Food, Drink & Dining Out The Scotch thread

[Jordie_tackles]

I love scotch, scotch, scotch, scotch

What do we all drink? anybody really into it? every day and better scotch's list them, im talking straight up as well, no coke..

Everyday scotch - Ballie Nichol Jarvie - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bailie_Nicol_Jarvie

Seems to be rated quite well for a $35 dollar bottle i think it goes alright but i am no expert, being blended by the distillery Glenmorangie is a good thing too as there single malts are meant to be quite good, anyone try this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenmorangie_Single_Malt

Also used to drink Justerini and Brookes which is pretty rough but another CHEAP bottle of whisky being about $32 bucks i think - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justerini_&_Brooks but donty bother buying this now as i think BNJ above is better and about the same price.

I know very little else about scotch tbh looking to learn something new form someone who knows,

Will say that you are meant to mix it with a tiny amount of water to bring out the flavour, this is also why you put ice in scotch, as when it melts it dilutes it slightly and brings out the flavour (apparently).

So what do we all drink, how do you take it? Educate me people, also anything about the way it is served would be good to know.

In terms of better whiskies i am pretty naive, but do like Talisker i think its called - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talisker

 

[HugeJohnson]

Drank way too much one night and now can hardly even smell it without wanting to vomit.

 

[Caesar]

Was wondering when we'd have a thread like this. Love whisky, virtually the only spirit I drink. Single-malts have become very popular overseas in the last 5-10 years (whisky snobbery has surpassed wine snobbery and beer snobbery as the latest craze) and are starting to take off here. As a consequence prices are pretty ridiculous these days.

I am a big fan of Islay malts, which are a bit of an acquired taste - very strong and smokey, lots of peat. My favourite is Laphroaig, usually have a bottle of 10 year old cask-strength in the drinks cabinet for when I need a treat. The older stuff is very nice but a bit rich for my budget. Day-to-day drinking I like a good blend - Chivas Regal 12yo is always a solid bet IMO, and a very reasonable price. Johnny Walker Green Label is my favourite blend, but again too expensive for me to drink regularly.

For new whisky drinkers the strong taste is the hardest thing to get used to. The whisky I generally recommend to people starting out is Hazelburn - it's reasonably priced and triple distilled, which gives it a lighter flavour (most scotch whisky is distilled twice). Otherwise, popular Speyside brands like Glenfiddich and The Glenlivet are good places to start.

As for how I drink it - straight up. I have never really bothered adding the water. Either it's a pretension or my palate isn't sophisticated enough, because I frankly can't see how it makes a difference in 'opening up the nose' or whatever crap people talk about. Sometimes I will add ice if it's a cheaper brand, but I find chilling it kills the flavour a bit.

 

[kickazz]

I'm a fan of the Islay malts. They have a strong peaty flavour/aroma to them.

Laphroaig is probably the most readily available of them, so perhaps start by giving that a go. Personally I probably just prefer Lagavulin though. Also a fan of Glenfiddich 15yo.

Check out this 'flavour map' to give you a bit of an idea of the different tastes:

Different areas of Scotland have different characteristics. I've already mentioned Islay. Wikipedia has good overview of the others.

Oh yeah - Japan is starting to make some damn fine whiskys as well!

 

[Papa G]

I am a big fan of Islay malts, which are a bit of an acquired taste - very strong and smokey, lots of peat. My favourite is Laphroaig, usually have a bottle of 10 year old cask-strength in the drinks cabinet for when I need a treat. The older stuff is very nice but a bit rich for my budget. Day-to-day drinking I like a good blend - Chivas Regal 12yo is always a solid bet IMO, and a very reasonable price. Johnny Walker Green Label is my favourite blend, but again too expensive for me to drink regularly.

How is this pronounced? I've always just said Islay, ie how it is spelt, but was in that prat bar Cookie in Melbourne last year and the Pommie barman who gave us a five minute history lesson (just serve it and STFU) pronounced it Ilah (like in old Auntie Ilah) Is this right?

