tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post259471538428613737..comments2024-02-28T07:23:12.706-04:00Comments on Jason's Scotch Whisky Reviews: Scotch Whisky Recommendations for the NewcomerJason Deblyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13305087714773608306noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-58459239016333591492016-11-20T05:50:07.075-04:002016-11-20T05:50:07.075-04:00So many choices.... Craggenmore 12 1st...then Hig...So many choices.... Craggenmore 12 1st...then Highland Park 12 2nd. 3rd is difficult... Maybe islay to see if you're a smokey lover... one of the 10 yrs perhaps...<br />This could go on forever Jason Ha Ha!!<br /> AL (from OZ)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-76156467112967151292016-09-15T10:30:36.752-03:002016-09-15T10:30:36.752-03:00Since you are a fan of Macallan 12, the closest in...Since you are a fan of Macallan 12, the closest in terms of flavor would be the Quinta Ruban, a true delight that was finished in port pipes.<br /><br />Nectar D'Or is not what I would call a sherried dram and therefore is quite a bit different than the Macallan flavors you like so much. The Nectar D'Or is a more honeyed, melon with lemon type of flavor profile. Still it is excellent too.<br /><br />Another alternative that would appeal to your Macallan enthusiast palate would be Balvenie 12 yrs Doublewood. Usually can be had at a reasonable price and is widely available.<br /><br />Hope this helps!<br /><br />Cheers!Jason Deblyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13305087714773608306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-31674421965691005292016-09-14T20:55:22.003-03:002016-09-14T20:55:22.003-03:00Hi. Last winter at a Cuban resort my wife and I ha...Hi. Last winter at a Cuban resort my wife and I had unlimited access to the top shelf. As I enjoyed a dram of the Seleccion de Maestros rum, based on the Rumhowler's excellent rating, I mentioned to my wife the Macallan 12 was known to even a non scotch drinker like me to be both expensive in Canada and well regarded. And from there she proceeded to have her first experiences sipping ANY strong spirit neat, and quite enjoyed it.<br /><br />So with Christmas coming I've been spending time in the blogs and on Youtube searching for an alternative, given the withdrawal of the 12 yo from our market and the general distaste for the 1824 Gold and Amber.<br /><br />For some reason here in Saskatchewan the Quinta Ruban, Nectar D'or and Grenfarclas 15 are all excellently priced relative to the rest of Canada and the world. So I'm looking for a recommendation among those 3 for a newby, yes, but one who has already shown an inclination for a strong sherry influence. Thanks in advance for considering my question.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-78837575996015005222015-03-08T22:59:38.645-03:002015-03-08T22:59:38.645-03:00Thanks for the notes!Thanks for the notes!Jason Deblyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13305087714773608306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-11248670836509197202015-03-08T15:20:10.954-03:002015-03-08T15:20:10.954-03:00After I wrote the long post yesterday (unsigned), ...After I wrote the long post yesterday (unsigned), I decided the evening would have another comparison: <br /><br />Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 - $60 vs Balvenie Doublewood 12 - $46 and Dalmore 12 - $48<br /><br />Caribbean Cask is nice and smooth, light, easily drinkable, and all preferred it to the Doublewood, though they have similarities. Would be a good scotch for a party. The Doublewood and Dalmore were indeed a similar pair, both rougher. <br /><br />Bob KAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-37653873662115928762015-03-07T22:19:08.639-04:002015-03-07T22:19:08.639-04:00Hi! Once a bottle is open oxygen will affect the ...Hi! Once a bottle is open oxygen will affect the flavor in many malts but not all. I find that whiskies that are of a higher ABV 45% plus do tend to be much less affected by oxidation.<br /><br />I am glad you gave Scotch a chance. Many people dismiss it as tasting terrible, but they make the rookie mistakes of trying to take too big a sip. As you know, the flavors explode and with a great whisky they are magic.