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Favourite whiskey/whisky

Discussion in 'TalkCeltic Pub' started by KhingLarsson, Apr 3, 2011.

Discuss Favourite whiskey/whisky in the TalkCeltic Pub area at TalkCeltic.net.

  1. NakamuraTastic

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    Not bad from a newbie's taste...it's ok
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  2. NakamuraTastic

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    My first whisky blend AND my first Irish whiskey..(spelt with an e!)
    £20 from Sainsbury's.
    VERY smooth with a quick after kick (Lol..That's my newbie tasting skills). I really like this one and will buy it again.

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  3. Cumbernauld Bhoy67

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    I’ve always been quite a heavy drinker, one of those types who will pretty much drink anything :giggle1:. However with whisky it’s always baffled me that it’s peoples go to drink, i find the stuff boggin. Always something that’s puzzled me, as any other spirit i can drink absolutely no bother and even drinking vodka straight the taste/burn doesn’t bother me.
     
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  4. Cumbernauld Bhoy67

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    Would actually be pretty helpful if someone could point me towards a certain type of whisky for someone who doesn’t particularly like whisky and is new to the stuff if that makes sense :giggle1:. Especially with it now being the festive period and especially at new year everyone’s having a whisky and I’m always, nah no for me. :56:
     
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  5. Lupis Gold Member Gold Member

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    OK, there are a few things to address here. The taste of vodka won't bother you as it's the most neutral flavoured spirit it's possible to get. It's why it is used in so many cocktails, it's just to amp up the alcohol content, usually there are other spirits added for the flavour.

    The next is going to sound a bit odd, but a lot depends on how you drink whisky. Are you necking it like a shot in an attempt to get drunk ASAP? That's really not what whisky (ok, I'll clarify, it's not what decent whisky) is about, it's a sip and savour type of drink where a single, relatively small, glass can often last an hour or more as you take in the aromas and have very small sips. You would be genuinely surprised how little whisky you need to take to get the flavour of it, I often advise people starting out to literally take as small a sip as they possibly can. It has a two fold affect in that they get the flavour but it also helps the palate aclimatise to the higher ABV than what they are ususally used to, as well as avoiding a lot of the burn they could get as the saliva in the mouth is essentially diluting the whisky at the point of contact. The more you take the less dilute that will be. Which brings us to another point, don't be afraid to add a few drips of water to the whisky, and to drink water alongside the whisky. I won't bore you with the science but a few drops of water can release some flavours, while possibly dampening others. Some people refuse point blank to add water to anything, it's just silly. If they enjoy it as it is that's fine, I don't have a problem with that, but it's when they aren't I find it baffling they won't experiment with some water as it can make a huge difference, as can leaving the whisky in the glass for some time before taking a drink.

    I'm just heading out but I'll have a think and hopefully remember to post later on some suggestions to try if you are really interested.
     
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  6. Cumbernauld Bhoy67

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    Thanks for the reply mate:50:. Yeah with whisky I’d usually neck it like a shot, sometimes I’ll sip it though, i’ll have to give that a try then adding a few drops of water. Aye that would be ideal mate, going to get a bottle in this weekend, cheers.
     
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  7. Lupis Gold Member Gold Member

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    There are a few different ways to go when you are starting out. If you don't think you are going to like whisky I would say do not waste your money buying a bottle. You'd be better off spending the money you would have bought a bottle on trying different whiskies at a proper whisky bar (like The Pot Still, The Bon Accord or The Piper in Glasgow - I think they are still all open at least! and I'm assuming it would be easier for you to get to Glasgow from Cumbernauld, I don't know if there are any pubs in 'nauld with a decent selection) and get 2 to 4 different whiskies to contrast. Contrasting them directly is where you can really see what you like and don't like.

    What I would say if you are doing that though is don't include a peated single malt, particularly an Islay, when you are first doing that as they can really overpower everything else and it can be hard to taste anything different if you go back to something subtler. You will often find Islays are left until the end of tasting sessions, unless they are a slection of all peated whiskies.

    So what to try? I'll try and keep it to ones most reasonable whisky bars will have that shouldn't be too expensive. Light and fruity go for a Glengoyne 10 or a Glen Grant 10, heavier darker fruits, a Glendronach 12 or Tamdhu 12, or a bit more complex an Arran 10 or Deanston 12. Under normal circumstances I'd say doing it with a friend and swapping drinks would be a good idea, to make it a bit cheaper, but that may not be a good idea in the current climate!

    Maybe pick one each from the 3 groups then take tastes from each, going back and forward between them, rather than buying one, finishing it and getting another. Again any decent bar will be happy to give you water and a dropper so you can play about with that as well. Just remember to start small, a couple of drops, you can always add more, but if you drown it there is no return!

