How to drink Scotch without looking like a novice

epicurious ^ | 10/21/2017 | By Becky Hughes |

[VR-21]

Johnny Walker has come out with a “Double Black” that has a wonderful finish. I get it at my local Safeway. It’s a bit more spendy than the regular Johnny Black, which is also good, but again, this “Double Black” stuff would make a good and sensible gift for any scotch lover I know.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Laphroaig, pronounced Le-Frog?

I’m shopping for the holiday and will check it out.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

If it’s going to be part of a desert, something blended and much cheaper would suffice.

Scotch Ice Cream...interesting

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Probably a Major for ‘Scotch Science’.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

That’s ok, you can send the leftover to me.

I hated Scotch too when I was young, then I won a bottle in a contest. It was cheap crap. my buddy and I polished it off one night while playing pinball and I was hooked from then on.

[BraveMan]

Would a good tug straight off the bottle qualify as ‘neat’?

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

For convenience these are all the Scotch’s referenced today. I doubt you can go wrong.

Aberlour Double Cask 16 y.o.
Arbegs
Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 year old.
Dalwhinnie
Glenfiddich
Glenlivet
Highland Park
Lagavulin
Laphroaig

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Only if it’s in a brown paper bag.

[AppyPappy]

Actually, a Scotch Sour is pretty good if all you have is cheap Scotch.

[stylin19a]

I think I see the problem.
No wonder there is confusion.
They specifically preface how to drink scotch whisky, then proceed to give instructions about scotch whiskey.

Mixing drinks - especially Irish and Scot - is not a good idea.(It must hell to be an Irish-Scot alcoholic-you want a drink but you don't want to pay for it.)

Besides, you should be drinking scotch - about 3 fingers worth - out of a dirty glass.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Maybe use used catheter tube for a straw.

[Fred Hayek]

I prefer the Balvenie neat. If I want it cold, I keep it in the freezer.

[linear]

Suum cuique pulchrum est, and God Bless America. ;-)

[M Kehoe]

An eighteen year old single malt, a fine cigar and a pretty woman is nirvana.

Just sayn

5.56mm

[Turbo Pig]

The important question is, How do you politely drink Scotch if you’re really a Bourbon (or Tennessee whiskey) person?

A true Bourbon drinker wouldn't care what a Scotch drinker thought, turn it down and ask for something that doesn't taste of peat moss!

[Daffynition]

[Daffynition]

‘vulin is like liquid butterscotch.

[M Kehoe]

Ahhh. Thank you.

5.56mm

[NewHampshireDuo]

Once, when I was a stupid teenager we mixed it with Root Beer...Once.

I've been drinking Scotch since college. Not so much nowadays. In college, on a bet, I drank a shot of Scotch mixed in a glass of dill pickle juice. Believe it or not, it went down just fine.

[JohnyBoy]

>For a sure deal, I’ve always liked Glenlivet and Glenfiddich 12yr. Both are good for a reasonable price. Choosing a smoother 18yr has an extra exclusivity factor.

I’m pretty partial to Glenlivet 18 and the 12 is cheap & good enough to drink every day.

>Single Malt is the key. Brands like Chivas and Johnnie Walker, while they can be good. mix the malts for consistency year over year. JW Red is way harsher than I like, but it beats no Scotch at all.

Johnnie Walker Black is my go-to scotch at the average dive bars I hang out at since getting a good single malt isn’t usually possible. Red, however, is just awful. I bought a bottle once and couldn’t stand it. I used it to clean my pipes and even had a homeless guy refuse to take it when I offered.

>Some liquor store owners have a lot more knowledge especially on special deals and will special order something that can be quite a bargain.

Give Japanese peat whiskies a try. They make really good scotch but can’t call it scotch.

I’m a big fan of Highland park 12. Very smokey, Winston Churchill’s drink of choice and really good with cigars.