Whiskey and Scotch drinkers step inside

I like to try different brands and types of bourbon and scotch. Give me your favorites. Imo, you get what you pay for especially with some of the scotches I have tried. Your opinion is severely discounted if you add anything other than a little water and or ice.

Single Barrel Jack is my favorite TN whiskey.
Johnny Walker Gold is my favorite scotch but I can't help thinking some of the higher priced stuff must be better. It is hard for me to go over $60/bottle.

I tried some Buffalo Trace this past weekend. It is a Kentucky whiskey at about $23/bottle.

I don't think they make it any more but the best I tried in my limited experiences was Jim Beam Black. But like I said, I didn't try many of them at all.

Dickel, plain and simple

Can't afford single malt, but when I'm privileged to have it, it is on the rocks. Dewars is the best blended IMO, still pricey, but much smoother than most high dollar blended brands. There are several good cheap scotches out there.

FWIW, scotch is a good camp drink because folks don't tend to "forget to bring their scotch" like they do beer and whiskey. Not a lot of scotch bummers out there. Sort of like copenhagen being a safe from bummers chew.:)

Forty Creek, Whiskey-It's the best thing to come out of Canada since Shania Twain

Not to sound snooty, but a big fan of J-dub Blue and a hint of water when I've got the stroke to actually buy some.

Seconded on Dewer's being the best of the lower priced stuff. Awesome mix.

I strongly recommend all whiskey/scotch drinkers to try one different single malt scotch from the four main regions (the other regions are too similar, IMO, to be considered different by flavor). Each malt takes on its own flavor and character from the different regions in which it was grown and the single malting process helps to preserve each malts distinct flavor. There are plenty of less-expensive scotches out there and, regardless of price, each region's scotch will give you an idea of what you should be looking for in each scotch. Just look for the region on the bottle as all true single malt Scotches are required to tell you in what region it was grown. I am not a big whiskey/scotch drinker but I have had to take several liquor/wine tasting classes as my business calls for such knowledge, and it was really cool how I could (with my uneducated palate) distinguish between the regions just by taste. There is no need to drop a ton of money on a good bottle from any region as it is just plain fun to experiment with 20-30$ bottles from each region. Keep in mind that none of the flavores (re; salt, smoke, peat) have been added...they come solely from the malt that gets its flavor directly from the soil it was grown in.

Islay: Very smoky, salty and peaty. This is the region for "knock" your socks off" scotch.
recommended: Lagavulin (this one epitomizes the region) and Bowmore

Lowlands: Very smooth, light salt recommended: Bladnoch, Littlemill

Speyside: Rich and mild. These are the Scotch immigrants that discovered that the hill country rivers in Tennessee and Kentucky had all the proper attributes, similar to their home River Spey that brew good whiskey. recommended: Glenfarclas

Highlands: Low salt, high smoke recommended: Dalmore

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Originally Posted by maddawg

Can't afford single malt, but when I'm privileged to have it, it is on the rocks. Dewars is the best blended IMO, still pricey, but much smoother than most high dollar blended brands. There are several good cheap scotches out there.

FWIW, scotch is a good camp drink because folks don't tend to "forget to bring their scotch" like they do beer and whiskey. Not a lot of scotch bummers out there. Sort of like copenhagen being a safe from bummers chew.:)

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This Copenhagen man agrees with all of the above.:icon_wink:

Blended scotch and single malts taste very different. Heck, single malts from one region taste VERY different from single malts of a different region.

My favorite blend for smoothness and blended flavor is Johnny Walker Blue, but I can't justify spending $200+ for a blend when you can get a very good single malt for 1/3 that price. I like single malts from the Speyside region the best. McCallan, Balvenie, Cragganmore, and Glenfiddich are my favorite distillers that I have tried.

BTW, if you like Scotch, you really ought to try some of the Irish Whiskys out there. Midleton rare is the smoothest and most awesome blended Irish Whisky you can get, IMO. Redbreast has a pure pot still Irish whisky that is just as tasty as the Scotches.

Try this http://www.balvenie.com/range/portwood_21yo.html served neat. You will be able to taste the casks that this single malt is aged in. So light up you favorite cigar and enjoy the good life.

Taste ~ A single malt of refinement and remarkable character, it is creamy and silky with fruit, honey and spice notes, and has a long and gentle nutty finish.

No Glenmorangie? I have a bottle of 18yr that my bother-in-law brought back from Scotland that I'm saving for a special occasion to crack open. Being a former country club bartender, I will agree that Dewars is a good middle of the road.

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Originally Posted by atobulldog

I don't think they make it any more but the best I tried in my limited experiences was Jim Beam Black. But like I said, I didn't try many of them at all.

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I think it is still available, but I have never tried it. The Jim Beam is ok in my book so I will have to try the Black.

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Originally Posted by Cool Hand Clyde

Dickel, plain and simple

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I like sippin Dickel too.

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Originally Posted by honker22

Forty Creek, Whiskey-It's the best thing to come out of Canada since Shania Twain

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There is one that folks will never realize how good it is until they try it.

As for the scotches. The 12 yo Special Reserve Glenfiddich tasted woody to me and I didn't like it very much. Of the JW's I have tried green, black and gold; only the gold was what I would call good enough to buy again. That is why I assumed the more you paid the better it got.

This thread is gonna be a good source for ideas!

Never had the 12yo 'Fiddich, but the 15yo is the most "accessible" single malt I have had.

I like Jim Beam (best value bourbon out there, IMO), but I definitely think the Jim Beam black is better.

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Originally Posted by Guisslapp

I like Jim Beam

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note to self...don't listen to Guislapp's advice on tasty adult beverages. LOL

i can't stand Beam. but the Jim Beam company DOES make the brand i really like. Knob Creek. i like most of Beam's small batch collection...but i find Knob Creek gives you the best bang for the buck.