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The Scotch Whisky Thread (1 Viewer)

I went on a cruise not long ago and had an open bar card that enabled me to sample every scotch and bourbon they had on board. They had a bar called Michael's Club on board that was reminiscent of the old-school men-only NYC steakhouse, lots of wood and ornate brass, etc - and a comparable selection of scotches and bourbons. Highland Park 12, Dalwhinnie 15, Macallan Elegencia and Fine Oak 18 year old, Blanton's, Booker's, Basil Haydens, etc. etc..Of everything I tried (and I probably tried 12-14 scotches and 5-6 bourbons) - the one that stood out most to me, regardless of price, was the Laphroaig 10. At $49.99 at my local ABC, that's all I ever buy now.
You liked the Laphroig better than Lagavulin 16? I know it's a better pricepoint but I find I greatly prefer the Lagavulin.
Yes. Those 2 and Bowmore are the 3 Islays I've had and there's something about the Laphroaig that just grabbed me by the testes and won't let go. The Lagavulin was my second favorite by a wide margin, though - perhaps with time, I'd come to prefer that, but since the Laphroaig is considerably less expensive, I doubt I'll give the Lagavulin that chance. :)
 
I went on a cruise not long ago and had an open bar card that enabled me to sample every scotch and bourbon they had on board. They had a bar called Michael's Club on board that was reminiscent of the old-school men-only NYC steakhouse, lots of wood and ornate brass, etc - and a comparable selection of scotches and bourbons. Highland Park 12, Dalwhinnie 15, Macallan Elegencia and Fine Oak 18 year old, Blanton's, Booker's, Basil Haydens, etc. etc..Of everything I tried (and I probably tried 12-14 scotches and 5-6 bourbons) - the one that stood out most to me, regardless of price, was the Laphroaig 10. At $49.99 at my local ABC, that's all I ever buy now.
You liked the Laphroig better than Lagavulin 16? I know it's a better pricepoint but I find I greatly prefer the Lagavulin.
Yes. Those 2 and Bowmore are the 3 Islays I've had and there's something about the Laphroaig that just grabbed me by the testes and won't let go. The Lagavulin was my second favorite by a wide margin, though - perhaps with time, I'd come to prefer that, but since the Laphroaig is considerably less expensive, I doubt I'll give the Lagavulin that chance. :)
Ah. I see. I feel the same way about the Lagavulin. Unfortunately, as that's the more expensive one. But it's the first - anything, really - that I've ever had where I finished the bottle and immediately went out the next day to replace it. Didn't open the new bottle for probably a week and a half later, but it was just something that I had to have on hand for when the mood strikes.
 
I went on a cruise not long ago and had an open bar card that enabled me to sample every scotch and bourbon they had on board. They had a bar called Michael's Club on board that was reminiscent of the old-school men-only NYC steakhouse, lots of wood and ornate brass, etc - and a comparable selection of scotches and bourbons. Highland Park 12, Dalwhinnie 15, Macallan Elegencia and Fine Oak 18 year old, Blanton's, Booker's, Basil Haydens, etc. etc..Of everything I tried (and I probably tried 12-14 scotches and 5-6 bourbons) - the one that stood out most to me, regardless of price, was the Laphroaig 10. At $49.99 at my local ABC, that's all I ever buy now.
You liked the Laphroig better than Lagavulin 16? I know it's a better pricepoint but I find I greatly prefer the Lagavulin.
Yes. Those 2 and Bowmore are the 3 Islays I've had and there's something about the Laphroaig that just grabbed me by the testes and won't let go. The Lagavulin was my second favorite by a wide margin, though - perhaps with time, I'd come to prefer that, but since the Laphroaig is considerably less expensive, I doubt I'll give the Lagavulin that chance. :)
Ah. I see. I feel the same way about the Lagavulin. Unfortunately, as that's the more expensive one. But it's the first - anything, really - that I've ever had where I finished the bottle and immediately went out the next day to replace it. Didn't open the new bottle for probably a week and a half later, but it was just something that I had to have on hand for when the mood strikes.
I found the Lagavulin had a bit more going on, while the Laphroaig was like a peat/smoke bomb. I'm a huge fan of smoked anything, and I found the Laphroaig's flavor to be dramatic and aggressive and that really appealed to me. I can see how it wouldn't be to everyone's taste, but the Islays really do it for me.
 
