everyday drinking scotches

I've recommended it before, but I'll mention it again, Isle Of Jura

I personally find Chivas Regal overpriced, to the tune of £10 or so. How people can pay nearly £20 for it is beyond me.

Baillie Nicol Jarvie (also a blend) at £13-odd (sometimes £11.49 at Sainsburys) is about fourteen times more drinkable.

Chivas is no better than your supermarket own-brand "value" whiskey.

OD

I'll pick the Chivas over the cheaper Macallans and Glenlivets. At a bar those are usually the only single malts they have - if I'm lucky they'll have Glenfiddich though, which I will pick over the Chivas.

And it's typically cheaper than those, at least here in the US. I'll bet that Baillie Nicol Jarvie is not imported here. But I will look for it.

Glen Moray is a great VFM malt. Agree about Jura 10 as well. Laphroaig 10 can often be found on offer as well. I got it for £15 on Skye at the Co-op.

OD, if you're shopping at Sainsbury's, I can also recommend their own label blended whisky. It's labelled in blue and resembles the blue and white of the Scottish flag. I was also recommended to it and have been pleasantly surprised.

A nice tipple for a blend.

Graeme

I haven't tried that - but their 15 year old and 12 year old single malts aren't that bad when they're on special offer.

I'll get one when I finish this bottle of Aberlour...

OD

"Robert Anderson" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

Glen Garioch 10 and Mclelland's Islay are my choices at under $20US.

I agree. Like 'em both. Great inexpensive drams.

Although the Glen Geery just got more expensive here in NC. Now it's closer to $25US.

But the Maclelland's Islay seems way better (mellower) than it used to be. Maybe their casks are getting some age on 'em?? My first taste of this was sorta like peaty ever-clear. Now it's much fuller and rounder, more like the Bowmore it would have grown up to be. Just bought a bottle for $17.50US.

chuck

Unlikely, seeing as it's a blend. More than likely using better whisky

Roger

Absolutely agree about the first two - they are sooooooooo cheap in UK supermarkets. They may not have bags of character but they do the trick when you just fancy a tipple.

Ant

Hmmm. Never would have thought it. A blend of a)which malt whisky and 2) which grain whiskey?? I really was made to believe that McClelland's Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky was a very young Bowmore single malt scotch whisky. But you are telling me that's not true?? What is is a blend of??

chuck

I've never heard or seen anything other than that it's a young Bowmore, and the taste confirms that. It's clearly labelled as a malt, and I think it would be illegal in many places to sell a blend as a single malt.

But over the years the barrels of young Bowmore may change a little, which could account for the mellower taste.

bill

What's considered inexpensive? Under thirty dollars? Under one hundred dollars?

My mistake. There used to be a Mclelland's that just said Islay malt Whisky, without the single, and it was to which I was referring. The single will be from one distillery. I just tend not to buy whisky which doesn't come from one clearly identified distillery - like Supermarket brands, as I prefer cask strength malts.

The blend used to be a mixture of malts.. Remember the word blend now refers to vatted malts or blended whiskies

Roger

I swore off Bowmore because of the FWP. which caused me to waste a lot of money, but lately that seems to have gone away, and bowmore is drinkable again.

I have been buying the McLellands Islay as well, and for under $20, its a real good buy.

I would say under $25.

Malt whisky almost non-existent at that price in UK

Roger

Why is that? I wonder why it should be cheaper here in the US when it actually has to come from Scotland. There must be some kind of import duties the US charges.

Are there enormous taxes on it there in the UK? I think we pay about

Or do they only send us the cheap stuff?

Excise duty for a 70cl bottle 0f 40% ABV sprits is £5.48 (about $10), it rises with increase in ABV. On top of that is 17.5% Value Added Tax (similar to US Sales Tax) so on a bottle that should retail at £10, these two taxes raise the price to about £18. That's why distillery branded single malt is rarely below £!5 and not often below £18.

Answer your question?

Roger