Jay481985 Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 I recently bought a bottle of Islay whiskey for a bud on his BD was called The Arran no peat used to malt the barley. Never had a peatless scotch it is excllent. Buy a bunch and compare. Have fun. Best regards Moray James http://www.arranwhisky.com/ Why would you buy an Islay but remove the peat? It's like buying a 5 car garage for 1 car. Islay are special for their use of peat to roast the barley, their peatiness and iodine make them special. I like in no particular order, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, and Laphroaig for their Islay character but its not for first time scotch drinkers. Best under 100 scotch at the moment, ardbeg uigeadail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 While your there ask if they carry "Royal Salute". You might be feeling froggy and willing to spring a little extra $ for future S-N-L. If it's not the best it is one of them. Through a loophole sometimes this Scotch can be scored on Ebay at what many consider reasonable prices. http://www.ebay.com/itm/VERY-RARE-Royal-Salute-Chivas-Brothers-Spode-Decanter-Dark-Brown-Unopened-/271064310745?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f1cb123d9 That's a blend so is Blue label. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 I have a bottle of Smirnoff Black Label (Not found in America) the last time I went to a foreign country and brought a duty free. Shoot me a PM if interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 I'm sorry but I don't like anything that tastes like cough syrip. JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 That's a blend so is Blue label. That's exactly right. Which is one reason why it tastes so good. Blended whiskies bring home the bacon so to speaker and are the single biggest reason you can even buy the malted varieties in today's world. An interesting read on different scotches and how they're made: http://www.tastings.com/spirits/scotch.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted December 1, 2012 Author Share Posted December 1, 2012 As for gin I like Tanqueray as well but their 10 is expensive, did you ever try Hendricks with a cucumber? No, have you ever tried New Amsterdam? If you haven't, do yourself a favor. It's every bit as good as 10 but at a fraction of the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary p Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 Can't go wrong with glenlivit 15yr for around $40 or 18yr is really good for around $70. As far as vodka goes its belvedere. Polish then Russian. Anything filtered 6 times is the benchmark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moray james Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 well I was curious to understand the same thing. I can only tell you that it is a very nice Scotch and I would buy another bottle. Best regards Moray James. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 Blended whiskies bring home the bacon so to speaker and are the single biggest reason you can even buy the malted varieties in today's world. Arghh...I've never understood this. The Scots, to my knowledge, don't TOUCH the stuff. They mix the dregs of real scots whiskey and sell'em to the rest of the world at a profit. I'd tasted many "scotch" whiskies like Cutty, Chivas, Walker and such before my sojourn in Singapore and never understood why anyone would drink the stuff. British colleague heard this and said "Neither we nor the Scots drink that crap...try this" and poured up a Glenlivet. Immediate heaven... I still do not understand what happens when single malts are blended as the result has NO detectable connection to the ingredients, IMHO. Obviously many will disagree and I'm happy for you. At least you get your kicks cheaper... Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 As for gin I like Tanqueray as well but their 10 is expensive, did you ever try Hendricks with a cucumber? No, have you ever tried New Amsterdam? If you haven't, do yourself a favor. It's every bit as good as 10 but at a fraction of the price. Honestly I have never seen it around, I will take a look the next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 That's a blend so is Blue label. That's exactly right. Which is one reason why it tastes so good. Blended whiskies bring home the bacon so to speaker and are the single biggest reason you can even buy the malted varieties in today's world. An interesting read on different scotches and how they're made: http://www.tastings.com/spirits/scotch.html I've had blue label (was way cheaper in the duty free store) but to call it rare is I think libel when every duty free stores have a whole wall and every liquor store has at least one bottle of it. It's okay, definately different but worth the ~180 dollar price? No. As with the statement with the blends versus single malts, uh oh you opened pandora's box..... Its the fight of the different blends that help keep small distilleries alive and a consistent quality even if a distillery goes under versus a blend of the same manufacturer that uses the same water. I think purists get anal on the idea of single barrel (Single malts blend many different barrels of the same year to get a somewhat consistent flavor but the thing is when they water down to 40% its the same water from the original source unlike the blends which do not use the same water source) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 well I was curious to understand the same thing. I can only tell you that it is a very nice Scotch and I would buy another bottle. Best regards Moray James. fair enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juniper8 Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 Do the "American thing" try Wasmunds single malt whisky.... Tastes like nothing else....Small batch, American made, very innovative techniques.... worth a taste.