overall scotches to try

[racer]

I'm going to suggests some scotch for scotch newbies, hopefully someone will suggest some bourbons for a bourbon newbie. The Highland Park is considered to give an overall general impression of single malt scotch. But to get an idea of what a malt is, try Glen Deveron(very malty). You will have to search, but they will be a learning experience. Now, some bourbon suggestions, pretty please!

[bobbyc]

Welcome Racer, May I suggest that you go to the thread Show us Your Stash in general bourbon topics and try anything you see a picture of an open bottle of. Murphydawg's stash for instance would serve as a great point to start the bourbonic adventure as well as a great ending to the bourbonic adventure. What I am trying to say more specifically is he has a good cross section with the styles represented in a balanced way. All are keepers , you may like some better than others for different reasons. If you didn't like 90 % of them then The bourbonic adventure would be more or less over. Jeff has a great stash as well as J. Butler. You can take clues there. Paradox has a phenominal stash but since he has sealed ones you can't tell which he likes to drink. However any that you see there are no doubt good ones as well. Otherr than that you can search this forum by brand, top five , favorite distillery etc. We've all wieghed in every way we can, and no one is bashfull about saying they found a good one.

[MurphyDawg]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />

Murphydawg's stash for instance would serve as a great point to start the bourbonic adventure as well as a great ending to the bourbonic adventure.

[bluesbassdad]

Racer,

I have a theory that fans of scotch may have different preferences in bourbon than someone who is graduating, if that's the right word, from beer to bourbon.

Recently I commented that Eagle Rare Single Barrel 10 year-old reminded me of cognac or even Macallan 12, with its sherry influence. If you are a Mac fan, then perhaps, so my theory goes, you may find ERSB to your liking.

Another bourbon that seems (to my taste) to be outside the mainstream and likely to appeal to a scotch drinker (I hope Linn doesn't read this; he'll put out a hit on me ), is Virginia Gentleman 90 proof six year-old.

If you are a fan of the peaty scotches, of which I am familiar only with the Lagavulin 16 year old, then I would have a harder time coming up with a guess as to which bourbons you might favor.

For a broad spectrum of bourbon flavors at reasonable prices, see my post "Starter Kit for Scotch Drinkers", where I illustrate my question about scotch by providing a list of bourbons that I might consider a starter kit. One note: I mistakenly wrote "Old Taylor" when I meant "Old Charter".

Of course, if you are accustomed to paying $30-40 or so a bottle for scotch without flinching (as your recommendation of Highland Park suggests), then you might as well start at that level with bourbon, where you can get some really top-notch bottlings.

In that case, might I suggest the following:

1. Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit (It may all be downhill after you try this one.)

2. Rock Hill Farms or Blanton's (I prefer the former because of its ooomph; many who are more experienced than I prefer the latter because of its complexity and balance.)

3. Old Rip Van Winkle 10 year-old, 107 proof.

4. Wathen's

5. Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 year-old (I know; it's not bourbon, but I've yet to hear of a bourbon drinker who doesn't like it. Buy it while you can; when it's gone, there won't be any more.)

6. George T. Stagg (This is a recent, limited, barrel-proof bottling from Buffalo Trace, and it has caused such a stir that it may all be gone. If you're lucky enough to find it; buy it. However, you may want to set it aside until you've become familiar with bourbons of lesser proof.)

Oh, and welcome aboard. I'm eager to learn whether your experience bears out any of my theories. (That would be a first. )

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[MurphyDawg]

Hey Dave,

When do we get a mug shot of your bourbon collection??

Tom (Hey Man, Everyone's Doing It. . .) C

[bluesbassdad]

M.D.,

Would you settle for three shots? One of my closet floor, one of the kitchen cabinet, and one of the side table in my so-called "study"?

Even that will have to wait until my wife gets the digital camera working. It seems that she loaned out the charger and spare battery pack.

Speaking of my wife, if she ever sees all of my liquor in one place, my life is likely to become much more interesting for a while. (Hey, that gives me an idea for a survey!)

Oh, and do I have to separate out the non-bourbon liquors for this photo shoot? (Right now there's an unopened bottle of Laphroaig and a well-used bottle of Famous Grouse sitting next to Elmer T. Lee, EWSB, Buffalo Trace, and Baker's in my study.)

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[MurphyDawg]

Straight AMERICAN whiskey only in your "stash" shot please. , we'll leave that "other"stuff to a thread in this forum !

TomC

[jeff]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />

Ryed Bourbons I'd Suggest include, Wild Turkey 101, <font color="red"> Old Forrester 100 </font color> , Old Ezra 7 year 101, & Evan Williams Single Barrel or Elijah Craig 12 Year.

Why Tom, have you finally come around to the best OF in the line? No more of that "watered-down" 86 proof stuff huh?

[bobbyc]

I think the only thing I'd add now is to stay to the young side starting out. If age becomes something you like and I think we all make a fetish of it now and then you will have a good jumping off point of reference as it were. I would go from 4 to 12 or so years. Maybe throw in the 15 Ezra B. Somewhere in here you get to a point of diminishing returns, That 80 dollar 20 yo Pappy may not seem like a great deal. compared to something 5 years younger and 1/3 the price. If you fill in the younger age blocks than you've got the frame of reference you need to make those calls.

[bluesbassdad]

Bobby,

I'll certainly second that.

My gift bottle of 20 y/o Hirsch is an experience that I'm glad I am having, but...

