Any scotch drinkers?

[Peter F]

Whiskey now! I had this in Ottawa: http://www.belgianwhisky.com/en/products-3&products_11.html

Wonderful stuff and wonderfully expensive too. Unfortunately the LCBO stocks are few and far between.

[cybercoma]

Ballantine's is awesome for a bottom shelf offering...You can drink it neat,but,it's a very good mixer...

I don't think I've ever mixed scotch. What do you mix it with?

[Boges]

Scotch and Ginger? YUCK!

As I said Johnny Walker Red should really only be used for mixing. Likely with Coke.

[Mighty AC]

I picked up a Glenlivet at a Duty Free recently (a full litre for $46 US). My Glenmorangie bottle is almost finished but it is terrific.

I must say, I could never really enjoy a blended scotch, short of perhaps a high-end Johnny Walker (Red is is only good for mixing), after having a single-malt scotch. It's like drinking water. Jameson's is alright too but that's not a scotch.

I much prefer Rye for a lower-end sipping drink. Most Canadian Rye's available are just fine. (Alberta Premium, Wiser, CC and Crown)

I caution against anyone buying Crown Royal Maple though. It tastes like cough syrup. I only use the bottle I currently have to spike coffee in the evening, won't buy it again.

i was a fan of Gibson's at one time but the Forty Creek whisky lineup is by far my favourite now.

[Boges]

i was a fan of Gibson's at one time but the Forty Creek whisky lineup is by far my favourite now.

Those 2 as well. I saw a Forty Creek Billboard today. They're all approx. the same price and I really can't taste much of the difference.

Obviously Crown is the top choice though.

[Mighty AC]

I don't think I've ever mixed scotch. What do you mix it with?

I've tried scotch and soda but still prefer it neat.

[Boges]

Rye and Ginger is still my top cocktail.

[Wilber]

I don't think I've ever mixed scotch. What do you mix it with?

Water or ice. No, forget the ice.

Edited October 31, 2013 by Wilber

[Boges]

I like it on the Rocks.

[cybercoma]

Water or ice. No, forget the ice.

Water sometimes "opens up" a scotch. I like my Glenmorangie with a few drops of distilled water. But, as a rule I skip both ice and water. I have whiskey stones which tends to slightly open up some scotches too without chilling it. The cold from ice dulls the tastebuds, masking the flavour. So the stones are nice because they open it up without making it so cold that you don't get the complexity of scotch on your palette.

[The_Squid]

I have the stones too! I find they don't work great, but better than nothing. I don't always like ice, although I do on occasion use it. If I am going to drink it fairly quickly I will use ice. If I am in a slow sipping mood, ice will water down my scotch. Not acceptable!

[cybercoma]

The stones are definitely not meant to chill the scotch, as advertised. However, I find it has the same effect as adding a few drops of water to some scotches. It makes the flavours of the scotch "bloom," if that description makes any sense.

[On Guard for Thee]

Travelling for work I travelled through Dubai quite a bit and the duty free there had a pretty good selection for some of the most reasonable prices. I would try a different one each time through and had some very good luck....and some bad! Have any of you tried Smokehead? Good price but I thought I was eating a burning peat bog. OK I did get through the bottle, but I am Scottish!

[cybercoma]

What's up with the italics?

[The_Squid]

Travelling for work I travelled through Dubai quite a bit and the duty free there had a pretty good selection for some of the most reasonable prices. I would try a different one each time through and had some very good luck....and some bad! Have any of you tried Smokehead? Good price but I thought I was eating a burning peat bog. OK I did get through the bottle, but I am Scottish!

My tastes are more to the peaty, smoky scotches. I have had Smokehead. It's very good! I like Peat Monster, a blend by Compass Box, as well. They put out a 10th anniversary edition that I hope will show up in BC!

[On Guard for Thee]

I treated myself to a bottle of Lagavulin over Xmas. A few sips of that whilst stoking the wood into the fireplace, now that's a nice winter eve.

[AngusThermopyle]

The wife likes Scotch more than myself. Occasionally I'll have a couple of glasses but she likes to have some before she goes to bed. Not being connoisseurs I usually just pick up a bottle of Glenlivet or Glenfiddich and that does the trick. She also enjoys the occasional bottle of Remy Martin or Courvoisier, Cognac, not Scotch but still quite enjoyable in my opinion.

[Mighty AC]

My brother-in-law is quite the aficionado, though I suspect he just invents the flavours he claims to taste. I notice that some are more or less smoky than others, some are a little lighter almost fruitier, but he claims to taste white pepper, orange peel, grass, etc. Anyway, I tolerate his flavour profiling because he likes to serve up samples from a large collection of scotches. Most of the time I prefer less smoke so he let me try two that I really enjoyed. One was The Macallan 15 yr old and the other Glenkinchie.

[cybercoma]

I'm the opposite. I prefer more smoke, but don't like peat flavours.

[Boges]

I've been switching between Glenlivet and Glenmorangie but I'm starting to acquire a taste for nice bourbons. Might purchase a bottle of that next time I splurge at the Liqour Criminal Bastards Ontario

Edited January 16, 2014 by Boges

[Mighty AC]

I try new ones when crossing the border. It's a little less painful in the pocketbook.

[kimmy]

I was thinking about buying the stones, but balked at the price. I bought some ornamental glass "stones" and threw them in the freezer, and they seem to work ok. The idea of going out and looking for actual stones occurred to me, but started wondering about stuff like whether they might contain stuff that could dissolve into my whisky, or if they might turn into sediment while I was drinking, and so-on.

-k

[The_Squid]

I treated myself to a bottle of Lagavulin over Xmas. A few sips of that whilst stoking the wood into the fireplace, now that's a nice winter eve.

Lagavulin stuff is terrific!

I went and bought myself a bottle of benromach - speyside peat smoke. Very nice! Calling your scotch "peat smoke" certainly infers certain things, but the smokiness of this scotch doesn't overpower the smooth qualities or taste. I find it a bit of an odd name for it actually. Don't expect a Peat Monster or Smokehead with this stuff...

[The_Squid]

I was thinking about buying the stones, but balked at the price. I bought some ornamental glass "stones" and threw them in the freezer, and they seem to work ok. The idea of going out and looking for actual stones occurred to me, but started wondering about stuff like whether they might contain stuff that could dissolve into my whisky, or if they might turn into sediment while I was drinking, and so-on.

-k

I have the stones. It was a thoughtful gift from someone, but they're more of a gimmick. I prefer ice... and a splash... just drink it fast!

[Boges]

Stones seem like a gimmick to have you go through the expensive scotch faster. I water it down cuz I'm cheap!!!!