Double Bass Single Malt

[gerry grable]

Ah yes! That will tell you if you like peaty scotch or not! ...one of my faves.

Thanks guys. I'll try some tonight. I'm enjoying this.

 

[TomB]

Islay (pronounced eye-la) is an island on the west coast of Scotland, not far from the isle of Jura which also makes some fine whisky. There’s 8 or 9 single malt distilleries there including my beloved Lagavulin, Bruichladdich (brook-laddie), Laphroaig (la-froig), Ardbeg, Bowmore (b’more), and so on. It’s a lovely place to visit, just a jump from Northern Island or Glasgow. It’s not just the peat in these whiskies, but the slightly iodine-ish medicinal quality of them via the sea air. My wife can’t even be in the same room when I’m drinking an old Lagavulin. Great as they are, they’re not the place to start. I’d second the Macallan as the one to point a novice at.

That's kind of you! ...still, some of us novices like a wee bit of salt air ! Can't see the iodine thing myself, but then I never drank that. Is Macallan a Highland product or Speyside?

 

[Joshua]

It's the opposite where I live - Lagavulin is all over and Laphroaig needs to be ordered.

 

[jmlee]

That's kind of you! ...still, some of us novices like a wee bit of salt air ! Can't see the iodine thing myself, but then I never drank that. Is Macallan a Highland product or Speyside?

Speyside. Did a tour of the distilleries on the Spey which is a lovely salmon fishing river very like the Miramichi in New Brunswick, not far from here. I do *not* recommend doing this in the morning. Had quite a headache by noon when I wobbled out of the Tamdu distillery.

 

[jmlee]

It's the opposite where I live - Lagavulin is all over and Laphroaig needs to be ordered.

I started on the Islays with the Laphroaig, introduced by a lovely man, an older professor from South Africa (part of the Jewish diaspora drummed out by the Afrikaners) who had his office next to mine and liked to end the day with a wee dram. I kind of love them all, but once I had the Lagavulin 16 it was all over! It's $125 CDN here, so I have to be very nice to me to get another bottle. Slowly, son, slowly...

 

[gerry grable]

Islay (pronounced eye-la) is an island on the west coast of Scotland, not far from the isle of Jura which also makes some fine whisky. There’s 8 or 9 single malt distilleries there including my beloved Lagavulin, Bruichladdich (brook-laddie), Laphroaig (la-froig), Ardbeg, Bowmore (b’more), and so on. It’s a lovely place to visit, just a jump from Northern Island or Glasgow. It’s not just the peat in these whiskies, but the slightly iodine-ish medicinal quality of them via the sea air. My wife can’t even be in the same room when I’m drinking an old Lagavulin. Great as they are, they’re not the place to start. I’d second the Macallan as the one to point a novice at.

Oh boy. This is different. I've never tasted a Laphroaig before and it's going to take some getting used to, but now I definitely know what peaty is. I can't help feeling like I'm in a gustatory version of The Emperor Has No Clothes. Perhaps I should have gone with your Macallan (?) suggestion.

 

[TomB]

Oh boy. This is different. I've never tasted a Laphroaig before and it's going to take some getting used to, but now I definitely know what peaty is. I can't help feeling like I'm in a gustatory version of The Emperor Has No Clothes. Perhaps I should have gone with your Macallan (?) suggestion.

It’s never too late! (but yes, it can be too early)

 

[TomB]

Islay (pronounced eye-la) is an island on the west coast of Scotland, not far from the isle of Jura which also makes some fine whisky. There’s 8 or 9 single malt distilleries there including my beloved Lagavulin, Bruichladdich (brook-laddie), Laphroaig (la-froig), Ardbeg, Bowmore (b’more), and so on. It’s a lovely place to visit, just a jump from Northern Island or Glasgow. It’s not just the peat in these whiskies, but the slightly iodine-ish medicinal quality of them via the sea air. My wife can’t even be in the same room when I’m drinking an old Lagavulin. Great as they are, they’re not the place to start. I’d second the Macallan as the one to point a novice at.

You mentioned Jura. There's a reasonably-priced Jura 12 yr locally that seems interesting - possibly a bit lighter on the peat than the Islay brands. Do you have any experience with it?

 

[gerry grable]

You mentioned Jura. There's a reasonably-priced Jura 12 yr locally that seems interesting - possibly a bit lighter on the peat than the Islay brands. Do you have any experience with it?

How exactly does the peaty taste get into the whiskey? Do they char the wood aging barrels with it. If they simply use it for fuel to run the still it shouldn't affect the alcohol in the tubing. Also, is peat a carcinogen based on its being petroleum substance?

 

[mooseonbass]

Peat is plant material. They lay the barrels on it while they age.