It is a long way from the most enjoyable bourbon I've tried. Now what if I try the 16 y/o (at about half the three-digit price of the 20 y/o) sometime in the future, and I find it, too, to be more woody than my ideal flavor profile? Then I'll know that had I tried the 16 y/o first, I probably would been content to pass up the 20 y/o.

In fact, the wish list that I created before Christmas included the 16 y/o, not the 20 y/o. However, the salesman convinced my son that the 20 y/o would be "the best bourbon your Dad ever tastes". What did he know? The kid's a s----h drinker, not a bourbonian, and he loves his old man; so he went for it.

Now I am left with the quandary of whether to spring for the 16 y/o some day.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[Paradox]

Post deleted by jbutler

[bluesbassdad]

Have you tried the 20 y/o? If so, how would you compare the two?

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[bobbyc]

Post deleted by bobbyc

[jbutler]

Hey guys, I have no desire to be a wet blanket here, but if you're going to start talking about Hirsch 20 (please do!) start a new thread under General topics.

This here's the "Foreign Whiskey" forum

[Marvin]

Bourbons to try- Russell Reserve by Wild Turkey; Knob Creek, Baker's, Ezra B 15 yr old, Old Forrester, Rock Hill Farms and the list goes on and on. As for scotch Abelour, all ranges; McCallan, all ranges are the only ones I prefer. Stick to bourbon, young man and never look back!

Cheers,

Marvin

[boone]

Marvin,

I have a bottle of Aberlour, Glenlivet, Pure Highland Malt, 10 years old...It was given to me as a gift...I considered it a "gag" gift...Damn near started to laugh at him...Is it any good or should I pass it off as another "gag" gift?

Bettye Jo

[Speedy_John]

Aberlour 10yo is a decent single malt. A fine introduction to sherry-casked whisky. Not very "peaty", medium bodied, slightly nutty, a hint of sweetness to start but dry at the finish. I may be biased, since I thoroughly enjoy many types of whisky (including scotch), but I would not consider it a gag gift. Try it. If you don't like it, so be it...save it for guests. Most single malt drinkers would be happy to have a dram of it.

SpeedyJohn

[racer]

Boone, that is a nice bottle of Scotch. It's worth a try. If you like it, you can try other sherried scotches like Macallan, Glenfarclas, and Edradour. I just had some Balvenie 12yr doublewood(aged in bourbon, then sherry casks). The sherry flavor was there, but not as in the fully sherry casked scotches.

mark

[boone]

Thanks,

I will open it tonight...It's supposed to be very cold tonight...( around 5 ) ...Maybe, it will keep us a little warmer?

Bettye Jo

[Marvin]

boone-No gag prizes there. These are all good scotchs - The Highland that you are going to open tonight tastes medicinal to me, very light peat taste and has an aroma of a little hint of iodine that comes from the peat. I find it to be very smooth with a lingering after-taste, that I am not too fond of. The Aberlour is some really great stuff and if you mix this with Schwepps Ginger Ale I think you will find it very pleasant. The Glenlivit is also good mixed with Schwepps Ginger Ale and be sure to use Schwepps only-other ginger ales just simply do not work well! My favorite of the 3 you mentioned is Aberlour.

Cheers,

Marvin

[Speedy_John]

Mix with ginger ale? Well, I guess we each have our own way, but....ginger ale? If you dig it, fine. I just can't see myself pouring carbonated sugar water into any whisky, especially one that costs $30 or more.

One more thing: Boone has only one bottle--Aberlour 10yo. "Glenlivet" refers to the area where the distillery is located. Many distilleries located near The Glenlivet have attached the name "Glenlivet" to their own, in the hopes of playing on the popularity of the distillery of the same name. "Pure Highland Malt" describes the product. It is another term used for "single malt."

SpeedyJohn

[Marvin]

SpeedyJohn-Misread the message without thinking-thought she meant Highland Park Scotch and I also assumed she had a bottle of Glenlivit, but since she didn't my humble apoligies! To my tasting Abelour is a whole lot better than Glenlivit. As for ginger ale, it's not just ginger ale, but Schweppes. I've mixed it in a lot more expensive scotch than that and it tastes just great. Don't be afraid to try something new! I felt the same as you until I had a whole group of friends visiting me from Scotland & England who told me about it. Been hooked ever since! although I still like it neat, but only a select few and Abelour is one. The other to enjoy neat is McCallan, 18YO.

Cheers,

Marvin

[Speedy_John]

Marvin: As I said, if you like mixing your single malts with Scheppes, then that's cool with me. It's all about drinking what you enjoy the way you enjoy it most. My personal preference is to drink single malts, bourbon and Irish whiskey neat or with a few drops of water. I used to add mixers to whiskey, but as my appreciation of whiskey grew, I found that mixers masked or overpowered many of the subtle flavors I enjoyed discovering in the whiskey itself. To each his own.

SpeedyJohn

[Blackkeno]

Although I drink whisk(e)y neat about 10 times as often as with a mixer, I too am very fond of gingerale as a mixer. I find it uniquely compliments most whiskies. I do use Canada Dry rather than Schwepps though. I especially enjoy it in the afternoon.

[racer]

Of course gentlemen and ladies, you do know you are suppose to drink your whiskies with water, of it's source. Just kidding, I drink mine with distilled water from the store. Either splashed or next to it. Never ice cubes, though. So let's drink up! Sensible daily drinking is good for you!