Scotch Drinkers? (1 Viewer)

[Wayne Murphy]

I'm new to the world of Single malt scotches and finding the buy and try to be a little

expensive. I really like Dalmore and Dalwhinnie. Any other fav's?
Do you add (water....ice....straight) and why?
I like a little ice then swirl til it melts.
What are good snacks to munch while sipping? (expecting snobbish replies to that question.)
What do bottles cost in your area/country

 

[Max Leung]

I think a bottle (750ml) of Highland Park (Orkney brand? I can't remember) costs about $35 CDN here.
Scotch was my drink of choice when I was living in Salmon Arm...A multi-millionaire friend of mine would buy all the expensive ones, and I'd get to try them.
I used to like some of the stuff. But, needless to say, I can't even smell Scotch without the requisite GAG REFLEX(tm) kicking in!
Woe is me.

 

[Steve Owen]

My two favorites are Balvenie DoubleWood (12 year) and Oban (14 year). I find that just a splash of water really brings out the flavor nicely especialy with the DoubleWood where you can really taste the flavors of the two casks that it was aged in. I don't really care for ice because that tends to take away the flavor and then waters it down.
And there noting, and I mean nothing, like having a fine scotch with good cigar.
-Steve
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[Clinton McClure]

Hmmmm.....I've never had scotch....Looks like I'm missing out.

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[MikeH1]

I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in some years at a wedding and we had a shot each of Rye, Rum and Vodka. Later, at the bar I asked for a couple of scotches and brought them back to the table. After some talking(and the ice in the drinks melting) we said a cheers and I swallowed this "fine" drink. I turned green and a minute later I became sick, putting my head under the table. I played the role of the wedding drunk that night and haven't touched the shit since.
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[RicP]

My faves are Glen Ord, Talisker, and Autruschan Three Wood.
I tend to favor the Lowland single malts rather than the highland, although there are exceptions.
I usually take it neat, but will add a splash of water on certain multi-cask malts.
I'm also an afficianado of a good Bourbon as well.
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[SteveGon]

I prefer bourbon and Irish whiskey. When I do drink Scotch, I prefer it on the rocks.
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[Brent Cantrell]

the Macallan. Period, all time fav, unfortunately, at 80+ a bottle, a rare extravagance for me as a student. Glenmorangie, and Glenfiddich are good as well. Usually neat, sometimes with ice(depending on mood) NEVER with water. (Unless it's Dewar's, which doesn't really count). And yeah, with a good cigar, some of the Honduran's are really good these days. Standard smoke for me is a Padron(maduro wrapper). UMMMM, going to mix a drink now....
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[andrew markworthy]

Single malt whisky is an acquired taste, and not everyone likes it. The same goes for a lot of other spirits (e.g. I personally hate brandy). Although largely teetotal (no head for alcohol rather than any moral/religious thing), I am partial to the occasional drop of whisky, ever since having a boss who was a connoisseur of the stuff.
The way the Scots drink whisky is diluted with at least an equal quantity of water. Whisky is too 'fierce' a spirit to be drunk neat - by diluting it, you appreciate the flavours more without the 'burning' sensation. However, don't add ice.
There is a large range of whisky, and it's unlikely you'll find them all equally appealing. The principal division is into highland and lowland whisky. Highland whisky comes from the north of Scotland (duh) and tends to be lighter in flavour and usually colour. Lowland whisky tends to be darker coloured and with a 'heavier' flavour. The reason for this is that lowland whisky is usually matured in oak barrels which were previously used for storing sherry, and part of the flavour is from the sherry-impregnated wood. Which you prefer is a matter of personal taste. Probably the best bet is to buy a set of small sampler bottles and try them out. Highland Park is relatively light tasting, Laphroig probably the richest tasting (don't buy a bottle of this unless you've sampled it - it is very strong and tastes smokey - the nearest analogous taste is probably kippers, if you've ever had them). There is no single whisky which is 'better' than all the rest. You'll find a few names get offered up as good examples on a regular basis, but there are plenty more, and one of the pleasures of whisky drinking is finding obscure brands which others don't know about. Likewise, don't be too obsessed with the age of the stuff. Generally, no whisky tastes of anything special until it's been matured for at least 8 or so years, but it's unlikely you'll find a single malt younger than that for sale. Really old whisky (e.g. at least 24 years old) does taste better but IMHO isn't worth the asking price. However, others may disagree.
Once you've made inroads into Scotch, try sampling Irish whiskey (note the difference in spelling). Again, there is a decent variety of single malts, and they tend to be somewhat smoother than Scotch. Personally, I prefer a drop of the Irish, but this is a matter of personal taste.
One final thing - moderation in all things! Getting to know different types of whisky should be done over a long time, not in a single night!
The following address may be of interest:
http://www.smwsa.com/
[Edited last by andrew markworthy on September 19, 2001 at 01:41 AM]

