Educate me on Scotch....

I had a glass of Chivas Regal with my grandfather this evening after thanksgiving dinner, it's one of his favorite scotches. Wasn't bad, but wasn't as good as the Balvenie I had last night either. It was nice to share something he really enjoys though, I enjoyed that.

After tomorrow's activities are through, I'm hoping to get over to the liquor store and find another scotch to give a try.
 
Surprisingly, despite all the accolades that Chivas normally gets, I have never taken to it and I have tried both their 12 and 18yr old varieties. A good scotch no doubt but somehow it does not impress me.
 
Good info and reviews on this site.
http://www.whiskymag.com

Some fav's...

Talisker 10, 18
Macallan 12, 15
Glenfarcas 17
Glenmorangie 18
Highland Park 18

Good:

Glenlivet 12, Glenfiddich 12

Note: Older and more expensive doesn't necessarily mean better.
 
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For a cheap EDC Scotch, I like White Horse or Ballantines. They have a little more depth and flavor than most other blends.
 
762 shooter said:
Nectar of the Gods...
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oh man yes. Ive been lucky enough to try. Was never really available. Corryvreckan i will be buying soon
 
I have also switched to Bourbon due to the economy. You can drink Knob Creek for 35 or so a liter . Its hard to find "good" scotch at that price point.



But for Scotch I do really like Bruiladich.(Spelling could be totally off)
 
First off, buy a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black or Chivas Regal to understand a balanced blend before diving into the variations possible with single malts. Do not buy Johnnie Walker Red or anything cheaper. Pour into a glass that will hold the aroma (i.e., a wine glass with a somewhat narrow mouth.) Sip it slowly without ice and repeat for a number of days to develop your palate. Ice will immediately destroy the subtlety of even JWB.

Second, visit this site for info, and there's a ton of other material on the associated pages: http://www.maltmadness.com/beginners.html. Don't miss the MASSIVE PDF downloads here: http://www.maltmaniacs.org/.

Third, try several single malts either through visiting a whisky bar or by buying a few bottles yourself. Your palate will be your guide, and you go off in any number of directions or you may find that a good blend is all you need or want.
 
My choices: (with some other toys ;))

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I also like Ardberg, Laghavullin and Laphroig.

Kind regards,

Jos
 
I honestly don't see anything wrong with blended scotch. Johnnie Walker is my favorite with Famous Grouse and Dewar's a close second. Cutty Sark is good also. My favorite "cheap" scotch is Inver House at $20 for a 1.75 bottle. I stay away from the single malt stuff on purpose. Don't want to develop a taste for it.

I can't see how y'all think scotch is an aquired taste however. I liked it (and Irish whisky) from the start. In fact, after the very first glass it became my favorite brown liquor.
 
Harry Callahan said:
I honestly don't see anything wrong with blended scotch. Johnnie Walker is my favorite with Famous Grouse and Dewar's a close second. Cutty Sark is good also. My favorite "cheap" scotch is Inver House at $20 for a 1.75 bottle. I stay away from the single malt stuff on purpose. Don't want to develop a taste for it.

I can't see how y'all think scotch is an aquired taste however. I liked it (and Irish whisky) from the start. In fact, after the very first glass it became my favorite brown liquor.
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Excellent. You 'acquired' it very quickly.

It isn't always a chore.;)
 
seattleduke said:
My father in law is a member of the Scotch Malt Whisky society in the UK and this is his recommendation.

The Macallan is an excellent single malt from Speyside. Go for the 12 year old but if you fancy spending a bit more, try the 18 year old.

Add a drop or two of bottled water to bring out the taste completely.

If you are near a Trader Joes, they do an own branded Macallan at a great price.
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Macallan 18 is pretty good.

Bowmore 21 is another good one.
 
Balvenie Doublewood is my favorite scotch under $40. Glenmorganie 10 year is also very good at this price (lighter and sweeter).

My favorite from $40-50 is Talisker -- this is a wonderful balanced scotch with some peet, but not too much, and other great flavors.

Laguvalin is great but slightly higher prices and pretty smoky. Good after dinner scotch, a little heavy before dinner.

Never tried anything over $50 but will do it once I sell a couple of those SFNOs and HG55 #1 ;) :D

JohnM
 
ridgeline said:
How is the JWB? I'm not considering buying any, but just curious... worth the $?
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Well, it was my borther in law's, so I didn't have to pay anything, so it was definitely worth the $$$ :-)

That said, it was pretty darn good. I have tried some good single malts, and the JWB is right up there with them.
 
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