Scotch drinkers: What's Your Poison?

fatchowmein
fatchowmein Posts: 2,637
edited December 2010 in The Clubhouse
Norm had an interesting thread for gin drinkers...

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101773&highlight=poison

... and I thought it would be interesting to see what you scotch whisky drinkers were imbibing. Feel free to list blend or single malt or both.

Highland Park 12 Single Malt but I'm quite the novice.
Post edited by fatchowmein on
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  • Des Moines
    Des Moines Posts: 115
    edited June 2010
    I like the sea salf flavor of the Islay region. the only drawback is the iodine flavor so you need a robust robusto to go along with it.
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  • Big Dawg
    Big Dawg Posts: 2,005
    edited June 2010
    I love single malts. My current pleasure is a bottle of 15 year-old Glenfiddich. Highly recommended.
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  • Rev. Hayes
    Rev. Hayes Posts: 475
    edited June 2010
    Macallan 18Y

    My wife gave me a bottle of this after an argument once.
    She's been right ever since. :D:p
    Sounds good to me...
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  • messiah
    messiah Posts: 1,790
    edited June 2010
    Dalwhinnie 15 yr highland.
    "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
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  • SWFalken
    SWFalken Posts: 136
    edited June 2010
    15 Year old Laphroaig if I'm buying, 30 Year old if my friend Scott is buying.
    "I drank what?" Socrates :eek:
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited June 2010
    I was a scotch drinker all my life until I quit. The best scotch I ever tasted, and unfortunately I can't remember the name hehehe :o , was 20 year old single malt clear scotch made in Jamaca by a company from Scotland.

    Glenfiddich had too much of a bite for me. If you are going by popular name brands then I would have to go with The Glenlevet or Johnny Walker Blue.

    I used to love the taste of a good cigar with the drawing end saturated with scotch.
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  • billbillw
    billbillw Posts: 6,732
    edited June 2010
    For an everyday Scotch, I find it hard to beat J.W. Black Label. DeWars 15y will do as well. I tend to enjoy the consistency of blended labels better than the single malts.
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited June 2010
    Yeah Bill, my everyday scotch was Dewars White Label. Hard to beat that sweet smokey flavor.
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  • Big Dawg
    Big Dawg Posts: 2,005
    edited June 2010
    hearingimpared wrote: »
    Yeah Bill, my everyday scotch was Dewars White Label. Hard to beat that sweet smokey flavor.

    Joe,

    I'm with you on this one - Dewars White Label is a nice combination of drinkable and affordable. It"s my mid-week go to scotch.
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  • Jetmaker737
    Jetmaker737 Posts: 1,045
    edited June 2010
    Single malts only for me. Laphroaig is a great Islay. Bowmore is a good less expensive alternative. Lagavulin is excellent. All the McCallans are good. The 18Y is too pricey for me. The "cask strength" McCallan is always a good choice and packs a punch.
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  • bikezappa
    bikezappa Posts: 2,463
    edited June 2010
    hearingimpared.Glenfiddich had too much of a bite for me. If you are going by popular name brands then I would have to go with The Glenlevet or Johnny Walker Blue.QUOTE wrote:

    Good first choices for some one who wants to take a taste.

    Not cheap however.
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  • Mike Kozak
    Mike Kozak Posts: 931
    edited June 2010
    Lagavulin is so good, very smokey and peaty.
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,389
    edited June 2010
    25 year old Johnny Walker...
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  • Ricardo
    Ricardo Posts: 10,636
    edited June 2010
    For me, Buchanan's is the best in the standard 12-18 years scotchs.
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  • Erik Tracy
    Erik Tracy Posts: 4,673
    edited June 2010
    Single malt is my poison for scotch.

    Glenrothes, Speyside, 25 year old - so smooth and warm.

    Or

    Belvanie, 15 year old

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  • On3s&Z3r0s
    On3s&Z3r0s Posts: 1,013
    edited June 2010
    +1 for the 15 year Laphroaig. I've never even seen a bottle of 30 year. Probably for the best... no one likes to see a grown man crying.

    Dalwhinnie is also very good for when I'm not in the mood for peat and brine.
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  • j allen
    j allen Posts: 363
    edited June 2010
    I'll add support to the Glenfidditch crowd. I think I'll agree with the 15 year as well. Tried the 18 year, and something about it didn't quite appeal. I'm not enough of a connoisseur to articulate it better than that, but...
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  • Fongolio
    Fongolio Posts: 3,516
    edited June 2010
    hearingimpared wrote: »
    I was a scotch drinker all my life until I quit. The best scotch I ever tasted, and unfortunately I can't remember the name hehehe :o , was 20 year old single malt clear scotch made in Jamaca by a company from Scotland.

    Glenfiddich had too much of a bite for me. If you are going by popular name brands then I would have to go with The Glenlevet or Johnny Walker Blue.

    I used to love the taste of a good cigar with the drawing end saturated with scotch.

