Timchen, Jim Murray's "Complete Guide to Whiskey" is a comprehensive and enjoyable introduction to whiskeys - Scotch, Irish, Bourbon, Rye and Canadian.
Best single-malt Scotch...
I have to give credit to Redwiki for the inspiration to start this thread. Yes, certain malts better compliment certain music or certain moods. Of the fifteen or so different malts in my cabinet right now, my favorites are: Aberlour "Antique", similar to the popular Macallan, but not as syrupy; a bit drier, light hearted and less complicated; great with Mozart and Brubeck. Mortlach "Limited Edition" cask strength. Powerful, smoky, mysterious. Great with Bartok, Berg and late 'Trane. Loch Morar 25 yr old. Incredibly complex and intense, with a hint of honey and flowers. Great with Poulenc, Stravinsky and Bill Evans. Any other single-malt aficionados out there?
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Hbarrel, I've always far preferred the 18 year old Glenmorangie to the 10 year old. Do you prefer the 10? I'd love to hear your comparison of the two, if you've tried them both, which I'm confident you have. In other news, Lagavulin 16, which definitely shows as a favorite in this thread, is no longer available (at least in the USA). It is sorely missed. As for my own favorites... 1) Laphroaig 10 yr. (Although it seems to have lost some of its world-famous attack over the past 15 years.) 2) Springbank. Any vintage you can get your hands on. I've always loved the 15 yr. old. Does anyone else taste licorice here? 3) Royal Lochnagar. 10 years old, although I don't think it carries an age statement, has always been a favorite of mine. 4) Talisker. What else tastes ANYTHING like Talisker? Tom |
Yesterday I hosted a group of audiophiles for a whisky tasting. We tried a number of special cask strength bottlings that have recently been released in Canada. These included: Convalmore 24 Blair Athol 27 Brora 20 Brora 30 Port Ellen 24 Talisker 20 We started with a normal-strength Clynelish 14 that was thought very nice at first, but was handily shown off by the later drams. The "winner" was a tossup between the Port Ellen and the Brora 20. Very different whiskies, each of which had as much to offer. The Brora was rich, full and warm, while the Port Ellen was more complex but austere. The other two top picks were the Convalmore and the Talisker. A number of them benefitted from adding a drop or two of water. The disappointment of the batch was the Brora 30. It was over the hill and had started to fall apart, both in the nose and on the palate. Three we didn't get to because it became just too much of a good thing was a flight of three Caol Ila bottlings - a 12, an 18 and an undated cask strength. We're saving those for a later date, possibly to comapare with a Lagavullin 12 cask strength that was also set aside. Mixed with a generous helping of music, it was a memorable afternoon and a perfect way to kick off the Christmas party season! |
For me, Macallan 21 year old. Light color and fantastic taste, with a very smooth peaty finish. For a little less money, the 18 year old is a VERY close second, just not quite as smooth. For something completely different, the Talisker as mentioned above, is a strong, very peaty, whisky. Nothing else like it! Depends on your mood, maybe what your listening to. Talisker for Wagner, Macallan for Baroque music? Regards! |
Okay, Gliderguider, I had never heard of "Sheep Dip", but I just called and am having the local liquor purveyor try and order me some. They said it should be pretty inexpensive...bonus. I've got to have some around, if nothing else, just for the name! ;-) I'll try it with "Swordfishtrombones" as soon as it comes in. Regards and thanks for turning me on to a new scotch. |
I'm on my last night of a business trip to LA and a Welsh friend of ours brought me a bottle of Edradour which I won't crack until I arrive back home tomorrow. From what I understand Edradour is the smallest distillery in Scotland with a "family" workforce of four. I'm looking forward to sampling it while I listen to some good jazz this weekend. |
Lagavulin 16yr for my "everyday" with an occasional Springbank 12yr if I'm looking for something a little lighter. Wow have the Springbanks really increased in price recently? I have an uncracked bottle of a 1977 single-cask Bruichladdich from Cadenheads bottled in 1998 that I just can't bring myself to open. "Cask strength" at 108 proof that one. |
provided it doesn't go in the glass. Redkiwi, a man after my own heart ! I don't add a drop of water even when it's Cask Strength Macallan Cask Strength photo |
Luap, if you like Scapa you'll probably love its Orkadian neighbor, Highland Park. It's smokiness is delightful, much more delicate than the Islays, with an outstanding finish. Great character. Albert, I agree about the Cask Strength Macallan. But if money is not an issue I would recommend you try Bushmill's Single Cask Single Malt - aged in either rum, sherry or port casks. 108 proof and arguably one of the finest whiskeys available, certainly the finest I've enjoyed. Not cheap at $200+, four times the cost of the Macallan - and not a daily sipper - but worth every last cent. And I recently scored a couple of bottle of Edradour's cask strength...wonderful stuff. |
Went recently to a whiskey festival in Leiden, Holland. Their special offer was a (small) bottle of special Highland Park, 16 years old. Ater (too much) tasting I decided to buy a bottle. It still sits in my cupboard waiting 'till that special occasion. Anyway, the festival was so nice, I'm going to attend another one in Brussels, Belgium in three weeks. I wonder what I end up buying this time..... |
Oh dear god... No water for cask strength whisky? Its wrong in my book--the intense alcohol content blows away your taste buds; you get much more flavor from a light touch of water. Don't ask me, ask the Scots... Then again, I was recently in a shop that specialized in a lot of private label bottlings and ended up seriously confused. They had a bunch of stuff at about 90 proof labeled "Cask Strength," which is total BS. Cask Strength generally clocks in at about 70-85 *percent* alcohol, which means 140 to 170 proof, if I do my math right. I'm thinking a bunch of "cask strength" bottlings are pre-watered down in any event. I was seriously bummed leaving that place... I thought I'd totally scored when I found a private label bottling of a 35 year old Macallan for about $299, but when I opened the box to look at it, the bottle was clearly not aged in sherry casks... just new oak. Its *not* the same. That store, however, will always find a soft spot in my heart. About 10 years ago I wandered in there and picked up three fifths of an Adelphia bottling of 32 year old Springbank at cask strength for only $180 a bottle. Its gone now, but that had to be the damn finest dram that ever touched my palate... |