<br /><br />Welcome to the world of whisky!Jason Deblyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13305087714773608306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-81359676464822739342015-03-07T15:55:06.976-04:002015-03-07T15:55:06.976-04:00Great blog, and good advice! Never a liquor drink...Great blog, and good advice! Never a liquor drinker, decided to try scotch. A friend gave me Talisker (ugh!), and Laphroaig (ugh again!). Undaunted, I found your blog and the LA Whiskey Society. <br /><br />This particular thread gave me the confidence to go buy a bottle - of Highland Park 12. Loved it. A friend and I have been each buying different scotches and quickly have now tried (US dollar prices): <br /><br />Mine:<br />Highland Park 12 - $43 <br />Highland Park 15 - $65<br />Oban 14 - $70<br />Clynelish 14 - $55<br />Dalmore 12 - $48<br />BenRiach 10 Curiositas - $48<br /><br />His:<br />Glendronach (probably 12) - $46<br />Balvenie Doublewood 12 - $46<br />Bunnahabhain 12 - $50 (bunny hoppin)<br />Aberlour a'bunadh $70 (60% abv, be careful)<br /><br />I was totally surprised by how different the scotches are, and how different a scotch can be from one time to the next (sometimes I drink them right after dinner, but sometimes I think they air in the bottle changes the scotch). Have not experimented with adding water, except to the 60% ABV scotch. <br /><br />I got a Glencairn glass, cheap at Bed Bath and Beyond, but widely available, and it is great for scotch. Smelling is half the fun! http://www.glencairnwhiskyglass.com/ <br /><br />I cannot pick a favorite yet, but here are my thoughts:<br /><br />HP12 and HP15 - both very good, 15 smoother, both have nice smoke finish. Really like these. Great suggestions.<br /><br />Clynelish and Oban - some similarities, first try did not like the Clynelish, but second time I did. These are fruitier/nuttier than the HPs. Probably like Oban better.<br /><br />Ben Riach 10 Curiositas - found this while searching for a scotch close to HP in flavor. Maybe it is not, but it is as close as I came with good reviews. Really like this. Smoky smell, smoky taste - but not overwhelming. Going to have to drink more of this and the HPs to decide which is best. :) <br /><br />The Dalmore 12 was underwhelming initially. Probably the least favorite so far, but certainly not bad. Did not do side by side, but memory says the closest to this is Balvenie? <br /><br />My friend's scotches were all drinkable, but I have had less time with them. <br /><br />I like the idea of paired comparisons, to see what you prefer among two similar or somewhat similar scotches. <br /><br />Most interestingly, was about to clean the shot glass. Tilted it up to get the last drop. It hit my tongue and I clearly tasted chocolate. Can't recall which scotch, but a single drop gave me flavor I had not noted before. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-8081640581143693872014-09-26T17:49:41.516-03:002014-09-26T17:49:41.516-03:00haha, forgot to say that i'm enjoying a hakush...haha, forgot to say that i'm enjoying a hakushu 12 yo with ice! it is a wonderful whiskey (i'm 44 and i started enjoying whiskey 1 month ago so i guess i started late!). since i'm here, here's a quick review of the Hakushu 12:<br /><br />nose: smokey, then floral, some grass, fresh mountain air. can't compare the smokiness to islay stuff as i have not tried the latter, but i can say the smoke is gentle, not overpowering.<br /><br />palate: some of the same above but also some other more pronounced stuff.......i don't know what it is but it taste good :-) body is medium and oily, lovely...<br /><br />finish: slightly smokey, lingering grass, making you feel elegantly at peace with nature.<br /><br />ccdev<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-52857877943487956572014-09-26T17:39:40.596-03:002014-09-26T17:39:40.596-03:00hey man, i understand the moral implications of ac...hey man, i understand the moral implications of accepting a gift and then reviewing it but life is short and maybe we could just give thanks to the small stuff we experience in life (like complimentary bottles) and then give a closet-to-possible "honest" review. this is after all, for the benefit of your readers. and i would place more weightage in your 'biased' review than some other 'honest' review in another site.cheers!<br /><br />ccdevAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-75532259141139086572014-05-28T18:27:52.071-03:002014-05-28T18:27:52.071-03:00Hi Ernie! I think you would definitely enjoy Glen...Hi Ernie! I think you would definitely enjoy Glenfiddich 15yrs Solera. But, be careful when you pick up the bottle you don't make the mistake of grabbing the Glenfiddich 15 Distiller's Edition that is bottled at 51% abv. Definitely not what you are looking for.<br /><br />I do not like sherry on its own. But, when sherry casks are used to season the spirit that will one day be a an aged single malt, sherry can contribute great notes of berry, strawberry and cherry to a lesser extent. Great sherried single malts to consider that are very smooth, no burn and will not offend are Balvenie Doublewood 12 yrs and Macallan 12yrs.