I went past a local liquor store this afternoon because I am out of Laphroig and running low on bourbon as well.
They didn't have much of a selection of Islay malt Scotch, but they did have something on sale, Bowmore LEGEND. It is not an aged scotch, but it is billed as a single malt Islay, so for under $20.00 I bought a bottle.
I got it home and just HAD to try a glass. It has that peaty nose and flavor of Islay, but is not as intense. I guess the flavors just have not matured enough. Not bad for cheap scotch though.
If you want to try Islay and do not want to lay out big bucks for Lagavulin-16, you can try this one.
Doc ***** Tobacco is a filthy weed, I like it...
SNOB Member 1033 1/3
Posts: 9185 | Location: New York City | Registered: May 02, 2002
Originally posted by MsMelissa: I have slowly developed a love for scotch. Anyone else? What are you favorites? Mine are as follows:
Single Malt: Macallan or Glenmorangie, depending on my mood.
Blended: Royal Salute (discontinued/excellent if you have the opportunity) or Johnnie Walker Gold (18 year)
Johnnie Walker Blue is fine but overpriced in my opinion. I like the taste of Gold/18 more.
of course people will say blue.... blue is almost 200 a bottle! thats crazy! i like gold, and the green is smooth too. is it true they make a platinum now?
I don't want to be a dick or anything... but lagavulin is not big bucks. I know it's all relative, but I personally think the 16 year lagavulin is the best buy on the market today...
when i started buying it is was $64 a bottle... you can still find that price if you look a little bit.
sox
Posts: 509 | Location: California, United States | Registered: October 11, 2004
I tried a shot of Johnnie Walker Blue today. Tasted GREAT. However at $250 a bottle I dout I will buy any. I also got to try a shot of Johnnie Walker Green today and it was great too and lots cheaper than the Blue.
*********************** "He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." - Anonymous
Originally posted by UltraMan: Did you drink that in the van down by the river? Or while you were riding your pony?
So whats your problem with me?
*********************** "He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." - Anonymous
Originally posted by MsMelissa: I have slowly developed a love for scotch. Anyone else? What are you favorites? Mine are as follows:
Single Malt: Macallan or Glenmorangie, depending on my mood.
Blended: Royal Salute (discontinued/excellent if you have the opportunity) or Johnnie Walker Gold (18 year)
Johnnie Walker Blue is fine but overpriced in my opinion. I like the taste of Gold/18 more.
MsMelissa,
Is the Johnny Walker Gold or was less expensive than the Blue? I like Vodka better but do enjoy Scotch from time to time. I saw the Blue for sale in the State store today for the first time and was floored at the $250 price tag. Is this unusual for a blended Scotch? From what I have seen the single malt Scotches are more expensive than the blended Scotches.
*********************** "He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." - Anonymous
I have never had the blue and am a rum lover but was at a party where they served the gold. Great stuff. Bought some for my dad's anniversary(65th). It is a smaller bottle and cost about 60 bucks as I remember it. very smooth. almost creamy.
Is the Johnny Walker Gold or was less expensive than the Blue? I like Vodka better but do enjoy Scotch from time to time. I saw the Blue for sale in the State store today for the first time and was floored at the $250 price tag. Is this unusual for a blended Scotch? From what I have seen the single malt Scotches are more expensive than the blended Scotches.
JW black, green, gold has age statements (although green is a pure malt, not blended)..red and blue don't have age statments because the age on the bottle is the YOUNGEST scotch in the blend, a minimum. Red is fine with coke but that's it. Blue is the most expensive. $180-$200 here in MASS. (just over $100 at duty free). Gold is around $70.
blue does not have a age statment because theyhave some young whiskies in there...but some of the oldest whisky is over 40 years old.
blends are usually cheaper than single malts because 50% of a blend is neutral flavored (no flavor) whisky. then they add 20-30 other single malts to make the final product. (Green is a pure malt and blend of single malts w/o this neutral whisky)....reason for the neutral whisky is that they could never procure enough whisky to meet demand.
blended whisky is very nice and you'll never hear a true whisky drinker crap on them....however, they are considered to be 'restrained' in flavor due to this neutral whisky.
i love single malts, but always has JW instock. black is a classic standby and Gold is probably my favorite. blue is awesome but just too much money. if you like the gold...through it in the freezer for a day and then drink it. awesome.
