[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Scotch (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 6/22/2017 1:33:40 AM EDT
| Any Scotch drinkers? How do you drink it? I have a buddy always telling me to try McCallan. I have always been a beer drinker and thinking of trying it since beer gives me a killer headache now. How Scotch to drink it.....straight, on the rocks, etc. |
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We have a great forum on here called the "wine cellar" where we have a few recommendation threads that may help you out.
Beyond that, it is important to know that scotch varies widely depending on the region and distillation method. Islay single malts use peat in the process which adds a salty smokey flavor to the whisky. Some people love this (I do) other's detect a strong medicinal iodine from it. Other's like speyside (bready and sweet) or highland (known for using heavy sherry influence) or the subtle differences of the campbeltown whiskies. So just trying one, won't give you a big idea of what you like. For how to drink it, that is up to you. I hate cold whisky. To me it focuses the alcohol and ruins the flavor. Water is the more traditional addition to single malt, and the general rule is to add water until you enjoy it. |
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Haven't had any in a long time. Now days I typically drink Bourbon on the rocks so would do the same with Scotch.
ETA: I like my drinks cold thus the ice. And if have a choice whiskey stones yet I don't have any right now. Now Ice balls work cause they don't melt as fast as regular ice yet keep the drink cold. |
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Any Scotch drinkers? How do you drink it? I have a buddy always telling me to try McCallan. I have always been a beer drinker and thinking of trying it since beer gives me a killer headache now. How Scotch to drink it.....straight, on the rocks, etc. McCallan 12 is my go to "day to day" Scotch. I pour it room temp, add a bit of room temp water. JPK |
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Any Scotch drinkers? How do you drink it? I have a buddy always telling me to try McCallan. I have always been a beer drinker and thinking of trying it since beer gives me a killer headache now. How Scotch to drink it.....straight, on the rocks, etc. @simmoag Depends on the Whisky. Typically anything over 40% alcohol needs a few drops of water - over 40% and the alcohol can start to overpower the more subtle flavours. Adding a drop or two of water also serves the purpose of helping break up the meniscus of the whisky allowing it to breath and the flavours to open up. Adding ice is generally considered bad form, as it kills the flavours and dilutes the whisky to much. Having said that some whiskies come into their own with a cube of ice so follow the guidance on the table about how best to enjoy. Temperature is important. The colder it is the less detectable the more subtle flavours are. In terms of actually drinking it - people tend to jump right in and take a swig which is going to massively overpower your sense of smell and your tastebuds. The best way to drink it is to first smell the whisky - you will have one nostril that is more dominant than the other in terms of sensitivity to the aromas - as you swirl the whisky in the glass (a whisky tasting glass is perfect for this) the aromas will open up and you will be able to detect different notes such as vanilla, oak, leather, honey, smoke etc, depending on the whisky. When you take your first taste, take a really small sip and gently wish it around your mouth with your saliva allowing the flavours to coat your tongue. gradually increase the size of the sips to build up the intensity of the flavours. By doing this you will detect the more subtle flavours first. Remember to breath through your mouth and nose to get the full effect as a lot of your tasting sensation actually comes from the aromas picked up by your olfactory senses. If drinking a range of whiskies on a session, try to start with the more subtle and light whiskies first, saving the big hitting peaty flavours until last. Big heavy Peaty whiskies will blow your tastebuds and make it harder to test the more subtle flavours if you drink them first. When you finish the glass, fill it with water and drink the contents - this has two effects - firstly it washes out the glass ready for the next whisky and secondly you are taking on liquids to help offset the dehydration which will give you a whisky hangover. The worst hangovers I have ever had have been whisky hangovers - I've been sat on the toilet so dehydrated that I was farting dust, and my anus was trying to go down for a drink. Drink water between shots. 
Finally, measure your whiskies. In the UK we have units of alcohol - a single UK measure of whisky being roughly equivalent to a single unit of alcohol. A unit of alcohol tends to take about an hour to leave your body. When doing a tasting session we usually drink single measures so that we don't end up pissed as a fart and unable to do anything the next day as the whisky fog takes over your life. It means we can keep tabs on how much we've had to drink and not overdo it. Typical sesh: 
Enjoy 
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Sample a lot until you find what works for you. Some of my suggestions are...
