• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

single malt whisky thread

Status
Not open for further replies.
catfish said:
I recommended a talisker 10 year to my colleague.

He said that it had a funny metallic taste and he tried mixing it with coke to improve it, it didn't improve and his father tipped it down the sink.

I'm drinking a highland park 16 year just now. It's solid, not spectacular like a lagavulin.
Talk about pouring money down the drain...Talisker 10 definitely takes a little while to get used to the taste, but wow, not even willing to give it another try...weird.
 
Bought a Glenlivet 16 year Nadura

glenlivet-16-yo-nadurra-malt-whisky.jpg


http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1026584

Strong drink, maybe a little too strong(58%), seems to over power the natural flavors. Will give it a few more tries (obviously).
 
Copernicus said:
Bought a Glenlivet 16 year Nadura



Strong drink, maybe a little too strong(58%)[/QUOTE]

The Nadurra is Glenlivet's cask strength expression, it's supposed to be strong. Once you get past the burn, Macallan Cask Strength, Laphroaig Cask Strength and Ardbeg Uigedail are all highly regarded as well. The Macallan bottle in particular is nice if you enjoy the signature Macallan sherry without breaking the bank ($50).
 
Is there any possibility anymore of us poors enjoying whisk(e)y? I've been missing drinking whiskey, but money has been so tight this past year I just can't justify going out and getting a bottle of Laphroaig or whatever. I'm looking for recommendations of decent stuff around $20, hopefully not exceeding $30. Any tips would be much appreciated!
 
leroidys said:
Is there any possibility anymore of us poors enjoying whisk(e)y? I've been missing drinking whiskey, but money has been so tight this past year I just can't justify going out and getting a bottle of Laphroaig or whatever. I'm looking for recommendations of decent stuff around $20, hopefully not exceeding $30. Any tips would be much appreciated!

The Glenlivet 12 and/or Glenfiddich 12 are about $30-35 and are pretty solid. I like them more than the Johnny Walker black and double black.

In the $20 range maybe Jameson? I dont remember what it tastes like but it seems like a pretty solid one none the less.
 
catfish said:
I recommended a talisker 10 year to my colleague.

He said that it had a funny metallic taste and he tried mixing it with coke to improve it, it didn't improve and his father tipped it down the sink.
I actually gasped when I read that. What a waste. Who doesn't just put it in their liquor cabinet and wait even to fob it off on someone else? I have a bottle of Chivas from my wedding 18 years ago that I'm still working on. Likewise a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red that I'm going to wait another decade to see if it improves in the bottle.
leroidys said:
Is there any possibility anymore of us poors enjoying whisk(e)y? I've been missing drinking whiskey, but money has been so tight this past year I just can't justify going out and getting a bottle of Laphroaig or whatever. I'm looking for recommendations of decent stuff around $20, hopefully not exceeding $30. Any tips would be much appreciated!
The Famous Grouse is pretty good for that price.
Copernicus said:
Bought a Glenlivet 16 year Nadura

glenlivet-16-yo-nadurra-malt-whisky.jpg


http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1026584

Strong drink, maybe a little too strong(58%), seems to over power the natural flavors. Will give it a few more tries (obviously).
Yeah, mixing it with a tiny bit of water opens it up and greatly improves it. That's how you're supposed to drink it.
 
leroidys said:
Is there any possibility anymore of us poors enjoying whisk(e)y? I've been missing drinking whiskey, but money has been so tight this past year I just can't justify going out and getting a bottle of Laphroaig or whatever. I'm looking for recommendations of decent stuff around $20, hopefully not exceeding $30. Any tips would be much appreciated!

Where are you located? Like chrisisawesome stated, Glenlivet 12 is a great affordable single malt; around me in California, it's actually closer to $21-$23 versus closer to $30.

If you can find it (and if you like smokier scotches), Black Bottle is a GREAT buy. I've seen it as low as $13 around me, and it's fantastic Islay blend that works well neat or on rocks.

This is also a solid link to find more affordable scotches. Again, prices vary WILDLY depending on where you're at, but it's solid as a guide.

http://whiskyparty.net/40-whiskies-under-40/

(Not sure why they stopped at 28 though).
 
I enjoyed the shit out the Nadura, didn't water it down. Got used to the slightly higher proof pretty early on.

Nothing like clean alcohol leaving no hangover.
 
Copernicus said:
I enjoyed the shit out the Nadura, didn't water it down. Got used to the slightly higher proof pretty early on.

Nothing like clean alcohol leaving no hangover.