Change in subject, but last night on Food Network they had an Iron Chef "Grudge Match" episode with Michael Chiarello against Geoffrey Zakarian. The secret ingredient was scotch.It was fascinating to watch them come up with some pretty creative dishes. Some highlights were the scotch egg cream and scotch-filled italian donughts (forgot what those were called) and a deconstructed "scotch egg", with actual scotch filled hardboiled egg.

 
I went on a cruise not long ago and had an open bar card that enabled me to sample every scotch and bourbon they had on board. They had a bar called Michael's Club on board that was reminiscent of the old-school men-only NYC steakhouse, lots of wood and ornate brass, etc - and a comparable selection of scotches and bourbons. Highland Park 12, Dalwhinnie 15, Macallan Elegencia and Fine Oak 18 year old, Blanton's, Booker's, Basil Haydens, etc. etc..Of everything I tried (and I probably tried 12-14 scotches and 5-6 bourbons) - the one that stood out most to me, regardless of price, was the Laphroaig 10. At $49.99 at my local ABC, that's all I ever buy now.
You liked the Laphroig better than Lagavulin 16? I know it's a better pricepoint but I find I greatly prefer the Lagavulin.
Yes. Those 2 and Bowmore are the 3 Islays I've had and there's something about the Laphroaig that just grabbed me by the testes and won't let go. The Lagavulin was my second favorite by a wide margin, though - perhaps with time, I'd come to prefer that, but since the Laphroaig is considerably less expensive, I doubt I'll give the Lagavulin that chance. :)
Ah. I see. I feel the same way about the Lagavulin. Unfortunately, as that's the more expensive one. But it's the first - anything, really - that I've ever had where I finished the bottle and immediately went out the next day to replace it. Didn't open the new bottle for probably a week and a half later, but it was just something that I had to have on hand for when the mood strikes.
I found the Lagavulin had a bit more going on, while the Laphroaig was like a peat/smoke bomb. I'm a huge fan of smoked anything, and I found the Laphroaig's flavor to be dramatic and aggressive and that really appealed to me. I can see how it wouldn't be to everyone's taste, but the Islays really do it for me.
Did you try the Laphroig 18? Its more expensive but much preferable for my taste - a novice scotch drinker. I know many prefer the strong smokey alcohol bite they get from the 10, but it's a bit too intense for me most nights.
 
Change in subject, but last night on Food Network they had an Iron Chef "Grudge Match" episode with Michael Chiarello against Geoffrey Zakarian. The secret ingredient was scotch.It was fascinating to watch them come up with some pretty creative dishes. Some highlights were the scotch egg cream and scotch-filled italian donughts (forgot what those were called) and a deconstructed "scotch egg", with actual scotch filled hardboiled egg.
Nice. I have this on my DVR to watch tonight, had no idea that was the secret ingredient. Can't wait to watch this now.
 
