I’ve got 3 bottles of scotch and a bottle of bourbon at home.

Lagavulin 16: for me and special, special friends
Bowmore 16: for me and good friends
some other whiskey: for anyone
Makers Mark bourbon: cocktails!

😀

Bought an Aberlour 10 as it had ten quid off at Tesco and put the money saved into a vintage port!

I also noticed that the Welsh Madeira Whisky was down by 6 quid so I think I’ll go back and get that tomorrow…

Try a bottle of Scapa.

I’ve currently got 4 on the go:

Ancnoc 1998 – pretty hard to get hold of now, but so easy to drink, very smooth.

Talisker Port Ruige – like drinking a peaty bonfire, I can’t get over the smell, it’s like autumn in a country village 🙂

Balvennie 14 year Caribbean cask, very balvennie, but with a bit of spice, smells like a boozy christmas cake, takes a drop of water very well

Auchentoshan 18 year old. Challenging. tried it the first night i bought it and really didn’t get on with it, tried it again last night and it was better, not as deep as highland / speyside…

But, if I was going to recommend one, this will be my next bottle, it’s getting very very good reviews at the moment…

Green Spot. Irish. Absolutely delicious. Currently my favourite tipple.Happened across a bottle in Waitorse after reading about it in 101 Whiskies…

I had a tour of the Cardhu distillery last week on my travels around Scotland, fascinating stuff. Included a tasting of 3 of their whiskies, I ended up with a bottle of the Cardhu 15.

Still a total whisky novice really but I know the kind of stuff I like so tend to try new ones within that general area on the tasting chart.

I really like Glenmorangie (on special offer in Sainsbury’s at the moment), Cardhu is lovely and I’ve almost reached the end of a bottle of Glen Garioch 12.

Personally I can’t stand the really smoky ones like Ardbeg and Laphroaig.

Lagavulin 16 is nice.
The Macallan is generally nice at most price points.
Glenfiddich 18 is like honey burning its way slowly down your throat – which is a good thing.

The Suntory boys made a head distiller an offer he couldn’t refuse a few years back and now make extremely drinkable stuff – definitely in the Scots style rather than Irish, American or Welsh.

Speaking of which I’d skip the Irish, American and Welsh – I just don’t get it (but others do I suppose).

Can only be the 45 Year old Royal Salute Tribute to Honour for me.

I really like Glenmorangie

+1 – possibly my favourite easy drinking Scottish malt, perfectly balanced

I’d skip the Irish

Bushmills Malt is very lovely, though on the smooth side

Agreed. I don’t like whisky too smooth. Irish is too much like vodka for me – but others like it.

I got some Chivas Regal for my birthday, not what I’d have chosen but surprisingly pleasant – again quite smooth though.

DP

Got bought a bottle of 12yr old Royal Lochnagar for doing some work on a mate’s car. It’s great, a proper smooth Speyside single. Doubt it’ll last the month out.

Personal recommendations for a contrasting pair:

Jura Superstition, as mentioned above. Island, but rich and slightly sweet with it.

BenRiach, the older the better (but not Curiositas, that’s an inland, not island peat monster!) Some like it loads though, for that reason.

hot_fiat – Member
Got bought a bottle of 12yr old Royal Lochnagar for doing some work on a mate’s car.

I hope it wasn’t as a degreaser

Just picked up a bottle of Aberlour for £22 at tesco. Claims to be a highland and a Speyside – lovely and smooth though, bargain price as well.

“highland” is a region, same as Speyside.. 🙂

I’ve got a bottle of Black Grouse (famous old grouse but with more highland park in it) and its quite good for the price. Ledaig is good as a budget buy with some peat. Ardbeg is great but not cheap 🙂

Makers Mark bourbon: cocktails!

Heresy, that’s a waste of one of the best bourbons on the planet.

10 year old Aberlour is lovely, way nicer than the 12. More sort of caramelish.

Never tried the 12 year Aberlour but this 10 is always a treat at £22 and going down well so far!

Kcal- I know highland and speyside are both regions, just that in whiskey terms they’re usually distinct from each other these days 🙂

I have carefully avoided whisky thus far as I have enough expensive hobbies already; I think it might be time to dip a toe in the water though, seeing as Waitrose have sent me two £10 off £40 vouchers in an attempt to tempt me back! They always seem to have a wide selection so can anyone recommend a couple of bottles from the most middle-class of supermarkets at around the £40 mark?

I’ve put a discount voucher assisted Ocado (Waitrose?) order in today, I’ve gone with a couple of recommendations off this thread, Penderyn and that Swedish stuff that bikebuoy was supping. I’m hoping it’s nice. It’ll be getting on for Christmas before I get round to trying it, though. . . . . . maybe.

Bushmills 16 is stonking!