# Tell me about scotch. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 31, 2012, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647 "2012-12-31T07:38:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/21 "2012-12-31T20:08:01Z")
> [@azraiel](#): > > Yes and no. I agree on the “no ice,” but water should frequently come into play. With good blended Scotch, you should dilute to 35% from the start. > > With single malts, I think you should play around between neat @40% and 35%. A great pleasure of drinking good whisk(e)y is discovering how water does or doesn’t open and change its profile. For instance, one of my favorites is The Balvenie 12 year double wood. It still amazes me how adding a single drop of water opens and changes that whisky. I’ll have to try that. I’ve added small amounts of water in the past but more like a few drops, not 30%. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/22 "2012-12-31T20:13:26Z")
Call me crazy, but I like ice in my scotch. I don’t mind that it tastes different between every sip. (and, no, I don’t think I ever let it sit long enough to exceed 35% water). ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/23 "2012-12-31T20:18:19Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > Rule 1 with scotch: remember it’s _whisky._ The word is actually the English version of an old Gaelic phrase for “water of life”, (“uisce”, water). Scotch is never spelled “whiskey”. Really? You think rule number 1 with scotch is the spelling difference between whisky and whiskey? That would be last on my list. First of all, for a good primer hit the web. In a few short seconds I found these: > **[The Art of Manliness Guide to Scotch Whisky](https://www.artofmanliness.com/living/food-drink/the-art-of-manliness-guide-to-scotch-whisky/)** > > To truly appreciate a good scotch, a man must have an understanding of its rich history and the process that transforms ordinary barley into an extraordinary drink. > **[Scotch whisky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotch_whisky)** > > Scotch whisky (Scottish Gaelic: uisge-beatha na h-Alba; Scots: whisky/whiskie \[ˈʍɪski\] or whusk(e)y \[ˈʍʌski\]), often simply called whisky or Scotch, is malt whisky or grain whisky (or a blend of the two) made in Scotland. > The first known written mention of Scotch whisky is in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland of 1494. All Scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley. Commercial distilleries began introducing whisky made from wheat and rye in the late 18th century. As of May 2024, there w... The world of scotch whisky is gigantic. I agree with tomcar: "go to a whiskey bar and do some blind taste testing. Let your palette decide. " at least until you can differentiate between the varieties/blends/malts. ---
**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:** [December 31, 2012, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/24 "2012-12-31T20:33:26Z")
35% _water_? Are you people insane? A dram or two, yes. That opens up the nose and lets the aromas develop. But any more than that and you are drinking a highball, not sipping scotch. 35%. :shakes head: Youngsters these days… ---
**Author:** ![azraiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@azraiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/azraiel)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/25 "2012-12-31T22:14:23Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > 35% _water_? Are you people insane? A dram or two, yes. That opens up the nose and lets the aromas develop. But any more than that and you are drinking a highball, not sipping scotch. > > 35%. :shakes head: > > Youngsters these days… You realize that neat whisky straight from the bottle is 60% water, right? If you drank straight from a cask you’d be drinking 36.5% (or thereabouts) water. Whisky should ideally be between 35% and 40% abv for drinking. It comes out of the bottle at 40% (in the vast majority of cases). So diluting two ounces of whisky from 40% to 35% is just about a splash of water. And in that case, we’re drinking _75%_ water. I burning your lawn. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/26 "2012-12-31T22:16:06Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > 35% _water_? Are you people insane? A dram or two, yes. That opens up the nose and lets the aromas develop. But any more than that and you are drinking a highball, not sipping scotch. > > 35%. :shakes head: > > Youngsters these days… I think the 35% meant diluting cask strength down to 35% ABV, although we have some posters saying they dilute 50-50 with water. I personally put in a quick splash of water. Basically, about a teaspoon or so for a serving of scotch (which for me is equivalent to about a double shot, about 3 fluid ounces.) It’s just the way I was taught in Scotland when I lived and worked there (and where I first discovered Scotch whisky, living just 20 miles from Oban.) ---
**Author:** ![azraiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@azraiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/azraiel)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/27 "2012-12-31T22:39:03Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I think the 35% meant diluting **cask strength** down to 35% ABV… emphasis added [nit] Bottle strength, not cask. Whisky comes off the still at or around 63.5% ABV. It’s casked at that strength. When uncasked and bottled, most whiskey is diluted with water to 40% ABV. Some distilleries will sell bottles at cask strength, and some distilleries bottle certain lines at atypical strengths (38%, 43%, 46%, etc). Outliers aside, “cask strength” means ~63.5% ABV. “Bottle strength” means 40% ABV. [/nit] ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/28 "2012-12-31T23:41:01Z")
> [@azraiel](#): > > emphasis added > > [nit] > > Bottle strength, not cask. > > [/nit] Well, I actually did mean cask strength there. I thought some people were diluting cask strength down to 35% or something. ETA: Ah, I see you’re the poster who originally made the comment and were talking about diluting bottle strength down to 35%. Got it. ---
