Question for the single malt gurus

**Pour1Malt** · 7th February 07, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by mang1974

I'm not much of Scotch drinker either, but I gave a bottle of the Balvenie Double Wood 12 year to a friend for his wedding, and we shared a dram or two. I thought it was pretty good.

My parents brought back a bottle of Mortlach when they visited Scotland in 1995. My brother and I tried it with a little water at Christmas that year, and it was very good.

just finished a malt tastin wi' Balvenie's Master Blender last weekend...

the winners o' the nicht were the Dooble Wood 12 yr auld an the New Wood 17 yr auld....

an Mortlach?

in the younger years (12-15) it is very guid... after 25 years it is amazin'!

slainte

**Macman** · 7th February 07, 11:28 AM

There is GOOD Scotch and BAD scotch.

MrBill

MrBill, that reminds me of something I read somewhere:
"There's whisky, and there's guid whisky, but there's nae bad whisky!"
I don't know that I agree with it, but there it is.

**Kilted KT** · 7th February 07, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by Dirka Skene

I've always been a rum-girl. I tried my first Irish whisky a couple weeks ago thanks to Beuth Sim. I've still got more taste-testing to do. I would like to try a good scotch.

try Caol Ila 17yr old. it is very smooth, not quote as powerful as Laphroaig, but it does have a very distinct Islay feel to it.

**Livingston** · 7th February 07, 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by mbhandy

There is GOOD Scotch and BAD scotch.

MrBill

To slightly miss-quote someone I worked with a few lifetimes ago, the WORST Scotch I ever had was D#$N good.

Of course those at the lower end of good I'll drink with water and ice. BUT the single malts are another story. My wife and I will pick a different one each time we head to the package store just so we can try something new. She has settled on Glenlivet 12 as her malt of choice. Me, I'll go for Oban, Craganmore, Glenfiddich, Glenmoragie Port/Sherry, Balvine 21, Talisker and many more. But my vary favorite, to quote him again, is OP.........other peoples

Much less expensive that way.

**Fearnest** · 7th February 07, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by Livingston

To slightly miss-quote someone I worked with a few lifetimes ago, the WORST Scotch I ever had was D#$N good.

Of course those at the lower end of good I'll drink with water and ice. BUT the single malts are another story. My wife and I will pick a different one each time we head to the package store just so we can try something new. She has settled on Glenlivet 12 as her malt of choice. Me, I'll go for Oban, Craganmore, Glenfiddich, Glenmoragie Port/Sherry, Balvine 21, Talisker and many more. But my vary favorite, to quote him again, is OP.........other peoples

Much less expensive that way.

That's how I feel about (most) beers - my two favorites? Free beer, and cheap beer.

**Big Mikey** · 7th February 07, 04:53 PM

Just to mix things up a bit. A superb scotch is Glen Ord, IMHO. It is a sherry cask finished dram that is smooth but assertive. For the rum drinkers, I suggest Goslings Black Seal. It is excellent straight up or mixed with what you like. Slainte!

**Warhoover** · 7th February 07, 08:51 PM

Originally Posted by Big Mikey

I suggest Goslings Black Seal. It is excellent straight up or mixed with what you like. Slainte!

GOOD CHOICE Big Mikey!!! I got hooked on Goslings Black Seal the first time I was deployed to Bermuda in the early 80's, always managed to get a few bottles home every time we went there, before it was imported here in the States. Love to mix with some Ginger Beer and make what the bartender at the Enlisted Club on base called a "Dark and Stormy"!!!! That and Rum Swizzle kept my friends and I quite "fueled" during deployments. Good Memories!!

On another note, I am sitting here enjoying a sizable dram of my new 10yr old Laphroaig, since the bairn are now tucked away in bed. All I can say is that this elixir is going to have a permanent spot in me liquor cabinet. Think I am enjoying it too much. hee hee is that possible? I am looking forward to trying some of the others that P1M and others have suggested.

I was sitting here working on learning "Will ye no come back to me" on my practice chanter. Having too much fun humming it and enjoying me dram! "Bonnie Charlie's now away, safely o'er the friendly main......"
Slainte mhath!

**Pour1Malt** · 8th February 07, 01:02 AM

rum drinkers shuid also try...

Bladnoch Distillery's "Jamacia Me Crazy Mon!" 15 year auld malt...
aged in Jamacian rum casks....

it's brill...

(ya may have tae gae tae the distillery (arr Ferintosh) tae fin' it though....)

**Eujeankilt** · 8th February 07, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by Warhoover

First let me say I am very wet behind the ears here when it comes to whisky. Have been a perpetual embiber of rum and "tekillya" for many years. A friend many moons ago (15 yrs) gave me a bottle of 12 y.o. Glenlivet. I had tried it several times and "ok" with it. Since coming here to Xmarks I have read the threads on single malts and noticed that some guys enjoy the 12y.o. Glenlivet, so I got it out of the back of the cupboard and decided I would see if my palate had matured some. Well, I poured a couple of ounces and proceeded to give it a go and my first impression was it was like my mouth was being attacked! But, I continued telling myself it was an adjustment thing. The only way I can describe it is that it has very strong "bite" to me, almost "abusive". I am sorry I don't know how to describe it. I really need to read up on it more.
Anyway, this past weekend I was going to a friends birthday party and stopped by a liquor store to pick him up a liter of his favorite ( and one of mine) Captain Morgan's. I walked by the Scotch case and I noticed Laphroaig. I had heard about it, read about it on here, and saw a show on the History Channel that talked about it. So, what the hey I picked up a bottle of the 10 year old. When I got home, I tried a small dram. A totally different experience. Smooth! Complex flavor, none of that real harsh bite I got from the Glenlivet. I LIKE IT!!!
My question is this, I have read on here that the Islay Malts are something you have to grow into basically. Why would I then not take a liking to the Glen but immediatley enjoy Laphroaig? Is my palate that much out of whack?

Brad

This is similar to what happened to me. I was given a bottle of Glen Fiddich when I left a job 11 years ago and managed to drink it over several months, but I wasn't sure I liked it. After getting into kilts and XMarks, I read posts about Whisky and decided to try again. A year ago New Years Eve we stopped in a nice bar for a drink before the opera and they had Laphroaig. (I had recently become a friend of Laphroaig courtesy of a member here). I swear I could smell it before it got to the table. It captivated me. Since then I've tried 15 or 20 different malts. For some of us, it's like kilts. Once you start, you can't stop. For those who don't like it, that's more for me

Enjoy!

Dale