The Official Single Malt Thread

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O_P_T

O_P_T

Why Be Normal
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It would seem there is enough interest in this topic to have its own thread.

One of the better on line review pages is Whisky.com.

So tell us your favorite malt, how you like to sip it, or what ever single malt tidbit you want to share.
 
Thanks, I was thinking this deserved a thread.

I explained my glass preference in the thread about whether the offense or defense nearly lost to Buffalo, but not my choice of poison. I prefer the earthy, peaty flavors, and one I've come to really enjoy is Ardbeg. My style of imbibing really emphasizes the fumes - I don't sip it so much as let it evaporate in my mouth, thus, I think, my choice of glass. Of course, sometimes when I'm not careful, I do inhale a big snootful, which can be quite a shock.

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Beaglebay said:
I like Laphroaig, though I rarely drink single malts.
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I don't drink whiskey a lot anymore. Mostly wine.

And I probably drink more bourbon than Scotch. But the Scotch is mostly all single malt and so I'll join the Peat Parade.

I like the Peats. The Laphroig 10 was my first such and as such I've the warm spot for it. The Ardbeg is excellent.

But my favorite mouthful of swamp mud is the Lagavulin 16. It's the one I always have in the cupboard, even though a bottle lasts me a year or more.

Again, I tend to slosh/aerate my malts as I do a wine at a tasting. The more vapors the better.

Cheers, BostonTim
 
BostonTim said:
But my favorite mouthful of swamp mud is the Lagavulin 16.
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That's one of my favorites as well.

IIRC from that taste testing it is one of the few distilleries that burns peat exclusively to halt the malting process. Also, the spring they get their water from runs through a peat bog before they bring it into the plant.

I don't recall if it was Lagavulin or Laphroig who's aging warehouse sits on a stone dock. These warehouses simply have a roof, walls, etc. and are not climate controlled.

The sea spray works its way into the warehouse and onto the barrels. Over the years it migrates through the wood, which is where the iodine "flavor" comes from.

One of the other things they told us at the taste testing is that the distilleries do nothing to the water they get from their spring. No filtration, treating processing, etc.

The two first malts we tasted were two Speyside's, that were located less than 3 miles apart.

They used the same barley, yeast, still design, etc. The only difference was the spring they used to get their water.

There was a noticeable difference when you tasted them side by side, which was due to the water alone.
 
Any scotch will do as long as it's not a blend of course. Single malt Glenlivet, Glenfiddich perhaps maybe a Glen... any Glen.

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In all seriousness, though, I have always had an affinity for Bowmore. They've put some excellent bottles on the market for years and years and years.
 
I recently finished off a bottle of The Balvanie 12 year Doublewood and thoroughly enjoyed it. The only other Balvanie I'd had prior was the 15 year-old single barrel and it was fine but nothing great.
 
3 Point Stan said:
I recently finished off a bottle of The Balvanie 12 year Doublewood and thoroughly enjoyed it. The only other Balvanie I'd had prior was the 15 year-old single barrel and it was fine but nothing great.
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I presently have six different Balvenie Single barrel's in my whisky rack and each one is a different taste.

It's a bit annoying, because the very first one I got was outstanding and I've bought more, and none of them were exactly like the first.

That's to be expected in any single barrel bottling.

Most single malts do "in house blending" where they mix multiple barrels of differing ages to get the same standard "taste" for their brand/version.
 
I really dont have a lot of knowledge of Scotch whiskey. I found one I like and my bar is always stocked with it. I think it tastes awesome sipped slowly as it warms in my hand, while embibing a fine cigar.

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Beware of Anderson, Shirtsleeve. He's a cunning linguist. ROFL


Cheers, BostonTim
 
3 Point Stan said:
I recently finished off a bottle of The Balvanie 12 year Doublewood and thoroughly enjoyed it. The only other Balvanie I'd had prior was the 15 year-old single barrel and it was fine but nothing great.
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My fav is Macallan 12 yr b/c it's aged in sherry casks. Balvanie DW is another fav since it's also aged in sherry casks.

