Laphroaig is a Scotch single malt whiskey. It has a strong peat taste. Some love it. Some do not. Because it costs me about $50 per bottle for a 10-year-old single malt, I only get it once per year or per two years. So tonight I am enjoying another bottle after two years. Do you have a similar pleasure?

Try saying "Laphroaig" several times in a row after having a few shots of it.

Just bought my youngest son a bottle of this:


A blend of Cardhu and Clynelish single malts
and if you put the bottle in the freezer then the label says Winter is Here

Good scotch is dear, but not so greatly so that I'd turn away a 50 dollar deal- that's a nice price Letterboy. You might check out Dalmore 12, it's similarly priced sometimes.

I am currently out of scotch, which would be a shock to those that know me personally. Laphroaig is a bottle I don't seek out but neither do I hate it. I'll be picking up a Highland Park 12 tomorrow I think, or maybe some Balvenie Doublewood.

Highland Park, Ahh I had a nice trip to Orkney to visit the distillery and a tasting afterwards courtesy of the distillery in 1990, still got my glasses and water jug that were a gift from Highland Park.

Balvenie a small distillery contained within the boundary of the Glenfiddich Distillery, I was there in 2001 on business. When we had the hotel, The Balvenie was the second best selling single malt I had, top seller was Glenmorangie and I could sell a bottle's worth of drams of the Morangie for every dram of The Balvenie.

I have heard Glenmorangie is a perennial top seller. I quite enjoy it, especially their Nectar d'Or.

Have you had the occasion to try Glenfarclas, Alicatt? "The Macallan without the price" is how it was described to me, and in general I agree.

Can one of you guys adopt me?

That's when I say it more accurately!

What, no Red Barron pizza to go with your Scotch??

I'm always pleased to learn of our Southern Cousins' quaint delicacies.

Hmmm. That's a negative. But try gofundme. You never know!

Can't say that I like Laphroaig or any of the very peaty malts. My favourite is Aberlour. The 10 or 12 year old especially. A Christmas a nice bit of cherry cake or my wife's own dark fruit cake with a glass of Aberlour is grand

I rarely drink whisky, maybe a gallon a decade.

My favorite I've tasted is Johnnie Walker Black Label. Is that total "Budweiser Crap" to you guys?

To my inexperienced whisky tongue Jack Daniels is the "Budweiser Crap" of whisky....

The best whisky in the world is the one you enjoy; price is irrelevant.

I'm not really fond of single malts, preferring blended whisky, with one exception.

My whisky cabinet has:

Johnny Walker Black
Bushmill's
George Dickel (12 year old)

Dickel is a single malt - that is to say it's unblended - and is probably the best sipping whisky ever made. It can't be mixed with anything and can't be shot. But one can sip down huge amounts of it over time with no effect until it is time to stand up - at which point it lets it's presence felt.

And at twelve bucks a bottle it's definitely affordable.

IMHO, Jack Daniels is "mixing whisky," which is not high praise. Any alcohol that has to be adulterated in order to be enjoyed is lacking in quality right off the bat.

I don't drink a lot of whisky but I do like it. The only whisky to date that I've not liked is Talisker Skye. Just doesn't do it for me. I'm equally at home with blends or singles. This year I was given some Johnnie Walker Blue Label for my birthday - very nice. Looking forward to trying Green Label at Christmas.

Have you ever tried Dalwhinnie 15, Dart? Or Royal Brackla 12?

Blends were introduced for the American market about 100 years ago. Scotch then was not made as scotch is now, and exported scotch was a bit different still since not every bottling was exported. Chill filtration was also introduced. A lot of the scotch that came to the US was frankly harsh. So blends were introduced.

I'm no whiskey snob but I always feel that a single malt can do anything a blend can, in the 21st century. I also feel blends are an acquired taste, like anything else: if you gravitated towards blends your palate is pre-disposed towards them. Availability is also a factor- if one you would enjoy isn't available easily, you probably can't enjoy it much. Then there's the price point, you can't reasonably expect an 8 year old single malt to have the character of a 16, so in the low-end range, the difference is pronounced more, and similarly I feel that in the upper range of blends- like Johnnie Blue- you can find a similar single malt for less money at that price point.

I know people who get a bottle of Johnnie Blue and do shots. Ug. Missing the point entirely.

Indeed. There are some nice blends but they cost more than single malts. Also IMO age is not necessarily indicative of what you will like. My favourite brands has older and more rare varieties but I prefer the 10 and 12 year old.

I like some Irish as well. Red Breast is very nice.

I have never tried George Dickel. I assume its an American brand ? I have had some very good American 'sipping whisky' in my travels. Just as enjoyable as the best Scotch IMO.

Sacrilege!

Same kind of chavs who do shots with cognac

Doing shots is the booze equivalent of beer bonging or chugging if you ask me. It's not drinking, it's just getting drunk. Not that I have a problem with getting drunk, but I like to enjoy whatever I'm drinking on the way there.