Posted on 11/21/2017 8:27:19 AM PST by ImJustAnotherOkie
Why is Scotch whisky so intimidating? There's something about this spirit — which is really nothing more than malt or grain-based whisky made in Scotland — that's got an intimidating rep.
Well, once you know how to drink Scotch — and learn that it's not so scary after all — you'll be that cool, breezy bar-goer sipping Scotch like it's no biggie.
First, the basics: all Scotch whisky has to meet certain legal standards to be granted it's name. Chiefly, it must be aged in oak barrels for at least three years.
Scotch comes in two forms, single malts (all 100-percent malt whiskys are produced within one distillery) and blends (different single malts are blended together, often with added grain whisky). Naturally, within these two categories, there are a million potential distinctions — they vary in their peaty-ness (smokiness), brininess, and heaviness. But before you start arguing about the merits of one blend over another, you've got to know how to drink Scotch the right way. Here's how it's done.
1. Pour it
When it comes to boozing, glassware is especially important when it comes to taste. Most Scotch nerds will agree that tulip-shaped glasses, also known as "whiskey snifters," are ideal, especially when sipping whiskey neat. In theory, this glass shape "traps the whisky aromas in the glass and concentrates them all in one place." Of course, if you go to a bar, they'll likely serve you Scotch in a rocks glass. That's fine, too.
2. Dilute it
Experts recommend adding a few drops of water to a particularly special Scotch — the water helps bring out flavors that might otherwise be overshadowed by the flavors and aromas of pure alcohol. If you're cracking open a super-old, expensive bottle that's been sitting on a shelf forever, you may want to add even more water — a teaspoon or two — to open up the flavors.
3. Ice it
Professionals may think it's gauche, but Scotch over ice isn't an unusual preference for whiskey drinkers. Some people appreciate a colder Scotch-drinking experience, and ice essentially does the same job as adding water — a little diluting, a little opening up of flavor. If you're going to use ice, though, opt for one of those big cubes — it'll melt slower, keeping your drink from getting so watered down that you can't appreciate it's nuances.
4. Or put it in a cocktail
Scotch and soda? Classic. Ditto for the Rob Roy and the Rusty Nail. But Scotch also plays well with grapefruit and honey-ginger syrup, as well as with sweet vermouth and orange, and even pear nectar and ginger ale. Just because your grandpa only drank Scotch neat doesn't mean you have to. After all, you're an expert now — you can drink it any damn way you like.
I bought some Tallisker on the Isle of Skye. The water goes thru peaty bogs and that stuff did taste like creosote...but very smooth.
>I quit Scotch in ‘98. Diagnosed diabetic...
>>Hmmmm....my doc told me to quit drinking wine and beer (sugar and carbs) and switch to scotch since it has the lowest calories and glycemic index numbers
Your doctor is correct. I follow a keto low carb diet and scotch is super low carb and doesn’t spike my bloods sugar.
>An acquired taste indeed. Is the sneaker taste the peat or the smokiness? LOL. I will acquire the taste before the bottle runs dry.
Don’t feel bad. I can’t stand that stuff and I’ve been drinking scotch for 15 years now.
Had some last night - it's pretty good. Still don't know what it actually is ie whether it's been aged longer, blended with who-knows-what, etc.
Was at a 5 star hotel in Portugal years ago with a friend visiting from the states, I Iived in Spain at the time. I was used to paying 20 euros a bottle for Oban from the local package store. So I see this bottle of Oban behind the bar and order two doubles, one for each of us.
My buddy likes it so I order another round of the same. Check comes and it is over 200 Euros! I ask the bartender in my halting Spanish why so expensive. He pulls down the bottle and it is some exclusive Oban label I’d never seen before.
Charged it to the room. Spousal unit saw the line item at checkout and I told her never mind. My buddy has been sending me scotch every Christmas since.
When I was drinking, scotch was always nasty. I tried 12, 18 and 21 year old various scotches, and they all tasted like grass and dung.
Now, Irish whiskey, or bourbon? I would drink a ton of that.
The Macallan Double Cask 12 year old or Highland Park.
“Just push the button marked ‘booze’. It’s the only way to fly.”
Just don’t breath when you drink. Air turns it into fire on the pallet.
Question: Would you have bounced the patron if he had
ordered the well Scotch with tomato juice?
I’m not sure why I ask that question except that I may
have a subconscious belief that sipping alcohol is just
that. If the alcohol product is supposed to be of such
high quality that it is ‘stand alone’ then mixing it
with anything except a little ice or dash of water is
an insult to the gods of alcohol. For example the
ever popular Jack Daniels and Coke is wrong, wrong
and wrong. If you like the flavor of whiskey and
cola then order cheap or well whiskey. Don’t
insult the high quality product.
Then I ask myself if I am really that much of a booze
snob and my answer to myself is no I am not. Combine
anything that floats your boat. The Daniels people
hail their central product as a ‘sipping whiskey’
at the same time they offer various cocktail recipes
featuring their product including ‘Jack Daniels and
cola. The folks who bring you ‘Old No.7’ love the
‘sipping’ quality reputation of the product but they
also love the profits realized because most consumers
don’t sip, instead they prefer cocktails. The more
diverse, the more profitable. As a fan of capitalism
I love the idea of appealing to diverse audiences.
Thank you! Creosote was my first impression of Scotch and why I never pursued it further.
Appreciate that, thanks.
Wow, thanks for the list.
Thank you.
Give it 1 second per year in your mouth before swallowing or breathing. You’ll get all the flavor and the burn goes away.
My favorite is Lagavulin.
It's an acquired taste to be sure. I've had scotch that could have been from the breasts of Aphrodite, and some that helped me understand why Hadrian built the wall.
Ditto on #3 and #4. Why would anyone want to waste good Scotch in a mixed drink? Cheap scotch, maybe...So that it’s palatable. But mixing 21-year-old Glenfiddich with Ginger Ale should be a hanging offense.
How well we know that!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvMSDgChIl4
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