Scotch

[nhcigarfan]

Dalmore 12yr is tasty, around 25 bucks. I don't usually drink blends.

[Kenyth]

Scotch has a smoky bite in comparison to Bourbon, period. If you must have it though, and price is no concern, then Glenlivet or JW gold is your drink. IMHO cheap scotch isn't worth drinking straight. Bourbon, brandy, or dark rum is better, you can get a decent sipping spirit for a more reasonable price. For instance, Gentleman Jack is an excellent sipping whiskey for $25 bucks a bottle.

[godfather]

My favorite scotches:

Macallen 12 ($40).
Glenmorangie Line 12yr ($40)
Glenlivet 12yr (varies)

From the others advice, Dalwhinnie is good...can't go wrong with that. Personally I think there are much better scotches to be had than Glenfiddich (12 year at least, haven't tried the more aged ones). I would vote against getting that.

[drew_goring]

Cool. Thanks for all of the help guys

[prophetic_joe]

As far as Glenlivet goes I went out and bought a bottle of that and it was just plain nasty. Got to mix that stuff imho. I'm not much of a scotch drinker though. I have had Johnny gold though and that stuff is damn good, smooth as hell, you don't really even need water with it.

[Monk]

Laphroaig is a nice peaty, smoky scotch and, in fact due to a college "mishap" with scotch, one of the only ones I can drink. Glenfiddich isn't that great. Definately go single malt though rather than a blend.

-W.

[Quint]

For single malts the following I think are excellant :

Speyside Scotches:

The Belvenie
Cragganmore

Highland scotches:

Dalmore
Dalwhinnie

Islay Scotches:

Lagavulin
Laphroaig ------------ My favorite to compliment a cigar


The above all get better with age as long as your pallete has aquired the taste. Early on you my find a 10yr old to be much more paletable then an 18 yr old. You my also find blended scotches much more to your liking in the early stages. I still like some blends sort of as the "everyday inexpensive but tasty" same way you have your inexpensive cigar. For that I would recommend:

Johnny Walker Black---- excellant blend for small money
The Cigar Malt by Dalmore ---- another excellant blend for small money

But just like cigars its an aquired taste and everybody has there own favorites.

HTH

[420seth]

ya, shit. Scotch (good shit) is great with a smoke. one of my favorite combo's. I just finished off a bottle of this 16 year old isle of Jura scotch. very tasty. expensive, but very tasty. real nice with a bolivar belicosa finos or a partagas 8-9-8.

[Kass]

I just bought a bottle of Auchentoshan 10 year. Not bad for the price.

[rsanz]

Geeze all this talk of scotch has made me break out an Ardbeg (my current favourite), chuck a 60's Avengers DVD on and light up another gar (5th of the day) .

When drinking scotch, I highly recommend going the single malt route and drinking it neat, or with a few drops of water (not tap water). I don't recommend pouring scotch over ice, unless you must drink a blend.

Aaahhh... Ardbeg, nice cigar and Emma Peel . Bliss.

Rich

My 2nd favourite tipple at present is Abalour .

[420seth]

Yeah, my scotch knowledge is a little behind my cigar stuff but I am working on improving it.

[drew_goring]

Well, I got out to a Scotch tasting last night. Tried about 20 different varieties ranging from $30-$200+/bottle. I really didn't have a Scotch that night that I didn't like. I really wish I would have thought ahead so I could take some pics and write some notes about the Scotches that I really liked. I ended up going with a bottle of Bowmore 12 year to get me started. Good stuff...really peaty and smoky. I think I like that in a Scotch.

[Quint]

When drinking scotch, I highly recommend going the single malt route and drinking it neat, or with a few drops of water (not tap water). I don't recommend pouring scotch over ice, unless you must drink a blend.

Most manufactures recommend adding a splash of water to the Scotch, single malts included. I would recommend any newbie to the scotch world have it over ice and slowly reduce the amount of ice as your taste matures until you enjoy it with just a splash. Instead of a few drops of water I usually put in 1 small ice cube or on occasion have it neat.

[420seth]

Most manufactures recommend adding a splash of water to the Scotch, single malts included. I would recommend any newbie to the scotch world have it over ice and slowly reduce the amount of ice as your taste matures until you enjoy it with just a splash. Instead of a few drops of water I usually put in 1 small ice cube or on occasion have it neat.

I go neat all the time. I don't like watered down booze. Cheapens the buzz

[drew_goring]

Most manufactures recommend adding a splash of water to the Scotch, single malts included. I would recommend any newbie to the scotch world have it over ice and slowly reduce the amount of ice as your taste matures until you enjoy it with just a splash. Instead of a few drops of water I usually put in 1 small ice cube or on occasion have it neat.

Exactly. I talked to a blender right out of Scotland at this tasting and the general consensus was that no matter if Scotch is 43% or Cask Strength, it is designed to be consumed at approximately 30% alcohol. This means watering it down slightly. It was very informative. Lots of very knowledgeable people there willing to talk your ear off. I would recommend that anybody who has a chance to go to a tasting do so. Definitely worth the price of admission

[Roham]

Most manufactures recommend adding a splash of water to the Scotch, single malts included. I would recommend any newbie to the scotch world have it over ice and slowly reduce the amount of ice as your taste matures until you enjoy it with just a splash. Instead of a few drops of water I usually put in 1 small ice cube or on occasion have it neat.

That's the advice I was waiting for Words to live by. I always add a drop or two to my shot of scotch, but I add so little water I still consider it neat... It is just a way to open the boquet a little bit.

Like I told you the night we had the herf, what ever scotch you decide to drink, just take your time. There is no rush, or time limit. As you taste buds mature so will the speed at which you can/want to drink it. Glad to see you are trying it out, and even happier to hear you went to a scotch event. Where was it at?