I didn't get to taste the Galileo but my local guy told me it was good, just not worth a purchase good. He said if he hadn't gotten to try it first, he would have bought a bottle based on hype and reputation. Now that he's tried it, he wouldn't drop the coin on a bottle.
I need a good Scotch bar so I can sample before bottle purchase, sadly seems to me the only thing I can do is wait for Total Wines to do their "Scotch course" or whatever they call it and hope that some of what I would consider for purchase would be up for tasting
I need a good Scotch bar so I can sample before bottle purchase, sadly seems to me the only thing I can do is wait for Total Wines to do their "Scotch course" or whatever they call it and hope that some of what I would consider for purchase would be up for tasting
Well... I decided that January 2013 shall be a sober month. It was time for a break. With the exception of some bubbly after midnight on the 1st, so far so good. However, as a reward for my good behavior, I think I'll get myself a bottle of something tasty in February. I'm leaning towards Scapa 14 if I can still find it, Aberfeldy 12, Oban 14, or Glenfiddich 18. I guess I have a few weeks to think about it lol.
I need a good Scotch bar so I can sample before bottle purchase, sadly seems to me the only thing I can do is wait for Total Wines to do their "Scotch course" or whatever they call it and hope that some of what I would consider for purchase would be up for tasting
Was gifted a bottle of Glenmorangie Nectar for xmas. Like liquid honey. At the moment, I'm debating dropping some serious coin on a 1980 Dallas Dhu. It'd be really cool to have a 30 year old Scotch from my birth year.
Screw sobriety, that's just no fun. So I picked this up on the way home from work. 10 year Jura. I typically like Islays and this one says it's light on the peat. It tastes... young? Lots of alchohol taste up front but has a nice finish and the melting ice cubes are doing wonders for the balance. Definitely some honey flavor in there. For 40 bucks I can't complain. I'm having a Tat Fausto to go with it. For those of you who don't care for Islays with a really peatty flavor I would recommend this.
This is a wonderful thread. I'm not a scotch expert by any means but I'm getting well into it. MY first bottle is Johnny Walker Red, which was recommended as a "beginner's scotch" but I personally disagree now that I know better. It's a blend and an inexpensive one. And it's NOT BAD! It suffers from an image-based, nose-upturned snobbery but people all over the world seek out Johnnie Red because it's an accessible blend. Light on the wallet, lots of flavor. But it's not a pure sipping scotch and it's makers literally intend for it to be in mixed drinks.
My second bottle was Johnnie Walker Black Label which is a huge step up in quality from the Red LAbel. Problem? IT cost me about twice as much. The Red Label 1.75 Liter bottle was $35.99 on sale (reg $40.99 in PA) whereas the Black bottle of the same size was $70. But the taste level bump up is worth it. Red is not bad. Black is good.
My third bottle was Dewars White Label. It's not a great blend. I prefer the Johnnie Red myself but to each their own. I will still drink it but I'll mix it with some Dissarono and that's called a Godfather. Those two flavors actually work well together and make a nice little cocktail.
Now I got my first single malt today. I picked up a bottle onsale for $45.99 for a 750 ml bottle and it's called Laphroiag 10 year. INCREDIBLE. I wish I never even wasted my time with the blends because it's so much better. It's not terribly expensive but the taste difference between this bottle and an inexpensive blend are so far apart they shouldn't even be compared. It's a very bold, robust flavor with lots of notes. I'm sipping it right now with one ice cube (cools down the alcohol flavor so I can taste it a bit). I'm picking up a little sweet vanilla. Some salt. Lots of smoke. A review I just watched said "a smouldering campfire on the beach" and that nails what I'm feeling when I drink it. Highly recommend this scotch.
I've been dipping my toe in the scotch dept lately, and I've taken a liking to Chivas, 12 yr. Good stuff, and reasonably priced; probably the low end of scotch, but it doesn't burn anywhere near as much as other stuff I've had
This is a wonderful thread. I'm not a scotch expert by any means but I'm getting well into it. MY first bottle is Johnny Walker Red, which was recommended as a "beginner's scotch" but I personally disagree now that I know better. It's a blend and an inexpensive one. And it's NOT BAD! It suffers from an image-based, nose-upturned snobbery but people all over the world seek out Johnnie Red because it's an accessible blend. Light on the wallet, lots of flavor. But it's not a pure sipping scotch and it's makers literally intend for it to be in mixed drinks.
My second bottle was Johnnie Walker Black Label which is a huge step up in quality from the Red LAbel. Problem? IT cost me about twice as much. The Red Label 1.75 Liter bottle was $35.99 on sale (reg $40.99 in PA) whereas the Black bottle of the same size was $70. But the taste level bump up is worth it. Red is not bad. Black is good.
