Title says it all. What bottle do you have opened now? Blend or single malt? What do you keep in your cabinet for an everyday dram? What bottle are you saving for a special occasion?

Peaty? Smooth? Oak? Sherry?

Favorite Scotches?

Not a specialist, just a regular drinker.
I got Highland Park, Famous Grouse, William Lawsons and Johnny Walker (black & red) in my cabinet (and a lot of Jack Daniels, but you are only asking for Scotch).

When going out or with family, I occasionally drink Glenfiddich, Cardhu, Bowmore and Oban.
(I also drink Bushmills, Four Roses and if they have nothing else Jameson but again, those aren't Scotch.)

Basically, I drink everything that's affordable and that they actually have in the store or at the pub with the exception of J&B that I truly dislike for some reason.


I basically drink a load of Jack Daniels (and sometimes Johhny Walker or Famous Grouse) instead of beer during cantus, a typical activity where I live ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantus ) but I prefer Highland Park or Johnny Walker black label for "special occassions".

When I go out, it depends on whether I'll be enjoying the drink in peace (in those cases, I prefer more expensive brands that I drink less) or whether it's hectic and fun and I just sip mindlessly (in those cases, I just grab a Jack Daniels or another cheaper brand when they don't have it, like Jameson or Johnnie Walker red)

Edited 2/11/2015 10:43:29

Certainly nothing wrong with other types of whiskeys! I mix in some bourbons now and then. I've been drinking some Buffalo Trace recently.

Famous Grouse in probably my favorite blend but their new Black Grouse has been gaining favor with me lately. Just like Famous but with a *little* more peat and smoke on the finish.

I've never been a huge fan of the Johnny Walkers but their new Johnny Walker Double Black is excellent and only another $5 more than the regular black.

How do you like the Oban? It's been on my short list of malts to buy but I haven't pulled the trigger yet. My favorite single malts are Ardbeg 10yr, and Laphroiag 10 yr.

Oh, now we're talking.

I like to sample the single malts and other interesting concoctions to sip neat. Macallan is probably still my favorite. Glenfiddich and Glenlivet are also very good. I just got a bottle of Laphroaig. Now that's an acquired taste. Very, I mean, VERY smoky flavor. Some may like it. I find it a bit rough. It's the only one so far I add water to.

If you like a very clean flavor, Balvenie is good. Not my preference though. I like a little spice.

Isle of Jura is worth a try.

I also enjoy Anejo tequila like Tres Generaciones that has been aged in oak barrels. Very good cold to sip like scotch.

My favorite low price whiskey to sip is Canadian Mist. Smooooooth stuff. Always good to have around.

I also tried Captain Morgan Black. Strong flavor. Very different. It has a syrupy sweet finish to it and it always makes me want to snack when I'm drinking it.

I'd enjoy hearing anyone else's recommendations.

Funny you should mention that one specifically. I'm more of a beer drinker myself, but lately Woswo and I have been making the occasional cocktail with Buffalo Trace bourbon and Reed's ginger beer. Great combo, sweet but not so as to overpower the bourbon.

Once in awhile I like to sip on a scotch, but I'm not enough of a connoisseur to say how I like them exactly. A nice smoky flavor is always good in my book.

Edited 2/11/2015 17:07:54

I've been drinking bourbon for about 15 years and was so surprised at how good the Buffalo Trace was. Bourbons I regularly drink are W.L. Weller or Bulleit. I think I've just switched bourbons though, especially at $22 a bottle. The ginger beer actually sounds like a good mix! I drink ginger ale and occasionally will mix it, I bet the beer would be even better.

Laphroiag is definitely an acquired taste! As for all the Islay malts. I remember getting my first bottle and thinking it smelled like dry erase board markers and campfire. :) Towards the end of the bottle I was hooked.

Buffalo Trace is a great Bourbon, one of the best and are doing well considering how recent a brand it is. I met their global ambassador at a cocktail competition event in a bar a few doors down from mine a couple of months ago, so I tried a couple of others from the same distillery. Eagle Rare is worth a try, but I wouldn't recommend the White Dog particularly, but I never enjoy the raw distillate. I didn't get to try their "George T Stagg" which is a shame, as it was what I was most excited about as it won the World Whiskies comp last year.

I'll continue the praise for Laphroaig, and my favourite whiskys tend to be Islays, as I like the peat, except to say that my favourite is Talisker, and is actually from the Isle of Skye, but has a very similar style to Islays. My favourtie Islay is Lagavulin 16yo Which is, in my experience the peatiest off-the-shelf Scotch you can buy. Caol Ila is also very good.

Some japanese whiskys are fantastic now, they are importing peat from Scotland to try to emulate true Scotch whisky, with wonderful results. One of my friends rates Yamazaki as the best whisky he has ever had. I disagree, but he's not inexperienced so it is only a matter of taste. The Hibiki Blend 21 year is dangerously good, and you can finish off a bottle in one sitting with a friend without noticing. It's smooth, with just a hint of peat, so not what would be usual to my taste, but it's so complex and well balanced that I can't put it down. The 12 year is ok as well and a lot cheaper if you wanted to give it a try.

