Let's talk Scotch

[Megawatt]

Thanks again for the suggestions. I have a bottle of Highland Park 12, and while I think it has nice flavour and a fantastic nose, there is a slight medicinal note in the finish that throws me off a bit sometimes. Yet I still find myself wanting more...

I tried The Macallan 12 once at a bar and thought it was quite nice, very reminiscent of The Balvenie Doublewood, but I was comparing by memory, which is hardly reliable. I really like that Doublewood. I'm working on my first Macallan now, the Fine Oak 10. It's quite nice, though a little syrupy-sweet. Reminds me a bit of bourbon, to be honest.

I started this thread because I have some money from Christmas and wanted to try a slightly higher-end bottle, preferably a cask-strength to get the most bang for my buck. I'm hoping that my local store can obtain the Aberlour A'bunadh for me. If not, it's back to square one...

Too many whiskies, too little money...I also want to try some of the following:

Scapa 14

Auchentoshan 10

Glenmorangie 10

Talisker 10

[SingleBarrel]

As to your initial question, I definitely prefer the Balvenie SB 15 - it's one I keep coming back to without disappointment. But if you are also asking about an Islay to try, look at the Bruichladdich line (I like the 12 or the 15) - distinctly different from the usual islay scotches. As to the discussion about the A'bunadh, I think it's a very unique whiskey, but so unique that I wouldn't be comparing it to any of the others mentioned. All the talk about it has me ready for a dram tonight though (and I do have about two drinks left in the bottle I have!).

[Megawatt]

Good God, I just tried Lagavulin 16, my first Islay. I don't think I'll be doing that again any time soon...

[T47]

I think from your reaction, Lagavulin must be full of "Peat"! Not my cup of tea either, but I will never say never because there was a time I disliked Bourbon as well.

In my limited tastings I think there are much more drastic differences in Scotch than in Bourbon, at least with those "Peat Monsters"...they certainly are different. But I guess some people might find the "Sherry Monsters" as unappealing as well.

I have only had a few of the Glenmorangie bottles, and find them to be much lighter, maybe more "middle of the road" if there is such a thing in the Scotch world?

Anyhow, enjoy your continued exploration!

:toast:

[CrispyCritter]

I've liked single malts whether they were plain, peated, or sherried. That being said, I can understand that some might be put off by peat. If you are interested in trying something that has some peat but don't want to dive off the Islay deep end (e.g. Laphroaig, Ardbeg, or Lagavulin), I'd recommend starting off with a Highland Park 12 or 15, or one of the lightly-peated standard Bruichladdich offerings (note that 3-D and Moine Mhor are heavily peated). Talisker is a step up on the smoke scale, and the 18yo Talisker is well worth the price.

For the classic Highland style, Balvenie and Clynelish are excellent choices. I've only had Balvenie's 15yo single-barrel, but it's a treat.

Speyside - well, I wasn't overly impressed with a Macallan CS that I had - I'd rather go for Aberlour A'Bunadh instead, if I'm looking for a sherry monster. Glenrothes also makes some lovely pours. I had a 1974 Glenrothes that was out of this world - but alas, it's no longer to be found.

[Yellowjacket]

First, there has been some very good advice given here and you can’t go wrong with any of it. Megawatt, I’m assuming you are not too experienced with single malts (if not, are there any you particularly like?). Do you have a good bar near by with good whisky selections, if so trying samples there can save a lot of money versus buying a lot of bottles.

If you try the Balvenie 15 and like it, I suggest you also consider the Glenfarclas 17 yo, it is very smooth and very drinkable, a great dram. To explore peat gradually I recommend a Highland Park, the 18 year old is much better than the 12, IMO. If you find this satisfactory, then move on to either a Talisker 18 or Bowmore 17, both of which are very nice and not over-powering with peat. One thing to remember is that, in general, age mellows out peatiness, so a 17 or 18 year old will generally have a more palatable peat for someone new to the experience. If you grow into it, then move towards the younger peat whiskies. Yes, the Lag 16 might be considered ‘older’ but still has a powerful peat character, but the age provides greater balance and smoothness. You have to explore and do some research. Let us know what you like and don’t like and we can certainly make further suggestions!

Cheers - Bob

[mier]

Good God, I just tried Lagavulin 16, my first Islay. I don't think I'll be doing that again any time soon...

Well next time i suggest you try a Port Ellen or a Bunnahabainn first,the first time i tried a Lagavulin or a Laphfroig must have had the same expierence as you,start with milder single malts first.Islays are worth drinking believe me.

Eric.

[Megawatt]

I have a bottle of Highland Park 12, and I like it most of the time, but sometimes the medicinal note in the finish throws me off a bit. Some other single malts that I've tried and really liked are:

The Balvenie Doublewood

The Macallan 12

Glenkinchie 10

Dalwhinnie 15

Glenmorangie 10

Aberlour 12

The Glenlivet 12

I wanted to get my feet wet with a good Islay, so I tried a glass of Lagavulin 16 at a bar. I was expecting lots of peat, but this stufff tasted nothing but medicinal to me. It was like a liquified first aid kit; bandages, antiseptic, ointment for sore muscles. Some discernable notes of honeyed malt hidden somewhere in all that chaos, but unfortunately I could not get past the nose. My mom used to buy this ointment for disinfecting cuts, and I swear to God that it smelled EXACTLY like that Scotch. Who knows, maybe I will acquire a taste for it over time, once I get sick of the sweeter Speyside malts...

