One for the whisky drinkers

[Toddy]

I made sloe whisky this year
It's going into the quaich to go around the fire at the New Year

We took Glenmorangie to the Moot last Summer and when we put the Saltire up and offered hositality to the Cymru for a peaceful welcome I nabbed Ogri to be the *guest*
I said my bit, slainte! and passed the quaich. It was obviously a novelty to Pete, but he got the hang of it pretty quick


Son2 drinks the cratur, he says add a bit of water, it opens up the flavour. My father added milk The old Highlanders added it to brose.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Goatboy]

Simply, what would you say is the best way to consume?

Got given a bottle last crimbo, even though they knew I don't drink the stuff. And I'm no longer allowed beer or lager but can have the odd snippet of whisky (I've not yet worked that one out), seems a shame for it to be sat all alone so thought I'd crack it open and give it a go.

Waterworx,
YOU'VE HAD IT FOR A YEAR:yikes: ...
Was it locked in a time lock?, please come up to a meet here in Scotland and we shall use our legendary hospitality to help you out sir.

I usually have one dram to one to two parts water... repeat ... often. You'll never have a cold either you know and it's good for my heart... well thats what the expensive private Doc said under my "happy" smile.

TTFN
GB.

 

[Melonfish]

i can guarentee a bottle of whiskey would not last a whole year in my house
if your going to drink whiskey DO NOT put coke or lemonade in it.
Water is acceptable but ICE is much better.
12yr singles should be treated to some ice defo, later move on to an 18yr then a 25!

 

[timboggle]

i can guarentee a bottle of whiskey would not last a whole year in my house
if your going to drink whiskey DO NOT put coke or lemonade in it.
Water is acceptable but ICE is much better.
12yr singles should be treated to some ice defo, later move on to an 18yr then a 25!

Yep, Melonfish, you're man who knows his stuff alright.

Preferances, I go with the seasons and moods, I like Jura in the Spring and Summer, I find it light and inspiring - then Talisker for the Autumn and Winter, helps to reflect about the year gone by, toast old freinds and if I'm not in my favourite place, the taste reminds me

 

[Adze]

Ice in whisky? Wash your mouths out the pair of you!

Ice is something you use to dampen down the flavour - don't believe me? Try a nice warm pint of lager and you'll see.

 

[Melonfish]

LAGER? EW!!!

Nice warm pint of scrump ta

 

[tenderfoot]

Ice in whisky? Wash your mouths out the pair of you!

Ice is something you use to dampen down the flavour - don't believe me? Try a nice warm pint of lager and you'll see.

Agreed - to get the flavour warm glass in your hands (think like brandy snifter)
Add room temperature water if you must but remember what WC Fields said when offered water for his whisky...
"Water - fish fornicate in it !"
Also famed for the line :- "Three fingers of whisky barman ,no - not horizontal, vertical! "

 

[Bushwhacker]

I'm with Melonfish, I add one large lump of ice and wait until it's melted. Whether that's the done thing or not, I don't know, but it works for me.

Laphroaig being my favourite.

 

[DavidJT]

Never Ice in a good single malt!
Do you ever notice that if you add the ice to a nice malt like Laphroaig, it goes a little milky? That's the essential oils which contain all the subtle flavours, emulsifying. To enjoy the flavour fully, you want those oils is evaporating slightly and going up your nose, and rolling around your palate. Less likely if they are emulsified.
Interestingly (friends North of the border will possibly correct or confirm this) I've heard on a Radio 4 programme, that Scottish Whisky produced for the North American market (even some good single malts) is processed to have some of these essential oils removed. That's because in the U.S. whisky is almost always drunk with ice and they don't want it looking weird and cloudy.
As for adding water, unless you are drinking cask strength (too strong for me) surly it all has water added? The whiskey expert on the same radio program said he thought the really perfect way to drink a single malt was with a little water from the same source used by the distillery!
Having said all that I do quite like a blended whiskey with Canada Dry and ice!
A friend in Glasgow had his 40th a few years ago. So I bought him a bottle of 40y.o. malt. He put it in the drinks cabinet to keep for a few years. Sadly it was discovered by some drunken neighbors at one of his famous new years parties, who knock it all back WITH COCA_COLA!!! Should be a capital offense!

 

[British Red]

If you want a proper whisky, you want a "non chill filtered" cask strength single malt. Ordinary whisky is diluted and chill filtering removes cloudiness (and flavour). You will need to add water (otherwise the strength of alcohol will numb your taste buds). The amount of water is subject to taste - no harm in adding more even to a "regular" whisky - a slightly more dilute taste allows you to enjoy some of the subtelties.

Ice - no ice? Drink it how you like it - don't let anyone tell you what you think tastes best - try a few different ways and drink it the way you like it.

The correct answer is 40 year old Caol Ila, non chill filtered, single cask, cask strength with a splash of Malvern water. Cloudy, almost oily, full of complex falvours of seaweed, peat and iodine!

