Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler A question for the Scotch drinkers...

Suppose you were celebrating a once in a lifetime event and had up to $200 to spend on a bottle of Scotch... What would you buy?

I like a real "smokey" scotch... the best scotch for the price ($200) really depends on your tastes....different regions...different flavours...

This will get close to the $200 mark, but would not be considered a smoky scotch.

Laphroiag Cardeas 30 year old. Tastes like it was aged in the Creator's own inner tube. Smokiest Scotch you'll have ever tasted. About 500 pounds sterling. A nice Laphroiag 18 year old will do and you'll get change from you $200.

Laphroaig is a good call. One of the peatiest out there.

Mmmmm. Gotta love something that tastes like you fell face first into a peat bog.

Like licking a campfire.

Is that better than 'like gnawing on an oak barrel'?

As you may have gathered, I'm not a big fan of scotch.

Lagavulin for me. From the same isle as Laphroaig, but not quite as "medicinal". Peaty, though, but smoother. Smoky and strong. For $200, you could get at least a couple of bottles, I suppose. (They go for 40-60 euros here in the Netherlands.) Or try and find a special edition.

I'm a fan of Lagavulin, but I've never had truly expensive scotch.

I'm perfectly ok spending less money, just upper limit is $200. I like trying all type of Scotch.

I'm deciding what to buy for when I get my letter stating I passed my test

Maybe a 200 dollar dinner with someone special.

Great offer! I'm free a FEW nights this week, so your pick.

I've never had much of a taste for Scotch Whiskey. Most of them taste like potting soil and campfire smoke to me, neither of which give me great pleasure. There have been a few that I would drink again though. All about at your price point, maybe a bit more.

Bunnahabhain, 25 year old. Not sure if you can get this outside of the UK, but it is quite good. Damn good actually. I had it when in the UK a few years ago and would most definitely buy it again if I ever see it. I think it was about 120 pounds when I bought it.

Glenlivit 25 year old. Very smooth and I'd buy it again. The 21 year old is also good, but I think the 25 year old is well worth the extra costs. The 25 YO is about $250, the 18 YO is about $180.

A good blend (gasp, not a blend!!!) is Johnnie Walker Blue. It is typically right at, or slightly under $200. I have not tried the King George, but heard it's quite good. The KG is over $300.

On a side note, if I were going to celebrate something, I'd probably get a good Champagne, maybe Cristal, and have it with a couple friends. An expensive Scotch Whiskey isn't really what I would consider a good 'celebration' drink.

Michael, I can't help it, but I gotta point out Scotch Whisky is without the "e".

Augh, I feel like the grammarbot now.

........that's what I get for letting spell check fix my mistakes.

Ha ha, sorry Michael! If it's any consolation, I only recently figured out the difference in spelling.

Thought about a nice wine or champaign too... My sister got some Cristal when she got into vet school. My parents said they would give her 5 bottles of Cristal when she finished vet school... She has 1 year left. I know where I'll be when she finishes

A bottle of Cab Franc, Vidal or Riesling Ontario Ice Wine. That's always a nice treat.

I guess it depends on your plan and desire. If you where to sit back and toast yourself quietly, reflecting on your hard work and sacrifices, then a fine whisky could be perfect.

When you open it and pour, make sure you enjoy with your eyes first, your nose second before you drink. Don't do it like a shot, let it roll on the tongue, savor it.

I find most Scotch whiskies from the Islay region are smoky, peaty and full bodied. (Lagavulin, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Ardbeg). They are available at various price points. There is also a brand called Amrut that is not a true scotch but rather a single malt whisky distilled in India. It is fantastic, I would recommend adding some of that to the shortlist. The Fusion is my favorite in that line so far. That's a great way to reward yourself!

You could also just get a keg of a good micro brew and have a hell of a celebration..... Double Bastard Ale??

If you want a couple wine rec's, I can hook you up. The 08 Rudd Estate Red is fantastic - $185 Open it and let it breath in a decanter for about four hours first.

Lampy: That's my job of celebration.

Someone recently recommended Balvenie to me. I haven't bought any yet, but I'm planning to at some point. HA!

He recommends http://www.masterofmalt.com for info on different ones.

Whiskey vs whisky depends on provenance actually. I know this because I worked in Bushmills, Northern Ireland, one summer (ah, the distilling days!) In Ireland and the US there is an 'e'; if the beverage originates in Canada, Scotland, Wales, etc, though, there is no 'e'.

We love Dalwhinnie here - no idea what the price would be like in the US but it's a very yummy scotch to celebrate with!

Okay, who else can honestly type "Ah, the distilling days!"

Amie, you're awesome.

I like mine with the 'e'.

Mostly, I've been committed to Bourbon (for both flavor and that whole "buy American" thing). I just don't enjoy a peaty/smoky profile. I've tried quite a variety of Scotches, but nothing at or above that $200 category. I'll hold out that it is possible I still don't know what I'm missing.

