Jamesons 12 yr is like drinking gasoline through your nose. You should enter in to an "Iron stomach" contest.
I like JW Black rocks at times. Just gave my FIL a bottle of JW Blue...maybe I'll get a taste. Overall, I'm a Burbon or Wisky guy. My wifes grandfather had a case of Passport and I polished off what he left behind...wasn't too bad, but I won't be adding it to my bar. Anybody like Famous Grouse?
Think what you want about Lawson's Scotch, you have to love their marketing! (2 MB file) http://home.earthlink.net/~fchat/images/Intimidation.wmv
John Lamour mentioned it, I went out a day later, bought it and now think John Lamour works for MADD And yes Jameson is Irish Whiskey {The Scotts spell it whisky}.
I was given a bottle of Chivas as a XMas gift...its alright, not the smoothest stuff I've had, but I'm still working through the bottle ;-p I'm not totally convinced that 'you get what you pay for'. I look for smoothness, Glenlivet is smoother than Chivas for my tastes.
Johnnie Walker Blue is a rip off. Hell, most blendeds are abominations... they're kit-car replicas. All they do is purchase left-over stock from other distilleries. They dilute the character and intensity of the singles. A fine example of when the final product is less than the sum of its parts. Go buy some Laphroaig Cask Strength or Quarter-Cask. Both are around $50. Best scotch for your dollar, imho-- actually, in the opinions of many people. Furthermore, forget the price... it's some of the best scotch, period.
I have only been getting into scotch over the past 18 months or so which means everything is relatively new to me. This brings me to a question. If you could choose between a blend or a cask scotch that tasted exactly the same, what makes one choose the cask variety over a blend of various types? I guess I would like to know what makes blends so much less desirable in the opinion of some scotch drinkers. [/QUOTE] Go buy some Laphroaig Cask Strength or Quarter-Cask. Both are around $50. Best scotch for your dollar, imho-- actually, in the opinions of many people. Furthermore, forget the price... it's some of the best scotch, period.[/QUOTE] I've been primarily drinking Macallan 12 and want to try the Macallan Cask Strength that looks to be about $50/bottle. Any other opinions?
John agree 100% on the Laphroaig and Macallan. The cask strength is a little smokier/peetier....................very good IMHO!!
How in the hell fire chicken did you know I have that? Also I was at Jamieson's earlier and had a sip of the 12 year old variety. You have me worried to a noticeable level.
Trust me on this one. As you get older, there are fewer and fewer opportunities to, well, to, well, you know. Suppose, for example, you had the choice of picking up the keys to a MX-5 Miata or a 550 Maranello. Both are great cars, in their own right. But, you never know what the morrow might bring, do you? So, instead of the Miata, you pick up the keys to the Maranello. Ah, heath and enthusiasm. It is wasted on the young. Dale
Dear fellow Canadian: You drink Scotch and you are from Nova Scotia. I put two and two together and viola Glen Breton. If you are ever in Ottawa I have a bottle of cask strength Glenmorangie I got at Heathrow three years ago that you would love. Happy New Year
Macallan is a fine choice, very smooth. You may also like Glenfiddich, Balvenie, or Aberlour-- I currently have a bottle of the latter and while not my favorite, it is good. I'd recommend trying a scotch from each of the main areas: Islay, Highlands, Lowland and Speyside. They are different takes on the same concept in the way Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Dodge go about building high performance cars. My personal preference is towards the Islay variety....Caol Ila, Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Bruichladdich. The Islays are very distinct and I think most people probably wouldn't enjoy them. I'm lucky enough to have a few friends with whom I split bottles so it's easier to try new ones without as much a financial commitment as doing this on my own, but in the beginning there isn't really any reason to spend more than $60 on a bottle until you figure out what you really like. I've also been lucky to spend time near Sam's Wines in Chicago where they keep many bottles open behind the counter for free sampling, check with your local stores to see if they offer a similar service. Chances are that there are restaurants and bars in your area that have a decent selection of scotch where you may be able to sample some for $5-$10 per glass. I am also a proponent of the cask strength versions. You might say that cask strength is to scotch as Scuderia is to F430: undiluted, raw, more character, more intensity. Anyway, time for another glass of Laphroaig.
I have a bottle of whiskey from the Suntory distillery in Japan called " Hibiki". Not bad at all... Scotch seems to be the only liquor that the Japanese have bothered to replicate in any real quantities. If you ever find yourself near the town of Yamazaki, I highly recommend taking the distillery tour. I am not really that surprised that so many have recommended Dewar's back on the first page, but I am shocked that every one of those posters misspelled "Dewar's" (or maybe they were all just too hammered to read the label ).
Financial Times article comparing the Walker spectrum with some other Scotches. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b2e7a462-c56f-11dc-811a-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1
JB Blue is NOT a rip-off. These are selected blends of 40 to 60 year old singles. Hardly picking from left-overs.
Go buy some Laphroaig Cask Strength or Quarter-Cask. Both are around $50. Best scotch for your dollar, imho-- actually, in the opinions of many people. Furthermore, forget the price... it's some of the best scotch, period.[/QUOTE] I've been primarily drinking Macallan 12 and want to try the Macallan Cask Strength that looks to be about $50/bottle. Any other opinions?[/QUOTE] Where do you find these brands? I can only find JW black or red, Glenfiddich or glenlivet in my neck of the woods. I have a bottle of glenlivet I might trade back in if I can find one of these cask strength brands.