 

[kickazz]

How is this pronounced? I've always just said Islay, ie how it is spelt, but was in that prat bar Cookie in Melbourne last year and the Pommie barman who gave us a five minute history lesson (just serve it and STFU) pronounced it Ilah (like in old Auntie Ilah) Is this right?

Yeah Pommie barman was right.

 

[Ktrain]

...

...

Saw this same photo in the Oban Distillery, west coast of Scotland. They had a sweet little tour that included tastings from different years in the ageing process and a free dram glass. Nothing like a dram of whisky straight up, good times.

I know this is sacrilege but Jameson Irish is an easy to drink whisky, as long as you don't care it's Irish and not Scotch.

 

[Caesar]

I know this is sacrilege but Jameson Irish is an easy to drink whisky, as long as you don't care it's Irish and not Scotch.

I think that the whole 'gotta be scotch, gotta be single malt' thing is a bit overrated to be honest. I find a lot of blends just as nice as some single malts, and these days there are some great whiskies around from Ireland, Japan... even Tasmania. Not being the increasingly-popular 'single malt scotch', they're often great value to boot.

 

[Papa G]

I think that the whole 'gotta be scotch, gotta be single malt' thing is a bit overrated to be honest. I find a lot of blends just as nice as some single malts, and these days there are some great whiskies around from Ireland, Japan... even Tasmania. Not being the increasingly-popular 'single malt scotch', they're often great value to boot.

I agree. Also hate "you can only add water, not ice". I like mine on ice. Sue me.

 

[Jordie_tackles]

Was wondering when we'd have a thread like this. Love whisky, virtually the only spirit I drink. Single-malts have become very popular overseas in the last 5-10 years (whisky snobbery has surpassed wine snobbery and beer snobbery as the latest craze) and are starting to take off here. As a consequence prices are pretty ridiculous these days.

I am a big fan of Islay malts, which are a bit of an acquired taste - very strong and smokey, lots of peat. My favourite is Laphroaig, usually have a bottle of 10 year old cask-strength in the drinks cabinet for when I need a treat. The older stuff is very nice but a bit rich for my budget. Day-to-day drinking I like a good blend - Chivas Regal 12yo is always a solid bet IMO, and a very reasonable price. Johnny Walker Green Label is my favourite blend, but again too expensive for me to drink regularly.

Happy with the response to this thread, and agree that Laphroaig is a great drop, but can get expensive like all brands when you go to the 12-15+yo bottles...

More info from everybody on every day whiskys would be appreciated, but carry on either way

 

[Caesar]

More info from everybody on every day whiskys would be appreciated, but carry on either way

Like I said, it's hard to go past Chivas Regal 12 in terms of a winning combination of quality, availability and price. I'm always looking around for cheap drinkable alternatives to single malts and I keep coming back to Chivas.

If you want to try an Australian whisky, definitely try Lark from Tasmania. It challenges people's preconceptions about scotch-style whisky. I also had a great drop last time I was in WA called Limeburners - really flavoursome and quite different. Have been trying to find it over here ever since.

 

[Jordie_tackles]

Like I said, it's hard to go past Chivas Regal 12 in terms of a winning combination of quality, availability and price. I'm always looking around for cheap drinkable alternatives to single malts and I keep coming back to Chivas.

If you want to try an Australian whisky, definitely try Lark from Tasmania. It challenges people's preconceptions about scotch-style whisky. I also had a great drop last time I was in WA called Limeburners - really flavoursome and quite different. Have been trying to find it over here ever since.

Limeburners has a website if it helps and ships the stuff

 

[kickazz]

and these days there are some great whiskies around from Ireland, Japan... even Tasmania. Not being the increasingly-popular 'single malt scotch', they're often great value to boot.