Adding a small bit of water actually helps bring out certain flavors and suppresses other, less desirable flavors. This article details the science behind it pretty well:

http://blog.khymos.org/2007/06/03/new-perspectives-on-whisky-and-water/

Next time you pour yourself a dram, try nosing and sip it while neat. Take note of how it develops and transforms in your mouth. Next, try putting a few drops of water (preferably distilled over tap) into it, then immediately cover the mouth of your glass and swirl it around to mix the water. Now nose it, and see how much a few drops of water really opens up the scotch, and adds new aromas to the mix. Then sip it, and see how it affects the taste as well.

Some scotches respond better with water than others, so part of the fun is finding out which ones respond best for you.
 
weeell, i was at the supermarket and the had a jim beam black triple aged 6yo promotion
it was cheap, and it came with a promotion glass (i am a sucker for useless free glasses) - also i was thirsty
haven't had a bourbon for ages,
it's a mainly oak and vanilla with a tad spirityness.
fairly one dimensional but rather drinkable and very mild, i could probably chug down half the bottle in one go without flinching ;P

for the price not too bad i guess
 
Head to your local Costco RIGHT NOW. Lagavulin 16 and Oban 14 are available at deep discounts: Laga 16 at $53 and Oban 14 at $43. The one near me still had a few bottles left of Kirkland-branded Macallan fine oak 15 for $50 as well.

They also moved the single malts to a more prominent section of the store; hopefully this is a move to start carrying more distilleries outside of their usual Glenlivet/Glenmorangie/Macallan/Johnnie Walker offerings.
 
Hi gaf, I never bought a bottle of scotch before, but now, I'm thinking of getting one for next weekend. Any recommendations?
Nothing too fancy. Something around $30-$40.
 
DesertEater said:
Hi gaf, I never bought a bottle of scotch before, but now, I'm thinking of getting one for next weekend. Any recommendations?
Nothing too fancy. Something around $30-$40.


cxTAV.jpg



Great starter Scotch. Cheap at $25-$30 a bottle, smooth and easy to drink.
 
what the fuck? some douche mixed coke with Talisker, and another douche proceeded to drain the bottle of Talisker down the sink?
 
Jamesfrom818 said:
So my favorite everyday nightcap scotch is Macallan 12 with a splash of water. Is the Macallan 18 or 30 significantly better because I can't see the justification in their prices since the 12 is pretty damn good.
Macallan 18 is not worth it for the price. Macallan 12 aged in cherry casks (there are different batches, only the cherry is good) is where the value/price ratio is at its peak. for a much better older whiskey, you should go for Highland Park 18 (which is expensive these days, yet much cheaper than a bottle of Macallan 18), or if you are lucky enough to find a bottle, Old Pulteney 17 (absolutely one of the best single malts I have ever tasted).
 
nitewulf said:
actually, i would suggest this one:
http://store.liquorama.net/Bowmore-Legend-Islay-750ML.aspx

and that goes for anyone who is looking into an entry level single malt.

chivas regal is fine, and as are many other blended scotch, but this thread is about single malt.
So the chivas is not a single malt scotch ( just learned about the differences between single malt and blended. Thanks wiki). And how would you drink that?
with ice or without? chilled or room temped?
 
Hilarious that I found this topic as I was at the local LCBO this weekend and was marveling at the prices ranging from $50 all the way up to $650 per bottle.

So is it the older the bottle the stronger the taste of alcohol? Also, there's no way I could ever drink it straight.

What ways would you ballers recommend that still allows you to enjoy/appreciate the taste?
 
Epic Tales of Penis said:
Hilarious that I found this topic as I was at the local LCBO this weekend and was marveling at the prices ranging from $50 all the way up to $650 per bottle.

So is it the older the bottle the stronger the taste of alcohol? Also, there's no way I could ever drink it straight.

What ways would you ballers recommend that still allows you to enjoy/appreciate the taste?

Add water. Either soda water or flat based on your preference. Scotch is more of an acquired taste than other spirits, IMO, so you will need to invest some time and money to get into it, and you shouldn't expect to be loving it out the gate.
 
Epic Tales of Penis said:
What ways would you ballers recommend that still allows you to enjoy/appreciate the taste?

There are several decent blends and/or single malts out there that are $20 and cheaper. Glenlivet 12, Glenfiddich 12, Black Bottle, and Johnnie Walker Black (~$30) are all common gateways into the scotch world.