    Just don't buy a bottle, try it, and decide that all whisky must be bad if you don't like that particular one, there is a hugee variety out there. Which is why contrasting in a bar is probably the way to go if you can't get access to a whisky club, or don't have friends that are into it that can give you small samples to try.

    If you are really interested, and have a few friends that would be into it, The Pot Still does a tasting for £30 each where you get to try 6 whiskies. You need to book in advance for it though, but they will have someone talk through the whiskies with you and answer questions, which can be a big help when starting out. I know it sounds a lot, but when you think of it it's around the same price as a bottle you may not actually like, where from 6 there is a much better chance of getting something you do. If you do go for something like that though make sure when you are booking to let them know you are new to whisky and are wanting a varied introduction, otherwise you might end up with 6 similar ones, which kind of defeats the purpose.
     
  8. Lupis Gold Member Gold Member

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    If you do just want to get abottle of something cheap that isn't terrible to play about with Amazon have Monkey Shoulder for £21, it's a blended malt, I have to admit it's not one of my favourites but it's fairly innofensive. A lot of people that are new to whisky swear by it though, so may be worth a try for you.
     
  9. Cumbernauld Bhoy67

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    Thanks mate :50:. Will have a look into it.
     
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  10. Cumbernauld Bhoy67

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    Might go for that then just to give something a go on Christmas Day and nye.
     
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  11. Lupis Gold Member Gold Member

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    If you like the Bushmills keep an eye out for Jameson Black Barrel. Tesco sometimes have it on offer for around £25 and it's definitely worth that. It's a tad overpriced at it's normal RRP of £37, but if you can find it for anything around the mid 20s it's worth trying out.

    Irish whiskey isn't really my thing though, so I can't really give too many pointers other than that and Green Spot.
     
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  12. Pearse67*

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    Hun whiskey.
     
  13. WalterEmerald

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    Proper Twelve.
     
  14. Free the Adblock Gold Member Gold Member

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    Got a good few bottles in the house just now, I love Whisky. Favs right now are Laphroig 10 and Bowmore 12.
     
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  15. Lupis Gold Member Gold Member

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    That's interesting. I pretty much hate everything I've had from a Beam Suntory scotch distillery for the last 5 years, with only a couple of exceptions. Bowmore and Auchentoshan are at the very bottom of my list for whisky, Laphroaig is a bit above that, as I do actually quite like their Lore and don't mind the Quarter Cask. I only realised they were all owned by Beam Suntory after I started to detect the same unpleasant note in bottles from both Bowmore and Auchentoshan, and looked into it a bit more.

    The interesting part is I've heard from a few people they are starting to improve a bit of late, and I've been hearing great things about Bowmore Vault edition. The problem is I have had so many from them over the years I have really disliked that I am at the point I'm just not willing to take a chance on them now, as I fear I will be pretty much just throwing my money away. Maybe one day I'll give Bowmore another try, I'm just not quite there yet.
     
  16. Cumbernauld Bhoy67

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    Ordered a bottle of that monkey shoulder mate, will let you know how i find it, fingers crossed i find it at least slightly enjoyable compared to how i normally am with whisky:giggle1:. @Lupis thanks for mentioning it.
     
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  17. Free the Adblock Gold Member Gold Member

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    I agree with Auchentoshan, I've got a bottle of that too, got it as a present a few months and wasn't overly impressed.
    Bowmore 12, imo, is lovely though. Tesco have it on sale now and again, I usually get some.
     
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  18. Lupis Gold Member Gold Member

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    If anyone is looking for something a bit different at a good price, Tesco (with a clubcard at least) have Wild Turkey 101 for £23 until the end of the year. I actually rate it as one of the best whiskies you can get at that price point, and prefer it to pretty much any scotch (WT101 is a bourbon) I can get for that kind of money. £23 is also the cheapest I've ever been able to get it, £26 is usually the offer price elsewhere.

    Just beware, if you haven't tried it before, the 101 refers to the proof of the whiskey, meaning it is 50.5% ABV, your typical entry level whiskies are 40%, so if you aren't used to higher ABV whiskies some water in it may be required.
     
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  19. cidermaster Gold Member Gold Member

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    That Depeche Mode when we score!!
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    My new friend:84:
     
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  20. jake10

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    Tesco coop do a good Glenlivet, special reserve for £35, occasionally reduced to £23 regularly which is when I stock up, it’s a pleasant taste on the tongue followed by a nice whisky burn to your throat.
    At the minute I’m trying glenfidich 12 years old, nice