Macallen 12 and 18 yo Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban Glenfiddich 15 yo Dalmore 12 yo Laphroaig 10 yo Lagavulin 16 yo That will give you a wide range of cheap but good to expensive but really good choices. |
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Fucking phone deleted my post.
You need to add water to scotch to open up the flavor profiles of whatever you are sampling. Start with a few drops. Some peat monsters you could taste if you added a fifth to a swimming pool and they would still be horribly strong for some people. I like cold drinks so I add an ice cube and drink up after a little has melted adding the right amount of H2O for me. My favorites are Glenfarclas Glenmorangie Bruichladdich Highland Park |
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Police your dupe police, Occifer.
Not a dupe. Not all Whisky, or Whiskey, is Irish.
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Police your dupe police, Occifer. Not a dupe. Not all Whisky, or Whiskey, is Irish. Quoted:
Not a dupe. Not all Whisky, or Whiskey, is Irish. |
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Dupe. Quoted:
Quoted:
Not a dupe. Not all Whisky, or Whiskey, is Irish. 
The only question is.......are you going to dupe dupe your dupe of a non-dupe non-dupe? 
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I have always been a Glenlivet drinker but was given a bottle of Tomatin 12 for my birthday and was quite surprised with it. For the price it was very good. Very nice Whisky. If you can get the Tomatin 14 then I'd recommend it.
The Japanese Whiskies are also worth a dabble. The Hibiki 17 is excellent as is the Yamazaki 18 - but they tend to be pricey. The Nikka Coffey Malt is also a worthy addition. If you like the idea of working up a taste for whisky and getting to know the differences and subtleties of the wide variety out there you can get some great books to work through. One of the better starting points would be a book called "101 Whiskies to try before you die" by Ian Buxton - You can normally get it on Amazon and there are updated editions which cater to the availability of whiskies that are out there now. It's a great introduction and not full of the usual pretentious wank that you get with some of these types of books. Gives some good taking notes, a bit of history about the distilleries and has a good section on how to drink whisky, how it is made and other trivia that makes an interesting read while you sample the variety of your choice. The whiskies are listed in alphabetical order, so there is no particular recommendation on which is best. This is good because it is a subjective decision for you to make based on your own personal tastes. 
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Bourbon got too sweet for my tastes.
Macallan's seems to be a good go-to scotch. 18 is wonderful, 12 is very good. Glenlivet is good as well. I even like the Dewar's 12 as my every day brand. Maybe find a bar having a scotch tasting and see what strikes you. Don't be afraid to evolve. No reason to not try new varieties as you mature in your scotch drinking. TC ETA: Agent Funky--I see a bottle of Deanston on your bar. I discovered that through a local tasting. Good stuff! Enjoy it in good health!
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Bourbon got too sweet for my tastes. Macallan's seems to be a good go-to scotch. 18 is wonderful, 12 is very good. Glenlivet is good as well. I even like the Dewar's 12 as my every day brand. Maybe find a bar having a scotch tasting and see what strikes you. Don't be afraid to evolve. No reason to not try new varieties as you mature in your scotch drinking. TC ETA: Agent Funky--I see a bottle of Deanston on your bar. I discovered that through a local tasting. Good stuff! Enjoy it in good health! 
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Navy pretty much covered it so I'll just throw some suggestions of unique ones to try.
Speyside: Aultmore 12 Highland: Clynelish 14 Islay: Lagavulin Distillers Edition Some of my favorites in my cabinet right now.
Cheers  Untitled by Shift_Six, on Flickr
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What you seek is right here
Neat at room temp with a little dark chocolate. |
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Macallan 18, neat, with a cigar (Padron or Ashton VSG). Doesn't get much better than that. Really good scotch doesn't need to be mixed with anything, and ice mutes the flavors and aromas. I absolutely love Macallan 18. always neat and occasionally with a splash of water to wake it up a bit. It's pretty spendy so I will save it for special occasions. I had 3 on election night.
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Navy pretty much covered it so I'll just throw some suggestions of unique ones to try. Speyside: Aultmore 12 Highland: Clynelish 14 Islay: Lagavulin Distillers Edition Some of my favorites in my cabinet right now.
Cheers https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/516/32456954381_9f521f8cd3_b.jpgUntitled by Shift_Six, on Flickr |
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I am an Islay malt fan, Lagavulin 16 being my all time favorite.
