What whiskey for Burns Supper?

[ohiopiper]

So here's my requirements:
it can't cost a mint. While i do want to offer a decent drink to my guests, I have bills to pay!

People have to drive home after the supper. Getting loaded isn't exactly a really good option, so buying a bottle will suffice, not a cask (or even half cask).

I live in a rural town, but our local liqour store will special order almost anything.

I must admit to not being a connessour of whiskey. I drink Jack Daniels mostly when i do drink and Johny Walker on special ocassions. Or whatever a host happens to have on hand!

[ForresterModern]

Sounds like something relatively common but not "generic" should meet your needs, as there will obviously be a variety of tastes among your guests. I assume you are desiring single malt rather than a blend, as I am not greatly experienced on the blendeds. My suggestion would be the generally 10-12 yr old varieties of Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, Glenfiddich, Macallan, Aberlour or Balvenie. Should you desire to venture a little further afield consider the basic offerings of Talisker, Oban, Cragganmore, Tobermory, Dalwhinnie, Glenfarclas, Auchentoshan, Glenkinchie, Highland Park, Laphroaig or Lagavulin, as these will be a little further from the "typical" popular single malts yet still likely in a similar or slightly higher price range and nearly as available as the first list. Should you desire to make it a more theme driven tasting you might consider acquiring various bottlings of one distillery in different finishes, in which case I would recommend trying the various bottlings of Glenmorangie (my personal favorite) Lasanta, Quinta Ruban, Sonnalta, and Finnealta which are all finish casked in different european wine butts (2 different varieties of sherry, port, and madeira casks), although with this idea your expenses would go up as these are more expensive bottlings, but truly special and contrasting. I doubt you would need or desire to go much further than the above list, although I know that others will chime in with their specific favorites as I am sure I have left many off the list.

Good luck, and I hope all goes well with the dinner. You are good person for hosting the event, and asking for help with your whisky choice to help make the event a memorable one for your guests.

By the way I used to frequent Garrettsville regularly as a youth, as I was raised in the nearby Warren, and we played the local high school in all the major sports events back in the day (read mid 1970's). Rural, but in a good way, and still a lovely part of the world. Nearby Ravenna, Newton Falls or Warren liquor stores should be able to flesh out your liquor needs quite well I would guess, if you local shop is not up to the task.

Have fun

Jeff

[artificer]

Without knowing your guests and THEIR level of appreciation for the more "unusual" tastes that some finer Scotches can possess (Islay's peat and iodine, for example)-

I'd say play it safe. One of the Glenmorangies, like Lasanta with it's sherry finish, or Nectar D'Or which is finished in Sauterne both lend a sweetness to the Scotch that might be more appealing to less well-versed tipplers.


The Macallan 12 Year Fine Oak is also a nice twist on something beginning enthusiasts might have had ( the standard 12yr Sherry finish).

If your group is a little more well versed options open WAY out.

ith:

Edit: I see ForesterModern has beaten me to the punch I must be typing slowly this morning.

[ForresterModern]

Without knowing your guests and THEIR level of appreciation for the more "unusual" tastes that some finer Scotches can possess (Islay's peat and iodine, for example)-

I'd say play it safe. One of the Glenmorangies, like Lasanta with it's sherry finish, or Nectar D'Or which is finished in Sauterne both lend a sweetness to the Scotch that might be more appealing to less well-versed tipplers.


The Macallan 12 Year Fine Oak is also a nice twist on something beginning enthusiasts might have had ( the standard 12yr Sherry finish).

If your group is a little more well versed options open WAY out.

ith:

Edit: I see ForesterModern has beaten me to the punch I must be typing slowly this morning.

Thanks Scott, I knew I had forgotten one of the better of Glenmorangie's special finishes, the Nector D'or is indeed special and worthy of inclusion in my original list.

jeff

[creagdhubh]

I am partial to Dalwhinnie.

[pascs]

I recently bought Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban, a 12 year old and extra matured in port casks, might be a bit pricey for a large number of guests but as its from near my home town so I'm always keen to recommend a local whisky

[Livingston]

Nice suggestions above but for me, the best price would be on Lismore. Here in Colorado I get it for under $19 for a 750ml bottle. The 21 yo Lismore runs about $90 and is very good also.

[Joshua]

If you are staying on a budget and keeping it palatable to all-comers, I would suggest:

The Singleton by Glendullan 12yr - Fairly inexpensive (+/- $40) in my neck of the woods, very smooth, medium smokey but not excessively peaty. This is my current tipple and I'm very surprised (and a little disappointed) that I hadn't discovered it sooner.

Glenmorangie 12yr - Used to be inexpensive but has climbed up a little in recent years (+/- $50). Mild, smooth, slightly sweet. I compare it to most of the "Glens" as being "Twice the scotch at half the price", but the secret is out and the price is about the same.

The Macallan Cask Strength - Not unreasonably expensive (+/- $60), but quite "hot" - will appreciate being "opened" with a very small amount of bottled spring water if your guests find this particular whisky too potent.

If all else fails, The Glenlivet 12yr is going for about $40/bottle here, or $70 for the BIG bottle. It's a classic, and has been known to be fairly palatable to most American whiskey/bourbon drinkers.

There are a few more I'd suggest if I knew recent prices. Being that I have a taste for the more aggressive smokey/peaty whiskys, I don't shop for the mellow stuff that often.

[Orvis]

For a before-dinner whisky (in lieu of cocktails), I'd choose a nice light Speyside. Balvenie 12-year-old Double Wood is a favorite of mine, but even Glen Garioch 8-year-old is eminently drinkable (and doesn't cost that much - about $25/bottle in Virginia ABC stores). For after dinner, I would choose Laphroaig 10 or 15, but any of the Islay whiskies would serve this purpose well. Or, consider an after-dinner liqueur instead of whisky - Drambuie (neat or on the rocks) fills the bill admirably with its sweet fire.

[Singlemalt]

Interesting responses from a Whiskey connoisseurs point of view but how about the literary experts. We know that Burns enjoyed the water of life (perhaps too much), but did he ever mention one of the distilleries or types of whiskey by name in any of his writings? If such "product placement" occurred in his poems it seems to me that that would be the appropriate one.