I don't favor a peaty scotch. I'd rather not drink something that costs so much when it smells like skunk cabbage. Personal tastes and preferences differ greatly with scotch and, thankfully, the distilleries cater to a wide variety of palates.

Here's a pretty reliable listing of the better scotches on the market by taste. This website gives a good over view of single malts.

Best Single Malt By Flavor

For those who would like to explore different expressions by taste, consider the following list. Since the peaty-smoky malts can be quite powerful, a numerical scale is also provided: 1 = mild; 6 = intense. You may also search the our Tasting Notes by typing in your favorite flavour (e.g., sherry, honey, nutty, salty, toffee, etc.). Then, consult our Best By Region List to find our five star ratings by expression.
If you prefer malts that are:
Light, Flowery, Sweet and Salty, then try:

<table class="scotchhunter-info" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="570"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td class="table-labels">Expression</td><td class="table-labels">Region</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td width="300">Littlemill</td><td width="268">Lowland</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Bruichladdich</td><td>Islay</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Bunnahabhain</td><td>Islay</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Glen Scotia</td><td>Lowland</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Glenkinchie</td><td>Lowland</td></tr></tbody></table>Fruity and Woody, then try:

<table class="scotchhunter-info" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="570"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td class="table-labels">Expression</td><td class="table-labels">Region</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td width="300">Glenmorangie</td><td width="268">Highland</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Balvenie</td><td>Highland</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Aberlour</td><td>Highland</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Macallan</td><td>Highland</td></tr></tbody></table>Peppery and Spicy, then try:

<table class="scotchhunter-info" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="570"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td class="table-labels" width="300">Expression</td><td class="table-labels" width="268">Region</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Caol Ila</td><td>Highland</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Clynelish</td><td>Highland</td></tr></tbody></table>Smoky and Peaty, then try:

<table class="scotchhunter-info" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="570"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td class="table-labels">Expression</td><td class="table-labels">Region</td><td class="table-labels">Strength</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td width="238">Dalwhinnie</td><td width="222">Highland</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Cragganmore</td><td width="222">Highland</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>Oban</td><td>Islay</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>Talisker</td><td>Highland – Isle of Skye</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>Bowmore</td><td>Islay</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>Lagavulin</td><td>Islay</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>Laphroaig</td><td>Islay</td><td>6</td></tr></tbody></table>


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http://scotchhunter.com/best-single-malt-by-flavor
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In general, the Islay's are heavier, peatier and saltier so I tend to stay away from those. I can appreciate them, however. Unfortunately the best Islay's are almost impossible to find over here.

est Single Malt By Region

The colors and flavors of single malt vary among several distinct whisky regions in Scotland. At the moment, we prefer single malts from the Lowlands and the Central Highlands. As we have become more experienced, our tastes have changed too. The more complex scotches please our palettes but the heavy peat of the Island malts is still a bit too strong. We list our favorite malts by region for your examination. Those appearing here have received five star ratings from both Steve and Don. You may view our tasting notes by clicking on the individual applelation of interest.
Lowlands

This is the region of Scotland south of an imaginary line drawn from Greenock on the west coast to Dundee in the east. The whiskies produced here are regarded as lighter in body and colour and less assertive than their highland neighbors. Lowland whiskies emphasize the malt more than peat, as in the highlands or brine, as in the islands.
<table class="scotchhunter-info" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="570"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="table-labels">Best in Lowlands</td></tr><tr><td width="285">Auchentoshan 21 year old</td><td width="285">Glenkinchie 1991 14 year old</td></tr><tr><td>Bladnoch 11 year old</td><td>Glenkinchie 27 year old</td></tr><tr><td>Glenkinchie 10 year old</td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table>Highlands

