Scotch anyone?

[Tjanko04]

Any single malt drinkers in here? Been buying a bottle or two a year since about 2009. For my bachelor party, my best bud had everyone invited bring a bottle for me.

Below is the result. We had a big tasting after eating ribs we had in the smoker all day while we were at the gun range renting big caliber and full-auto guns. Fuck wasting money oogling at boobs just to get awkward blue balls around your buddies. BBQ, guns, and whiskey is the way to go.

I after that night, there's still about 50-75% left in each bottle and is now in my cabinet. This is going to last me a very very long time.

 

[StevenK]

I drink any old piss - I don't think my palate is discerning enough to warrant spending much on the swill I pour across it.

However I do agree with your take on the bachelor party, I'm too old for the puking on a strippers tits while I'm the naked one.

 

[Tjanko04]

I drink any old piss - I don't think my palate is discerning enough to warrant spending much on the swill I pour across it.

However I do agree with your take on the bachelor party, I'm too old for the puking on a strippers tits while I'm the naked one.

Haha, yeah, not everyone there was a Scotch drinker, but they all gave them all a try. We had enough Wisconsin beer there to keep everyone happy until like 5am when we called it

 

[SNK_Pro]

Some nice stuff there. I mainly stick to Speyside malts, I think I have around 15-20 bottles in the house at the moment. Most popular on our party nights right now is Glenmorangie Lesanta, most expensive I have at the moment is a 25 year old Glenlivet.

 

[HornheaDD]

I'm a big fan of Macallan. Ive had a 12, 15, 18 and 25.

I went to a restaurant that had a 30 year Macallan. Two fingers was $175. I couldn't afford it.

 

[Tjanko04]

I've had Glenmorangie at least twice at a bar. I know that I liked it but I can't remember the characteristics. I need to start keeping a fancy leather-bound notebook or something.

I love the Macallan 12. I've ordered it often and had a bottle at home. I actually had a bottle of Laphroaig at the same time. I read somewhere to do a quick Islay "rinse" (like put just a bit in and coat the cup) and then pour a woody one in. So you get the smokey nose with that awesome sherry wood taste of the Mac. That's the only time I've done anything like that.

The Macallan is in my top 4 behind Lagavulin, Tallisker, and this new one in the picture, Kilchoman that my best man brought.

I'm not sure I could enjoy one knowing it was $175 . I think that's all i would be thinking about the whole time.

 

[xorthen]

Where is the Johnnie Walker Blue label?

 

[BerryTogart]

I'm a big fan of Macallan. Ive had a 12, 15, 18 and 25.

I went to a restaurant that had a 30 year Macallan. Two fingers was $175. I couldn't afford it.

That's because that shit is old enough to not have matured in the new sherry casks where they decided it would be a good idea to swap out the good casks while increasing the price.
I'm a Islay guy mostly - but nothing against good other malts.

personal recommendations atm:
*) Buy stuff that still has an age written on - the "specially named" editions are just there because they can't find enough old whisky any more
*) Good but not worth the money: Glenmorangie 21years matured in a cuban rum cask, Johnny Walker Blue Label (sorry, just my 2 cents)
*) Totally worth the money: Bowmore Sansibar (Rum cask), Caol Ila 12y, Glenmorangie Lasanta

Hate to see that Lagavulin is getting so pricey - that's a very fine edition you have there op

 

[nug]

Where is the Johnnie Walker Blue label?

Overpriced...gold label just as good, much more affordable.

The 4 on the right are where it's at. Islay fo life! You should try Ardbeg. My personal favorite of theirs is uigeadail, finished in a port cask, very complex. Laphroaig and Lagavulin 18 and are amazing too.

 

[BerryTogart]

Overpriced...gold label just as good, much more affordable.

The 4 on the right are where it's at. Islay fo life! You should try Ardbeg. My personal favorite of theirs is uigeadail, finished in a port cask, very complex. Laphroaig 18 and quarter cask are amazing too.

*highfives nug*

 

[xorthen]

Overpriced...gold label just as good, much more affordable.

The 4 on the right are where it's at. Islay fo life! You should try Ardbeg. My personal favorite of theirs is uigeadail, finished in a port cask, very complex. Laphroaig and Lagavulin 18 and are amazing too.

What would you recommend in terms of quality and price? The perfect balance between the two.

 

[evil wasabi]

So you're 26?

 

[theMot]

What's with people hoarding these things? Just drink them! I find single malts start to alter in taste if you leave for a few months once open and not in a good way.

Agree with nug and berry, those Islay malts are bloody good. I had a Jura a couple of months back, the spicey one, fantastic also.

 

[nug]

What would you recommend in terms of quality and price? The perfect balance between the two.

Depends on what you like. Islay malts are smoky. Laphroaig and Lagavulin tend to have a medicine flavor in the mix, whereas Ardbeg tends to have more sweeter notes.

