Single malts question.

i have recentlu become a single malt convert from Cognac and armangac. I dont like peaty flavoured whiskey and my favourite at the moment is Glenmorangie.
Tell me some other single malts that I will enjoy based on the same flavour criteria above please.

Balvenie Doublewood

Glemmorangie is a fine drop, but eventually your taste will mature and you'll discover Islay malts and never look back. 🙂

jamesgarbett – Member
Balvenie Doublewood
POSTED 43 SECONDS AGO # REPORT-POST

seconded – dalwhinnie also great

Glenfiddich
Dalwhinnie
You could try Oban but you might find that a bit smokey.

So from which area are single malts peaty? Is it the wood or the water that gives it that flavour that at the moment just tastes of creosote?

Aberlour a'bunadh or any of their range really
http://www.aberlour.com/abunadh/

which single malts have you tried that you think taste of Creosote? Most Islay malts are peaty.

The smokey flavour comes from the peat that's burned to dry the barley out. There aren't many trees in Islay, so they used peat, so that led to most Islay malts being smokey/ashtray flavoured. It's an acquired taste for sure.

To get you on your way, another vote for Dalwhinnie. Try also Mortlach, Old Pulteney or Macallan

+1 Aberlour.

If payday is yet to come try the Bailey Nichol Jarvey too!

Islays seem to have they devotees (like Orange Fives), but give me a nice speyside any day.

Glenlivet – possibly the finest malt. Nuff said.
Also suggest Talisker (was £19 in tesco a while back, absolute steal!)

I havent tried a huge amount as it gets expensive if you are buying a bottle each time (although my mate who does like peaty whiskeys enjoys it). I have tried some Islay whiskeys and have been working on the basis that the lighter the colour of the whiskey the more likely it is that I will like it.
The good thing is that I am going up to Glencoe for a weeks holiday at whitsun and intend to do some sampling…….
Thanks for the responses so far keep them coming.

New it was a bad idea posting this, just cracked open a new bottle and it really is like nectar……

Dalwhinnie is lovely. It has a nice after taste. Better than glenfiddich and oban. Cycling past the glenfiddich distillery is a beautiful smell on a Saturday morning.

For just general drinking I really like the supermarket own label single malts, they usually have an Islay, Highland and Speyside, although I have seen some others… they are usually a good few quid cheaper than the named brands, but often just as good, and they used to be just the over-production from various distilleries in own brand bottles. Anyway, they are pretty good for trying out and seeing how you get on with the various areas…

I've just opened a bottle of Sainsburys Speyside and I have to say it's very good… and rather smooth for a 12 year old too.

it was that when I did Lejog that made me take the plunge that night!

Talisker +1 may just have to have a drop now you mention it 😉

I'll second the vote for Balvenie Doublewood – probably my favourite. Very nice. Also like Aberlour A'bunadh. Cragganmore is very nice too.

So generally in agreement with t'others.

Bunnahabhain, mellow but rich, obviously Laphroaig, (almost the opposite)

Glen Ord. Not smoky, not at all.(Really smoky actually!)

Try Springbank or Bruichladdich to go West without too much smokiness. West is best. Also Macallan is interesting because it is aged the way most whisky used to be aged, in sherry casks.

Talisker, Laphroig is smoky btw.

My favourites are either Highland Park or Laphroaig(best drunk outdoors to get the full flavour).
Dalwinnie is not far behind.

Glengoyne – it's deliberately not smoky in it's flavour.

As others have said, the peaty flavour comes from the fuel used to burn to dry the barley.

Edradour, can be a bit difficult to get hold of. Distilled in Pitlochry and you can go round the distillery. Don't forget to take your bike 😉

2nd the Balvenie, but prefer Old Pulteney or Macallan as previously mentioned by Chipps – sounds like you may have similar taste buds to me so I suggest one of those to follow the the Glenmorangie.

Singleton OK too

Another plus one for doublewood if you like Glenmorangie.

You might want to try some of the older Maccallan's if you prefer them smoother.