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 Blended whiskies bring home the bacon so to speaker and are the single biggest reason you can even buy the malted varieties in today's world. Arghh...I've never understood this. The Scots, to my knowledge, don't TOUCH the stuff. They mix the dregs of real scots whiskey and sell'em to the rest of the world at a profit. I'd tasted many "scotch" whiskies like Cutty, Chivas, Walker and such before my sojourn in Singapore and never understood why anyone would drink the stuff. British colleague heard this and said "Neither we nor the Scots drink that crap...try this" and poured up a Glenlivet. Immediate heaven... I still do not understand what happens when single malts are blended as the result has NO detectable connection to the ingredients, IMHO. Obviously many will disagree and I'm happy for you. At least you get your kicks cheaper... Dave In the 1970's I was stationed in Europe, in an Airborne Battalion Combat Team. We often worked closely with a Scots Para Battalion. I asked them what they thought of Chivas Regal...their answer "That is a English abomination of what they think an export Scots Whiskey should be." So, I asked " What about Glenlivet?" They said "Glenlivet is much better than Chivas, but nowhere near the best." So, I asked what was the best and got a dozen different answers, but ended up with one general concensus: If they had money and weren't at home, and had to settle for something that was NOT their local favorite, but was marketed in many places outside of Scotland, then it would be Glenfiddich, but if they were in the same situation with very little money, and had to settle for a blend, then it would be Teacher's" I love Scotch! I have had the opportunity to taste many fine ones over the years. For over two decades I would take a nice bottle of Scotch to a friend's place for a taste or two before the crowd would arrive for his annual new Year's Bash. Then it would become his. Around 1993-94, I took a bottle of single-malt that was right at 120 proof, full cask strength, and finished off in sherry casks. I can't remember its age, but I want to say 18-22 years old. I got it heavily discounted, but still dropped a Ben Franklin plus on it! It was seriously smooth...I mean SMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTH! I took a little taste with Surry, my friend. We both sipped it at the same time! SMOOOOTH...fruity, nutty...everything you could ask for on the tongue and pallet...PERFECT! You didn't even know it was whiskey as it went down...you could just feel the trickle going down into the stomach...smooooth! A second or two later though....the smallest bit of warmth began to spread in the stomach...getting warmer, but not uncomfortable...then the ears got warm, then warmer, then hot!...then our faces began to flush! Then Surry and I looked at each other...and tried to say something but our tongues wouldn't cooperate! We just smiled...and laughed and poured another small taste... Then Surry got up, put the cork stopper back in the bottle,grabbed his glass, and I grabbed mine and followed him back to his gunsafe, he put the bottle in it and locked the safe! I said "That's the best place for it!"..."You may have just saved our lives!" The next morning we were talking about it and Surry said "At least that stuff is named correctly!" "NO CAN DO!" Yep it was.... Knockando...the best I ever had...I have looked for that particular proof, cask strength, for twenty years and haven't ever seen it again! Damned Good Stuff! PWK loved Scotch! I turned him on to Glenfiddich! He made a trip to Scotland to the origin of his Scottish Rite Masonic lodge. He got back to Hope a few weeks before the holidays that year...and sent word to me to stop by his office, but whenever I went by there he was gone. Then a few days later I found this cylindrical item wrapped in newspaper on my workbench when I got back from lunch break, with a little hand-written note from PWK. He thanked me for suggesting Glenfiddich, told me that he had tried it in Scotland and really enjoyed it, and said he had bought a case or two while in Scotland and brought it back for "personal medicinal usage" and to give out for gifts. I unwrapped it and it was a bottle of Glenfiddich! Not many folks have a boss like that! -Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Richard Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 IMHO, there is NO bad single malt on the market. Generally true, but Ardbeg Uigedail is pretty bad. It has a taste somewhere between Jim Beam and lighter fluid. Actually, Jim Beam mixed with lighter fluid would be better. Glenlivet is not bad for the price, my favorites are Macallan 12 year, Macallan 15 year, and Balvanie Doublewood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 IMHO, there is NO bad single malt on the market. Generally true, but Ardbeg Uigedail is pretty bad. It has a taste somewhere between Jim Beam and lighter fluid. Actually, Jim Beam mixed with lighter fluid would be better. Glenlivet is not bad for the price, my favorites are Macallan 12 year, Macallan 15 year, and Balvanie Doublewood. Jim Bean, I rather have the lighter fluid. I dislike Bourbons very much even after trying about all of the stuff I can normall purchase. As for Ardbeg Uigedail, it is a love it or hate it affair as its a very very Islay character. If you ever get to experience it again, try adding a few drops of water. Seriously makes all the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxx Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 Now that every college footbal team that I was pulling for today has lost.... I'll go as low as a blended Scotch whiskey.... lol... Cheers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivernuggets Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 ...second the recommendation of The Macallan 12 year Sherry Cask. Runs $55 or so here in NYC... That's my vote also. Here is a visual, if you haven't purchased something already Carl. It's packaged in a square cardboard case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted December 2, 2012 Author Share Posted December 2, 2012 I haven't yet but I have plenty of notes[Y] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 ...second the recommendation of The Macallan 12 year Sherry Cask. Runs $55 or so here in NYC... That's my vote also. Here is a visual, if you haven't purchased something already Carl. It's packaged in a square cardboard case. Just to make it easy, Carl, I'll go along with these guys. Only way a person can't like this is to not like Scotch. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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