Whisky

byrne

byrne

Certavi et vici
May 1, 2003
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I've been hunting down bottles of whisky of late - scoth whisky - and have been loving the varieties and nuances of all the various single malts. I used to really enjoy blended whiksy (such as Johnnie Walker Gold, Dimple 15y/o etc.) but since trying some of the more unique single malts I've completely converted.

Of the single malts (without being an expert) there appear to be two distinct styles that I've come across - chill vs non-chill filtered. From the former category what I've tried appear to have a softer taste that resembles the blended whisky more. The latter has a very smokey / strong peat taste ... each is enjoyable in their own right.

Anyway, discuss whisky you enjoy / recommend.

I've been loving the following:
- Glenmorangie 'The Original' 10y/o single malt
- Oban 14 y/o single malt
- Ardberg 10 y/o single malt (non-chill filtered)
- Laphroaig 10 y/o single malt
- Ledaig 10 y/o single malt (non-chill filtered)
- Chivas Regal 18 y/o blended
- Lagavulin 16 y/o single malt (non-chill filtered)

.... of which I'd probably recommend Oban & Lagavulin as being the best.
 
im significantly under qualified for this thread, but i hope to try some great stuff from this.

my favorite whiskey though is jameson
~gR~
 
The Ardbeg 10 and Lagavulin 16 are pretty superb. Something similar at maybe half the price is Caol Ila 12, although it probably compares more to Laphroaig 10. It is less sweet than Ardbeg and Lagavulin, and has very salty smell, like green olives almost. I want a big smoky scotch so badly now.

Talisker 10 is my favorite probably, at least until I try Talisker 18.
 
I'll have to hunt Caol Ila down then .... but whisky in Aus isn't generally very cheap. That being said, in terms of a cheaper whisky to drink on a regular basis The Glenlivet would definitely have to be my favourite ... marginally cheaper than Johnnie Black & much better imo.

Jameson is enjoyable as well, though I don't drink it much by choice because I prefer scotch to Irish.

I'm travelling through Europe in September, flying into London. Trying to plan about 6 days or so to head up and tour through some of Scotland. Will definitely look to take advantage of a few whisky tours!
 
genocide roach said:
im significantly under qualified for this thread, but i hope to try some great stuff from this.

my favorite whiskey though is jameson
~gR~
Click to expand...

Drink Bushmills (preferably green label). Like Jameson's, but smoother. I find Irish whiskey to be very smooth, but lacking in any real flavour or charecter. Had a bunch of nice Irish whiskeys at a bar in NY, don't really remember what I was drinking though...

Single malt is the epitome of whiskey, and I unfortunately developed a rather discerning (=expensive) taste long before my wallet could sustain it. I'm not really a fan of the Islay malts (Lagavulin, Laphroaig, etc.) as I find the peat too overpowering, preferring a more delicate Highland or Speyside. Currently got a bottle of Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban (aged in port casks) sat at home waiting for me (airport duty free is my friend). Also partial to the Macallan distillery, who age all their whiskey in sherry casks.

If you're struggling to find anything beyond moderate quality (i.e. older than 15 years and from one of the less commercial distilleries) I find a safe bet is Glenlivet. Nothing exceptional about the flavour, but better than most similarly priced bottles (I can usually pick up a bottle of 18 y.o. Glenlivet for the price of a 15 y.o. Glenfiddich or Glenmorangie, for instance).

However, at the end of the day, you really do have to go to Scotland. The variety available is high and the price more moderate than elsewhere, ensuring that you will not remember what you drank and will have a splitting headache the next day (my one problem with whiskey is the god awful hangover)
 
i like some hard liquor myself but whiskey is awful.
 
I want to learn more about scotch. the only whiskey I really like is Jameson. What's a good scotch I should be able to find for under $30 or $40?
 
I don't think you will find anything great for that price, tbh. Something like Glenfiddich 12 or Glenlivet 12 is about as cheap as you can get, but they barely even hint at what you can get out of scotch. Maybe the cheapest Dalmore is not a bad option.

What I did was just spring $7-10 for a dram at bars. It's better to find out what you like that way, rather than drop $50-100 on something. The one problem is that sometimes scotch really sits for a long time, in less than ideal conditions, so oxidation is possible. If you pick a bottle that's more than 2/3rds full, you probably have less to worry about.
 
Laphroaig 10 years is pretty cheap for its quality imo, not sure how much it costs overseas but It's around ~$40 here atleast.
 
My advice to all of you: NEVER drink Heaven Hill. It is the worst whiskey/whisky around. I normally don't get sick from drinking but this particular brand made me hug the toilet for a couple of hours.
 
