Do you know Whisky ?.

[Dreez]

I am looking to invest some money into a bottle which i will use to pour a few drops when i get company over
that i know enjoys a good but not too smokey whisky.

And since i myself is very interested in learning to appreciate this "nectar of life", i was considering a more gentle
type of brand, and have been looking into a 15yo Glenfiddich or 12yo pulteney.

A know the Glenfiddich costs around 50£ while the Pulteney costs alot less, stopping at 30£.
However... price is not the issue - to some extent .

Any other recommendations ?.

/Edited to not anger any scotsmen .

[fiksal]

I dont know whiskey, but it won't stop me from suggesting.


"Laphroaig". May not be what you need in non-smoky category, but as far as pouring a few drops for my friends, it works out quite well.


In somewhat different category there's a Bourbon called "Blanton's".
I find it being much smoother and sweeter than your normal fancy whiskey. And fairly enjoyable for non-whiskey drinker.

[Guest]

I'm quite a fan of the Irish John Powers Whiskey triple distilled. Not sure what others think of it, but enjoy it sitting with my friend at saturday in the living room, listening to music and drink three or four glasses of this tasty stuff.

[CBJ]

It's been a while since I had any whisky myself, but I seem to remember that Laphroaig was nice but a bit harsh and more of an acquired taste, whereas Talisker was easier on the palette and more appealing to a wider audience. I also found guests seemed to enjoy the Jura I kept in the cupboard, until it got polished off.

[fiksal]

Laphroaig was nice but a bit harsh and more of an acquired taste

it's, but having one, made me think, at least I had something that I can say is whiskey and other whiskey people would agree with me.

I couldnt say so about Blanton's...cause that's a bourbon

[Timsup2nothin]

I am looking to invest some money into a bottle which i will use to pour a few drops when i get company over
that i know enjoys a good but not too smokey whiskey.

And since i myself is very interested in learning to appreciate this "nectar of life", i was considering a more gentle
type of brand, and have been looking into a 15yo Glenfiddich or 12yo pulteney.

A know the Glenfiddich costs around 50£ while the Pulteney costs alot less, stopping at 30£.
However... price is not the issue - to some extent .

Any other recommendations ?.

I stopped drinking things that I only drank to get drunk...so I have one good beer either with or after dinner on some nights...and I get a bottle of Glenfiddich for my birthday every year and nurse it for six to eight months.

In short, you are on what I would consider to be the best possible track...and if you ever invite me over for a drop I'll be pleased to partake.

[BugMeister]

- there's some nice malts up in the northern isles..

[Rapier]

I prefer the western island malts, mostly quite peaty. Really not a fan of Glenfidich myself; I think you're paing a premium for the label.

[Timsup2nothin]

I prefer the western island malts, mostly quite peaty. Really not a fan of Glenfidich myself; I think you're paing a premium for the label.

I suspect I'm paying for availability. Single malts are not all that readily available on the US market, so there isn't a lot to choose from for me. I've taken quite a liking to Glenfiddich over the last...ouch...thirty years or so. Probably too old to learn a new trick, but if you send me an assortment to sample I'll certainly offer an opinion!

[imperium3]

Any other recommendations?

Well I suppose the first thing is that it's whisky, not whiskey, if you're talking about Scotch anyway. It makes Scotsmen irrationally angry if you get it the wrong way round

Now, recommendations. Laphroaig was a good recommendation, it's one of my favourites. Lagavulin is even better but you might find it a bit too smoky - it's worth trying if you get the chance though. I can sit for half an hour with a glass of that, just inhaling it. You can't go wrong with Glenfiddich of any age, though of course the older the better.

At the extremes of the spectrum (of my experience) there is Ardbeg (nice, exceptionally firey so an acquired taste) and Macallan (very smooth, but I find it a bit boring that way).

I would advise avoiding any kind of "special editions" unless someone has specifically recommended one, since I've generally found them to be not worth the extra cost and sometimes inferior to the "standard" variety. One other thing to note is that "cask strength" whiskies are not diluted when they come out of the cask. This gives them a stronger flavour but also means they are very deadly (50-60% ABV). It's nice to have a cask strength for special occasions, but you probably ought to learn what whiskies you do and don't appreciate before spending the money on cask strength.


Lastly, the very best whisky I've ever had (and this may be because it's at least twice as expensive as any other I ever tried) is the Tasmanian Nant. It is absolutely sublime.

[Dreez]

In short, you are on what I would consider to be the best possible track...and if you ever invite me over for a drop I'll be pleased to partake.

I'll be happy to invite you to a few drops of 15yo Glen and some music,
but you'll have to pay the planeticket to Sweden yourself.

[Timsup2nothin]

In short, you are on what I would consider to be the best possible track...and if you ever invite me over for a drop I'll be pleased to partake.

I'll be happy to invite you to a few drops of 15yo Glen and some music,
but you'll have to pay the planeticket to Sweden yourself.

If I am ever in Sweden I'll hold you to that...but you are pretty safe. On the other hand, if you happen through southern California I will share my own prized bottle with you...with music by the pool.

[Maximum476]

I wouldn't call myself a Whisky expert by any stretch, started dabbling with Glenfiddich a few years ago and tried a few others since then (usually get some at christmas). My personal favourite is Bruichladdich - The Laddie Ten, it's only 10 years, but I wouldn't get too bothered by the years unless you are comparing the same ones. I had this one year and found it very morish, the only problem being I don't drink much now, so still have the Glenfiddich my parents bought me from last year, which is not as inviting so is still in the cupboard. Think I might tell them to get the Laddie this year or I may never get to drink it again

[Krusade]

I'm not really a whisky expert but I've got a rather nice 15 year old Dalwhinnie which is very smooth. If I'm not careful I could end up emptying the bottle very quickly.

EDIT: I feel that I should also plug my local distillery. I've never bought any of their whisky but it's apparently quite nice. I am of course referring to the St George's Distillery in Norfolk. Yes English whisky, something to really wind the jocks up.

[bogatzky]

Well, for some merry malt moments and good advice about quality whisky you should take a look at ralfys vlog.

[Dreez]

I ended up buying a bottle of Old Pulteney 12Yo, will last me a long time,
however if i get into liking whisky, i will surely buy a Glenfiddich 15Yo.

[felter]

I'm a Scotsman and I don't like whisky.

I was 14 and I downed a bottle of 12 year old white horse. I think it came up faster than it went down, and I've never touched whisky since, even the smell of it gives me a headache.

Some nice whiskies though, how about:

Allt-a-Bhainne 1980 / Cask #100029 / Cadenhead's a snip at only £225.

Craigellachie 14 Year Old only £599

My dad likes a Glenmorangie:
Glenmorangie 1976 / Concorde Bottling but I just can't see him buying a bottle of that one at just £2,500

if you are really feeling the need for something special how about:
Macphail's 1938 / 50 Year Old / Crystal Decanter it's one you won't want to share as it will set you back a cool £3,999, but you do get the free decanter with it. (web site spelling mistake)

[Chips]

Also not a fan of whisky since also being ill when 16 at an after exams party... downing shots like nobodies business!

The only way I can drink it now - is a whisky and Canada Dry (Ginger ale). Lovely drink, and the quality of the whisky is borderline irrelevant. Any old polymalt is fine

But I hear Jura is nice.