<br /><br />Thanks for commenting!Jason Deblyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13305087714773608306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-77762199666589844612014-05-28T17:24:51.750-03:002014-05-28T17:24:51.750-03:00I read your comments about Glenfiddich Solera Rese...I read your comments about Glenfiddich Solera Reserve. And this one for newcomers. When I was in the military I drank Tequila, Jose Cuervo with the worm and another brand I can't recall I think it was 1800. I also drank Elijah Craig 12 year and 18. I like Coors beer, Millers genuine draft, Mickeys ale and thinking of trying Guinness. I don't like whiskey or wine that tastes like rubbing alcohol. I like smooth/sweet whiskeys. I have been reading about the Scotch that's aged in Sherry casks. Haven't tried Sherry, I know it's a desert wine and also have it on my list to try. I was leaning toward getting the Glenfiddich Solera Reserve for my first scotch. Or maybe Bushmills 16 year old single malt. Would you suggest Glenfiddich Solera for me given my palate or something else?Erniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05034603939800926618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-52739664378506527032014-04-11T23:59:18.507-03:002014-04-11T23:59:18.507-03:00am a new whisky drinker so tried cragganmore 12 lu...am a new whisky drinker so tried cragganmore 12 luved it... what next...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-61107325021342215912014-03-23T00:37:31.941-03:002014-03-23T00:37:31.941-03:00I love your blog - keep up the good work! Just wan...I love your blog - keep up the good work! Just wanted to give you a big thanks for Glenmorangie Qunta Ruban - it is incredible. I am no aficionado, so at the risk of sounding like an idiot, I think it tastes like cognac. In any case, its wonderful, thanks again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-62890635384813104762013-12-25T06:38:47.464-04:002013-12-25T06:38:47.464-04:00Black Grouse when first launched in 2007 was prett...Black Grouse when first launched in 2007 was pretty weak but more recently it has gotten a lot better. It has deemphasized the Islay influence and now is more like a peated standard bottling. It is getting better.Jason Deblyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13305087714773608306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-57917082564651985732013-12-25T02:49:09.235-04:002013-12-25T02:49:09.235-04:00Black grouse is definitely one of the worst bottli...Black grouse is definitely one of the worst bottlings from that distillery, get yourself a bottle of the original famous grouse and give your taste buds a much deserved reprieve...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788018489801430199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-23478923197360845642013-09-07T23:16:50.109-03:002013-09-07T23:16:50.109-03:00I keep johnny walker black around as my well scotc...I keep johnny walker black around as my well scotch, as well as balvinenie doublewood for when i want to have a neat glass. It is hood, but is still blended. I avoid speysides, unless i have a bottle of pepto to drink when i'm done. Other than that i always have another single malt that i have picked up along the way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-56137608679566841772013-08-18T04:20:02.249-03:002013-08-18T04:20:02.249-03:00Hi Jason, I had a google image search to try and f...Hi Jason, I had a google image search to try and find a good whisky flavour map, and came up with an interesting one here:<br /><br />http://jackaround.net/2012/01/the-scotch-map/#comments<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-89207904698394181192013-08-18T02:09:08.851-03:002013-08-18T02:09:08.851-03:00This post needs to be updated now that JWGL is no ...This post needs to be updated now that JWGL is no longer in production.<br /><br />On another note, I'm writing to you here because I've laboriously worked my way through your archives looking for such an article but haven't found one. Unfortunately most blog formats don't lend themselves to subjects that are not "newsy". I.e. your reviews from four years ago are as relevant as they are today, but you can't just go to a quick sitemap and find what you want. So my lack of being able to find what I want is nothing to do with you, just the problems of the blog format.<br /><br />Anyway, this is particular post of yours is the closest. So here goes. As a beginner, I've only tried the following whiskies so far:<br />JW Black<br />Ballantines<br />Glenfiddich 12<br />Chivas 12<br />Old Smuggler (I was 18 and price/standard drink was my only concern at the time.)<br />Dimple 15<br />Teacher's<br />Glen Grant I think?<br />Talisker and Dalwhinnie (only 1 glass) and probably one other, I remember liking the Talisker most.<br />Singleton Liberte (sampling)<br />Monkey Shoulder<br />(and Jameson's)<br /><br />I rate the Glenfiddich, the Chivas 12, the Dimple and the Teachers. Probably best value for money is either the Chivas, Monkey Shoulder or Teachers at their lowest price points when on sale (the only time I buy). And I like Jameson's isn't bad either, I obviously like it more than you do.