Hello I am new to the group and fairly new to Scotch. I have been drinking dewars white label for some years but would like to expand my tastes to other makers. Any suggestions would be welcome Thank You Trip
Trip,
Drinking scotch is similar to drinking wine. There are many kinds of scotch with a wide variety of taste profiles. It can be very confusing and also very expensive to experiment only to find that you don't like a particular scotch. You may like a wide variety of taste profiles and suddenly find yourself on a lifelong quest to try them all. I suppose it's the same thing that makes looking for the Holy Grail or climbing Mt. Everest so necessary for some of us.
Discipline is the key. The group here will certainly provide you with good advice on many good scotches but key to success is the work you do first before you spend your first $5000 on your next 200 bottles. First rule; high price is not indicative of good taste. Second rule, everyone's taste is different. Third rule, take into consideration all you are told and then follow your own intuition.
Here are some general and broad suggestions:
If you like a fruity-floral taste go with a Highland Speyside single malt scotch. If you like a stronger, more pronounced taste profile with lots of smoke, peat and malt try a Islay, Skye, or Orkney scotch. Study the tasting notes of a target scotch before you buy. You may not detect the same tastes or smells but it will give you an idea if you want to try it or not.
That said, here is my first suggestions on some available scotches to try after you've done your homework of course. They range from light to heavy in taste profile.
The Macallan, Clynelish, Oban, Abelour, Glenlivet, Glen Morangie, Dalwhinnie, Dalmore, Bunnahabhain, Highland park, Talisker, Laphroaig, Lagavulin.
I'll stop there. The group will now explain further in detail.
Good luck in your quest.
Daniel
Trip, you REALLY need assistance, at least with your keyboard (please find the key to switch Caps lock) and your newsreader ;) SCNR, Markus
Get in a few single malt scotch whiskies and drink them without ice or anything added.
I would suggest going to a whisky bar and asking the bartender for some recommendations. That way you can taste as may as you like for much less money, and have a dialog with him or her about what you liked about this one and so you may also like that one which is indicative of that region or this style, etc. That said, reading tasting notes is a good way to help decide what to buy. There are many website with tasting notes on many whiskies. One comes to mind, but I cannot remember the name of it... hmmm... it'll come to me.
Colin.
Douglas W Hoyt wrote:
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