The wonderful world of whisk(e)y

I may have to stand corrected sir but it was my understanding that they did use caramel to colour the malt to give uniformity, but this was a few years ago so maybe things have changed and i`m wrong

It just burns the back of my throat.

Stu.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Over the past few months I have been sampling a few of the learned recommendations I was given. I have now decided on my favourite - Strathisla 12 year old Speyside. Thanks to Mrs Prubastinator & The Whisky Shop in St Paul's London. 

It was a journey I will never forget (if only)

P 

I am a fan of the Islay malts. I absolutely adore Lagavulin 16 year with all of its peaky smokiness, just a splash of room temperature water, no ice. Also Talisker and Bowmore for a cheaper

But this has recently been trumped by a special 10 year Old Malt Cask single cask bottling Laphroaig I was given for christmas which is subtler in its smokiness and divinely sweet and delicate.

I think I shall be rounding off my evening with a dram.

Take it easy Chillkram, it's late 

Hello,

You ask a very complex question, the answer will probably take a lifetime to decide...

I think you might like to look at a 'whisky flavour map' to help decide where your preference lies. For me its the Islay & Island malts I enjoy most, the smoky, peaty, iodene & almost medicinal flavours. My favourite is Talisker, which has a faint smell like the sea, & reminds me of sailing through the Kyle of Lochalsh.

I also like Laphroaig, Lagavullin & Ardbeg but these are fairly 'full on' & could easily be dismissed as being too powerful at first although Ardbeg is very delicate. If its a light and delicate taste, then Auchentoshan, Glengoyne (oh, la la), Dalwhinney or Jura are my favs. Our neighbour loves Speyside & his favourite is Cardhu which is very popular here in France & it is nectar.

So, these are my thoughts (although I did spend some time in Scotland, years ago) & now its time to try for yourself, personally I would recommend Glengoyne or Jura out of the ones Ive mentioned to start, but its a matter of experimenting & to help, some distributors offer packs of different ones to try in 20cl bottles, but take your time & enjoy the search.

Bon chance et bon courage,

N

Hello,

Me too, have you tried Laphroaig quarter cask? its next on my list & is absolutely fab, no age on it but well worth a try.

A few months back I attended a dinner/whisky tasting hosted by Suntory, the Japanese distiller. Along with the sushi, sashimi and wagyu beef we tasted a number of whiskies, principally Hakashu 12, Yamaguchi 12 and Hibiki 17. Apparently the Japanese like to drink whisky with a drop of water when they go out for a meal, much as we do wine.

I have to say that Hibiki 17 year old is one of the most divine whiskies I've ever tasted - it's quite floral, and almost buttery. Expensive at about £70 - £80 a bottle but well worth it.

If this thread is expanded to include bourbons, then my favourite is wild turkey, followed by jim beam

Mother in Law gave my this for my Birthday and nice it is too

Bushmills is top drawer. Very nice

Tonight I'll be mostly supping Dalwhinnie 15 yr!

I treated myself to a nice Single Malt Balvenie  21 years age, before Christmas. Got the ruddy flu for two weeks then Bronchile infection. Suffice to say had my first  little drop Saturday....O My God, real smooth.

Could of brought a lot of music for what it cost, but I am glad I did buy it.

As I get older, it seems fine ales, fine wines and fine malts seem the order of the day.No complaints!

Nice gift from a friend. 400th anniversary. Not  sure it deserves all the accolade but quite mellow on the palate and goes down well with some serious blues

Great choice, I go back and forth between Lagavulin and Macallan, but like anything in between as well.  

Chaps

These sorts of threads are potential killers. I drink a lot less whisky than I used to because of a minor heart condition. I used to get through a bottle a week but now it is, perhaps,  only one glass a week.

There was a time when I could not walk past a shop that sold whisky without popping in and I would always come out with a bottle of something that I had not drunk before.

I now have around eighty bottles of the stuff stashed away and I reckon at my present rate of consumption I will be eighty before I manage to finish the stuff off and despite only having the occasional tipple, I still cannot resist buying a bottle of something I have never seen before.

When I was working, I always looked forward to Friday evenings when I could put my feet up, listen to the hifi, sipping away at a glass of whisky.

My all time favourite is still isTamdhu.10 year old whisky.

Regards

Mick

Hardcore.

Just a bong for me.

Many years ago on holiday in Scotland saved a lad from drowning my reward his father sends me a crate of pure malt 12 years old  there times a year from his still its been going on for 55 years I wish his dad made cars sick of scotch this is true not a story,

Yeah, man. Groooooovy

Most Scots are much less precious about whisky (note no "e") than foreigners. I enjoy a dram more than most and on the odd occasion somebody treats me to a decent malt I'm truly appreciative but I find Tesco's own brand (25 quid for a litre and a half)  extremely palatable, much more so than Sainsbury's which tastes like an old fashioned "own brand".

In the run up to my wedding I worked for a few months in a bar full of Heilanders, all claiming to have their favourite. The wily old bar manager used to decant last year's favourite into this year's empties, The Famous Grouse as I remember.

Angus and Donald would stand at the bar eulogising the Famous Grouse and how it was like nectar and unmistakable, while in fact it was previous year's choice and nothing whatsoever like Grouse. Ever since I've been very sceptical about claims of being able to differentiate between brands, particularly after a pint or two.

Blends are certainly more difficult to distinguish/recognise as they are blended to a formula and generally lose a lot of the personalty of their component malt and grain whisky ingredienta.

Single malts however are a different kettle of fish - even a relative luddite should be able to tell the difference between say an Aberlour 10yo, Dalwhinnie 15yo, Glendronach 12yo or 15y0 and a Lagavulin 16yo

My current favourite is a Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban, which my partner brought back from an overseas trip for me.  She always surprises me with what she buys, which I really appreciated as she often introduces me to one I wouldn't usually consider.  That is one of the great things about single malts, there is a lot of variety out there.