Jeez, you guys with the big collections are making me jealous. I only keep a couple bottles around at a time. In my defense, I probably would have more Scotch if I didn’t also have a few bottles of brandy as well. Currently I have:
The Balvenie 12 year and
Glenfiddich 21-year Gran Reserva (that’s the one aged in rum barrels, unavailable in the US, but I’ve got connections;)).
I’ve tried many varieties, but these are some of my other favorites:
Macallan (of any sort)
Oban
Dalwhinnie
Glenlivet
I do like the Balvenie Double-Wood. But we usually kill a bottle of that over Thanksgiving and I don’t buy another bottle until the following year. There are just so many good malts out there, and so little time. One of these years we are going to make a trip to Scotland and do The Tour. Some friends did that a few years ago, and still talk about it. That’s where I got the Distiller’s Dram bottle of Cragganmore. It isn’t available anywhere but the distillery.
I feel a bit like a beginner here. In fact, the only thing in my liquor cabinet right now are a number of “airplane size” bottles (most of which I picked up at the duty free shop at Heathrow a few years back, and a bottle of Knockando) distilled in 1984. That was a gift from my sister-in-law almost 9 years ago.
It’s not that I don’t enjoy Whisky; it just seems that I let my supply run down.
Oh, and one bottle of Trader Joe’s label, “Lowland style”, which really isn’t half bad.
Glenmorangie 18 yo
Glenmorangie 12 yo Port Wood Finish
The Macallan 15 yo
Laphroaig 15 yo
Oban 14 yo
Talisker 10 yo
Springbank 10
Glenfarclas 17 yo
Glenfiddich Solera Reserve 15 yo
Balvenie 10 yo
Scapa 14 yo
McClelland
Glen Garioch 10 yo
Benromach 21 yo Tokaji Wine Cask
Dead soldiers requiring replacement:
Glenfiddich 12 yo
Dalwhinnie 15 yo
Abelour 10 yo
Glenmorangie 12 yo Madeira Wood Finish
Cragganmore 12 yo
I am trying to not buy anything until we get back into the house; apartment living is not conducive to a large bottle collection. The renovated house will have room galore for my various obsessions.
That does it! When I hit the lottery, I’m inviting every Doper who loves single-malts to meet in Vegas, where we can do the Ultimate Dope Malt Bash. A free bottle for every attendee…your choice.
I just keep a bottle of Mccallen 18yo in the house.
It is jolly super on the buds, and suitably punishing on the pocket thus preventing too much imbibing.
used to keep
Talisker
Oban
Lagavulin
as regulars and whatever random bottles I could get through the duty free.
Vegas would be better. More scotch to choose from, and better restaurants. The only advantage to holding the All-World, All-Dope Single Malt Adventure in Scotland would be if we could convince some distillers to give us some cask samples they have buried in the back somewhere. But I’d be willing to bet that if it has been released anywhere in the world, you can find it in Vegas. We can invite the lovely people from Cadenhead to MC the bash.
Since you haven’t won the lottery yet, I’m having a wee dram (okay, two wee drams) of Glenmorangie Madeira Wood with a little water. It burns a little, but in a good way.