Ok, I'm bored and drinking my Ardbeg 10, waiting to head to the big city tomorrow to attend my first ever NFL football game. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to have a little poll:
What is your favorite single malt scotch? Why do you like it?
What is your least favorite single malt scotch? Why do you not like it?
What is your favorite blended scotch? Why do you like it?
What is your least favorite blended scotch? Why do you not like it?
What is the oldest scotch you have tried? Did you like it?
What's the most expensive bottle of scotch you have bought?
What scotch region do you like best? (Highland, Lowland, Islay, Speyside)
How do you usually drink your scotch? (with water/ice/soda/etc...)
When do you usually drink your scotch? (day time, night time, weekdays, weekends)
If you drink other whisky (bourbon, Japanese, Canadian) what is your favorite?
Do you ever cook with whisky?
Do you ever eat while drinking whisky?
What's your favorite wine?
What's your favorite cocktail? (margarita, martini, etc...)
And finally - do you share your scotch with your significant other or keep it all for yourself?
This must be a mystical connection, because I just had a dram of Ardbeg 10 (with a sliver of ice); now I'm capping off the evening with that pomegranatey Bowmore Dusk.
Don't know--but I'll keep trying!
I've had some I really don't like but I've had others from the same distillery that were o.k.; maybe this shouldn't be a good/bad whisky question and instead a which-distillery-do-you-have-a-negative-association-with question, in which case the answer might be Glenfiddich. But if I think of the one dram in recent moons that has been a complete waste of money, it would be: Tobermory.
I don't really like any blended scotch, really. I've had some that will do in a pinch, including Pinch, but Pinch still won't do. I think JW Black might be the choice--except that I haven't had it in a decade or more. Or maybe Chivas Regal, because when I went to Vegas that one time 15 years ago on a strange gambling/room gambit offer that wound up costing me $71 for three nights at the Stratosphere plus all the Chivas I could drink, I really did appreciate all the Chivas I could drink. All blends represent an evil compromise, unless you can afford acceptable blends that cost more than great single malts.
"Rail" scotch. This is not the scotch served on trains, this is the scotch that bars pay less than nothing for, and dribble out if you order a "scotch on the rocks"--this is the kind of scotch that tastes like Canadian whisky ("rail" Canadian whisky, that is).
My 24-year-old Longmorn from Gordon & McPhail. It was a love/hate relationship. It was intensely woody and syrupy and bourbony and drippingly complex--not in subtle ways, but in head-smacking ways. I didn't really like it, but there is really nothing like it, and everybody else I served it to loved it, but they weren't always scotch fans.
O.K., I am rather 'scottish' in my expenditures on scotch. $67 for an Ardbeg 17 is the most I have ever paid for a bottle. My current $29.99 Ardbeg 10 is far better than that 17, I might add.
All of the others put together times twelve don't add up anywhere near to Islay, though I'm always pounding the liquor store pavement in search of great non-peaty wonders (see: Don Quixote; see: windmills).
Neat, of course. But I've just started doing this: start the dram neat; enjoy; add a sliver of ice (a sliver being far less than a cube) then enjoy the slightly liberated dew-dropped version; as the ice starts to de-ice itself, enjoy a very slightly cooler version of the original whisky; as the whisky warms again, enjoy the changing shades of temperature & dew-of-the-rose permutations of temperature, viscosity, and texture; enjoy; pour another malt and endure the same rigamarole.
Caffeine reigns till 430pm. After that, whisky is possible, but "pre-prandials" are a bit gob-smacking, so I usually wait till after dinner. Days of week are fully interchangeable. Whisky follows brilliantly upon brilliant beers (especially Belgians), by the way, so they are usually the icing of the evening cake, if they make it into the daily mix at all. Though is must be noted that certain whiskies when enjoyed at "pre-prandials" (before dinner) are carvingly sweet and bold--the same whiskies taken after dinner can seem duller or slighter. Still, drinking whisky before dinner is not smart, for me.
I have these world-class bourbons in the upper cabinet. I can never bring myself to actually drink them. They are "cloying". The George T. Stagg that I got a year or two ago is the amazing exception--absolutely world class. I can't bring myself to actually drinkwhat I have left of it either, because all I have left is one 175ml wine-flight-sized bottle, and I guard it carefully.