Yeah the Lark distillery in Hobart have a thing where you can go camping in central Tasmania, dig up the raw ingredients etc and make your own! Sounds pretty cool.

Also agree with the point about single malt 'snobbery' if I may use that word. I guess as a young lad I had some horrid blends, and my first single malt was really smooth so I got a bit biased.

I just find it such a great winter drink especially. Geez, I'm pulling a late one at work and would really like one now......

 

[chargers 09]

I only drink it on special occasions, trying to remember the name of what I like. I bought a shit tonne of it going through duty free. The bottle is inside a cylinder for those who know Scotch and want to help me out, I think it starts with a M.

 

[Cthublhu]

My favourite single malt is Cragganmore. Goes down a treat with ice on a hot afternoon. Goes down even better with no ice on a cold winters night. Glenmorangie is another very good one.

I prefer single malts but, as noted by others above, there are plenty of decent blended whiskys.

One single malt I really don't like is Talisker, it's got a very peaty taste that's just too much for me. Looking at that chart above, it's not even the most peaty around so I probably won't be trying the ones above it any time soon.

 

[cartel]

Teachers for the cheap stuff, by far. I like Johnny Walker Black as well. Not the biggest fan of Chivas 12.

For single malts, I like Glenmorangie and Highland Park. Lagavulin occasionally, can only drink small amounts of Islay whiskies.

I only drink it on special occasions, trying to remember the name of what I like. I bought a shit tonne of it going through duty free. The bottle is inside a cylinder for those who know Scotch and want to help me out, I think it starts with a M.

Probably Macallan.

 

[Crimson Azure]

My current stash:

One bourban there & I have a couple of other good bourbons too. Pic is before I opened them.

 

[cartel]

My current stash:

Empty of Penfolds Grange in the background? Fine taste and deep pockets sir!

 

[Simple Jack]

My favourite blends are Gold Label and Chivas 12yo, for single malts I like Glen Moray 12yo and Glenfiddich 12yo. Chivas is the best of those value wise.

Call me blasphemous but I also quite enjoy a scotch (red label) and dry.

 

[chargers 09]

Glennfidditch is the name of the Scotch I was trying to recall, had some recently and was very nice and I'm not usually a fan of dark spirits.

 

[Jordie_tackles]

My favourite blend is Gold Label, for single malts I like Chivas 12yo and Glenfiddich 12yo. Chivas is the best of those value wise.

Call me blasphemous but I also quite enjoy a scotch (red label) and dry.

No problems with mixing red label imo, i am not serious about that, many will be. But there is no point mixing anything above red label imo, things like Black label ect are to good to bother mixing

 

[Jordie_tackles]

Empty of Penfolds Grange in the background? Fine taste and deep pockets sir!

definitely a good collection

 

[Simple Jack]

No problems with mixing red label imo, i am not serious about that, many will be. But there is no point mixing anything above red label imo, things like Black label ect are to good to bother mixing

Well yes, red label is designed for mixing iirc, but I meant more so blasphemous in enjoying a mixed-scotch drink.

Either way it's my favourite spirit.

 

[One Percenters]

Great thread. Macallan Fine Oak 18yo is sensational. At $180 a bottle it's not for everyday use however. Every second day maybe
Tasted a couple of nice Aussie whiskys at a tasting night recently. One from tassie. The man behind Limeburners (from Albany WA) was there and was interesting to pick his brain. We tasted his premium whisky, can't remember what he calls it, and that was fantastic. Quite peaty. At $250 a bottle though, I couldn't justify it.

 

[Happy_Neale]

Good thread. Talisker, Chivas regal and Laphroaig for me. Johnnie red if I'm mixing. Also don't mind Glennfiddich and Glenlivet, and have had Macallan 21 y.o. before, which was magical.

Worst IMO is Ballantines. Just tastes cheap to me.

Recently tasted an Australian made whisky from Bakery Hill. Surprisingly good. Like...really good.