scotch suggestions

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Glenmorangie is a great way to start. Especially the madiera cask version.

My personal favorite is Highland Park 12. Not too expensive at around $60. Very smooth and caramel forward.

Highland Park 12 is very good and is my house single malt, if you can find it the 15 year is good as well.

Another favourite is Ben Riach Pedro Ximez, it's finished in spent sherry casks (and Imo damn fine, the sherry finish mellows the peat smoke nicely).

Another good 'starter' is Bruichladdich Rocks, easy drinking and smooth (and not real expensive) ; and is usually easy to find.

Single malt Scotch Whisky is great. IF you check out any Celtic Festivals / Highland Games in your area, some of them have whisky tasting usually led by a distillery/distributor rep, or at least a knowledgeable person.
Also Burns Night is coming up, and lots of places will be getting 'kilted up' and doing Scotch flights.
 
The Macallan 12, Glenmorangie, and The Balvenie are all a good intro into single malt scotch. More complicated than blended, but still palatable to the more unexperienced scotch drinkers.
 
g-love said:
I am thinking I'd like to diversify my experiences with liquor. I drink mostly beer, and occasionally some crown. I want to try some scotch, but have no clue where to start. Anyone want to suggest a quality, affordable scotch to start out with?

You may have to cut it with water at first to help develop a taste for it. Then gradually add less and less water until you can drink it straight. I couldn't stand scotch at first till a spirits expert told me that trick. Now scotch is one of my go to drinks when I'm not having a beer. I like Famous Grouse as a good blended scotch, and Glenlivet or Arberlour as a good single malt.
 
Born and bred in Scotland and I can't stand the stuff! MY palate just hasn't developed a taste for it yet.
 
Chivas is not a bad scotch. It's blended which makes it a bit easier to handle on the taste buds. But when I want a good scotch it's Glenlivet single malt scotch. There are better brands out there. For me some Gleniivet 12 is pretty nice, especially with a good cigar. To each their own.
 
Chivas is a great business, not a great scotch. Decades ago they realized most people didn't know anything about scotch. They noticed people determined quality based on price tag. They raised their prices higher than their competition's and their sales rose. The rest is history.

Will i drink it? Of course. Will i buy it? No way. its a low end scotch with a price tag that doesnt match.
 
I cannot stand Chivas. JW Black, Macallan are easier drinking. Talisker/Lagavulin/Laphroaig is the harder stuff.
 
Enjoying the Shieldaig Speyside Single Malt Scotch.

What would be a logical next step if I'm enjoying this?
 
I'm not a blended fan. Years ago when I decided I was going to 'like scotch' I started on a quest to find the scotch for me.

I started with blended and was convinced that it was just a poor imitation of my beloved bourbon. Then I was introduced to cheap, yet good single malt scotches and now my beloved bourbon is relegated to sitting on the bar staring longly at my glasses of scotch.

I see nothing wrong with going straight to single malt, I almost stopped trying scotch after being introduced to blended malts because they just didn't have anything really special about them. Granted I have not yet had any really high end blended whiskeys, but at least in the JW black bottle I feel like it' just has that generic 'whiskey' taste.
 
I typically keep a bottle of J&B or Dewers in the cabinet, along with Crown and some bourbon (typically while label George Dickel). One suggestion I would have is rub a lime peel around the rim of the glass, and add just a touch of water, or alternately drink it on the rocks, and give them a few moments to begin to melt. The lime takes the edge off, without drastically killing the profile.
 
OK, here's my update:

I grabbed a bottle of JW Black on Fri because I decided that would be my starting point. I drank it neat out of a tumbler. I have to say, the first sip burned a little. There may or may not have been coughing involved. I laughed at myself for that. I felt like it had flavors of wood, vanilla, and maybe some very dark almost overly ripe fruit. I would say it was more positive than negative and I intend on having another one night this week.

I was telling a friend about it and he asked why I was trying so hard to like something. I told him it's not about making myself like it, it's about giving it an honest shot before forming an opinion. Some of my favorite things are things that I did not like at all when I was first introduced to them. Sushi fits this category.

