What Wee Dram are you enjoying now?

[Megawatt]

You got the HP for a GREAT price and the Mac is way over-priced where ever you are shopping. The Mac should be in the $125 area and the HP 18 runs near $80.

The Macallan 18 is $279.95 over here

[unclebunk]

I knocked off the last of a bottle of Highland Park 12 last night. It had been a gift from a wonderful Glaswegian (former) girlfiend of mine, so it saddened me to see it go. Alas, all good bottles must come to an end. Once I stopped crying I poured myself two fingers of Black Bottle for a nightcap. Man, that stuff sure is drinkable and a hell of a bargain at $18!

[dean_martin]

I picked up a bottle of Balvenie doublewood 12 last night. Hope to try a little taste tonight. The manager at the liquor store suggested that I track down the Dec'08 issue of Men's Health for an excellent article on Scotch. Anybody see that article?

[unclebunk]

I picked up a bottle of Balvenie doublewood 12 last night. Hope to try a little taste tonight. The manager at the liquor store suggested that I track down the Dec'08 issue of Men's Health for an excellent article on Scotch. Anybody see that article?

Didn't see the article but I LOVE the Balvenie DoubleWood. I had it two nights ago, along with a few fingers of Aberlour 16. Heaven!

[dean_martin]

Didn't see the article but I LOVE the Balvenie DoubleWood. I had it two nights ago, along with a few fingers of Aberlour 16. Heaven!

It's good to hear some praise for the Balvenie DoubleWood. This is only my second bottle of Scotch. First was Bowmore 12. Quite an experience. I'm picking up a bottle of Highland Park 12 later today and I may do some comparison tasting among all 3 tonight if the wife doesn't keep me out too late.

The Balvenie DoubleWood is on our ABC price list for $51.99. Fortunately, I live on the AL/FL line. I can get it in Pensacola (easy drive) at a privately owned store operated by friendly folks (unlike some state store employees I've come across lately) for $39.99. What are prices like in Chicago?

[unclebunk]

It's good to hear some praise for the Balvenie DoubleWood. This is only my second bottle of Scotch. First was Bowmore 12. Quite an experience. I'm picking up a bottle of Highland Park 12 later today and I may do some comparison tasting among all 3 tonight if the wife doesn't keep me out too late.

The Balvenie DoubleWood is on our ABC price list for $51.99. Fortunately, I live on the AL/FL line. I can get it in Pensacola (easy drive) at a privately owned store operated by friendly folks (unlike some state store employees I've come across lately) for $39.99. What are prices like in Chicago?

I think I paid something in the neighborhood of $40 as well for the Balvenie DoubleWood which isn't too bad. Listen, I'm not sure how much experience you have drinking scotch, but Bowmore and Highland Park 12 (to a lesser extent) are sort of heavy hitters for novices, in that they can be quite "peaty" for those folks unfamiliar with that somewhat intense flavor/aroma. My Scottish relatives did me a disservice by starting me off with Laphroaig and Talisker--way too heavy for most newcomers. I would recommend a few more Speysides first, which tend towards the slightly more "honeyish" side which may appeal more to bourbon drinkers who get a bit of sweetness in most pours. Try the Aberlour 16--it's killer. Then maybe a Macallan 12 which introduces a bit more smokiness but is still very approachable. I personally don't care for most Islays (I know--heresy to say that), so I hated the Bowmore, but Highland Park 12 is considered a classic and rightly so. Then you can work your way towards the Taliskers and so on and perhaps enjoy them a bit more. Just a suggestion, for what it's worth.

[dean_martin]

I did a lot of reading on the Islay single-malts and the tastes described intrigued me to the point where I wanted to experience it myself. The Bowmore had all those tastes - smoke, peat - that kept coming back to me for a couple of days. It won't be a regular pour, but I can see getting the urge to go back to it. I guess I had read enough to not be jolted, but I really didn't believe what I'd read 'til I tried it. Heck, even my wife was intrigued enough to try it and she appreciated the fact that she could taste the peat and the smoke even though she may never want to taste it again.

Trying this stuff was really happenstance. At the same time I was reading up on single-malts and mentioning some of the unique qualities of those from Islay to my wife, she was reading a novel that was set in Scotland which mentioned the locals burning peat for heating and the smells, etc. Curiosity got the best of us.

My brother came over and tried the Bowmore earlier this week. We discussed the tastes beforehand so he wouldn't be caught off guard. he said it was the only drink he'd had that produced a vivid painting in his mind. I think he mentioned waves beating against a rocky coastline, salt spray, an old wooden ship, etc. (I try not to get into his head. One could get lost in there.)

[Megawatt]

Funny how some people take to smoky malts right away and others are repelled by them initially. I couldn't stand Lagavulin at first and even Highland Park was a little too smoky, but now these are some of my favourites.

[Gov]

Incidentally, how is Cutty Sark? I was considering it for a cheap weeknight sipper. Does it stack up well against other cheap blends? Or should I take your comment to mean that it does not?

Cutty is very boring and lacking in flavor. That being said, it is drinkable, but there are way better cheap blends out there to be drunk.

[Megawatt]

Cutty is very boring and lacking in flavor. That being said, it is drinkable, but there are way better cheap blends out there to be drunk.

I will avoid it for sure, then. Cheap blends are always a risk, I find. For around the same price there are good Canadian whiskies and McClelland's single malts, so I'll probably stick with those.