A question for all Whisky drinkers.

by lfcviking 125 Replies latest jw friends

  • Frank75
    Frank75
    I have wanted to give Scotch as a gift to some of my customers at the end of the year. What would be a good Scotch to give around the $100.00 range? Any suggestions? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

    exjdub

    End of the Year gifts eh? Sounds like Christmas! Are we allowed to celebrate Christmas on JWD? Well I do.

    Gift ideas around Scotch are plentiful. There should be some good "Gift Wrap" offerings in the fall around urban centers in Florida. All the classic Scotch providers are into Christmas so offering their clients a spiced up Christmas package just helps you narrow down the field a little.

    Scotch for the uninitiated can be a challenge as Single Malts can have quite a temperament to go along with their strong personality. As a result some prefer to give a blend such a Johnny Walker, Blue Label (High$) Gold (High$) Green (mid-range$) and Black (Mid-low$) or Chivas who have some nice blended age options. Check out their 21 year salute in a special ceramic decanter. Makes a nice gift. I gave one of these to my FIL when I was newly married. He drank it down and then now fills it with Teachers to impress his dub friends. Yuck!!!

    Blends incorporate a variety of Scotches to give a more favorable experience to newer Scotch drinkers. Although a lot of blended Scotch is just crap (won't mention such so not to offend, oops already did!) the offerings from JW (sorry) and Chivas are not to snubbed.

    If your recipient is into single malts then the choices would generally be based on a region and Character he/she has already expressed interest in. Islay Scotches (or from the coastal islands) like Skye, Jura etc. Offerings such as Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Caol Ila, Laphroig, Jura, Scapa, Talisker etc.

    These tend to be on the peaty side with an almost medicinal taste and saltiness from their proximity to the ocean and local water sources. Many an Islay sits in the liquor cabinet untouched because the recipient was just not ready for this step in Scotch appreciation!

    Lagavulin should go only to someone who has expressed specific affection for it. I love it and especially with a meal (before or after) as it is an ideal palate cleanser. However it is not for the casual drinker as can be seen by these reviews:

    The worst scotch i ever drink(and i am a fanatic whisky drinker),taste is like poison.What a smell!
    Overwhelmingly peaty and dense, hangs around the nose and throat for a long time but lots of warmth with no sharpness. I prefer something lighter such as Bowmore or even Tamnavulin (Speyside) but this is a great example of an intense and well-rounded Islay.
    This stuff has some serious peat taste and is not for the casual single malt drinker.
    If you are buying this because you think four years makes a difference then your wasting your money.

    If you want to give something that appeals to the majority and even women, consider the softer Speyside and Highland Scotches, such as Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, Strathisla or Oban amongst others. My wife likes Cardhu (Speyside) which is the main ingredient in the Johnny Walker Scotch Blends. (Strathisla is the major portion in Chivas) Other well known and cherished Speyside Scotch is Craigganmore, Balvenie, Dalwhinnie, GlenFarclas, Knockando and one of my favorites The MacAllan

    Lowland Scotch seems to mature faster than Highland due to some of the complexities of the peat, water, temperature, distillation technique and ambient humidity of the region. Therefore older offerings from the lowlands resemble some American and Canadian whisky because of the woodiness of the product. However the younger Scotch such as 8-12 year olds like Glenkinchie 10 are quite nice. Don't get me wrong, I would not kick a 31 year old Auchentoshan out of bed for eating crackers!

    So either way you go, the blended or single malts, it would be best to see what reviewers have said about your selection on line and like any gift, consider the receiver especially. (I hate to see good stuff go to waste). Try to stick with something that gives you the age of the Scotch. Most of the cheaper scotch is nothing more than 2 year old grain alcohol with some caramel colouring to give it taste and color.

    Oh, and one last suggestion since we are talking Scotch. Try to narrow the shopping list and field down, approach your local distributor and have them order in for you the product you have chosen. You should also see about getting a discount if you are talking more than 5 bottles! That is what is best about being Scotish even if you are only one in spirit!

    slainte!

    Frank75

  • nvrgnbk
    nvrgnbk

    Frank75, you are the man!

    And yes, I do believe I see a cigar thread in our near future.

