Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with scotch

What Scotch has a long, campfire-like finish?

paulg — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 15:40:11 -0800

ScotchFilter: please ID this half-remembered single-malt whisky! What Scotch would have been available in metro Detroit around 2001 with an amazingly smooth palate and a long, campfire-like finish? I’ve started learning more about Scotch lately. I tend to prefer the peaty, smoky Islays like Laphroaig. I’ve discovered some great whiskies, but haven’t been able to identify one I drank long before I had the good sense to keep notes about such things.

Sometime between 1999 and 2003 one of my friends acquired a sampler of Scotches. It might have been a retail display rack with 6-12 different whiskies which he got from someone who owned a liquor store. I think there were a variety of brands, a couple full 750ml bottles and some smaller sample sizes. Some of them were pretty expensive-looking--12, 15, 18, and 25 years old.

One of those scotches left a lasting impression on me, but (or course!) I don’t remember the name. I don’t remember anything about the nose, but it was very, very smooth on the palate. I remember the finish best: a pleasant and dramatic warmth radiating through my body, and a long, overwhelmingly woody (oak, cedar?), smoky flavor. I said at the time that it was like swallowing a camp fire.

Thanks.

Should I drink this 60-year-old scotch?

libraryhead — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 05:45:11 -0800

Should I drink this 60-year-old scotch? Via Mr. Libraryhead:

A co-worker received a bunch of unopened bottles of very old scotch. He did a little googling and is fairly sure the bottles are from the 40s or 50s. He knows I like scotch and asked me to try it and give my opinion, but I'm out of my depth on this one.

I know when scotch gets very old (>100 years in the bottle), it is seldom drunk. I don't know if that is due to the quality dropping off, or if it just is worth more to collectors. Judging by the levels, there has definitely been some evaporation, and so it's safe to assume oxygen has gotten in. Scotch isn't supposed to age in the bottle, but does that mean none at all or just very slowly?

Here's a sample of two of the bottles.

Should I drink this?

Cheers!

Nathanial Hörnblowér — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:06:02 -0800

Going to Scotland later this month. What Scotch distilleries can we tour? We'll be arriving by ferry in Troon, picking up a car somewhere and making our way to Skye. From there we'll head to Edinburgh and eventually end up in Newcastle. Are there distilleries along the way that we can tour? We only have three days total in Scotland, so a half day tour isn't feasible.

Fine Liquor/Cheese, Aged 18 Years

nat — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:53:18 -0800

I want to find consumables that are aged exactly 18 years, and send them to northern California within 2 weeks. For a friend's birthday, I'd like to send some 18 year-old items. (No, he's not turning 18, the number is of personal significance for other reasons).

My first thought was to get some whiskey, e.g. Macallan's 18 y.o. blend. But then I realized other things age (cheese, wine, other kinds of alcohol) too.

Help me come up with ideas for what items might come in a variety aged exactly 18. Also I'd appreciate specific alcohol suggestions, too. Extra credit if you can help me find them from a retailer who will ship to Northern CA (as I can't exactly ship alcohol myself).

Budget could be up to 200$. Ideally, I'd like to find several smaller items so that I present some variety; I'd be okay with one really great item though. I'm in Boston, but I don't know if any brick+mortar stores here will ship from here to CA.

Scotch, an acquired taste?

Silvertree — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:40:43 -0800

How did you acquire a taste for scotch? For some reason I have become curious about scotch. I have no idea why. I think maybe a few threads here put the idea in my head. Or was it Ron Burgandy's genius? Or maybe I watched John J. McCoy drink scotch at the end of one too many Law & Orders. Beats me. I don't even know if I like scotch.

So for those of you who are scotch drinkers, did you just order a scotch one day and fall in love? Was it a taste you acquired over time? Did you purposely set out to acquire a taste for scotch? If so, how? Tell me your scotch stories.

I have already read several AskMeta threads with brand suggestions, so that isn't necessary unless it fits into the above, or you just feel really strong about a particular recommendation.

Looking to Buy Good Scotch in NYC

cleverevans — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:37:23 -0800

Can anyone recommend a liquor store in Manhattan that carries a good selection of single malt scotches? I'm going to be in NYC this holiday season and will be staying with my sister. I'd like to give her and her husband a nice bottle of Scotch as a gift. (I'm thinking Caol Ila, perhaps.) I can't fly with the Scotch, so I'd like to just buy it there. Can anyone recommend a liquor store in NYC that carries a good selection of single malt scotches?

What are the best liquors for the money?

Telf — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:42:30 -0800

What is your favorite price point liquor of a given style and why? I remember when I turned 21, I set out to build up my adult liquor collection. I spent a lot of my hard earned cash on Lagavulin and aged Macallan scotch. I bought Grey Goose vodka, Don Julio and Patron tequilas, cognac and even some port wine. I was very proud of my collection until I realized that my roommates were surreptitiously mixing my scotches with Coca Cola whenever they ran out of Jim Beam.

A few years later, I've given up the pretensions of trying to impress anyone with my liquor collection. At least until a bottle doesn't amount to half of my paycheck.

So here's my question:

What do you drink when you actually enjoy liquor but don't have the cash to get the great stuff? What is your favorite good enough liquor?

Classic Cocktail

charlesv — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:35:19 -0800

Help me become a better drinker. I turned 30 last year d and have resolved to become a more sophisticated drinker. Specifically, I would like to start enjoying classic cocktails. I saw this post on recipe books but no other useful AskMeFi stuff on classic cocktails.

