# I need a new single malt whisky **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 4, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204 "2015-03-04T16:08:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/1 "2015-03-04T16:08:41Z")
Good morning Dopers…I need some whisky recommendations. For Christmas, I received a $50 BevMo gift card from my brother-in-law, with instructions to spend it on some good Scotch…so I’m coming here for recommendations. Just to be clear though, I’m not necessarily looking for a $50 bottle; while we were wandering through the store this past weekend, **Rhiannon8404** made it clear to me: I would normally buy a $50-ish bottle on my own, so now I should be looking for a $100-ish bottle. My default ‘go-to’ Scotch has always been Glenlivet, though currently I’m drinking Laphroaig Quarter Cask (in fact, it’s the only bottle of single malt left in the liquor cabinet). I’m not a novice when it comes to Scotch, but I’m by no means an expert…so I’m looking to expand my horizons a bit. And in case it’s not clear, I’m looking for single malts…unless there’s an incredible blended whisky out there that I just can’t pass up. What’cha got? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/2 "2015-03-04T16:14:44Z")
Highland Park 18 The Macallan Cask-Strength Murray McDavid The Glenlivet 21 Talisker Storm, since you like the smoke. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/3 "2015-03-04T16:15:17Z")
What do you like in a Scotch? Peaty? Smoky? What are your top three favorites so far? ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/4 "2015-03-04T16:34:26Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What do you like in a Scotch? Peaty? Smoky? What are your top three favorites so far? It’s rather difficult to say what I “like”, because I really haven’t had a terribly wide range of experience to pull from. I don’t have a problem with smoke and peat ( **Rhiannon8404** described my Laphroaig as “like drinking a glass of smoky mud”, as I recall)…and I must admit to deriving a bit of perverse pleasure from enjoying something that many people find totally and utterly undrinkable (kind of like how I feel about gin)…but I don’t necessarily want to shy away from something lighter and more nuanced, either. In other words, I’ll try anything once. Tell me what you like, and why… ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/5 "2015-03-04T16:43:00Z")
I always liked Glen Morangie. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/6 "2015-03-04T16:48:55Z")
Balvenie Single Barrel 15 or if you want to splurge a bit get the Portwood 21. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/7 "2015-03-04T16:50:06Z")
I’ll second **silenus’s** recommendation of Highland Park 18, then (and, if memory serves, it’s not the first time I’ve done so on this board) – it’s a great all-round whisky with enough peat to please the Islay aficionados but not too much to be offputting to those who don’t particularly care for smoke. It’s one of the very few single malts that’s (IMHO) worth a significant jump in price point from say, a 10-year- or 12-year-old, to an 18- or 21-year old (and for the HP 18, it’s not a very significant jump compared to other distillers – in fact, I think it’s a great value). I’ll also suggest something from the Cragganmore distillery – it’s my favorite single malt after Highland Park. It’s from Speyside, so it’s not going to be as peaty as HP, but it’ll have more body and “oomph” than The Glenlivet. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/8 "2015-03-04T16:55:56Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > I always liked Glen Morangie. Especially the Quinta Ruban-aged ten years in white oak, then two more years in port pipes. I’ve never tasted anything like it, before or since. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/9 "2015-03-04T17:01:57Z")
[Springbank 15 year old](https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/springbank-15-year-old-whisky/) would be nice. You don’t find very many Campbeltown single malts and Spingbank (and Longrow) are very nice. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/10 "2015-03-04T17:14:45Z")
If you want to experiment with a “smoke-free” Irish single malt that’s rather tasty, you might try Knappogue Castle 1995. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/11 "2015-03-04T18:28:51Z")
[Edradour Ballechin](https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/edradour/edradour-ballechin-8-sauternes-cask-matured-the-discovery-series-whisky/), if you like them peaty. I really enjoyed this one when we were over that way this summer. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/12 "2015-03-04T20:27:39Z")
I’m going to take another tack, and recommend Auchentoshan 12 year, it’s lighter, but still quite complex, and see what you think. Alternately, if you want an Islay, I like Ardbeg 10, or one of the more peaty versions of Bruichladdich. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/13 "2015-03-04T22:22:57Z")
I’m somewhat new to single malts- two years or so- but Glenmorangie is one of my favorites. I recently found Two Gingers, which I was surprised to discover I really enjoyed. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/14 "2015-03-04T22:33:50Z")
My most recent purchase was a bottle of 12-year Aberfeldy which was about $40. It’s not as peaty as some single malts and I like the balance of flavors. There was no way I could spring for the 21-year, which is about $170. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/15 "2015-03-04T22:43:29Z")
Balvenie Doublewood 12 for $40. I had a bottle of Balvenie Single Barrel 12 which lasted two years. The Doublewood was gone in a week–I wasn’t expecting the fruity portion to be so tasty. Went back to buy another at Trader Joe’s and they didn’t have any. ☹ probably best for my liver… ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/16 "2015-03-04T23:05:36Z")
[Ardbeg Corryvreckan](http://whiskyadvocate.com/whisky/2009/08/30/review-ardbeg-corryvreckan/) Amazing. Not a floral Highland. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/17 "2015-03-04T23:09:13Z")
It’s a blend, but I’ve heard good things about Famous Grouse. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/18 "2015-03-06T01:35:40Z")
Didn’t note the increased price to $100 ish in the OP. In that case, I’d recommend one of the luxury Ardbeg’s, like Corryvreckan mentioned by DSeid, although my favorite of those is [Ardbog](http://www.wine-searcher.com/wine-324311-0001-ardbeg-ardbog-single-malt-scotch-whisky-islay-scotland). Good luck finding some. One that’s easier to find, if you’re in the mood for the ‘treacle, smooth, intense, smoky’ type of older Highlands, is [Glenfarclas’s 21 year](https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/glenfarclas-21-year-old-whisky/). Just outstanding Scotch. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/19 "2015-03-06T01:39:37Z")
[Suntory](http://www.suntory.com/whisky/en/). ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204/20 "2015-03-06T09:11:13Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > [Suntory](http://www.suntory.com/whisky/en/). I quite like their The Yamazaki. Chinese tolerate very little from Japan, but they’re okay with this. Suburban Plankton, where are you located? Maybe someone can steer you towards a really superior whiskey retailer in your area. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-single-malt-whisky/714204.md?page=2)