First impressions of scotch

[Steve of Lansing]

I opened up that bottle of Cardhu I posted about the other day and had my first bit of it over ice.

It was so different than the Tennessee and Kentucky stuff I'm used to, I almost wouldn't have thought it was whiskey, if I hadn't poured it myself. I figured it was going to be at least somewhat different given the following that it has, but I really didn't think it would be that dramatically different!

The smell was sweet and something else. My vocabulary only allows me to use the word "musty" but I don't think that quite gets it right. There wasn't a flavor to go with that smell, but if I breathed out though my nose I got the same smell with another one that reminded me of moist earth. It wasn't unpleasant, but it was really unexpected and confusing enough that I double checked the glass to make certain nothing foreign had found it's way into it.

The aftertaste was my favorite. It went from the whiskey/moist earth flavor/smell to a really pleasant sweet flavor and then just went away, and that's how I knew I was ready for the next sip!

All said, I think me and scotch are gonna get along just fine!

[guardsman]

Take a breath after tasting, brings it out . Try chilled water instead if ice. scotch is like brandy , best not too chilled . But theres a whiskey for every taste Slanje

[artificer]

Earthy, a little smokey and a touch of sweetness? Sounds about right. Welcome to Whisky, you have a long and enjoyable challenge of experiencing new flavours ahead of you, if you choose to accept it.

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[Piipriker]

... I almost wouldn't have thought it was whiskey, ...

Well, it isn't. It's Whisky. There is not only a difference in spelling

But you enjoyed it, that's the important part. Now on to new adventures in the world of whisky, there is so much to discover.

[New World Czech]

The wonderful thing about scotch is you can have a wonderful tour of Scotland with many different smells and tastes. Welcome to another great experience kilts and scotch.

[Dajo95]

I'm new to tasting as well and there are others with a great deal more knowledge than me in the matter but I believe that musty, earthiness you experienced is partly caused from the peat they use to dry the malted barley. There is never enough to be said about Scotch Whisky. I think I enjoy it more and more not just because of any one taste but because of the multitude of tastes. Enjoy!

[chewse]

Oh so very true! Where as Tennessee whiskey and Kentucky bourdons seem to have a very predictable range of tastes, Scotch very much represents the region in which it was distilled; sweeter, fruity flavors in the Highlands Scotch to more smoky, salty flavors in the Islay and western coasts Scotch.

[Mark E.]

I drink American Wild Turkey (101, not the 80 proof stuff), Jameson for medicinal purposes, and now and again, Rebel Yell. I also drive a Jeep-My comparison of the variety of Scots whiskys vs the American whiskeys is this:

You can get the job done, or thoroughly enjoy the ride. Think Jeep (the old variety!) vs. Rolls Royce.

[ctbuchanan]

I think of it more as a Jeep vs. Land Rover Defender.

[Mickey]

The best part of Scotch is the incredible variety. To me, bourbons, whiskeys, vodkas, tequilas, etc are all basically the same. The biggest difference being quality among brands.

With Scotch though... the differences between them all can be night and day depending on what you like. Some are sweet, some are earthy, some are laid back, some explode. I once found one (can't remember what it was) that a friend of mine loved, that I couldn't get past a couple of sips because of the amount of peatiness. It was like sucking on charcoal. It wasn't "bad", just not to my liking.

You will spend a very long time trying them all and trying to find a favorite. It's a wonderful road to follow