Does Anybody Collect Scotch?

[sydfan]

Man, I love the stuff. Here's what I have in my collection. Please post your's and your comments on them too!!

Glenmorangie Port Wood Finish-This is probably my least favorite in my collection. It's good but there's just too much wine flavour in it.

Macallan 12 Year-Beautiful! Finished in sherry casks and adds just a touch of sweetness to a superb single malt.

Springbank 10 Year-Lovely! It's nearly empty. Very dry and smokey flavour. Luscious!!!

Glenfarclas 12 Year-Very nice. Somewhat dry. A very ordinary everyday type of Scotch.

Balvenie Double Wood 12 Year-Another wonderful sherry finished malt. Somewhat sweet and a perfect day ender!

Oban 14 Year-Wonderfully dry!! Lots of peat flavour and a hint of smoke. Not your everyday type of malt, but such a treat!

Aberlour 15 Year-The best bottle in my humble collection! Somewhat sweet being finished in sherry casks, but the malt itself is sweet too. I drink this sparingly because I don't want to run out!!

I also have a bottle of Black Bush which is a good blended Irish whiskey, but really nothing compared to a good single malt.

I wish there were more mini bottles available, because really I want to try them all, but I can't afford fifty bucks everytime I want to try a new Scotch!

 

[Ishbel]

My husband is the whisky drinker in the household - and we have visited many distilleries over the course of our long marriage. My daughter's partner is also a whisky lover, as was my father.

Husband's favourites are a couple of the Bowmore whiskies, Strathisla and Highland Park. He also occasionally drinks Glenormorangie, the MacAllan and Balvenie.

Pleeeease - don't call them Scotch.... I don't mind Scotch whisky, though

 

[Snoop Puss]

Collect would be the wrong word. Drink a bottle till it's gone and then buy another one is closer to the truth. I have to say we drink them slowly.

In our household at the moment we have two bottles of VAT 69, only a blend but not bad and extremely cheap in Spain (virtually no duty on alcohol here) at under €7 a bottle. One of these bottles dates back to the days of Franco, which I bought as a curiosity. Tastes a bit rough if the truth be told...

My favourite whisky is Lagavullin. I used to like the 8-year-old Isle of Jura whisky that you could get here but now it all seems to be 10-year-old and not quite as good, or so my palate says! I haven't tried that many whiskies: they'd be an expensive habit to steer clear of in my case.

When I was a student living in very cheap accommodation, I once splashed out and bought a bottle of Springbank for my Dad's birthday. I was horrified the next day to see that it had gone cloudy. But that's cheap accommodation for you - very cold. The whisky cleared when it got a bit warmer.

 

[karadekoolaid]

Laphroaig, 10 yr old, cask strength. The only thing which could console me after England lost to Portugal.
Caol Ila. Ahhhh that smoky taste of peat.
Lagavullin.
Cardhu.
Aberlour - what a delightful tipple that is.
Balvenie.
Glenmorangie.

Plus I've got some nice blended stuff - Swing, 18 yr old Chivas Regal, 12 yr old Buchanans, and my simple, not-even-slightly-complicated favourite - Ballantynes.

 

[auntdot]

We have a few bottles put away for a rainy day, but nothing exceptional, just the usual product of the distilleries.

Are members of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, but find their bottlings very dear and generally beyond our reach.

Do have a bottle of Edrador purchased at the distillery a couple of years ago.

Love the Islay whiskies (went there last year, wow), and adore Talisker.

Wish we could afford more from the independent bottlers, but they can be very pricey.

Glad to see whiskies discussed here, love the single malts.

 

[TATTRAT]

Collect and Liquior don't exist in my house....I collect it internally.

 

[ronjohn55]

I collect beer, wine, bourbon, vodka (hey, I'm Polish - it's like a national drink!), but not so much scotch. I've been to several high end tastings and I am slowly picking up a taste for scoth, as well.

John

 

[FryBoy]

Try Highland Park -- most northerly distillery in Scotland. Don't be fooled by the name, this ain't something you're going to find at the local discount drug store. Beautiful stuff, like Macallan's on steroids.

 

[sydfan]

Try Highland Park -- most northerly distillery in Scotland. Don't be fooled by the name, this ain't something you're going to find at the local discount drug store. Beautiful stuff, like Macallan's on steroids.

My wife bought me a bottle of 25 Year Old Highland Park and I must say it is absolutely the best malt I've ever tried! Lovely!!!

 

[sydfan]

Collect would be the wrong word. Drink a bottle till it's gone and then buy another one is closer to the truth. I have to say we drink them slowly.

In our household at the moment we have two bottles of VAT 69, only a blend but not bad and extremely cheap in Spain (virtually no duty on alcohol here) at under €7 a bottle. One of these bottles dates back to the days of Franco, which I bought as a curiosity. Tastes a bit rough if the truth be told...