  • Frank75
    Frank75

    Hey Bro! Don't you work? LOL

    Well let's get started on that Cigar thread then!

    That Robusto you got me is looooong gone! Took it to Jake's,... like to take you there someday. Keeps the bees and Dubs away!

    Slainte!

    Frank75

  • nvrgnbk
    nvrgnbk

    Hey Bro! Don't you work? LOL

    Well let's get started on that Cigar thread then!

    That Robusto you got me is looooong gone! Took it to Jake's,... like to take you there someday. Keeps the bees and Dubs away!

    Slainte!

    Frank75

    Hey Bro! Don't you work? LOL

    Don't you? LOL

    Off to start the cigar thread, unless you beat me to it?

  • Frank75
    Frank75

    Don't you? LOL

    Off to start the cigar thread, unless you beat me to it?

    A little. In fact i am off right now to do some.

    You first on the cigar thread. I'll catch up to you later there!

    Frank75

  • nvrgnbk
    nvrgnbk

    Suntory-

    Japan’s First Whisky to Achieve the Summit of the Whisky World

    In 1923, Suntory’s founder Shinjiro Torii began constructing Japan’s first whisky distillery in Yamazaki in the outskirts of Kyoto. Known since ancient times as Minaseno and famed for its excellent water, this district became the birthplace of Japanese whisky.
    In 1929, Suntory introduced Suntory Shirofuda (Japanese for white label), Japan’s first genuine domestically produced whisky. KAKUBIN (square bottle), a premium Japanese whisky, was born in 1937.
    In 1973, Suntory built another distillery in Hakushu at the foot of Mt. Kaikomagatake in the Southern Japan Alps. It developed an unparalleled variety of malt whiskies and highly refined techniques in these two utopias of whisky, and brought to market such products as YAMAZAKI single malt whisky, HAKUSHU and HIBIKI, Suntory’s flagship blended whisky.
    Following these achievements, Suntory worked even harder in pursuit of yet higher quality. In 2003, YAMAZAKI 12 Years captured a Gold Award at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC), one of the world’s most authoritative international liquor competitions. A year later in 2004, HIBIKI 30 Years won the Trophy, the highest award in the Challenge. And in 2005, YAMAZAKI 18 Years capped off these accomplishments by winning a Double Gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SWSC). As suggested by these awards, all historical firsts for Japanese whiskies, Suntory’s technological capabilities have earned worldwide acknowledgement and appreciation. In 2006, HAKUSHU 18 Years also captured a Gold Award at the ISC.

  • nvrgnbk
    nvrgnbk

    Just picked this up.

    padGlenlivet Single Malt Scotch Whiskey 16 year - Nadurra

    Colour: Pale gold, with bright lemony shades.

    Nose:

    Without water: Intense, tickling. Fresh and clean. Resolutely fruity. A full basket of ripe fruit, mostly exotic. William pears, baby bananas, pineapple, coconut, a touch of passion fruit. Lemon pulp. Green apple. Gives a feeling of appetizing freshness enhanced by an aniseed fringe. Lingers on that fruity mood for ever. Creamy note of praline. In the back, some herbal and spicy notes. Green tea, coriander seeds.

    With water: The nose becomes softer and more biscuity. Cereal notes come through with buttery aromas. Lemon curd. Freshly squeezed tangerine. A floral touch of gorse.

    Palate:

    Without water: Crisp, appetizing. So mouth-coating, with an oily feel immediately followed by a fizzy sensation on the tongue. Lavishly challenging for the taste buds but alcohol is perfectly tamed and never burning. Custardy. Poached peaches in vanilla syrup. White chocolate. Aniseed lollipop. Candied ginger.

    With water: Gets more chewy. And even more refreshing on sweet malty and minty flavors. Thirst-quenting.
  • nvrgnbk
  • stillajwexelder
    stillajwexelder

    nvrgnbk - that is an awesome Scotch -along with Lagavulin and Talisker

  • nvrgnbk
    nvrgnbk
    nvrgnbk - that is an awesome Scotch -along with Lagavulin and Talisker

    Amen, brother.

    The aroma is filling the neighborhood.

    She's nice and peaty with a touch of heather.

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