The Swamp

If anything deserves it's own thread, it's scotch. As I mentioned in Pruitt's Scotland thread, I am looking for suggestions. I've tried a bunch, while I like some more than others, I haven't found my perfect scotch. Some of my preferred are MacAllan 12, Glenmorangie, Balvenie Double Wood. I remember liking Lagavulin and Laphroaig, but don't remember the flavor of either. I used to really like Dalwhinnie and Oban, but found them too sweet last time I had them. Ardbeg is too peaty for my taste. I do like peat, but that was like drink liquid bonfire ashes.

My sister had a small wedding, so the rehearsal dinner was just family and no rehearsal. The restaurant had a huge scotch selection, and my long lost uncle and I were talking about scotch earlier in the day. He had the great idea of ordering four at a time for both of us, so we could sample a lot of them, and share notes. We went 5 or 6 rounds, which was a fantastic to try and compare that many, but I was too drunk to remember what we tried or what they tasted like the next day. Hence not remembering why I liked Lagavulin and Laphroig, they just stood out as the ones I most enjoyed. Haven't had them since, as they are more expensive.

This chart was posted at some point, and is very helpful. The website is pretty useful, too.

Joeyclams gave me a sample of 10-year-old Dalwhinnie the last time I was in Denver and that was the smoothest Scotch I've ever had. But I haven't had a lot of Scotch, so my palate could be very unsophisticated.

Where's the moonshine thread?

Just drank a boat of Johnny Walker Red. I've had all the good single islay whatever scotch, but I still return to my favorite blend. Goddamn I love it. All night. Every day.

Auchentoshan Three wood is fantastic. Highly recommended by me and MaxW (who turned me on to it.)

Rush2112 wrote:Auchentoshan Three wood is fantastic. Highly recommended by me and MaxW (who turned me on to it.)

That was right on the chart where I wanted to try. I've seen Auchentoshan a lot lately, haven't seen the three wood. I'll look for it thought.

Dalwhinnie was the first single malt I got into. Johnnie Black was my drink all through law school. Then I tried the traditional single malts like Dalwhinnie, Oban, Talisker. Dalwhinnie was all I bought for 3 or 4 years. Very smooth indeed, but then I started to like darker scotch. The problem is, I like all of the various regions on the taste chart for different reasons. Maybe I need a minimum of 4 bottles to suit my mood.

Johnnie Red, OTOH, I never liked. Not sure why, as I like all of the other Johnnie offerings I've tried. My parents gave me an unopened bottle of Chivas they got as a gift. Not a fan at all. Happy to have the bottle almost kicked.

Johnnie Blue is the tits. Expensive as fuck, but fantastic. A once a decade bottle.

govmentchedda wrote:Johnnie Blue is the tits. Expensive as fuck, but fantastic. A once a decade bottle.

My question is why would you spend so much for a blend? It is very nice, but for that price I'd rather get a bottle of The Macallan

Rush2112 wrote:

govmentchedda wrote:Johnnie Blue is the tits. Expensive as fuck, but fantastic. A once a decade bottle.

My question is why would you spend so much for a blend? It is very nice, but for that price I'd rather get a bottle of The Macallan

I don't understand the notion that a single malt is superior to a blend. A proper blend of exquisite scotches has so much more depth than a single. Every scotch in the blue is, in its own right, a delicious single malt. Just like how Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young were all fine soloists. It's all about the harmonies, man.

I recognize that I am rather alone in this position and that few will agree with me.

Weatherfrog wrote:

Rush2112 wrote:

govmentchedda wrote:Johnnie Blue is the tits. Expensive as fuck, but fantastic. A once a decade bottle.

My question is why would you spend so much for a blend? It is very nice, but for that price I'd rather get a bottle of The Macallan

I don't understand the notion that a single malt is superior to a blend. A proper blend of exquisite scotches has so much more depth than a single. Every scotch in the blue is, in its own right, a delicious single malt. Just like how Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young were all fine soloists. It's all about the harmonies, man.

I recognize that I am rather alone in this position and that few will agree with me.

I think it is just ingrained (no pun) that single malts are better. Probably because 50 years ago, only crappy blends were accessible. I think it is kind of like beer cans vs. glass. Cans are actually superior, but we are used to only crappy beers being in cans, so it still feels weird pouring a good beer out of a can. A lot of people resist it. Same thing with screw cap wine. My father-in-law always has Dimple Pinch on hand. I was leary because it is a blend, but when I tried it, it is damned good.

ETA: Come to think of it, the same analysis applies to blended wines. I just learned that almost all wines have a small amount of blend to them, but they don't have to state it if it is under a certain percentage.