Like the other poster said, it's an acquired taste. Try an easily accessible blend like Chivas or JW Black Label on the rocks. Then once you get used to it (and like the taste), try drinking it on easy rocks. Then no ice with a splash of water... so on and so forth. After a while you'll get acclimated to it and the alcohol will actually stop burning, and you can appreciate the flavors more.
 
DesertEater said:
So the chivas is not a single malt scotch ( just learned about the differences between single malt and blended. Thanks wiki). And how would you drink that?
with ice or without? chilled or room temped?

the Bowmore?

room temperature, neat. an ounce or so on a tumbler, or a wide glass. let it breathe, savor the charcoal flavor (it's an Islay), breathe in the flavor. then take a sip and move it around in your mouth, try to figure out the different attributes of the taste. its a young whiskey, so it'll burn, try to figure out the aftertaste.

So is it the older the bottle the stronger the taste of alcohol? Also, there's no way I could ever drink it straight.
not at all. the older the mellower and more flavorful. the few older single malts that have been posted in the last few pages, some of them are cask strength, they are stronger. you can drink the usual strength whiskeys straight. start with a Macallan 12, order it in a bar,neat, and drink it, slowly. savor it. or start with a johnny walker black or bushmills.
 
DesertEater said:
Thanks, will definitely try :)
well actually let me recommend this
http://store.liquorama.net/Tomatin-12-Year-Old-Highland-750ML.aspx
it's cheap (hah!) and the style is similar to the Macallan 12 Sherry Cask Whisky and compares very well. It's mild with sherry influences, sweet, floral, mellow. very beginner friendly, but has more to it than the popular Glenlivet which imo is more on the boring side.


Epic Tales of Penis said:
Hilarious that I found this topic as I was at the local LCBO this weekend and was marveling at the prices ranging from $50 all the way up to $650 per bottle.

So is it the older the bottle the stronger the taste of alcohol? Also, there's no way I could ever drink it straight.

What ways would you ballers recommend that still allows you to enjoy/appreciate the taste?
essentially what nitewulf said.
at room temperature, if you don't have a whisky glass use a wine glass. you can use tumblers but you can nose/smell the whisky a lot better with wine-style glasses.
if it is too strong for you add a bit (also room temp) water, don't be afraid to add more if it is still too strong for you, but you will notice that at a certain point the whisky will "drown" and the tastes will dwindle.

if you still can't handly it (baby), you can drink it as a highball (with soda) or as mizuwari (with water) in an 1:2 to 1:3 ratio, ...but that's kinda a different story

edit:
another good advise it to let it breath in the glass for a few minutes before drinking, it will bring forward more flavors. this is especially important with older whiskies (let's say 18y+, which can seem dull when you drink them straight away)
 
walbertsmith said:
There are several decent blends and/or single malts out there that are $20 and cheaper. Glenlivet 12, Glenfiddich 12, Black Bottle, and Johnnie Walker Black (~$30) are all common gateways into the scotch world.

The prices are reversed where I live. Glen* is $35 and Johnnie Walker is $20.
 
tokkun said:
The prices are reversed where I live. Glen* is $35 and Johnnie Walker is $20.

Is that JW Red or Black? If Red, that's the going price around me too, and if Black, then that's a pretty solid deal.
 
chrisisawesome said:
Does anyone have any thoughts on Johnny Green or Gold?
Maybe how it stacks up to similarly priced single malts?
Green is better than Gold IMO. It's cheaper and I think it tastes much better. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I even prefer Black to Gold. Green is quite tasty, and is probably my favorite JW besides Blue.

As far as how they stack up against similar priced single malts, they don't stack that well. Considering where you live, you can get a pretty nice single malt for the price of Green($65), and a really good bottle for the price of Gold($80). Keep in mind those are the prices I pay in Oregon. The level of flavors is just completely different. I'm not a single malt snob by any means, I enjoy JW when i'm out at a bar, and I have a few bottles at home. But for $65 I rather have a bottle of Macallan 12yr, Oban 14yr, Balvenie 14YR, or Laphroaig cask strength. And for $80.. oh man, so many great options. Again, I live in a state where prices for liquor are horrible and regulated by the state. So depending on where you live, prices will be way off.
 
So, my first 21 years on this Earth have gone without any alcohol (sips don't count..!), and this past weekend was my birthday, so I treated myself to some Laphroaig.

It wasn't quite the bushfire as I was expecting, but I definitely can't see myself enjoying it as much as I probably will come 10 years from now. I diluted it with a teaspoon of water and it definitely took the edge off, compared to the first sip I took straight.

