A little background, last fall I received a small gift of a single dram bottle of Chequer blended Scotch. I had never had scotch before and found it quite pleasant. Not being able to find more, I moved on to a different distillery and tried a bottle of 12 year old single malt double wood from the Balvenie distillery. It was alright, but I didn’t care much for the sherry flavor or the cough syrupy after effects the following day.
So what would the more experienced scotch drinkers recommend?
I’ve never had Chequer, so I’m not sure what you liked about it in particular. I drink blends when I go out but I keep single malt in the house. The Macallan Fine Oak (they range from 10 years to 30; the 10 is perfectly fine) is not as fruity as the Balvenie and goes down well on pretty much any occasion. I don’t care for the peaty Islay malts, but a lot of people I know do, and if that sounds up your alley, try the best-known of them, Laphroaig.
Yeah, the Chequer, I don’t think they make whisky anymore. While looking for it, I found that the distillery seems to have changed ownership a few times and now seems to be focused strictly on their beer brand(s?)
thinking about it a little more, what would be a good match for a Gurhka (sp?) Maduro?
A lot of good recommendations in this thread
I’m not a big Scotch drinker but I do like Laphroig. But as noted in the other thread, it’s not for everyone- it has a noticeable smoky peat flavor.
Besides recommendations on type of scotch, I’d also recommend sampling any new scotch brand in multiple ways. For example, I’d at least try four ways: neat, on the rocks, with water or with soda water. These styles have a big effect on the flavor and I’ve found that some varieties of scotch I like better neat and others on the rocks. I’m not generally a water/soda person myself, but lots of people argue that a little dilution of the alcohol enables you to taste it better.
For a brand-new Scotch drinker, I’d recommend something like Glen Fiddich or The Glenlivet.
Yeah, I’d second this. The Glenlivet was my “starter” scotch (I wasn’t a big fan of Fiddich, for some reason.) But I second the recommendations for at least trying Laphroig or Ardbeg, preferably at a bar so you don’t have to shell out for a whole bottle, to see if you’re into the peat flavor of whisky. Actually, just try to find a good local bar with a decent scotch selection (if one exists where you are) and treat yourself to a taste testing. I have no idea what Chequers tastes like, so I can’t offer any more specific recommendations.
Different people have different tastes. Rather than recommend any one whisky, I encourage you to taste widely.
Near as I can tell, Chequer was a Highland blend out of McEwan Distillery. So the OP might just want to try a few comparable drams like Glenmorangie.
In that case, I’ll also throw out Oban, which is fairly easy to find (at least around here.) But I agree with the post above yours suggesting tasting around. Scotch whisky has several geographic categories that vary widely by taste (for instance, Speyside malts like Glenlivet tend to be sweeter, not peaty, while Islay malts are peat-heavy, to use a simple example.) So you do need to taste around and see what flavors/regions you like. Something like the Macallan tasted beside an Ardbeg don’t even seem like the same drink!
Scotch connoisseurs prefer Single malt, but maybe that’s not for you- at least to start.
Try the Famous Grouse (or the Black Grouse), Glen Moray Classic or Chivas. Pay about $30 for a bottle.
A good blended Scotch will fix all those things the Op complained about.
Yeah, Famous Grouse is a decent, cheap everyday drinking blend. I learned to drink that when I lived out in Scotland for a couple months. I would have also recommended Johnnie Walker Green, if that were still around (technically, it was a vatted malt), but they seem to have discontinued it, much to my chagrin. It’s one of the few blends (pretty much the only) I would buy regularly.
I like Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or. It’s a bit pricey, but I only drink it during Outlander, so a bottle lasts me a season. 
Glenlivet is a great “everyday” single malt, and I’d go further and call Glenfiddich severely overrated.
I don’t know if I’d say Glenfiddich is “overrated.” I’ve always heard it mentioned in the same breath as Glenlivet, as a decent, beginner’s single malt. It’s just not as much to my tastes as Livet. It’s been ages since I’ve had either, though, so it’d be interesting to see if I feel the same now about the two.
If you are in a state where Costco can sell liquor, they have great prices on some of the more common scotches. Lagavulin is my every day as a result. Oban. Glenlivet. They’ll have some of all of these at really good prices.
Another good inexpensive blended scotch is Dewar’s 12 year old Double Aged. Around the same price as Johnnie Walker Black and Chivas, and I think it’s better than either. However, it’s a buttery, smooth scotch. If you’re looking for a smoky drink of a campfire, look elsewhere.
Good choice.
so where does the balvinie fall in the geographic scotch map/spectrum? I’ve not been able to figure that out, and like I said, it was ok, but the sherry component took away from it. If I could find one similar to that with out the second wood, I’d try that.
Far as the Laphroaig, I almost went with that instead of the balvinie, so I am leaning that way.
Never thought to post this info :smack: I prefer to sip with one maybe two cubes of ice depending if store bought ice (hollow tube type) or frozen in my own freezer (solid actual cube shape) and also depending on if I’m just relaxing, having a smoke and whatnot with the wife (smaller drink) or socially drinking with a few friends (larger drink).
I don’t really have many preferences yet far as scotch goes except for the ice. I’ve tried it neat, with ice and with a few drops to a 1/2 a tsp of water. With ice is what I prefer. And single wood please and thank you. Otherwise, blended, single malt, speyside, highland, lowland, what have you, I’m wide open.
sampling widely at a bar, around here a good quiet bar without music blasting at eardrum destroying levels or hordes of noisey revelers, a place where one can drink peacefully are getting to be pretty rare it seems to me. I’m more about the very small group social aspects of drinking, a few good friends and family maybe a barbeque or whatever, just chillin and having a drink together. And I just happened to really like the Chequer. (Yes McEwan, couldn’t think of it right off the bat). I’m willing to part with a few extra dollars once or twice a year to satisfy the above and my desire for gustatory adventures and explorations. Just too many varieties out there to stop at the first one that didn’t satisfy the way I hoped.
Also, if I want to try a scotch that’s a little more spendy, I’m willing to part with the money. Sometimes it really is true that you get what you pay for. hmmm, think I will look into maybe there are tasting groups/clubs or something like locally…
Anyway, thanks for the suggestions thus far, and for Costco, I’ve seen the liquor cage at ours, I was intrigued but a little scared, cause yanno, Costco is for buying stuff in bulk and :eek: OHMIGAWD BOOZE