For my first post this new year, (And may you have a happy one), I'd like to discuss scotch.

I'm fond of Islays, Bowmore being my favourite so far.

While wandering through the liquor store, I saw one I hadn't seen before. Adberg 10 year, which is a bit lower in the age department than I usually buy.

Honestly, I'm surprised at how powerful the taste is, given how smooth the feel of it is. It doesn't burn as much as some I've had. The taste is very powerful. Smoky and peaty at once. It's fairly unique though, unlike some of my favourites, which taste like buttered smoke, this scotch seems to go distinctly from taste to taste. The peaty taste comes first, transitioning into a buttery honey taste, then the smoky wood tastes come as it moves on. At no point does the alcohol seem to overwhelm the taste, and while it's warm, it doesn't burn.

So, this is my latest surprisingly good scotch.

Anyone else got a favourite scotch?

I love Islays too, but Bowmore (12, 15, 17 years) and Ardbeg (I have only tried the 10 year old, I'm told that others are better) are my least favourite ones. I like Caol Ila, both the 12 year and 18 year old, and of course Lagavulins are excellent. Laphroaigs (10 years, triple wood and cask strength) and good "basic" islays. I have only tried one Bruichladdich (15 years), and it is better than Bowmore and Ardbeg, but not as good as Caol Ila, Lagavulin and Laphroaig. Bunnahabhain is a very different animal, it is much smoother and not as smokey, so it's very difficult to compare. I kinda a like it though.

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I'm also an Islay fan, love the smoke! I'm not so far down the road that I know too much about the others though. I had Royal Lochnagar (12?) recently and thought it was fantastic.

Most people would not be able to afford to try all of those. Unless you live in Scotland it is highly unlikely you could try them without buying a whole bottle. What do they cost per bottle? Even mainstream malts like Glenfiddich and Glenlivet cost $50 a bottle.

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Still officially AGA 5d but I play so irregularly these days that I am probably only 3d or 4d over the board (but hopefully still 5d in terms of knowledge, theory and the ability to contribute).

I buy my whiskies mostly from tax-free (Helsinki-Tallinn or Helsinki-Stockholm ferries, sometimes from airports), where they range about 30-70 EUR / 1 liter. In the local "Alko" (state monopoly liquor shop) the selection is more limited and the cost is higher, around 50-70 EUR / 0,7 liter.

At least Laphroaig is sometimes available in a "tasting set", which has smaller (37,5cl?) bottles of 10 years old, triple wood and cask strength in a box.

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I like Ben Nevis and Glen Grant. As for expense, great malt whiskies are way less expensive than great French wines, for example. I guess it's a matter of taste

Glenmorangie is nice.

I'm enjoying a Harrod's own distillery (based in Scotland, and it is a Scotch I promise) due to work xmas bonuses this week too.

I'm a pretty big fan of Oban 14 year. Very smooth over ice. I am currently working on a bottle of Talisker 10, but I'm not very impressed with it. I need to try it neat and have a few more glasses before I pass judgment.

We have been talking about good Scotch, but what is the worst Scotch you have had? Not just the cheap stuff, but the one you will not drink again regardless of price? For me it is Glenfiddich 12 year. It may be better in the older presentations, but I would rather drink Johnny Walker than Glenfiddich 12.

I doubt they're the worst, but I told my wife to avoid anything with "Glen" in the name. I'm sure there's exceptions to that, but I don't like Glenlivet or Glenfiddich.

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Occupy Babel!

Try Glenmorangie before you give up on them.

Over ice?! *Dramatic death from sheer horror*

I haven't tried the Brui, or the Caol. I've tried the Lagavulin, and it just wasn't my style, but I do love myself some Laphroaig. I still prefer the 17 year Bowmore, but the Laphroaig is quite nice.

I'm trying to decide if I like the Ardbeg, or if it's just novel. It's a very bold taste, and at times, it seems to be trying to overpower itself.

Glenlivet and Glenfiddich are painful to drink. You can get those for about 15-25 dollars a bottle at my state controlled store, 30 if they're not trying to move them desperately. Glenlivet 12 year was utterly undrinkable as a drink. I actually had to get drunk before I could drink it, which really obviates it's purpose.

My price range is generally @50 dollars a bottle, sometimes upwards of 70. I try scotches one at a time, I go in, and hunt down something that doesn't yet cost 100 dollars, and buy a bottle, every few months. Or at least, I used to. I've slacked off lately, just haven't been investing enough in my collection. The Adberg and a cheap wine are all I have.

In fact, if you're an adult, and don't know what hard liquors you actually enjoy, you owe it to yourself to do this. Go in, planning to spend about 40-50 dollars. Buy a not cheap vodka, a not cheap rum, a not cheap scotch, brandy, tequila, buy them over the course of a year. Don't mix them, just try to enjoy them. At the end of the year, you've got a clear idea what you do and don't enjoy, and probably a fairly impressive collection of not crap alcohol.

Once you're done exploring your local liquor store, move on to trying out new things of what you enjoy. Using this method, I once found an imported german pear brandy with the pear in the bottle that actually tasted 'grainy' to me, simply an amazing drink.

True, my collection of alcohols has been an expensive hobby, but it has made me much more aware of what I do, and don't enjoy, and much more able to suggest drinks to others, based on what they do enjoy.

I still need to get back into wine collecting as well, but that's an entirely seperate thread.

Wouldn't it seem that the level of one's scotch tasting palette would be inversely proportional to the level of their go playing ability?

You know, I don't think I've ever tasted scotch.

I do like a manhattan made with good bourbon - I make them 3 parts bourbon one part vermouth, and they're great, but when I have the bourbon straight or on the rocks I don't care for it. Not sure why, in general I'm not a fan of sweet drinks but whiskey needs some sweetener for me to like it.

If I ever get the chance I'll try scotch but I suspect I'll feel the same way about it than I do about bourbon. Would I be committing a crime if I took some scotch and cut it with vermouth and a splash of bitters?

Well, it's your money, but I wouldn't do it. At least not with any decent single malt. If you want to use whisky in a mixed drink, any low quality whisky is fine (for me bourbon is one example, but I know people who actually like the taste of that stuff), no need to use the good stuff.

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Low quality bourbon makes terrible tasting manhattans. Usually I use knob creek - it's not super expensive (about $30 for 750ml), but it's far from cheap or low quality. If you don't like bourbon that's one thing but calling all bourbon "low quality whisky" makes you sound either ignorant or pompous, take your pick.

I'm probably both, but mainly it was meant to be humorous.

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What have you got against gin?

Let me add that you shouldn't use for instance a bourbon glass

but one that resembles a brandy glass

like the above or

It's also a good idea to agitate the glass a little before tasting, it releases aroma.
If new to a paticular single malt, take a small sip before adding water to get a idea of the "original" taste.

/Mats

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Can anyone tell what they cost directly at the source, in Scotland?

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