My favourite whisky is Lagavullin. I used to like the 8-year-old Isle of Jura whisky that you could get here but now it all seems to be 10-year-old and not quite as good, or so my palate says! I haven't tried that many whiskies: they'd be an expensive habit to steer clear of in my case.

When I was a student living in very cheap accommodation, I once splashed out and bought a bottle of Springbank for my Dad's birthday. I was horrified the next day to see that it had gone cloudy. But that's cheap accommodation for you - very cold. The whisky cleared when it got a bit warmer.

It got cloudy because it's non-chill filtered, which many Scotch purists prefer!

 

[Bethsy]

i love to drink the scotch.... can't really say i have the will power to collect it.

 

[bethzaring]

current stock of whisky/whiskey

Glenfiddich 15 year single malt whisky
Glenfiddich 12 year single malt whisky
Chivas Regal 12 year blend whisky
Gentleman Jack, Jack Daniels blend whiskey

 

[bob_rx2000]

Well, working where I do you might be thinking I'd drink the Irish spirits, but ye'd be wrong...

Truth is that while I like a good single malt, for my day by day scotch I find that The Famous Grouse is pretty good. Yes, it is a blend but one you can serve to your friends and still manage to keep a couple of bucks in your pocket.

 

[auntdot]

Wow, just found this thread. Famout Grouse is a great whisky and one of my favorites for usual drinking.

But if I want something special will go for the single malts.

I used to be able to get Laphroig for $8 a bottle, and so as a student cut my teeth on that.

It is a tough dram but now love the stuff.

For those who do not have a single malt palate always recommend Highland Park. To me it is gentle and tasty. And it makes a great gift to those who like whisky but drink the blended.

Am partial to the Islay products (with the exception of Lagavulin, it is not my first choice by any means).

Then Talisker, from Skye, although I cannot find it here in the US.

Have a bottle of Edrador which I have not cracked. It is the smallest distillery in Scotland (was there and believe me it is) and it is a lovely whisky.

Am a member of the US Scotch Whisky Society and they have indiividual bottlings that are very good, and very pricey (over $100).

Those I only buy as a birthday present to myself. As unique bottlings they are whiskies you will never have a chance to try again.

Like wines, but when the snow is on the ground and the lakes are frozen, nothing does as well as a wee dram of a single malt. At least that is my humble opinion.

 

[bob_rx2000]

Hmmm... Here in South Bend, IN we have a (very good) liquor vendor who carries Taliskar, although I must admit I've not tried it. It is also on the bar menu for at least 3 local eating establishments.

 

[redkitty]

I'm glad this thread got bumped up! I have been wanting to try scotch for a while now. I tried it years and years ago and didnt like it. My alcohol taste buds have changed though and I'm ready to give it another whirl!!!

I found a cool blog here The Scotch Blog that Ive been reading through. I guess my best bet is to hit up a nice pub here and try some out. I just dont want to try anything, I dont want a bad experience to chase me away again!

 

[auntdot]

Kitty, there are good and bad whiskies, just as there are good and bad wines.

In addition, tastes do vary.

Would recommend Highland Park for a starter.

It is a very gentle whisky and have received nothing but raves from the folks I have given a bottle.

I truly enjoy it but generally reach for the ones that I consider a bit more robust in flavor. But then again I have been in the whisky ingesting business for a long time.

Would suggest whichever whisky you decide to try to do it both neat and with a bit of water (room temp or slightly chilled). Just a tad. The water will release flavors you might not notice when drinking it straight.

Give one a shot, you may find them as pleasant as I do.

But please start with a decent one, not just some random brand you happen to find on sale.

There is as much difference between the very inexpensive blended stuff and the fine single malts as there is between a $1.99 bottle of 'champagne' and a bottle of Louis Roederer Crystal.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

 

[redkitty]

Thanks for the advice Dot!

 

[Half Baked]

I used to try to drink it but I just can't get past the smell. Then I thought, "Why am I trying so hard to like this?".

I guess I wanted to look sophisticated. But I'm older now ... I still dislike the odor.

LOL, I guess smell and odor are not the correct terms for whiskey lovers. Bouquet? Frangrance?

 

[karadekoolaid]

Whisky gets the same treatment as other drinks, Jan. The Marketing guys and the connoisseurs get together and decide on an incomprehensible vocabulary designed specifically to increase the price.


With scotch, you may hear the words "Medicinal", "Leather", "Wood", "Dried Fruit", "Smoky", etc. I can assure you, I can detect those in certain malt whiskies. However, you either like it, or you don't. I don't drink vodka because I find it tasteless - my opinion, nothing else.