Recommend me a Single Malt!

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Based on the crazy karma generated by my last "recommend me" thread, I thought I should try it again.

When I arrive home this evening, I will most likely enjoy a warm evening on my balcony and finish the last half inch of my 10 year Glenmorangie...and then I will have no more scotch(unless said Karma kicks in again)! So, I should pick another whiskey to enjoy for next time...and need some good recommendations!

I've recently discovered my great love of single malt scotch, but have only tried a few thus far. Of the ones I have sampled, my favorites so far are Highland Park 12yr and a fantastic Laphroaig...I think it was a 10 or 12. Others I've tried include Deanston 12yr and Glenfiddich 12. That's about the extent of my scotch knowledge. I trust that such wisened gamers can toss me a few names to look for!

Also, keep that blended crap to yourself (unless you really know what you're doing, I suppose). I've had people swear to me that blended whiskey can match single malts, but no one has yet convinced me of anything more then that they may be delusional.

Thanks again all!

if you liked the Glenmorangie 10, try the Glenmorangie Port Wood Finish; it's one of my favorites. If you prefer a smokier flavor, the Balvenie Port Wood is very nice as well.

I have nothing to add to the thread other than I was wondering the same question myself. A good friend of mine helped me install an electric fence for my pooch and coming up with a good "thank you" has been tough. He does like Scotch - and being more of a beer drinker myself - I'm completely at a loss as to what to get him.

So bring on the suggestions!

Chum

My Favorite is Lagavulin The Distillery's near the shore and you get a slightly salty taste to the scotch. Absolute Heaven.

I've slowly knocked off a bottle of Macallan over the course of the last few weeks. Right nice toddy, that.

Fripper wrote:

My Favorite is Lagavulin The Distillery's near the shore and you get a slightly salty taste to the scotch. Absolute Heaven.

Among my friends who are regular single malt drinkers, there are two very distinct camps: those who can't get enough smoke and peat flavor, and who very much share your opinion of Lagavulin... and those of us who can barely stand the stuff.

If you're just starting out with single malts, you'd be wise to drink a sampler of Islay scotches before you dive into a bottle of Lagavulin or similar, IMO...

EDIT: Nevermind, I just noticed Sleipnir mentioned a fantastic Laphroaig; Lagavulin should be right up his alley then

I'll give to you, Laga can be an aquired taste. If you want a great scotch that everyone can enjoy, in my opinion you can't go wrong with an 12 yr old bottle of MaCallan.

The only thing I can recommend is Barry Einsler's series of books about John Rain, and international assasin for hire. This character is a big single malts enthusiast and the books are peppered with brands recommendations (which sound almost like product placements) and tips on proper consumption and enjoyment.

Myself, I can't stand this stuff smell alone, let alone ever try tasting it.

Strekos, I saw the various finishes of Glenmorangie when I picked up the 10 year, although I decided to try the regular malt before trying them out. I'll give them a go over when I have the chance.

Flipper, I'll definitely try that one out. Based on my small amount of experience, I have come to the conclusion like I like a good strong peat in my scotch. Which is not to say I don't want to try them all, of course. The Lagavulin and MaCallan I've never heard of before, which make them that more enticing! They're a hair above my normal price point, but I'm willing to splurge here and there, especially since a bottle tends to last me a few months. Man, I've found an expensive hobby indeed.

My only real Islay was the Laphroaig, which I very much enjoyed - it competes for my all-time favorite thus far. Although, I admit it to be a little silly to have an all-time favorite out of five, but I suppose it works

Gorilla.800.lbs wrote:

The only thing I can recommend is Barry Einsler's series of books about John Rain, and international assasin for hire. This character is a big single malts enthusiast and the books are peppered with brands recommendations (which sound almost like product placements) and tips on proper consumption and enjoyment.

That sounds amusing Gorilla It reminds me of Larry Niven's myriad (another Niven in-joke, hehe) promotions of Irish Coffee.

As for proper consumption, I take my scotch neat, and no way else. I've heard people tell that a tiny splash of spring water, preferably from the same spring from which the whiskey came, will really bring out flavors and aromas, but I have yet to try this for myself.

Thank you for the suggestions all, and feel free to keep them coming.

Oh, and of the ones I've already tried that I listed above, I liked the Highland Park the best, followed very closely by the Laphroaig, then comes the Glenmorangie and Deanston, then lastly Glenfiddich. I dunno what it was about the Glenfiddich, but it just didn't taste done to me, I don't know how else to put it. Definitely my least favorite.

If you have the ducats, the Macallan 18yr is about as good as it gets.

As someone who has an 18 year Laphroaig sitting upstairs, I'm not going to start bashing scotch, but have you also considered trying bourbon? I have a friend in particular who considers bourbon to have the same breadth and character (although a different taste, to be sure) as scotch, without the price markup caused by the "coolness" factor from scotch snobs.

I'm going to have to look a little deeper into that myself someday; I'm not giving up scotch, but I don't mind branching out, particularly if it doesn't cost me $60 a bottle. Just thought I'd mention it.

SlyFrog wrote:

I have a friend in particular who considers bourbon to have the same breadth and character (although a different taste, to be sure) ...

