First Scotch recommendation

Thanks, Bill. I'll hafta try The Balvenie Double Wood, myself. ;-)

Absolutely. It is always what I go back to. I recently had a very nice Glenfarclas 15 and even their 8-10 cask strength is exceptional, but if I could only have one for the rest of my life, it is the Balvenie DW.

A couple decades or three ago, friend of mine, Rev. James Warne returned from a trip to Scotland claiming Glenmorangie "was the Budweiser" of scotch. He said thats the analogy the local over there used! His point was that it's the locals favorite, and it turned me onto sms scotch and I dropped the Cutty Sark for ever! I would suggest that you stock it and whatever the local folk enjoy, especially if it's something not easily available over here in the States. We can buy the usual stuff over hear, but we want that taste and experience of what we can't get here. That's why we travel over there!

Maybe it was Anchor. I drink more than I read!

I, too, started with Haig & Haig Pinch, which I nipped from my Dad's stash back in the late 40's. That Ardmore (17?) is a good dram, which I've gifted several friends with, as well. I also like the Laphroaig and Ardmore. Clan MacGregor is great for cooking, in things like Cock-a-Leekie, Seed Cake, Mincemeats, Athole Brose and, of course, Haggis. Only a fine SMS should be used for a Hot Toddy. IMDO

A lot of serious beer drinkers -- the ale crowd especially -- find anything Sam Adams produces to be at the lower end of acceptably flavorful or hoppy. The brews I've had from the Philly Sam Adams brewpub (no relation to the bigger Boston firm) have been much more interesting.

If you want something really good from the US, in addition to the widely acclaimed Anchor Steam and Sierra Nevada products, try some brews from Rogue or Anderson Valley.

Got to disagree here. I've visited Yuengling as well, and their brews are universally weak. Dishwater class eastern bilge. Try your better local brewpubs for something much better.

-- Larry

Please define "weak". ABV?

I find Sam Adams ordinary - Boston Lager (! - it's really an amber or pale ale) to be excellent on draught and miserable from a bottle. It ain't real ale, but that's really scarce everywhere, while Sam is available just about everywhere - Sam Adams is to American independents as Greene King is to British...

Their other offerings don't usually excite me, although my German wife likes their Hefeweizen and I don't ming the odd hit of their Cherry Wheat.

Living on the East Coast, I find Yuengling "Lager" an excellent universally available thing, it's almost like good keg bitter. For the price of it (often the same as the real dishwater class "domestic" beers), it's hard to beat.

Another refreshing thing in Yuengling's favour is that it isn't too strong. American craft brewers have some kind of congenital inability to brew beer below 4.5ABV (not that they usually mention the strength on the label or pump), which rules most of them out as good session beers.

One problem is apparently the fact that domestic US malt tends to be very bland. They need to use a lot more to bring up the flavour . The UK brewers are very good at making tasty low ABV beers.

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Below 4.5%? I think and I've heard from others that the best beers are in the interval

4.7 - 5.2%. That is really the standard in Europe, though 5.5-7.0+ is available too. However, an Egyptian beer, Sakkara, with 4.3% was very drinkable in that hot climate (95F in April) so I could guess it is a climate thing. Anders

"Every man needs Brains" -- best slogan in beerdom. 8;)

-- Larry