OT: Scotch thread

[J187Money]

Did you guys know it was National Margarita Day yesterday? Just wondering.

I did!

I did - had to get a margy at lunch yesterday down in San Antonio.

 

[HuskyHawk]

What you guys may want to try is some Australian whiskey. Like Dobson’s Old Reliable. Here’s the backstory from their website.

It seems that every whiskey in the world has a back story, you know, of how it has been made by the same family of half blind midgets in a quasi quaint Scottish highland village...the reality is that most are made in huge quantities in factories called distilleries....
We thought that we really needed a back story for our whiskey...and it is as truthful as most of the others.
Before you recieve your bottle of Dobson's whiskey, it is best that you know the magical tale of how it gets from us to you. It all starts with a secret field in the lowland bayou where vestal virgins tend the fields of barley, all cloned from one grain, given personally to our farmer by a passing vagrant who said he was the messiah. The susequent barley is peated over a fire of burning goats tended by quadruple amputees who scoop the grain up in their blistered lips and spit it onto the smouldering peat.
The mash is cooked over a fire of burning maggoty small meats to impart a rich scaley texture. Fermentation uses the yeast harvested from between the toes of drunken riverside vagrants in Paris. This heady blend is then distilled in a pot still containing a dead pidgeon, as an offering to Barry the god of petty criminals. The spirit is then re-distilled in a plate still.
Upon the completion of ageing on Venezualan Goose oak. The resulting spirit is transported down the mighty Kentucky Creek, on the august new moon. By five small but perfectly formed Russian novelists, sworn to nasal abstinence. The portage is by old birch bark canoe, navigating only by astrolabe. Upon landing the cask containing just two bottles of Dobson's is poured into the bottles. One is capped and placed on an altar of the purest gold, awaitng sale to you . The other is poured over the acursed ground to make a pentangle on the ground around a sacred goat wearing lipstick (Revlon - Summer's Gold Shimmer ) named Denise. The pentangle is then set alight and the Russian novelists take their place, each on his own corner of the pentangle...at which time they perform the japanese sacred act of Seppuku , The act of ritual disembowelment using a sharpened HB pencil for a blade.
We think it is the birch in the canoe which really sets our whiskey apart.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

A few times, I've allowed a friend to tell me the back story of hand-labelled, numbered, your own barrel, and Scotch-of-the-month club entries. I've found it interesting but nothing I'd ever want to get involved with, but makes for enough to weigh in on a thread like this.

Son-in-law has introduced me to Laphroaig & Macallan, but I'm happier with other distilled spirits, and his greater interest is wine.

At home, I have a bottle of Dewar's for my sister's visits, and a Balvenie option that noone has ever complained about.

 

[storrsroars]

Here you go @HuskyHawk.

I'll start: my house Scotch, which is my favorite, is Lagavulin 16 year. But all my locals are now charging $80 or more for it, which pisses me off because I used to be able to get it for $65 to $70. Now I'll need to make a trip to Total Wine to find that price.

Anyone got suggestions for something similar to Lagavulin that I might check out? I've liked a lot of the special Balvenie Scotches I've had, but they weren't much cheaper.

I buy my Lagavulin in LI when we go to visit my SIL. Still lists under $60 as of last Christmas.

If you think you've got it bad, it's now $91 at PLCB stores here in PA.

However, Lagavulin is my special scotch. House scotch is usually Famous Grouse, but that's been creeping up in price and I may switch to Sheep Dip in future.

 

[Northbound]

Macallen 18.

End thread

As a guy with more than 150 bourbons in my house, I’ve tried to like scotch just can’t do it. Someone gave me a Macallen 18 and I brought it to a 4wD club event just to get rid of it.

I know it’s supposed to be great juice, but I just can’t get the taste for scotch I suppose that’s what happens when you’ve been drinking bourbon for 30+ years.

I’m going to keep trying scotch in hopes that one sticks.

 

[Drumguy]

At home, I have a bottle of Dewar's for my sister's visits, and a Balvenie option that noone has ever complained about.