I went on a cruise not long ago and had an open bar card that enabled me to sample every scotch and bourbon they had on board. They had a bar called Michael's Club on board that was reminiscent of the old-school men-only NYC steakhouse, lots of wood and ornate brass, etc - and a comparable selection of scotches and bourbons. Highland Park 12, Dalwhinnie 15, Macallan Elegencia and Fine Oak 18 year old, Blanton's, Booker's, Basil Haydens, etc. etc..Of everything I tried (and I probably tried 12-14 scotches and 5-6 bourbons) - the one that stood out most to me, regardless of price, was the Laphroaig 10. At $49.99 at my local ABC, that's all I ever buy now.
You liked the Laphroig better than Lagavulin 16? I know it's a better pricepoint but I find I greatly prefer the Lagavulin.
Yes. Those 2 and Bowmore are the 3 Islays I've had and there's something about the Laphroaig that just grabbed me by the testes and won't let go. The Lagavulin was my second favorite by a wide margin, though - perhaps with time, I'd come to prefer that, but since the Laphroaig is considerably less expensive, I doubt I'll give the Lagavulin that chance. :)
Ah. I see. I feel the same way about the Lagavulin. Unfortunately, as that's the more expensive one. But it's the first - anything, really - that I've ever had where I finished the bottle and immediately went out the next day to replace it. Didn't open the new bottle for probably a week and a half later, but it was just something that I had to have on hand for when the mood strikes.
I found the Lagavulin had a bit more going on, while the Laphroaig was like a peat/smoke bomb. I'm a huge fan of smoked anything, and I found the Laphroaig's flavor to be dramatic and aggressive and that really appealed to me. I can see how it wouldn't be to everyone's taste, but the Islays really do it for me.
Did you try the Laphroig 18? Its more expensive but much preferable for my taste - a novice scotch drinker. I know many prefer the strong smokey alcohol bite they get from the 10, but it's a bit too intense for me most nights.
They didn't have the 18, I'd definitely be willing to give it a shot, but I imagine it's way more expensive than the 10. The strong smoke is what I love about the 10, so I'd guess I'd probably prefer that. I do add about 1/2 oz of bottled water and 1-2 cubes to a glass of the Laphroaig 10 to mellow it out a touch for more rapid/easy consumption but it does little to suppress the smoke monster (ideal for me)
 
I recently got Bruichladdich 10 Year Old - The Laddie Ten. It is a real nice. 46%,non chill-filtered and no E150.

 
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Change in subject, but last night on Food Network they had an Iron Chef "Grudge Match" episode with Michael Chiarello against Geoffrey Zakarian. The secret ingredient was scotch.It was fascinating to watch them come up with some pretty creative dishes. Some highlights were the scotch egg cream and scotch-filled italian donughts (forgot what those were called) and a deconstructed "scotch egg", with actual scotch filled hardboiled egg.
Nice. I have this on my DVR to watch tonight, had no idea that was the secret ingredient. Can't wait to watch this now.
The only minus was that they didn't mention brands or styles of scotch but once. Would have been great to hear the types they selected for each dish. Still a quality episode.
 
Costco is selling a 20 year Speyside single malt under its Kirkland brand. In the past, the Kirkland-branded scotch labels have indicated they come from Macallan, but this one is silent as to the source. There's a 50 page thread on Slickdeals about it. It tastes alot like a Macallan 12, only much smoother imo - not necessarily in a good way, more like in a somewhat bland way. A quaffable scotch to be sure. Definitely worth the $45 for a bottle of this. I don't think it will last long in my house.http://www.fatwallet.com/static/attachments/232669_photo.jpg

 
Costco is selling a 20 year Speyside single malt under its Kirkland brand. In the past, the Kirkland-branded scotch labels have indicated they come from Macallan, but this one is silent as to the source. There's a 50 page thread on Slickdeals about it. It tastes alot like a Macallan 12, only much smoother imo - not necessarily in a good way, more like in a somewhat bland way. A quaffable scotch to be sure. Definitely worth the $45 for a bottle of this. I don't think it will last long in my house.http://www.fatwallet.com/static/attachments/232669_photo.jpg
Interesting. I tried my first Speyside this weekend, Cardhu 12. Very smooth and almost sweet with a little bit of water in it.
 