Cheers all 😛 I picked up a bottle of Macallan today andlooked at the colour and read about its aging in traditional sherry casks. My orders in for a fathers day treat 😛

Aberlour a'bunadh or any of their range really
http://www.aberlour.com/abunadh/

Seconded

If you want to be a real geek (like me), join the malt whisky society. One off low volume bottlings and most that I've tried have been excellent and a definite step above most off the shelf stuff. Having sad that, I'm also quite partial to Caol Ila and Ardbeg, both of which I think you might like.

Ardbeg is well peaty! Its bloody lovely but not really a beginners whisky.

Highland Park is always a good choice, I really like ardbeg too, Talisker but laphroag has a pretty specific finish that I've tried (I really tried 🙂 ) but can't get on with. Try Smokehead and also anCnoc

royalmilewhiskies is a really good site (and a real shop if you ever go to edinburgh (stanes and malt weekend anyone)) and will give you lots of ideas as well as explaining about the differences

tesco own brand 12yo islay, I'm convinced it's bunnahabain 😉

" I dont like peaty flavoured whiskey "

Then avoid: Talisker, Bruiladdich, Caol Isla, Ardbeg (esp. Ardbeg), Lagmhullin, Bowmore, Laphroig, Brora and Jura 1984.

But it will come; One day the taste will come; don't rush it! And when it does everything else begins to taste a little bit girly.

There's no going back.

…and when it does everything else begins to taste a little bit girly….

hahaha!
Concise and to the point!

I'm a Lagavulin and Laphroaig fan, though Highland Park and Dalwhinnie have their place.

What the hell!
Give 'em all a go!
🙂

2nd for Edradour – it is about as un-peaty as you can get – very smooth almost like toffee (but not in a sweet sickly way!)

I'm sitting in a distillery right now. Whisky preference is hugely subjective, there are no rights or wrongs, its all about personal taste. And just like with bikes, some of it is marketing hype, some people are sold on one brand over another, some go for how it looks and some people prefer certain styles more than others. There are thousands of malts of varying ages and maturation styles, be open minded and enjoy learning about it! Find a good whisky shop and go to Whisky Live or whisky festivals and just try as many drams as you can! The Pot Still in Glasgow is a must-go-to pub. And if you ever come to Speyside there are many specialist pubs and shops to help you feed your habit.

Some facts just to confuse you:

Colour is not a true indication of flavour, I have tasted ex-bourbon matured whiskies that have been sweeter than darker sherry matured ones.

There is an unpeated Caol Ila. It is nice.

There are peated Speysides, such as Benriach. It is nice.

Don't get hung up on the whole 'sherry is more traditional' thing, Macallan don't mature all their whisky in sherry casks. Some of their bourbon matured stuff is nice. The tradition is all but gone, its a marketing tool….. However, it doesn't make the whisky bad!

Aberlour's are ACE.

Most whiskies over 12yrs old are better than those younger but this is not always the case.

Most over 18yrs are good.

Anything much over 30yrs old will begin to be like chewing a stave. And probably be VERY expensive. You are now moving from 'good' to 'rare' and from 'drinker' to 'collector'.

Don't overlook blends, BNJ was mentioned above, I'd also like to recommend Compass Box Whiskies – Asyla particularly.

Its my business and my friend! Take a tour and enjoy!

PS excellent riding in Speyside

"Glemmorangie is a fine drop, but eventually your taste will mature and you'll discover Islay malts and never look back"

And once your tastes develop further you'll take this to its logical conclusion and drink 3-in-1 oil.

Sorry I had it in my head that you liked peaty malts. I just reread the original post…please ignore my recommendation for Caol Ila and Ardbeg, as lovely as they are 🙂

Jump in the car and head up to Laggan for a weekend of riding and stop off at the Dalwhinnie distillery on the way past.

If yiou like Glenmorangie, you might want to try Quinta Ruban. Glenmorangie but finished in port wood casks, rather than sherry. Lovely, soft chocolatey taste, really is beautiful
mcAllan's ok, but in the early years (>12) the sherry taste is a bit overwhelming. later, esp around 18 years, the balance is right.
all IMHO of course, because one man's Highland Park is another man's Glen Asda.
see if you can't find a shop with a selection of miniatures – I've learned a lot from them. Also Michael Jackson (a chubby alive bloke with a beard, not the single gloved dead guy) haas written a few books which are worth scanning through in a book shop.