Fellow Whisky Affictionados!

surfsquid · 2 Apr 2008 at 12:05

Skree said:
I'm a bourbon fan myself. I always recommend Jim Beam's Black Label - really smooth, nice sippin' whiskey with a hint of vanilla. But for malts, I think you can't go wrong with highland park.

maybe it's just me but most bourbons and cheap scotch taste "soapy" to me, I can't think of a better way to describe this... :confused:

Lamo · 2 Apr 2008 at 12:10

I would highly recommend

Bunnahabhain or McCallans

Emlyn_Dewar · 2 Apr 2008 at 12:17

I've just ordered my Dad a bottle or Rosebank off the net for his Birthday, he was really taken by it before and it's getting a bit harder to buy now. Was £50 incl delivery which isn't too bad.
Maybe have a look online at some of the different sites, they often have good descriptions which can be a big help, I used royalmilewhiskies.com.

Goose · 2 Apr 2008 at 12:20

http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/ is pretty interesting site.

There's single malts for £7,500!

Mr Jack · 2 Apr 2008 at 12:56

Oh, another recommendation: Tobymoray. Very distinctive, and very reasonably priced.

volospian · 2 Apr 2008 at 13:49

I'd suggest you visit a decent whisky shop and try some. I drink whisky but there are some that I don't like, and others I love. I'm not a fan of huge peat, so I prefer Highland and Speyside, but I'm not a fan of anything more peaty.

I was in Speyside over the new year, so I am currently drinking a 15 year old Aberlour, and I also have a bottle of 16 year old "Breath of Speyside" from the Adelphi distillery (although they are a distributer. The actual whisky is reportedly a Glenfarclas).

Both excellent malts. I also like Glenmorangie and Glen Ord from the Highland side of things. Glen Ord is quite sweet, tastes like someone has put a drop of sugar in it.

I think, to be fair "the 16 men of Tain" make my favourite whisky, although Aberlour is currently a close second.

Angilion · 2 Apr 2008 at 14:18

Tom0 said:
How do you mean? don't mix them in the glass?

Yes. If you want water with good whisky, have one glass of whisky and one glass of water, not mixed. That's what I do, anyway. If it was meant to have more water in it, the distiller would have made it with more water in it.

Scuzi · 2 Apr 2008 at 14:27

Drinking whisky is about enjoying the experience. All these pompous so called whisky connisseurs all seem to insist that you should never put water in whisky, you should never put ice in it and so on, along with the "If it was meant to have more water in it, the distiller would have put more in" comments.

Ignore all of these. You are drinking the whiskey for you. It's for you to enjoy. You're not drinking it to impress other people like those who are giving advice in this thread.

If you like it with ice, put ice in it. If you think it tastes better diluted with a lot of water, drink it that way.

Lamo · 2 Apr 2008 at 14:32

Scuzi said:
Drinking whisky is about enjoying the experience. All these pompous so called whisky connisseurs all seem to insist that you should never put water in whisky, you should never put ice in it and so on, along with the "If it was meant to have more water in it, the distiller would have put more in" comments.

Ignore all of these. You are drinking the whiskey for you. It's for you to enjoy. You're not drinking it to impress other people like those who are giving advice in this thread.

If you like it with ice, put ice in it. If you think it tastes better diluted with a lot of water, drink it that way.

Could not agree more. I remember watching a program about whiskey and the best way to drink it and the pro that they had suggested drinking it with a bit of water as it helped to bring out the natural falvours of it.

KaHn · 2 Apr 2008 at 15:06

Scuzi said:
Drinking whisky is about enjoying the experience. All these pompous so called whisky connisseurs all seem to insist that you should never put water in whisky, you should never put ice in it and so on, along with the "If it was meant to have more water in it, the distiller would have put more in" comments.

Ignore all of these. You are drinking the whiskey for you. It's for you to enjoy. You're not drinking it to impress other people like those who are giving advice in this thread.

If you like it with ice, put ice in it. If you think it tastes better diluted with a lot of water, drink it that way.