15% off all wines & spirits at Binny's this Saturday.http://www.binnys.com/page/Saturday-Special

 
Costco is selling a 20 year Speyside single malt under its Kirkland brand. In the past, the Kirkland-branded scotch labels have indicated they come from Macallan, but this one is silent as to the source. There's a 50 page thread on Slickdeals about it. It tastes alot like a Macallan 12, only much smoother imo - not necessarily in a good way, more like in a somewhat bland way. A quaffable scotch to be sure. Definitely worth the $45 for a bottle of this. I don't think it will last long in my house.http://www.fatwallet.com/static/attachments/232669_photo.jpg
This stuff is nothing short of fantastic... it's even better than the 15yr. macallan they sold last year.Silky smooth.. I bought 2 bottles and wish i'd bought 4.I think it's better than macallan 12, 15 without a doubt to my palate. People are biased against it because it's kirkland, but in a blind taste test this would really rate well.They are already out of it at my Costco.Apparently they ended their relationship with Macallan due to their price increases... which is a bummer because their Macallan 12 for $40 was a solid deal.A lot of the Kirkland spirits are very drinkable though... the premium vodka is good, the american vodka is a quality mixer, their tequila is definitely worthy, i have not tried their spiced rum, and their bourbon is a very quality mixing bourbon... there are better bourbons, but for $20 for a liter and it's 103 proof.. it works well.
 
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Picked up a Highland 12 (with an 18 sampler) and a Balvenie Sampler Pack (3 50ml bottler - 12/15/21). Only tried the Balvenie12 (Doublewood) so far, it was good. No official "review", I like scotch but some of the subtleties of tasting are lost on my.

 
I found the Lagavulin had a bit more going on, while the Laphroaig was like a peat/smoke bomb. I'm a huge fan of smoked anything, and I found the Laphroaig's flavor to be dramatic and aggressive and that really appealed to me. I can see how it wouldn't be to everyone's taste, but the Islays really do it for me.
We have similar tastes. I'd suggest you try the Jura I referred to a few posts back. It's slightly less smoky but it had a really full flavor to it. You should also check out the Laphroaig Cask Strength, which is basically like Laphroaig 10 on steroids. Might want to add a couple more ice cubes in that drink.
 
I found the Lagavulin had a bit more going on, while the Laphroaig was like a peat/smoke bomb. I'm a huge fan of smoked anything, and I found the Laphroaig's flavor to be dramatic and aggressive and that really appealed to me. I can see how it wouldn't be to everyone's taste, but the Islays really do it for me.
We have similar tastes. I'd suggest you try the Jura I referred to a few posts back. It's slightly less smoky but it had a really full flavor to it. You should also check out the Laphroaig Cask Strength, which is basically like Laphroaig 10 on steroids. Might want to add a couple more ice cubes in that drink.
Got some Jura as a Christmas gift. Not bad at all. Sticking with Mac 12 as my go to Scotch, but would drink again..
 
Don't think I mentioned this in here yet -- I picked up a Macallan "Cask Strength" which I'd never seen before. Supposedly it's the first bottles that come out of a cask, which are supposedly the strongest, and it's also not diluted with any water like the rest are.

It's totally amazing. SUPER duper strong when you first sip it, but if you have it on ice like I do, it ends up being an adventure through all different tastes. Super strong at first, and as the ice dilutes, it smooths out more and more until you are left with the perfect scotch. Great stuff. (And because it's not diluted at all, more bang for your buck).

Probably my favorite Macallan to date.

Also this weekend picked up another bottle of the Balvenie Caribbean Cask. Just love this stuff, and love how there is a hint of rum in it. I suppose it's arguably a little gimmicky for scotch nerd purists, but whatever. Great stuff.

Still haven't found Talisker 18 anywhere I shop. It remains elusive.
Macallan "Cask Strength is my favorite. Love it.
 
I found the Lagavulin had a bit more going on, while the Laphroaig was like a peat/smoke bomb. I'm a huge fan of smoked anything, and I found the Laphroaig's flavor to be dramatic and aggressive and that really appealed to me. I can see how it wouldn't be to everyone's taste, but the Islays really do it for me.
We have similar tastes. I'd suggest you try the Jura I referred to a few posts back. It's slightly less smoky but it had a really full flavor to it. You should also check out the Laphroaig Cask Strength, which is basically like Laphroaig 10 on steroids. Might want to add a couple more ice cubes in that drink.
:blackdot:
 
Just grabbed a bottle of Aberlour 18 on sale for $50. Anyone ever had that? I've seen Aberlour mentioned a few times in here, but never the 18.

 
come on...every FBG needs The Flask

partnership with Oakley, aircraft grade aluminum, self closing top, integrated funnel and packaged with a bottle of The Macallan 22 for only $900 :shock: There are only 400 made.