I would try Laphroaig 10 year and Ardbeg 10. Both are on the cheaper side, and give you an idea of the differences. Then you can find sweeter or more earthy / medicine malts from there.

 

[nug]

If you're a bourbon / rye drinker, and find single malts hard to enjoy, start with Johnnie Walker. The green and black labels are more on the Islay / smoky side, and 4he others are sweeter and more like a highland / speyside malt

 

[Montatez]

If you're a bourbon / rye drinker, and find single malts hard to enjoy, start with Johnnie Walker. The green and black labels are more on the Islay / smoky side, and 4he others are sweeter and more like a highland / speyside malt

Bourbon guy here and johnnie walker was hard to stomach. Macallan I had and really liked it, and Glen fiddich I think??? Was also good.

 

[gusmoney]

Paging Kiel.

 

[smokehouse]

I'm a fan of the cheap-o Glenlevit 12/fiddich 12 myself. I've had the levit 15, 18, 21...all are great. I currently have a bottle of the Glenfiddich 14, which is an odd duck.

Lately though, I've been really enjoying the Tobermory 10...that stuff is delicious.

 

[nug]

Bourbon guy here and johnnie walker was hard to stomach. Macallan I had and really liked it, and Glen fiddich I think??? Was also good.

Try gold label...never met anyone that didn't like it. Goes on sale at cosco around the holidays

 

[Tjanko04]

I've never had Blue Label. A lot of people say that it's great, but those people usually aren't Scotch drinkers. That sounds like a dick thing to say, but what I mean is, like 3 or 4 times I've gotten, "nahh, I don't like Scotch, but I've tried blue label and it was great,". So it's like, you don't like the Lagavulin I just let you try, but you like that one, maybe we just don't have the same tastes.

Now don't take this the wrong way anyone, but there's two reasons why I shy away from JW Blue. First and foremost is the price. Secondly, as far I'm aware, JW are all blended and not single. I've just really not been a fan of any blends I've tried. I've had like JW black and red and I haven't liked them at all. They just don't taste like Scotch to me. Tastes more like an Irish, but not quite.

Like the other guys above, I really like Islays. I think the reason why is because the very first one I drank was Lagavulin that my buddy brought to a poker night and I was instantly in love. So Lagavulin 18 instantly became my baseline. I just love the peat most.

That being said, I really like the finding malts that have distinct flavors. Tallisker I love the sweet and salty, Macallan 12 the wood, etc. Now I know that a lot of people like Glenlivet, but it's probably my least favorite. I just doesn't seem to have much beyond the normal "whisky" flavor I guess. I just think, "okay, I'm drinking liquor." But that's just how my mouth is.

Best bang for the buck in my opinion has got to be Craggenmore 12. I picked it up for $45 and it was impressive. To me, I always taste hints of flowers. Weird I know!

 

[Fuzzytaco]

Lately though, I've been really enjoying the Tobermory 10...that stuff is delicious.

And totally underrated. It's an excellent compromise between highland and island styles. I just wish it was a tad less expensive, and that the 15 and 20 yr expressions were still available locally.

 

[DNSDies]

Glenlivit 21 is always good.

I know it's not technically scotch, but Suntory makes a good "scotch style whiskey" called Yamazaki.
Very smooth, but you need to finish it off within a couple of weeks or it oxidizes and gets harsh.

 

[Tjanko04]

I'm a fan of the cheap-o Glenlevit 12/fiddich 12 myself. I've had the levit 15, 18, 21...all are great. I currently have a bottle of the Glenfiddich 14, which is an odd duck.

Lately though, I've been really enjoying the Tobermory 10...that stuff is delicious.

I can totally dig Glenfiddich, but your standard Glenlivet, not so much.

Tobermory... That seems really familiar. I'm pretty sure I tried it in a bar. Can't recall though.

 

[Tjanko04]

Glenlivit 21 is always good.

I know it's not technically scotch, but Suntory makes a good "scotch style whiskey" called Yamazaki.
Very smooth, but you need to finish it off within a couple of weeks or it oxidizes and gets harsh.

Yes! I did have that Yamazaki once! I remember being impressed.

Fun fact, the CNC machine brand MAZAK is actually short for Yamazaki.

 

[Tjanko04]

What's with people hoarding these things? Just drink them! I find single malts start to alter in taste if you leave for a few months once open and not in a good way.

Agree with nug and berry, those Islay malts are bloody good. I had a Jura a couple of months back, the spicey one, fantastic also.

No no no, no hoarding. Especially not after opening. In my case, I'm going to be sitting on them a while because I can drink maybe 6 fingers in an evening and I'm reeeeal good. Normally it's only like 2 or 4. Luckily I have people over a lot and a couple of my buddies like Scotch. One of them really doesn't, but he's trying really hard to.

I just had Jura for the first time the night too. Not bad. Do you notice I have two bottles there? Yeah, two guys brought the same one. Gonna have a lot of that for a while.