How to begin drinking scotch?

[Chiro75]

I'm very late to this thread, but... I'm still not really a scotch drinker, but a couple years ago, a friend invited me out for a scotch and I told him it wasn't really my thing. So, we went and he ordered 3-4 of various types, like a flight, and we drank each and compared them. This was DEFINITELY the way to go, as the differences were very apparent in a flight where they aren't when you drink a little scotch here and there. Made a HUGE difference to me. So, I'd find someone who knows more about it than you do, and try a flight or two and see what jumps out at you.

 

[Britalian]

Just cracked a bottle of Glenlivet. Hard to beat for 15euros.

 

[kjamesuvic]

Just bought a bottle of JW Black for the holiday festivities. Pored a dram for me and my old man while we watched the tele. It was a little bit sweeter than the Glenfiddich I tried a couple weeks ago which made it more palatable to me. I'm much enjoying more so now than before.

 

[PARTY]

try this spread... (the descriptions are per my tastes, but should be somewhat applicable.).

chivas 18 year (blended, mild, not smokey)
glenmorangie 18 year (single malt, rich, light-smokey)
ardbeg 10 (single malt, mild, medium-smokey)
lagavulin 16 year (single malt, medium, medium-smokey)
highland park 18 year (single malt, rich, smokey)

see how it goes. if you can go all the way through the list and enjoy all of them, you can drink just about any.

i love the glenmorangie and the lagavulin.

neat or on the rocks is preference, but on the rocks is probably the way to go in your initial foray.

 

[Firefox]

try this spread... (the descriptions are per my tastes, but should be somewhat applicable.).

chivas 18 year (blended, mild, not smokey)
glenmorangie 18 year (single malt, rich, light-smokey)
ardbeg 10 (single malt, mild, medium-smokey)
lagavulin 16 year (single malt, medium, medium-smokey)
highland park 18 year (single malt, rich, smokey)

see how it goes. if you can go all the way through the list and enjoy all of them, you can drink just about any.

i love the glenmorangie and the lagavulin.

neat or on the rocks is preference, but on the rocks is probably the way to go in your initial foray.

Personally, I would say that Lagavulin 16 is less smoky, but a little richer than the Ardbeg 10. But everyone's tastes will vary.

IIRC, the first scotch I ever tasted was Lagavulin 16, since it's my dad's favourite. Predictably, I hated it. But after drinking rye, bourbon, and other milder whiskeys for years, I have grown to really appreciate it. If it didn't cost $125 a bottle here in Ontario, I would drink it more often. But I usually stick to a Glenlivet 12 or 15 (when I want something a little milder) or Talisker 10 (when I'm in the mood for something a little bolder).

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

You should start in with sherry cask highlands, on the milder side and move onto the peat and salt as your taste allows.

 

[gibicaseba]

Move on to an okay whiskey from there, same gig. Eventually you won't gag, and then you can start trying $50 bottles.

 

[AlexE]

The common recommendation is to start with non-smokey Speyside single malts and gradually across the Highlands to Islay. this might work for some, but my wife, for example, never enjoyed the non-smoky whiskys, but fell in love with smokey and peaty Caol Ila.

So the best way in my opinion is to go to a bar with a good whisky selection and moderate prices or a whisky tasting evet and try a spectrum of single malts covering the different regions.

Another approach is to purchase a trial box of 6 small bottles of the "classic malts of scotland" selection (here is a description of the whiskys in English and German http://www.whisky.de/archiv/industrie/udv/classic1.htm).

That should teach you what you like more or less.

 

[Huntsman]

I started drinking Johnnie Black, which I still think is great. But, I liked it and didn't have to force myself --so, don't do that. There is a big world to whisky. I think the Classic Malts suggestion is a most excellent one as those are all venerable distilleries which really shiow the range of character. I'd skip Glenfiddich and Glenlivet though, for a long time. They are a little boring.

~ H

 

[antaust]

Mate even a pauper can afford whyte and Mackays special that not bad for a blend but if you he get Into malts... As a 21 year old too ... Highland park is a beast, I'd your flush. Give laphroiag a bash it's beautiful

 

[antaust]

Bit drunk grammar is a bit off !

 

[Dingusberry]

I am going to buy the very recommended Johnnie Walker Black Label, but I am wondering if Jack Daniels No. 7 is a good whiskey?

 

[Huntsman]

Jack Daniels is a very particular form of whiskey -- Tennesee whiskey. I wouldn't start particularly early with that -- all you learn from drinking JD is what JD is like, not about the world of bourbon in general.

~ H

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Back to basics tonight with a nice HP 12 yr.