Any recommendations on a brand/type of Scotch for a newbie to start with? I've never been much of a straight liquor drinker, but the way Scotch drinkers rave about it, I'd like to give it a try. On the other hand, the same thing could probably be said about crack addicts, so maybe I am not using good logic.
That depends on how much you are willing to spend. Good single malt scotch can go for $50+ per bottle. What't your budget?
Check here I posted this thread asking the same thing awhile back and got lots of response The Link I was new to it as well and settled on starting with mccallen 12 its not that expensive and comes highly recomended
Rent "Mr. Roberts" with Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon, James Cagney and William Powell. After you see that you will be able to mix your own. I think it goes something like this: Medical alcohol (Everclear or 100 proof vodka) is your base. Add some tapwater to cut it a little, then Coke for color and a little iodine for taste. Scotch would taste like Irish whisky but for the fact that they dry the sprouted barley over peat fires (you know, like fertilizer). Peat is nothing more than what is left over when a swamp dries up. I think the highly vaunted individual tastes of different Scotch whiskys is based on whatever died in that swamp before it dried up. You know, seabirds, fish, eels, nutria, skunks, dogs, bears, bugs. Probably not any reptiles, though--too far North for them. Although, why would the Irish boast of not having snakes if they were not in Britain? IMHO, barley should be devoted to beer, plus a little for soups. Corn, the American variey, maize- now that makes a good whisky. It has great taste almost all by itself. Did you ever see or hear of anyone eating barley with a little melted butter and salt? Kellogs does not make "Barley Flakes." Corn is the primary grain used in distilling Bourbon. Some add just a bit of rice or wheat. I think Makers uses wheat-but just a little. Bourbon, despite being named indirectly after a semi-famous French family, is all-American. It is surely one of the glories of the Americas. It is distilled to a lower proof than other whiskys and bottled at a higher proof. What this means is that they don't add nearly as much water. The taste of Bourbon does not vary as much as Scotch--because it does not have the above-mentioned exotic ingredients. Some are more raw and there are differences in proof and age. Bourbon mixes with all sorts of other things to make great cocktails for the ladies. Manhattans, Sours, Old Fashioneds. Even Nogs. Very few cocktails can be made with Scotch. Get me a "Rusty Nail" (and a tetanus shot). "Scotch Milk" was a hookers' drink, and is rarely, if ever, served these days. The reason Scotch is used so little with mixers is that it tastes like sh_t to begin with.
I like my scotch neat. I don't really mind that it doesn't taste good with cranberry juice or creme de menthe. That said, my current fave is Macallan 15 year old Fine Oak. I am a big fan of Oban also. I had a Lagavulin 16 year old the other day that I found horrid. The iodine was overwhelming and not at all what I like in a scotch. I am currently enjoying a small Tomintoul 10 year old. It's an inexpensive Speyside. Light and tasty. Salud.
