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.

Laphroig is my favorite Islay. Abelour is my favorite speyside.

For blended I like johnny green. I have a bottle of blue. Its smooth but pretty flavorless.

I'm going with dewars 12... cheap and good

On a regular basis, I have Glenkintchie, Glenlevit, Glemorangie and Glenfiddich and Johnnie Walker Black. All pretty good value.

For special occasions and when I have the stomach I have some Lagvulin. I'm finding myself less inclined towards Island malts these days.

I recently enjoyed a bottle of Glenlevit French Oak Cask. Good stuff and affordable. Also tried some vintage Glenthrose with a friend some moths back. Also good but overpriced at $150 per bottle.

SS

Just reading this thread is very pavlovian. I see single malt and I think of huge smokey peaty waves of amber colored distillate flowing over my tastebuds. Then I have to close my mouth so I don't drool all over my keyboard at work. I can't wait till 5 so I can drink some scotchy scotch scotch.

too many to list, like cigar, you need variety. Love Islay, lag 16 and Ardbegs followed closely by laphroig. (mostly cold weather drink)

those speys are great in warmer months, macallan 15 fine oak is wonderful on a summer day..the 18 is wonderful too... (anyone else PO'ed with the price increased at macallan?)

then the best mid range band for the but, any a new drinker can appreciate...Highland Park 18. almost too tasty to put the cork back in...

and glenmorangie port wood makes a great after dinner/dessert drink.

but there are so many more. i can't pick one!!!!!!!!!

i just picked up a Glenfarclas 105 for the winter months...cask strenght at 60% and deep ripe fruits....i'll cuddle up to this bottle on many a new england winter night. i love this bottle because the flavor changes so much depending on how much water you add. check it out, and experiment with different water amounts before you make a choice!

I agree, got to have variety!

Single Malts: I prefer Dalwhinnie (speyside) a lot and also Oban as a highland malt.

Johnnie Walker red label is okay. My inlaws like Chivas...so I keep a bottle around the house, but I can't stand the stuff.

So many Malts so little time , Where to start , I dont have a Favorite but I have a LOT that I LOVE, some I like & a few that IMO are garbage, McCellend's Highland is the worst single malt I ever had the misfortune to taste, I have sipped blends that were better , they also make a lowlands & an islay, I will pass on both, , the Macallen cast strenght is one of the ones on my shelf right now along with a french OakGlenlivette,
16 Y.O. Laugavalin ,Glenmorange Mederia wood finish,a 10 Y.O. Spayburn ( Great Taste the lowest price & a great buy ) I am working on a Johnny Walker green right now & am enjoying the natural sweetness & toffee like mouth feel, a great match with a strong Black Columbian coffee , I am a fan of Aberlour & Balvinie, I find the cigar malt by Dalmore to be a bit on the sweet side for a cigar , when its cold out I like to warm up with a little sip of Laphroiag, I have a verrrry old bottle of Cutty that is at 86.8 proof , I dont know when it was bottled or last opened , but cutty has been 80 proof for many years . I was moving the bottles around to see just what was here & I found a half bottle of Black Bull, 100 Proof blended scotch, I thought I finished this back in the early 80's hahahaha !, I have a bottle of the 32.Y.O. Oban on my wish list along with the JW Blue , the Chivis Royal salute & the 25 Y.O. Bowmore & I would love to taste the 115 proof Dalwhinnie BUT at 340 a bottle , I would rather have a box of Cuban Monte #2's ! hahahaha
I drink my single malts in a snifter with a splash of water, a cup of Black strong coffee on the side & a FINE OLD cigar clipped & ready to light . Dammmm I think I might go & pull a cork right Now ( Again ) hahaha Enjoy, Vince

quote:

Originally posted by Vinny O:
I have a bottle of the 32.Y.O. Oban on my wish list along with the JW Blue , the Chivis Royal salute & the 25 Y.O. Bowmore & I would love to taste the 115 proof Dalwhinnie BUT at 340 a bottle , I would rather have a box of Cuban Monte #2's ! hahahaha
ht Now ( Again ) hahaha Enjoy, Vince

I don't know... Royal Salute is wonderful! Just as good as a Monte #2, IMHO!

Mel,

I have a 30+ year old Bruichladdich Estate Reserve bottle that a friend brought back from Scotland for me. Singlemalt is the way to go if you are going to go. And Islay is the way to do it.

Alan

Any Glenlivet, Speyside (for 20 bucks a bottle it's a hella deal for a single and its quality). Not huge on the blendids. I actually prefer a 15 dollar Grants to a Johny Black. Black is too smooth with little flavor. I like to taste it and hopefully get a lil kick in the tastebuds sometimes.

...I currently am really enjoying Glenlivet.~

Although I like the Islay malts and Lagavulin 16 is my favorite, at $75.00 a bottle it is getting a wee bit too expensive.

I have been drinking Laphroig 15 yr old which ain't half bad.

In my limited experience with single malts, my favorite is a bottle of Glenfiddich 12yr that I'm currently working my way thru.

quote:

Originally posted by aholsber:
Mel,

I have a 30+ year old Bruichladdich Estate Reserve bottle that a friend brought back from Scotland for me.
Alan

Hey Alan.. You called me, Mel. How did you know that's what my friends call me? Sort of my nickname.

Had a 15 year Glenmorangie that was great, Balvanie Doublewood and the 15 year are fine, tried a Glenroths and it was excellent. I like Scotch!

Mel,

I must be one of your friends. *grin* Actually I used to date this lovely young lady named Melissa many years ago, who insisted on being called Mel. So it became habit until told otherwise.

Alan

Glen Levit, Glen Fiddich or J& B or Johnny Walker.

quote:

Originally posted by aholsber:
Mel,

I must be one of your friends. *grin* Actually I used to date this lovely young lady named Melissa many years ago, who insisted on being called Mel. So it became habit until told otherwise.

Alan

OK.. It's official! You are a friend... but I won't insist on being called Mel.. It's up to you! LOL

The Glenfarclas mentioned by Bombedier is superb.

For a blended, Famous Grouse is excellent if you like Speyside malts. Try the Isle of Skye if you like Oban as a single.

Johnny Walker ? No thank you. Not any of the colours.

My issue is that there are now so many different varities. Cask matured in Sherry or Port or kipper boxes. Just stick to the basic one - if it needs this much adjustment, then maybe the underlying spirit is poor.

But then again what do I know. Being Scottish does not mean you know anything about Scottish malt whisky.