What Whisky/ Cognac?

I know nothing about Whiskey, or even Whisky, or Scotch, or anything. I tried something my brother had, and all I know is, I liked it...A lot!

It was something like Laphroaig, or similar spelling. What is it?



Daniel

Perhaps it was Lagavulin 16 which is also Islay whisky, a bit more dollar wise but well worth it. Laphroaig Quarter cask is very good as well. And there is Ardbeg 10 which is a little less but quite tasty.

Highland Park 12 is outstanding if you are looking for something without the smoke and medicine that the Islays have.

Talisker from the Isle of Skye is very good as well, all different and in a class of their own.

Cheers
 
My vote goes to Laphraoig 10 yr for best bang for buck. Blackbottle is ok as a blend but I can get it for the same price as the Laphraoig 10 so might as well. How do you like the Ardberg 10 compared to the Laphroaig 10 H20?
 
My vote goes to Laphraoig 10 yr for best bang for buck. Blackbottle is ok as a blend but I can get it for the same price as the Laphraoig 10 so might as well. How do you like the Ardberg 10 compared to the Laphroaig 10 H20?

I tend to favor the Laphroaig 10, but the Ardbeg 10 is still very good. I favor the Laphroaig quarter cask over the others and the Lagavulin 16 the most, I find it has a little something I like, but I enjoy them all.
 
Yeah the Lagavullin 16 gives me the impression of a bit of chewiness or slightly more thick feel if that makes any sense and I like that. Better then the Lap 10 but a bit too expensive to drink it as often as I'd like. Finally opened a bottle of the Lap 10 cask strength, too over powering and made me think of knob creek with all that bite.
 
Yeah the Lagavullin 16 gives me the impression of a bit of chewiness or slightly more thick feel if that makes any sense and I like that. Better then the Lap 10 but a bit too expensive to drink it as often as I'd like. Finally opened a bottle of the Lap 10 cask strength, too over powering and made me think of knob creek with all that bite.

Thats a good way to describe it, there is a viscosity about. Have you tried the Laphroaig Quarter cask? Give that one a shot if you get the chance its very good.

Cheers
 
The best explaination of Laphraoig and Lagavulin and Islay whiskies in general is: you either love 'em or you hate 'em... and you won't know for sure until you're half-way through your first bottle.

Me? Well, let's just say that somewhere around here there's a half-a-bottle of Laphraoig.

Islays tend to be very polar, very extreme flavors. You either love 'em or you hate 'em.

The problem is the person who concludes that he doesn't like Scotch after a couple of sips of Laphraoig. Laphraoig, Lagavulin, Islays in general, are not a good place to start your Scotch adventure.
 
The best explaination of Laphraoig and Lagavulin and Islay whiskies in general is: you either love 'em or you hate 'em... and you won't know for sure until you're half-way through your first bottle.

Me? Well, let's just say that somewhere around here there's a half-a-bottle of Laphraoig.

Islays tend to be very polar, very extreme flavors. You either love 'em or you hate 'em.

The problem is the person who concludes that he doesn't like Scotch after a couple of sips of Laphraoig. Laphraoig, Lagavulin, Islays in general, are not a good place to start your Scotch adventure.

I think you could probably say the same for other regions, Speyside, Islands, Highlands, Lowlands.. either they agree with you or they don't.

There is such wide selection of scotch, the best thing to do for someone that is starting off, is take them to a place that has a well stocked bar and do a sampling of the various regions.

I like speysides as well, Glenlivet 18 is an outstanding scotch IMHO as well as Longmorn15, but Glenrothes doesn't suit me as well, I have a bottle of 92 in the cabinet almost full, awaiting the right company to enjoy it.

So what it comes down to is the individual palate likes and dislikes.
 
I'm not too fond of scotch...I just never liked the taste.
But I do like bourbon.
I've tried lots of different ones (from cheap to rediculously expensive) and my favorite everyday sippin whiskey is Old Grand-Dad.
 
Right about $50, The Balvenie 12-year-old Doublewood Scotch Whiskey. You will not be disappointed.

pt-90545.jpg


http://www.balvenie.com/

Just got a bootle of the said Balvenie, its really good :thumbup:
I generally drink Bushmills 12 or 16 years malt.
 
Eeek! No.

For fine single malt, one need only pour the malt into a tumbler or -- better yet -- a snifter, and then sit back and enjoy. Don't forget that at least half of the experience is in the nose. (if you find the alcohol flavor to pronounced, then this is when you carefully add a few drops of water to think the alcohol down and allow the malt flavors to come out.)

Start by looking at your whiskey. Admire its golden color, the way it glows in the glass, thw warmth of it.

Next, swirl it in the glass to release the aroma. Admire the "legs", the streaks formed on the side of the glass as the malt runs back to the bowl. The thinner the legs, the higher the proof which is how you can calibrate your addition of water. Allow your hand to gently warm the glass and the scotch just enough to further release those aromas.

