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Can somebody give me a short tutorial on Scotch whisky...?  :huh:

 

I've never been a Scotch drinker.  I first sampled the sauce maybe fifty years or so ago, and my first impression was that it was borderline horrid.  Not sure what brand it was, but I suspect it was cheap - it instantly reminded me of water I'd sampled from a nasty alkaline spring in West Texas during my early teen years.    

 

Well, Sassparilla Kid's birthday was a couple weeks ago, and I decided to include a sample bottle of Scotch in his gift bag - he does enjoy a good rye on occasion, and I thought I might broaden his horizons.  But I don't know beans about Scotch... so I bought him a bottle of 12-year old Macallan.  

 

Sitting around the firepit last night, he pulled the cork and we had a taste.  "Whaddaya think, Son?"

 

He smiled politely and said "Tastes like Scotch, Dad."

 

My first sip gave me a slight shudder.  But it did kinda grow on me, and I had a second snort.

 

But I suspect that the Kid prefers rye.  ;)

 

Meanwhile, I seem to recall that the characters in W.E.B. Griffin books like something called Famous Grouse.  Hm.  Okay...About ten years ago, after a day of shooting at the Fort Miller Annual, some fellas were sharing a flask.  One of 'em offered me a swig, and proclaimed "It's Grouse!" 

 

Really?  Okay ~ I'll try a taste.  I did, and it was surprisingly palatable!  Much better than that alkaline spring in West Texas!

 

Mebbe I'll round up a bottle for Christmas.

 

Meanwhile... any Scotch observations or opinions??  :) 

 

I know, I know... I shoulda oughtta asked here first!  ^_^

 

 

 

 

 

 

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same here as illegal drinker my best friend daddy loved  Scotch 

$200 a bottle back when you could buy  a car for that 

give me rum and coke 

some peoples taste  but enjoy

 

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It sucks. It takes like camphor. If one has to “acquire a taste for it” ...it sucks! 
 

 

 


 

 

 

End of lesson

 


 

 

 

 

 

Edit: It still sucks :D

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Funny story  

My Father-in-law is a Scotch drinker .

I'm a beer drinker .

One day he asked me if I would like a sip of this 100 Year Old bottle of scotch he acquired ? 

 

Hes got money and he said it was very expensive lol 

So that tells me , He must have paid a lot for it .

 

I said No thanks I'm a beer drinker.

 

He insisted that it's the greatest thing sence sliced bread .

 

So he pored us both a shot of this turpentine syrup elixir. Lol

 

He sipped his and like I said I'm a beer drinker so to me a shot glass is a one time drink , you shoot it down and take a hit of your beer to quench the aftertaste.  Lol

 

And so I did :huh:

And my eyes bugged out of my head and I started to gauge and cough.  :o

 

I looked at him and Said .

Someone should have dumped that nasty $h1t out a long time ago. No wonder  Nobody drank that stuff it's like Turpentine :lol:

 

Needless to say .

He never offered me Scotch again 

:rolleyes:

So saith the Rooster 

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Aberlour.

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I was in Scotland and a friend had asked me to get him a bottle of Scotch.  Something unique is what he wanted.   In talking to a vendor (a nice little older lady) I told her of my mission.  She asked "what does he normally drink?" to which I replied "Johnny Walker"  With a twinkle in her eye she replied "Then anything you get him will be unique".  She then recommended Tomatin and my friend liked it enough to accept a second bottle sseveral years later.

 

Arkansas Harper

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Some Scotch whiskies are made with peat to get a smoky taste.  Others are “unpeated” and taste more like an Irish or bourbon.   I don’t like smoky peated scotch; it reminds me of the debris after a house fire.

 

 I like Glenmorangie Original.  The Original is also aged in used casks, producing Glenmorangie La Santa (bourbon and sherry) and Glenmorangie Quanta Rubin (port wine casks).  Can’t imagine anyone not liking any of them.  Affordable.

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29 minutes ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

Some Scotch whiskies are made with peat to get a smoky taste.  Others are “unpeated” and taste more like an Irish or bourbon.   I don’t like smoky peated scotch; it reminds me of the debris after a house fire.

 

 I like Glenmorangie Original.  The Original is also aged in used casks, producing Glenmorangie La Santa (bourbon and sherry) and Glenmorangie Quanta Rubin (port wine casks).  Can’t imagine anyone not liking any of them.  Affordable.

+1 on the recommendations.  Others in the same flavor and balance range are Balvenie DoubleWood (New American Oak and Sherry Casks) and Caribbean Cask (New American Oak and Rum Casks).  For more complex tastes, Balvenie also have Triple Cask and Madiera Cask.