**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:** [January 1, 2013, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/29 "2013-01-01T00:09:54Z")
Well ok then. Yes, if we are talking ABV then 35% is ok. A little light for my tastes, but ok (I tend to drink Wild Turkey 101 straight.) I’ll splash my Macallan Cask Strength and dribble a little water into the Cragganmore. I thought you meant taking a dram of scotch and adding 35% water to it, which is just _wrong_. ---
**Author:** ![azraiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@azraiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/azraiel)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/30 "2013-01-01T00:11:22Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I’ll have to try that. I’ve added small amounts of water in the past but more like a few drops, not 30%. I’m sorry, I feel that I’ve muddled the question. Whenever I’ve referred to percentages, I meant ABV. I’m _not_ suggesting that one pour 2 oz whisky and 1 oz water. I’m talking about lowering the whisky’s ABV from 40% to 35% or so. Lowering 1.5 oz (standard measure) of 40% ABV to 35% requires just over .2 oz of water. Just a splash. Your “few drops” probably dropped you to 38-39% as it is. As a rough measure (and the way most of us pour in the real world), a hair over 3 oz of whisky can take a hair under 1/2 oz water. ---
**Author:** ![azraiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@azraiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/azraiel)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/31 "2013-01-01T00:13:42Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I thought you meant taking a dram of scotch and adding 35% water to it, which is just _wrong_. I agree, and I putting your lawn out. ---
**Author:** ![azraiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@azraiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/azraiel)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/32 "2013-01-01T00:51:13Z")
One last post before I head out for New Year’s… OP: some [words of wisdom](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTukSakeqr4) from some Scottish boys. Or maybe their words to your current and/or future SO. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Curiosity_Kills_Her)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/33 "2013-01-05T03:36:42Z")
Sorry I didn’t get back to this right away. Thank you all for the discussion and information. I really appreciate it, and I have a lot of stuff to absorb. A whisky bar is, unfortunately, out of the question unless I want to travel. I live in a small town in the mountains, not much going on around here. You guys are great, but you already know that. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Surb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Surb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Surb)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/34 "2013-01-05T15:49:44Z")
IMO, I would stay away from Laphroig unless someone else is buying that shot **and** a shot of a different whisky too\*. \*to kill the taste of the Laphroig. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/35 "2013-01-05T22:25:57Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > Unless you’re a masochist or have tasted them already (on someone else’s dime, let’s hope) and found you actually like them, I’d stay away from the so-called ‘Islay’ scotches (Laphroaig, Lagavulin, et al). Basically they taste like burnt, out-of-date, 1920’s style cough medicine. The same (and more/worse) applies to Talisker, an Island scotch. Lagavulin is my first choice; Laphroaig is my second. > [@KarlGauss](#): > > If you want to be a wee bit more adventurous, and have a few extra bucks left after Christmas, I would highly recommend you try some of the Highland scotches. Typically (IMHO) more complex in their taste and thus harder to characterize, these are _my_ favourites, with Oban (albeit outrageously priced nowadays) leading the pack. And Oban is my third. If I have to drink a blended Scotch, I prefer Dimple (sold in the States as Pinch). ---
**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:** [January 5, 2013, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/36 "2013-01-05T22:29:52Z")
_Somebody_ has to be drinking the stuff. Glad to see **SCAdian** is picking up the slack on behalf of those of us with tastebuds. 😛 I am convinced that Islay malts are a giant Scottish practical joke on the rest of the world. Like haggis and skirts on men. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/37 "2013-01-05T22:30:47Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > I agree with tomcar: "go to a whiskey bar and do some blind taste testing. Let your palette decide. " Better yet, let your palate decide. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/38 "2013-01-05T22:36:06Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I am convinced that Islay malts are a giant Scottish practical joke on the rest of the world. Like haggis and skirts on men. It’s a kilt. If I wore something under it, _then_ it would be a skirt. And I wouldn’t mind a plate of haggis, neeps and tatties right about now… ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/39 "2013-01-07T09:48:44Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > Lagavulin is my first choice; Laphroaig is my second. I’d put Ardbeg in first place with those two second and third. When I first found the World of whiskies I started with Islay and I haven’t left the island yet. Interestingly enough the three distilleries are almost within view of each other. > [@SCAdian](#): > > And I wouldn’t mind a plate of haggis, neeps and tatties right about now… And a glass of whisky poured over it. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647/40 "2013-01-07T12:41:44Z")
You might also see if you have friends with taste who like scotch. It’s single biggest issue is that the truly amazing ones have to hang around til they’re old enough to drive…and you pay for it. One of the few scotches my wife likes (I’m far less discerning) is the Dalmore 15. It’s a fantastically smooth drink. It is, also, $80 a bottle. And while there are blends that are $20 a handle, you’re not going to experience what a good single malt is until you (or someone near you) is willing to drop $70-$120 a bottle to get it. I dunno bout you, but dropping nearly $100 on a guess isn’t very Scottish. We’re known to be cheap bastards for a reason. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-scotch/645647.md?page=3)