Tumblr Page

 
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I went on a cruise not long ago and had an open bar card that enabled me to sample every scotch and bourbon they had on board. They had a bar called Michael's Club on board that was reminiscent of the old-school men-only NYC steakhouse, lots of wood and ornate brass, etc - and a comparable selection of scotches and bourbons. Highland Park 12, Dalwhinnie 15, Macallan Elegencia and Fine Oak 18 year old, Blanton's, Booker's, Basil Haydens, etc. etc..Of everything I tried (and I probably tried 12-14 scotches and 5-6 bourbons) - the one that stood out most to me, regardless of price, was the Laphroaig 10. At $49.99 at my local ABC, that's all I ever buy now.
One of my top few.
 
I'm a beer snob and don't drink scotch but I bought a bottle of Dewars for the bar. I had a meeting for softball and one of the guys who loves scotch tells me Dewars isn't good.

I knew it wasn't top shelf but I always thought Dewars was supposed to be decent. Is Dewars crappy scotch?

 
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I went on a cruise not long ago and had an open bar card that enabled me to sample every scotch and bourbon they had on board. They had a bar called Michael's Club on board that was reminiscent of the old-school men-only NYC steakhouse, lots of wood and ornate brass, etc - and a comparable selection of scotches and bourbons. Highland Park 12, Dalwhinnie 15, Macallan Elegencia and Fine Oak 18 year old, Blanton's, Booker's, Basil Haydens, etc. etc..Of everything I tried (and I probably tried 12-14 scotches and 5-6 bourbons) - the one that stood out most to me, regardless of price, was the Laphroaig 10. At $49.99 at my local ABC, that's all I ever buy now.
One of my top few.
what's the Otis top 5?
 
I'm a beer snob and don't drink scotch but I bought a bottle of Dewars for the bar. I had a meeting for softball and one of the guys who loves scotch tells me Dewars isn't good. I knew it wasn't top shelf but I always thought Dewars was supposed to be decent. Is Dewars crappy scotch?
Dewars is the Olive Garden of scotch.if you want to be in this thread, you have to be single malt and aged.. very few blends are going to be worth drinking once you reach this level of snobbery.Dewars really tastes terrible though..... there are so many great scotches out there... definitely takes some palate refining much in the way that some of the top level beers do.
 
I'm a beer snob and don't drink scotch but I bought a bottle of Dewars for the bar. I had a meeting for softball and one of the guys who loves scotch tells me Dewars isn't good. I knew it wasn't top shelf but I always thought Dewars was supposed to be decent. Is Dewars crappy scotch?
Dewars is the Olive Garden of scotch.if you want to be in this thread, you have to be single malt and aged.. very few blends are going to be worth drinking once you reach this level of snobbery.Dewars really tastes terrible though..... there are so many great scotches out there... definitely takes some palate refining much in the way that some of the top level beers do.
Damn. Oh what the hell I don't drink it anyway....
 
I'm a beer snob and don't drink scotch but I bought a bottle of Dewars for the bar. I had a meeting for softball and one of the guys who loves scotch tells me Dewars isn't good. I knew it wasn't top shelf but I always thought Dewars was supposed to be decent. Is Dewars crappy scotch?
I like Dewars :shrug:
 
I'm a beer snob and don't drink scotch but I bought a bottle of Dewars for the bar. I had a meeting for softball and one of the guys who loves scotch tells me Dewars isn't good. I knew it wasn't top shelf but I always thought Dewars was supposed to be decent. Is Dewars crappy scotch?
I like Dewars :shrug:
Nice! I realize it isn't the best but I don't want to be serving crap either.
Serving Dewars is like serving Jim Beam. There's nothing particularly wrong with doing that, but I wouldn't say to someone who enthused about Pappy Van Winkle or other craft bourbons, "Hey, I got this handle of Beam because I know you like bourbon." He won't be impressed.It's the same with Dewars or Johnnie Walker red or whatever. It's not going to endear you to a scotch snob. But if you don't drink, I'm not sure you should care. I sure as hell wouldn't spend what single malt costs just to make my guests comfortable if I didn't enjoy it myself. That's crazy.
 