Edsilva, Where was that shop! The only placse I know like that are in London, Cadenhead's comes to mind, and another one in Kensington too but I always forget it's name. FWIW 'Cask stregth' IS NOT the same as 'single cask' which is what you are describing, ie straight from the cask. They don't usually run as high as 75% EtOH though, but can be up to about 70%. I agree with you on the water as well, and yes, the Scots would laugh at you if you drank single cask without any! |
Mmm... single cask is different... Something can be cask strength, but still blended from among a number of similarly aged to even out the flavor--I'd almost guarantee that Macallan's 15yo "cask strength" offering is a single malt cask strength, but from multiple casks. The single cask is more typical of private label bottlings because their bread and butter is buying abberrant casks that the distillers/blenders don't find it economical to use... "Look in this corner, we just found a 20 year old cask... worth too much to put it in our 18yo single malt bottling, and there isn't enough to warrant a new offering--sell it to the private labeler, who will do a run of 100 bottles." I had thought whisky in cask could go up to the 80 percent range... I swear I had a bottle that was labeled 80% or something. I may be misremembering, but it seems strange that the variations are so huge--I check a bottle of the Macallan 15yo cask strength and I think that was over 100 proof. Doesn't seem right that a bottle labeled "cask strength" should be at 86 proof when most bottled single malts are in the 80-84 proof range. The shop I was referring to is in DC--around 24th and M Sts NW, although I'll be dammed if I can remember the name--maybe the Wine Specialist? |
interesting read about your favourite malts. just as a side note. folks, remember - theres lotsa counterfeit whisky on the market, it a big business, just like counterfeit smokes etc. its possible, that somewhere along the line you inadvertantly purchased a black market bottle here and there (with some unaccurately made up label on it). this merchandise does get into shops, unless a given shop is a very respectable joint of course... |
A lot of the distilleries are offering their own cask strength or special bottlings these days--those are going to be really safe. But, I see your point with respect to the private labelings... With that said, there are reputable specialty bottlers. The Springbank 32yo cask strength I got, for example, was an Adelphia bottling. While Adelphia, to my knowledge, has now turned to dust, at the time it was a respected private labeler. There are also other specialty private label bottlers--Cadenhead, McMurry & McDavid to name a few--where you are pretty well assured that what you are getting is what it says on the label. Unfortunately, the label may be right, but the scotch may not be what you expect--may have been an experiment by the distillery using a different type of cask, for example. Still, they are interesting to try... |
I'm a long time Bourbon drinker. I must admit to being intimidated by the price and selection of singe malts. Also, I once had a near death(but not near enough) hangover experience, resulting from some sadistic concoction called a "Rusty Nail"(Scotch and Drambuie). I was recently introduced to the "Highland Park 18yr" and was impressed enough to research Scotch on the internet. This morning, I drove to my favorite spirit merchant who generously guided me through an impromptu tasting. I sipped several fine single malts selected to introduce me to the different styles and regions. It wasn't long before I found myself comparing everything to the "Laphroaig quarter cask". It was like being at some social event, where your expected to mingle, but find yourself unable to take your mind off one particular lady in the room. So, I'm seeking advice. This is probably a dumb question to ask a bunch of audiophiles but here it goes: Should I be contented with heaven or search for the best neighborhood in heaven. What next? |
Phaelon, what bourbon do you prefer, I hope you've tried the Small Batch Collection, ie, Knob Creek, Basil Hayden,Booker's or Bakers...Knob is exceptional, especially for manhattans, named for a creek on the land Abe Linclon was born, Bookers is/was made by Booker Noe, Jim Beam's grandson who unfortuantely passed away in 2005, argueably the best bourbon in the world, only one uncut and unfiltered from the barrel, Basil Hayden is Old Grand-dad, probably seen that one out there, Basil has a higher rye content making it a little lighter, similar to Maker's Mark, and Baker's is made by Baker Beam, Jim Beam's grand nephew, using a yeast that's been alive for over 50 years...I know sounds like I'm a professional but just a bourbon lover! |
Phaelon, Basil Hayden is the best of the bunch, in my opinion. Wonderful stuff. As for single malts, I invite you to take a look at my system photos: http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vaslt&1130505439&view Note the LP rack...and half of the whisky collection on top :) (the other half is on the other side of the room). By the way, the second bottle from the lower left is Basil Hayden. You should, in my opinion, test the Scotch waters further. Single malt whisky has a wider range of flavors and aromas than any other spirit, and some of the best aren't necessarily that expensive. Slainte! |
For a birthday present, I'm now a member of the http://www.smwsa.com, single malt whiskey society of america, which is a branch of the official society in the UK. One gets a free bottle of their cask-strenth hand-picked whiskey. Yum! It's a whole different ballgame out there beyond MacCallun 18-year stuff. This free bottle totally blows away anything I've ever bought in a store! |
Absolutely agree, Pardales. Hardly an inexpensive whiskey but worth the bucks. The only way I can get it is to have my son track it down in CA. WA's state liquor board controls imports and this is one of many whiskies that I can't purchase here. There is an 18 year old with rum finish available which I've had the chance to sample. A bit long in the tongue for me but Aberlour's 15 is very good. FWIW, my greatgrandfather was born in Aberlour, or Charleston on Aberlour. |