Anyway, that's that. I am going to take some of your other suggestions as well over the next few months. Thanks!
 
Some things at just an acquired taste. If you drink enough of it, you'll eventually like it.
 
I was lucky that my first experience with liquor was neat single malt scotch (the macallan 12)I drank a glass every night. First two or three nights was difficult, but I went out and bought another bottle shortly. I finished 3 bottles before i tried another liquor. I found I could drink liquor that my friends thought was rough like it was water. I thought they lacked flavor. I think it ruined a lot of liquor for me personally.

To me blended scotch taste like boring bourbon, which sucks because its a hell of a lot cheaper than the single malt stuff.

The point being is that scotch is an acquired taste. It takes a bit of patience, i was lucky in being naive. Soon you will be judging and cynical and superior like the rest of us!

Btw jw black is my go to cheap blended scotch (although id still rather have a bottle of wild turkey 101 bourbon over it)of the popular blendeds its my favorite.

Little trick to get more yum from it once you get used to it. It wont make it easier to drink, but will make the flavors more out in the open. Use a tulip shaped glass, pour boiling water in it. Let it sit for a minute so the glass is hot to the touch, pour the water out and shake. When you have only one drop left in the glass, and i mean one single drop, add your scotch. Consume with or without a cigar and relax!

Ps wrote on my phone at work, sorry for the awful grammar.
 
OK, here's my update:

I grabbed a bottle of JW Black on Fri because I decided that would be my starting point. I drank it neat out of a tumbler. I have to say, the first sip burned a little. There may or may not have been coughing involved. I laughed at myself for that. I felt like it had flavors of wood, vanilla, and maybe some very dark almost overly ripe fruit. I would say it was more positive than negative and I intend on having another one night this week.

I was telling a friend about it and he asked why I was trying so hard to like something. I told him it's not about making myself like it, it's about giving it an honest shot before forming an opinion. Some of my favorite things are things that I did not like at all when I was first introduced to them. Sushi fits this category.

Anyway, that's that. I am going to take some of your other suggestions as well over the next few months. Thanks!

Dunno if it's been mentioned before but some suggest a single ice cube or just a splash of water to open up the flavors.
 
I use a glencairn glass and whiskey stones. I rinse the stones in water before I put them in the freezer. This tends to lend the perfect amount of water to the drink and keep it the perfect temp. The glass is small enough to keep the tiny volume of liquid over the stones and shaped well enough to allow a good nose.
 
Just bought a bottle of Macallan 12 based on some suggestions from here. Cant wait to try it but for 62 bucks a bottle, im gonna be drinking that bad boy slow....and with one of my wifes plaid skirts on and my face painted blue.
 
Scotch is one of my favorite things I've gotten into lately. Some homebrewing friends of mine got together and we formed a Scotch club. There are five couples and we rotate houses/hosts every month and a half or so. We each pitch in $20 and if the bottle we buy is cheaper than the $100 then the change goes into a pool to purchase something nice for our Christmas gathering. It has been nice being able to try more expensive bottles without having to buy the whole thing. We got two bottles this Christmas... Longmorn 16 and Johnny Walker Blue. It was a good night... :tank:

A couple of my favorites have been Glenfiddich 18 and Auchentoshan 12. Two VERY different Scotches. For me, the Auchentoshan needed a few drops of water to bring out the character I liked. Without the water I got too much "band-aid". That flavor totally went away with some water and really opened up the citrus/fruit flavors. But, a couple others really liked it neat. Go figure...
 
@mikeysab Macallan 12 is honestly one of the best "affordable" single malt scotches around. You will definitely enjoy it.

I just tried a bottle of the JW Double Black. I liked it for blended scotch. Thoughts?
 
@mikeysab Macallan 12 is honestly one of the best "affordable" single malt scotches around. You will definitely enjoy it.

I just tried a bottle of the JW Double Black. I liked it for blended scotch. Thoughts?

It definitely is one of the better whiskeys i've had since starting to drink whiskey. Not sure how i feel about the sherry barrel aging though. A co worker told me the 10 is better. Further experimenting is needed.

I've had the JW double black and its decent. A little too smokey for me, but i enjoy one on occasion.
 