We've talked a little about ice balls earlier. My buddy got me a couple ice ball molds for Christmas, and they are very cool.

But

takes it to a whole different level. I HAVE to get one of these.You can skip to the 2:30 mark if you just want to see coolness in action, but the whole video is pretty cool.

 
'Dentist said:
if you want to be in this thread, you have to be single malt and aged.. very few blends are going to be worth drinking once you reach this level of snobbery.
Is this really the case? Wine Spectator has done some articles on scotch (mostly to pimp Whiskey Advocate) and they seem to always say blends can be just as good or better. Single malts being superior is a snobbery myth
 
'Dentist said:
if you want to be in this thread, you have to be single malt and aged.. very few blends are going to be worth drinking once you reach this level of snobbery.
Is this really the case? Wine Spectator has done some articles on scotch (mostly to pimp Whiskey Advocate) and they seem to always say blends can be just as good or better. Single malts being superior is a snobbery myth
could be. i havent had many good blends outside walker gold and blue and they are both grossly overpriced.
 
Also funny sometimes when someone pish-poshes a blend only to use a single malt as a mixer.

"Dewars? Ugh. Only drink The Macallan. I'll take a The Macallan and Coke please."

 
Also funny sometimes when someone pish-poshes a blend only to use a single malt as a mixer. "Dewars? Ugh. Only drink The Macallan. I'll take a The Macallan and Coke please."
holy crap, i've never seen that order... i think i'd throw up.bourbon does well with coke, but scotch?
 
Gonna have a tasting party next weekend. Picked up some duty free airline bottles of:

The Snow Grouse

The Famous Grouse

The Black Grouse

Glenfiddich 12

Glenfiddich 15

Glenfiddich 18

The Balvenie Doublewood 12

The Balvenie Single Barrel 15

The Balvenie Portwood 21

Glenfarclas 10

Glenfarclas 12

Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength

 
if you want to be in this thread, you have to be single malt and aged.. very few blends are going to be worth drinking once you reach this level of snobbery.
Is this really the case? Wine Spectator has done some articles on scotch (mostly to pimp Whiskey Advocate) and they seem to always say blends can be just as good or better. Single malts being superior is a snobbery myth
could be. i havent had many good blends outside walker gold and blue and they are both grossly overpriced.
:goodposting:Dentist is right. I decided to become a scotch snob 4 months ago and it seems like a lifetime ago now. Single malts are where it's at. The blends are good for mixing with soda and drinking with a straw imo.
 
Great thread!

I'm a big Islay guy myself. Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroig, and to a lesser degree Bowmore, Bunnahabhain, Bruichladdich, and Caol Ila. Love a lot of peat...although I have plenty of others from the various regions at various stages of completion in, on and around my bar.

Someone upthread mentioned The Dimple Pinch. I haven't enjoyed many blends, but this is the one I keep available for all my drinking buddies that prefer Johnny Black, etc...I like tuning them into new and different things, and without exception, every one of them that's tried the Pinch has switched away from whatever blend they drink, or added it into their regular rotation.

This is from Jim Murray, author of The Whisky Bible:

Known everwhere else in the world except the US as The Dimple, Pinch is the 4th best selling blended scotch in the world. Usually this was a 12 yo bottling but a few years ago a 15 yo was released. You still might find a dusty 12 yo somewhere on the shelves as the 15 is more popular.