I recently started to try out lower end Irish whiskies, and found that I seem to enjoy Jameson more than Bushmill's (sorry, Amie). Mostly, of course, I prefer something with a slightly different process, a bit of carbonation and one more ingredient.

I enjoy learning from you all, and really appreciate you sharing your knowledge in this thread.

I love Bushmill's. When I was kid Ted Kennedy told me to drink it instead of Jamesons'. Really.

Bushmill's with one small ice cube.

Bushmill's: When you absolutely, positively have to be in a pond in Chappaquiddick by midnight.

David, what's the call? Inquiring minds want to know.

I'm sorry you're pregnant, Mary Jo. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

I'm undecided. I got the Macallan 18 after finishing my exam. I'd like to get something really nice for the "confirmation letter" but I have a few weeks until my exam results come in to decide. Many good suggestions here! I'm just learning that I like "real" whisky over bourbon so haven't tried too many.

Finally something I actually know about. I second the Lagavulin and Ardbeg. I will say though that they are not very beginner friendly but more of an acquired taste. If you would like a smoky, but smooth scotch i highly recommend a Talisker. It is like a mix of glenlivet and (name a peaty scotch). I also found Lagavulin to have a medicinal smell to it, not that that's a bad thing it is still one of my favorites. If you want a mix of smoky and spicy get a "highland park".

I've been experimenting with Scotch for years and although I know that you are looked down upon if you aren't one of the people who enjoy the extreme peaty flavours, I'll risk saying I have not been able to acquire a taste for Lagavulin or other Islay varieties.

Sorry, but I just do not like the taste of seaweed in my drink. Just my personal preference though. Obviously, many do as the region is well known and has multiple distilleries all famous for their sea inspired blends. I also find the stronger than most iodine flavor to be a bit disconcerting.

I think my favourites are the afore mentioned and more conservative Talisker and the 18 year Glenlivet.

One thing I did learn is that there is more to the age than just a price tag. It does legitimately make a huge difference in flavour. For instance, If you were to blindly try the 12 year Glenlivet and then immediately after the 18 year variety, you would not be likely to guess that they come from the same distillery. Also the technique, even the cask wood used, can be different depending on which year/variety they plan to make.

This is why it's hard to recommend a Scotch to someone you don't know well. The variety is so broad and the range of flavours is of a ratio in the extreme. Your best bet is to experiment and enjoy the journey.

We actually got Peter Bell 'The Peat Monster' for his birthday last year (he adores scotch). Now that was peaty! But if you've ever been chilled to the bone walking the shores of the North Sea, the smell of a peat fire is about the nicest thing on the planet, let me tell you!

Seems like a lot of votes for Talisker, which I've never tried. I'll have to check it out.

Your comments about tasting blind interested me - we have been subjecting oenophile friends to a blind test of aerated wines vs unaerated. So far results are random, which has surprised a lot of them. But I've never tried a blind whisky test. The one at Bushmills that you get to try is sighted. I think most distilleries do the same one.

My father-in-law had a bottle of cask-strength Talisker. That'll knock your socks off.

I'm really not into the cask-strength scotches. I find that they are just too strong and are not as flavorfull. I typically stay away from them.

I did have a blind scotch tasting once. It was called blind tasting because we did not know which scotch we were drinking and because we were all blind after drinking it.

All you have to do is cut the cask-strength scotches with water to replicate a normal-strength scotch.

Well, actually, I can!

But you're right, Amie is awesome!

But then it won't taste exactly like the artist intended.

Scott, do tell! You never cease to intrigue.

David, I don't think there is anything "unreal" or inferior about bourbon. It's "different" than Scotch, and perhaps lacks the cachet due to a number of factors (not the least of which are price and Eurosnobbery). My opinion is that American Whiskey is no less noble than Scotch Whisky. I suppose you could make a case that Scotch can be more complex because of the peat, but something isn't necessarily "better" because it is more "complex".

Drink what you like. Honestly, I really wish that I enjoyed Scotch more, because there is obviously tremendous variety and richness in the products.

I've always thought spending a week on the Whisky Trail in Scotland would be a lot of fun. http://www.maltwhiskytrail.com/

My go-to Islay has been Lagavulin for many years. Unfortunately I still remember the days of being able to pick up a bottle for around $75 and it's now closer to $120, so I don't have a bottle going as often as I'd like. Lately I've been sampling the Buichladdich distillery products, which is actually an old name that has recently been re-born. I've only had a chance to try some of their un-peated selections, but I note that they now have a line of heavily-peated choices if that's your thing.

Can't go wrong with Glenfiddich--it's like the Chardonnay of single-malts. The first time I tried an Islay scotch I thought I was going to wretch...and then I was introduced to the "Godfather" cocktail. It's a scotch (the smokier the better) with a splash of Amaretto over ice.