You can put me in that club, but I've observed that most people have a palate preference for one or the other.

Sly, I have almost no experience with bourbon except I think for the really cheap stuff, which I don't even consider to be real alcohol. However, if you want to toss me a few quality affordable brands I'll happily look into them.

Since I'm just starting to learn about whiskey, I'm hesitant to adopt another drinking hobby so soon, but trying awesome new things has never been a bad thing in my book. The only thing that sticks out in my mind about bourbon is that is often has sweeter characteristics, which I'm not a big fan of. How typical this is of your average top-shelf boubon I can't say, but it's something to keep in mind when making recommendations.

I think good scotch is delicious. It pleases my palate in ways previously unknown to me. Unfortunately, it is quite an expensive hobby, although I'm not sure how much of the price is really due to snobby-ness and how much as to do with the procedure

Fletcher1138 wrote:

If you have the ducats, the Macallan 18yr is about as good as it gets.

I certainlly believe you, but that one is a bit much for me...more then I pay for monthy utilities. However, if you want to send a nice birthday present in a few months...

Well if we're discussing other booze. I'll put a vote in for bourbon as well. Oso got me into Makers Mark and it's a good un. Myself I've gone the way of Canadian Whisky lately. Tangle Ridge by far has to be the smoothest drink I've ever experienced.

Do yourself a favor, Frip: ditch that Maker's and go for the Old Forester. If you can find it, it's the best bourbon for the money.

Old Forester, I'll remember that. Maker's is good when money is an issue, but Baker, Booker, and Blanton's are the 3 Bs to remember. I do have to agree that Tangle Ridge is some easy drinking hootch. I've got a glass in front of me right now, and I'm ready for some SWAT police action!

Scotch? You know the Laphroaig loves you!

As for the reasons behind the high price of Scotch, I recall a passage in Harold McGee's book On Food And Cooking in which he discusses the history of scotch in England. Apparently, sherry was all the rage with the English aristocracy, but then for some reason (which eludes my memory) there befell a shortage of sherry. The aristocrats were forced to turn to Scotch, which they had previously held to be a low and unworthy beverage. Scotch took on a new reputation as the educated man's drink, prices skyrocketed in accordance with this trend, and they have remained ultra-high ever since.

Bourbon? Fletcher's right. Old Forester is an excellent buy.

Nice to see some more scotch lovers out there. Scotch very much comes down to how peaty/smoky you like your Whisky.

I can second/third the Lagavulin and the Laphroaig (both Islay single malts) as high quality quite peaty malts. A personal favorite of mine is the Talisker (isle of Skye). You may also want to try the Bowmore or Aberlour for cheaper options in that taste category.

A softer options is the Cardhu, or any Irish single malt in general (not Scotch, but still).

The Edinburgh malt whisky tour may be a good starting point for additional malty goodness.

Geck wrote:

I can second/third the Lagavulin and the Laphroaig (both Islay single malts) as high quality quite peaty malts. A personal favorite of mine is the Talisker (isle of Skye). You may also want to try the Bowmore or Aberlour for cheaper options in that taste category.

A softer options is the Cardhu, or any Irish single malt in general (not Scotch, but still).

That's three votes for the Lagavulin, tossing it right to the top of my list. I'll keep an eye out for those others as well, of course. The lack of a good liquor store in these parts making shopping for non-big names hard, unfortunately, but I shall do my best. As for the Irish single malt, I certainly didn't mean to sound biased against Irish whiskey...I'm just trying to take these things one at a time

On the bourbon end, I'll give that Old Forester a go. I can't promise anything, but I'll happily test it out. I don't know if anything can give me the same joy a nice peaty single malt does, but I'm always open to new things.

DrunkenSleipnir wrote:

Sly, I have almost no experience with bourbon except I think for the really cheap stuff, which I don't even consider to be real alcohol. However, if you want to toss me a few quality affordable brands I'll happily look into them.

I'm learning as much about bourbon in this thread as you are; I've basically just gone hit or miss in my drinking experience with it and have nothing to recommend. Based on some of the suggestions above, however, you can bet I'll be drinking heavily the next few weekends.

My father swears by the Macallan 12 yr, and it's a very nice Scotch. I've mostly stuck to Highland scotches, but lately I've been leaning towards the Islays...

As to the drinking, it's gotta be neat. Although one guy I know recommends a single drop of water - only one - from the top of a finger. He says it cuts any sharpness; I haven't tried it myself.

Lobo wrote:

The aristocrats were forced to turn to Scotch, which they had previously held to be a low and unworthy beverage. Scotch took on a new reputation as the educated man's drink, prices skyrocketed in accordance with this trend, and they have remained ultra-high ever since.

Sounds like lobster, which, once upon a time, was almost exclusively a poor man's food. Bloody aristocrats.

Sounds like lobster, which, once upon a time, was almost exclusively a poor man's food. Bloody aristocrats.

And Russian sturgeon caviar.

Gorilla.800.lbs wrote:
Sounds like lobster, which, once upon a time, was almost exclusively a poor man's food. Bloody aristocrats.