[melting]

I was going to recommend trying Scapa 14 year old from the Orkney Islands. However I was playing cards with my girlfriend and two kids last night when all of a sudden her son, (he's 10 years old), remarked that my drink smell to him like mommy's nail polish remover.

For around 35 bucks a bottle I think this is an excellent single malt well worth the money. I'm getting the feeling that when he's older he may not jump on to the single malt bandwagon.

Chris

[Megawatt]

I was going to recommend trying Scapa 14 year old from the Orkney Islands. However I was playing cards with my girlfriend and two kids last night when all of a sudden her son, (he's 10 years old), remarked that my drink smell to him like mommy's nail polish remover.

For around 35 bucks a bottle I think this is an excellent single malt well worth the money. I'm getting the feeling that when he's older he may not jump on to the single malt bandwagon.

Chris

There is a single-malt bandwagon? Scapa 14 is $55 where I live, still a relatively good price.

I'm just having my first glass of Auchentoshan 10 now. Funny, I wasn't expecting any smoke at all, based on the tasting notes I read, but I find it to be peatier and smokier than Highland Park. It has a good balance, though, showing fruit, honey and smokey peat in equal proportions. For lowland malts I would have to pick Glenkinchie 10 as the best I've tried. Far more expensive, mind you...

[Yellowjacket]

Megawatt, I think we now have a little better idea of where you are in your single malt journey. Let me warn you, exploring single malt scotches (as well as all whiskies) can be expensive and can quickly draw you into the experience so that you want to try more and more different varieties (I was going to use the term “addictive,†but it tends to convey the wrong impression in this case). However, as most here will tell you, it is well worth it.

The distilleries you listed are all very good and you might want to explore other expressions or ages within these distilleries. If you are interested in trying something new, with your current taste preferences, I absolutely recommend you try the Cragganmore 12 next, very smooth and restrained with a large number of subtle but wonderful flavors to explore. As several previously mentioned, also try a Glenfarclas, the 12 yo is good, but the 17 yo is superb if you can find it. If you can find a Longmorn 15 yo, it is also very good.

I have to say I'm a little surprised you found the Auchentoshan 10 to be smoky and peaty, but everyone experiences their whiskies a little different. Jim Murray’s 2008 Whiskey Bible mentions a new Auch. 12 yo 43% that has some smoke, but the rest of the line is generally considered not to be smoky. The Glengoyne distillery describes their whisky as having absolutely no smoke or peat. If your bar carries Glengoyne, give it a try, and see if you still experience smoke.

Let us know how things go and, if you like, we can make further suggestions.

Cheers – Bob

[Megawatt]

Thanks again for the recommendations. My problem is that I am limited to a certain budget, typically not more than $50-$60 per bottle. In Ontario, that only gets you a 10- or 12-year-old single malt. You're right, though. The Scotch obssession does get expensive, as my wife has been starting to notice . I'll look into Cragganmore next, perhaps...

I'm also surprised by the Auchentoshan, after reading comments by Jim Murray and others. Even the Auch. website makes no mention of smoke at all. I picked up a bottle for a friend, so I'll see if he notices the smoke as well.

[whiskydude]

My experience has been that the same scotch from the same bottle may not taste exactly the same on a different night. Certain flavors are either muted or become more dominant over different tasting sessions. I am not sure why, but I've noticed this (as have other friends) a few times with a variety of scotch; single malts and blends. Heck even a bourbon will do that. Hang on to the bottle of Auch, you'll pull it out one night down the road and be shocked at how much it has improved since last time. I always think the better stuff improves....Tried some Ballentine's again the other night and it was barely drinkable! The first time a few months ago, a friend and I thought it was quite good!

[Megawatt]

Yeah, funny how that is. I hate it when it takes me 3/4 of the bottle to start enjoying something, but it sometimes does...

Well, the LCBO couldn't procure a bottle of Aberlour A'bunadh for me, so it's back to square one. Looks like I'll be going with The Balvenie after all...

[spun_cookie]

Anyone have an opinion on Aberlout Cask Strength... It is the a'bunadh 59.5% (119 proof)....?

[Megawatt]

Anyone have an opinion on Aberlout Cask Strength... It is the a'bunadh 59.5% (119 proof)....?

It was mentioned a few times in this thread, plus in another thread I started a while back. Do a search and I'm sure you will find some opinions...

[whiskydude]

It was mentioned a few times in this thread, plus in another thread I started a while back. Do a search and I'm sure you will find some opinions...

What he said, but here's a quick opinion....it's good. If you like a sherry finish you have found your Scotch. I would certainly buy again.

