What is your favorite Scotch Whisky?

[GHT]

In actuality most of the original tariff increase will be absorbed & kept as a permanent increase here in the US. But it may appear that we are getting something. We will actually be paying more & getting less since the 700ml bottle was legalized at the end of Dec 2020. We will soon be paying a little less, but getting 700ml instead of 750ml.

Makes me feel better. " Look what we did." It's all in the spin.

https://whiskycast.com/u-s-to-allow-700ml-whisky-bottles-for-first-time/

We had much the same when our fuel went from being sold in gallons to being sold in litres. In gallons a penny or two difference in price is not worth getting bothered about but given that there's four and a half litres in a UK gallon, a penny or two is quite considerable, you can spend, or save, depending how savvy you are, as much as ten pounds on a tank full of fuel.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

We had much the same when our fuel went from being sold in gallons to being sold in litres. In gallons a penny or two difference in price is not worth getting bothered about but given that there's four and a half litres in a UK gallon, a penny or two is quite considerable, you can spend, or save, depending how savvy you are, as much as ten pounds on a tank full of fuel.

We have already gone from a fifth (757ml) down to 750ml, & I don't remember any price decrease. I don't expect one this time either even one of the excuses for such a move is that it saves the bottler money because they no longer have to bottle at 750ml for the US market. Of course none of that savings will be passed on to the consumer.

Thanks Robert, it's been enlightening.

 

[Tiki Tom]

A friend recently introduced me to Jim Beam Bourbon. I guess I had avoided it all these years based on some miss-informed prejudice based on I don’t know what. I enjoyed it. Friendly and a little fruitier than I am used to. Then he told me about its long history (since 1795) and that the content and process of making Bourbon is strictly regulated. Anyway, the whole topic got me fantasizing about, after the pandemic is over, inviting a few blokes over for a comparison tasting of Kentucky Bourbon, Tennessee Whiskey, and Scottish Whisky. Perhaps cigars might also be involved. What a lovely daydream. I can’t wait for these infernal lockdowns to end.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Please, stop hooking me on!!

 

[Turnip]

I think Bourbon and derivatives are highly underrated, especially by those who never tried one.
Scotch snobism is not at all warrantable as they still put together an illustrious bunch of the most trashy blends ever produced, though best selling, as well as not too few endlessly boring single malts and grains.

 

[DrVoel]

My go to scotch is the Monkey Shoulder, a rather honest blended malt dram, however my absolute favourite would probably be the Aberlour A’Bunnadh, a lovely cask strength Speyside single malt whisky.

Regarding bourbons, I agree, tgey are often snubbed here in Europe. I think that the major reason for this is the fact that most Europeans are exposed only to the lower shelf bourbons. Luckily this is rapidly changing and most good bars these days offer a variety of great bourbons and employ knowledgeable bartenders to suggest them

 

[belfastboy]

A friend recently introduced me to Jim Beam Bourbon. I guess I had avoided it all these years based on some miss-informed prejudice based on I don’t know what. I enjoyed it. Friendly and a little fruitier than I am used to. Then he told me about its long history (since 1795) and that the content and process of making Bourbon is strictly regulated. Anyway, the whole topic got me fantasizing about, after the pandemic is over, inviting a few blokes over for a comparison tasting of Kentucky Bourbon, Tennessee Whiskey, and Scottish Whisky. Perhaps cigars might also be involved. What a lovely daydream. I can’t wait for these infernal lockdowns to end.

I think it is on Prime TV but there is a very good documentary on Bourbon history. Watched it along with another doc on whisky.

 

[belfastboy]

A friend recently introduced me to Jim Beam Bourbon. I guess I had avoided it all these years based on some miss-informed prejudice based on I don’t know what. I enjoyed it. Friendly and a little fruitier than I am used to. Then he told me about its long history (since 1795) and that the content and process of making Bourbon is strictly regulated. Anyway, the whole topic got me fantasizing about, after the pandemic is over, inviting a few blokes over for a comparison tasting of Kentucky Bourbon, Tennessee Whiskey, and Scottish Whisky. Perhaps cigars might also be involved. What a lovely daydream. I can’t wait for these infernal lockdowns to end.

