Whisky (Whiskey) experts in here please...

Tomsk

Tomsk

Tomsk

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
5,236
Location
Overground, underground..
It's my nates 30th birthday soon and I though I would get him a bottle of 30 year old whisky.

A few questions, since I'm almost tea-total.
1. Whisky and whiskey are different - what's the difference?
2. will 30 year old whisk(e)y get better with age? Before or after opening the bottle?
3. single malt or blend - is one better than the other or is it just down to taste?
4. can anyone recommend a whisk(e)y, preferably a 30 year old one.

TIA HIC:D
 
Tomsk said:
It's my nates 30th birthday soon and I though I would get him a bottle of 30 year old whisky.

A few questions, since I'm almost tea-total.
1. Whisky and whiskey are different - what's the difference?
2. will 30 year old whisk(e)y get better with age? Before or after opening the bottle?
3. single malt or blend - is one better than the other or is it just down to taste?
4. can anyone recommend a whisk(e)y, preferably a 30 year old one.

TIA HIC:D
Click to expand...

1. Whisky is Scots, Whiskey is Irish.
2. A 30 year old whisky is literally that. If you buy a 30 year old whisky, keep it for 30 years it doesn't become 60 years.
3. Down to taste.
3a. There are 4 types of Whisky: Single, Blended, Speyside or Islay. My personal fave is an Islay (peaty)
4. No. Sorry.
 
Where is Bigstan my main Whisky man when you need him.
*From an Englishman who knows Nothing about Whisky*
Whisky is Scottish, Whiskey is Irish.
I am on Irish at the mo namely Bushmills Original smooth & mellow. I love it & can drink it straight from the bottle it's that smooth.

beaten by J but at leats it seems i am right.
 
J is right, it's all down to taste really. And when you're spending (probably) a couple of hundred on a bottle - it might be better to find out what he likes.
 
1) whisky is scottish, whiskey is irish.

2) It'll likely gain in value, but thats all.

3) generally speaking, single malts are better than blends. However, I have had some very good blends, and some godawful malts.

4) It really, really depends on taste...Highland malts generally taste completely different to islay malts (honey and heather as opposed to smoke and peat, for example), and the irish whiskeys are different again (the only whiskey I have ever tried is jameson's though - don't know much about irish whiskey).

If you are buying for a whisky fancier, try to find out where thier tastes lie. I generally drink islay malts such as caol ila or the bowmore mariner. The 30 y/o versions of these (if they exist- i havn't looked) would be very, very nice.

Also, look into special editions- a 'cherry casked' version of something like the bowmore can be legendarily good.

for good 30 y/o stuff, be prepared to fork out quite a lot of money.

Alternatively, you could buy a slection of younger malts. Again, I would recommend the bowmore mariner, caol ila (cull eela), isle of jura and similar island malts. However, I'm biased :D

TG
 
Last edited:
~J~ said:
3a. There are 4 types of Whisky: Single, Blended, Speyside or Islay. My personal fave is an Islay (peaty).
Click to expand...
That's wrong, whisky is either single or blended. Speyside and Islay are whiskys that are distilled either on Islay or in the Strathspey area, there's plenty of other areas where whisky is distilled in Scotland.

Jokester
 
~J~ said:
3a. There are 4 types of Whisky: Single, Blended, Speyside or Islay. My personal fave is an Islay (peaty)
Click to expand...

Islay and Speyside are types of Single Malt whiskies, the third type being Highland.

Generally speaking the single-malts are more expensive and I think you'll be getting your friend one of these. I don't think I've ever seen a 30 year old blended whisky. What you or your friend like will be down to personal taste though, personally I like Glenfiddich (speyside single malt), but I know a lot of people look down on it as its too common :p
 
scorza said:
Islay and Speyside are types of Single Malt whiskies, the third type being Highland.