Dewar's is totally under respected. I like a single malt if I'm buying a bottle but find it hard to pay $20 for a shot of Macallan 12 at a restaurant. Dewar's is a solid less expensive scotch.

 

[Drumguy]

As a guy with more than 150 bourbons in my house, I’ve tried to like scotch just can’t do it. Someone gave me a Macallen 18 and I brought it to a 4wD club event just to get rid of it.

I know it’s supposed to be great juice, but I just can’t get the taste for scotch I suppose that’s what happens when you’ve been drinking bourbon for 30+ years.

I’m going to keep trying scotch in hopes that one sticks.

And I find it hard to like bourbons as a scotch drinker! I've been buying rye lately and really enjoy some of the ryes (sazerac, james pepper, bullett, whistlepig, high west).

 

[Doctor Hoop]

My house standard is Oban, though I'm also partial to Balvenie 14 year Caribbean cask. But I would urge you, if can find it, try Glendronach 15 year. It's outstanding.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Dewar's is totally under respected. I like a single malt if I'm buying a bottle but find it hard to pay $20 for a shot of Macallan 12 at a restaurant. Dewar's is a solid less expensive scotch.

I was once in line at Costco and overheard the conversation between the guy at the register and an alcoholic-looking patrician couple out of central casting (think George Costanza's fiancé Susan's parents). The husband was asking how the new, value-priced Kirkland blended Scotch offering was, and the guy at the counter gave it props for what it was. Like he was delivering a nugget of wisdom, the older guy confidently proclaimed, "After the first sip, it doesn't much matter what you're drinking." Not that I'd expect it, but he got no pushback. He departed with a half dozen 1.75l bottles of the house brand. And probably has never invaded the principle either.

 

[Northbound]

And I find it hard to like bourbons as a scotch drinker! I've been buying rye lately and really enjoy some of the ryes (sazerac, james pepper, bullett, whistlepig, high west).

Love rye as well. A great one that is well under priced is Rittenhouse BIB. Tasty.

 

[8893]

House scotch is usually Famous Grouse.

That was my uncle's favorite so I always had some in the house for decades and I enjoyed it, too. Every time I poured it for him he regaled me with the story of how they called it the Famous Grouch at his local because of his love for it.

 

[80shusky]

Here you go @HuskyHawk.

I'll start: my house Scotch, which is my favorite, is Lagavulin 16 year. But all my locals are now charging $80 or more for it, which pisses me off because I used to be able to get it for $65 to $70. Now I'll need to make a trip to Total Wine to find that price.

Anyone got suggestions for something similar to Lagavulin that I might check out? I've liked a lot of the special Balvenie Scotches I've had, but they weren't much cheaper.

Lagavulin 16 is my dead on favorite and the only single malt I make sure to always have at minimum a half a bottle of. Laphroaig is a great Islay and gives you that peaty/smokey character as well. My favorite, not Lagavulin, scotch is Oban 14. It is a highland I believe but is a really great scotch for the price. I think around $55 a bottle. Since it sounds like you're a scotch guy I'm sure you already know you can't go wrong with any decent single malt highland 12 years or higher. They're all good. It just a question of what flavor profile you prefer IMHO. I do prefer Islays. There are fewer of them than highlands though it seems.

 

[August_West]

Like he was delivering a nugget of wisdom, the older guy confidently proclaimed, "After the first sip, it doesn't much matter what you're drinking."

My father has been saying that to my brother and I For 25 years.

We will go to family get togethers he will pour us a finger or two of insanely good scotch, hand us each a Cuban cigar and then pour scoresbys over ice for rest of night.

He's not wrong.

I could easily kill whatever beauty hes pouring but I always leave just as happy.

 

[Danzz]

Laphroaig Quarter Cask

 

[storrsroars]

My father has been saying that to my brother and I For 25 years.

We will go to family get togethers he will pour us a finger or two of insanely good scotch, hand us each a Cuban cigar and then pour scoresbys over ice for rest of night.

He's not wrong.

I could easily kill whatever beauty hes pouring but I always leave just as happy.

And that is the segue to perhaps the greatest Scotch review ever written.

 

[Lefty2one]

And I find it hard to like bourbons as a scotch drinker!

I spent my first decade after college as a bourbon guy; the first time I tried a good scotch it was over - I haven't bought a bottle of bourbon since. I still have a half-drank 1.75 bottle of Woodfood Reserve I bought in 2010 I believe. As douchey as it sounds, bourbon tastes and feels minor league compared to scotch. Scotch is more complex, nuanced and there's such a wide variety (Islay, Highlands, Speyside, etc). The variance among bourbon is much smaller. Also, after getting into scotch I came to the realization that bourbon is very, very sweet. I can't drink a glass of it neat anymore.

 

[Danzz]

My father has been saying that to my brother and I For 25 years.

We will go to family get togethers he will pour us a finger or two of insanely good scotch, hand us each a Cuban cigar and then pour scoresbys over ice for rest of night.

He's not wrong.

I could easily kill whatever beauty hes pouring but I always leave just as happy.

And after 2 drinks it is hard to tell the difference between scotch and bourbon. Don't ever make that bet.

 

[Northbound]

I spent my first decade after college as a bourbon guy; the first time I tried a good scotch it was over - I haven't bought a bottle of bourbon since. I still have a half-drank 1.75 bottle of Woodfood Reserve I bought in 2010 I believe. As douchey as it sounds, bourbon tastes and feels minor league compared to scotch. Scotch is more complex, nuanced and there's such a wide variety (Islay, Highlands, Speyside, etc). The variance among bourbon is much smaller. Also, after getting into scotch I came to the realization that bourbon is very, very sweet. I can't drink a glass of it neat anymore.

Minor league like its a contest - goodness I know why people roll their eyes when people talk about spirits or wine.

 

[4 Titles]

The Best Scotch Whiskies Under $100

 

[AreBee1969]

Laphroaig 10 is my house Scotch. I know what you mean about price, I've been drinking it since it was $25 a bottle, and it's double that now. The only thing I've found close to Lag 16 that gives you that level of peat as well as the Sherry sweetness is Laphroaig Triple Wood. There's just a lot of young whisky in it. If you want to try something great, but a little different from the Lagavulin, try the Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength. It's dynamite.

I recently opened a bottle of Laphroaig 30 that was given to me for my 40th birthday, 9 years ago. Absolutely sublime. Back then it was $200 a bottle. It was discontinued and reissued and now runs about $850 per bottle.

 

[8893]

Ardbeg 10 is a good bargain as well.

Ardbeg is great if you like the Islays. Its a little lighter/cleaner than Lagavulin or Laphroaig, but still a peaty Islay.

Was at the store today in need of replacing my scotch and went with the Ardbeg 10 after the guy working there basically gave a testimonial about how great it is. Will report back; hope to have some tonight. Definitely nice to be spending $55 a bottle versus the $89(!) they were charging for Lagavulin.

 

[8893]

Huge thumbs up to the Ardbeg 10. Thanks @HuskyHawk and @Point6 for the rec. I have a new house Scotch. Great flavor profile for me.

 

[Doctor Hoop]

The Best Scotch Whiskies Under $100

Heh. My two are on the list - Balvenie Caribbean Cask for under $75, and Glendronach 15 yr. for under $100

 

[HuskyHawk]

Huge thumbs up to the Ardbeg 10. Thanks @HuskyHawk and @Point6 for the rec. I have a new house Scotch. Great flavor profile for me.

It’s not my favorite, but the peat-heads on the Scotch forum all swear by it. Lagavulin 16 is really rather overpriced and over marketed. You can get Ardbeg Uigeadall for less.

 

[8893]

It’s not my favorite, but the peat-heads on the Scotch forum all swear by it. Lagavulin 16 is really rather overpriced and over marketed. You can get Ardbeg Uigeadall for less.

Well I guess I am a peat-head then!