A whisky recommendation

[ozboz]

I’m partial to a Tot of Canadian Club with a cube of ice and nowt else, I used to frequent a Pub in Central Manchester called the Britons Protection, they boast to have over 300 Whisky’s for sale , there has been many a debate in there about what is and isn’t top, top shelf !

 

[Slick]

I’m partial to a Tot of Canadian Club with a cube of ice and nowt else, I used to frequent a Pub in Central Manchester called the Britons Protection, they boast to have over 300 Whisky’s for sale , there has been many a debate in there about what is and isn’t top, top shelf !

Over 700 here. 👍

https://ardshiel.co.uk/bar/

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Equal parts water is a lot but I suppose it depends on the individual. Personally I add, at the very most, a teaspoon of water. That allows more of the flavours through without the strong diluting effect of 1:1.

I used to be aghast at what some folk put in whisky, like coke or irn-bru, but the important thing is that you are buying whisky in the first place so take it as you please.

My recommendations for an easy drinking, rounded and flavoursome whisky would be Highland Park, Bowmore, or Ardmore. Try to find those with an age statement i.e. 10 year old etc as the modern ones with no age statement and only a style name, like Bowmore Legend, I find to be a little harsher. I suspect they are much younger.

 

[raleighnut]

I used to be aghast at what some folk put in whisky, like coke or irn-bru, but the important thing is that you are buying whisky in the first place so take it as you please.

Aye, it was my Uncle who got me into single malts, I was round at his one Christmas when he asked what I'd like to drink I said "I'll have a Whisky" so he asked what I wanted in it and I told him "Nothing" whereupon he put down the bottle of Bells and picked up a bottle of Glenmorangie "If you're drinking it straight you can have the good stuff". Quite a revelation to a rufty-tufty 17-18yr old who thought it was manly to choke on 'The Hard Stuff' down the pub after a few pints of dodgy beer (the pub all us youngsters drank in wasn't known for the quality of it's ale but at least we got served in there )

 

[Pale Rider]

Trip to Sainsbury completed.

Not a huge selection, although they did have a dated Jura and an undated one.

Both at £38 which is a bit too much for something I might not get on with.

Famous Grouse was on offer at £13, so bearing in mind the generally positive comments, I bought one of those.

A small bottle of 12-year-old Balvenie, as mentioned by @Oxford Dave, caught my eye, so I bought one.

One thing my online researches revealed which I find a little disappointing is most whiskies, including the good ones, have a load of E number colouring in them.

I get the impression the spirit in its natural state is close to clear.

What of the taste?

Just after 4pm is not whisky time to me so that will have to wait for a few hours.

One thing I do plan giving a whirl is reducing my water content a little.

All a matter of taste, but I suspect @glasgowcyclist may be correct in thinking you only need a small amount of water to release the flavour.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

A small bottle of 12-year-old Balvenie, as mentioned by @Oxford Dave, caught my eye, so I bought one.

Excellent choice.

In due course I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts on it, with varying amounts of water.

 

[Rusty Nails]

Are you me?

Glenmorrangie 10 a good start. Glenmorrangie Quinta Ruben a fine malt.
Glenmorrangie Cellar 13 is splendid.

Laphroig 10 year old suberb.

Lagavulin 16 year old...heavy and Sublime. Great at the end of the night for a couple by the fire.

I was given a bottle of Laphroig 10 for Christmas.

Is it better with Coca Cola or Ginger Ale?

 

[Salty seadog]

I was given a bottle of Laphroig 10 for Christmas.

Is it better with Coca Cola or Ginger Ale?

🧐

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Lagavulin 16 year old...heavy and Sublime

Or you can replicate the flavour by licking the inside of your wood burning stove.

 

[Salty seadog]

Or you can replicate the flavour by licking the inside of your wood burning stove.

No, no you can't.

 

[Fab Foodie]

My go-to cheap ‘cooking’ whiskey is Jamesons. Far more character and smoothness than Grouse, Chivas or other similar blends. Good with water, but best with just a couple of ice cubes instead. Served thus it knocks the spots of similarly priced competition.

Jura can often be had at bargain prices and is a nice enough single malt with some character.
For lowland smoothness The Balvenie is hard to beat. A good all-rounder is Macallan , smooth with a hint of peatiness. I’ll admit that it’s the carbolic smokiness of Lagavulin or Laphraoig that really floats my boat....

A new discovery is Auchentoshan, a triple distilled single malt from Glasgow with s very smooth and rounded flavour -clotted cream ice cream in whisky form. I shall certainly buy another....

 

[PK99]

An examination of my current Speyside bottle shows it is 'selected by Tesco'.

Effectively an own brand, but at least it is distilled and bottled in Scotland.

I like the idea of supporting the whisky industry in Scotland, but accept my money might end up in the coffers of a multi-national unless I buy direct from a privately owned distillery.

Not quite Own Brand, it will be a pukkah Malt from one of the big distilleries that does not sit in the Distillery's flavour profile, or they may have excess casks they want to get cash flow from sooner than later, or they want to limit the amount of a particular Year under their own brand name.

There is a big "Independent Bottlers" market with some interesting variations on standard malts and some real "Own Label" bargains.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Another vote for a 10 year old Talisker here.

Once took a tour of the distillery at 10am in the morning, which included a tasting session. That was interesting, seeing as I hadn't had any breakfast first .

I won't touch anything other than a good robust breakfast blend till at least 10 AM. Thereafter anything goes.

 

[PK99]

Funnily enough I read this thread on the train home last night with the taste of my last drink still lingering in the palate. That was a Jura, my first go on it and picked out of a small selection at the pub I was in. Was very nice.

I’m quite new to whisky. My go-to is a Glenmorangie although I am starting to broaden my options. I recently had a Talisker which I enjoyed. I am also about 90% of the way through a bottle I was given by my late father-in-law; he was given it as a gift but wasn’t a drinker so put it to one side. When I mentioned I was starting up on whisky he said I could have it. It is a 12yo Aberlour Glenlivet but when he thought about it he recalled it was probably 30 years ago that he’d been given it. Before opening I checked to see if it was rare or worth anything and it isn’t really, so I’m working my way through it.

I usually take a dram with a tiny splash of cold water, always self-administered.

Unlike wine, Whisky does not bottle age - all its development takes place in the Cask and once bottled it is "fixed"

A 12 year old bought 30 years ago will be different from a 12 year old released this year, but that is because they were different when they went in the bottle

 

[PK99]

Equal parts water is a lot but I suppose it depends on the individual. Personally I add, at the very most, a teaspoon of water. That allows more of the flavours through without the strong diluting effect of 1:1.

There are two reasons for adding water:

Literally a drop or two will release aromatics with out diluting and much enhances the flavour profile (most tasting is in the nose)
Demonstration on distillery tours a few years ago demonstrated that very clearly

1:1, or even more, cuts the bite or power - horses for courses on that.

The finer the whisky, the less water I add.