[JoshK]

Never understood this thread before, but I took up drinking Scotch and Irish whiskey recently.   More of the prior, but I do like Jamison 12 year on the rocks.   That said, I like all scotch on the rocks.   I don't like it room temp.   That might not be kosher, but that is the way I like it, and not watered down.

I've tried Grant's Mixed Red label, Oban's, Jamison 12 year in memory.  I tried a few others in a Scotch Library and like them but didn't remember the names. 

[MaxCast]

Recently bought a bottle of Ardbeg 10.  This is my first Ardbeg, and I like it quite a bit.  Of course it is very peaty and smokey, but it has very little alcohol burn, especially considering that it's bottled at 46%.  It smells very smokey, starts a bit sweet (more of a burnt sugar sweetness than dried fruit sweetness like Lagavulin), then the smokey and maritime flavors quickly take over.  Under all the smoke a punch of eucalyptus/menthol hits briefly and then fades out as the smokey flavors take over again.  The finish is bonfire-on-the-beach-smokey and moderately long. 

In contrast to Laphroaig 10 I find it less industrial and meaty, yet more coastal and smokey.  Also, the smoke is drier in comparison to Laphroaig's more "boggy" smoke.  Compared to Lagavulin I'd say it is more intense but less complex and rich.  Mouth feel is good, smooth and a bit oily, probably due to the non-chill filtration. 

Overall I like it very much!

Thanks for this comparo. I too found the pronounced smoke taste a nice deviation from the less smoky. The laphroaig sounds different enough to give it a shot.

[MaxCast]

Never understood this thread before, but I took up drinking Scotch and Irish whiskey recently.   More of the prior, but I do like Jamison 12 year on the rocks.   That said, I like all scotch on the rocks.   I don't like it room temp.   That might not be kosher, but that is the way I like it, and not watered down.

I've tried Grant's Mixed Red label, Oban's, Jamison 12 year in memory.  I tried a few others in a Scotch Library and like them but didn't remember the names.

Ive been guessing scotching is kind of like sex.   There really isn't bad sex.
Haven't had it on the rocks yet but have added a drop of water when I wanted to.

[JoshK]

Got a Bowmore 12 on a whim and am enjoying it now.  Not as much as I like the Oban.  Haven't decided whether I like it better than Jamison 12 yet.

[Tyson]

Try the Bowmore 15 Darkest - it's delicious.  I'm having a glass right now!

[JoshK]

Unfortunately, liquor is quite expensive here in Canada.  Oban costs $100/btl and Bowmore 12 is $60/btl.

[Tyson]

Canada?  What the hell, last I saw you were in NY?????

[JoshK]

Yeah I left NYC for Toronto in July.  Took a portfolio manager position up here for Canada Pension.

[Tyson]

Congrats!  You should treat yourself to some better Scotches   Highland Park 16, Bowmore 15, Lagavulin 15, Macallan 12 (or 18), all are very rich, deeply flavorful scotches, and worth the $$.

[Tyson]

Just and FYI, the latest Bowmore 12 has gotten even better.  One of the very few remaining bargains in scotch.

[EDS_]

Try the Bowmore 15 Darkest - it's delicious.  I'm having a glass right now!

Had a dram of Bowmore "Voyage" Port Casked @56% last week.  It's sublime.

[JP78]

Due to work, I'm often sipping on Japanese whiskey with colleagues.  I'm a Santori man for life. The Yamazaki 18 remains my favorite, though the (rye) Hakushu 18 is also pretty awesome stuff.

[helvis]

Try the Laphroaig 18, not very expensive and quite good for the money.

[jsaliga]

Most of my favorite drams come from independent bottlers.  Signatory Vintage has put out some exceptional cask strength Highland Parks: a 21 year old sherry butt and 24 year old hogshead bottling most recently.  I also have a couple of bottles of 1975 Tomatin from Mackillop's Choice that's quite excellent if you like tropical fruit bombs.  For the even older stuff I have a 1972 37 year old Caperdonich from Duncan Taylor and a 1970 38 year old Glen Grant also from Duncan Taylor that I have been slowly nursing for over a year.  The most recent independent I bought was a cask strength 20 year old Caol Ila from A.D. Rattray from a ex bourbon cask.  Outstanding stuff that.