    If you were referring to Glenlivet Joe I'm with you all the way. When I drank Scotch (22 years ago) only single malts would do. Johnny Red or Black tasted like pain thinner to me. Never tried Blue. I also liked really old rye Whiskey like Weiser's Special Old. Rocks with a dash of water and a good robusto cigar. Mmmmm. Was great until I got stupid. Now I just enjoy a good cigar now and then. Smoked a Cuban Romeo Y Julieta last night.

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  • woofiepaws
    woofiepaws Posts: 215
    edited June 2010
    Highland Park. Clynelish when I can find it.
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited June 2010
    Fongolio wrote: »
    If you were referring to Glenlivet Joe I'm with you all the way. When I drank Scotch (22 years ago) only single malts would do. Johnny Red or Black tasted like pain thinner to me. Never tried Blue. I also liked really old rye Whiskey like Weiser's Special Old. Rocks with a dash of water and a good robusto cigar. Mmmmm. Was great until I got stupid. Now I just enjoy a good cigar now and then. Smoked a Cuban Romeo Y Julieta last night.

    Kelvin

    Yes I was talking about The Glenivet, without the typo.:o Johnny Walker Red & Black are too smokey and have an overwhelming cask taste to them. JW Blue is much smother.

    RYE! UGH! Can't even stand the smell of it back then when I was drinking or now.
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  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited June 2010
    hearingimpared wrote: »
    Yes I was talking about The Glenivet, without the typo.:o Johnny Walker Red & Black are too smokey and have an overwhelming cask taste to them. JW Blue is much smother.

    RYE! UGH! Can't even stand the smell of it back then when I was drinking or now.

    I'm not a Scotch drinker but when I do imbibe...I agree, only the Single Malts do it for me! I like Glenlivet, and Glenfarclas as well.

    The problem as I understand it is that you 'really' have to get to Scotland for the Scotch tour in order to get a handle on the variety of 'single malts'. I had a student who took the tour and came back with dozens of names unknown to me?

    cnh
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited June 2010
    cnh wrote: »
    I'm not a Scotch drinker but when I do imbibe...I agree, only the Single Malts do it for me! I like Glenlivet, and Glenfarclas as well.

    The problem as I understand it is that you 'really' have to get to Scotland for the Scotch tour in order to get a handle on the variety of 'single malts'. I had a student who took the tour and came back with dozens of names unknown to me?

    cnh

    My older son has been there and done that . . . his pop is jealous!:D He did on the company dime too cause they were doing a shoot.
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  • apc
    apc Posts: 779
    edited June 2010
    My shelf currently contains these in no particular order:

    Balvenie 12
    Balvenie 15
    Laphroaig 12
    Highland Park 15
    BenRiach 10

    Favorite of above - Highland Park
    Most Unique - Laphroaig (strong peat)
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  • On3s&Z3r0s
    On3s&Z3r0s Posts: 1,013
    edited June 2010
    Caol Ila is another Islay that can be very good. I like weird little scotches like that for the same reason I like audio. There's always something new around the corner. Caol Ila stopped distilling years ago, but they sold off their stock to various bottlers. The bottlers then mature / blend / finish the scotch. The results can be very interesting. They can be pretty bad too... I picked up a Gordon and MacPhail bottling a while ago when traveling abroad, and unfortunately it has a really iodine / soapy flavor straight up. Cut it with a little still water and it gets closer to a Lagavulin.

    I really need to not read this thread in the middle of the day... gonna get me into trouble at lunch. ;)
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  • apc
    apc Posts: 779
    edited June 2010
    Current shelf offerings

    scotch.jpg
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  • billbillw
    billbillw Posts: 6,732
    edited June 2010
    apc wrote: »
    Current shelf offerings

    scotch.jpg

    When you inviting me over :p

    Sadly, my current shelf offering is a single bottle of Black Label that is 2/3 gone. Two kids in daycare have really affected the scotch budget.
    For rig details, see my profile. Nothing here anymore...
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  • petrym
    petrym Posts: 1,912
    edited June 2010
    Balvenie: Doublewood, Rum Cask, and Madeira Cask; Bowmore; Aberlour 12 and A'bunadh batches 26 & 27; Highland Park; Ardbeg: Airigh Nam Beist and Uigeadail are on my shelf right now. Always served neat - never iced or added water.

    Glenmorangie 12 is the best for a novice to try.
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  • jabrax
    jabrax Posts: 315
    edited June 2010
    Johnnie Walker Green or blue - Glen Levit - Macallan
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  • inspiredsports
    inspiredsports Posts: 5,501
    edited June 2010
    Talisker 30 Year Old for special occasions, Dewars White Label for day-to-day.
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  • petrym
    petrym Posts: 1,912
    edited June 2010
    inspiredsports wrote: »
    Talisker 30 Year Old for special occasions.
    I just finished my Talisker Distillers Edition - great stuff, haven't seen the 30 around here yet.
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