z31maniac said:In reply to Beer Baron :
I know you have a well developed pallette, I've tried multiple different Scotch's from friends collections.....but almost all of them, to me, just taste like a campfire.
Those smokey whiskies are actually a pretty small minority of what comes out of Scotland. It's just that the people who talk the most and loudest about Scotch whisky tend to be the ones who like the heavy smokey stuff, which is really an acquired taste. In the same way that friend who is "in to craft beer" will hand you an absurdly bitter IPA instead of a Hefeweizen.
Looks for something Lowland, Highland, or maybe Speyside. Steer away from Islay or anything that mentions "peat" or "smoke".
Do you have particular flavor profiles or anything that you tend to like the most in a whiskey? A couple of quick recommendations for started Scotches. These should all be readily available, and except for Balvenie are <$50:
Monkey Shoulder - Caramel, marmalade, creamy. The exact opposite of those campfire whiskies you don't like. Lighter and sweeter than my preference. Arguably the best Value/$$ in whisky.
Auchentoshan - Delicate and floral. Almost more like an Irish whisky, but with mure cereal and caramel.
Glenlivet 12 - Nice, balanced, fruit, vanilla, cedar chest. A good choice if you tend towards wheated bourbons (e.g. Weller or Makers)
Glenfiddich 12 - (I don't have a bottle, so my notes are rough) Balanced but a bit more robust than Glenlivet. Good choice if you prefer bourbon with a bit of rye (e.g. Buffalo trace or 4 Roses)
Balvenie Double Wood 12 - One of my go-to's and the first one that really got me into Scotch. Deep dark fruit pudding with brown sugar crumble on top. Has gone up in price, and is the only one on this list >$50, but I include as one I would grab to introduce someone to malt whisky if they want satiny and robust, rather than delicate, and don't care for smoke.
Glenlivet, Glenfidich, and Balvenie are all available in smaller size bottles (50, 200, or 375 mL) if you want to try them.
