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Single Malt Scotch!
- Thread starter tombowlus
- Start date
True and I likely will treat myself to it. It's just a large chunk of change at the moment, what with Christmas just around the corner, I'll put my energies into gifts for others.
For now at least
For now at least
Went to a local whisky show thursday night and sampled a large variety of malts. Standouts for me were the Glenmorangie Signet, Penderyn (welsh!) Portwood, Talisker Distiller's edition but my favourite by far was Laphroaig 25. They only opened a single bottle and there was a massive lineup for it but my buddy knew the rep and he put a dram aside for us. In the past I haven't been impressed with 25+ year old whiskies, seems like they're beyond the flavour sweet spot and expensive because of rarity, but holy carp, the Laphroaig 25 was unbelievably good. Might be the best whisky I've ever tasted. Lots of that Laphroaig-y smoke but also very complex. Wow. However at $550 a bottle, I don't see me buying much of it. 
Broke all of them at once?!?
I had some Bowmore Tempest last week and am going to pick up a bottle of it at some point.
This is the time of year I really love a good single malt. However, since I was made redundant the other month I haven't got too much to spend on luxury items like whisky, so I had to go cheaper this time around. Currently have a bottle of blended Chivas 12.
I got to try some of the Indian-made Invalid Link Removed the other night. It was much better than I think most people would expect when they hear the phrase, "Indian-made single malt whisky." The peat was definitely present, but without the intense smokiness of, say, Lagavulin. The body was lighter, almost like a good Highland.
With just a couple drops of water, it was very enjoyable. The manufacturer has Fusion priced comparably with many of the established brands (i.e. Diageo's "Classic Malts"), so it'll be interesting to see how many people will take a chance on it...
As an aside, I spent two weeks traveling across southern India a few years ago. The Indian people's ingenuity and resourcefulness is absolutely amazing (they were unfailingly generous and friendly, too). I'm not surprised that they can turn out a whisky this good, so far from Scotland.
With just a couple drops of water, it was very enjoyable. The manufacturer has Fusion priced comparably with many of the established brands (i.e. Diageo's "Classic Malts"), so it'll be interesting to see how many people will take a chance on it...
As an aside, I spent two weeks traveling across southern India a few years ago. The Indian people's ingenuity and resourcefulness is absolutely amazing (they were unfailingly generous and friendly, too). I'm not surprised that they can turn out a whisky this good, so far from Scotland.
I've been sure that I was going to see a crack or chip more times than I can count but so far mine have seen some pretty good bumps without any harm, despite their light build.
I had a glass last fall and it only served to make me curious to try it again.
When the bartender told me they had some Indian whisky I couldn't pass up the opportunity to give it a try, and it's definitely worth another go.
Jr, rather than resort to blended scotch, try single malt McClelland's Islay scotch....$25 here in Taxachusetts and its a less aged bottling of Bowmore....not a better scotch for the money i'd dare say
What do you guys pay for Bowmore Legend there? I can get it for $29, just a tick more than the McClelland's Islay, and to me it's a far better malt.
A friend of mine introduced me to my first real single malt scotch a few years back - Aberlour 12 year. Since then I was hooked.
I've has Aberlour 12 and 10, both are awesome. Lately I have also been enjoying McClelland's Speyside when I want a good tasting single malt that is affordable.
I have also tried Highland park, Glenlivet and Glenfiddich. I tend to gravitate towards the full bodied, sharp tasting Scotch (Speyside region).
Next one I wanna try is Talisker.
I've has Aberlour 12 and 10, both are awesome. Lately I have also been enjoying McClelland's Speyside when I want a good tasting single malt that is affordable.
I have also tried Highland park, Glenlivet and Glenfiddich. I tend to gravitate towards the full bodied, sharp tasting Scotch (Speyside region).
Next one I wanna try is Talisker.
I've still got a bottle of Bowmore Legend and having also had a bottle of the McClelland's Islay agree that the Bowmore is better, and close enough to the same price, but I completely disagree that single malts are better than blends across the board.
Most of my favorites are single malts, but to suggest that any single malt is better than Taketsuru 17 or 21; Hibiki 12 or 17; or even JW Double Black, Green or Blue is just simply not true.