By far the biggest region is the Highlands. Bigger, brawnier, and generally more rounded than Lowland malts, the whiskies from the Highlands carry a wide range of flavors and styles. They cover a wide area, and malts from this region range from the relatively light-weight Glenmorangie to the powerfully aromatic Dalmore to the almost minty Inchmurrin, with many many variations in between.
<table class="scotchhunter-info" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="576"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="table-labels">Best in Highlands</td></tr><tr><td width="285">Balvenie 10 year old</td><td width="289">Glen Keith 1983</td></tr><tr><td>Balvenie 12 year old, Double Wood</td><td>Glenlivet 21 year</td></tr><tr><td>Balvenie 15 year old – cask strength</td><td>Glenmorangie 10 year old</td></tr><tr><td width="285">Balvenie 21 year old</td><td width="289">Glenmorangie 12 year old – Maderia</td></tr><tr><td>Benriach 10 year old</td><td>Glenmorangie 12 year old – Port</td></tr><tr><td>Bora 27 year old</td><td>Glenmorangie 12 year old – Sherry</td></tr><tr><td width="285">Clynelish 14 year old</td><td width="289">Highland Park 14 year old</td></tr><tr><td>Cragganmore 12 year old</td><td>Linkwood 11 year old</td></tr><tr><td>Dallas Dhu 1980</td><td>Linkwood 15 year old</td></tr><tr><td width="285">Dallas Dhu 19 year old</td><td width="289">Longmorn 15 year old</td></tr><tr><td>Glendronach 15 year old</td><td>Longmorn-Glenlivet 23 year old</td></tr><tr><td>Glendullan 16 year old</td><td>Macallan 10 year old</td></tr><tr><td width="285">Glenfarclas 15 year old</td><td width="289">Macallan 12 year old</td></tr><tr><td>Glenfarclas 21 year old</td><td>Macallan 15 year old</td></tr><tr><td>Glenfarclas 105</td><td>Mortlach 16 year old</td></tr><tr><td>Glengoyne 10 year old</td><td>Talisker 18 year old</td></tr><tr><td>Glen Grant 21 year old</td><td>Tomintoul 27 year old</td></tr></tbody></table>Campbeltown

Once this town on the tip of the Mull of Kintyre had over thirty distilleries. Now there are only two distilleries in Campbeltown: Springbank and Glen Scotia. This, the smallest region, is known for a salty sweetness in its whisky. The whisky is half way between the Highlands and Islay.
<table class="scotchhunter-info" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="570"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="table-labels">Best in Campbeltown</td></tr><tr><td width="285">Glen Scotia 14 year old</td><td width="283"> </td></tr></tbody></table>Islay

From the island of Islay come rich, iodine-flavored, very smoky, very peaty whiskies. Two examples are Laphroaig and Lagavulin. The six distilleries currently in operation on this beautiful island of Islay produce some of the most aromatic of whiskies.
<table class="scotchhunter-info" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="576"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="table-labels">Best in Islay</td></tr><tr><td width="285">Bunnahabhain 12 year old</td><td width="289">Bruichladdich 30 year old</td></tr><tr><td>Bruichladdich 14 year old – The Augusta</td><td width="289">Lochindaal 10 year old</td></tr><tr><td>Bruichladdich 15 year old</td><td>Port Ellen 23 year old</td></tr></tbody></table>
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http://scotchhunter.com/best-single-malt-by-region
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What the fvck are you people talking about? :huh:
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Pyxis said:
What the fvck are you people talking about? :huh:
Posted via Mobile Device
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Single malt Scotch whiskeys. As opposed to blended Scotch whiskeys. All of this as opposed to the unaged "corn whiskey" in your neck of the woods.

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shirtsleeve said:
Single malt Scotch whiskeys. As opposed to blended Scotch whiskeys. All of this as opposed to the unaged "corn whiskey" in your neck of the woods.

1117moonshine1.jpg
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Doesn't corn whiskey come from the corn hole?
 
shirtsleeve said:
Umm, its a single malt scotch. Not a single cask but a single malt. And to imbibe...
transitive and intransitive verb absorb something: to absorb moisture, gas, light, or heat ( formal )


http://www.bing.com/Dictionary/search?q=define+imbibe&qpvt=definition+of+embibe&FORM=DTPDIA

http://www.spiritsreview.com/reviews-scotch-glenfiddich-18.html
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No need to get all dictionary up in here. It's called being facetious, homie.

Imbibe comes from the latin verb "to drink" - you can blend something to liquify it. Hence "blended" cigars. :coffee:
 
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