My third bottle was Dewars White Label. It's not a great blend. I prefer the Johnnie Red myself but to each their own. I will still drink it but I'll mix it with some Dissarono and that's called a Godfather. Those two flavors actually work well together and make a nice little cocktail.
Now I got my first single malt today. I picked up a bottle onsale for $45.99 for a 750 ml bottle and it's called Laphroiag 10 year. INCREDIBLE. I wish I never even wasted my time with the blends because it's so much better. It's not terribly expensive but the taste difference between this bottle and an inexpensive blend are so far apart they shouldn't even be compared. It's a very bold, robust flavor with lots of notes. I'm sipping it right now with one ice cube (cools down the alcohol flavor so I can taste it a bit). I'm picking up a little sweet vanilla. Some salt. Lots of smoke. A review I just watched said "a smouldering campfire on the beach" and that nails what I'm feeling when I drink it. Highly recommend this scotch.
You have to try the 15 yr old. Even better. And along the same line, Lagavolin and Ardbeg, both quality Islays.
I bought a bottle of Ardbeg 10 year as well I just didn't pop it open yet. Islays, and I guess all scotch really, is "love it or hate it". I just watched a review where three dudes sat around drinking it and described "novocaine and mouthwash" lol. I tend to disagree.
I bought a bottle of Ardbeg 10 year as well I just didn't pop it open yet. Islays, and I guess all scotch really, is "love it or hate it". I just watched a review where three dudes sat around drinking it and described "novocaine and mouthwash" lol. I tend to disagree.
I am glad you are finding Scotch to agree with your tastebuds. Just don't write off blends completely, there are some pretty fantastic sipping blends, such as Compass Box and Blue Hanger. Johnnie Walker Green label is also worth a buy if you can find it... though they just discontinued it in December, so it may be hard to find.
Sometimes I hate you guys. You SOBs are throwing up all these unfamiliar names that I'm writing down, and I just KNOW my wallets gonna be screaming on my next trip to Total Wine
I'm not completely opposed to blends. I'm nto even close to experienced enough to be a scotch snob. All I know is there is a use for EVERY whiskey I've had. Like I said in my earlier post: My first bottle is Johnny Red. Now is it a sipping scotch I'll be enjoying neat in a scotch glass? Nope. Can I throw a crapload of it on ice and sit outside with it while I have a stogie? Yup!
So I picked up a bottle of McClelland's Highland Scotch. It's a very inexpensive single malt (the cheapest single my state stores sell) and I wasn't expecting much. It's decent but again, not something I'll spend my time savoring in a scotch glass. It's got a strong alcohol burn so I added a drop or two of water (I'm learning!) to cool it off and open it up a bit. It doesn't turn it into a whole new whiskey but it's much improved. It's a lot better on the nose as well. Very fruity. Doesn't have that peat smokey flavor the Islays have. I pick up oak and nut. Good but not great. This will probably be poured over ice in the future, tho. Not much of a sipper here but it didn't set me back too far and I'll put it to good use (on my front step with a stogie on the rocks with company)
BTW if anyone is getting into scotch you'll learn a lot from watching good reviews on youtube or reading decent blogs. I strongly recommend checking out Ralfy on youtube. He's a Scottish gentleman who offers a decidedly NOT pretentious insight. Informative and interesting, albeit long-winded at times, his reviews have stood out among my favorites on the web. Whiskey *** is fun too she's not too nerdy with it and just kinda describes the flavors as she perceives them.
This bottle was great. But for some reason it didn't last too long.
Going to break this one open tonight. We will see. It will be hard to beat that 17 year old double wood, but damn, they are proud of that stuff.
OK so I tried the Ardbeg (10 year) last night and I absolutely adored it. Comparing it to the Laphroig: They're similar. They're both Islays so that's not a surprise. But the Ardbeg is in general smoother than the Laphroig. That's not to say it's better, it's just smoother. I found the flavors less strong. There's also a more fruity taste to it than the Laphroid. The Laphroig's standout flavor will be the very strong pete smoke whereas the Ardbeg's is going to be the wood.
I hate getting into "better" but I prefer Laphroig 10 year over Ardbeg 10 year. The Laphroig is absolutely bursting with flavors. It may not have been a great introductory scotch to some but I thought it was perfect because it's very interesting. Tons of flavors and it'll really kind of open the door to a new scotch drinker, like it did for me, by providing something truly unique and special. But they say with Islays you either love them or you hate them. I think I'm the former :-)
OK so I tried the Ardbeg (10 year) last night and I absolutely adored it. Comparing it to the Laphroig: They're similar. They're both Islays so that's not a surprise. But the Ardbeg is in general smoother than the Laphroig. That's not to say it's better, it's just smoother. I found the flavors less strong. There's also a more fruity taste to it than the Laphroid. The Laphroig's standout flavor will be the very strong pete smoke whereas the Ardbeg's is going to be the wood.