Yeah, I don't buy into the blend/single prejudice, BUT, I do think it's a lot harder to find a great blend than it is a great single, and I like the fact that a single can vary from year to year (where sometimes a blending goal is to compensate for this and assure consistency despite varying natural things).
The really cool stuff... the master blends", are just damn hard to come by. There's a great video on this, where a single malt "snob" was "treated" by a master blender. Made him a believer in the quality of a master blend, but again... hard to come by blends of that quality in the average liquor super store.
The prejudice is certainly, in part at least, historical. Blends weren't really designed to compete, they were a cheap alternative produced by mixing malts with alcohol from other, cheaper and poorer tasting grains.
There are some nice blended malts out there too, I quite like Monkey Shoulder (a blend of malts from Kininvie (main producer), Balvenie and Glenfiddich).
There are some nice blended malts out there too, I quite like Monkey Shoulder (a blend of malts from Kininvie (main producer), Balvenie and Glenfiddich).
Accurate descriptor.
Compass Box has some nice blends. I was particularly impressed with the original Spice Tree, though I think they've had to discontinue it because of some dispute with the SWA about how it's casked.
The Peat Monster is also pretty good, but a bit tame as Islay styles go.
I'm still salivating when I think about Laphroaig 25.
That's some interesting historical background and I'll try to keep an eye out for Monkey Shoulder, as I otherwise probably wouldn't have even noticed it.
I'm an Islay whisky fan in the main. I got to tour the Bowmore distillery with college when we stayed on Islay for a week. They were running a nice community project, whereby the heat was extracted from waste water and used to heat the adjacent community swimming pool. We were allowed to taste the stream water that runs into the distillery as well as the raw spirit that comes straight from the still before it hits the cask. The stuff was completely clear and had a sharp kick like cheap vodka. The cask adds a lot!
My favorite whisky of the Islays is Laphroaig. I ran out of 12 year old recently, and I allowed myself to be sold a bottle of Ardbeg when I went to get another bottle. The Ardbeg is nice, but I really like the smokey, and heavy iodine, taste of the Laphroaig and I've not found it elsewhere.
I've tried to appreciate Speysides more, but I find that whilst they lack the peat-smoke taste of Islay malts, they don't add anything in return. To my mind the Islay malts do everything the Speysides do and then have a whole lot more going on as well. Perhaps this is just me...
My favorite whisky of the Islays is Laphroaig. I ran out of 12 year old recently, and I allowed myself to be sold a bottle of Ardbeg when I went to get another bottle. The Ardbeg is nice, but I really like the smokey, and heavy iodine, taste of the Laphroaig and I've not found it elsewhere.
I've tried to appreciate Speysides more, but I find that whilst they lack the peat-smoke taste of Islay malts, they don't add anything in return. To my mind the Islay malts do everything the Speysides do and then have a whole lot more going on as well. Perhaps this is just me...
For those that don't know most Whisky, except single cask is blended, with the youngest Whisky in the blend being what sets the age.
The 'Single' of Single Malt designates a single distillery.
A drink like Johnnie Walker Blue is a good drop but overpriced at. $150 + when you consider what goes in to making it - IMHO of course. I'd rather hunt out something a little more unusual, but for some the kudos, dependability and repeatable flavor is what works for them. Each to their own and quite rightly so.
And of course, like wine, if you've visited the source then your Whisky is going to taste even better than before!
The 'Single' of Single Malt designates a single distillery.
A drink like Johnnie Walker Blue is a good drop but overpriced at. $150 + when you consider what goes in to making it - IMHO of course. I'd rather hunt out something a little more unusual, but for some the kudos, dependability and repeatable flavor is what works for them. Each to their own and quite rightly so.
And of course, like wine, if you've visited the source then your Whisky is going to taste even better than before!
There are some peaty speysiders. Benromach do a nice peaty job.
It's nice having a sweeter malt now and again, without the kick of the peat. I'm a big fan of the Glenfiddich 15, it certainly has a type of fruitiness that I've never witnessed in Islays (though I do like those too, infact, my favourite is an Islay too!)
