BTW, how long can scotch stay in a bottle opened or unopened?? I have some stuff here that my friend has and it looks kinda old......i dont want to get some sort of african jungle rot from this stuff.

daveyg2

Glen Campbell used to be pretty good.

daveyg2............scotch is not like wine, won't spoil if left in the bottle either opened or not. I suppose if you left the bottle uncapped for quite awhile some of the distilled alcohol may evaporate off, but I can't imagine that would hurt it much.

Glenfiddich, Laphroig and the Balvenies (especially the Double Wood) and the more aged Macallans are my picks.

Try a good tawny port as well. Pretty damn good with a lot of smokes.

I still have a bit of Balvenie Doublewood left. THL and I agree on almost everything. Laphroaig is fantastic. The smell reminds me of the stuff we used to patch bicycle innertubes with. I loved that smell, and I'm not kidding. Ain't nothing wrong with JW Black, either, in my book, blended shmended. The red is okay mixed with water but sort of reminds me of iodine. I only think of it fondly because my late ex-future mother-in-law used to drink it and I loved her.

Glenmorangie (port finish) and Abelour are my #1 choices and I recommend either of them highly ...
the Abelour is perhaps the better of the two for a scotch newbie, but I think the Glenmorangie is the better of the two to accompany a cigar and was my personal choice for my "landmark" birthday celebration last August

Macallen, Glenfiddich and Glenlivet are very good, reliable choices ... Laphroaig and Lagavulin are both outstanding single malts I've not seen mentioned yet by anyone, though the Lagavulin is absolutely not for the uninitiated or faint of heart ... Balvenie and Talisker are also considered by many to be wonderful choices, but I have yet to try either myself ...

Davey ... send me a note, would you? ... I've been wanting to e-mail you and cannot find your addy

fromsteves(at)hotmail(dot)com

Ditto on the Lagavulin. Divine flavor, but maybe too much for a beginner (pricewise too)

My first Single Malt was Glendranoch Sherry finished 15 yr old. Before this I thought I didn't like Scotch. I think it is the perfect Scotch for a newbe. I prefer Laphroaig now personaly.
Imbibe on 🙂
Homebrew

Because of this thread I went out and got some scotch. Glenlivet something or other.

I have not acquired a taste for scotch. I swallowed it and had to run and get some cognac to get the terrible taste out of my mouth. It reminded me of egg drop soup. Yuck.

hehehe Aye laddy. It's an "aquired" taste.

that, it must certainly, is ... as are full-bodies cigars ... both of which I seem to have acquired a taste fore ... LOL

a Chivas rusty nail is perfect for smoking.

Oban (14yr)
Talisker (10yr)
Laphroaig (??)
Lagavulen (16 or 20yr)
Dalwhinnie (15yr)
Bowmore, a new kid on the block, an Islay similar in taste to Laphroaing but was only $18, no age on bottle or tube
or Bushmills 1608 (12 yr) very nice but've not seen for a while

Best $ value is the Dalmore 12 yr (at $23 or less). I drink a lot of scotch, and firmly believe this is the VERY best value to be found. In my opinion, DON'T get suckered into a bottle of the Dalmore cigar scotch (it's 8 yrs) and slightly more $ (I think based upon their marketing it to the cigar smokers).

Something very comparable to it (taste and $) is the Dewars 12 yr reserve (although it is a blend). But wow, it sure goes down easy!~~:

I also have never been disappointed withGlenfiditch or Oban - 12 year - they're pretty darned good too.

If you like the taste of peat, and I don't know too many people outside of Ireland/Scotland who do, then try the Laphroaig (very peaty).

Have fun, experiment, and hell, regardless of what you buy, have a few on the rocks, and by the third or fourth, you probably won't care who bottled it.