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.

Sam Adams puts out some tasty malted beverages, I'm a fan of their Oktoberfest. Yuengling, America's Oldest Brewery, also has some tasty stuff.. Not all European Beer is that hot either. I tried an expensive Samichlas (sp?) given as a gift, and it was awful (IMHO). But back onto the subject of first dram: Aberlour 10, Dalmore Cigar Malt, Macallan 12 or Lagavulin 16 should entice any "rookie" into a lifetime of fine drinking.

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!

I applied for a summer job. Sent him a resumé, receipt of which I'm still waiting for him to acknowledge. I've already checked on flights to Glasgow, bus to Uig, Skye, ferry to Uist and B & B's in Clachan. I'm primed ta go!

I believe Sam Adams has also been bought out, but still maintains the integrity of its character.

I have the Aberlour a' bounadh, which is a tasty dram, indeed, and the Lagavulin 16, which is also a delightful dram. I must pick up the Macallan

Unless they didn't tell the stockholders Sam Adams has not been bought out. They have bought a few of the smaller brewiers themselves. With reguards to whisky, I am ashamed to admit I started with a blend (Pinch) but moved rapidly into single malts.(Lagavulin,Ardmore, Macallen (which I have never developed a taste for-more for everyone else)). MerryD

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 C*ck-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?

In summary there are some good and bad beers in the world.

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.

"Simon Cooper" skrev i melding news:P6OdnZra-quPyJ_ZnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com...

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

In message , Anders Tørneskog writes

Best is subjective , I have had good beer at less than 4.0%

That's more a case of many brewers not bothering to make the effort for the lower ABV products. The main block of available beers from small brewers in the UK comes in the 4.2 - 5.2 band principally because they are strong enough to keep for a while (multiple stage transport for many passing through beer agencies) but still weak enough to avoid the problems that creep in with the higher strength brews. (Plus of course most drinkers don't want to be wasted after the first pint)

Places like Belgium tend to brew to a higher ABV but the culture is for sitting and sipping rather than standing and quaffing.

Belgium et al - sitting and sipping UK - special beers for special occasions

Or possibly reflection of a cultural thing and a slight reluctance to being seen selling alcohol.

Quite. I really would recommend that anyone visiting the UK tries some of the delicious ales that are below 4%. Hook Norton Dark 3.2% Castle Rock Harvest Pale 3.8% Cotleigh Harrier Lite 3.5% Oakham JHB 3.8% Roosters Special 3.9% and White Horse Oxfordshire Bitter 3.7% are all recommended.

I've had it, I liked it, but I preferred the very slightly heftier Brains Dark (at 3.5 % ABV).

I'll have to take your word and put it on my list of to-drink bitters, the next time I'm across the pond.

It's nice to see that you can get it again, after a hiatus. Mind you, according to the Cotleigh website, it's now only on offer in June.

In the same style and at identical strength, I prefer Mighty Oak Maldon Gold. Mind you, in the same Cascade-hopped, lager malt style, I prefer Tonie Prins' Hopdaemon Incubus, which weighs in at precisely 4.0 % ABV.

I'll have to try it when I'm next over the pond and up north. I had Yankee (4.3 % ABV) at the Phoenix in Canterbury in 2003 and liked it. I generally _prefer_ lighter ales, but find they don't travel as well.

Another for the to-drink list.

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

-- Larry