Scotch Single Malt Whisky!

[amar]

here's my expert opinion.

me like da stuff.

*burp*

[The Weekenders]

I have a horrible admission to make.

Despite being Scottish and living and living an hour or so drive from some of the country's best distilleries... I don't like whisky.

I do keep intending to rectify the situation and try and develop a taste for it.

It's an acquired taste, for sure. I didn't start drinking it till I was in my late 30s, mostly because I didn't grow up around people who drank it. A friend brought me a bottle of Glen Grant from the duty-free shop in London and my love for the stuff was born..

No matter how snotty some people get about it, you'll find an infinitely interesting way to enjoy it is with varying amounts of as fresh of spring water as you can find. I watched a fella in London who started out with a straight shot and slowly, very slowly, diluted it with water with each successive drink, stretching out the enjoyment for a while. To me, the good stuff is so flavorful, that even mostly water with a tinge of it is enjoyable drinking... You can always start over with it straight, but hydration is important, too....

I've had all the ones mentioned above, and a few more. The aged-in-former-sherry-cask treated stuff, like MacCallan is a good intro for many. To me, Glenlivet is somewhat bland on the continuum. Laphraoig is sorta like shock therapy if yer not used to the smoky flavor... Most sensibly recoil upon first taste, but after a while, why, it's right smart stuff....

I don't know about in Scotland, but the price of whisky went up big time during the 90s in the US because demand went way up. I keep hoping it will get unpopular again so I can buy and drink more. Now, I have to pay at least $22 or so, to get a decent 12 yr-old on sale.. Those years really matter too. Once in a while, a 10 yr-old is okay, but you can really taste the years if you get the chance to compare a 12 and an 18 in the same label, for example.... The price reflects it, too, unfortunately. A $30 bottle of 12, will be $50-60 in 18. Too rich for my thrifty self.

[amar]

I have a horrible admission to make.

Despite being Scottish and living and living an hour or so drive from some of the country's best distilleries... I don't like whisky.

I do keep intending to rectify the situation and try and develop a taste for it.

It's an acquired taste, for sure. I didn't start drinking it till I was in my late 30s, mostly because I didn't grow up around people who drank it. A friend brought me a bottle of Glen Grant from the duty-free shop in London and my love for the stuff was born..

No matter how snotty some people get about it, you'll find an infinitely interesting way to enjoy it is with varying amounts of as fresh of spring water as you can find. I watched a fella in London who started out with a straight shot and slowly, very slowly, diluted it with water with each successive drink, stretching out the enjoyment for a while. To me, the good stuff is so flavorful, that even mostly water with a tinge of it is enjoyable drinking... You can always start over with it straight, but hydration is important, too....

I've had all the ones mentioned above, and a few more. The aged-in-former-sherry-cask treated stuff, like MacCallan is a good intro for many. To me, Glenlivet is somewhat bland on the continuum. Laphraoig is sorta like shock therapy if yer not used to the smoky flavor... Most sensibly recoil upon first taste, but after a while, why, it's right smart stuff....

I don't know about in Scotland, but the price of whisky went up big time during the 90s in the US because demand went way up. I keep hoping it will get unpopular again so I can buy and drink more. Now, I have to pay at least $22 or so, to get a decent 12 yr-old on sale.. Those years really matter too. Once in a while, a 10 yr-old is okay, but you can really taste the years if you get the chance to compare a 12 and an 18 in the same label, for example.... The price reflects it, too, unfortunately. A $30 bottle of 12, will be $50-60 in 18. Too rich for my thrifty self.

Macallan
Laphroaig
thanks.

[amar]

[Henke]

The whole think about Scotch is how smooth, almost tasteless it is, cool and soothing, but with a bit of an aftershock.

Tasteless
That's probably the worst blasphemy I've ever heard, but I think you had good intentions.
To me, whisky is soothing, smooth, at times a spiritual sort of feeling. It's a whole world of flavours and impressions. So I agree with everything you said, except..... tasteless. hehe

Ardbeg, particularly the ten year old or the Uigedeal expressions. Highest phenolic content of any whisky, ferocious stuff. Been my favourite for a good few years now.

Longrow - the peaty version of Springbank. Absolutely nectar at 14yrs.
By the way, did you know that Springbank is the only distillery to do all their own malting in floor maltings? No computers at their place either. Everything in house the old way. My kind of lads.

The 10 y.o. Ardbeg is one of the whisky's I've tried to review on that site. I like it, but I feel like there's more to it than what I've discovered so far. Will get back to that bottle later.

I need to get my hands on a bottle of Longrow as well. That's been on my wishlist for a long time.
Are you sure that Springbank is the only one? I thought Highland Park also did that, but maybe they don't do all the malting themselves. I'm pretty sure they do some floor malting and smoking.
I've read that the Springbank distillery is the most traditional one. No chill filtering, no artificial colouring, no fancy tech-stuff and everything is done right there at the distillery, from malting to maturing. I also find that very appealing. I have yet to taste a dram of Springbank or Longrow though.

