I am a big scotch connoisseur, not sure if there are others on here. The Yamazaki 10-yr is a personal favourite of mine, though I have not been able to try the 12 yet. Just read this article in the paper this morning. Suntory to sell ¥1 million whiskey Of course I would be all over this were it not for the slightly high exchange rate on the Yen right now
I have been known to partake of the Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky. I only spring for the 12 year. Not the 15 or 18.
i have problems discerning scotch from whisky from Bourbon as usually by the time i'm hitting either, it really doesn't matter.
Just finished a bottle of Glenmorangie 12 year. And just bought a bottle of 10 year to replace it with - haven't tried it yet though. I'm not sure if my tongue can discern the difference between a 10 and 12 year scotch, so figured I'd give the cheaper one a try to see how it goes down. I also like bourbon - typically just drink Bulleit. And their rye is really tasty too! A friend said Beam's rye was pretty good, so I bought a bottle and thought it was crap - like everything Beam makes.
Oh, and Yamazaki would be a whisky, not a scotch. Just clarifying because you start out by talking about scotch. It has beautiful packaging! I'd love to try it sometime.
My go to scotch is usually the Glenlivet 12 but if I feel like splurging a bit I will go for a Macallan 15 or older. Scotch is some of the best stuff on earth!
Aberlour 16 year old and/or A'bunadh, for me. The 16 is super smooth, and the A'bunadh is straight from the cask, with higher alcohol content, with an oily, viscous pour, and flavor that hangs in your sinuses after you take a sip. The 12 year old is good too. Balvenie 12 year old is a good value for the money, too. If you have a Bevmo near you, try some of the un-chillfiltered stuff that they carry. It's much more tasty than the regular stuff. The Cragganmore and Caol Ila un-chillfiltered are my favorites.
Coop, your post is making me miss some very good times. All the above posts, really. I've made the switch to bourbon over the past few years, most often Makers or Bulleit, but I'm happy to confess my love for my dear Old Grand-Dad. too. I still love many a scotch, but budget, ease of access while traveling and a genuine appreciation for the efforts of the great state of Kentucky have all worked together to form my shift in brown. Just remembered another *h u g e* factor in the shift - living in Detroit on the edge of Windsor, time was crossing over the border to the duty-free didn't involve several hours of waiting and a trunk full of documents! Their GORGEOUS selection of scotch for nickles is now ten years past being just a whim away.
It's a long drive to Scotland from here! But I do like a nice drop of Glenlivit, Glenmorangie or Glenfiddich Shit I sound like I have a problem!!
Yes, of course I was generalising to all whiskeys, I figured otherwise this would be a pretty limited thread. As for my taste in Scotch then, my personal choice is the Glengoyne 14-yr manzanilla sherry cask. This is not something you can exactly find at your local corner store though. For anyone that has the chance to visit Scotland, I would highly recommend taking some time to do the malt whiskey trail. I was but a wee lad when I had the chance, but I think I could appreciate it on a whole different level now.
reviving this wonderful thread: By no means a connoisseur, but I do like a wee dram now and then. When I do, I usually go for the classic Laphroaig 10 year old. It was my first single malt and remains my choice of poison in the scotch dept. I love the bold, smoky peat, subtle sweetness and looong finish. For something other than scotch, and If I feel like something mild and clean - which usually goes down better with guests too - I very much enjoy the Suntory Chita Single Grain, with its mild caramel and honey notes. I often pick one up when travelling. I even prefer it to their more up-scale blended Hibiki Japanese Harmony and Hibiki Japanese Harmony Master’s Select. Though have yet to try their older blends. Anyways I thought I’d give the Laphroaig Quarter Cask a try this week. From the producer’s description it sounded intriguing: keeping Islay’s characteristic smoke, but with a softer and more velvety edge, with notes of toffee and caramel caused by the vanillas and tannins of the American oak casks. And I did like it. It paired very well with roasted nuts and an evening playing PS4 with the missus, but once the bottle is finished it’s back to the good ol’ 10 in a heartbeat.
All I drink is scotch and Heineken. While some heavy smoke and peat is nice on occasion, But I tend to stick to Speyside distilleries for my regular schedule. Balvenie double wood is my go to along with Dalwhinnie 15, a surprisingly inexpensive 15 year old. I would recommend both for someone looking for an ultrasmooth whiskey. You’ll probably never drink bourbon again.
Speaking of bourbon...I've decided to boycott anything coming out of Kentucky. And then expanded on that to only buy whiskeys from Scotland, Japan, or my home state of Oregon (would consider buying Washington too). I've gone through many different bottles trying to find something that, if not remarkable, is at least good. In the past few months I keep coming back to these: Bull Run Whiskey - Pinot Noir Finished: http://bullrundistillery.com/spirits/pinot-noir-finished-american-whiskey Crater Lake Rye: https://craterlakespirits.com/crater-lake-rye/ I'm not a wine person - at all. But the wine barrel finish on the Bull Run is really nice, and gives the whiskey a very rich and unique flavor. The Crater Lake Rye, on the other hand, is more crisp with a nice apple finish. These are my every-day-drinkers - which I limit to about $30/bottle. So there are probably some better Oregon whiskeys out there, but at those prices I'm more likely to pick up a bottle of scotch. I've tried several different Japanese bottles and Hibiki is the only thing I'd consider buying again...so thanks for the Suntory Chita suggestion @C E !
I hope you will enjoy it! And I'm glad to have four new bottles to try out thanks to yourself and Joe
Anyone tried Slane? Nice Irish whisky that is triple casked - raw oak, charred oak , then finish aging in port barrels. It’s a treat!