If someone is new to drinking Scotch they probably should go with either a blended Scotch such as Dewars or with one of the lighter single malts such as Oban or Dalwhinnie. Leave the smoky ones till later. There are some good tutorials on the internet about the different areas that produce scotch. For a standard recipe there sure are wide variations between the different brands.
If you're not a scotch drinker, I'm of the opinion that a blended is a better starting point. My favorites are in no particular order The Famous Grouse Johnny Walker Black The Black Grouse (more peaty)
Just starting down this rabbit hole as a good friend pushes me towards the finer things in life. I’m a research guy (to a fault) and have decided on the following single malt offerings to start: Glenmorangie 10yr old Auchentoshan 12yr old The Balvenie 12yr old
I found this intersting, even though it is about 50 times more expensive than any reasonable person would spend. The Macallan 55 year old Lalique Crystal Decanter Considered the love child of Scotland and France, the Macallan 55 is one of the finest Whiskies in the world. This limited edition Scotch is a representation of artistry, spirit, and class. Bottled in 1910, the unique bottle was crafted by perfume bottle designer Rene Lalique. This Whiskey is celebrated as a true gem of two nations. Bottle Price: $12,500
I have done extensive personal research on this topic. I also have researched the finer bourbons. Of the three you listed (they are all decent) The Balvenie is the best (my opinion). As you continue your research you should try to sample Oban 14 and Dalwhinnie. They are my favorite. Both are a highland scotch with a softer and fruity profile. I don't care for the heavy smoke some scotch has. Most scotch will have several different styles and different aging. Almost all are better if older but then they are also more expensive. Also recommend you try some of the Japanese whiskeys. Hibiki is my favorite. For borbon try Woodford Reserve and Basil Hayden's. My opinion.
Love a Balvenie! Great shout. Their "Doublewood" is very reasonably priced as far as whiskey goes and is a wonderful dram. I also like The Glenlivet 15 and Bruichladdich as an Islay.
When tasting adding a splash of a decent mineral water can really open things up. I like Gerolsteiner, Apollinaris, even San Pellegino in a pinch. Obviously you don't want any of the flavored varieties, just the mineral water.
Scotch, by law, has to be made from barley. American whiskey (by federal law) has to be made from at least 51% corn and aged in new american white oak barrels for at least two years. Interesting though - many of the scotch brands are aged in used american whiskey barrels. Thats where Jim Beam and others send their used barrels since they cannot be used a second time.
Canadian Whisky (no e) is often referred to as Rye Whisky here, even though Rye may not be the dominant grain in the blend. There are a few standard regulations for something to be called Canadian Whisky (an official title)- it must be aged in barrels for at least 3 years, but the barrels do not have to be new.
This thread was pulled out of the depths!! As a scotch drinker, I would say that there is a bit of a learning curve for this particular spirit, but well worth it. Though I am sure the OP has had ample time to discover what he likes (since this thread is 10 years old!), I will solicit my expert advice to anyone coming across here, however. Many consider the most approachable Scotch for Americans to be Glenfiddich since it is aged in bourbon barrels. It takes a little of the harsh edge off for newcomers, and it is a fantastic scotch for anyone looking to get into them. I would say it is equally approachable for any beginner, and a fantastic option for seasoned drinkers as well. Blended scotches tend to garner a lot of votes for newbies as well. They don't have as much character as single malts, but they are typically very smooth, and almost always much cheaper. I would suggest either the Black grouse, monkey shoulder, or Dewars. Once you start getting into Scotches more, the names that rule the roost are Macallan and Glenlivet. Both are high quality and found nearly everywhere. Some drinkers stop at the above, but many connosuers find their way to aged scotches (usually 18 years and up) and/or to Islay scotches (which have amazing characteristics of smoke, peat, and salt). These are more personal decisions that only the individual Scotch drinker can decide on for their own tastes, but there are top ten lists galore if you care to surf the net.
I can believe it. The 'peat moss' I get, but the other descriptors (iodine, wet gauze, and burnt sticks) aren't compelling flavor profiles I'd normally seek out.
It's nice to hear all the favorites of people, but to get started on single malts it is important to read a little bit about the regions: Lowland, Highland, Islay, Campbeltown and Speyside. Each has its own general character, but as always there is great variation: Lowland -- Triple distilled and lighter tasting Highland -- Peaty/Smoky Islay -- Complex --Peaty/Smoky with Salinity -- a little taste of the sea Campbeltown -- Wet wool, salt, smoke, fruit, vanilla and toffee flavors/scents Speyside -- Not so much peat and more fruity/nutty flavors These are general characteristics -- your mileage may vary! The next thing to know about is "sherried" whiskys. Most all single malt scotch these days are aged in used American charred oak bourbon barrels. Sherried whiskys are "finished" in used sherry casks. This gives them a sweeter, rounder flavor. These happen to be my general favorite type (though my favorite whisky is not one of this type -- go figure). Examples that are very affordable: Balvenie Doublewood, and Macallan 12 yr old. Next is how to taste your scotch. I was first initiated to this at a pub in Minneapolis (Minnetonka) called Sherlock's Home (it is long gone, unfortunately). It was started by Bill Burdock, a Scotsman who had retired from a career as a yeast microbiologist in the scotch industry. One night a lady bartender there fed me several shots for me to compare. She told me to water them down very slightly "to release the flavor". It changed everything about scotch appreciation for me -- maybe it was here company, but I think it was the water. It worked for me. Further, she never billed me for it the whole night through!! Anyway that, subsequently, was my story and I stuck to it. I have no idea how many scotches she fed me that night, but it was about ten. I'm glad John Law did not stop me on the way home. Years later, we made a family vacation trip to Scotland. We had a second floor apartment right on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh just across the street from St. Giles Cathedral, looking right out at the statue of Walter Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch, 7th Duke of Queensberry, and right below us was Royal Mile Whiskys. We stopped in and a young fellow gave us scotch samples, telling us how to "water" them. As it turns out, each individual has a tolerance for alcohol level as far as numbing the tastebuds is concerned. In order to properly taste scotch it is best to gradually dilute it until the "pain" or "bite" goes away and reveals more of the taste. It is a bit of a balancing act, and it will likely change with experience to require less dilution. It works. It makes the "magic" explanation I received at Sherlock's Home in Minnetonka make sense. It certainly doesn't take much water. In our tour of Edinburgh, we went to a few pubs, and of course sampled the scotch. Scotch was always served in a little glass, accompanied by a small pitcher holding maybe 2 or 3 oz. of water, and emblazoned with the brand logo of the scotch served! Anyway, in your explorations, try a smidgeon of water. Go easy with it, it doesn't take much. Creep up on the level at which the drink becomes pleasurable. By the way, my personal favorite happens to be Talisker 10 (not 18). It is described as "peppery". Folks either love it or hate it -- no inbetween. Talisker, I believe, is the only distillery on the Island of Skye. It was Robert Louis Stevenson's whisky of choice. Cheers! Tony
@Billyfergie is the Scotsman.... maybe he can tell us all about scotch. But I just got this bottle from my wife for Valentine's day.
