dcbt Posted April 8, 2017 Share Posted April 8, 2017 Different post to pose a question: I hear ads for macallan 12 double cask that claim they cater to bourbon drinkers. Any truth to this or are they simply trying to cash in on the bourbon boom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted April 8, 2017 Share Posted April 8, 2017 19 minutes ago, dcbt said: Different post to pose a question: I hear ads for macallan 12 double cask that claim they cater to bourbon drinkers. Any truth to this or are they simply trying to cash in on the bourbon boom? No doubt in my mind that it is the latter. And, considering the bourbon boom, it's a great move on Macallan's part. Grab customers wherever you can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
portwood Posted April 9, 2017 Share Posted April 9, 2017 14 hours ago, smokinjoe said: No doubt in my mind that it is the latter. And, considering the bourbon boom, it's a great move on Macallan's part. Grab customers wherever you can. They may be catering to Bourbon drinkers, but Macallan these days is nothing but marketing BS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcpfratn Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 They may be catering to Bourbon drinkers, but Macallan these days is nothing but marketing BSAdmittedly, Macallan can sling the marketing BS with the best of them, but the double cask 12 year is still pretty good stuff. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcpfratn Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 My take on Scotch is that it is totally different from Bourbon. So, as others have stated, its hard to say if you like Bourbon then you should try X Scotch. I didn't like Scotch thirty years ago, but I had only tried some of the cheaper selections, so they were young and/or just not good, so I swore off scotch for a long time. I tried Scotch again about a year ago (Balvenie Doublewood), and was floored by how wonderfully different it was from Bourbon. I've since been exploring many other Scotches, and Bourbons as well, to broaden my experience with both. I love the bold flavors and sweetness of many Bourbons, and maybe for that reason my favorite Scotches are flavor bombs like Aberlour A'bunadh, but also the peat monsters like Lagavulan 16 and Laphroaig 10. Everyone's palate is different, so these might not be good choices for some. My brother for instance prefers lighter Bourbons like Buffalo Trace, and delicate Irish whiskey like Redbreast 12 and Scotch like The Glenlivet 18. Nothing wrong with any of those, but I prefer the ones that hit me with more intense flavors and higher ABV. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NDN98 Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 For me, Speyside was my gateway into Scotch. If you like bourbon, I think you can't go wrong with a Macallan, Balvenie, Aberlour, Glenfiddich, Glenfarclas, etc. I have only recently (last 2 years) started branching out some from bourbon to Scotch and I have found that I like Speyside Scotches a lot. I used to think I hated Scotch, but that was because my only previous experiences had been with heavily seated Scotches from distilleries in Islay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamp55 Posted June 5, 2017 Share Posted June 5, 2017 I much prefer bourbon to scotch. But, I married a woman (32 years ago!) that had a preference for scotch. Now, over the years, I have largely brought her around and she now has a fine taste for bourbon. But, she still likes an occasional scotch. Last Christmas, I was hunting for a scotch gift for her that I might find enjoyable also and I came across the Balvenie 14 yr. Caribbean Cask. This scotch is finished in rum barrels. I found it very enjoyable and my wife thought it was fantastic scotch. So, mission accomplished! Best of luck in your pursuit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyjd75 Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 I have tried various scotches over the years mainly out of curiosity. Lagavulin 16 is the only one that I have come to truly enjoy. Peaty? Yes, most definitely. but once you get past that peaty opening, it is a delicious treat. And, the only one I continue to occasionally drink. Spoiler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamp55 Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 A relative of my wife recently visited us for a weekend stay. She is a scotch drinker and brought a bottle of Glenmorangie 10 yr. with her. I was surprised to find that I enjoyed a couple of drinks of that while she was here. (I am not much of a scotch drinker.) It vaguely reminded me of Four Roses in its body and floral character. So, if you like Four Roses, you might want to try that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcbt Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 1 hour ago, Swamp55 said: A relative of my wife recently visited us for a weekend stay. She is a scotch drinker and brought a bottle of Glenmorangie 10 yr. with her. I was surprised to find that I enjoyed a couple of drinks of that while she was here. (I am not much of a scotch drinker.) It vaguely reminded me of Four Roses in its body and floral character. So, if you like Four Roses, you might want to try that one. Glenmo 10 is the only scotch I keep on my bar, mainly for people who want scotch to drink but it happens to be one of the few (only?) I can stomach. I think I saw Cowdery recommend it for bourbon drinkers on his blog years ago. That said, I still never reach for it when I've got 40 bottles of bourbon open next to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 2 hours ago, Swamp55 said: It vaguely reminded me of Four Roses in its body and floral character. So, if you like Four Roses, you might want to try that one. Nice call on that comparison! I agree, though I'm not sure I realized it before, but you got me there with your thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clingman71 Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 On 12/12/2016 at 7:49 AM, Old Dusty said: From one Eric to another.....this is very sage advice. I was recommended several ex-bourbon malts as gateways and really didn't like any of them. And similarly I found the Islay malts were right in my wheelhouse. Also love a good sherry bomb(Glenfarclas 105 and Aberlour A'bunadh for instance). I think it was finding whiskies that had a completely different profile from bourbon( not faint echoes of it) that intrigued me. Take the bar