Scotch drinkers

[fitterjohn]

So my best friend from high school is getting married. He is in the Navy and became a scotch drinker. So me and the old lady are getting them a bar set and a great bottle of Scotch. There inlays the problem, I don't know anything about scotch. So which are the great ones, anything helps. Would probably like to stay under 250$.

[MrAK]

The Aberlour A Bundah cask strength is surprisingly good for the money, should set you back about $85 at Applejacks

[CS1983]

I got my best man a bottle of lagavulin 16 on the recommendation of a mutual friend.

[feal]

Lagavulin distillers edition - could get this years for sentimental reasons or ardbeg uigeadail are both pretty solid for 100ish

[Firehaus]

Johnny Walker Blue, Lagavulin, and Taliskar are some of my favorites.




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[thvigil11]

While not true scotch. Colkegan single malt is made down in Santa fe by santa fe spirits. I swear by it and usually runs about 50 or so a bottle. Seen in a few stores up there. In particular, bubbles in castle rock.

[fitterjohn]

Perfect this the info I need. I'm going to have to figure out how to be a scotch drinker

[davsel]

Scotch flavor widely varies. I've never met a scotch drinker who enjoys the entire spectrum. You may want to figure out what he currently drinks most and find one within that same flavor profile. There are many sites that have "Scotch flavor maps" that will show you what bottles are comparable. Here's just one of many

http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/huukei44/imgs/b/3/b3d43356.jpg

I'm an Oban fan, and the more you spend on a bottle within a brand, the better it is. Between brands doesn't matter much if it is a flavor he doesn't prefer - or - the most expensive bottle of flavor A will not compare to a cheap bottle of brand B if he likes brand B.

[theGinsue]

Not a huge scotch drinker myself, but over the last several years I've been learning more about them. Most who truely appreciate scotch will tell you to stick with a single malt and start with nothing younger an 10 year (ten years in the cask; once it's bottled it stops aging).

Here's a link to a serch for "scotch" in the "Sippin" thread: https://www.ar-15.co/search.php?searchid=951491

Here's another link to the "Six Classic Malts of Scotland" (these are considered exceptional): http://www.awa.dk/whisky/clasmalt.htm

Hope this helped.

[bczandm]

The truth is if he is a scotch drinker he likely has a taste for certain brands or types of scotch. I'd suggest a little recon with a few mutual friends or family and try to find out if someone knows what his preference is. The range of suggestions above is very broad and while I'd agree with most of the suggests it might make sense to get a bit closer to his taste.

[fitterjohn]

Those are some good points. I'll have to see what I can track down for recon

[lex137]

Macallans 21? Bit over the, but it is amazing...

[Waywardson174]

My process is always the same, see what your friend currently has on his shelf. Go find a high end bottle from that particular distillery. These scotches are developed by the same master distilled at each location. The safest bet is that if he likes a particular brand's $50 bottle, he will love their $175. You will rarely go wrong with this approach.

[wctriumph]

Talk to the wife to be and she can tell you what he likes.

[fitterjohn]

We got talking about drinking. He likes Glenlivet and Johnny walker gold, but not blue. I know johnny is popular, I'll just have to make a trip to the store to see what's out there for Glenlivet. Still open to suggestions of anyone who knows about that one or really any ideas

[Gman]

Blue is better than gold.

[UncleDave]

We got talking about drinking. He likes Glenlivet and Johnny walker gold, but not blue. I know johnny is popular, I'll just have to make a trip to the store to see what's out there for Glenlivet. Still open to suggestions of anyone who knows about that one or really any ideas

If he likes Johnny Walker, then get him the green label. It is my personal favorite, and I have had many bottles of blue label including the King George the V version. He obviously likes a smoother scotch rather than peety. Glenlivet 21 is incredible, around $200 per bottle though.

[feal]

Blue is more expensive than gold but that doesn't mean it's better..... I think the gold ( now platinum) has more flavor than the blue.