I am on the brink of moving away from tequila as my beverage of choice.

Couldn't tell much of a difference between Lagavulin and Bowmore, but like them both. Interestingly, the bottler McLelland's now has a line of budget single-malts (30-35 CAD) from every part of Scotland. Hope to try the Islay in the next few weeks.

Yeah, I was joking about the "real whisky thing. That reminds me, Last time we were in Mexico there was a European couple that was giving me a hard time for drinking good ol American whiskey

Woohoo, 18 days until vacation!

How many stops before you fall off?

I stopped at Woodford Reserve on the road trip I took a couple years ago. It's my go-to bourbon now.

Does making moonshine count? Still not equal to Amie's Awesomeness though.

Dewars......

Oh sure. Just like Bose is not necessarily inferior. It's just "different".

I thought you preferred Depeace.

Well, whether it's spirits or beer or A/V equipment, the whole idea is to enhance the user's quality of life, right? To bring them joy?

"Better" for me might not be "better" for you. I have just never really enjoyed debates about superiority/inferiority of consumer products. I do enjoy hearing about people's experiences, especially ones that have brought them happiness.

I don't own any Bose products. I don't think they sound very good, or present a very good value. It wouldn't bring me joy to use them. However, I can envision a scenario in which a Bose system might be "right" for someone who valued very small form factor, clean aesthetic design and an accessible user interface. If someone had already made that decision, I wouldn't want to try to diminish their joy by asserting that my criteria (sound quality and value) should have been more important to them.

So, I don't think Bourbon is the Bose of the spirits industry. And I don't think there's anything someone could say that would convince me that "Scotch is 'better' than Bourbon".

OTOH, I am absolutely delighted to hear stories about how a particular Scotch tastes, or how much they enjoyed it, or how sharing a wee dram with a friend was a satisfying or memorable experience.

Tom I agree that bourbon to bose is not a good comparison. I do happen to think that bourbon is good value and always have some handy in case i run out of scotch =).

Ahem: The History of Canadian Whisky

9 cases of whisky are out there scared and all alone?

Should we start the "What scotch/whiskey/bourbon did you drink last night?" It could be filled with the nuances we smelled and or tasted while enjoying the fine drink.

With this crowd, I think you'll have to be satisfied with "Do you remember what you drank last night?"

And the stupid things we did while drunk.

That had a longer running time than the History of Canada I watched last night.

Speaking of things Canadian, there's a "new" show from Canada on basic cable called Children Who Kill. Not all of the murderin' little bastards featured are Canadian, but still, I'm quite impressed at how popular American interpersonal solutions have become in Canada. Yeah, we be stylin'!

Tom, you know there's a thread here with photo documentation of Axiomoes doing such things. I think it's called "Attendees."
You'll recognize me immediately. I'm the one who isn't drunk.

Hey Tom, for the record, I like bourbon too. Bookers is my favorite. I have not tried all many though, but would like to. I usually just grab a bottle of Maker's Mark when I'm in a Bourbon mood. I like Canadian Whisky too, and drink it all the time. Usually Pendleton's (ya, I know it's made in Oregon, but it TASTES like Canadian Whisky).

Well, I am a chemist, afterall. My first potable distillation was a highschool science project - Basically I made moonshine, but the project had more to do with the science of malting and fermentation than the product - that was just lagniappe (pronounced here as lan yap - a little extra). I've been distilling or brewing one thing or another since. I have brewed 5 gal home brew beer up to several 15 bbl runs at a craft brewery here.
Today I'm distilling methanol, for instance. Can't drink the stuff, but a similar care in product quality goes into the experiment, and we analyze the snot out of the product.

Thinking about trying my hand at scotch; Just hope I'm still alive after a good aging period to see how it turned out.

Making moonshine in high school. Nice.

Happy Jazzfest, Scott. Wish I were there.

Scott, you're distilling methanol for Jazzfest?

Wish I was going - leaving Sunday morning for Georgia. But while I'm in the Atlanta I'll be enjoying some Sweetwater IPA. I'll have an extra one in your name Tom.

I'm a big fan of makers mark as well.

For those that don't care for peaty/smoky Islay region, I have found that the Highland and Speyside regions produce single malt scotches that I enjoy the most.

My favorites are Dalmore 12 and 15Yr, Balvenie 14Yr Caribbean Cask, Most Glenmorangie 10 Yr offerings, one of my favorites is the 18 Yr. Most of these are matured in sherry or oak casks, the Balvenie 14 is matured in rum casks. These tend to add a measure of warmth to the flavor without overly added sweetness. Generally the more mature bottles have a smoother finish with no bite.

I usually taste these while enjoying a good cigar with friends.

Thank you very much for the recommendations!

Thanks for the reminder. It's about time to buy my Christmas treat bottle.