I think it is on Prime TV but there is a very good documentary on Bourbon history. Watched it along with another doc on whisky.

My go to scotch is the Monkey Shoulder, a rather honest blended malt dram, however my absolute favourite would probably be the Aberlour A’Bunnadh, a lovely cask strength Speyside single malt whisky.

Regarding bourbons, I agree, tgey are often snubbed here in Europe. I think that the major reason for this is the fact that most Europeans are exposed only to the lower shelf bourbons. Luckily this is rapidly changing and most good bars these days offer a variety of great bourbons and employ knowledgeable bartenders to suggest them

The Prime doc on whisky focused on one master distiller and his whisky....Bruichladdich (sp?) so after watching it I ran to the liquor store to pick up a bottle of their Scottish Barley an unpeated single malt. It is a mid priced whisky ($80) but a wonderful drink. Tons of flavour, lots of nuance and no peat! My next try will be their peated entry level (again about the same $) Port Charlotte...this one peated.

 

[belfastboy]

Hi, GHT. I was sorry to read (above) that you hit a pothole and blew a tire. Am very glad that it all worked out okay in the end.

Yours is a great question. And you are right, I could not easily find a straight answer. Then I stumbled upon this. It's from December 2020. Perhaps it is already out of date.

“However, in order to protect the UK steel industry, the 25% retaliatory tariff on American whiskey will remain.”

https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2020/12/uk-ends-tariffs-on-us-rum-vodka-and-brandy/​

On a positive note...many single malts are upwards of 40% cheaper in NY than at the distillery shop. The UK has a killer tax rate on spirits. Here in Canada where the tax is also huge it was a pleasant surprise that I could buy the whisky I was tasting at the distillery in Scotland for pretty much the same dollars at home. No need to schlepp all those bottles home to save a buck.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Loungers, I came back from smalltowns grocery store, ten minutes ago and got the Talisker 10y, right now! My first Scotch test, ever. I took a small Jägermeister-glass and sprinkled a little with water.

It's less sharp, than I thought! Turf, yes.

PS:
I'm 35+.

 

[DrVoel]

Yay for you! Congrats!

Now Talisker 10y/o is by all accounts a great dram, HOWEVER, it is not representative of what one would call Scotch whisky. I understand you are from Germany. To make an analogy, Icewine is amazing, but it is not representative of what wine is, or what German wine is.

Skye whisky, or whisky from the Islands in gerneral are/can be amazing but their heavily peated/smoky character is not representative of what one would call whisky.

As an introductory dram, I would recommend a highlands single malt whisky that won't break the bank, Dalwinnie 15 y/o for example. That is typical of a very well made scotch. Now, if you feel you need more smoke, peat, iodine, turn towards the Islay and Skye (The islands) or if you fancy more floral notes you turn towards Speyside drams. Peatiness and Smokiness is part of the character of some whiskies, but by no means it is a measure of good whisky or its only character. There are amazing whiskies without any noticeable smoke or peat.

 

[Turnip]

Loungers, I came back from smalltowns grocery store, ten minutes ago and got the Talisker 10y, right now! My first Scotch test, ever. I took a small Jägermeister-glass and sprinkled a little with water.

It's less sharp, than I thought! Turf, yes.

PS:
I'm 35+.

Time and air are important. Give it a little more surface in a wider glass without ice and let it breathe, at least one minute per year of age.
If you take more time you can taste it developing, peeling out more sweet barley with every minute, experiment with a few drops of water. For my taste Taliskers are not as peaty as some highlanders, like Edradour´s Ballechins for example, and more on the mineralic than on the boggy side like some Islays.

Anyway, try out, test and most important, have fun.

 

[belfastboy]

Hi, GHT. I was sorry to read (above) that you hit a pothole and blew a tire. Am very glad that it all worked out okay in the end.

Yours is a great question. And you are right, I could not easily find a straight answer. Then I stumbled upon this. It's from December 2020. Perhaps it is already out of date.

