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.
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.
Laphroaig, pronounced Le-Frog?
I’m shopping for the holiday and will check it out.
If it’s going to be part of a desert, something blended and much cheaper would suffice.
Scotch Ice Cream...interesting
Probably a Major for ‘Scotch Science’.
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.
Would a good tug straight off the bottle qualify as ‘neat’?
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
Only if it’s in a brown paper bag.
Actually, a Scotch Sour is pretty good if all you have is cheap Scotch.
Maybe use used catheter tube for a straw.
I prefer the Balvenie neat. If I want it cold, I keep it in the freezer.
Suum cuique pulchrum est, and God Bless America. ;-)
An eighteen year old single malt, a fine cigar and a pretty woman is nirvana.
Just sayn
5.56mm
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!
‘vulin is like liquid butterscotch.
Ahhh. Thank you.
5.56mm
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.
>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.
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