Looking forward to this, and all the other types of alcohol (actually, only beer on occasion...)

photo-2.jpg


EDIT: I have no idea why the image is sideways. Vertical, locally....
 
chrisisawesome said:
Does anyone have any thoughts on Johnny Green or Gold?
Maybe how it stacks up to similarly priced single malts?

JW Green is the only one from the JW line that is comprised solely of single malts (no grain whisky here). By many accounts, it's probably the best combination of price/taste from the JW line.
 
walbertsmith said:
JW Green is the only one from the JW line that is comprised solely of single malts (no grain whisky here). By many accounts, it's probably the best combination of price/taste from the JW line.

I'd go one further and say that from a price/taste perspective Green is the best blended whiskey available, period. I looooove that stuff. Such a nice mix of sweet and peat. Goes for $75 / bottle in Canada so I try and grab one every time I'm in the US.
 
Presco said:
I'd go one further and say that from a price/taste perspective Green is the best blended whiskey available, period. I looooove that stuff. Such a nice mix of sweet and peat. Goes for $75 / bottle in Canada so I try and grab one every time I'm in the US.

Could be possible, but Black Bottle at $13 (!!!) a pop, might just be the best combination of price and taste for a blend... for me, at least. Green Label goes for $50 near me.
 
aperman said:
So, my first 21 years on this Earth have gone without any alcohol (sips don't count..!), and this past weekend was my birthday, so I treated myself to some Laphroaig.

It wasn't quite the bushfire as I was expecting, but I definitely can't see myself enjoying it as much as I probably will come 10 years from now. I diluted it with a teaspoon of water and it definitely took the edge off, compared to the first sip I took straight.

Looking forward to this, and all the other types of alcohol (actually, only beer on occasion...)

photo-2.jpg


EDIT: I have no idea why the image is sideways. Vertical, locally....

Holy shit, your first taste of alcohol was the Laph? Oh god, you are more of a man then I am lol. I'm a huge fan of Scotch and have been having a couple of glasses a week for the last few years, but this one just destroyed me. The peat moss flavor was extremely overpowering, not to mention even the aroma was hard to handle. It got the point that I couldn't handle having small amounts even, so not being one to waste alcohol, I poured myself a glass with the remainder (6-7 ounces) and powered through it in about an hour..... I tasted it for like 2 days afterwords Lol.

In other news, picked up a Cragganmore 12 for my brothers convocation, and I love it. A little strong/harsh, but just a perfect drink to sip at night.
 
[KoRp]Jazzman said:
Holy shit, your first taste of alcohol was the Laph? Oh god, you are more of a man then I am lol. I'm a huge fan of Scotch and have been having a couple of glasses a week for the last few years, but this one just destroyed me. The peat moss flavor was extremely overpowering, not to mention even the aroma was hard to handle. It got the point that I couldn't handle having small amounts even, so not being one to waste alcohol, I poured myself a glass with the remainder (6-7 ounces) and powered through it in about an hour..... I tasted it for like 2 days afterwords Lol.

Tastes are tastes. I know very seasoned scotch drinkers that don't like peat and I know newbies that loved Ardbeg at first sip. Sure, it takes time to acclimate to something high on the peat/smoke scale like Laphroaig, but liking it doesn't make someone more or less of a "man", hah.
 
Sumidor said:
Green is better than Gold IMO. It's cheaper and I think it tastes much better. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I even prefer Black to Gold. Green is quite tasty, and is probably my favorite JW besides Blue.

As far as how they stack up against similar priced single malts, they don't stack that well. Considering where you live, you can get a pretty nice single malt for the price of Green($65), and a really good bottle for the price of Gold($80). Keep in mind those are the prices I pay in Oregon. The level of flavors is just completely different. I'm not a single malt snob by any means, I enjoy JW when i'm out at a bar, and I have a few bottles at home. But for $65 I rather have a bottle of Macallan 12yr, Oban 14yr, Balvenie 14YR, or Laphroaig cask strength. And for $80.. oh man, so many great options. Again, I live in a state where prices for liquor are horrible and regulated by the state. So depending on where you live, prices will be way off.

So the JW Green is about $60 in Quebec whereas all the other alternatives listed are in the $80+ range.
In the range of $50-$65 I'd be looking at : Macallan 10, Glenlivet 15, Glenfiddich 15, Bowmore 12, Glenfarcias 10 and 12, Glenmorangie 10 and Yamazaki 12.