MasterOLightning said:
I don't think you will find anything great for that price, tbh. Something like Glenfiddich 12 or Glenlivet 12 is about as cheap as you can get, but they barely even hint at what you can get out of scotch. Maybe the cheapest Dalmore is not a bad option.

What I did was just spring $7-10 for a dram at bars. It's better to find out what you like that way, rather than drop $50-100 on something. The one problem is that sometimes scotch really sits for a long time, in less than ideal conditions, so oxidation is possible. If you pick a bottle that's more than 2/3rds full, you probably have less to worry about.
Click to expand...

is a dram like a beer/wine flight?

edit: nevermind. the internets filled me in...I'm not down with you hip whisky kids and your jive lingo
 
Billenzimmer said:
I'm not really a fan of the Islay malts (Lagavulin, Laphroaig, etc.) as I find the peat too overpowering, preferring a more delicate Highland or Speyside. Currently got a bottle of Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban (aged in port casks) sat at home waiting for me (airport duty free is my friend). Also partial to the Macallan distillery, who age all their whiskey in sherry casks.


However, at the end of the day, you really do have to go to Scotland. The variety available is high and the price more moderate than elsewhere, ensuring that you will not remember what you drank and will have a splitting headache the next day (my one problem with whiskey is the god awful hangover)
Click to expand...

I love the Islay & Oban malts. Not so experienced in Speyside or Highland. I've seen the Quinta Ruban about, but have never splurged on it because I've always prioritised getting things I know I like for that price (circa AUD80-90). I suspect its quite sweet and fruity? I've also been meaning to try The Lasanta and Nectar D'or, but for the same reason noted, haven't bothered. Any thoughts on these?

I'm the opposite with good alcoholic drinks - I don't get bad hangovers ... you know you've been drinking (i.e. feel a little offbeat, lack of sense ...) but not the splitting headache, bad stomach etc. The only thing that causes that for me is cheap shitty alcohol with preservatives, or if you have a lot of sugar (e.g. mixers with coke/lemonade)
 
Since i live in Scotland everyone drinks whiskey lol. Ive just had a Gaelic Coffee (coffee with whiskey in it). I dont really have a favourite. Some i find harder to drink than others.
 
byrne said:
I love the Islay & Oban malts. Not so experienced in Speyside or Highland. I've seen the Quinta Ruban about, but have never splurged on it because I've always prioritised getting things I know I like for that price (circa AUD80-90). I suspect its quite sweet and fruity? I've also been meaning to try The Lasanta and Nectar D'or, but for the same reason noted, haven't bothered. Any thoughts on these?

I'm the opposite with good alcoholic drinks - I don't get bad hangovers ... you know you've been drinking (i.e. feel a little offbeat, lack of sense ...) but not the splitting headache, bad stomach etc. The only thing that causes that for me is cheap shitty alcohol with preservatives, or if you have a lot of sugar (e.g. mixers with coke/lemonade)
Click to expand...

In my experience, the malts from the mainland tend to be more delicate, which as I said appeals to my palate- I enjoy picking out the individual notes that make up the flavour, rather than being overpowered by a single strong one.

I quite enjoy the Quinta Ruban, but then I also enjoy a nice port, which helps as you can definitely taste it. Other than that I was slightly underwhelmed, as other than the "novelty value" of the port flavouring, it is (as I generally expect from Glenmorangie) a fairly average whiskey, nothing wrong per se, nice and smooth, but just lacking any real spark to make it special- this is the downside of highland malts, if you don't get a good one, they're a bit dull. Would offer more precise tasting notes, but the bottle is the other side of the planet to me for the time being. Haven't tried the others you mentioned, was tempted by Nectar D'Or, but ended up with the Quinta Ruban

I know what you mean about the splurging- I long ago came to accept that, even more so than any other alcoholic drink, you have to pay for the quality. As someone else suggested, if you can, try tasting several in bars to build up your knowledge.

As for the price, I don't know exactly how prices per bottle in Oz compare to the UK, but having been drinking in Melbourne, Sydney and in between, I suspect you may be getting somewhat shafted. Then again, if you can find Quinta Ruban around and it's only costing $80-90, maybe not. As i said, to save money and get a decent range, I usually rely on duty free, as I fly internationally at least once a month. In fact, I will be tomorrow. Time for another bottle...

As for the hangover, yeah, I don't usually suffer badly, and I never normally get headaches, except on whiskey. That said, it's only when I drink a lot, e.g. a whole bottle. Still not as bad as my rum hangover...
 
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