Scotch and Whiskey
 

Anyone here into scotch and whiskey?

I'm a lifelong rye drinker (among other things) but just recently some of my friends have started to getting me into drinking scotch. I'm liking it so far.

I've had scotch before but didn't like it, then me and a buddy were getting pretty hammered and he broke out some of his rarer scotches, we polished off a 1/4 of a bottle of Glenmorangie 18 and now I'm hooked :wub:

My own scotch cabinet is pretty empty right now, since I'm just starting I've only got the basics, a Glenmorangie 10, a Glenlivet 12 and a bottle of Bushmills single malt distillery reserve 12 that I smuggled home from Ireland about 6-7 years ago that I've barely touched because I didn't think I liked it (turns out I do).

Any one have any favorites? Or maybe some suggestions for people like me who are just starting out on this wonderful journey? I've been looking for a bottle of Glenmorangie 18 but I can't locate one anywhere local.

a fan of islays here-- laphroaig, lagavulin, ardbeg

Tried Talisker 10 the other day based on a friend's recommendation. Not bad.

Shiaaa... though I could say I like whiskey, but after reading all the whiskey brands you mentioned, I'm just going to say I'm subscribing to the thread for the knowledge.
:popcorn:

Most of the whiskey I've tasted is mainstream blended scotch (Dewar's White Label, 12, Johnnie Walker Black, Platinum, Blue), Chivas Regal 25, etc., etc.... liking the Platinum on the rocks to wind down after a heavy week.


Always wanted to try a single malt... :drinking:

I drink almost any type of whiskey as long as I mixed it with Coconut water

I've been drinking blended my whole life as well, Crown Royal, several Johnny's, usually mixed with coke though.

Single malt is a bit of a wake up call because you generally drinking it straight at room temp with no ice. Some whiskeys over 40% (say 43-50%) can be very lightly diluted with a couple of ML of water to open up the flavors.

My Bushmills 12 is much nicer with a couple of drops of water, really opens up bouquet and you get much more caramel flavors that are hidden at bottle strength.

I keep hearing about the Islays, but I also hear they're very hit and miss so I'm a bit hesitant to drop $60-80 on a bottle of something I'll hate lol. I should just take the plunge.

I'm more of a cognac fan, but there are only 3 whisky's that I'll drink after having tried most of the mainstream 12 and 18yr brands: Oban 14, Dalwhinnie 15, and Yamazaki 12.

Maybe I'll find a 25 that I'll like one day, but so far, I don't think it's something I want to splurge on just yet.

Balvenie and Aberlour are must tries. They are my top two at the moment.

Blended - Monkey Shoulder is a good one. Three single malts (Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Kininvie)

Famous Grouse is usually my go to blend tho.

this stuff is legit:

http://templetonrye.com/wp-content/t...homeBottle.png

Balvenie is nice, a little more mild. I like islays because of the peatiness; laphroaig cask strength, 18, and their cairdeas are really good.

For Japanese, yamazaki 18 and hibiki 12 are pretty good as well as yoichi.

Pretty new to scotch myself, Sat down with the pop's a few times, Glenfiddich and Glenlivet are what I have become accustom to.

Forty Creek is surprisingly good for the price.

My personal favorite is Macallan 15. It's better then the 18 by a fair margin.

I can't really stomach crown or CC. JD only belongs in a whiskey sour.

Laphroaig is my go to for a peaty malt. Oban 14. Really enjoying Glenfiddich 18 now. Johnny Walker Red when I want to drink a bottle.

Had a Glenlivet 18 at the bar on friday, but I was already pretty drunk (apparently drunk enough to order an 18 year old scotch at a bar) so it was sort of wasted on me.

Was pretty good from what I can remember, worth picking up a bottle at some point at least.

Lots of good suggestions here, I need to check out a Balvenie, my friends all rave it about it as well.

picked up a bottle of Blue Label at the BX when I was in San Antonio a few weeks back. Jesus Christ was it good. First time having it too! :party0030:

I just got into drinking Scotch and I do like Dewars, but want to get into something more elite and was thinking BL. I love the smell of Laproige, but don't think I can drink it yet.

I'm a fan of Laphroaig and Highland Park (12 and 18), personally, and some of the Glenmorangies are pretty good too (I haven't had the 18 though).

I'm trying to decide what to buy for my next bottle. The local liquor store has a bottle of Glenlivet 21....but it's $$$$. I love the 12 and enjoy the 18 so I'm fairly confident it would be a good purchase.

Thinking of branching out to something more affordable from a completely different distillery. Balvenie DoubleWood is topping the list right now.