I never get between a man and him getting his drink on so these are just MY rules and not necessarily THE rules. -Cold kills. Ice = murder, meaning if I poured you some of my single malt and while I wasn't looking you threw ice in it, I would murder you. Not maim, not scar...murder. My favorite method lately being beating you to death with a pillow case fill of brass doorknobs. Whisky Stones and other such garbage so the same thing. Cold ruins the individual taste and subtleties that the distiller worked years to create. -Water. If you must (and depending on the scotch, I have) add water, a drop or two of distilled water does wonders to opening up some single malts. But don't go nutty and dilute it. -Blends. Blends are NOT the same as single malts. Even JWB. They do a great job however at keeping your windshield reservoir from freezing up in the winter. But again, if you want to take Macallan 25 and mix it over ice with Fresca, that's on you. Just make sure I'm not there with my pillowcase.
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Macallen 15 in oak is phenomenal. I also enjoy Glen Moray if you are just venturing in. The classic 12yr old will set you back roughly 25 bucks. The 16 about 50 bucks. If it is your thing you can go higher too. I hope to one day try the Macallen 25 but that carries a price tag I can't justify right now.
Find a bar or higher end restaurant in your area. They tend to have good selections and you can try by the glass, not bottle. |
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Macallen 15 in oak is phenomenal. I also enjoy Glen Moray if you are just venturing in. The classic 12yr old will set you back roughly 25 bucks. The 16 about 50 bucks. If it is your thing you can go higher too. I hope to one day try the Macallen 25 but that carries a price tag I can't justify right now. Find a bar or higher end restaurant in your area. They tend to have good selections and you can try by the glass, not bottle. |
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Macallen 15 in oak is phenomenal. I also enjoy Glen Moray if you are just venturing in. The classic 12yr old will set you back roughly 25 bucks. The 16 about 50 bucks. If it is your thing you can go higher too. I hope to one day try the Macallen 25 but that carries a price tag I can't justify right now. Find a bar or higher end restaurant in your area. They tend to have good selections and you can try by the glass, not bottle. Previous Kirkland Scotch offerings were reportedly Macallen. Don't know if the 25 y/o is. |
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Has he tried Laphroaig Quarter Cask? Quoted:
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My Pop likes the really smoky Islay scotches like Laphroig and Lagavulin. Little Brother got him a bottle of Oban 14, and it's become my favorite single-malt by far. |
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I like Black Label on the rocks.
That's a very out-of-style drink right now, currently everyone is touting the single malt types and drinking them neat. The problem with booze aficionados is that they get so faddish and high-hat that it becomes ridiculous. Everyone starts blowing out his o-ring trying to seem more expert and discriminating than the next guy. That's why wine tasting contests are useless unless they are double-blind. Because booze ratings are such egotistical and biased horseshit. If you want to see some real huge booze review horseshit, look at some vodka reviews. |
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I like Black Label on the rocks. That's a very out-of-style drink right now, currently everyone is touting the single malt types and drinking them neat. The problem with booze aficionados is that they get so faddish and high-hat that it becomes ridiculous. Everyone starts blowing out his o-ring trying to seem more expert and discriminating than the next guy. That's why wine tasting contests are useless unless they are double-blind. Because booze ratings are such egotistical and biased horseshit. If you want to see some real huge booze review horseshit, look at some vodka reviews. Gin is the new Vodka. Lots of people seem to be getting their wet on with verbose ramblings about some squashed fermented berries.
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And Gin. Gin is the new Vodka. Lots of people seem to be getting their wet on with verbose ramblings about some squashed fermented berries. I can't recommend your comment, however, because in spite of it's long, silky aftertaste, it has an almost too-polished corporate feel, it doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. I saw a vodka review recently that said that a vodka was "cloying, as if it wanted to be liked." 
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I find your comment to be authoritative, with some muted chocolate and cinnamon notes, a slight floral nose and mildly medicinal finish. I can't recommend your comment, however, because in spite of it's long, silky aftertaste, it has an almost too-polished corporate feel, it doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. I saw a vodka review recently that said that a vodka was "cloying, as if it wanted to be liked." |
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Fucking phone deleted my post. You need to add water to scotch to open up the flavor profiles of whatever you are sampling. Start with a few drops. Some peat monsters you could taste if you added a fifth to a swimming pool and they would still be horribly strong for some people. I like cold drinks so I add an ice cube and drink up after a little has melted adding the right amount of H2O for me. My favorites are Glenfarclas Glenmorangie Bruichladdich Highland Park |