Posts: 1540 | Location: Boston | Registered: February 28, 2003
seems you are an islay fan...me too...Love the Lagavulin and Arbeg and Laphroaig and close third but all awesome. seems you are a Laphroaig fan....have you had the new Quater Cask? awesome. check it out.
as for Ardbeg, i absolutely love Uigeadail....
Laphroaig was just a hair to salty iodine for me, still awesome....but the new Quater Cask is awesome. check it out if youhaven't yet.
Posts: 1540 | Location: Boston | Registered: February 28, 2003
Is the Johnny Walker Gold or was less expensive than the Blue? I like Vodka better but do enjoy Scotch from time to time. I saw the Blue for sale in the State store today for the first time and was floored at the $250 price tag. Is this unusual for a blended Scotch? From what I have seen the single malt Scotches are more expensive than the blended Scotches.
The Gold is less expensive than the Blue, but like I said, I prefer the taste of Gold. I think Blue is a bit overpriced for what it is.
There are plenty of high end blended scotch options. Just because something is single malt, doesn't mean it's good. Vice versa on blended scotch. I really like Royal Salute, which is a Chivas product. And it is rather pricey, but unfortunately discontinued.
Alot of people get very "snooty" about their scotch. Thinking blended scotch is inferior or "I only drink single malt". Just like in cigars, consume what ya like. Screw the "snooty people"!
Thanks for the info. I did not realize that JW Green was a single malt Scotch. I tasted a shot of the Blue and a shot of the Green the other day and liked both of them. I will but a bottle of the Green.
*********************** "He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." - Anonymous
Green is not a single malt....it combines various single malts. it does not have a neutral whisky as a base...."blened" whisky is a mixture of various single malts added to a neutral whisky base....single malt is a term meaning whisky from one distillery.
D_sanchez makes a great point on the difference in taste and why single malts are more sought after. blends are great, but restrained in flavor due to the neutral base. kind of evens out the flavor. the Green does not have a neutral base and is more flavorful. and single malts can be even more flavorful.
best free education is to sign up for a Johnnie Walker tasting. great crash course and usually points people in the direction of single malts (although i'm sure this isn't JW's goal). you taste the Black and then several single malts that go into the black. from her you see the diversity and some was want to track down single malts with fresh fruit flavors, or some that are very smokey, or some that are ripe fruits. fun time, they do it in pretty much every city. check it out. i've been to them many times...never gets old....and its FREE!
If you drink single malts you must have a copy of Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch. great education in first 100 pages, and then he tastes every single malt out there. my copy has been flipped through a million times. its a nice little hardcover for about $20...a must have for any Scotch Whisky drinker.
Posts: 1540 | Location: Boston | Registered: February 28, 2003
Originally posted by Bombardier: If you drink single malts you must have a copy of Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch. great education in first 100 pages, and then he tastes every single malt out there. my copy has been flipped through a million times. its a nice little hardcover for about $20...a must have for any Scotch Whisky drinker.
I second that recommendation! Great Book! Unfortunately, the author shares his name with a guy who dangles babies over balconies... but what can ya do!
Originally posted by raven35031: Thanks for the info. I did not realize that JW Green was a single malt Scotch. I tasted a shot of the Blue and a shot of the Green the other day and liked both of them. I will but a bottle of the Green.
I didn't know the green was single malt. I thought it was blended too. Either way it has a slightly rougher smokier flavor than the blue. The blue is smooth as silk but the flavor is too light for me. That is especially considering it goes for 200 a bottle.
nopers its not sorry I misread an earler post.
*********************** "He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." - Anonymous