Highland park is my preference, but Im a real fan of Brandy, which is pricey so I usually stick cheaper (Boulard Calvados) and if I have cash, I do enjoy Hennessy.

@NostanceTD: Do you own/manage a bar? The Hibiki has great reviews but I'm hesitant to pull the trigger because I've heard they finish it in plum casks. Not a real big fan of plum. How strong does it come through? The Hibiki 12 here is $70. Never seen the 21. Well over a $100 I assume?

I've really been itching to get a bottle of Talisker 10. I've heard mixed stuff on the Talisker Storm. I was getting a bottle of 10 on my last trip but ended up picking up some Ardbeg instead because it was on sale and one of my staples. You said Talisker is a similar style to the Islays, how about the maritime/brininess? Iodine as well?

What bottle do you have opened now?

Laphroaig

my favourite is Talisker

Nostance, you are literally reading my mind. I have Laphroaig opened that I got as a present and my favourite is Talisker :)

Lagavulin, Ardbeg, Laphroaig. Can't go wrong with an Islay!

Edited 2/13/2015 03:05:32

My current collection:

Laphroaig 10, peaty
Old Pulteney 12, light and perky, extremely pleasant
Oban 14, spicy
The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14, smooth and sweet and kind of boring actually, I won't be getting this again
Trader Joe's Lowland Single Malt 15 - most likely off-label Autentoshan based on bottle description, starts sweet and smooth and ends tart
Lagavulin 16, sweet and peaty and awesome

I also have a Bourbon, Colonel E.H. Taylor. Remarkably smooth for 100 proof! And enough tartness to keep it interesting.

Stuff I finished off:

Glenlivet 12, and French Oak 15. The 12 sucks. The French Oak was surprisingly good, dry and tannic and almondy, but over time I liked it less. I don't think I'll be getting any Glenlivet again.

Johnny Walker Black and Green label. The black is a remarkable blend for the price and a good thing to get in a dive bar. I liked Green a lot before it was discontinued but it could do without the Talisker (harsh for harshness sake). I'll probably buy some more black soon.

The Balvenie DoubleWood 12. My first sherry cask, I really enjoyed how the sherry notes blended with the scotch flavors.

The next stuff I'm eyeing to buy:

Benriach 10 - It was delicious when I tried it, very tart/sour, but it's like $60 a bottle?? Yikes.

Calumet Farms Bourbon - This was the sourest, smoothest bourbon I've had. Really remarkable, especially considering there's no info about it on the bottle. Easy to assume it's some overpriced whiskey with a fancy name.

Probably another bottle of The Balvenie DoubleWood 12.

Probably a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black.

I hear rave reviews about the Old Pulteney 17... or was it the 21?. I like the 12 a lot, so I'm tempted to experiment with a different variety from them.

Anything else I should be drinking guys?

Edited 2/13/2015 07:20:08

@Iron Mike: I picked up a case of the Hibiki Blend 21yo a few years ago from one of the guys who had the import deal with Shintori so I got them for under £100 a bottle - I forget exactly how much, and it's probably a lot more now. As for the 12, theres quite a lot of plum on the nose but it doesn't transfer to the palate, although it is still quite heavy on the jam and vanilla. Reading that description of it, it doesn't sound like a style of whisky I'd go for, but I keep going back to it for a late morning/early afternoon drink.

Talisker, has a lot of sea-saltiness/seaweed to it in the nose, and iodine right up front as soon as it passes your lips. I haven't tried the Storm yet, but I'm looking forward to it. It's not something that would do well in the bar I run and I've got enough open bottles at home already!

Single malt, cask strength!

Lagavulin
Laphroaig
Ardbeg Uigeadail
Old Malt Cask (Advance sample) 12 years
Glen Grant Distillery (Speyside) 1974, 37 years

.. and Hirsch (bourbon) 1974, 16 years

You might figure it out my age ;-)

Edited 2/13/2015 11:59:21

Nice! Have you broken the seal on the on the '74s?

@NostanceTD: Yes, opened both of them! ;-)
Glen Grant Distillery (Speyside) was a gift from a friend to my 40th birthday; and we tasted it together (it was really good!).

Hirsch wasn't so special (not even expensive -> I bought it by myself) to me..

Edited 2/13/2015 14:10:09

You fellas have quite the collection! My cut off is usually $50 USD for a bottle but I guess I'll be pushing $75-80 to get to the next level of malts. I think I'll give Talisker a try next.

Speaking of the Balvenie Doublewood. I heard its about to get a little more expensive due to a collaboration between the distillery and Anthony Bourdain with an episode dedicated to it on his show Raw Craft w/ Anthony Bourdain. Stock up while you can. :)

Guys... Johnny Walker blue and Coconut Water... try and you wont be the same again.

Guys... Johnny Walker blue and Coconut Water... try and you wont be the same again.

Nope, no, nope.