Any One for a Scotch? - Page 107

Nice--I like Glenrothes. And the bottle is cool.

Just restocked my Talisker 10 and Laphroaig 10 at an awesome (for Paris) 25 euros a piece! Some of the whisky sales are still going over here, anyone have any thoughts on the Laphroaig Triple Wood? The 18 isn't on sale any more, but this one is for around low to mid forties. I'm a big fan of the Quarter Cask, which this seems to be similar to just with some added sherry, but some reviews are citing it's a bit on the weak end for the palette and it's a bit disappointing so I'm a bit worried..

Also, there are quite a few Aberlour bottles on sale that I'm considering, but I've never actually had one of their products... considering just picking up a 12 year (the double cask), thoughts on their line?

Current Stock:
Talisker 10
Laphroaig 10
Bowmore 12
Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or
Glenfiddich Caoran Reserve 12
Glenfiddich 18
Macallen 12 F.O.
Independent 3 yr Bottle from Bunnahabhain
Jameson 18
Makers 46
Elijah Craig 18
Noah's Mill
Four Roses Single Barrel
Wild Turkey 12 Yr

I'll also be heading through the Dublin and Chicago (anyone been through recently?) Duty Free stores this holiday season if anyone has any recommendations to look out for/or a possible proxy.

That's a pretty serious collection, Caesar.

Thanks! I think a lot of people on here put me to shame, but I'm pretty happy with the current stock. Not all of them are open though, had to clear out my recent empties: Ardbeg 10, Ardbeg Uigeadail (why are Ardbegs never on sale... ), Bowmore Legend, Bowmore 15, Glenfiddich 12 & 15, and a rather odd Irish called Connemarra. Been getting into whisky pretty heavily!

yea bottle is neat

You can usually find a good deal on Ardbeg in Duty Free--basically, it is usually the 1 litre size and the price is the same as a regular bottle, but ex-VAT.

Ardbeg 10 is always on sale around here. $35ish a bottle.

Wish I could still get the $60 HP18 locally though.

Thanks, I'll def be looking for it in Chicago. Is it usually just the 10, or do they have others as well?

Wow, both of those sound great! Ardbeg 10 is usually around 40-50euros here...

I really enjoy Makers Mark. Anyways i'm thinking about something little stronger and maybe more ''smokey''  Talisker or maybe Nikka Yoichi? Is this a good choice to switch from Makers Mark without feeling it tastes too strong.

Maker's Mark is a bourbon. I find it rather difficult to compare bourbon and scotch. Maybe you're looking for different bourbons? Have a look at the bourbon thread.

+1 to that. I always find bourbon too sweet for my palate and I can't see how it could be compared to a malt. One is barley based the other corn based. But if you're looking for something smokey--peat reek, is what it's called--look for a nice easy Islay. Maybe Caol Ila?

Maybe halfway in-between would be a single malt Irish...although, in my limited experience with Irish that's still too sweet for me.

My bad you see i'm a total newbie on this. As you know i'm more of a wine/champagne guy. But i'm starting to like this more and more. Got any book tips aswell that could be good to read, need some experience..

That maybe is the problem that i'm drinking bourbon, that's maybe why I don't think it's that strong anymore. Are the Coal lla a good choice to start with from bourbons?

Pretty much everyone in this thread is much more experienced than I am, so take this with a grain of salt. I think a blend like JW black might be good for the beginning (since you went from Jack Daniel's to Maker's Mark to Scotch). It's not too extreme in taste but has some peatiness and smokiness to make it interesting. Plus it's good for cocktails. And you should find it in many bars so you could try it beforehand.

Exactly, that was my first thought. To maybe go to a bar and try out diffrent scotch and see what I like before buying bottles of everything (that could be pretty expensive) Waste of money if I don't like it. 

 

It's all so new to me, but i'm starting to like it quit a bit. Anyone else feel free to give tips of what you think could be a good start for me to try out (so I can pick that out in the bar)

I don't think blends...like JW...are particularly representative of what a good scotch is. Like all such mish-mashes they tend to confuse rather than enlighten. Each region, each distillery develops its own distinctive taste...like wines, you wouldn't want to mix them, and then say you know what a Merlot tastes like.

Also jumping into a Islay malt might not be a good idea if you are wanting to see if you like scotch or not. I just recommended Caol Ila because it seemed to me--a drinker of primarily heavily peated malts such as Ardbeg--that it would address your desire for more smoke without blowing you away.

To get into single malts easily, I guess I'd recommend Glenlivit (not all that distinctive) or Craggenmore or Macallan--any of the Speysides. Then try some Highland malts like Glenmorangie or Highland Park. Talisker is an island malt (Skye) and perhaps a good introduction into the Islay malts although it is good on its own account.

Going to a bar is a great idea, but they might not have a really good selection...depending on the scale of the clientele of course.

One final note...I got this from a well known connoisseur and Scotsman who writes about malts quite extensively in some circles...generally speaking, you will get more of the raw grain spirits taste from malts younger than 12 years old. Some people like that taste. I don't.

YMMV