What whisky do you drink?

[sonicstrav]

I like a 'wee' drop now and then - I wondered what other PlanetZ users drink - I like
Benromach (lots of variaties)
Macallan Fine Oak 10 yrs ok - older better
Ledaig isn't bad - cheap peaty one

I'm spolit as I live near almost 100 distilleries within a 100 km radius

[Neil B]

Hey Strav,
This topic suits me more than waiting for Scope 5.0

First of all you must let me know where abouts you live. I spend a lot of time in Nethy Bridge & Aviemore and I'll be back up in a few weeks. If I know where you live I can raid your whisky cabinet

So, my choices?
Well, I'm not a big Macallan fan, although I do take a nip now & again as it was my late father's favourite, as was Highland Park. For me the Macallan is rich and thick and I can see it as a whisky on a winter's night, after a big meal and sitting around a big log fire.

Glenlivet 15 yr old in French Oak and also the Canadian Oak is good too.
Talisker - especially after a meal with smoked salmon or with a bar of chocolate
Best I ever drank was Ardbeg 17 & Ardbeg 24 before they started charging £150 a bottle for the 17 year old. Never has there been such a long tasting, long-legged whisky as the 17.
An Cnoc - not too well known but a great Spey taste
Caol Ila - drink anytime - a lovely soft Islay
Cragganmore, but at the risk of getting attacked by the Scots - I think this tastes better if it's been in the fridge for half an hour
Glen Ord - very underrated - dry but an anytime whisky
Glen Kinchie - lowlands and lovely
Bunnahabhain (Boona-harven) - anytime whisky
The Balvenie - although all 3 (10,12 & 15) are done differently, they're all lovely - the 12 year old doublewood is the best for me though.

Hmm, better stop there else I'll be feeling guilty when I'm doing my sermon on Sunday

[dbmac]

Highland Park 18 yr.
Nectar.

/dave

[Zer]

http://www.tullamoredew.de/
just pure without ice.

But I`m not really a connaisseur. But I`ll try one of those mentioned above, but I like mild whiskeys. That exclude most burbons.

[Zer]

So I said.

[skwawks]

My favourite sci fi writer who is also a writer of very fine relatively "normal" fiction ...Iain M. Banks .... in the "normal" case Iain Banks without the the middle M wrote a particularly fine travel book about going around the various Highland/Lowland/ Island whiskey distilleries . Some of you Drunks that can still read may be interested in it
One of his "normal novels" is the best description of Rock n'Roll life I've ever read . The title is a play on Dylans "Desolation Row" but unfortunately at the moment I'm so pissed I cant recall it

[Shroomz~>]

I'll drink any whisky at all, but never with a mixer; in Scotland it's quite popular in pubs & clubs (especially amongst women) to drink cheapo whiskey like Bells, White&Mackey or Grouse with a dash of lemonade, iron brew or coke. ..yuch!!

As for Whisky on ice... no problem doing it with a cheap whisky imo, but the ice has to be made with bottled or filtered water. If it's good clean ice I'll even take a block in a Malt although not with a very expensive one.

For many decades in Scotland it's been a tradition for there to be jugs of tap water available on the bar in pubs. They were just known as 'water jugs' & were there for the old geezers sitting round the bar to pour into their whisky. It was always cheap whisky they'd be doing that with, never malts..

I actually really like chilled spirits, so I like Neil's idea of putting the whole bottle in the Fridge. There's some brands of Vodka (one in particular with a blade of grass in it) that are excellent when you put them in the freezer for 3/4 hours. The vodka doesn't freeze & it's a great one for shooters at a party.

Mark

[darkrezin]

I'll tackle any single barrel single malt

All the best scotches I've had have been single-barrel, unadulterated with the contents of other barrels, extra water or chill-filtering. Of course every bottle tastes different but it keeps it interesting

Most single malts leave me disappointed, even more expensive ones (£50+). It seems like all the complexity and beauty is taken out when barrels are blended, for the sake of a consistent taste.

Some good bottles I've enjoyed:

- Balvenie 15 (the first bottle of this I bought was jaw-droppingly amazing, the second one not so great but still very good)
- Clynelish 14 (bought this from http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/Vinopolis.aspx - they do nice single-barrel bottlings)
- Benromach 8 (poured by a mate of mine at the distillery )

Of course any mixer or ice is unthinkable.. a little water in a 60% single barrel is useful though

[kylie]

that's on my list:

- from the "classic malts of scotland": Dalwhinnie 15J, Glenkinchie 12J
- special rarities: Glenglassaugh 1973 and Glenrothes 1973 (shroomz, you know why )
- Glenrothes (various ages)
- Highland Park 12J
- Redbreast 12J

and my special darling Jameson 1780.

[Shroomz~>]

Kylie, the only time I've ever had a '73 whisky was when I was teething as a baby & it was rubbed on my gums to help me sleep. That was in '74.

[Neil B]

Kylie, the only time I've ever had a '73 whisky was when I was teething as a baby & it was rubbed on my gums to help me sleep. That was in '74.

Similar for me except my dad drank the whisky then hit me on the head with the empty bottle

[kylie]

Kylie, the only time I've ever had a '73 whisky was when I was teething as a baby & it was rubbed on my gums to help me sleep. That was in '74.

well, since there was no real whisky available in eastern germany in '74 (or I simply don't remember) I never had the pleasure having my gums rubbed with it, so buying the '73 bottles was a desperate act of compensation
I was lucky to get them while they were far below the 100EUR line. it's almost impossible to get them for a decent price now...

but if the price matters, I still recommend the Jameson 1780 1L bottle. a sore dick deal.

-greetings, markus-

[Shroomz~>]

I've come down with what seems like a Flu virus, so right now anything with a label will do nicely.

[Shroomz~>]

Hey strav, happy birthday btw.

(better late than never, eh?)

Mark

[JoeKa]

I'm afraid I don't have the super wide selection to pick from, and also I keep the joy of a good whisky to rare times, connected to moods or events, but from all I had so far Bushmills (12+) has turned out to be my favourite.
Down here in Bavaria, good beer is what saves the day. cheers!

[kensuguro]

Talisker or Laphroaig for me. Laphroaig is just so full of character, love it.

[Shroomz~>]

I think I might have said this before on PlanetZ, but what the hell are the Scots doing paying more for their own produce??? (you can buy Scottish whisky cheaper in most other countries). I remember buying a bottle of 12yr old JW in Milan for 10euro when the same bottle in Scotland would've been 30euro. There's things you don't forget.

Mark

[wayne]

My favourite sci fi writer who is also a writer of very fine relatively "normal" fiction ...Iain M. Banks ............ I'm so pissed I cant recall it

My favourite author too! Scots national treasure Just finished his latest, "Matter".

"Espedair Street" is the name you were looking for.

I'll have to go Laphroiag too, but that's just my fave so far. Prohibitive costs here in Oz.

Like that whisky shop in Edinburgh...

[Neil B]

Here's a good shop/site for those Scots who can get to Tomintoul

http://www.whiskycastle.com/

[skwawks]

Hey Wayne ...if you want good taste look for the bass player eh mate ?
yeah espadair street ..great book like all of them . The thing I like about him is you can read them all over and over and still get a kick . I read the Algebraist three times in a row with no pauses
On a serious note the best scotch I've ever drunk was actually called " Greens" and it came in a pottery bottle . The rest I'm more than willing to test . Now if we can only get that lazy bastard Banks off his arse and writing again I'll be a happy man . Did you know he dabbles in the arcane science of Midi ?