what are the best blended scotches?

"Jimmy Smith" wrote in news:gn1fb.5630$ snipped-for-privacy@bignews6.bellsouth.net:

I like the Dimple Pinch. 15yo blend, big flavor.

pf

Campeltown Loch is the best blend I've ever tasted, specially the 25yo. And I don't really like blends.

Depends, as always, on what flavors you like.

I happen to rather like White Horse which is a blend based largely on Lagavulin which I also like.

So, pick your favorite region and then seek the blend that best typifies that region.

Blends can be very nice. They are a chance for the distiller's skill to shine. They can also be soulless in their consistency. You have to find someone good at blending.

Ethelred

Islay Mist (Royal Mile Whiskies would be my choice. Loch Fyne (Loch Fyne Whisky) is also nice.

Andreas

Jimmy,

I drink malts to savor their complexity and to dwell on the nuances of their flavors. When I drink blended scotch it's usually with much less involvement - I drink a sturdy reliable and inexpensive whisky with a character I find agreeable.

My choice among inexpensive blends is White Horse. Despite its small price tag it's really a flavorful whisky. There is also a 12yo version of White Horse that is extra nice - but it is no longer imported into the USA so it may not be easy to find. White Horse in its standard bottling appeals to drinkers who like a peaty whisky. The

12yo is less peaty than the standard White Horse bottling. The standard WH gets some of its character from Lagavulin, although most of its malt component comes from other distilleries, especially Glen Elgin. A little Islay whisky goes a long way when blending, so while the proportion of Lagavulin is low, it is still usually discernible for its peaty edge.

Others prefer Teachers for the same reasons: it's inexpensive, and it has a discernible peatiness - but it gets its peatiness from Ardmore, not from an Islay whisky. The smoky, peaty edge to Johnny Walker Black Lable has traditionally come from malt from Talisker in the blend.

There are some very well regarded blends that unfortunately are not imported into the US. Blue Hanger, Te Bheag, and Bailie Nicol Jarvie have been mentioned by others in this group as excellent whiskies but like the WH 12yo, you probably wont find them on your local retailers shelf.

Some that you might see include Ballentine's 17yo, Mitchell's 12yo, and Putachieside 12yo. (I'm not sure about whether the Putachiside is currently or recently imported to the US or not - the other two are.) The last two are from the owners of Springbank and are usually said to contain a high percentage of Springbank whiskies in them. Another Springbank related blend is Campbelton Loch. A 25yo version of this was imported to the USA, and those lucky enough to locate one have raved about, but it has never shown up in my local market.

I don't have a lot of experience with the high end blends; they usually cost more than single malts of a similar age, with some exceptions. The Campbelton Loch 25 was a steal, and JW black is on a par with many

12yo singles, but no more expensive. If I'm spending the price of a Mitchells 12 or the Ballantines 17 I'm more likely to buy a single malt.

At the other end of the scale, besides Teachers and my personal preference White Horse, Famous Grouse has its champions and is also worth sampling. And I may be in the minority on this one, but I think Johnny Walker Red Label is quite flavorful and under-rated. If it was priced like White Horse and Teachers I would drink more of it. But it's priced the same as a host of inexpensive malts, and I will almost always reach for the Tomatin 12, Speyburn 10, Bowmore Legend, Glen Garioch 10, or the Signatory Vintage series (especially the Islay) over choosing JWR.

Bart

Fabulous post, Bart. I agree with absolutely everything you said (and learned stuff too).

Uzytkownik "Bart" napisal w wiadomosci news: snipped-for-privacy@texas.net...

Couldn't agree more, Bart. I can only confirm that some of the blends mentioned as unavailable or difficult to get hold of in the States, like Campbeltown Loch, Te Bheag, and Bailie Nicol Jarvie - are fantastic blends. Compass Box Asyla also springs to mind. Although, as you pointed out, if I have a choice of a blend and a single malt at more or less the same price, I tend to go for the single malt.

Cheers, Rajmund

Uzytkownik "Bart" napisal w wiadomosci news: snipped-for-privacy@texas.net...

Couldn't agree more, Bart. I can only confirm that some of the blends mentioned as unavailable or difficult to get hold of in the States, like Campbeltown Loch, Te Bheag, and Bailie Nicol Jarvie - are fantastic blends. Compass Box Asyla also springs to mind. Although, as you pointed out, if I have a choice of a blend and a single malt at more or less the same price, I tend to go for the single malt.

Cheers, Rajmund

I really rate Ardmore as a malt, no doubt it is a lot to do with the peatiness. I've never come across a non Islay/Skye malt that is so peaty. Are there any others?

OK Serge, let's hear your tasting notes on Ballechin... ;o)

Johanna

I forgot about Compass Box Asyla. I had a bottle of the Asyla earlier this year and liked it very much. It had a crisp citric quality; no other whisky has put me in mind of oranges so strongly. John Glaser, if my faulty memory recalls his name correctly, has gone on to produce an orange infused whisky (which I suppose isn't technically a "whisky") which I have never tried but is probably pretty interesting - he seems to understand how to combine the whisky and orange flavors.

Cambelton Loch is available locally, but only the standard N.A.S. bottle. The 25yo was either not offered in Texas by the distributor, or the local retailer simply didn't order any if it was. When I asked about it the manager had never heard if it. But that doesn't mean a lot. Texas is a big state - it may be available in Houston or Dallas or elsewhere. I only know the local stocks.

Bart

[snip]

I thought I had seen Putachieside before, but I don't know of any on the local shelves now, or even in the last couple of years. The Mitchells and B17 are still available locally, but I've never tried the B17 - it's quite pricy here at around $80 to $90 USD, too much for me to drop on a blend especially without having tasted it before. I've never seen it offered at a bar where I could try a single shot.

I'll put that under my hat. I've had Buchanans long ago, but I don't have any distinct memories of it at all one way or the other. It was before I was much of a scotch taster. It's reasonably priced, and I have seen it on the drinks list at several bars so I can easily try it without too much committment.

I like JWB, but I like the red label too, maybe even more than the black. I attended a UDV sponsored tasting once and the stars of the show were the six classic malts. But afterwards as a bonus they poured Johnny Walker Red, Black, and Gold. It was a bit of an anti-climax after Talisker and Lagavulin, and by the end of the show I had imbibed nine(!) shots, but what I noticed was that mirroring the increment in price the whiskies became gentler and softer - and I couldn't help but think lesser. More delicately complex, maybe, and the JWB was the smokiest, but I found myself liking the big flavors of the red label even if it was a little rougher and more aggressive. "It wasn't afraid to offend someone with flavor." It's not "great", nothing to get excited over, but head to head I think it's better than it's usually given credit for.

Bart

Bailie Nicol Jarvie is very good indeed. (If you are in the UK you're lucky, as Safeway are currently promoting it.)

Isle of Skye is another good one.