The sherry barrel aging is fairly common. My wife and I did a tour of the Speyside Cooperage in Scotland a few years ago and they make quite a living refurbishing oak barrels from Spain for use by the Scottish distillers, such as the Glenlivet (which we also toured). It's a beautiful region and there's nothing like the smell of a barrel house!
 
I'm lucky I married such a cool woman, I hinted at getting into scotch and for my birthday she got me tickets for a tasting.I tried all different kinds of scotch and was educated as to their origins and flavor profiles.If you could find a tasting I would highly recomend going that route.
 
So I'm trying to get in to scotch - bought a bottle of glenlivet masters blend at the duty free the other day, and also found a bottle of glenlivet 12 that someone bought me in 2009.

Anyway, drinking it out of a proper(ish) glass, and I cut it with some water. It smells fan-effing-tastic, but man it tastes like poison. How long does it take one to acquire the balls needed to consume this beverage?
 
paulster2626 said:
So I'm trying to get in to scotch - bought a bottle of glenlivet masters blend at the duty free the other day, and also found a bottle of glenlivet 12 that someone bought me in 2009.

Anyway, drinking it out of a proper(ish) glass, and I cut it with some water. It smells fan-effing-tastic, but man it tastes like poison. How long does it take one to acquire the balls needed to consume this beverage?

Do you enjoy bourbon, rum, or tequila straight? I not, you may simply not be enough of a man yet.
 
I would warn against watering down, you are destroying the flavor and I think you are dragging out the time it takes you to get used to it.

I enjoyed my third glass of single malt scotch neat. The first two were a little rough. When I tried to get my wife into it it took about two glasses also. (My wife always has taken her liquor neat though, so wasnt a big change)

Its like pulling off a bandaid, take the plunge.
 
ezzellca said:
I would warn against watering down, you are destroying the flavor and I think you are dragging out the time it takes you to get used to it.

I enjoyed my third glass of single malt scotch neat. The first two were a little rough. When I tried to get my wife into it it took about two glasses also. (My wife always has taken her liquor neat though, so wasnt a big change)

Its like pulling off a bandaid, take the plunge.

Some bourbons and scotches, especially stronger cask strength versions, benefit from some water. Not much, but just a few drops.
 
I love me some Redbreast. But as far as Scotch, I love the Laphroaig Quarter Cask for a tasty relatively budget single malt, Lagavulin 16, Macallan Cask Strength, Balvenie 17 DoubleWood and 21 PortWood. Glenkinchie and Glenmorangie aren't bad, and Oban isn't bad either. Auchentoshan is alright.

And I do the few drops of water. I'm not sure exactly what's going on chemically but it really does open everything up. Otherwise it's either neat.
 
Some bourbons and scotches, especially stronger cask strength versions, benefit from some water. Not much, but just a few drops.

I agree, but he said he was cutting it with water. I assumed that implied more than one or two drops. Agreed though, i pour hot water in my glass and leave it for a minute. I then pour the water out leaving a drop or two thats stuck to the side. Delicious.
 
ezzellca said:
I agree, but he said he was cutting it with water. I assumed that implied more than one or two drops. Agreed though, i pour hot water in my glass and leave it for a minute. I then pour the water out leaving a drop or two thats stuck to the side. Delicious.

It does kinda sound that way now that I read it again.
 
Well, being a n00b I just googled "how the **** do I drink scotch?". A youtube video appeared. Dude was all like:
-pour it in to this special glass to hold the smells in
-take a whiff
-take another whiff
-take more whiffs. mmmmmmm.
-now, take a sip.
-now, add like a tsp of water and take more whiffs.
-notice the differences
-drink 'er down

Another vid said: drink it how you want. If you like it with ice, use ice. If you like it straight, use nothing. If you like it with water, add some water. I'm a firm believer of not following rules, so I can get behind what this guy is saying. He's got a solid handlebar moustache too, so he's more better than I am.

So, that's what I'm doing. It's literally my first go at scotch in, well, ever. Maybe 10 years ago I tried it but no real good hard attempts at enjoyment.