Pinch contains Glenkinchie, Linkwood, Dalwhinnie and Lagavulin in the blend according to Jim Murray. I would guess that there is more Glenkinchie then Linkwood as Linkwood is normally a heavily sherried scotch and fairly dark in most bottlings except the latest one from the distillery while Pinch is a much lighter color. Of course, if they used the unsherried stock my guess is out the window.

The nose is peppery and slightly medicinal from the Lagavulin. The taste is soft on the top but with a nice bite on the sides of the tongue with some smokiness and peat intermixing with a vanilla flavor. The finish lasts for a very long time and is smooth with a vanilla base and some smoke on the top a nice continuation from the tasting.

If you like a blend with a bit more bite then Johnnie Walker Black then Pinch may just be what you are looking for. A solid midrange dram that won't disappoint.

There's some pretty darn fine and well-respected scotches in this blend, and it only costs about $30.00, so it's an easy try. It's a solid every-day drinker, and goes great with some of the scotch-based cocktails mentioned here. I encourage everyone to give it a go!

 
I know it's a scotch thread. But you guys who like the Islays need to try Connemara Irish Whiskey. I'm drinking the Single Cask and it's pretty damned good. :thumbup:

 
I went on a cruise not long ago and had an open bar card that enabled me to sample every scotch and bourbon they had on board. They had a bar called Michael's Club on board that was reminiscent of the old-school men-only NYC steakhouse, lots of wood and ornate brass, etc - and a comparable selection of scotches and bourbons. Highland Park 12, Dalwhinnie 15, Macallan Elegencia and Fine Oak 18 year old, Blanton's, Booker's, Basil Haydens, etc. etc..Of everything I tried (and I probably tried 12-14 scotches and 5-6 bourbons) - the one that stood out most to me, regardless of price, was the Laphroaig 10. At $49.99 at my local ABC, that's all I ever buy now.
One of my top few.
what's the Otis top 5?
Some of my faves here. Talisker 18 is the one I had in the past 2 years or so that really stood out. Loved it. .Talisker 18Macallan 17Macallan 12Laphroaig Triple WoodLaphroaig (16?)There's a Balvenie or two I also really likeAnd don't sleep on Bruichladdich 12
 
By the way, JW Blue is probably my favorite favorite. But it's too expensive to drink regularly. Still it's one of those seemingly rare instances in life when something is crazy expensive but actually to me ends up being that much better.

 
I know it's a scotch thread. But you guys who like the Islays need to try Connemara Irish Whiskey. I'm drinking the Single Cask and it's pretty damned good. :thumbup:
Thanks for the tip. I've found a few different Irish Whiskeys that are reminiscent of scotch (to my unrefined palate anyway) and am always on the lookout for something new and tasty.
 
Known everwhere else in the world except the US as The Dimple, Pinch is the 4th best selling blended scotch in the world. Usually this was a 12 yo bottling but a few years ago a 15 yo was released. You still might find a dusty 12 yo somewhere on the shelves as the 15 is more popular.
I read somewhere that the single malts owe their continued existence to the blends. So even though this thread might be for single malt snobs, to JW, Dewars, Dimple, Chivas and all the rest: blend away friends...here's to you! :banned:

 
This was a nice article reviewing the basics of the different regions. It's a quick read but includes a region I haven't heard of, connected Highlands and Speysides, Isles and Islays, and had an interesting bit of trivia.

 
I bought a big bottle of JW Blue on sale today locally for $175. I noticed that the packaging is a little different from the older bottle I have in my liquor cabinet (a few years old, slightly smaller bottle size).

One notable difference -- the tag line on the old one says "A blend of our very rarest whiskies"; the new bottle says "A blend of our rarest whiskies."

Could this new one be a knock off or something? Or did they just change some of their advertising/branding?

:shrug:

 
I know we haven't even flipped the page yet, but I should bring up Binny's Bank Note. I tasted it on National Whisky Day a few months back and it's a very nice little blend with a little more going on than most blends. The price point is phenomenal at just $20. Great value imo if you're looking for a blend to sip or even mix with soda for a night of socializing.

 

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