Once in a rare while I cook with the whisky in a glass next to me, but that is very rare, because that would pretty much make it a pre-prandial. I do imagine, though, that marinating pork in a cheap Islay for 24 hours would be interesting!
Never. Completely incongruous.
Great (red) zinfandels; interesting offbeat Italians (barolo, barbera, dolcetto, primitivo); big buttery chardonnays; pretty & complex local German whites like Franconian Bacchus, Mueller Thurgau, and Silvaner.
A margarita made with terrific tequila and fresh lime is great, but it's too hard on the system; my real late evening favorite is a negroni (Campari, red vermouth, and a spot of gin). And hey--let's not forget grappa!!!
I do all the grunt research, and then share the really important findings.
Springbank 32 year old Adelphi bottling. Spectacular in every way.
Loch Dhu, 'nuff said
I prefer not to drink blends.
See above
1958 Highland Park, loved it. Couldn't afford a full bottle.
Springbank 1966 Local Barley. Paid $200 US at the time, worth more now.
Islay
Neat, water added only if ABV exceeds 55%
Yes
A.H. Hirsch 16 year old bourbon, rarely.
No
No
Wine is spoiled grape juice. If I can't have whisky, give me a a good micro-brew or Belgian Kriek.
Bloody Mary with a slice of habanero pepper, for those morning
Depends, I'll share the lower ranked whiskys, but my rare and/or exceptional bottlings I won't even share with my sainted auld mither...yup, I'm a selfish bastard.
1) The Macallan 12 yr or Highland Park. Also like Laphroig alot.
2) Speyside---but hey it's cheap.
3) Famous Grouse for the value
4) some crap they pass off as scotch at bars--Mcewan's or something like that.
5) I believe that the oldest that I have had is Highland Park 18 year--loved it.
6) about 70 us dollars
7) Highland, Isley, Speyside, Lowland in that order
8) with 2-3 small cubes of ice
9) Bourbon
10) Yes
11) Rarely
12) Reds, particulalry Merlot--I have been liking Chilean, Spanish and Australian wines. Right now my favorite is Louis Felipe Edwards Dona Bernada (a chilean cab).
Hear hear for great "malt" also in it's undistilled form. As beer writers like to point out, great beer is usually far more complex than wines, with hundreds of identifiable flavors (identifiable by flavor anaylsis, not necessarily by me). And just as it is with whiskies that eventully all roads lead to Islay, with beers eventually the roads lead to Belgium (though some of the U.S. microbrewers are rewriting the maps).
I left that one out because I've been avoiding it for so long--not is it kind of rough, it has this odd, simply almost almondy flavor I don't enjoy. And I also agree that the peat in the Superstition seems to pretty much fix things!
"Von Fourche" wrote in news:OTAld.3422$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net:
Disclaimer - I'm fairly new to the whisky game, so I haven't tried very many yet...
Laphroaig 10yo - love the Islaydine.
Glenfiddich 12 (I think it was) - dunno, just seemed coarse compared to the others I've had. But just 'cause it's my least favourite doesn't mean I disliked it exactly.
Can't remember the various blends I've had. Probably dimple, dunno why.
Probably Johnny Red or something - used to drink scotch & coke/dry before I discovered real whisky.
Lagavulin 16yo. Yes :)
Hmmm. Don't think I've bought one yet - they were all gifts ;) Laphroaig was bought with gift money; does that count?
Islay.
Neat, by the half-shot or nipped out of a hip flask.
Late night.
Jamesons Irish.
Probably - I have a tendency to reach for the bar cupboard and add a splash of whatever takes my fancy to whatever I happen to be cooking.
Sometimes.
A cheap one - I'm not much of a wine connoisseur, more of a beer and malt whisky kinda girl (oh, and really good cognac/armagnac).
Too hard to choose - depends on the mood. Do "mixers" count? Contenders include Campari soda, gin 'n' tonic, vodka tonic, cranberry soda (does it have to be alcoholic?), vodka lime 'n' soda and a creation of my own comprising amaretto, peach schnapps and cranberry juice (and sometimes soda).
