Celebratory scotch to open in 25 years or so

I am 44 years old. I saw an episode of M*A*S*H many times over the years where Col Potter is the last survivor member of friends and he gets a bottle of whiskey to drink in honor of them. I'd like to do something like this. What should I get?

 

Blended = Johnny Walker Blue

Single Malt = Glen Garioch Reserve

 

Thank you for the quick reply. I'm gonna surf for those brands to get a bit more information.

 

Now for an Irish Whisky, grab a Tullamore Dew.

 

I found an article about the 16 scotch's. It's pretty cool and now I have a goal.

 

In case you did not know; whisky will not continue to age once bottled.

 

Thats right...So start with a 30 year old The Macallen and you'll be fine...And if you must wait....Make it worth your while, and make sure it's a Single Malt....And keep it out of the direct sunlight...and not in the fridge but not too hot either, normal basement type temp.....

I said The Macallen 30....But check out the different regions in Scotland and their taste profiles...Any of the popular Single-Malts are Fantastic....Just decide if you want peaty and smokey (Islay), fruity and a little sweet (Speyside,and Highlands) or salty(the North Coast or Islands)....Then get two bottles and drink one...If its not what you had in mind...Drink the other one and order two more from another distillery....This could be a little expensive but alot of fun....

All the above discriptions are generalizations and much experimenting should be done to narrow it down...lol...seriously though its very similar to picking out you favorite Blades...YMMV

I did read an interesting treatise by someone I respect, who said that as far as a full bodied flavour....after 18 to 20 years with most whiskys you reach a point of diminishing returns....Of course as the whisky diminishes that can make it warmer and mellower....So even though a 30 year bottle costs a fortune and is a mere shadow of its former self it can still be fantastic...
But like Stingray said...Once it's bottled the ageing stops....So if you start with a great Single-Malt and keep in in a dark temperate environment it should still be fantastic 40 years from now...although there is some evaporation through the cork, it'll be great...and coupled with anticipation, fantastic....

 

I agree on the two bottle idea. It might be meaningful to seal up the second bottle while drinking the fist one with all your buddies as a celebration of the friendships while you are all together and then choose a first keeper of the bottle.

 

I did not know about the aging thing. Thank you! Two bottle thing is awesome as well.

 

A friend of mine tasted a single malt that was a special edition 50 year, I've forgotten the distillery...I think it was one of the Speysiders though...He said the bottle cost like well over $20,000 or maybe Euros...anyway the price of a house...He said it was great, but no better than the great 18 yr The Macallen...but then, he compared it to The Macallen because it was a Speysider too....Point is...You don't have to spend a fortune....Any 15 or 18 year old single-malt will probably be indicative of the region....Personally I've had 10yr and 12 yr Single malts that knocked me out....I kept an empty bottle of 12 yr. Glenfiddich around just to pull the cork and sniff...smelled like heaven....and thats one of the cheapest Single malts around...

If you and your buddies sample different 12 or 15 yr olds from at least a couple different regions....maybe a Speysider and an Islay and pick the one that knocks you out the most to keep. And its affordable enough to share a few drams together now....Then in 25 years when you pop that cork, the scent will sweep you back to this time and place.....and memories....
Don't worry about the expense....All single-malts are special, regardless of the price....

If you don't have much Scotch experiance....I would recommend the Speysiders....Those are very user friendly....or a Highland.... Those all are just plain delicious and don't require training....Personally I like a mild shave....I'd say the Glenfiddich 15, or Glennlivet 18...are like an "I" type injector...Hard not to get a great shave but aggressive enough that you only need one pass for a DFS....lol...The Islays, like Laphroaig 18 is probably more like the R41...lol...an Island like Talisker 18 would be in the middle like a Fatboy on #9.....Have fun...and use your Menthol responsibly....lol

 

This is a cool idea, and I remember that MASH episode. However, I figure that friends that good should drink the Scotch together while they are all still alive and truly enjoy the company. Of course maybe the solution is a good bottle now and another one to save...

 

Last year after spending Christmas in the US with my sister-in-law and her family I grabbed a couple of bottles of single malt duty free.

The ones I grabbed were Laphroaig and The Balvenie. Two very different flavours. The Laphroaig is peat smoke blast, a wonderful smokey flavour that jsut rolls around the mouth. The Balvenie I have is the Doublewood a 12 year old Scotch matured in traditional oak then to a sherry cask. The result is an almost sweet flavour that can be savoured very easily! My other Scotch is The Glenmorangie. Middle of the road, easy drinking and between the two extremes of the other two. Across these three I think you can cover most Scotch drinkers tastes. Maybe you should expand the idea to encompass THREE bottles

 

The Laphroaig is a perfect example of the Islays we were talking about....The Balvenie is a perfect example of Speysiders.....and the Glenmorangie is the most popular single malt in Scotland.....

Wow Mark....I think if they get 2 bottles of each of those (one to test and one to save if that one wins)....They will have it all covered....maybe one Highland Park 18 (Highland) and one Talisker (Island) just for good measure....

So tell us Mark...which region for single malt do you prefer?

 

I'm a newbie to Scotch, mainly because I don't have many mates who drink it. I used to drink Macallan 18 year old (or Chivas Regal when he was buying!) for a while with a mate in Sydney before I moved but now there are only a couple of friends here in Canberra I know who drink the stuff. I'm off to the US again next year. maybe I'll have to pick up some Highland Park and Talisker to try - just to ensure I have the full range available!

 

I just got Laphroaig quarter barrel as a gift-it's very good. If you like the flavor of wood (which I do very much) you'll love it. My absolutely
favorite Scotch however is Lagavulen. It also has that woody flavor but it's smoother (and a bit more $) than the Laphroaig. I'll also put in
a good word for Oban (served at the Shave Expo in Chicago-free samples!).
I also remember that MASH episode, saw it way before I became a Scotch drinker. Perhaps JoHanna can make a Single Malt Scotch flavored
soap

 

Coming from Ireland.....I agree with the Irish bit.....but go for a Bushmills. Its the oldest licenced (legal) distillery in the world.. Great stuff. I have a bottle of their 400 year anniversary special sitting in front of me....just waiting for a special occasion!

 

[sigh] OK, OK, another one I HAVE to get

 

I am a big fan of Glen Fiddich... MMMM yummy stuff.

 

Single Malts by being single malts for the most part are all very very special......Theres that famous quote of Sean Connery's "I'll have Scotch, Straight -Up, any Single Malt will do..." so true...

Straight up by the way doesn't mean straight from the bottle untouched by ice....thats "neat"
Straight Up is Scotch + one or two cubes of ice, shaken and poured into a glass through a stainer....

As far as my favorites....I like all the ones at Mark's house + the ones he's going to pick up.....I think I have to agree with Sir Sean....

 

Just a little water for me. Hmmm, must be time for one now....