Yes - excellent choices. And as Chad mentioned, please give us a report after a dram or two. We love our Whisky reviews around here.
Scotch recommendations for a beginner
- Thread starter eleuther0s
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Yes - excellent choices. And as Chad mentioned, please give us a report after a dram or two. We love our Whisky reviews around here.
Old Pulteney for smoothness
Dalwhinnie 15 for sophistication beyond it's price with a little peat
Laphroiag Quarter Cask for blow your socks off
Bowmore for a gentle Islay
Dalwhinnie 15 for sophistication beyond it's price with a little peat
Laphroiag Quarter Cask for blow your socks off
Bowmore for a gentle Islay
Delaware is not too far from Baltimore
Report back with what you like and don't like!
That way, we can steer you toward other scotches that you will likely like even more!!
That way, we can steer you toward other scotches that you will likely like even more!!
Do you have a good (or, at least) decent bar where you can go try different things out? Granted, you'll pay more money per ounce of whisky, but you won't be stuck with a bottle of anything you don't like, and you can quickly figure out those areas you wish to explore further.
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- #26
I was actually just thinking about that earlier. Definitely a good idea.
There's something romantic about Scotch, I wish I could get myself to like it. Been a Vodka drinker my whole adult life and just can't take the flavor and smell of scotch. The last time I had some there was a guy at a bar offering a round for the whole bar. I ordered whatever he was drinking and they went through this production of opening a wooden crate with a Macallan bottle in it. $25 a shot was certainly wasted on me hahaha.
I think Laphroaig may be a little much for a beginning Scotch drinker. I would stick to the single malts, maybe a Balvenie Doublewood 12 or an Oban to start with. Then experiment with the Laphroaig 10 y.o. or Lagavulin 16 y.o. for a peaty and smoky whisky. I love the Islay single malts but I always worry about a novice being turned off by them.
I recommend Speyburn to start. It is pretty mild and bland for a scotch and is easy on the wallet. Just drink a glass each night till you are halfway through the bottle. THEN you will be ready to try other scotches and appreciate their quality. The Speyburn will acclimate your palate, letting you get past the alcohol (if you are inexperienced with drinking spirits straight or just with a little ice) so you can start to appreciate the nuances. Otherwise scotch can be a bit of a punch to the face and you don't want to waste your money.
Another option would be one of the Johnny Walker gift sets that have little 375ml bottles of red, black, green, and blue (or whatever). That would give you a nice range of blends that vary in the peatiness and flavor. In general I don't care for many scotch blends but that is a good way to get a sampling without killing the wallet either.
Another option would be one of the Johnny Walker gift sets that have little 375ml bottles of red, black, green, and blue (or whatever). That would give you a nice range of blends that vary in the peatiness and flavor. In general I don't care for many scotch blends but that is a good way to get a sampling without killing the wallet either.
A good blend at a good price is Monkey Shoulder. I can find it for less than $30.
You might look for miniatures. I can find miniatures of Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, and MaCallan, as well as blends of Jimmy Walker. Good, fairly inexpensive way to see if you like a whisky before buying. I also do this with bourbon.
You might look for miniatures. I can find miniatures of Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, and MaCallan, as well as blends of Jimmy Walker. Good, fairly inexpensive way to see if you like a whisky before buying. I also do this with bourbon.
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I did that very thing when my wife and I toured Ireland a few years ago. When we arrived at Ireland, I wanted to know more about Irish whiskey. I tasted Jameson, Powers, and Bushmill and was curious what was drunk in Ireland. Every lodging had a bar and I sampled a few of what each bar had on the shelf. Midleton was my favorite. If I ever get back to Scotland on tour and the tour includes several cities, I'll do the same tasting. One thing I learned from my tastings in Ireland, a lot of great whiskies I'll miss seeing. Each bar carries slightly different offerings, but can't possibly carry everything or those relatively rare bottlings.
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- #33
The only Irish whiskey I've had was Jameson, and even then it was mixed into a shot that some friends made me do on my 21st birthday and I couldn't taste it. I'm interested in Irish whiskeys too and when I buy my first bottle of Scotch I think I'm going to pick up a bottle of Jameson or Bushmills first to try alongside.
For Irish whiskey I like green spot for a more complex taste. For something that is easy and smooth, Tullamore Dew is a solid option and cheap as well.
Single malts can be hell on the wallet. You've gotten some good suggestions on both sides of the aisle. A really good blended scotch is Monkey Shoulder.
Of all the Islay scotches I think Caol Ila is the best for a beginner. It is very friendly with the peat. Laphroaig 10 is wonderful but for a beginner the smoke may be alarming. I'd buy a shot of Laphroaig in a bar before buying a whole bottle.
Another vote for Dalwhinnie. It is wonderful!!
Redbreast Irish whiskey. You won't regret it!!
Redbreast is fabulous, earthy stuff. Same folks make Midleton Very Rare, a blend I am sad to have tried given its exceptional taste, rarity, and cost.
Wise.
I will add one more to the long list: The Dalmore (12)
For me, this is a remarkably smooth scotch, smoke-free though. Easy, very easy to drink.
Concur 100%. After decades of spending on single malts, I'm now a confirmed fan of Famous Grouse. There are unfinished and old bottles of Glenfiddich and Oban in the cabinet anymore.
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- #39
I had to run to the liquor store today to pick up cognac for eggnog so while I was there I picked up miniatures of JW Black Label, Chivas 12, and Glenlivet 12. Will test at least one tonight with my dad so that he can, in his words, "perhaps find a late-blooming love for Scotch."
The wife and I are also beginning scotch drinkers. I picked these up as a Christmas present for us this year....