I usually just buy the big bottle of jack and sip it with ice. I'm no connoisseur... :(

trust me when I say that Blue Label is worth every penny, and I'm not much of a scotch/whiskey drinker. Split the cost with a couple of buddies and thank me later :thumbsup:

I disagree - I think a good 18 or 25 year single malt beats blue label every time, and in many cases, the 18 will be cheaper than the blue label as well.

any suggestions on decently priced single malts?

I typically recommend Yamazaki 12 to new single malt drinkers. Its technically not scotch but it is a damn fine whisky. I think I last got a bottle for $40-$45, but may be much more expensive depending on your locality.

Highland Park 12 is my go to for reasonably-priced single malt. Not too smoky or peaty, but a good flavor and not too expensive. Laphroaig and Ardbeg 10 are good if you want something fairly peaty. For something a little smoother, Glenfiddich 15 is nice too.

For something a bit more expensive (and a lot sweeter/less peaty), Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or and LaSanta are really nice...

(There really is a lot out there)

to add to that, hibiki 12 and the dalwhinnie 15 are a nice place to start.

or if you want to dive right in, go for the laphroaig 10

pour a dram neat and sip slowly. if you're feeling adventurous, add a drop of water at a time to see how the characteristics change. go slow. enjoy!

i have heard from a buddy of mine that yamazaki 18 is amazing

Hibiki 12 is a new favorite of mine.

Otherwise i use Makers Mark for parties and mixes.

I got Buchanan's De Luxe blended scotch whisky aged 12 years as a gift. What do you guys think of it? Should I wait for a special night to share with some close buddies or is it just meh and drink it casually on my own?

Whisky
 

For scotch give Famous Grouse 18 a try. It is a blend of 3 single malts.
For American whiskey give Wild Turkey Rare Breed a try.
For a bargain James Peppers 1776 bourbon is hard to beat.

Some dude on Whisky mag website had this to say:

Name: Buchanan's 12yo Deluxe Blended Scotch Whisky 40% abv

Region: Scotland

Color: Light gold

Nose: Sharp grain at first, then stone fruits, cedar wood, ginger, a hint of distant smoke

Palate: Sweet spice up front, very grassy middle, the wood and smoke appear slightly at the back giving a nice afterthought

Body: Firm, but glossy

Finish: A nut shell dryness pulls away from the sweet spice

Notes: The weirdest contraption on the screw top bottle made me have to bust into it. A vented two piece plastic liner with a ball inside. I never did figure out how it worked. This freshly open bottle is impressive enough to enjoy. Nothing too outstanding, but worthy of the exploration. The smoke is very subtle, so don't expect to notice it at first. With a splash of water: Green tea and fresh pear aromas; taste is the tea sweetened with sugar and lemon. A good blend, but I wish someone would tell me the proper way to open it, I threw away the box, not sure if it explained anything. It may have been defective, yea, that's it.

Quote: Next time read the instructions

Score: 82


I say just drink it.

Chivas 12 had a pretty disappointing money clip promo last month. Good initial taste but better to buy the big bottle to save several dollars!

Some good entry levels are the Glenlivet 12, Glenfiddich 12 and Glenmorangie 10.

The Glenlivet and Glenfiddich can be had in a 375ml bottle for around $25-30 (in Canada dollars) which is great if you're not sure what you like you yet and want to pick up a couple of samplers before you commit to a $60-100 purchase.

Personally I recommend the Glenlivet, one taste and I was hooked.

I've never been keen Johnny Walker in any colour, seems you can do much much better with a real single malt scotch/whiskey from a smaller and less "name brand" distillery for less money.

We all have to start somewhere. About a year ago that was me and Crown Royal Black.

It's a slippery slope.:cheers:

I say drink it. A 12 is usually fairly entry level for a "good" scotch, if you were talking 18-30 year I'd say never share it with anyone.

:thumbsup:

My cheap stuff is just Crown Royal. Blended Canadian. They make some delicious more expensive versions also, ala Crown Royal XR.

I recently went to Scotland and got to tour Glengoyne and got a bottle of their Teapot Dram. It was amazing. I hate a ton of peat of which they use none. I also have a Balvenie Doublewood 12 year. Have yet to crack it open.

I like Highland Park 18, I always have a hard time finding it, but it is MUCH better than their 15.

I haven't tried the 15, just the 12 and 18. I've had good luck with both of those though...

Bought myself and early birthday present, my local liquor store was lacking choice, it was either this or a Highland Park 12.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g8...ps4jvub8rt.jpg

Wife got me this for my birthday. Sooooooooo good.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g8...psrhyt8zqz.jpg