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32 minutes ago, July Smith said:

I was told by a Scotsman that all the "scotch" here in the US is considered bottom shelf stuff over there.  I personally favor Bourbon.


Just keep in mind that’s a person who thinks bagpipes sound ok.

 

:ph34r:

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Glenfiddich.  Acquired some while on the "Whisky Trail" in Scotland back inna 70ies.  Just a Souvenir.  Scotch is just too much like Turpentine. I don't like Rye either.  Or Bourbon.  I do have an affinity for Tequila.

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Good Scotch is very good indeed, but bad Scotch is pretty bad.   Here is a helpful link: https://www.whiskyadvocate.com/ratings-and-reviews/

 

Some brands that Americans view as good scotch really isn't: Dewar's and Johnnie Walker Red & Black are two examples and most bars do not stock a good scotch, although some may have a bottle of Glenfiddich or Glenlivet.  I won't say all blended scotch is bad, but I have not tasted a good one yet.  Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Macallan & Glenmorangie are all good and good choices for gifts or introducing people to Scotch . 

 

To be called Scotch is has to be a product of Scotland, but other countries produce their own single malt "Scotch".  Japanese "Scotch" is good, but overpriced for the quality.  On the other end is "Scotch" from India which is pretty good and the quality is better then the price.  I believe I have seen French & Welsh "scotch" as well.

 

My own preference is Irish Whiskey which is smoother than Scotch at the same price point and most bars will have either entry level Jameson or Bushmill , both of which are good choices.

 

Generally speaking at the same price point, for quality Irish whiskey is the best, followed by bourbon and then Scotch.

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Howdy,

Ive read that some folks have different taste buds. Physically different.

My Dad loved foods I could not eat even one bite.

And we liked many of the same foods too.

Just like beers can taste different so can scotch.

Try Cutty Sark.  Its blended.

Sometimes stores have tasting parties so folks can try out different drinks.

Or stop by a well stocked bar and order scotch or bourbon so you

arent spending a lot.

And if anyone is taking medications the taste sense is changed too.

To each his own.  Ones treasure is another's trash.

Best

CR

 

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I'll be the wet blanket...
I like Black Velvet cheap Canadian.. but for medicinal purposes only.

I much prefer an ice cold beer, but drink B.V. when I have a cold and need to rest.
I pour a big glass over ice, drink and read until I fall asleep.
Rinse and Repeat as necessary.

Never got a taste for hard liquor.. my buds laugh at me cuz I can't tell the difference between the Good Stuff and the cheap stuff...

:D

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I’ve had more than one “Scotch Aficionado” offer me a sample of what he or she considered “good Scotch”.

 

While I will admit that some tasted better than others, it’s like saying that some grades of kerosene and diesel fuels taste better than others!!

 

I don’t drink much any more! As a teenager, I drank mostly vodka. I’ve told the story here before of the misspent years of my youth and won’t retell it here.

 

 I drank beer with friends because it was socially expected. I despise the taste of beer and wine is no better!

 

 I can drink bourbon and rye is passable as well. Noz turned me on to Irish whiskey and I like it well enough.  I like good moonshine as well as anything going.  A good cowboy pard makes a real fine version of the famous “Apple Pie” that I am nearly smitten with!

 

BUT!! If I am drinking “socially”, I’ll order a Black Russian, double, on the rocks, TOP SHELF!!!

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I *occasionally* imbibe in Scotch.  MacAllen 12 is decent, but the one thing I have learned is that for Scotch to be even remotely palatable, it has to be very expensive and at least 15 years old....but the older, the better....and the older, the more expensive.

 

Famous Grouse is a blended Scotch, which connoisseurs see as anathema.  Single malt is the only way to go in their book, which is, again, more expensive.  I personally found Famous Grouse to be unpalatable.  

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3 hours ago, bgavin said:

I'll be the wet blanket...
I like Black Velvet cheap Canadian.. but for medicinal purposes only.

I much prefer an ice cold beer, but drink B.V. when I have a cold and need to rest.
I pour a big glass over ice, drink and read until I fall asleep.
Rinse and Repeat as necessary.

Never got a taste for hard liquor.. my buds laugh at me cuz I can't tell the difference between the Good Stuff and the cheap stuff...

:D

I remember sampling some Black Velvet and 7up 30 miles into the Bob Marshall with some fellas that rode into and shared camp with us one night. In hindsight, I can’t think of why anyone would put such a damper on the Montana wilderness by drinking that s....