[Waywardson174]

We got talking about drinking. He likes Glenlivet and Johnny walker gold, but not blue. I know johnny is popular, I'll just have to make a trip to the store to see what's out there for Glenlivet. Still open to suggestions of anyone who knows about that one or really any ideas

Gold is a very light/sweet scotch. If that's the type he likes, buy him a bottle of Cardhu 12. It's a $70 bottle that I use to break people in to scotch. Smokier than gold, but sweeter as well. Given the favorable impression toward Glinlevit and JW Gold, I highly recommend it.

Platinum is NOT a relabel of Gold.

[feal]

What would you call platinum then? The gold changes to gold reserve with no date info
http://www.drinkspirits.com/scotch-whisky/review-johnnie-walker-gold-label-18-vs-johnnie-walker-gold-label-reserve/

[bczandm]

We got talking about drinking. He likes Glenlivet and Johnny walker gold, but not blue. I know johnny is popular, I'll just have to make a trip to the store to see what's out there for Glenlivet. Still open to suggestions of anyone who knows about that one or really any ideas

The chart posted by Davsel is excellent. Pick from the chart and go horizontal and you should be ok. If you go to the top of the chart the flavor changes dramatically with the smokey flavor and I'd expect he would be less pleased. Glenfiddich is a very popular single malt only 2nd to Glenlivet in quantity sold. If you want to spend more money I'd suggest the 18 year Glenlivet.
Bob

[Gman]

Blue is more expensive than gold but that doesn't mean it's better.....
OK, fine. Blue is more of a premium than Gold.

If he doesn't like a really smoky, peaty scotch, The Balvenie Double Wood is nice.

[bczandm]

OK, fine. Blue is more of a premium than Gold.

If he doesn't like a really smoky, peaty scotch, The Balvenie Double Wood is nice.

My favorite for years.

[funkymonkey1111]

OK, fine. Blue is more of a premium than Gold.

If he doesn't like a really smoky, peaty scotch, The Balvenie Double Wood is nice.

I'll second (1) the Balvenie Double Wood recommendation; and, (2) the need for recon. While it means nothing to your quest for a good gift, I like the Balvenie a lot, but can't stand the smoky scotches. So, for instance, if you bought me one high on the smoke, it would be a waste. Perhaps your friend has a wide palette, but also think of beer taste profiles--some people like bitter IPAs, some people (like me) can't stand them. Hope you find something good.

[RblDiver]

If he likes smokey, Talisker Storm is pretty good. It's their blend to get what they say is their smokiest of the lot, though this 10-year of theirs I had is also pretty smokey (they say that it can change from year to year, hence the blending process for Storm where they choose different quantities from different years as needs require). They had a cool distillery that we visited.

Don't know what it'd be in the US (don't think I've seen it on shelves but maybe), but buying it from their distillery ran me about...I want to say $60-80 or so.

(And on the side note, indeed to reiterate what Ginsue said (which I learned on that trip, was cool), once scotch is bottled aging stops. A 10-year scotch that's been in a bottle for 100 years is still a 10-year scotch, unlike wines that keep aging).

[asmo]

We got talking about drinking. He likes Glenlivet and Johnny walker gold, but not blue. I know johnny is popular, I'll just have to make a trip to the store to see what's out there for Glenlivet. Still open to suggestions of anyone who knows about that one or really any ideas

Have been staying out of this until this question was answered. As a rather seasoned scotch drinker with a very large collection let me advise:

So it sounds likes Speysides (good choice), but doesn't sound like he has a really refined pallet or maybe hasn't tried a lot of different ones (Glenlivet is one of the largest distillers in the world with massive distribution). My recommendation would be to get him something that may he doesn't normally see. Speysides are typically floral, light and grassy, with malts and that give good carmel/toffee flavors.

With that in mind what I would recommend (at your price point - and what you can probably find locally):

MacAllan - Fine Oak 18 yo (there is a Sherry Oak - which is, IMHO, the best scotch ever made - but its probably outside your price range)
MacAllan - Elegancia 12-year-old
Balvenie - DoubleWood 17 yo (there is a 12yo version - at a much cheaper price point - which is also really good and is my 'daily drinker')
Balvenie - PortWood 17 yo
Aberlour - 15 yo
Glenfarclas - 25 yo (if you can find this, it is quite good for a 25 at that price point)
Tomintoul - 25


Stay away from things like Ardbeg,Talisker, Bowmore, Laphroaig, and Lagavulin - not because they are bad scotches, but they are Islays. Islays are the exact opposite of what he is saying he likes. Islays, to most people, taste like dirt/bandaids/iodine.

