Hello…
Would any advice be available for someone who would like to take his first drink of Scotch? What would be recommended for someone who rarely drinks, but wants to know why people “cry” when they break a bottle of some special bottle of Scotch?
Knowing very little about this…I believe I want something that I can drink/sip without gasping for breath. Something for special occasions and something for not so special occasions…
Thanks in advance!
Don’t go out and buy a full bottle, there are some fine 12 year old scotchs available in mini bottles for about $8-$12. I am looking at a mini bottle of Glenfiddich 12 year old single malt, IMHO if you don’t like that you probabley won’t like (or want to get hooked on) higher dollar scotch.
If you must try higher dollar scotch, just go to a bar and ask the bartender what the best scotch he has and decide if you want to pay the price. Thirty year old scotch can be had at high end bars, but the price is quite high for a shot.
My advice is to get a bottle of Famous Grouse, a blend that punches way above its weight. If you like that, you could “step up” in class.
There are five main Scotch-producing regions in Scotland; for a first-time drinker, the one region you’ll probably want to stay away from is Islay. Scotches from that region, such as Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg tend to be very smokey and peat-flavored; IME, newer drinkers tend to not enjoy them.
I’ve generally enjoyed Scotches from the Highlands and Speyside regions. I agree with @Si_Amigo : see if you can get a mini-bottle from a major brand (like Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie, Balvenie, etc.), or sample it at a bar, rather than investing in a full bottle.
Also, for what it’s worth, I usually put a very small splash of water into a glass of whiskey; it does a lot to smooth out any harsher notes. But, not everyone likes that approach, so YMMV.
That is my method as well; I put a splash of water in the glass, swish it around, and then pour it out leaving just what clings to the glass. The water will open up the whisky considerable without diluting it.
I’m not sure what the o.p.’s experience is, but if they are new to whiskey in general I’d actually recommend starting with an Irish whiskey or at least a Highland or Speyside; something at least a little sweet and not overly peated (even though I like highly peated Scotches). Although there are some good blended Scotch whiskys (and many bad single malts), you’ll find most quality Scotch is a single malt. I think Glenmorangie 10 or Macallan 12 is a good starter whisky, and both can be found in mini-bottle size or in a reasonable well-stocked whisky bar.
There are also Scotch-style Japanese whiskys which used to be inexpensive when you can find them but somehow they’ve garnered a premium cachet and even the cheapest seem to be more expensive than comparable Scotch. Go figure. Personally, I’m investing in a stock of New Zealand whisky under the assumption that it will be the next to become the hot new fad.
Here is a ‘map’ of common Scotch whiskys by flavor:
Stranger
I find Bushmills, a blended Irish whiskey, notably sweet but still easy to drink - and I’m not a huge fan of sweet things. The summary I just read actually describes it as a liqueur, but as it’s 40% ABV that may be on a technicality (or maybe just a mistake): linky, but this is to a UK store, so I’m not sure if it will work in the US. (Nor do I know if Bushmills is available in the US.)
Plus it’s pretty modestly priced (over here).
j
Bushmills Black Label (“Black Bush”) is my standard Irish whiskey (and was long my standard drink before I got into bourbons), and it is, as you note, slightly sweet with subtle floral hints among the spice. I think it is a perfect way to start with whiskeys because it is easy enough that it doesn’t bite the palate or leave an aftertaste, but complex enough that you don’t just feel like mixing it in with soda and syrup, and it’s complex enough that you can return to it even after you’ve moved up to more expensive and challenging whiskeys.
Stranger
Lots of good advice given on a previous thread on the topic
How to become a single malt connoisseur - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board
Semi-related question: if single malt is supposed to be the sine qua non of the scotch-drinking experience, why are some of the Johnnie Walkers blends among the most expensive you can buy? In fact, why doesn’t Johnnie Walker even have a single malt?
According to George Macdonald Fraser’s autobiographical “McAuslan” novels, some officers in the Gordon Highlanders, in which he served as a young lieutenant at the end of World War II, would alternate a sip of whisky with a sip of cool water from a separate glass; what he described as “a right professional Highlander trick”.
Single malt Scotch whiskys are more highly regarded just because of the skill and care it takes to get a consistently good product using only one pot still and one aging process, but there is nothing that makes a single malt inherently better, and in fact there are many mediocre single malt Scotches. Blending allows for a more consistent product from year to year, or for cheaper whiskys/whiskeys, to mask or dilute a bad product. Aside from Scotch, many whiskeys (even premium labels) are blended. Premium Irish whiskeys are often “Single Pot Still”, and for those that do not have a grain can be single malts, but it’s not a big thing the way it is with Scotch. Bourbons, ryes, et cetera are obviously not possible of being “single malt” as they contain something other than malted barley, and even those that claim to be ‘single cask’ or ‘single barrel’ are often blended for consistency with some small proportion of another pot still.
I’m not particularly a fan of Johnnie Walker, and I think their premium Gold Label and above are massively overpriced, but Walker Black is a perfectly cromulent Scotch that can be found nearly everywhere.
Stranger
There are many fine American single malt whiskeys out there. Some have competed against the best from Scotland and won. I like Westland, Westward and Stranahan’s. Recently got a bottle of Balcones, I haven’t opened it yet. For those that like peat, McCarthys and Colkegan are favorites. I’m not a fan of peat so I strictly stick with Speyside bottles. I currently have Glenlivet 15, Macallen and Aberlour A’bunadh in my bar. Chivas Regal is a nice blend. If you ever ask for Scotch in a bar, make sure to specify a brand or you will end up with Johnny Walker. Nasty, nasty stuff.
I also thought the Walker Black was “cromulent”, on the other hand haven’t had any recently, not necessarily the first thing I would grab right now.
If you are just asking for “Scotch” in a bar, you are going to get whatever cheap crap is in the well; probably J&B or Dewers; maybe a really high class bar will have Walker Red Label as their ‘well’ Scotch, which is pretty rough but suitable as a mixer. If you are ordering Scotch or any other liquor ‘neat’, ‘on the rocks’, or in a fine cocktail like a Rob Roy or a Manhattan, then you should specify the label. Ditto for (gin) Martinis and anything else where the flavor of the liquor comes through.
Stranger
…And another vote for Black Label.
j
Blue is quite lovely.
Not one I see here. Smoky or no? I like the subtle smokiness of Black.
j
Blue is the top-of-the-line Johnnie Walker, smooth and mellow. And expensive.
For reference, for our OP, looking at the prices at our local big-box liquor store (Binny’s), for 750ml bottles of the various Johnnie Walkers:
The bourbon equivalent of single malt is “bottled-in-bond”, a 19th century standard that was largely forgotten for a long time but has come back into style in the last decade.
Even some of the lower-end bourbon brands, like Evan Williams, make a pretty tasty bonded bourbon. Bonded bourbon is also always bottled at at least 50% ABV, so it’s noticeably stronger than your standard 70-to-86-proof bourbon.