Anyway I think I'm gettin' er. Trick is to take a sip, then let it just sit there on the palate for a few seconds. Taste the pears and whatnot. Then swallow and try not to make a face.
 
To play devils advocate a bit hopefully not challenging you too much:

Im all for going against snobbery and judgement of those that do not conform to the rules and guidelines, but don't you think those rules are there for a reason? And as someone who's scotch palate hasnt evolved yet that they would be a good guideline to make sure you get to the point of appreciate the finer notes that cannot be tasted with a young palate?

They have reasons, and they all come down to aroma. Unlike bourbon where it gets a lot of its flavor from the char of the barrel, and aroma ends up giving you more burn (hence the tumbler glass)you want a strong bouquet with scotch.

Tulip and snifter glasses concentrate that aroma so when you take a sip you get a big ol noseful of delicious. Adding a drop or two of water helps release some of the more hidden smells and mellows the harsh ones. A hot glass wont make your scotch warm, it will still taste room temperature, but it will vaporize a little of the drink giving you an even stronger bouquet.

With scotch more bouquet = more complicated and more delicious taste.

Again the end goal is the same, taking a load off after a rough day and relaxing. You can add a pint of ice water and drink it with a crazy straw and a pixie stick garnish and I wont hate on yah too much.

But following the rules will help in the long run. Well, I take that back. The scotch will taste better, your bak account will hate you.

Hope I dont sound like a dick.

Ps. I had a handlebar mustache, am i a former expert?
 
paulster2626 said:
So I'm trying to get in to scotch - bought a bottle of glenlivet masters blend at the duty free the other day, and also found a bottle of glenlivet 12 that someone bought me in 2009.

Anyway, drinking it out of a proper(ish) glass, and I cut it with some water. It smells fan-effing-tastic, but man it tastes like poison. How long does it take one to acquire the balls needed to consume this beverage?

It took me about 4 months of cutting it with water then dialing the water back gradually until I could enjoy it straight. That was doing three to four glasses a week. Now I love scotch! Scotchy scotch scotch..
 
Again, not scotch, but I tried this last night Beam Devil's Cut and it was not bad. I'm usually not a fan of Beam but this was OK
 
If it's still out, Johnny Walker Double Black.

However, I'm a purist. So I'm all about single malts now. I've been happy with my selections from McClelland's. They're good and cheap enough to give a chance, as scotch goes. I really like the Speyside.

And my top favorite is Isay. The essence of the peat smoke is really present. I've only had the Mcclelland so far, but found it quite enjoyable. Had a bit of a bite but was smooth. But I just love peat smoke, even use peat on the grill.
 
+1 on Macallan 10 year. Great pricing makes it a grand "every day" whiskey.

I generally drink my Scotch neat but I agree that a drop or two of water can open up the bouquet. I'll have to try the "pouring the water in and pouring it out of the glass" technique.

I'm a fan of Laphroiag and Lavavulin. My wife likes Oban and complains when I drink hers. We were in the Highlands five years ago and toured the Glenfiddich distillery. We bought a bottle of 30 year old scotch for our 25th year wedding anniversary, and the 21 year old "Cuban" that we agreed to drink when my wife finishes her doctorate. I like to joke that I am not sure which will be opened first but she is not amused...

Later we had lunch in Duftown and a gentleman and his wife came in the restaurant. He had been salmon fishing all day and was ready to try to local food and whiskey. That sounds like a great way to spend your day!
 
Update: Went skiing last week, decided to bring a flask of Glenlivet 12 with me. Nothing fancy, just a good average single malt to keep me company. Drank it on the chairlifts, in the gondolas, shared with strangers, and also put some in a glass a few times to enjoy on the couch.

Well, I'm in love with scotch now. Still can't justify spending the $$$ on the more expensive ones, but my starter collection is growing. Bought a bottle of Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban at the duty free yesterday, gonna crack it tonight. Also have the Glenlivet Master Distillers Reserve that I have yet to try.

My next one, I'd like to grab something with that earthy smell to it (peaty?). Can that be had for relatively low cost, or is it something unique to the pricier brands? Still a newb... but at least a newb who likes scotch.
 
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