“However, in order to protect the UK steel industry, the 25% retaliatory tariff on American whiskey will remain.”

https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2020/12/uk-ends-tariffs-on-us-rum-vodka-and-brandy/​

On a positive note...many single malts are upwards of 40% cheaper in NY than at the distillery shop. The UK has a killer tax rate on spirits. Here in Canada where the tax is also huge it was a pleasant surprise that I could buy the whisky I was tasting at the distillery in Scotland for pretty much the same dollars at home. No need to schlepp all those bottles home to save a buck.

Loungers, I came back from smalltowns grocery store, ten minutes ago and got the Talisker 10y, right now! My first Scotch test, ever. I took a small Jägermeister-glass and sprinkled a little with water.

It's less sharp, than I thought! Turf, yes.

PS:
I'm 35+.

My wife and I were in the Talisker distillery bar sampling their wares, next to us was a young German biker and his lady. They had never tasted whisky. He ordered a shot of the Distillers Edition and immediately upon taking a sip....gasped for air, bent over at the waist and swore. He looked at me and offered his glass and said "Would you like this sir?"...."I will not be drinking it" So believing that the waste of great whisky a sin I poured it into my glass of Talisker and lamented the poor fellows loss.

 

[Turnip]

Weekend...

Cheers!

 

[belfastboy]

Yay for you! Congrats!

Now Talisker 10y/o is by all accounts a great dram, HOWEVER, it is not representative of what one would call Scotch whisky. I understand you are from Germany. To make an analogy, Icewine is amazing, but it is not representative of what wine is, or what German wine is.

Skye whisky, or whisky from the Islands in gerneral are/can be amazing but their heavily peated/smoky character is not representative of what one would call whisky.

As an introductory dram, I would recommend a highlands single malt whisky that won't break the bank, Dalwinnie 15 y/o for example. That is typical of a very well made scotch. Now, if you feel you need more smoke, peat, iodine, turn towards the Islay and Skye (The islands) or if you fancy more floral notes you turn towards Speyside drams. Peatiness and Smokiness is part of the character of some whiskies, but by no means it is a measure of good whisky or its only character. There are amazing whiskies without any noticeable smoke or peat.

And there are amazing whiskies from Islay that are unpeated and amazing. As well there are Speyside offerings with degrees of smoke. I would venture that there is no One whisky that you could point to and say definitively...."that represents Whisky.". To me the beauty of it is in the discovery of the wide variety and how each whisky is unique. The mystery or the science of how they get this degree of nuance out of such a simple process of distilling. One of my great joys is touring Scotland sampling the whiskies ....visiting a distillery then driving 5 miles down the road and discovering a completely different whisky.

 

[DrVoel]

Aye...you speak wisely good sir!

Of course there are unpeated island whiskies and peated, hell, Irish ones.

What I wanted to say is that whisky is not necessarily smoky/peaty or not smoky/peaty

I’ve had more than one friends that were offered Ardberg, or Lagavulin, or Laphroaig as an introduction because “that’s what whisky should be” and went away running whereas when I offered them some Glennlivet or AnCnoc, they fell in love with it.

I’d say that when one’s starting with whisky, it’s better to start in the middle of the road and have him choose which way to go.

 

[Turnip]

By the way, first Torabhaig´s out...

 

[belfastboy]

Aye...you speak wisely good sir!

Of course there are unpeated island whiskies and peated, hell, Irish ones.

What I wanted to say is that whisky is not necessarily smoky/peaty or not smoky/peaty

I’ve had more than one friends that were offered Ardberg, or Lagavulin, or Laphroaig as an introduction because “that’s what whisky should be” and went away running whereas when I offered them some Glennlivet or AnCnoc, they fell in love with it.

I’d say that when one’s starting with whisky, it’s better to start in the middle of the road and have him choose which way to go.

And the exploration/discovery is the fun part. It was so much fun watching my wife develop her whisky palette. She started the trip indifferent to whisky but after the two months is now a big fan. Her favourite (right now) is Aberlour 12....but that is partially because she loved the picturesque distillery and the town.

 

[Turnip]

Football´s near...

Cheers

 

[Trenchfriend]

I had 3 cl Talisker 10y, again a little sprinkled with water, this evening and I feel much better than on the first test! Right now, no abdominal pain.