[boss302]

I'm in the market for a good bottle, and two of my main considerations are:

The Balvenie 15 Year Single Barrel

The Macallan Cask Strength

They are about the same price. The Macallan is stronger but The Balvenie is older. Has anyone tried them both? If so, which did you prefer?

Of course, I'm not limited to these two. Also considering the likes of Highland Park 18, The Macallan Fine Oak 15, not sure what else to look at...

Let's see, where to start... *very* much an avid scotch drinker here.

Are you looking for something smokey? Something briney? Something sweet? Something fruity?

Scotch whisky has a lot of variation, almost more so than red wine, in my humble opinion.

As for Speyside malts, I suggest starting with something like Cragganmore, which is a fairly sweet, honey-like spirit. From there, you can move to something with a light Sherry influence like the Glenfiddich 15-year Solera Reserve. From there, you can move to something robust and heavily-sherried, like the MacAllan.

If you are interested in wood finishing, nobody tops Glenmorangie. Start with their 10-year Original, which is matured exclusively in American White Oak. I ALWAYS keep a bottle of this around. From there, you can step up to any of their 3 12-year expressions-- Nectar D'or (Sauternes finish), LaSanta (Sherry finish), or Quinta Ruban (Port finish). Their 18-year is matured initially in American oak, then finished in Spanish oak.

If you want to branch out to some more exotic whiskies, you can start with the Glenkinchie 10-year, which is one of the last of the Lowland distillieries, which typically have a "greener", more herbal taste to them.

You could also try a maritime malt, such as the Clynelish 14-year and Oban 14-year, which have a slightly "briney" taste to them, thanks to the casks' exposure to the sea air.

Highland Park is a good all-rounder, with a medium body and a fairly gentle smokiness. This is Michael Jackson's personal favorite. I tend to gravitate to the 15-year, myself.

My personal favorite scotch whisky is the Talisker. The smoke level is moderate in this very powerful spirit, which possesses an almost paprika-like spiciness to it, in my opinion.

Then, of course, there are the Islay (pronounced "eye"-luh) malts. Caol Ila 12-year is a good one to start off with, as its lighter body is reminiscent of the lighter Speysides we are all familiar with, like the Glenfiddich. The heaviest and smokiest would have to be the Lagavulin.

I hope this helps you out a little bit. Be sure to let us know what you decide on.

[Megawatt]

I actually ended up going for The Arran Malt Single Cask in the cognac finish. It is damn good stuff! Not much of nose at full strength, but once I diluted it down to around 80-90 proof, it opened up wonderfully. I've never had a whisky transform so much in the glass. Each sip revealed new layers of creamy malt and rich fruit flavour. The cognac influence seems more subtle than the typical sherry cask flavour.

I tried Lagavulin 16 the other day, and was quite repulsed by it. It smelled just like an antiseptic that my mother used to have in her medicine cabinet. Obviously, I am not ready for the smokier malts yet. My next purchase will like be either Glenmorangie 10 or Scapa 14.

[boss302]

I actually ended up going for The Arran Malt Single Cask in the cognac finish. It is damn good stuff! Not much of nose at full strength, but once I diluted it down to around 80-90 proof, it opened up wonderfully. I've never had a whisky transform so much in the glass. Each sip revealed new layers of creamy malt and rich fruit flavour. The cognac influence seems more subtle than the typical sherry cask flavour.

I tried Lagavulin 16 the other day, and was quite repulsed by it. It smelled just like an antiseptic that my mother used to have in her medicine cabinet. Obviously, I am not ready for the smokier malts yet. My next purchase will like be either Glenmorangie 10 or Scapa 14.

I sooo want to try the Arran, but can't get it here!

Yeah, I love the Glenmorangie, as I said before, but I can also vouch for the Scapa 14. I think you will enjoy either one.

[Megawatt]

Since you mentioned Talisker; how does it compare in intensity to Lagavulin? Does it possess strong medical/iodine qualities?

[DrinkyBanjo]

Talisker is an island malt (Skye) but it is not an Islay. It has a very peppery taste to it and it quite 'extreme'. Nice and smokey too but no medicinal qualities as far as I'm concerned. Great whisky!

[boss302]

Talisker is an island malt (Skye) but it is not an Islay. It has a very peppery taste to it and it quite 'extreme'. Nice and smokey too but no medicinal qualities as far as I'm concerned. Great whisky!

I wouldn't quite describe it as "extreme"-- I find the spiciness rather intriguing. Talisker is not has heavily-smoked as any of the Islay malts, nor does it possess that "medicinal" or "seaweed" taste to it that seems to be an Islay signature (even in Caol Ila). But you are certainly not going to mistake it for a run-of-the-mill Speyside!

[Megawatt]

Good to know, thanks!

[PAspirit1]

Hey Megawatt,

I noticed you have a bottle or The Macallan F.O. 10. I'm finishing a bottle of that now. I like it. Another Speysider I've had good amount of is The Glenlivet French Oak 12. I like the latter more.