a small squeaze of fresh lime and it was different but I won't say better. I'm not sure what a true top shelf rum would even be.
 
While I drink JW Black and Red, and one of these days will get a bottle of Blue, I also have Clan MacGregor, as a reminder of when I could not afford the better stuff. Single malts are OK too.
 
My all time favorite is the Famouse Grouse.
At the moment I do have a bottle of 15 year old Dalwhinnie and a 10 year old Edradour in my cabinet.

Do I love Scots? I really do thinks so!
 
Lagavulin is the best, but Bowmore (also an Islay malt) in close at half the price. Or, just about any of the Islay malts. Glenlivet French Oak isn't too bad dither.
 
Some room temp. Cutty Sark, and a non-filtered Camel. Well one of my Army 1st Sergeants always ended his day that way.
 
I've pretty much given up Scotch, im a bourbon drinker now but my uncle from England brought some Aberlour over and we enjoyed it one night. Very nice.
 
Scotch is definitely an acquired taste. McClellans is good for an inexpensive single malt. I actually prefer their lowland variety to Chivas. Still adjusting to the peaty flavored highland and Islay versions though.
Here's two others that served me well will on a fishing trip in May:

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Both were in the $40-50 neighborhood.

John
 
Unless I missed it, I'm surprised than no one's mentioned Glenmorangie.

I am a fervent bourbon drinker [but only two or three times a year], and find a good bourbon to be a life enhancing experience.

I'd tried scotch, and found it not to my liking...until I got a bottle of the aforementioned scotch as a gift...and was willing to admit to the error of my ways.

I like them both, at the right time and the right place.

For example....around the lodge fire during duck season, the drink just "is" bourbon.

After a long, summer sail to Thunder Bay...then it's time for scotch.

My 2 cents....Len
 
I need to reexamine my thoughts toward scotch ... it's always tasted like the inside of a leather bag to me ,but then again, I've probably not been drinking quality scotch.
 
I had tried to drink scotch for years Johnnie Walker Black and Blue,stuff sucks,Chivas Regal O.K.
Just spent the past six weeks working for a outfitter here in Wyoming that outfits folks from the U.K., had a gentleman and his lovely wife from Scotland for 2 weeks.I got me an education on Scotch ! He explained that I did not like J.W. because of the style,better than 250 different distillers in Scotland they each feature their interpretation of what Scotch should be,each is very different.He bought me a double shot of Bowmore 15 year old.Oh my god,the best whiskey I have ever put in my mouth.He explained all the regions in Scotland just do it different all have their own way of making Scotch.
I am a devout sour mash whiskey drinker,George Dickel(reserve single barrel)Elmer T Lee and a few others.No bourbon or blended whiskies for me.Bourbon/blended whisky is for moderates,the squishey middle folks that really have'nt sampled the better whiskey's available.Islay Rocks.
 
JW Black most of the time and Dewars if I'm out of Black. JW Blue or Gold only if obtained as a gift. Lagavulin is also pretty good.
 
Storage: Good whisky will store well in it's original bottle for a century or more. Avoid prolonged direct sunlight. i.e., store in a liquor cabinet or cupboard. Whisky is not nearly as sensitive to temperatures as wine but I wouldn't abuse it (don't store it in the garage). But if you keep it in the house, in a cupboard, this will last as long as needed.

Better is to enjoy it!

Thanks for the info. I learned more about this bottle the past couple of days than in all the years I've stored it. Sounds like it was worth keeping than giving it to my brother-in-law. It's been in the kitchen all these years, and moved with me from Minnesota. It came in a fancy cardboard tube with embossed metal end caps so I assume it hasn't seen any sunlight since manufacture (is distillation the proper term?), until a few minutes ago when I opened it to make sure I wasn't just lugging around a bottle of Thunderbird.



Another note on storage...
Has the bottle been standing upright or lying on it's side all these years?
If it's been standing, you're good to go. If it's been on it's side, trash it as it's now "corked".
Trust me, you do not want to sample any "corked" whisk(e)y!

tp

Fortunately, due to the aforementioned cardboard tube, it has been standing upright, not sideways in some wine rack.

As a subsequent poster asked, I'm also curious about what a "corked" whiskey is all about.
 
When I was in the USAF we had a New Year's Eve party in the barracks. I had gone to the base PX liquor store and came back with a bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label and for some unknown reason, a big can of grapefruit juice. I mixed the two together time after time and by 0100 hours at least 3/4 of the scotch was gone but I was not drunk. I haven't liked scotch or grapefruit juice since (this was in 1962) but Appleton Estates 12 year old Jamaican Rum is something else - absolutely the best stuff I have ever had.
 
I am FAR from an educated drinker, but when it comes to Scotch, you just can't beat a good bourbon or sour mash. :) In all honesty, with my pauper of a job as a Ford parts man, good Scotch is out of the question price wise for me, hence my growing affection for Maker's Mark. I would like to be able to develop a taste for a decent Scotch that won't choke the wallet though.
 
Corked whisk(e)y...

Fortunately, due to the aforementioned cardboard tube, it has been standing upright, not sideways in some wine rack.

As a subsequent poster asked, I'm also curious about what a "corked" whiskey is all about.

I have no idea how to do a reply to multiple posts, so I'll answer here for Onomea & LennyLames...

Whisk(e)y has a significantly higher ABV than wine. Any whisk(e)y bottle left on it's side so as to allow the liquid to be in constant contact with the cork, will break down the cork (i.e. the glue/resins in the cork). A lengthy lay on the side will also usually result in muliple particles of cork floating in the liquid along with a bit of haze.

The result is a rather nasty taste to the otherwise tasty liquid.

LennyLames,
The Balvenie, Doublewood is a really nice, easy drinking Scotch. Be wary though, it's also a "gateway" dram if you're not careful.

Regards,
tp
 
I would like to be able to develop a taste for a decent Scotch that won't choke the wallet though.

  • Bowmore Legend - no age statement, probably 7-8 years old. Single malt from Islay.
  • Jura - Single malt from Isle of Jura, 10 years old. This is the only distillery on Jura, the island just north of Islay.
  • For a good blend, Whitehorse. One of its major ingredients is Lagavulin.

These are all in the $25 or less range for a 750 ml bottle. Decent whiskies all. I think that Legend is a very good single.

Buck
 
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