This thread has made me check out my Scotch bottles and I have found a lovely 1987 Knockando... My god that is a smooth wee nip if ever there was one.

My father and I split a bottle of the dimple pinch last weekend. Very good. Name seems kind of dirty though?

Well single malts are actually blends, just blends of the same scotch at different ages.

I have nothing against blends, I enjoy many of them. I just think that 200$ for a blend is ludicrous.

Maybe if it was actually blue. Like the meth on Breaking Bad.

Is Scotch miles more expensive in the US than the UK? Does exporting it really hammer up the price?

For example, the Knockando I was drinking last night cost me about £12, 12 years ago. It is a 1987 distilled/bottled in 1999 jobbie. What would this have cost over the pond? Obviously, my bottle is 43% proof, not 40%.

I'm really fond of Glenffidich 15 year, but at about $60 a bottle, it is about the top of my budget.

Just bought a bottle of the Talisker 10.

Weatherfrog wrote:

Rush2112 wrote:

govmentchedda wrote:Johnnie Blue is the tits. Expensive as fuck, but fantastic. A once a decade bottle.

My question is why would you spend so much for a blend? It is very nice, but for that price I'd rather get a bottle of The Macallan

I don't understand the notion that a single malt is superior to a blend. A proper blend of exquisite scotches has so much more depth than a single. Every scotch in the blue is, in its own right, a delicious single malt. Just like how Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young were all fine soloists. It's all about the harmonies, man.
I recognize that I am rather alone in this position and that few will agree with me.

My father drinks gallons of scotch. If he's buying, it's always an inexpensive blend. If you're buying, he'll take Johnny Walker Black. One year, for Christmas, I gave him a bottle of a nice single malt. Over time, I learned that he actually prefers blends over single malt. Oh, well. Since then, on various gift occasions, I've given him Johnny Walker Gold, Green and Blue. Over time, I've learned that he actually would just as soon receive the Black. And, if you were going to spend all that money, you can give a bigger bottle of Black. So, I've bought his christmas gift for this year, now. A big bottle of Johnny Walker Black. He will be pleased.

My father in law thinks JW Black IS high end Scotch.

devilfluff wrote:My father in law thinks JW Black IS high end Scotch.

That's old school.

And there's nothing wrong with the Black - and last year, my Mother In Law bought me a 40 pounder of Chivas duty free - it was delicious.

But I'll tell you, the bottle of Macallan Gold I received for my birthday was greatly, greatly appreciated. It's sitting next to the Bowmore "Surf" and a 15 year old Dalwhinnie just waiting for a reason to celebrate.

Pruitt wrote:

devilfluff wrote:My father in law thinks JW Black IS high end Scotch.

That's old school.

And there's nothing wrong with the Black - and last year, my Mother In Law bought me a 40 pounder of Chivas duty free - it was delicious.

But I'll tell you, the bottle of Macallan Gold I received for my birthday was greatly, greatly appreciated. It's sitting next to the Bowmore "Surf" and a 15 year old Dalwhinnie just waiting for a reason to celebrate.

You can celebrate me coming over to your house. Black was my entry into scotch, and I drank it regularly in law school. I still really like it, but haven't bought it in forever. I try to buy a new brand every time just to try something new. Chivas, on the other hand, was not working for me. I think I mentioned that my parents gave me a bottle they were gifted, as they rarely drink. I'm just glad it was a small bottle, and was finished off in my broccoli dish.

I'll drink Black and smile. But its not my first choice... I also try to spread the love and pick up new choices semi-regularly.

Drank Black and smiled at my office holiday party. Last night we went to a friends house, and he broke out the Lagavulin 16. Holy fuck is Ron Swanson right. Nectar of the gods. It was incredibly smokey/peaty, but the rich and slightly fruity flavors cut through it. By far the best scotch I ever tasted. I'm just going to need a gun and a ski mask, because I can't quite justify paying $80 a bottle. So the guy's mother-in-law had the bottle for some reason, maybe a gift. She is a scotch drinker, but only likes bottom of the barrel blends. She took a sip, hated it, and gave it to my friend. Talk about luck. My parents unload a bottle of Chivas and Southern Comfort on me, and my father-in-law tried to unload some sort of Turkish licorice booze. Not even a liquor, as it was 90 proof.

Figured that the power coming back on was a reason to crack the Macallan Gold.

Oh it is damn near perfect. Some smoke, but smooth as the sheet of ice on my lawn.

Perhaps if the Bills cover today, I'll celebrate again.

drinking a bit of Old Pulteney right now....


hello old friends.

