What would you recommend for a bottle of scotch/whiskey?

[Reefer2]

I would like some assistance please, I have started to like a good glass of scotch/whiskey on the weekend. I have never bought a good bottle for myself but last year my boss bought me a great bottle for Christmas and I cannot remember what it was. I also did some web work for a neighbor and he would invite me over to watch a Lions game and we would drink well in the evening.

So what would you refined men/women recommend for me?

Price is $100 +/- or is this enough?

[Topper]

I enjoy Laphroaig, peaty, smokey, medicinal, but when it is time to celebrate, Lagavulin. Both are Islay malts, a region known for their very distinct peaty, smokey flavours.

For an everyday tipple, I head to Ireland for Black Bushmills. Very reasonably priced and wonderfully smooth. I'll have a bottle handy when I'm working the field and want a night cap. I have Black, Purple (1608, both it and Black are blends) and Green Bushmills in the cupboard along with the two mentioned above. There is also some Tullamore Dew (brings back memories of a fat ugly chick handing out promo shots in a Dublin pub, so I avoid it) Glenfiddich and Auchentoshan that were gifts and sit relatively untouched. (I offer them up to visitors I don't know well)

Straight is my preference, if forced, a small bit of water, but I really don't like ice.

Before you get carried away with spending $100 or more, try the Black Bushmills for ~$40/bottle.

[dhabums]

Dump the idea of overpriced Scotch and go with a good Irish Whisk(e)y or a good Bourbon.

==

And like Topper said, don't get too excited by price. You could love a bottle of Oban (me likey) at 80 and not be impressed with others at 2x the price. Plus, if you really don't have a great palate for Scotch yet, the expensive stuff is probably a waste.

When in doubt, go North American. Buy a good Bourbon.

[rockjetty]

Laphroaig is my #1 -- I've been to the distillery on Islay, as well as several others. It is a bit on the smokey side. If you can get to 'Whiskeys of the World in Heathrow airport, they'll let you sample quite a few before they make you buy a bottle

My other go to bottles are Balvenie Founders Reserve (10yr; I don't like their double wood though), Tallisker, Dalwhinnie and Caol Ila.

Whatever you do, stay away from the Glens!

[mathonwy]

Oban is my fave. Made a pilgrimage there last summer and it was awesome.

Macallan 25, 18 and 12 are fantastic.

Laphroaig and Lagavulin is not for the beginner Scotch drinker. One tends to start with the honey, flowery, vanilla scents and then graduate to the peaty stuff. Of course every person's palate is different.

The ones that mentioned are the fruity, flowery, vanilla ones.

I can vouch for Bushmills. Its good. But if I'm drinking cheap stuff, I'll typically go with Glen Livet. Its safe and nothing special. Say no to Glen Fiddich.

[Per]

Not much of a whisky drinker myself, but they distill this little beauty just a ten minute bike ride from my home:
http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-9209.aspx

It's imported to Canada by Gold Medal Marketing inc (Alberta) and Roland and Russell (Ontario), so you may be able to find a bottle if you want to try something as unorthodox as a Swedish single malt whisky...

[rbochan]

Jim Beam and Maker's Mark will never do you wrong.

[LotusBlossom]

This is my favourite. I think I collect the scotch these days more to have the collection than to drink all of them. But I find myself opening the Balvenie more over the Oban, the Dalwhinnie or the McCallan. So to each their own. I don't think I've bought a bottle over $120 myself.

Scotch is personal preference, as is most alcohol, at least to the discriminating (which is a good thing).

When it comes to being social, I tend to stick to bourbon or rye.

[mathonwy]

Y'all should come to Charles Bar then and may be afterwards, we hit Shabeens (behind the Irish Heather) for a good ol whiskey drinking night next Tuesday.

[Puck]

Agreed that the Laphroigs, Lagavulins (as well as the Ardbegs) are all most likely way too peaty/medicinal for a starting point. And it is true that the Scotch whiskies are overpriced.. it's largely a current upswing in popularity, but I've yet to be able to find something to truly replace it in my cupboard Try a couple lightly peated malts like Talisker 10 or Highland Park 12. They're both very nice and won't break the bank. Oban as mentioned is really good, but a bit pricier, if I recall.

I'm not sure I'd send someone running for Bourbon as the fact that it's finished in 100% new American oak means it's pretty loaded with vanilla and other oak traits. Know what you're buying. If you're ok with oak, Bourbon is great. Try Buffalo Trace, it's very good and pretty cheap relative to Scotch.

I don't have a lot of experience with Irish whiskey, but I can recommend Tyrconnell.

[Topper]

Reef, what a bunch of us did out of University was form an informal Scotch club. None of us had a pot to piss in but one buddy just finished dentistry and took full advantage of the loons willing to front him money on future earnings. He had the Kits condo gathering point, the rest of us would through a few $'s in a pot and we'd purchase a bottle or two. We'd gather, bbqs/guitars/saxophones would appear and we'd make an evening get together out of it while sampling bottles we couldn't or should afford on our own.

[Strangelove]

Not much of whiskey man at all. Although my dear ole dad (RIP) used to feed me Crown Royal for years. I haven't seen CR mentioned in this thread so I'm assuming it's prolly something whiskey snobs look down on. No matter. Every once in awhile when I gets to reminiscing, I gets me a mickey of CR and drink to dear ole dad. I do this alone. Usually just once a year these days I suppose.

We have a big ole bottle of whiskey in the cupboard that we put out when we have parties. I honestly don't remember where it came from, nor do I know what kind it is. Y'know come to think of it, I think we've had that sucker for about 2 years now and it's still more than half full. LOL it must be HORRIBLE!

Are my guests are too polite to mention it?

Or maybe they're just too lazy to mix their own drinks (I only offer up martinis now, everything else is self-serve).

Okay maybe I'm not the best host in the world these days but gracious me do they go through those mean martinis!

[mathonwy]

The only way I drink CR is with Ginger or if it's CR Black, I'll drink it straight.

I'll have a shot of the regular stuff tonight though just for yer paps Strange.

Cheers.

[Reefer2]

So I went with a Bushmills 1608, the liquor store near my house is small and didn't have some of the brands recommended and I was overwhelmed with the sheer number of recommendations.

I was sitting in the store with my cell phone reading everyone’s recommendation and trying to find them on the shelves. I bought a small bottle so will probably try something different but so far I am liking this stuff, really smooth and goes down nice.

Thanks all, now to research what the difference is between Scotch and Whiskey. How come no one suggested Chivas, I thought that was a big brand?

[Topper]

Scotch Whisky
Irish Whiskey

both made from barley, Irish is more often triple distilled, Scotch double distilled.

Canadian Whisky made from rye.

US Whisky (bourbon) made from corn