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Tell me about Scotch.

S

SkyBum

Senior member
I've taken quite a liking to Scotch lately yet I know very little about it. I picked up a bottle of Cutty Sark last week (or "Cutty Shark" if you prefer to use my roomate's pronunciation). I liked it with tonic and a bit of lemon quite a lot. I'm currently drinking a Johnny Walker Red Label and tonic with lime but don't care for it quite as much as the Cutty (this may have something to do with the fact that the lime is made of plastic).

What are your favorite brands of Scotch?
What is the best value/quality for the money? (not really accustomed to spending $40/bottle but $20 is cool)

After drinking roughly 68,000 beers in my lifetime, I've finally had quite enough of it.

Comments?
 
Originally posted by: SkyBum
I've taken quite a liking to Scotch lately yet I know very little about it. I picked up a bottle of Cutty Sark last week (or "Cutty Shark" if you prefer to use my roomate's pronunciation). I liked it with tonic and a bit of lemon quite a lot. I'm currently drinking a Johnny Walker Red Label and tonic with lime but don't care for it quite as much as the Cutty (this may have something to do with the fact that the lime is made of plastic).

What are your favorite brands of Scotch?
What is the best value/quality for the money? (not really accustomed to spending $40/bottle but $20 is cool)

After drinking roughly 68,000 beers in my lifetime, I've finally had quite enough of it.

Comments?
Click to expand...

Beer is great, scotch is great, Cutty Sark/Red Label, not really.
 
Red label is for mixing, as you found out. Try some black label neat, that is, with nothing added, not even water/ice.
 
If you're going to go JW, go for better than red label (black/green). Try some single malts also - you can find some OK 12 years in the high $30's usually. Nothing that will blow you away but OK stuff (some of the Glens can be found there). I personally like The Macallan, which will run you a bit over 40 for a 12 year.
 
Nice thread.

I picked up the scotch bug a couple of years ago. I still drink beer, but I probably drink scotch about half the time.

My brother in law introduced me to it, and I really liked the way I learned. We sampled single malt scotches from each area of Scotland - Highlands, Islay, and Lowlands. (campbeltown is another but much less known). Each area has its own different "taste" to it, hard to describe. From there we sampled the major blended labels - Johnny Walker, Cutty Sark, Dewars, J&B, etc. In the beginning I was just sipping it with a little water to get the full effect.

These days, I pretty much drink blendeds only, mainly because the good single malts are >$50 a fifth. I do have a few in the upper cabinet I bring out on occasion. I would have to say my favorite is Dewars, but I'm currently on a Johnny Walker streak (red, although black is very nice, green/blue too rich for me). I mostly drink it "neat" - or straight up. If I am at a party I will drink it on ice so I don't look like a weirdo.

My suggestion would be to mix it only with water, ice, or soda, preferably with limited quantities of any of those. The "scotch taste" of smokey, peaty flavor that I love seems best savored when it is "neat", in my opinion.

Enjoy, and if you haven't checked out the Wiki link, here
 
cutty sark is awful.


the macallan is a good beginner scotch. get some 12 year old stuff.
 
Scotch and soda
Mud in your eye
Baby do I feel high
Oh me oh my

Dry martini
Jigger of gin
Oh what I spell
You've got me in
Oh my, Baby do I feeeel high...
 
Johnnie Walker's a blend, and any blend is going to taste somewhat diluted compared to a single malt. I prefer JW Red Label for mixing and cocktail hour sipping, personally. I like BL more, but I don't feel it's worth the premium over RL.

For single malts, I prefer Balvenie's Doublewood (sweet compared to other single malts) and Glenlivet (any is good, but I like their 15 YO French Oak). Try the sampler size first for a few different types before you go and plunk down $35-$50 for a fifth. Take your time and ask questions, and allow yourself to try a variety of single malts. You'll find your own preference.

I prefer neat, usually; if I'm at a party I'll do Scotch and water or a Scotch on the rocks.
 
If you ever mix a blue label with tonic, i do believe scotch lovers will come to your apartment with pitchforks
 
Originally posted by: Mo0o
If you ever mix a blue label with tonic, i do believe scotch lovers will come to your apartment with pitchforks
Click to expand...

Nah, I'll just appropriate his blue label for safe keeping. 😉
 
Originally posted by: Mo0o
If you ever mix a blue label with tonic, i do believe scotch lovers will come to your apartment with pitchforks
Click to expand...

Get with the times... we have guns now.
 
Originally posted by: grohl
Nice thread.

I picked up the scotch bug a couple of years ago. I still drink beer, but I probably drink scotch about half the time.

My brother in law introduced me to it, and I really liked the way I learned. We sampled single malt scotches from each area of Scotland - Highlands, Islay, and Lowlands. (campbeltown is another but much less known). Each area has its own different "taste" to it, hard to describe. From there we sampled the major blended labels - Johnny Walker, Cutty Sark, Dewars, J&B, etc. In the beginning I was just sipping it with a little water to get the full effect.

These days, I pretty much drink blendeds only, mainly because the good single malts are >$50 a fifth. I do have a few in the upper cabinet I bring out on occasion. I would have to say my favorite is Dewars, but I'm currently on a Johnny Walker streak (red, although black is very nice, green/blue too rich for me). I mostly drink it "neat" - or straight up. If I am at a party I will drink it on ice so I don't look like a weirdo.

My suggestion would be to mix it only with water, ice, or soda, preferably with limited quantities of any of those. The "scotch taste" of smokey, peaty flavor that I love seems best savored when it is "neat", in my opinion.

Enjoy, and if you haven't checked out the Wiki link, here
Click to expand...

Great. Thanks for the introduction.

I must have been confusing the tonic for soda. That explains why it tasted so different from what I had at the party the other night....come to think of it, who ever heard of a scotch and tonic? Just me I guess.....

Next time I'm feeling flush I'll go for a single malt and no mixer.



 
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