MonsterMash
First Post
Personally I like Talisker and Ardbeg, with just a little drop of lightly chilled spring water to bring out the nose.
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Reccomendation for a good single malt Scotch
- Thread starter Mr. Lobo
- Start date
Chimera
First Post
Glenlivet and Glenfiddich are definitely good choices, if only for their being more well known. The average scotch drinker will know and probably like them, and the non-scotch drinker will at least have heard of them. (Unlike the "what the &^@# is that???" reaction you'll get from some odd named scotches.)
Oban is another good choice for general drinkage. Balvenie is good (and comes in some really nice varieties like Portwood finish or Doublewood). Macallan is good, but to my mind it's over-rated and a mite expensive. If you want a good scotch that's a bit more expensive and has a distinctive bottle, you might try Glenrothes, one of my favorites.
There are a ton of others, but I don't recommend buying one of them just to have it sitting around unless you've tried it somewhere and like it a lot. (Find a good bar that serves a variety of scotches and try a few of them before you buy!)
Also remember that many single malts vary from cask to cask, which means from bottle to bottle. The big/common ones tend to be more stable, but that's not always so. What this means is that you may drink several bottles of one name and like it very much, only to not like the next bottle so much because the taste is a little different than you remember.
Keep some spring water (or bottled water) around. Some scotch snobs will turn their nose up at it, but I can only second what others have said and say that I like my scotch with a little water. Do not use tap water or ice made from tap water! Most especially if you've got crappy or chemically tap water. You'll just ruin the scotch.
Oban is another good choice for general drinkage. Balvenie is good (and comes in some really nice varieties like Portwood finish or Doublewood). Macallan is good, but to my mind it's over-rated and a mite expensive. If you want a good scotch that's a bit more expensive and has a distinctive bottle, you might try Glenrothes, one of my favorites.
There are a ton of others, but I don't recommend buying one of them just to have it sitting around unless you've tried it somewhere and like it a lot. (Find a good bar that serves a variety of scotches and try a few of them before you buy!)
Also remember that many single malts vary from cask to cask, which means from bottle to bottle. The big/common ones tend to be more stable, but that's not always so. What this means is that you may drink several bottles of one name and like it very much, only to not like the next bottle so much because the taste is a little different than you remember.
Keep some spring water (or bottled water) around. Some scotch snobs will turn their nose up at it, but I can only second what others have said and say that I like my scotch with a little water. Do not use tap water or ice made from tap water! Most especially if you've got crappy or chemically tap water. You'll just ruin the scotch.
DethStryke
Explorer
I would suggest going to Beltway Liquers on Loch Raven Blvd (just off the exit from 695). They have a huge selection (it's the size of a normal supermarket) and typically have a free wine/spirits guide at the doorway that will give you ratings from various magazines which may lead you to a good one as well. Their staff is usually pretty knowledgable too. Anything that rates 90+ in Wine Enthusiest or what not will probably yeild a good decision. The really high ratings will be mentioned in the free guide or on the shelf labels.
Finding a *good* place to try scotch in Baltimore is not the easiest, but I know they do exist. A friend of mine is a big scotch fan. I'll ask him for more info when I get home from work.
Finding a *good* place to try scotch in Baltimore is not the easiest, but I know they do exist. A friend of mine is a big scotch fan. I'll ask him for more info when I get home from work.
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Oghma
First Post
Whatever you do, avoid being pretentious about single malts. A single malt bore is one of the worst things to ever encounter at a gathering.
I'll have to disagree with the Glenlivet/Glenfiddich fans. They are both pretty bland for a single malt. If you are new to single malts, I'd say they would be good choices, though.
Aardbeg and Laphroaig drink like liquid smoke. MacAllan is probably my favorite, since it's very smooth yet distinct in taste. Lagavulin is a great choice, a little peatier than MacAllan, but not as peaty as Aardbeg and Laphroaig. Around here, Lagavulin is now $80 a bottle, so it's a bit expensive.
Other good choices are the Balvenie, Talisker, Highland Park, and Dalmore.
The main thing is to enjoy it without sounding like everyone around you is a fool for not enjoying it. It's an acquired taste, but there is no trick to acquiring the taste for it. Just drink a lot of it.
I'll have to disagree with the Glenlivet/Glenfiddich fans. They are both pretty bland for a single malt. If you are new to single malts, I'd say they would be good choices, though.
Aardbeg and Laphroaig drink like liquid smoke. MacAllan is probably my favorite, since it's very smooth yet distinct in taste. Lagavulin is a great choice, a little peatier than MacAllan, but not as peaty as Aardbeg and Laphroaig. Around here, Lagavulin is now $80 a bottle, so it's a bit expensive.
Other good choices are the Balvenie, Talisker, Highland Park, and Dalmore.
The main thing is to enjoy it without sounding like everyone around you is a fool for not enjoying it. It's an acquired taste, but there is no trick to acquiring the taste for it. Just drink a lot of it.
barsoomcore
Unattainable Ideal
Laphroaig.
Mm.
Mm.
FraserRonald
Explorer
The Balvenie! Get it now.
Alan Shutko
Explorer
I steer more towards the peat... Lagavulin is the necter of life, but I can't find it in the STL area to save my life. I've fallen back on Macallan, which I like more than Balvenie, Laphroig, or the Glen*s. Haven't tried Ardbeg yet. Haven't had any of the blended ones, actually. Started straight with Laphroig and Talisker (simultaneously).
I don't know how I acquired a taste for it... I think part of it is just being able to take the alcohol content. If you already like high-alcohol drinks like martinis, you'll be more likely to appreciate single malts. I've also been into wines for a few years, so I think that helped blunt the natural "sweet is good" reflex. And it helps me appreciate the way different places taste. But it is an acquired taste.
I don't know how I acquired a taste for it... I think part of it is just being able to take the alcohol content. If you already like high-alcohol drinks like martinis, you'll be more likely to appreciate single malts. I've also been into wines for a few years, so I think that helped blunt the natural "sweet is good" reflex. And it helps me appreciate the way different places taste. But it is an acquired taste.
Abstraction
First Post
Actually, a blended scotch is created when the distillers take several scotches that have aged very little time and are thus quite harsh. They blend all these underaged scotches in order to smooth out the imperfections in each. That is why any blended scotch tastes like garbage. Essentially, it is.
Teflon Billy
Explorer
Glenmorangie is what you want.
CarlZog
Explorer
Mr. Lobo said:
My thought is that there's some expensive tastes on this board.
Anybody keeping a bottle of the recommendations so far in their office probably has an office with a wet bar.For a bottle in the desk drawer, a la Sam Spade, you're looking for something good, but maybe a little less rich.
Can never go wrong with Dewar's, my grandpa always said!
Carl
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