Red

 

[Bushwhacker]

full of complex falvours of seaweed, peat and iodine!

Red

Funny you should say that. That's why I don't mind the taste of iodine treated water!

 

[Whittler Kev]

Why not experiment, drop of water, no drop of water, ice, no ice, lemonade, no lemonade, coke, no coke, .........whiskey, no whiskey left, sober, drunk but a good experiment.
I used to like Southern Comfort (no bottle was safe -bit like a file at the moment) then it was bells (not the hunchback kind!) now its Teachers. Nice to experiment.
Just to make you all drool, I won a bottle of 25 year old Scotch in 1997. Still unopened - and it will stay that way for a few yards yet. No its not evaporating

 

[BigM]

I seem to remember R. Mears suggesting making ice cubes from birch sap with a little sprig of mint inside. He claimed they went well with a single malt. Could try doing that next spring.

Incidentally, I was bought a bottle of Midleton Very Rare earlier this year. Sweet Jesus...it's nectar. Obviously it's all gone now, and I can't afford to buy another bottle-- but some day....

M

 

[Goatboy]

To all the uisge beatha / water of life virgins out there,

If you fancey a try but don't want to break the bank, try a good blend. Baillie Nicol Jarvie is produced in Leith ( part of Edinburgh - though the locals may linch me for saying that).

Although a blend it regularly wins awards as the best of the bunch, beating many single malts. You'll pick up a 70cl bottle for about £13 and it's best served warm with a splash of water. You can experiment as to how much. The warmth and water releases the flavours. Have a look here as to tasting notes. http://www.whiskymag.com/whisky/brand/baillie_nicol_jarvie/whisky1449.html

For malts well I'm a sucker who craves sucour in Speyside. My fave is Glenfarclas 105 http://www.glenfarclas.co.uk/en/pages/78,Glenfarclas_105.html A wonderful dram for special occasions with your best friend, though the best friend better be a dog as they dont drink.

When the spirit of goatboy is upon me and I want something more excotic then this is the boy. http://www.loch-dhu.com/ It's a black whiskey - literally, has charcoal in it which makes it VERY smooth. Back in the day Belzeebob and I used to quaff this stuff, but in the last eight or so years it has gone from a £30 pound bottle to a £170 drinkie due to the fact that they don't make it anymore and as stock dwindles the price rockets...

There's many flavours to enjoy out there, I personally don't like the Islay whisky's as they're too peaty for my palate - think they taste of TCP, but there's a dram for everyone out there. Go on, have a punt and see what you like, Highland Park is smooth and enjoyed by most who try it, but hey I drink http://www.scotchwhisky.net/blended/stewarts_cream.htm as an everyday dram and some will shrink away from it. It's all down to your tastes and where your from. Stewarts was not far away and made with water from where I'm from. A lot to be said about adding water from where a whisky is made and the water you add. The best is often from the stream you're camped near or the ice you head out of your tent to melt... the best.
Cheers
GB.

 

[DavidJT]

Good info and inspiration GB, thanks!
Unlike you I'm an Islay fan, so a bargain tipple which I quite like is Tesco's Finest Islay single malt. Who knows which distillary it comes from, and quite pale but very good for the price.

 

[Goatboy]

Good info and inspiration GB, thanks!
Unlike you I'm an Islay fan, so a bargain tipple which I quite like is Tesco's Finest Islay single malt. Who knows which distillary it comes from, and quite pale but very good for the price.

Hey David as I said... there's a dram for us all. Those Welsh monks ( Yup Welsh) deserve a back slap for inventing the stuff. It's a never ending taste odyssey.

Will try the Tesco stuff and see... may not need to use it to treat wounds. lol

TTFN
GB

 

[Celt_Ginger]

Have it whatever way YOU like it. You are drinking it to please yourself, not anyone else. If you like it with Lucozade then have it that way. Lemonade and Ginger ale are nice with whisk(E)y. Water is a more aquired taste (I take Ice and water in mine) and neat whisky/Whiskey is not my favourite way to drink it.

 

[Melonfish]

I'll happily drink whiskey neat if its smooth enough, when i was 18 my nan got me started on Irish whiskeys (blended) and i'm rather fond of em. can't beat a good highland single tho.

as far as bourbons go i can drink southern comfort or at a push jack daniels but i've found that "Gentleman Jack" is far superior to both, its about £45 a bottle although much better then regular stuff

whiskey for outings is a small bottle of grouse (i know its blended!) but i prefer glenfiddich i just can't afford it all the time especially the 30 year old stuff!

 

[wanderingblade]

The only thing you shoul;d ever mix with whisky is more whisky.

Anything added makes it a cocktail and they are for girls.

The End.

 

[DavidJT]

My old Dad often quoted the Cowboy Cold Remedy....
"Go to bed with a bottle of Whisky, and leave your hat on the bed post. Drink Whisky until there's two hats"