I have set a personal goal of drinking 50 classic cocktails within the next 12 months. So far I have started working my way through the scotch drinks like the Roy Roy and Rusty Nail and sampled a Mint Julep at Seven Grand.

So: what drinks should absolutely be included on a must-drink list of classic cocktails? Which ones should I leave out? What ingredients should I consider? Is there any particular strategy I should pursue? Any particular bar in LA where I should head to make sure my drinks get made properly?

Show me the way to the next whisky gift...

TochterAusElysium — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:17:02 -0800

What's a good gift for my scotch-loving husband? He has been getting into good scotches over the past couple of years, and I'd like to get him a birthday gift that relates to scotch, but not an actual bottle, since he's got all the varieties he wants that are available within a hundred miles (really; he's got at least 20). For Christmas I got him a membership to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. He has tasting glasses and a couple of reference books. I'd like to find something unexpected. Any ideas, wise ones?

Scotchy scotch scotch. Get in my belly.

sutel — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 17:55:43 -0800

I'm getting married in September and I want to get my guy a nice bottle of scotch as a wedding gift. My boyfriend loves scotch and I'd like to get him a bottle of something nice, but since I don't drink it myself I have no idea. I just checked our liquor cabinet and it looks like we have Johnny Walker Black Label and something called Dalwhinnie scotch whiskey.

I'm looking for something under $500 and I live around Boston. I'd take either package store recommendations (where they'd know their stuff) or specific bottle recommendations and where you can get them online (I think I can order booze online and get it shipped to Mass., but I am not sure. Let me know anyway).

thank you!

What foods to pair with whiskey?

schroedinger — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 09:41:54 -0800

I'm having a whiskey party tonight. There will be a mix of scotches, bourbons, and other whiskeys, single-malt and blended. It will not be a dinner party but I'd like to provide some hors d'oeuvres and possibly desserts. I've heard sushi is good with whiskey so I thought lox might work, and this Honey and Whiskey ice cream looks good, but does anyone have any other ideas?

What's a great scotch for father's day?

icollectpurses — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 16:35:00 -0800

My dad drinks scotch and I've gotten him some single malt ones, which I prefer, and he didn't like them too much. I am looking to get him a great high-end scotch. He likes johnny walkers so I've gotten him a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue once and he liked that a lot. So I am hoping to get him something else that's similarly high quality. I am hoping to spend perhaps $75-$500 or so. Don't know much about scotch, esp. blended, so your suggestions would be appreciated.

Name that drink.

Telf — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:27:43 -0800

What do I call this drink? I'm a pretty regular scotch and soda drinker, but was recently introduced to a new libation. My buddy ordered a scotch, ginger ale and bitters. It's good, but what is it called? I've been ordering this at some of the better bars around town but feel like an ass explaining the drink each time. Is there a common name for this drink? My google fu has failed me.

Specifically it's a tall single of decent lower end scotch, usually Dewars. It's topped off with ginger ale then finished with just a dash of Angostura bitters.

This has to be an established drink, it seems so obvious.

Scotchtoberfest ideas

mcstayinskool — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 08:50:27 -0800

I'm helping host a single malt whisky tasting party, potluck style. How do I ensure a wide range of choices brought from participants? Next month I'm helping to host Scotchtoberfest, a single malt whisky tasting party.

Format: Each attendee will bring one bottle of single malt. Everyone gets to sample everything, and at the end of the evening we will draw lots. Person who draws #1 gets to choose which bottle they get to bring home. #2 gets next pick, etc.

Problem: I want to make sure that a wide range of whiskys are represented, without going as far as picking what people bring. How can I do that effectively?

(and by all means, while it's not my specific question, feel free to recommend specific bottles to bring)

Scotch in Washington State?

b1tr0t — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 16:48:46 -0800

Where should I go looking for a good bottle of single malt scotch, in Seattle? As I understand it, all bottled alcohol sold in Washington State is centrally purchased and sold through the state liquor stores. I don't drink much hard liquor anymore, so I havn't been in a while. I'd like to get a decent (~$50-$70) bottle of single malt scotch. Is this a futile endevor in Washington State? Should I go to Vancouver or Portland to shop?

Beginner's single malt Scotch

mendel — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 10:37:59 -0800

Scotchfilter! What's a decent, inexpensive and readily available single malt or good blend for a brand-new scotch drinker whose current dram of choice is a good dark sipping rum? The intended recipient tried the Glenlivet after he'd had a lot of other things and was surprised by the strength but otherwise seemed to enjoy it and was interested in trying other Scotches. I could just get another bottle of Glenlivet, but it's a bit ordinary and generally-available, and besides, he's already tried that.

I don't want something pretending to be bourbon, but I don't want to overwhelm with iodine and peat either. Probably some sort of Speyside or Lowland, I guess. My own tastes head toward the spicy and peaty and I sometimes have a hard time telling the difference between a good mellow scotch and a boring one.

Also, any suggestions on how to safely mail/ship a bottle of Scotch are welcome too.

Scotch

jennyb — Wed, 14 Jan 2004 07:30:53 -0800

Scotch: It's coming up on my beloved stepfather's 50th birthday, and he's recently developed an interest in Scotch. I'd like to get him a bottle of something good that he might not pick up himself. We sat at a bar over the holidays and I quizzed him on the bottles on display and would estimate he's tried most of the commonly found brands (or at least most of the ones I've heard of). I'd like to spend in the neighborhood of $50, but could be talked into being slightly more extravagant if it seemed really worth it. Any recommendations?