 

[jmlee]

You mentioned Jura. There's a reasonably-priced Jura 12 yr locally that seems interesting - possibly a bit lighter on the peat than the Islay brands. Do you have any experience with it?

There's only one distillery on Jura. They make quite a range of whiskies, however. The one I've drank most is called "Isle of Jura Superstition". It's said to be lightly peated—an NAS blend, I think, of a peaty whisky and milder whisky—but it's peatier than advertised and *darned* good with a touch of water. There was none to be had when I tried to replace the last bottle out here, so I got a bottle of the 10 yo "Origin". Not so much fun: very light peat like an Irish but still quite drinkable over ice. (Nobody have a fit...it works for some of them.) The only 12 yo in the current line is called "Elixir" and it spends some time in sherry casks as well as oak, so it's a fruitier sort of drink. If you can get it reasonably, then by all means have a go. I've not tried it myself but I think these Jura whiskies are a bit of an unrecognized treat. The basic style is lighter peat and said to be best at 16 years+. Never had the pleasure. Pretty bottles.

I just read the other day that Jura is completely overhauling its line of whiskies as of April 2018, so the older product names are going to go away. I've put the link to the story above.

 

[jmlee]

Peat is plant material. They lay the barrels on it while they age.

Nope. Peat's a plant material alright, but decayed and compressed over thousands of years to a thickness of meters in boggy ground. The locals in Scotland and Ireland have for centuries cut it into blocks (it looks like brown coal) and then burned it to heat homes and other things. For whiskey-making the part-dried, malted (sprouted) barley is roasted to dryness over peat fires which burn with a characteristic smokey flame. As well, the water that's used sometimes flows through peat bogs and picks up some quite different, non-smoke peat character. That's a minor effect though.

There's no petroleum or associated chemistry. And the barrels are left on wooden racks while the whisky barrel-ages.

 

[mooseonbass]

Ah yes, quite right, I wonder what (or if) I was thinking. Although on the tours I went on, the barrels were on the ground. One guide said something about the barrels have to touch Scottish soil. I might be mistaken, I might also have been drinking.

 

[TomB]

BTW Gerry, dunno if you are aware but there's a single malt thread of very long standing here:

Single Malt Scotch!

Lots of opinions and experience in its many pages...

 

[gerry grable]

BTW Gerry, dunno if you are aware but there's a single malt thread of very long standing here:

Single Malt Scotch!

Lots of opinions and experience in its many pages...

Thanks. I didn't know.

 

[TomB]

Thanks. I didn't know.

...but this one's fun too!

 

[gerry grable]

...but this one's fun too!

Yes. The other one talks about many other liquors: tequila, bourbon, gin, etc.
By the way, I'm still working on the Islay scotch. I'm trying to get my taste buds to acclimate to the peat.

 

[TomB]

Yeah, I read somewhere that Laphroig is one of the peatiest (Ardbeg is supposedly another). If you can try Lagavulin 16 yo (it's $75/bottle up my way!), it seems to me it has a lot of other stuff going on along with the peat/smoke flavor - though I don't get the "medicinal" comment myself. Personally, I do like the peat a lot, but I'm not sure I'd like it to be my only liquid refreshment .

 

[gerry grable]

Islay (pronounced eye-la) is an island on the west coast of Scotland, not far from the isle of Jura which also makes some fine whisky. There’s 8 or 9 single malt distilleries there including my beloved Lagavulin, Bruichladdich (brook-laddie), Laphroaig (la-froig), Ardbeg, Bowmore (b’more), and so on. It’s a lovely place to visit, just a jump from Northern Island or Glasgow. It’s not just the peat in these whiskies, but the slightly iodine-ish medicinal quality of them via the sea air. My wife can’t even be in the same room when I’m drinking an old Lagavulin. Great as they are, they’re not the place to start. I’d second the Macallan as the one to point a novice at.

I put the bottle of Laphroaig back in my liquor cabinet for a while. I took your (and Tom's) advice and got a Macallan 12 yr, or as they call it The Macallan, today. I'm sipping it now and it is very, very good. Price wise both Scotches with tax were just short of $60 here in PA. I can see this journey can get expensive since JWR 1.75 liter goes for $45 here in PA.
I hope I'm not getting too boring with this thread?

 

[Joshua]

Gotta love how we all taste things differently. Macallan 12 is not one of my faves at all, but that's why it's great to have choices! If you like the Macallan 12, I'd recommend trying The Balvenie 12 year Doublewood. Same style as the Macallan and should be about the same price.

And don't be afraid to get chummy with your fave package store folks. Scotch does go on sale at times and it doesn't hurt to have someone on the inside letting you know about such events.