And Russian sturgeon caviar.

And fish sticks. Will they leave nothing untainted?

ColdForged wrote:

And fish sticks. Will they leave nothing untainted?

Those bastards!

Of course, if scotch were cheaper, then I couldn't very well flaunt my imagined wealth by drinking it, now could I? How do I promote myself as intelligensia without an appropriate staus symbol/drink?

Chumpy_McChump wrote:

As to the drinking, it's gotta be neat. Although one guy I know recommends a single drop of water - only one - from the top of a finger. He says it cuts any sharpness; I haven't tried it myself.

For cask strength scotches (I'm partial to Macallan Cask Strength, which is 115 proof), I'll usually mix in a swizzle straw or two of spring water. But everything else I drink neat.

I also put in a vote for Mcallan.

This is what I love about GWJ. You get great recommendations that you can trust (usually), on various topics .

As an accomplished drinker and future alcoholic, here's my two cents...

Scotch is the true mark of distinguished tastes - and despite ALL the words above, the only way to find what is good, is to find what YOU like. From peaty scotch to strong and firm, there are so many. My suggestion: find a place that carries a lot of scotch (good Scottish restaurants and pubs always do) and just try some - 12 - 20 years, just work through them as you sit in front of fire. You like a cigar, take it, and see how they work with your fav cigar. Because I'll tell you I've had some swear by scotch that gagged me, and some tell me I wouldn't like it too much that I loved it...Scotch is a true gentleman's individual taste!

Now, that said, Bourbon (being from KY) is king of the world - all other liquors are mocked in front of the Bourbon kingdom - vodka, rum, cognac, brandy, port - yeah, they can be nice - but Bourbon is the ONLY drink that will still be being served 3,000 years from now...mark my words.

-- Next, if the Bourbon is not from KY, odds are you are drinking someone's dirty bathwater...so be forewarned.

-- Makers is entry level, very nice, and a great drink, whether straight, with ice or maybe a splash of ginger ale.

-- Blantons AND Woodford Reserve - Both are exquisite, and in many places, its heresy to drink them mixed EXCEPT that one of the two has now superceded Early Times as the OFFICIAL bourbon of the KY Derby - henceforth, at derby parties you MAY drink Mint Juleps with that one bourbon in them withour consideration of fine or jail time! I cannot recommend these enough.

-- Wild Turkey, Kentucky Spirit - another premium brand that takes the Wild Turkey to the next level - very smooth with a more distinct taste...but the brank carries a BIG premium costs (75 a bottle or so)

-- George Stagg - at a whopping 142 proof (hand labeled by barrel - so each barrel is different, and only sold for a week or two around Christmas - will take the paint off the deck, or more importantly, the hair off your chest - while still having a sippable flavor.

Ahh...going to fix myself a nice bourbon right now...THANKS

I'll second that Blanton's reco, but I've found it a bit too maple-y for heaving drinking. If you're going to have a glass before dinner, and then call it a night, Blanton's is your $50 per .75L bourbon. If you want that same quality and flavor in a slightly smoother, easier to drink format, then Old Forester is a steal at half the price.

Makers will do in a pinch, and Knob Creek is slightly better. Old Granddad is a nice experience that everyone must have at least once. And teh Turkey is a staple, as Pig says.

I found Woodford Reserve to be abysmal, but that may just be me.

Avoid Evan Williams and Jim Beam like the plague. And please, please, please don't ever let anyone tell you that Jack Daniel's is bourbon. It's whiskey. Remember this mnemonic: All bourbon is whiskey. Not all whiskey is bourbon.

Vanagas wrote:

I also put in a vote for Mcallan.

This is what I love about GWJ. You get great recommendations that you can trust (usually), on various topics .

Wait there is more. Search for duckideva's dietary recommendations for semen taste enhancements.

If you want that same quality and flavor in a slightly smoother, easier to drink format, then Old Forester is a steal at half the price.

Here in KY we can get Old Forester cheaper than that even.

Pigpen wrote:

-- Blantons AND Woodford Reserve - Both are exquisite, and in many places, its heresy to drink them mixed

My standard line of thought is that if it's being mixed, there's either something wrong with the drink or something wrong with the drinker. Not saying anyone can't mix any drink they want in the privacy of their own home, but still...the concept of someone tainting my favorite whiskey with sugar water makes me angry...and you wouldn't like me when I'm angry...:)

Good recommendations though Pigpen! Certainly, a lot more to think about. My mind explodes with the possibilities!

I think what I'm going to have to do (I picked up a bottle of Lagavulin, by the way, in response to the single malt question) is find a nice bar, and run the line of bourbons. I hesititate the jump into the $40-$50 price range without an idea of what to expect from the whiskey. It'll save me money, time, and sanity methinks to test a bunch out by the glass, rather then the bottle...and once I find that perfect bourbon for me, I can pick myself up a nice bottle. The problem is finding a good bar like that - the one bar I frequent has a hundred and fifty beers on tap, but almost no hard liquor. I shall have to explore!

What a kind group of people! It's not everywhere you can go and have people tell you about the various ways to destroy your liver!

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