 

I guess it’s true: Us men are soft back East.

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Scotch is malt whiskey make in Scotland.  IMHO it’s  one of the most diverse styles of whIskey made.  It can range from a simple single malt (all grains malted at the distillery) to something so smokey and peaty that’s you would swear you are licking a log in campfire.  https://www.scotchmaltwhisky.co.uk/whiskyflavourmap.htm   
 

I have made a few different styles, but can’t call them scotch as they were made here in the us.  Turns out my wife really likes smokey/peaty ones like lagavulin or talisker.    A local one we found that has been a hit with most everyone is cedar ridges American single malt whiskey.  Not very peaty, but still quite good and only $60 or so a bottle.  

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Never been a Scotch fan, something about the odor. But a Scots good friend had me try his regular bland, Famous Grouse. After a few late night sessions of getting throughly pissed, as they say over there, I kinda got a taste for it. Still not anything I’d seek out but as another Scotty (a guy in the trade) told me about the Grouse, “It’s not a bad drop”. 
 

Seamus

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Scotch is my preferred poison. Petey brought home a bottle thinking I wouldn't like it & he wouldn't have to share.  WRONG.  Still Hand Bill nailed it: there is diversity among Scotches.  Every brand is a bit different & you just have to find one (or six) that you like & stick with it.  SIL is a Scotch snob & prefers peaty single malts - that's sipping whisky - neat.  BabyGirl brought me a l'il bottle of Clynelish from her last trip to Scotland - it was nice.  Nothing wrong with Grouse.  The Glens are good - Fiddich & Livet & there's another one I can't remember.  Morangie maybe.  I am not above mixing Scotch.  DO NOT MIX WITH THE GOOD STUFF.  Scotch makes a great sour (and has less sugar than any other dark liquor).  The best cheap (it's DIRT cheap) Scotch I know is J W Dant.  Even SIL drinks it.  I like Dant/Coke & keep your rude comments to yourself.

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A friend is in a local Scottish pipe band. Each year they had a fund raiser. A local distributer would always have a Scotch selection for tasting. One year he had 9 bottles to try. I asked whats the deal. He said from left to right, ice tea to liquid peat.   I tried the middle 4. And landed on  Macallan 15.

Next year he had all of the Johnnies. Johnnie Walker doesn't actually distill. They buy product and blend it to get the taste they want for each color of Johnny.

And you could definitely taste the difference. A good explanation of the 3.

 

 

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I drank Scotch 50 years ago because that’s what my brother in law drank. It was better than Schnaps. But that’s not saying much.

Then a year or so ago I decided to try it again after being a Bourbon and Tequila man for a decades. Either my tastebuds have changed or I was drinking the wrong stuff back in the day. I suspect the latter
I have found several I really enjoy. I prefer the Speyside variety as I don’t find peat to be enjoyable at all. But I find recommending Scotch is like recommend wine to a non-wine drinker. Without knowing a person’s particular tastes it’s very difficult to say, “You’ll like this one”.

I’ve had budget bottles that were delicious and expensive ones that I wouldn’t clean my guns with. In my opinion a good Scotch is very smooth and savory like a good Bourbon. Either a blend or single malt. I have been trying to find some Monkey Shoulder but it appears that will require a road trip.

I have not had any American made Scotch that I thought was worth the glue behind the label.

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I'm not much of a drinker of hard alcohol, but my neighbor across the cul de sac developed a taste for scotch about ten years ago. He has since made to trips to Scotland and a trip to Japan included a few special whisky stops. He spends a lot of money on the stuff and is generous with it to a fault. Loves to share the knowledge he has acquired over the years as well as most of what he has on his shelves...and he shares with many. Loved some photos he shared with me of him and his wife on a distillery tour on the Isle of Islay showing them wearing the big rubber boots and shoveling up peat!

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Waaayyyy back in the day I used to imbibe a drink known as a Rusty Nail, Scotch and Drambuie. My favorite was Cutty Sark and Drambuie. Haven't had one in about 30-40 years. Might have to try it again.

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12 minutes ago, Clay Mosby said:

Waaayyyy back in the day I used to imbibe a drink known as a Rusty Nail, Scotch and Drambuie. My favorite was Cutty Sark and Drambuie. Haven't had one in about 30-40 years. Might have to try it again.

I too was a fan of the "Rusty Nail".  I hadn't had one in many years until a Doctor told a friend he had to quit drinking so he gave the contents of his liquor cabinet to his friends. My share had a bottle of Drambuie and the chase was on again!

I find the better Scotches are found in J-Bar's "gun" room.

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