route to find what you like. Exactly how I feel about scotch. While I love heavy mouthfeel sweeter bourbons, I found that with scotch I was the exact opposite and Islay, specifically Islay peat bombs, suited me well. Although, I have recently started enjoying some Islay non-peated and lightly peated. I find that when I reach for scotch, I am looking for a change of pace from bourbon and Islay nails that for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NDN98 Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 I really didn't get into Scotch until a few years ago. I was under the misconception that all Scotch was smoky and peaty, but a buddy introduced me to Speyside and Highland Scotches, which I have since fell in love with. The bottles that really turned me to Scotch were the Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask and the Macallan 18. I have since accumulated a wider variety of taste in Scotch and drink more Scotch in the Fall/Winter, but prefer bourbon in the Spring/Summer. Not sure why that is, but just the way it is with my palate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jawja Boy Posted July 26, 2017 Share Posted July 26, 2017 My introduction to "scotch" was Dewar's when I was in the limbo between teens and twenties where I would try anything, and it pretty much killed my interest for many years. Fast forward about 20 years and I was entertaining giving Scotch another try. Found Glenfiddich 12, which a friend had recommended, in Nassau for $28 a liter and couldn't turn it down. It turned out to be quite good. Very different from bourbon, but also very likeable for the differences. I've tried Glenmo 10 and thoroughly enjoyed it. If I come across a bottle of the Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask I will most likely pick it up as I've heard almost unanimously good things about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alr3111 Posted July 27, 2017 Share Posted July 27, 2017 (edited) I drink a wide range of scotch in addition to bourbon. The two I recommend for new scotch drinkers is balvenie 12 year double wood and highland park 12. Edited July 27, 2017 by alr3111 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony. g. Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 On 27/07/2017 at 2:00 AM, alr3111 said: I drink a wide range of scotch in addition to bourbon. The two I recommend for new scotch drinkers is balvenie 12 year double wood and highland park 12. couldn't agree more. highland park 12 is a good introductory malt. old pulteney 12 is a good starter too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BourbonDude Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 (edited) On 5/20/2017 at 6:02 PM, NDN98 said: For me, Speyside was my gateway into Scotch. If you like bourbon, I think you can't go wrong with a Macallan, Balvenie, Aberlour, Glenfiddich, Glenfarclas, etc. I have only recently (last 2 years) started branching out some from bourbon to Scotch and I have found that I like Speyside Scotches a lot. I used to think I hated Scotch, but that was because my only previous experiences had been with heavily seated Scotches from distilleries in Islay. Thirty years ago I used to give this amazing Cadenhead bottling of Longmorn to friends and acquaintances who said they hated scotch and who were more bourbon or cognac and brandy drinkers. It was ridiculously viscous and sweet and fruity, and really more like a desert liqueur than scotch. I've never had anything like it before or since in a single malt. Whether brandy or bourbon or scotch (and even for an expert it would have been hard to decide) it was unforgettable. If you came across one of these bottles back then you'll know what I'm referring to. But it was truly unique and a fun way to confound my bourbon and cognac drinking friends, who swore that it couldn't be scotch. Well, I wouldn't have believed it either. Anyone here run into that bottling? If you were fortunate to have found one these I'm confident you know who you are. I went back and bought a second bottle (that was all they had left) after tasting it because I knew I would never find its like again. If that had been a standard distillery bottling I would never have bought another single malt or spirit again. Perhaps it's better it was a one time unique issue because it's the only spirit of any type I've ever had (out of literally thousands tried) that might have made an alcoholic out of me. It was truly the nectar of the gods. Edited August 6, 2017 by BourbonDude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BourbonDude Posted August 9, 2017 Share Posted August 9, 2017 On 4/8/2017 at 6:26 PM, dcbt said: Different post to pose a question: I hear ads for macallan 12 double cask that claim they cater to bourbon drinkers. Any truth to this or are they simply trying to cash in on the bourbon boom? As others have said, there's not too much to this claim. Scotch is just too different from bourbon for bourbon cask aging to change it to anything even close to what a bourbon fan would expect. I say this as someone who loves both single malts and bourbon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marekv8 Posted August 24, 2017 Share Posted August 24, 2017 I transitioned from Bourbon/Rye into Single Malt Scotch Whisky via a 2014 Talisker Distillers Edition-- a savory and salty full-bodied punch with a slightly sweet cast from the Amoroso cask finish. Bold and complex like better bourbons-- but that's where the similarities end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BourbonDude Posted August 24, 2017 Share Posted August 24, 2017 (edited) If we go back almost 30 years I found some bottles of Balvenie that were quite sweet and fruity and elegant and really were more like cognac than single malt scotch. And also there was a Cadenhead bottling back then of Longmorn that is perhaps the most weirdly wonderful single malt I've ever tried. I gave it to several cognac and bourbon drinkers and they couldn't believe it was scotch. Well, I wouldn't have either. The Longmorn was so viscous and syrupy and sweet it was more like a liqueur. I mean, you could have poured it over ice cream--which I did once. :-) Not sure what was the story behind those two oddly wonderful single malts, as they were not typical Balvenie or Longmorn, but they were perfect for the job. Edited August 24, 2017 by BourbonDude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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