A brand new hobby for dr.creed!

try oban. it's my current fav. mmmm!

i believe renato is into scotch as well, iirc.

I have to say that I`m not a big fan of whiskey (boozes overall), but recently I had to buy a bottle of canadian whiskey called "Black Velvet", just because it has a "taste description" here in Finland, which says it should be "parfymic"...
I didn`t like it at all: It had a very thin and sharp taste - no depth.

Best whiskey I`ve tried is called "Kolme Leijonaa" (Scotch). It is extremely smoky and warming.

But then, even if I`m in the mood for smoky taste, I definetely prefer beer. (Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier - num num)

Men i a Malt whiskey fan,and for me the 2 best are *CARDHU* i,m addict to this, and *Knockando*.
: : : :

Just make sure you taste before you buy. We all know the dangers of buying blind.

;D

Don't give up on Bourbon quite yet. While it is a different type of whiskey than scotch, the better bourbons have a lot going for them. Generally, bourbon is sweeter and smoother than scotch and rarely is it as dry as the better scotches. May I recommend Blanton's [great bottle with a race house on the cork] as the best I've come across so far. The best mid-market bourbon is Maker's Mark with it's distinctive coating of red wax oversealing the cork. For it's price, it is smooth and delicious - a fine companion on a cold evening.

By the way, Jack Daniel's is not bourbon but rather a Tennessee whiskey. While the distinction may be lost on anyone else in the world, don't tell a Kentuckian that JD is bourbon. Bourbon is made in Kentucky.

Apropos of nothing, real rye whiskey was a produce of Maryland [and Northern Virginia]. Rye was once the most popular whiskey in the States, but it never rebounded from the death blow of Prohibition in the 1920s. What is sold as rye today is usually some form of blended Canadian Whiskey. True rye must have a certain percentage of rye grain [ more than 51%?] in its composition. Likewise, there are laws regulating the use of the word bourbon in labeling, i.e., at least 51% corn, it must be aged for at least 2 years in new, white oak barrels that have been charred, and nothing can be added at bottling to enhance flavor, sweetness or color. The end result is that corn based bourbon is sweeter and heavier than rye. All of this is important to me, because I love Manhattans (2/3 rye and 1/3 sweet vermouth). However, the mix is too sweet when you use bourbon. True nivana is a real rye Manhatten with a splash of bitters, a little cherry juice and a cherry. Rye is becoming available again, but is still not common in the states.

Sorry about the ramble, but I just wanted you to know that there is some good non-Scotch whiskey out there. The occasional, quality bourbon is a fine change of pace. The rye Manhattan is delightful if you care to mix your juices. And actually Jack Daniel's is great after your first one [after you have srtipped off the lining of your esophogus]. Alternately, it's quite nice on a summer day mixed with ginger ale over ice. It's like a whiskey soda, so be careful, you can drink a lot of them.

As for Johnny Walker, try the Gold - or the Blue if you can afford it.

Good luck exploring.

I have never cared for Jack Daniel, I do like the other Tennessee Whiskey - George Dickel.

I love scotch and Coke. Closely followed by Kentucky boubon and Coke, then by rye whiskey and Coke.

So one day I decided it was time to grow up, and did what Dr.Creed did, namely check out the Scotch single malts - starting out with the equivalent of Eternity, namely Glenfiddich. I was totally amazed and astounded at how totally bad it was when mixed with Coke!

I tried a few others, but decided I really didn't like single malts. But they do have their uses - you can't really learn how to appreciate a good blended scotch whisky, unless you understand the elements it is supposed to have, and those elements are very amplified and easy to recognise in single malts.

My favourite blended scotch whisky is Ballantines. However, I sometimes prefer something rougher for mixing with Coke, and then I go for the cheaper Clan Campbell. Other than for the cheapest rubbishy blended scotches that are sold, I am of the opinion that Johnny Walker Red is the worst of the mainstream brands (its the equivalent of Quorum).

People interested in single malts me also be interested in trying the triple distilled Irish single malt whiskeys like Jamesons.
Renato

P.S. All the Bourbons are single malt of course. What amazed me the most when I tested them out was how the cheapest version of Jim Beam seemed to always be better than its more expensive versions. Lately though, I've settled on one brand sold here called Kentucky Gold - it tastes the best with Coke.

I've tried to get a taste for Scotch Whiskey but never could. It always left a terrible taste in my mouth. The peat?
Bourbon, however, is another story entirely. Maker's Mark Bourbon is like mother's milk to me. 8-)

Yeah, I find many single malt Scotch can be very harsh and acrid. McCallan is different though, it is one of the few scotches that I like, it is very nice.
http://www.themacallan.com/index_usa.html

I don't think I know of a single blended scotch that I like and JW Red rates with some of the worst. JW Black is better. I won't even use blended scotch for mixing with coke or soda. For mixing I will use an inexpensive Canadian Whisky.


Yes, there are many Bourbons that I like to drink straight. Also, George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey is very good; much better than that other Tennessee Whiskey
http://www.dickel.com

I'm with Liquid. Oban is one of the best in my book. Â*I also tried a Scotch once called Loch Dhu which was very dark in color, and very unique. Â*Kind of hard to find, I haven't seen it around in a while. Â*My usual preference is Bowmore Islay 12 year.

I usually only drink Scotch on a rainy day when I'm alone and in an introspective mood. The best day of my life was about six years ago, I was at my parents house and it started to rain heavily. Â*So heavily that their backyard began to flood and suddenly there was about 3 and a half feet of water flowing through it. Â*I had just received a bottle of Speyside whiskey as a gift and had been sipping it as it rained. Â*So my brothers and I went out into the rain and started swimming in the backyard! Â*We got the dog out there as well and we all went splashing around in our ad hoc swimming pool. Â*It was just one of those divine days where everything bad in life just goes behind a cloud, and all is well. Â*I brought a dram of whisky outside and sipped it while playing in the downpour.

So sometimes when it rains and I have the day to myself I like to get a glass of single malt and look out the window and try to reconnect with that day.

Whiskey is all about taste and how you're drinking it. Straight, on the rocks, mixer? Ice slowly waters it down sometimes smoothing out rough edges. I never drink whiskey with a cola, but every cola tastes different so that can affect what you like. If I'm going to mix, it's a 7 & 7 - Seagram's 7 and 7-up.

Wow, some Oban fans here... Amazing stuff indeed. My favorite would be Lagavulin though.

I like Crown Royal; don't know what's in it; but like it!