 

[Scott H]

For single malt I drink Balvenie 10 yr cut with about 1:1 cold water, no ice. For whiskey I drink Makers Mark, with the same water or sometimes on the rocks.
I find water to be very important for almost all non-mix drinks, for taste and health. For instance, I drink a fair amount of beers, being particular fond of stouts, and always drink water simultaneously. I'm also fond of sipping Sauza Hornitos tequila with water accompaniment. And I must have water with wines (the palette really benefits there).
As for foods/snacks, it really depends - whatever works for you. I'm a snacker, but for these types of dricks I often go for Bavarian style hard pretzels, cheeses, chips/salsa...
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[Andrew 'Ange Hamm' Hamm]

Definitely Oban. Unvelievable. But again, at around $60 a bottle it's pretty decadent.
I also second the nomination of Maker's Mark.
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[MikeH]

Another Oban man here, although I do drink mine with a small amount of ice. I've tried The Macallan and it was very good it's just hard/impossible to find in my area.
Mike

 

[Max Leung]

I think this thread should be permanently archived for posterity!

I've gotta create a list of the stuff mentioned here, stick it on my Palm, and go find samplers at the fine liquor outlets in this town.
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Max Leung

 

[Jan Strnad]

My favorite moderately-priced single malts are Glenlivet and Glenfiddich. Best of all, you can usually find one or the other at Costco! Of course, you have to buy a big bottle, but that's never been a problem for me.
And I have to reluctantly agree to the mixture of a good Scotch and a good cigar. Nice!
[Edited last by Jan Strnad on September 19, 2001 at 08:27 PM]

 

[Clinton McClure]

I'm of Scotish descent, yet have never tried scotch. I'm not up too much on hard liquor anymore...don't quite have the stomach for it. I mainly just stick to beer, but I shall have to try some of the above listed labels. Thanks.
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[Jin E]

I mainly just stick to beer...

A-Men brother Clinton! Thou shalt walk HAND in HAND with the Brew when commeth the day of rekoning! Transgress not with the sins of your brothers, but live beside and with those who worship your brew almighty... the three spirits, Hops, Barley, Water.
I guess after I graduated from college I lost my taste for the hard stuff. I can still appreciate the complex tastes of a nice scotch with a good cigar though. Still... give me Guiness (Or Samual Smith's Nut Brown Ale!)
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[John Thomas]

Yeah, I recall drinking one of those brands of scotch in college. I found that if you added a splash of the 'blue stuff' it got you drunk quicker.

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[Wayne Murphy]

Hey Jan.....I'm thinking of moving to the States, if you can buy scotch at Costco I'm packing. :smile:
Here in Canada we have to get ours from the Monopoly The Liquor store and no where else. On the plus side my small town booze store has at least 18 different brands of Scotch.
I'm not a fan of Glenfiddich. It was the first I tasted but not my favorite by any stretch. I'm fortunate to have a friend, 20 years older and wiser, who is a scotch fiend. He has a cabin out back of his place and a standing invitation on friday nights to 'drop by for a splash in a glass and a sit by the fire.' He is always trying new stuff so I've had the opportunity to try a wide variety of scotches. The only problem is that after 4 or 6 in an evening I'm not sure if I really like the one I'm trying or if I'm in the 'fried tastebuds' stage where horse pi** would taste good. I'm going to start bringing a note book and making notes. One thing I did note was that the eastern Scotch (I forget the exact name) had a really briny taste that would not be something I'd like to drink often.

 

[Justin Doring]

This forum is cool! Home Theater and Scotch afficionados unite! I agree that Single Malt Scotch is an acquired taste. I drink it neat, however, I'll often have a separate glass of water to take between drinks.
As far as price, yes, SMS can get expensive fast, but it's not as if you're drinking a lot of it (no offense to those that do, but it's not exactly a "let's get wasted" drink). Also, bargains can be found. On a budget, I've found that a 12 Year The Glen Livet at around $22 a bottle on sale is an extremely satisfying drink. I like it better than a lot of $60-$200 Scotches I've had. For a little more coin, the 12 Year or more Macallan, Bowmore, and Balvenie are nice. And no offense to Glen Fiddich drinkers, but I find this Scotch to be pretty bad.
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[Edited last by Justin Doring on September 22, 2001 at 08:50 PM]