I hate getting into "better" but I prefer Laphroig 10 year over Ardbeg 10 year. The Laphroig is absolutely bursting with flavors. It may not have been a great introductory scotch to some but I thought it was perfect because it's very interesting. Tons of flavors and it'll really kind of open the door to a new scotch drinker, like it did for me, by providing something truly unique and special. But they say with Islays you either love them or you hate them. I think I'm the former :-)
Now you need to try the Lagavulin. You'll like it also. Its' more of the heavy iodine flavor like Laphroig. I was once a big Islay fan. Presently I'm into some of the lighter varieties. My present favorite is Oban. Just as with cigars, you can't be smoking Opus Xs all day every day.
OK so I tried the Ardbeg (10 year) last night and I absolutely adored it. Comparing it to the Laphroig: They're similar. They're both Islays so that's not a surprise. But the Ardbeg is in general smoother than the Laphroig. That's not to say it's better, it's just smoother. I found the flavors less strong. There's also a more fruity taste to it than the Laphroid. The Laphroig's standout flavor will be the very strong pete smoke whereas the Ardbeg's is going to be the wood.
I hate getting into "better" but I prefer Laphroig 10 year over Ardbeg 10 year. The Laphroig is absolutely bursting with flavors. It may not have been a great introductory scotch to some but I thought it was perfect because it's very interesting. Tons of flavors and it'll really kind of open the door to a new scotch drinker, like it did for me, by providing something truly unique and special. But they say with Islays you either love them or you hate them. I think I'm the former :-)
Now you need to try the Lagavulin. You'll like it also. Its' more of the heavy iodine flavor like Laphroig. I was once a big Islay fan. Presently I'm into some of the lighter varieties. My present favorite is Oban. Just as with cigars, you can't be smoking Opus Xs all day every day.
+1 for the Lagavulin. Hands down, my favorite. If you live that peaty, smokey flavor, then this one is for you.
I love it when this thread gets revived. Just bought a bottle of Acnoc on the first, any thoughts? Excited to try it out. For those just starting out or getting back in really recommend the Aberlour 12 double cask. Reasonably priced and great tasting. Enjoy!
Comments
My second bottle was Johnnie Walker Black Label which is a huge step up in quality from the Red LAbel. Problem? IT cost me about twice as much. The Red Label 1.75 Liter bottle was $35.99 on sale (reg $40.99 in PA) whereas the Black bottle of the same size was $70. But the taste level bump up is worth it. Red is not bad. Black is good.
My third bottle was Dewars White Label. It's not a great blend. I prefer the Johnnie Red myself but to each their own. I will still drink it but I'll mix it with some Dissarono and that's called a Godfather. Those two flavors actually work well together and make a nice little cocktail.
Now I got my first single malt today. I picked up a bottle onsale for $45.99 for a 750 ml bottle and it's called Laphroiag 10 year. INCREDIBLE. I wish I never even wasted my time with the blends because it's so much better. It's not terribly expensive but the taste difference between this bottle and an inexpensive blend are so far apart they shouldn't even be compared. It's a very bold, robust flavor with lots of notes. I'm sipping it right now with one ice cube (cools down the alcohol flavor so I can taste it a bit). I'm picking up a little sweet vanilla. Some salt. Lots of smoke. A review I just watched said "a smouldering campfire on the beach" and that nails what I'm feeling when I drink it. Highly recommend this scotch.
So I picked up a bottle of McClelland's Highland Scotch. It's a very inexpensive single malt (the cheapest single my state stores sell) and I wasn't expecting much. It's decent but again, not something I'll spend my time savoring in a scotch glass. It's got a strong alcohol burn so I added a drop or two of water (I'm learning!) to cool it off and open it up a bit. It doesn't turn it into a whole new whiskey but it's much improved. It's a lot better on the nose as well. Very fruity. Doesn't have that peat smokey flavor the Islays have. I pick up oak and nut. Good but not great. This will probably be poured over ice in the future, tho. Not much of a sipper here but it didn't set me back too far and I'll put it to good use (on my front step with a stogie on the rocks with company)
BTW if anyone is getting into scotch you'll learn a lot from watching good reviews on youtube or reading decent blogs. I strongly recommend checking out Ralfy on youtube. He's a Scottish gentleman who offers a decidedly NOT pretentious insight. Informative and interesting, albeit long-winded at times, his reviews have stood out among my favorites on the web. Whiskey *** is fun too she's not too nerdy with it and just kinda describes the flavors as she perceives them.
I hate getting into "better" but I prefer Laphroig 10 year over Ardbeg 10 year. The Laphroig is absolutely bursting with flavors. It may not have been a great introductory scotch to some but I thought it was perfect because it's very interesting. Tons of flavors and it'll really kind of open the door to a new scotch drinker, like it did for me, by providing something truly unique and special. But they say with Islays you either love them or you hate them. I think I'm the former :-)
Never have I wanted to punch this man more in my life.