For distillerly bottlings perhaps my favorite is Talisker 25 year old, 57.2% ABV, 2005 release.  Last year I lucked into an opportunity to buy a case for very cheap and I took it.  A few months later Diageo announced price increases for Talisker.  The 10yr old only went up a little, but the 18yr old shot up to $149 list and the 25 year old went up to $279.  They also reduced the strength of the 25 year old to 45.8% ABV.  I'm sure it is still good whisky but it just is not going to compare to the older releases bottled at cask strength.  What a shame.

For daily sippers my tastes are not so expensive.  Glenlivet Nadurra IMO is the best value going in scotch whisky today.  Where else can you get a 16 year old cask strength single malt matured in first fill bourbon casks for less than $70?  I'm also a big fan of Old Pulteney, and like the 12, 17, and 21 year olds a great deal.  And there is Macallan.  It has become fashionable among whisky anoraks to bash Macallan, but I still love their 12 year old sherry oak, the price is still quite reasonable at about $50, and I consider it to be among the best budget sherried malts on the market.  But that said I do like the Macallan 10 year old cask strength and Aberlour A'bunadh better (I generally prefer cask strength bottlings to those reduced to below 50% ABV by the distillery).  For Islay drams my go to malts are Laphroaig 10 year old cask strength, and Lagavulin 12 year old cask strength, 16 year old, and the 16 year old distiller's edition.  I like Caol Ila as well but don't like any of the distillery bottlings as much as the stuff I have from independents.  The same holds for Bowmore.  The distillery Bowmores that I really like are the 15 year old darkest, the 18 year old, and the 10 year old cask strength Tempest.  Most of the best Bowmores I have come from independent bottlers.  I'm not a huge Ardbeg fan.  Ardbeg is putting a lot of young whisky into its NAS bottlings and it shows.  But I really do like the Uigeadail.

Here is a link to my whisky collection.  I went through a period when I did a lot of buying and have accumulated far more whisky than I could ever drink.

http://www.whiskybase.com/collection.php?userviewid=6744

--Jerome

[mmurt]

WOW, what a collection.  I also love the Signatory bottling's .  The 79 Dallas Dhu and the Clynelish in the Cask Strength Collection were in the top 5 of scotch that I have ever tried and the Highland Park in that collection was the best ever!  I can only imagine what the 83 Caol Ila tastes like.  Cheers!

[sts9fan]

I am a new whiskey drinker. I have taken a shine to Burbon. I like Johnny Drum, Bullit, Blantons and Knob Creek. I would like to try out scotch. What is good quality beginners scotch? I have a good store but the selection is overwhelming. The prices range from $50 to $1500. What would be a good bottle for less then $100? Thanks for the recs.

[Carl V]

make it easy on yourself...
PINCH for a decent Blend.
(Johnny Walker 18 GOLD-
for a unique blend or Swing )

Single malts....again go easy OBAN
or Glenlivet-perhaps Nadurra.

If you can buy some small Airplane bottles...try a variety.

[santacore]

How about a bourbon, with some scotch mixed in???

Check out this stuff, it's very tasty:
http://www.highwest.com/spirits/new-campfire/

[jsaliga]

I am a new whiskey drinker. I have taken a shine to Burbon. I like Johnny Drum, Bullit, Blantons and Knob Creek. I would like to try out scotch. What is good quality beginners scotch? I have a good store but the selection is overwhelming. The prices range from $50 to $1500. What would be a good bottle for less then $100? Thanks for the recs.

I would suggest any of the following as very good and affordable entry level single malts:

Old Pulteney 12 Year Old
Tomatin 12 Year Old
Glen Grant 10 Year Old
Aberlour 12 Year Old
Glenmorangie 10 Year Old

--Jerome

[sts9fan]

Thanks for the recs!