However you prefer to spell it, that's what I'm talking about. I used to be strictly a beer man, but now I've got a taste for whisky. I like it straight, with just that little splash of water to 'liberate' the flavor, or whatever.
Anyway, who else likes whisky? What are your favorite whisky brands?
I've been drinking Johnnie Walker Red Label, which is nice and cheap but I still enjoy the flavor.
Originally posted by huntingbearWhisky is Scottish and whiskey is Irish.
However you prefer to spell it, that's what I'm talking about. I used to be strictly a beer man, but now I've got a taste for whisky. I like it straight, with just that little splash of water to 'liberate' the flavor, or whatever.
Anyway, who else likes whisky? What are your favorite whisky brands?
I've been drinking Johnnie Walker Red Label, which is nice and cheap but I still enjoy the flavor.
Originally posted by huntingbearI'm totally a whiskey lover! 🙂
However you prefer to spell it, that's what I'm talking about. I used to be strictly a beer man, but now I've got a taste for whisky. I like it straight, with just that little splash of water to 'liberate' the flavor, or whatever.
Anyway, who else likes whisky? What are your favorite whisky brands?
I've been drinking Johnnie Walker Red Label, which is nice and cheap but I still enjoy the flavor.
And of course good whiskey is to be had straight (with the optional few drops of water) - putting ice in whiskey is a mortal sin! (unless it's really, really bad whiskey, and you just want to kill the taste)
Johnnie Walker... among blended whiskeys not bad at all. However, no blended whiskey can match a single malt. Scotch single malts are what I go for, and while I haven't found a single malt that I didn't like, most of my favourites are Islay malts; really, smoky, peaty brands from a small island on the south-west cost of Scotland; Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg perhaps the best known.
Favourite whiskey, if I had to name one, would be Laphroaig 15 year old - though that bottle is hard to come by.
Out of the non-Islay malts, my favourite would probably be the 15 year old Longmorn (a highland whiskey) - completely different from what I usually go for but pleasant enough to perhaps equal the Islay malts.
-Jarno
Never had whisky until about 5 years ago, until I tasted Jack Daniels for the 1st time - now I can't get enough.
Unfortunately we don't have a large selection here in SA, so mostly it's JD, Johnny Walker maybe some Dimple or Glenfiddich and the crappy J&B and Bells.
My parents are going to Scotland next month, so keep the suggestions coming 😀
If you like JD, do yourself a favour and mix an 'Old Fashioned':
Take one teaspoon of sugar and mix with 3 drops of bitters in a tumbler glass.
Pour in 1 shot of JD with some ice and a slice of orange. Mix this for a while, then another shot and some more ice and mix some more.
Tastes great!
Originally posted by usmc7257Urgh! Jack Daniels is to whisky what budweiser is to beer. Horrible.
jack daniels although rather expensive is my favorite. makers mark comes in a close second.
Not too big a whiskey drinker myself, but I've intended to change this ever since a friend gave me some Laphroag (sp?). That's brilliant stuff, and about the only spirit I've actually liked.
Originally posted by jimmyb270So how would you know, if you're "not too big a whiskey drinker"?
Urgh! Jack Daniels is to whisky what budweiser is to beer. Horrible.
Not too big a whiskey drinker myself, but I've intended to change this ever since a friend gave me some Laphroag (sp?).
Just because JD is an commercially successful brand, doesn't mean it's crap.
Jack Daniels is bourbon, isn't it?
Actually, the origin of bourbon is quite interesting - don't remember the details but the basic idea was that the guy who brought over the whiskey production from Scotland to the US also happened to own a company that made barrels. So, like a good businessman, he lobbied in a law to state that all whiskey produced in the US must be matured in new barrels...
Much of the taste of the whiskey comes from the barrel, and the very idea is to use old barrels that have lost the harshness of recently cut wood, and taken on flavour from previous batches - some Scotch whiskeys are matured, for example, in old Cherry casks to bring a touch of sweetness in to the taste.
With new barrels, what you get is the bitter taste of fresh wood, and this is why Bourbon differs so greatly from Scotch. I'm sure it's an acquired taste, but I for one shrudder at the thought of having to ingest that stuff enough to acquire it!
Crowley, for your parent's trip to Scotland, here's a short list of fine Scotch they might want to bring back:
Lagavulin - Very smoky and peaty taste, yet pleasant. Easy to find (in Scotland) are the 16 year old and "Double matured", which is 20 year old.
Laphroaig - Fully flavoured, smoky and peaty, more "adventurous" than it's cousin Lagavulin. 10 year old is the "standard", but if you are lucky enough to find a 15 year old, grab it and don't let go! 🙂 Also to be found is 30 year old, but in addition to being horribly expensive, I also think that the 15 year old tastes better.
Ardbeg - 10 year old and various older stuff. Much similar to the two aformentioned malts. Excellent.
Talisker - Different from the two aformentioned, much less smoky and peaty, very elegant and balanced. 10 year old is the standard and the double matured (20 year old) should be pretty easy to find.
Longmorn - I've only had the pleasure to taste the 15 year old, and if you come across that bottle, I heartily recommend it. Talisker is much better known and an excellent whiskey, but I'd still rate Longmorn higher.
Highland Park - 12 year old is common, though older ones can be found too. An excellent "introductory" whiskey to someone new to Scotch. Balanced, with a touch of sweetness.
That's off the top of my head... there are surely others but these would be my top suggestions.
-Jarno
Originally posted by PyrrhoThanx Jarno.
That's off the top of my head... there are surely others but these would be my top suggestions.
Keep 'em coming, I'm not sure how long my parents will actually spend in Scotland, but I want to give them a long list that they can check out for me so that I can expand my whisky knowledge 🙂