Welcome back friend!

holy shit. welcome back, max. hopefully this ain't a drive-by.

thanks gents. bit of a revolutionary 2013 but i thought i'd wade back in a bit. what better place than the Scotch thread?

speaking of which, holyhell is it expensive up here in LotusLand. Good thing when parents visit they can each bring a bottle in a suitcase...

Mmmmm ... Dalwhinnie.

*drools excessively*

Dalwhinnie goes so well with dark chocolate....

MaxWebster wrote:Dalwhinnie goes so well with dark chocolate....

What sets the Talisker Storm apart from the regular Talisker? Beyond the cool name, I couldn't figure it out.

i actually found it smoother than the regular Talisker and certainly more than the 57 North which we now have. (Smoother doesn't always mean better to me but it's a good whisky). the 57 North is really peppery and smoky - not a first-timer whisky - add a drop of water to the glass and it's perfect. take a small sip and it almost dissolves on your tongue.


...is it too early for a glass?

The Sybian wrote:Scotch pronunciation guide

That's a fantastic series of 4 second videos sandwiched between 30 second commercials.

Just bought a bottle of Highland Park 12. Went to the store set on buying Laphroig, but the Highland Park was a gift set with a mini bottle of the 18 year. Plus, it was $6 off with my club card! I feel like the mini-bottle is a stupid reason to switch my plan, like I fell for a marketing ploy, but I want to try as many scotches as I can, and I'm never paying $110 for a bottle of the 18. Plus, Highland Park was in the flavor profile I wanted to try, so not a total sellout. Results to follow.

I almost hope I don't completely love this scotch, as it doesn't have a cool name. All the cool names out there, and Highland Park sounds like a nice town in the 'burbs.

The Sybian wrote:Just bought a bottle of Highland Park 12. Went to the store set on buying Laphroig, but the Highland Park was a gift set with a mini bottle of the 18 year. Plus, it was $6 off with my club card! I feel like the mini-bottle is a stupid reason to switch my plan, like I fell for a marketing ploy, but I want to try as many scotches as I can, and I'm never paying $110 for a bottle of the 18. Plus, Highland Park was in the flavor profile I wanted to try, so not a total sellout. Results to follow.

I almost hope I don't completely love this scotch, as it doesn't have a cool name. All the cool names out there, and Highland Park sounds like a nice town in the 'burbs.

Highland Park is an absolute gem.

Auchentoshan..... my current favorite.. hoping to bring up several bottles back with me next week ($20 vs $45 at home)... plus there is most of a bottle of jw green waiting for me at home (buy one every year to celebrate the boy's birthday, never mind he won't be able join me in polishing it off for many years)

elflaco wrote:Auchentoshan

Love that Scotch, Max introduced me to the Three Wood. If he wasn't a friend for exposing me to great music, attending my wedding, being a sounding board for tough times, he certainly would be for this.

Rush2112 wrote:

elflaco wrote:Auchentoshan

Love that Scotch, Max introduced me to the Three Wood. If he wasn't a friend for exposing me to great music, attending my wedding, being a sounding board for tough times, he certainly would be for this.

Finally found a place selling the Three Wood. Going to have to try it out. I am really enjoying the Highland Park 12. Starts out briney, nice smokey middle, and a peppery sea-salty finish. It is similar to Talisker 10, but I think I like the Talisker a bit more. I'm finding that the deeper I get into a bottle, the more I enjoy it. Not in one sitting, mind you. I think as I get used to the taste, I start enjoying it more. I also have a bottle of Glenrothes Select. A friend who is more knowledgeable on scotch than anyone I know has been pushing it for a while, as it is his favorite. Tried it last night, and not my style. Really smooth, but too fruity. It is aged in two types of sherry casks, and I think it took on too much sherry. The reviews actually make it sound similar to Auchentoshen Three Wood. If you like a delicate, fruity, scotch, this is nice and very affordable.

Anyone ever try the Japanese single malts? I'm tempted and heard good things, but want to try more of the Scottish distilleries first. Since most of the stores around here are owned by Indians, they are always suggesting the Amrut single malt from India, particularly the Amrut Fusion, which uses a mix of Scottish and Indian origin ingredients.

Just had the greatest scotch tasting event ever. Visited my wife's friend and her husband is a huge scotch head . Sampled numerous high ends, plus he gets some "scotch society" bottlings. 209 bottles made of each, and he had 5 different ones. They are all big name distilleries but they don't reveal who made any of them. They are just labelled by tasting notes. More later...

Just got a bottle of The Spice King. Really good for the price.