Best post in here

KaHn

robbi187 · 2 Apr 2008 at 15:09

Bar said:
Highland (try an 18 year old Glenmorangie)
Island (try an 18 year old Isle of Jura or Talisker)
Islay (try an 18 year old Lagavulin)
Speyside (try an 18 year old Glenfarclas)
Campbeltown (unsure what to recommend here as I have never tried any)
lowlands (try an 18 year old Auchentoshan)

All about the Jura or Monkey Shoulder is nice too, Oddbins is the best bet for getting it

Angilion · 2 Apr 2008 at 22:48

Goose said:
http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/ is pretty interesting site.

There's single malts for £7,500!

An image has flittered thought my head...someone tilts the glass slightly more than they intended and thinks "Oh dear, I've just sipped £150 and I only meant to sip £100."

Aod · 2 Apr 2008 at 22:54

what do you guys think of this:
http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-2401.aspx

the tasting notes indicate that its got the kind of mix of flavours that i'd enjoy.

i'm not as clued up on Whisky's as i wish i was. i can't say whether i prefer peaty whiskys or any specific region.

PardonTheWait · 2 Apr 2008 at 22:55

Scuzi said:
Drinking whisky is about enjoying the experience. All these pompous so called whisky connisseurs all seem to insist that you should never put water in whisky, you should never put ice in it and so on, along with the "If it was meant to have more water in it, the distiller would have put more in" comments.

Ignore all of these. You are drinking the whiskey for you. It's for you to enjoy. You're not drinking it to impress other people like those who are giving advice in this thread.

If you like it with ice, put ice in it. If you think it tastes better diluted with a lot of water, drink it that way.

Too right. I drink most whiskies with coke, if I'm drinking posher stuff I have it with ginger ale instead. I don't see why I should choke down neat whisky/whiskey if I don't like it, as opposed to enjoying it with ginger ale!

Bourbon and ginger ale makes me a happy boy.

The_TailGunner · 2 Apr 2008 at 22:58

Mr Jack said:
Caol Ila

this! a thousand times this! even the 12 year old one is great! The 18 is a real treasure IMO.

TG

Angilion · 2 Apr 2008 at 23:02

Scuzi said:
Drinking whisky is about enjoying the experience. All these pompous so called whisky connisseurs all seem to insist that you should never put water in whisky, you should never put ice in it and so on, along with the "If it was meant to have more water in it, the distiller would have put more in" comments.

Ignore all of these. You are drinking the whiskey for you. It's for you to enjoy. You're not drinking it to impress other people like those who are giving advice in this thread.

If you like it with ice, put ice in it. If you think it tastes better diluted with a lot of water, drink it that way.

Granted, but in that case does it matter so much what they buy? If you dilute it enough, especially with some frozen tap water, differences will be diminished. No sense in wasting money, unless they want to keep the empty bottle afterwards.

With a full bottle, they could experiment. A measure neat, a measure with a splash of water, a measure with some Perrier or something, a measure diluted 50/50, a measure frozen like an ice lolly if they fancy that idea and can find somewhere cold enough.

Aod · 2 Apr 2008 at 23:06

Angilion said:
Granted, but in that case does it matter so much what they buy? If you dilute it enough, especially with some frozen tap water, differences will be diminished. No sense in wasting money, unless they want to keep the empty bottle afterwards.

With a full bottle, they could experiment. A measure neat, a measure with a splash of water, a measure with some Perrier or something, a measure diluted 50/50, a measure frozen like an ice lolly if they fancy that idea and can find somewhere cold enough.

i fully intend to experiment with my Whisky.

Tefal · 2 Apr 2008 at 23:08

Try getting a few of the sample boxes that have 5-7 little bottles from various places, so you can taste a few to find one you like

Or ring up the distillery and say your a buyer for some places and would like a few of the small sample bottles, if your lucky they may send you a proper full size one

Tefal · 2 Apr 2008 at 23:10

Angilion said:
a measure frozen like an ice lolly if they fancy that idea and can find somewhere cold enough.

hmmm there is a tank of LN2 in labs *begins plotting*

Edit: wow freezing point of ethanol is under -110 C :eek:

Aod · 2 Apr 2008 at 23:14

Tefal said:
Try getting a few of the sample boxes that have 5-7 little bottles from various places, so you can taste a few to find one you like

Or ring up the distillery and say your a buyer for some places and would like a few of the small sample bottles, if your lucky they may send you a proper full size one

that might actually work...