He's welcome to it, but he prefers his scotch liqueurs :)
As Rosanne Rosannadana used to say, "For a guy from [wherever], you sure ask a lot of questions...
This one's hard. I'm publicly a fan of Glen Garioch and have enjoyed several of their older bottlings; but I'm also a fan of every Islay distillery; and Aberlour, Ardmore, Glenrothes, Clynelish, Glenfarclas, Highland Park and Talisker have long produced exceptional malts. Among closed distilleries (not on Islay), Dallas Dhu and Rosebank are exceptional, and I recently had an awesome Millburn. Did I forget Macallan? But if I had to pick one single favorite, it would have to be Springbank - or should I say, "Springbank/Longrow/Hazelburn/GlenGyle". They have produced any style you might enjoy, and at times supremely complex whiskies of each style.
So far, the absolute best whisky I've tasted was an Ardbeg committee bottling - not a purchase of mine but a malt I was lucky enough to sample - I couldn't tell you which one it was exactly but I think it was from 1976...
Excluding obvious bottling error (FWP etc.) this one's easy. The last bottle of the Tomatin 12yo I drank. Ghastly stuff from a distillery that recently produced a sturdy if unimpressive bargain malt. But Esmond just reminded me of the Old Rhosdhu 5yo... (shiver)
So far my favorite Blended Scotch has been the few old bottles of Whyte and Mackay 12yo I found collecting dust. I enjoyed them so much I mentioned them here at the time. But most of the Blended Scotch Whiskies I've bought were purchased not to savour but because they were cheap. Then I'm looking for distinct flavor and a little smokiness if possible. Teachers is an oft-mentioned favorite, but I prefer White Horse. And I still want to try Buchanan's 12yo, but I always reach for something else.
Curiously, many of the *best* Irish whiskies are *blended* whiskies though.
Probably Ballantines Finest, or Cutty Sark. But I tried CS a long long time ago...
1966 Bruichladdich Legacy One, followed by '68 Glen Garioch, and a '68 Tomatin from G&M that was worlds apart from the Tomatin 12yo I recently purchased. And I liked them very much indeed. My old friend Edd had some 1950's era vintages but he never cracked them as far as I know - at least he didn't share them with me. And the late sixties vintage Springbanks I've tried have also been amazing, like the Local Barley and the MMD bottlings.
I have seldom spent over $100 USD on a bottle of whisky. In fact, I haven't spent $100 often. Sixty five dollars is ideal for me: Then I don't feel guilty about wasting a huge sum on a bottle, but can usually expect superior whisky in that price range. Most expensive bottles would be the Glen Garioch '68, the Springbank 21yo, and the Banff 21yo from Cadenhead, all at about 135-140 USD. The Banff was the lessor whisky of those three. The more expensive whiskys I've tried have been available at organized tastings, or by the shot at whisky-specialty bars.
For 10 years I would have said "Islay" without hesitating, but I'm begining to really appreciate balance in a whisky, and in ten year's time I may unhesitatingly say "Speyside".
In a glass. Slugging directly from the bottle is not conducive to appreciating a malt's finer points.
Seriously, I seldom add water if I'm drinking for pleasure; but I will sometimes if the malt is above 100 proof. A sliver of ice can perk up some malts in the summertime. And it's interesting to knock a cask strength bottling down to standard proof to compare it to a distillery's principal version.
Early evening, though early evening has been known to turn into late night. Sometimes a Sunday morning watching the news/talk/current events shows when Sunday afternoon doesn't require much of my attention.
Irish whiskey, by far my next favorite. But anyone who loves whisk(e)y would do well to try the A.H.Hirsch 16yo Bourbon while they can...
Poppyseed Butter-Scotch cookies made with real butter and real Scotch (but no "butterscotch"!) are my own invention.
Chocolate or nuts with a sherried whisky. Pot Roast with Clynelish. Smoked salmon works with most whiskies - other smoked meats ought to. In this newsgroup I read of a suggested pairing of Laphroaig and oysters. I haven't tried it but it sort of makes sense...
A mature Bordeaux, generally, but I don't have strong preferences as to Chateau...
In casual company a Margarita. If *I* am mixing then a French 75 - essentially a Gimlet poured over ice into a tall glass, filled with champagne, and garnished with fruit. Tasty and lethal! Stay home when you're pouring those...
My spouse has little appreciation for whisky. She has enjoyed Irish whiskey on occasion, and actually liked Rosebank, but doesn't often join me. I've often wished she shared my enthusiasm for John Barleycorn, but, oh well, more for the rest of us...
Bart
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Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: Alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat. --- Horst Luening
Talisker 20 year old, OB, Sherry Cask. Just a perfect combination of fire and sweetness.
Glenlivet 12. Because its all they usually have in crappy bars and it tastes like cardboard to me.
Johnnie Walker Gold. Smooth as can be. The Black is pretty good also.
There are some real losers out there.
Brora 30 yo OB. A shame it closed.
OMC Ardbeg 25 10/75-10/00. $360.
Islay.
Neat. Very rarely with a splash of water.
After work or weekend evenings.
Bushmills or Connemara (Irish)
I never cook period.
Not generally.
A ruby port, very rarely
Sapphire and tonic.
I started collecting bottles about a year ago and now have over 100, including some hum-dingers! I am always trying to get someone to come to my house to help me enjoy them, so if you find yourself in CT, drop a line!
the Dalwhinnie Distiller's edition I opened last night to celebrate my thirtieth year in business. It cost 39 pounds in the Manchester duty free shop, or about 71$ US.
Highlands, which includes Speyside.
the Dewars, over ice. the Dalwhinnie however, is what we Southeners call "sippin whisky".
5 p.m. daily is happy hour here, with a shot of single malt maybe weekends.
n/a
nope.
yep; in fact when touring Scotland, it's always a double with evening meal; first I sip it neat while food's cooking, then with meal waitress brings me ice for the rest of it.
Blackadder "Smoking Islay", if you taste it in the evening, you will still taste it in the morning !!! Blackadder has some other great bottlings too !!! Furthermore, Caol Ila and Lagavulin are my favourite whisky's.
We, it's easy to state the regular bad ones. However, I will state some malts that did not meet my expectations: Cardhu 12yo, Glenfarclas
15yo, Old Rhosdhu 5yo 40%. For a complete list please view:
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Black Bottle 10yo. This is a blend of Islay whisky's. Supreme Islay whisky, could improve on the finish however !!! Furthermore, I do like Clan Campbell and Jameson as well.
Old Smuggler and Scottish Leader. They don't even deserve further comment.
Blairfindy 1963 "Blackadder Raw Cask" 40yo 52,3%. Yeps, I liked it, just like I like all bottlings of Blackadder I tasted so far. It was very dark of color. Heavy dried fruits explosion (cask strength).
However, I have tasted some expensive whisky's, the most whisky's I buy are between 40 and 60 Euro's. The most expensive bottle I bought myself is Lagavulin "Double Matured, Distillers Edition" at about 65 Euro.
Islay for sure !!!
Ice? Are you kidding me !?!
At night time and preferably in the weekends. However, every raining day is a good nosing day, ha.
Knob Creek from the small batch bourbon collections is a very nice Bourbon. I recently tasted Lammerlaw "Cadenhead's" from New Zealand. Very fruity, great nose indeed. from Ireland, I prefer Redbreast 12yo. I sampled the Nika 12yo pure malt once and have plans to explore Japanese whisky's as well since they have a lot to offer.
Not uptill now, but I have plans to do so in the near future!
Well, if i do so, I prefer chocolats in front of tasting whisky and afterwards. During tasting, all my energy and focus goes to the malt.
I prefer Cotes du Rhone (red wine) however I'm no connaisseur :)
I don't drink cocktails.
Oh yes, it's all about sharing. I drink about 60% of my own bottles and share about 40% with friends/family. Off course, some friends do share their whisky also. This way, we can explore more whisky than we can afford.
Cheers, it was enjoyable filling out the questionaire. I will have the Caol Ila 18yo now !!!
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