Put your nose all the way into the glass and breath in deeply. Exhale through your mouth. Repeat several times to saturate the olfactories.

Now, sip just a sip. Roll it around on your tongue. Your tongue works in different regions, the tip, the sides, the middle, and the back. So, introduce the malt slowly through your mouth to each region and concentrate on what effect each has. While doing this, keep breathing in through the glass. 90% of taste is smell. Then, move the glass aside and concentrate on just the taste.

Swallow gently leaving your mouth coated with the scotch. Now, slowly inhale through your mouth and exhale through your nose to smell in reverse.

Savor the aftertaste.

Repeat.

And you have now had what I call the "whole body scotch experience."

I pick up a double old fashioned glass today, and a bottle of Glenfiddich 12 year old special reserve.
Is the old fashioned glass okay? Should the single malt whiskey be in the fridge first, or is dranken at room temperatuer fine?
 
Is the old fashioned glass okay?

That will be fine. That's actually the traditional way. The tall sides of the glass will capture and concentrate the nose of the whiskey.

Should the single malt whiskey be in the fridge first, or is dranken at room temperatuer fine?

ALWAYS room temperature.

If you find the flavor of the alcohol too strong, if it overwhelms the other flavors and so you can't enjoy the complex flavors, then add a few drops of room-temperature pure water. Don't use tap (Chlorine) or mineral water (minerals). And the water should be room-temperature.

(Never order Scotch and water at a bar. The bartender will just about always use cold tap water and will just about always drown the drink. Instead, order "Scotch neat with branch water on the side." The water will come to you in a small separate glass and you can add it to the scotch yourself according to your own taste. Of course, you've now dirtied a second glass, so you owe an extra fifty cents or a buck on the tip. But it's worth it.)

Don't waste your Glenfiddich 12 year old special reserve making Scotch on the Rocks (with ice) or Scotch and Soda. For those pedestrian concoctions, keep a lesser scotch on hand.
 
That will be fine. That's actually the traditional way. The tall sides of the glass will capture and concentrate the nose of the whiskey.



ALWAYS room temperature.

If you find the flavor of the alcohol too strong, if it overwhelms the other flavors and so you can't enjoy the complex flavors, then add a few drops of room-temperature pure water. Don't use tap (Chlorine) or mineral water (minerals). And the water should be room-temperature.

(Never order Scotch and water at a bar. The bartender will just about always use cold tap water and will just about always drown the drink. Instead, order "Scotch neat with branch water on the side." The water will come to you in a small separate glass and you can add it to the scotch yourself according to your own taste. Of course, you've now dirtied a second glass, so you owe an extra fifty cents or a buck on the tip. But it's worth it.)

Don't waste your Glenfiddich 12 year old special reserve making Scotch on the Rocks (with ice) or Scotch and Soda. For those pedestrian concoctions, keep a lesser scotch on hand.


Excellent! I plan to pick up a Snifter later too.
I am about to try it, I am just going to finish reading my story first. I see the shape of the glass, and I will try your method. It is a 40% liquor, and I am used to drinking a lot of 40% straight up. Because this seems like decent stuff, and not the normal cheapy stuff I usually see (Crown Royal, or Canadian Club), I will not bother mixing it with ice.
I got a bottle of Johnnie Walker RED on hand that I have never touched. I am guessing that'd be fine for on the rocks or something.
Pure water? Hmm, I guess this is bottled water that you can get that is not mineral water. I just have mineral water bottled on hand at the moment unforteuntly, but I'll try a tad bit of the glenfiddich alone anyway.
 
Most people find an 80 proof fine just straight up.


Should be. Going to pour myself a bit now.
Remembering back on what Whisky it was that I took shots of a while back, that I decided to mix with some shots of Captain Morgan (that resulted in a good couple days of me feeling not so well), it seems like it was actually Balvenie Doublewood 12 years. I do remember finding the whisky quite strong, stronger then I remember any Vodka or Rum to ever be.
 
Gollnick, incredible!
I just tried your method, step for step.
The breathing with the nose fully in the glass and exhaling through the mouth I think really helps. It was rough / a burning sensation in the nose, but after a few it was alright, and as soon as I sipped I was able to really enjoy it.
I have experienced a taste, still trying to describe it. Kind of piney I would say if that makes sense. Whether or not I like it or not is something I have yet to decide. Kind of bland I think. After a few sips till the bottom of the glass, I think I am swirling it around in my mouth a little bit too much like listerine, and for too long, making it go down unsmooth.
 
as soon as I sipped I was able to really enjoy it.
I have experienced a taste, still trying to describe it.

Yes, you have experienced a taste... and a smell, and a color, and a feeling. And you will have physical responses, emotional responses, and intellectual responses to those sensations. And that's the beauty of it. You've had the "whole body scotch experience."

There's a whole vocabulary that the "experts" use to describe scotch. You can deal with that later. For now, just enjoy the experience naturally as it comes and don't worry about having the "right" words. Just put it in your own words.
 
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