[Waywardson174]

What would you call platinum then? The gold changes to gold reserve with no date info
http://www.drinkspirits.com/scotch-whisky/review-johnnie-walker-gold-label-18-vs-johnnie-walker-gold-label-reserve/

Drink "old" gold next to platinum. They are the same age but they are VERY different scotches.

[Firehaus]

Islays, to most people, taste like dirt/bandaids/iodine.

Off to lick the dumpsters behind the hospitals, you just saved me thousands!!



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[funkymonkey1111]

Islays, to most people, taste like dirt/bandaids/iodine.

spot on!! (mostly dirt for me)

[Gman]

Off to lick the dumpsters behind the hospitals, you just saved me thousands!!
[LOL]

[asmo]

Off to lick the dumpsters behind the hospitals, you just saved me thousands!!

A very famous Scotch reviewer once described Laphroaig as "mouthfuls of clove, banana, butterscotch, burning tires, Sharpies, Band-Aids, and vinyl pool-toys"

[Firehaus]

A very famous Scotch reviewer once described Laphroaig as "mouthfuls of clove, banana, butterscotch, burning tires, Sharpies, Band-Aids, and vinyl pool-toys"

Damn, that was like my child hood, oh wait, its all making sense now...which scotch has a nice elmer glue finish?


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[Gman]

Damn, that was like my child hood, oh wait, its all making sense now...which scotch has a nice elmer glue finish?
C'mon, be honest. You ate paste, didn't you? [Coffee]

[JohnnyEgo]

I am not a fan of scotch, as my palette is not refined enough to appreciate the flavors of Jolly Ranchers and dirt. I'm a bourbon guy, because I like my liquor in the same way I like my women; brown and a bit harsh. However, my boss loves Scotch, so we got her the Mac 20 (21?) for Christmas last year. She seemed to like it.

[fitterjohn]

Balvenie - DoubleWood 17 yo ended up being the winner part because all the people who said it's good part cuse it was in the store I went too. But all this talk has me wanting to start being a scotch drinker thanks for the input everyone

[bczandm]

A very famous Scotch reviewer once described Laphroaig as "mouthfuls of clove, banana, butterscotch, burning tires, Sharpies, Band-Aids, and vinyl pool-toys"

One of my least favorite scotches. I was contemplating throwing the bottle out and a friend said he would take it. I still feel bad about giving it to him.

[husky390]

Johnny Walker Gold and Platinum are good but I actually like Green better and didn't care for Blue.

A couple others to consider.

Macallan 18 year (my favorite)
Dalwhinnie 15 year
The Dimple Pinch is a good blend

Note: I drink my scotch on the rocks which changes the flavors a bit.

[husky390]

One of my least favorite scotches. I was contemplating throwing the bottle out and a friend said he would take it. I still feel bad about giving it to him.

LOL, I can only drink that stuff when it's freezing cold outside at elk camp.

[Fentonite]

I've been enjoying this nice Mexican scotch recently...

71237

[Gman]

Note: I drink my scotch on the rocks which changes the flavors a bit.
I do the same. The melting ice actually brings out the complexity of the flavors within the scotch. I used to get invited to the annual Johnnie Walker events and they had us try various single malt scotches from the different regions neat and with a little water so we could really notice the differences. Pretty cool stuff.

fitterjohn, I think your buddy will enjoy that gift. Maybe he'll share some with you? [Beer]

[fitterjohn]

Lol I hope he does.

[JohnnyEgo]

If he does share it, have him take a picture of your face as you take your first sip, then post it here.

[Firehaus]

C'mon, be honest. You ate paste, didn't you? [Coffee]

Shhh...everyone was doing it.


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