Generally speaking the single-malts are more expensive and I think you'll be getting your friend one of these. I don't think I've ever seen a 30 year old blended whisky. What you or your friend like will be down to personal taste though, personally I like Glenfiddich (speyside single malt), but I know a lot of people look down on it as its too common :p
Click to expand...


Glenfiddich is okay, and the reason its common is because it tastes good. It's not a whisky I would choose if given the option, but I certainly wouldn't refuse it if offered!

TG
 
Another fan of the Islay whiskies here (just finished a bottle of Caol Ila), although I also really like Talisker from Skye. I'm not sure I'd spend out for a 30 year old though unless it was for a really special gift.
 
this thread is useless without samples :D

my fave is jd, but then again, i'm yet to explore the wonderful world of whiskeys..
 
chiggz said:
this thread is useless without samples :D

my fave is jd, but then again, i'm yet to explore the wonderful world of whiskeys..
Click to expand...

blegh...I hate JD. Its a sour mash whisky (pretty much a bourbon all bar location of where its produced), and tastes nothing like 'proper' whisky.

IMO its the perfect way to ruin a perfectly good glass of coke.

TG
 
~J~ said:
3. Down to taste.
3a. There are 4 types of Whisky: Single, Blended, Speyside or Islay. My personal fave is an Islay (peaty)
.
Click to expand...

Incorrect.
A blend is called a blend becuase it not only mixes different single casks matured whiskies, but a majority of the fluid is made from distilled grain alcohol, AKA industrial spirit. The Whisky is just there for flavour.

Now these can be fine, blended with coke. But rarely are they worth drinking straight unless you are cheap. Often they can taste better than a chepa single malt.

A single malt is more or less an entirely different drink. Once aged appropriately it becomes the nectra of the gods.


Islay and speside are just 2 areas known for producing whisksy and are hence susets of single malts. All explained here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_malt_Scotch

--------------------------------------
I would reccomend a 30 year old laphroaig.
 
To expand a bit on what's been said:

There are three types of Scotch whisky, these being blended, single malt and single cask.

Blended will contain many different whiskies from different distilleries, each adding something to the flavour or character of the finished product. They may contain malt or grain whiskies, however malt whiskies may only contain whisky distilled from malted barley.

Single malt will contain multiple casks from the same distillery. When the malt is ready to be bottled, the master distiller will "marry" several casks together to make the finished product, and it will be a consistent product. Any 10 year old from the same distillery will taste the same, irrespective of when it was bottled, the blend of casks used ensures this.

Finally, single cask - the dog's ******** of whiskies. Single cask will be made with only a single cask of whisky. As every cask is slightly different, using slightly different wood that holds and imparts flavours differently, every cask will be different. I have a 12 year old Macallan bottled at cask strength, it tastes nothing like the finished single malt, but that's partly why I like it.

Then there is the filtering of the whisky. In most blends or single malts, the whisky will be chilled to almost freezing, and a filter used to remove any impurities. This can affect the character of the whisky, it takes out some of the oils and reduces the mouthfeel of the whisky. If you've had a non-chill-filtered whisky, you'll be able to feel the difference in the slightly oily consistency, and you'll see the whisky go slightly cloudy when you add a touch of water.


In terms of what to buy, go to www.smws.com and pick up a hand-filtered single cask example. Truly one of a kind stuff, when the cask is finished you'll never experience any whisky like that again.

There are several distinct Scotch regions, but it all depends to what level you wish to pigeonhole your distilleries. Most commonly, Highland, Island, Islay, Speyside and Lowland are used, but occasionally West Highland, East Highland/Grampian and Campbeltown are found. You'll find that some Speysides may taste like Highlands, or a Lowland like an early Speyside - it's mostly all personal preference as to what he likes.

al
 
Im no expert on Whiskey but if its a present get them some Wine or something that she/he will appreciate, theirs no telling what her/his tastes are unless you ask her/him, but if you really have your heart set on getting whiskey then look in his/her alcohol cupboard/whatever.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom