Recommend a whiskey

[Wardy]

I have to say I have a bottle of Smokehead 18 year in the cupboard. Very nice but expensive. Think the bottle would kill you if you even thought of putting some cola in it.

 

[ifuhatepalacestandup]

WHISKY PARADISE - There are more than 40000 old bottles in our cellars

 

[SeagullinExile]

The Peat is used for the malting process, in the same way it is in many Scotches, and in some Irish, the Peat fire is used to kill the sprouting barley kernels, making them into Malt, this happens before they are mashed for brewing. Peat is never added to the actual concoction. Depending on the 'peatiness' of the peat, the flavour from the smoke is more or less peaty in the final drink.

Hehe. I did say used in the process of production, but i can see why you pulled me up.

 

[ferring seagull]

For a bourbon, it's Woodford Reserve for me, with Knob Creek an able deputy.

I've never been able to get into drinking single malts, but I really want to as I love the idea. I think it's because I got wrecked on whisky once when I was young (Bells I think) and still, nearly 20 years on, don't like the smell. I think I need to push past the initial reaction (the smell!) and actually appreciate the taste - with a decent dram rather than pish like Bells!

As is said, one gets what one pays for. Blends are OK, especially the decent ones but are generally attacked by novices or those wishing to acquire instant or near instant headaches.

Do start to investigate the wonderful array of single malts.

Peatieness tends to occur depending upon the local water, eg in Islay or Skye where the water is 'tainted' with peat naturally. By comparison, the Speyside malts tend to be free of peat because the water is coming down off the granite of the Cairngorm Mountains.

A previous post referred to Auchentoshan, I was brought up about a mile away from there. (sad)

 

[SeagullinExile]

How good would the Amex be if there was a Whisky bar on each concourse!

Whiskey is for quiet contemplation,not footie! Christ, with a whiskey bar on each concourse the toilets would be a lake of vomit by 5.00 o'clock!

 

[Superphil]

Peatieness tends to occur depending upon the local water, eg in Islay or Skye where the water is 'tainted' with peat naturally. By comparison, the Speyside malts tend to be free of peat because the water is coming down off the granite of the Cairngorm Mountains.

The water used in whisky distillation has no effect on the flavour. The peatiness flavour is soley down to the peat smoking of the germinating barley as it turns to malt. FWIW the water is distilled in the process of distillation, hence any 'taint' in the water is lost to evaporation, the actual water that ends up in the spirit is 100% pure. The flavour of the finished product is therefore influenced by the smoked malt, also flavour and colour is garnered from the oak barrels during maturation, and the atmosphere permeating the barrels during its time of storage (eg. coastal distilleries have distinctive saltiness to their flavours). Neat whisky at the time of production is crystal clear. Colour comes from the barrels, and in some instances by the addition of caramel colourings.

Malt whisky is too strong to drink out of the barrel, so after the maturation process (normally 10 years or more) it is typically watered down to make it an acceptable 40-45% strength. This is more often than not in a giant bottling warehouse in Glasgow, using plain old water. This is where most malts are bottled, however, a few do bottle their own, and would indeed use their own local water to dilute it to a suitable strength, in these instances the water would have an influence on the flavour, but bear in mind there are few distilleries that do this.

 

[flint]

Try Clynleish. Not generally available in Sussex but waitrose sometimes have the odd bottle. Comes from Brora just north of Inverness. Very smooth and 14 year old good value. Only mix with water.
Regards
Stewart of Dundee

 

[champion7]

I love a good drop of Bushmills

 

[Bold Seagull]

I'm a big fan of the Isle of Jura whisky's, these are a great entry into the world of single malts. The Superstition is a great place to start.

www.jurawhisky.com

 

[CP 0 3 BHA]

If you like bourbon, i highly recommend Makers Mark - a bit pricier but gorgeous over rocks.

Wouldn't that sting a bit?

 

[herecomesaregular]

If you are going to Edinburgh, take yourself to Cadenhead's shop in Cannongate (bottom of the Royal Mile), I guarantee you there is no better Whisky shop in Edinburgh, possibly Scotland or the world (I don't make idle claims). You'll need to establish your credentials with them, tell them your experience, and then have some tastes of what they suggest. It's impossible to explain what it's all about, you need to go there. Beware though, we've come out of there on more than one occasion, somewhat bawsed, and considerably poorer.

Now that's a recommendation hard to resist! Will check it out when we're there, thanks.

 

[Albion in the north]

If you like peaty, try Lagavulin..

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Makers Mark is lovely. I got wasted in Manhatten on that a few years ago in a TGIF bar with my ex wife and an American barman who was obsessed with and continually played to the whole bar





OASIS songs.

 

[SeagullinExile]

Wouldn't that sting a bit?

Nah..retails at about £4.30 a double at mine. Bit pricier, but worth it.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I am at the moment endulging with a cheeky half bottle of Londis Blended Scotch Whisky brought at the bargain price of £ 8. The Tesco home brand is pretty decent but of the mass market stuff I think Bell's is the best. I can't stand Teachers that is foul.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Highland Park, little splash of water.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Highland Park, little splash of water.

 

[Superphil]

Highland Park, little splash of water.

Highland Park, little splash of water.

Very nice, and a double too

 

[beorhthelm]

Malt whisky is too strong to drink out of the barrel, so after the maturation process (normally 10 years or more) it is typically watered down to make it an acceptable 40-45% strength. This is more often than not in a giant bottling warehouse in Glasgow, using plain old water. This is where most malts are bottled, however, a few do bottle their own, and would indeed use their own local water to dilute it to a suitable strength, in these instances the water would have an influence on the flavour, but bear in mind there are few distilleries that do this.

im pretty sure all the single malt distilleries do this themselves using their local water supply, when the spirit is barrelled to mature, before bottling. you wouldnt go to all the trouble of a single malt then ship it down to Glasgow to some factory to bottle it and dilute your fine crafted spirit with water from the Clyde.

 

[Superphil]

im pretty sure all the single malt distilleries do this themselves using their local water supply, when the spirit is barrelled to mature, before bottling. you wouldnt go to all the trouble of a single malt then ship it down to Glasgow to some factory to bottle it and dilute your fine crafted spirit with water from the Clyde.

I'm 100% certain very few do. Glenfiddich have a bottling plant, they also bottle Balvenie. Springbank do too, they are part of the Cadenhead's organisation, so bottle a lot of the specialist stuff you can buy in their shops. Bowmore do on Islay, but there are very few others. I assure you, most of it is shipped to large bottling plants where the vast majority of it is brought down to drinkable alcohol content by the addition of water. Obviously they aren't sucking it up straight from the Clyde, it's going to be very good water, but it is definitely done.