Oops...misspelled Glenlivet, I did.

Acctually, I heard from an old scottish gentleman that it is THE Glenlivet. Apperantly very important not to miss the "the". He was very persistent about it.
The Glenlivet was my favourite whisky, and it'll probably always have a special place in my heart since that's the one that introduced me to single malt. I haven't tasted it for years though so I have no idea how I would rate it these days.
I still have a weak spot for those creamy Speyside malts like Macallan and Cragganmore so I would probably still rate it very highly.

No matter how snotty some people get about it, you'll find an infinitely interesting way to enjoy it is with varying amounts of as fresh of spring water as you can find. I watched a fella in London who started out with a straight shot and slowly, very slowly, diluted it with water with each successive drink, stretching out the enjoyment for a while. To me, the good stuff is so flavorful, that even mostly water with a tinge of it is enjoyable drinking... You can always start over with it straight, but hydration is important, too....

I agree. If you want the whisky to grow you need to water it. That's what I've been taught at least. I usually try a little zip of the straight dram, but I usually prefer it with a little water added. The strong alcohol in the straight dram seems to close down some of the flavours.
The worst I can imagine is people chilling it down with ice. I always keep a bottle of Grants or Famous Grouse or something at home for people who do that. Why give them a fine whisky to drink if they're going to ruin the flavour with ice? It's fine if they like the taste of whisky on the rocks, but if they do that they might as well drink Grants, because they won't be able to tell the difference anyway.

And, Good Lord Amar! That is so beautiful. So very, very beautiful.
Why don't you start posting your thoughts on that website I wrote about earlier? I'd love to hear some of your impressions.

[The Weekenders]

So Amar, do you actually drink it or just look at it??

Wouldn't last that long around mi casa. Heck, it's not even around long enough for me to spell it right....

[dubhlinn]

it's right smart stuff....

Eh by gum..

or something like that.

Jeez Weeks, you're starting to sound like Shaw now. I'll be charitable here and put it down to osmosis.

Mmmm.. I think that Amar needs to be seeing a Doctor, that's not a drinks cabinet, it's a lifestyle.

Slan,
D.

[The Weekenders]

it's right smart stuff....

Eh by gum..

or something like that.

Jeez Weeks, you're starting to sound like Shaw now. I'll be charitable here and put it down to osmosis.

Mmmm.. I think that Amar needs to be seeing a Doctor, that's not a drinks cabinet, it's a lifestyle.

Slan,
D.

Just my Gold Rush lore showing thru (I am a scholar and performer of Calif Gold Rush music)... Shaw just talks funny.

"Off I started Yankee-like, I soon fell in with a lot from Pike.
The next group was some damn whoa-has,
A right smart bunch from Arkansas..."

Ya know, some of the old talk comes in useful at times....

As for Amar, that's a part of his bachelor pad decoratin', if you think about it. I didn't notice the lava lite, or did I????

[dubhlinn]

Bit of the old cross cultural coming in now.

So much for Macaroni..but that's another story

Speaking about talkin' funny...

I was only here in England for about two weeks, a fortnight so to speak, when I came across this Geordie boy who had just got back from a week in London. His accent was beyond my comprehension but I managed to get the main parts of his tale, after a lot of "Excuse me. I'm sorry but could you say that again please.."


When he was finished his story and I was still sitting there trying to fill in the gaps, as such, he came out with a classic statement.

"Tell ye now mate, they talk reet funny down there"..

I just looked at my pint and slowly shook my head.

Slan,
D.

[bepoq]

Laphraoig, Highland Park, Bowmore and Balvenie all use floor maltings, but only about twenty percent or so. The rest they have made by maltsters to their specifications. Springbank doesn't bring in malt.

[PhilO]

I don't get it...why a pic of the local liquor store?

Got any McCallan? or Midleton Very Rare? yum...

Philo

[djm]

That's probably the worst blasphemy I've ever heard

I was referring specifically to Scotch, not all whiskeys. And some of the hootch you refer to would be better used for stripping paint off antique furniture.

Not shown in Amar's photo is his mainstay stock of Vat 69.

djm

[amar]

I don't get it...why a pic of the local liquor store?

Got any McCallan? or Midleton Very Rare? yum...

Philo

Sorry, no McCallan, there is Macallan however, look on the top right. If you insist on having McCallan, go here: http://mccallan.org/

And Irish Whiskeys? Well, I've only got two irish single malts, can you spot them?

[amar]

Henke, I'll go and have a look.

[amar]

That's probably the worst blasphemy I've ever heard

I was referring specifically to Scotch, not all whiskeys. And some of the hootch you refer to would be better used for stripping paint off antique furniture.

Not shown in Amar's photo is his mainstay stock of Vat 69.

djm

Know why it's called Vat69? No, it's not a dirty story.
William Sanderson made various vats of his blend, invited his buddies over to find out which was the best. Well, number 69 was the winner.