<br /><br />My chosen methodology so far is to only buy at a liquor store, but to try and get a different bottle every time. Ideally I would like to buy 200ml bottles to get a better idea, but I will not go to a pub and spend way too much money for not very much grog that has been sitting who knows how long on a shelf. So this is a very slow, but economical way to navigate my way through whisky distilleries.<br /><br />What I would like is a kind of map, so that I can learn to distinguish flavours (e.g. peat), perhaps from different areas, or maybe just flavours. Are there any flavour maps that you think are accurate or would endorse? And if so, which whiskies would you recommend as a way to be able to put the tastes in a sort of mental framework to help narrow down which areas to mine first? When I say mine, I mean try each particular whisky fitting a similar flavour profile to rank them.<br /><br />Ideally one would like to be able to know which are the best, and which are the best value for money whiskies for your own personal tastes, so that after you have established that you might then just wait for the specials or buy in bulk to reduce your costs. So have a think about that, and maybe you might come up with something.<br /><br />BTW I tried Teachers and Monkey Shoulder after reading this blog, great suggestions! I also agree that Teachers feels like oil in the mouth (with a similar nose), but there is something about it that is compelling. It has really grown on me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-17244281218624965592013-06-24T20:30:02.126-03:002013-06-24T20:30:02.126-03:00I have never heard of Mitcher's Bourbon. I wil...I have never heard of Mitcher's Bourbon. I will have to try and find it.<br /><br />Thanks for dropping by. Hope to hear from you in the future.Jason Deblyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13305087714773608306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-86435251033240228712013-06-24T18:42:43.642-03:002013-06-24T18:42:43.642-03:00Great suggestions, Jason. Nice blog you got going...Great suggestions, Jason. Nice blog you got going on here. I am more of a bourbon guy but I enjoy trying Scotch based on recommendations. If you haven't done so already, I recommend Mitcher's Bourbon - great stuff, plenty of that nice barrel taste, good proof. Cheers. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11975920694088567857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-62822845581589690262013-06-19T04:42:16.842-03:002013-06-19T04:42:16.842-03:00Hello Jason,
I like post as well as the way you t...Hello Jason,<br /><br />I like post as well as the way you treat your visitors. Keep it up.Jenny Danielshttp://www.alcoholdelivery.com.sg/vodka/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-53220294071776471742013-06-14T18:18:16.942-03:002013-06-14T18:18:16.942-03:00Hi, Jason.
Congratulations for such an interesting...Hi, Jason.<br />Congratulations for such an interesting blog. <br />I'm a back-comer rather than a new one.<br />Years ago I used to drink Irish whiskey -Jameson, Powers - and Cardhu as my first Scotch malt.<br />Lately I've had a whim of reenlisting the whisky army, which I've made through two<br />single malts: first, the Glenmorangie Qinta Ruban -so sweet, thoroughly enjoyable- and later the much starker Ardbeg 10 -like drinking a cigar-.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-28072087049806515462013-05-13T23:03:05.675-03:002013-05-13T23:03:05.675-03:00If the pantry is dark and relatively cool, an unop...If the pantry is dark and relatively cool, an unopened bottle can remain there for years. Heat and direct sunlight are the enemy of scotch whisky.<br /><br />Once opened, it is preferable to polish the bottle off within 6-8 weeks, but some can remain open longer and retain their flavor profile.Jason Deblyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13305087714773608306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-60530690264286743522013-05-11T02:13:35.803-03:002013-05-11T02:13:35.803-03:00Jason,
Rookie questions: 1. How long will a decent...Jason,<br />Rookie questions: 1. How long will a decent bottle last in the pantry or should it be kept in the frig? Jasonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8176940657289976265.post-40183292547853903622013-01-25T20:53:26.968-04:002013-01-25T20:53:26.968-04:00Sarah,
I would highly recommend Irish whiskey or b...Sarah,<br />I would highly recommend Irish whiskey or blended Scotch. You're more likely to enjoy the flavor profiles found there. Fine Irish examples would be -- Redbreast 12,Tyrconnell Single Malt, and Powers Johns Lane Release 12. I would not focus on single malt Scotch initially. In my opinion you need to graduate to that point. Most palates would find Irish and blended Scotch more preferable. Examples for blended Scotch include Compass Box-Oak Cross, Johnnie Walker Gold. Equal complexity can be found in these too.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com