Post by jrtway on Mar 4, 2015 13:42:02 GMT -5
Ok...maybe not a hack per se (AdminGuy can be the judge) but some advice about scotch whisky. I often find myself listening to people in liquor stores asking "what's a good scotch whisky?" Invariably someone will recommend the quite expensive Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Johnnie Walker Blue, while a damn fine whisky, is more for "showing off"...even if it's just for telling yourself you are a success and can afford some of life's little luxuries....but you can do better for far less money. For roughly $100-$125 try a Highland Park 18-year. Very nicely balanced with just a hint of "brine." If I had one single malt to drink for the rest of my life...this would be it. For even less dinero, an Oban 14-year goes for roughly $75-$90 (sometimes far less). Big and bold with notes of vanilla, caramel and a hint of pipe tobacco. And for those of you who have always heard about fine single malt scotch and had no idea where to begin...try a Macallan 12-year Sherry Cask...it generally comes packaged in a red box...and it is great "starter" scotch for around 50 bucks. It's everything a single malt should be, balanced and smooth, strong enough to know you are drinking whisky, but gentle on the nose and palate.
A bit of useless trivia, many scotch whiskies (Johnnie Walker, Famous Grouse, Dewar's) are blended. Blended means the whiskies in the mix come from different distilleries...some of the less expensive blends also include neutral grain spirit (essentially...vodka) while some more expensive varieties are blends of single malts. That said, for a scotch to be a single malt, all of the malt whisky in the bottle comes from a single distillery.
Lastly...if you're serious about enjoying a fine single malt, sip it neat at first (no water, no ice) and then add a single drop or two of water...you may be amazed at the difference.
Cheers!
A bit of useless trivia, many scotch whiskies (Johnnie Walker, Famous Grouse, Dewar's) are blended. Blended means the whiskies in the mix come from different distilleries...some of the less expensive blends also include neutral grain spirit (essentially...vodka) while some more expensive varieties are blends of single malts. That said, for a scotch to be a single malt, all of the malt whisky in the bottle comes from a single distillery.
Lastly...if you're serious about enjoying a fine single malt, sip it neat at first (no water, no ice) and then add a single drop or two of water...you may be amazed at the difference.
Cheers!
