Single Malts - your recommendations please

Cafe Society
1

Can you help a nascent malt drinker with some recommendations?

Some background: I’m putting some effort into whisky at the moment. I’ve never really enjoyed drinking spirits the way I do beer and wine, so it’s not making immediate sense to me, but I’m making progress. Part of it is living in Scotland, I feel it would be a wasted opportunity not to get to grips with it. Also, it took me years to really appreciate red wine, so I know that sometimes you just have to persevere with a drink. It can be hard, eh :slight_smile:

Anyhow, Islay malts are the only thing I’ve really enjoyed thus far. I like the fiery bog flavours - Ardbeg, lagavulin and laphroaig have all been good. I must have a fairly crude palate, though, because the milder, smoother stuff leaves me cold. Dalwhinnie and Glenmorangie, for example, weren’t much fun, don’t think I would drink them for pleasure just yet.

I’m looking to try some others that are a step away from Islay. Something less peaty maybe, but characterful and easy to get to grips with. What do you reckon?

2

I’d say give Oban a shot. I kind of think of it as a midway point between, say, Laphroiag and The Macallan on the peatiness-sweetness scale.

3

I second Oban. I also enjoy Tomatin; it’s an… uncomplicated whisky, simple but flavorful. It’s also relatively cheap.

4

That’s really funny, you’d love my cabinet - all I have right now are Ardberg, Lagavulin, and Laphroag. Unfortunately, I prefer the Glenlivet and Balvenie, so I don’t drink these others very quickly.

So, I guess I can’t recommend much that you would like, but I would suggest trying the Balvenie. DoubleWood 12 is a reasonable option, though I splurge on PortWood 21, usually.

5

You have abominable taste buds!

But be that as it may…try Talisker and Highland Park.

6

Superstition, from the Isle of Jura distillery, is moderately smoky and quite delightful. I find it much more complex than their 10 year-old.

Technically it’s a vatted whisky, which is a blend containing only single-malts.

7

Given your stated preferences (same as mine!), I second the recommendations for Oban and Talisker. For a change of pace, you may like Glen Garioch.

8

Scotch definitely falls into two camps - the iron fist and the velvet glove. You’re in the iron fist camp. If you want to be tempted by the wimpy side, probably the only thing that might work is one of the really expensive fancy pants brands like a 30yo Sherry cask Macallan, but you need a second mortgage to buy a bottle.

9

Second the Talisker and the Highland Park. Seeing you’re there, you might actually be able to get Bunnahabhain, which I’ve never been able to try, but I’m told is delicious. Caol Ila is another great peaty malt as well.

10

Try a Glenmorangie port wood or sherry wood finish…
Not an iron fist, but take a sip and feel the taste radiate through your mouth.

11

Thanks all for the suggestions. One more thing I forgot to include in the OP - for those who take a drop of water in scotch, do you do it habitually, or does it depend on the scotch? What would make you think 'this one needs a little water’?

12

I was once in a Scottish restaurant with a date, and I made the mistake of telling the stern, craggy proprietor that I was not experienced with single-malt scotches, and I asked him to recommend one. He replied, “Ye wouldn’t appreciate it. I’ll bring ye a beer.”

I didn’t even get to choose which beer.

13

Bwahahahaha

Hey, has anyone tried the Japanese single malt whiskeys? I can get a friend to bring some over but is it worth it? Any recomendations? I guess I’m more of a velvet glove kinda guy. I like a single shot of a peaty malt but rarely feel the need for 2 in a single sitting.

14

Got to watch it on the Glen Garioch, though. Some years are peated, others not- they went through a phase where they weren’t peating, then went back. Some people claim that they’ve had a poorly peated one, but I never have. I’d avoid the 8 and possible the 10 (as I don’t like the smooth malts either) and go for older on the Glen Garioch. I used to live in Aberdeen and have been to the distillery- it’s about a 6 man operation and a nice day out.

Talisker rocks, too, and is also a nice tour / tasing opportunity if you get out to Skye.

As for the Dalwhinnie- try an older bottle or ‘special’ bottling. We’ve got a distiller’s edition from 1989 (bottled in 2004, so a 15) which is really quite different- a little brackish and sweet at the same time.

15

The Bunnahhabhain (isn’t that a great name?) is what I was going to recommend, although it may be too smooth for you. Oban and Highland Park for sure.

If memory serves, WordMan says Oban is what the Scots taught him to drink.

Like Rick I’m a fan of the Glenmorangie La Santa and Nectar de Oro but, again, they’re very smooth.

16

Correction… Lasanta and Nectar d’or.

17

Wow, lieu, thanks for remembering - that’s close; I was weaned on Macallan and Glenmorangie (and a bit of Talisker); Oban was the first one I tried back in the States that I could tell was excellent before it started getting hyped. It’s just an excellent sip: thick and buttery, in its own Scotchy way. Yum.

18

I have a bottle of the Suntory Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky 12. I would say it’s not bad, with a bit of a bite. Seems like an “unpolished” whisky, I suppose. Like it’s still learning…