I love me a smokey scotch, not too much peat (i have a laphroaig 10 and holy hell). I'd love some recommendations :)

Apparently the Oban 14 is super nice and smokey? But that sells for $105 here
 
Laphroaig shouldn't be anyone's starter scotch. If you live in a cold/cool climate, I would deifnitely start with an Islay but not Laphroaig. I'd go for a Talisker, Caol Ila or Bowmore.
 
[KoRp]Jazzman said:
In other news, picked up a Cragganmore 12 for my brothers convocation, and I love it. A little strong/harsh, but just a perfect drink to sip at night.
Cragganmore 12 is one of my favorite recent finds, its a very nice Speyside, moderatley priced and has the tasty Speyside qualities. I don't find it harsh.
 
chrisisawesome said:
So the JW Green is about $60 in Quebec whereas all the other alternatives listed are in the $80+ range.
In the range of $50-$65 I'd be looking at : Macallan 10, Glenlivet 15, Glenfiddich 15, Bowmore 12, Glenfarcias 10 and 12, Glenmorangie 10 and Yamazaki 12.

I love me a smokey scotch, not too much peat (i have a laphroaig 10 and holy hell). I'd love some recommendations :)

Apparently the Oban 14 is super nice and smokey? But that sells for $105 here
Oh, well in that case, that's hard for me to say. I've only had the Glenmorangie and Yamazaki out of those ones you listed. I enjoy both of those, but I wouldn't say either are very smokey. If I were you, i'd try to find a bar and try out a few of those and see which you like the most. It may cost a bit, but at least you'll get to try them and know what bottle to get.. Also it's always fun to have a tasting at a bar ;)

walbertsmith said:
Could be possible, but Black Bottle at $13 (!!!) a pop, might just be the best combination of price and taste for a blend... for me, at least. Green Label goes for $50 near me.
Damn, where do you live that Black Label is only $13 a bottle?!
 
nitewulf said:
Laphroaig shouldn't be anyone's starter scotch. If you live in a cold/cool climate, I would deifnitely start with an Islay but not Laphroaig. I'd go for a Talisker, Caol Ila or Bowmore.

Nonsense. My first Scottish whisky was a Macallan 12 (sherry) and it totally turned me off single malts altogether. I'd probably never have tried another one if a friend didn't eventually convince me to try a Laphroaig 10. Had that been my first whisky I'd have been much, much happier. Since then I've introduced more than a few people to Scottish whiskys with the peatier Islay single malts usually Laphroaig 10 or Quarter Cask but occasionally a Lagavulin 16. Only a couple have not liked it. The vast majority have taken to it right away.

I think the notion that you need an experienced palate or some number of years behind the glass before you're ready for Islay is ridiculous. People have different tastes and in my experience many more people like the more pungent Islays right off the bat than don't. The most important thing is to remember that there are many different flavors and experiences to be had and don't give up on whisky after one bad experience.
 
Sumidor said:
Damn, where do you live that Black Label is only $13 a bottle?!

The Total Wine near me in SoCal sells it for $13 (at least when I last picked it up a few months ago). Note that I said Black **Bottle** though, not Black Label.

black-bottle-scotch.jpg
 
foomfoom415 said:
Nonsense. My first Scottish whisky was a Macallan 12 (sherry) and it totally turned me off single malts altogether. I'd probably never have tried another one if a friend didn't eventually convince me to try a Laphroaig 10. Had that been my first whisky I'd have been much, much happier. Since then I've introduced more than a few people to Scottish whiskys with the peatier Islay single malts usually Laphroaig 10 or Quarter Cask but occasionally a Lagavulin 16. Only a couple have not liked it. The vast majority have taken to it right away.

I think the notion that you need an experienced palate or some number of years behind the glass before you're ready for Islay is ridiculous. People have different tastes and in my experience many more people like the more pungent Islays right off the bat than don't. The most important thing is to remember that there are many different flavors and experiences to be had and don't give up on whisky after one bad experience.

I personally took much better to peatier/smokier whiskeys than I did Glenfiddich 12 or Glenlivet 12.
 
Jill Sandwich said:
Bollocks, it was Lafphroaig that got me into single malt whisky!
Same here, started out with the quarter cask and fell in love with the peat and brine immediately.
 
Jill Sandwich said:
Bollocks, it was Lafphroaig that got me into single malt whisky!
Same here. Started with it and after that never bought another bother of blended whisky :)


Anyway, bought my first Cardhu few days back and I'm enjoying it greatly. It's a bit milder than I usually like, but it has a very nice freshness in it.
4-cardhu.jpg
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom