How to begin drinking scotch?

[M. Bardamu]

What many people consider "smooth" is likely to be construed as "lacking character", "unchallenging", by serious SMSW aficionados.

 

[prep333]

great thread, I'm going through the same thing - 21 and just a battle to get a glass down
might try this advice below, just dummy my tastebuds..

Originally Posted by HgaleK

You're gonna look like a douche if you bring it up around anyone. To start drinking scotch you need to kill your tastebuds first. Drink ****** whiskey from the bottle at room temperature for a week first. About 5 ounces a night should do it for you. Move on to an okay whiskey from there, same gig. Eventually you won't gag, and then you can start trying $50 bottles.

 

[I<3Bacon]

Originally Posted by M. Bardamu

What many people consider "smooth" is likely to be construed as "lacking character", "unchallenging", by serious SMSW aficionados.

"'Smooth' is such a bullshit compliment." -Lance Winters of St. George Spirits

 

[rjakapeanut]

the first few times were hard. i could appreciate the goodness in it but i wasn't really prepared for just how harsh it was. i'm working on a bottle of glenlivet right now and i'm used to it now and i really enjoy the experience. good stuff.

 

[CDFS]

Everyone that thinks 'smooth' is a n00b word is pretty cool from where I'm standing. I just bought a bottle of 10yo Talisker. I thought it was pretty smooth. My GF, not a whisky drinker, thought it very nice. Funny thing, the next day after two rigorous brushings and breakfast and lunch, I could still taste/smell that (bold) smokey flavor on me. Please, real scotch drinkers, enlighten me. Is Talisker smooth? I'm far too inexperienced to know.

 

[impolyt_one]

I find blends like Johnny Black, J+B, and the Japanese blended malts to be far hotter and less smooth than any decent single malt out there. There are some real raunchy single malts like Tobermory, but still I think that even those hit me harsher than Johnny black or J+B.

 

[impolyt_one]

Lag 16, Talisker 10, Bowmore 12 and 18 - these I find extremely smooth. I think others here may disagree on that, but I could drink those all day. Scotches like Laphroaig CS or QC, Caol Ila, Ardbeg - I think there's a consensus that those are pretty serious and will put you on your ass.

 

[Britalian]

Buy whisky.
Open whisky.
Pour whisky.
Drink whisky.
If you don't initially like whatever you buy, you will come to like it, as with most things.
Cheap or pricey, the same.

 

[DWFII]

Originally Posted by impolyt_one

I find blends like Johnny Black, J+B, and the Japanese blended malts to be far hotter and less smooth than any decent single malt out there. There are some real raunchy single malts like Tobermory, but still I think that even those hit me harsher than Johnny black or J+B.
What are really talking about here? I want to say that in the context of this discussion we're talking about single malts for the most part. Here is a translation of a small part of Robertson's essay (I have permission):

1- Single Malt Scotch Whisky- can only come from Scotland- an' must be made by one distillery only- an' must be made from 100% malted barley... an it must be aged in wood in Scotland for no less than three years... (I refer to this as "malt") examples; Macallan, Glenfiddich, Laphroiag, Talisker, Bladnoch, Glenkinchie, Balvenie... 2- Blended Scotch Whisky- can only come from Scotland- an' will be a blend of many many different single malts along with a lot o' grain alcohol (this is like vodka- but it is aged in wood like malt whisky is)... it is not made from 100% malted barley... it is a mix of malted barley, unmalted barley, wheat, maize (corn), rice, an other grains... an it must be aged in wood in Scotland for no less than three years... (I refer to this as "whisky" or "blended whisky"") Most blended whiskies contain between 2%-40% malt... the rest is grain... examples; Famous Grouse, White & MacKay (pronounced- McKIY), Johnny Walker, J&B (only 2% malt), Cutty Sark, Grant's, Pig's Nose.... 3- Vatted Malt- Pure Malt- Blended Malt Scotch Whiskies- are all the same thing... they can only come from Scotland- they can only be made of Malt (no grain alcohol) they are made by several distilleries an' vatted together- an' must be made from100% malted barley... an it must be aged in wood in Scotland for no less than three years... (I refer to this as "vatted malt") examples; Compass Box, John Mark & Robbo's, Sheep Dip...

If you read Robertson's tract in its entirety he makes the point quite convincingly that what people find harsh or "hot" about whisky is either the amount of raw grain alcohol or the lack of aging. When the whisky is aged it picks up oils and flavours from the cask that mask the harshness of the grain alcohol. Heavy reek does the same thing Sweetness will also mask the grain alcohol. That's why young women (young men too) like mixed drinks and alco-pops--the sweetness masks the taste of the alcohol.

 

[DWFII]

Originally Posted by CDFS

Everyone that thinks 'smooth' is a n00b word is pretty cool from where I'm standing. I just bought a bottle of 10yo Talisker. I thought it was pretty smooth. My GF, not a whisky drinker, thought it very nice. Funny thing, the next day after two rigorous brushings and breakfast and lunch, I could still taste/smell that (bold) smokey flavor on me. Please, real scotch drinkers, enlighten me. Is Talisker smooth? I'm far too inexperienced to know.
Again "smooth" is a word we should probably abandon altogether when it comes to single malts. Talisker is an Island malt (Skye). It will have a bit of peat reek. You may not like that taste or consider it harsh or rough. Again from the link posted above:

the VAST majority of flavour in malt comes from the cask it is matured in.... the grain, water, yeast, peat smoke play a much smaller part in creating the flavours... all the colour in malt comes from the cask....(unless it is added artificially by the bottler during blending orr bottling....all blended whiskies an all usa whiskies are artifically coloured) in Scotland, whisky must be matured in a cask in Scotland fur at least 3 year. Most single malt are aged between 8-12 years.... older does NOT mean better.... often older single malt is exceptional... because the extra years in the oak usually adds more sweetness and toasted flavours and removes many sharp or harsh flavours... but not always... and as a general rule.. if you put bad malt into a cask... you will get bad malt out... no matter how many years in is in a cask...

I don't drink a lot. And malts are not meant to be guzzled anyway. So I tend to buy good malts and older malts, perhaps more expensive, malts--12 year old or older. Personally I think the Talisker 10 is very nice...kind of a good cross between the Highland Malts and the Islay malts...but the 18 is better, of course.

 

[M. Bardamu]

Originally Posted by CDFS

Everyone that thinks 'smooth' is a n00b word is pretty cool from where I'm standing.


I just bought a bottle of 10yo Talisker. I thought it was pretty smooth. My GF, not a whisky drinker, thought it very nice. Funny thing, the next day after two rigorous brushings and breakfast and lunch, I could still taste/smell that (bold) smokey flavor on me.

Please, real scotch drinkers, enlighten me. Is Talisker smooth? I'm far too inexperienced to know.

I wouldn't say "smooth" is a negative, necessarily -- but if you look at sites like maltmaniacs or even Whisky Mag, the smoother whiskies tend to be seen as inferior.

Someone upthread mentioned Octomore -- it and similar spirits (i.e., Port Ellen, and there was another Islay distillery that re-opened and was selling its first run as "malt spirit" because it was only a year or two old) have elevated the art of whisky tasting to an extreme sport, imo.

There's nothing wrong with smooth. One of my favorite bottles in recent memory has been the Glenmorangie Cellar 13, which is certainly smooth. I also love Redbreast Irish Whiskey, for the same reasons.

EDIT: P.S. many connoisseurs lament that Talisker has indeed become smoother and lost some of its white-pepper fire, but I wouldn't call it "smooth" as the term is widely understood.

 

[DWFII]

Originally Posted by M. Bardamu

EDIT: P.S. many connoisseurs lament that Talisker has indeed become smoother and lost some of its white-pepper fire, but I wouldn't call it "smooth" as the term is widely understood.
Probably because it is now owned by Diageo--purveyors of JW and many other "generic" Scotches catering to a more homogenized and bland palate.

 

[impolyt_one]

Originally Posted by DWFII

What are really talking about here? I want to say that in the context of this discussion we're talking about single malts for the most part.

Well, it's rare that I ever drink them, but I'd give Johnny Walker, J+B, etc, a place in this discussion because they are Scotches, and sell huge volumes at that. Many who are getting into it for the first time may only have access to a very few big name single malts, but will always be able to get ahold of the big blends. The Japanese whisky I kind of sneak into the Scotch category for lack of a better place, since they hold their own against many Scotches anyway.

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by CDFS

Everyone that thinks 'smooth' is a n00b word is pretty cool from where I'm standing.


I just bought a bottle of 10yo Talisker. I thought it was pretty smooth. My GF, not a whisky drinker, thought it very nice. Funny thing, the next day after two rigorous brushings and breakfast and lunch, I could still taste/smell that (bold) smokey flavor on me.

Please, real scotch drinkers, enlighten me. Is Talisker smooth? I'm far too inexperienced to know.

For god sake no, Talisker is not smooth. It's got a big edge and is quite peppery, to my taste. It's one of the more sophisticated affordable single malts.

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by impolyt_one

Lag 16, Talisker 10, Bowmore 12 and 18 - these I find extremely smooth. I think others here may disagree on that, but I could drink those all day. Scotches like Laphroaig CS or QC, Caol Ila, Ardbeg - I think there's a consensus that those are pretty serious and will put you on your ass.

That's funny because most average drinkers couldn't tell the difference between Laphroaig and Lagavulin if their lives depended on it. Ardbeg and Caol Ila are Islay malts just like Lagavulin and Bowmore... they all have a lot of peat. There's nothing more intense about those than the "smooth" ones you mentioned. In fact of the Islays you mentioned, Caol Ila would probably be the "smoothest."