$20 for a set of 4 Glencairn glasses from Amazon.

Or $24 for a set of 6.

Thanks. I'll have to put that on my special purchase list.

So whisky season has returned...anyone drinking something interesting? I picked up a bottle of Kilchoman Machir Bay...looking to try that out pretty soon.

What do you guys think of Compass Box Flaming Heart? The 4th edition is out and has been getting some excellent reviews. It goes for about $90, which is more than I normally spend on blended whisky...but I was thinking about giving this a shot.

Haven't been a whiskey drinker, more a bourbon fan, but a recent trip to Scotland made me broaden my horizons. Spent 5 nights at Turnberry, and managed a visit to the local AD Rattray shop. I highly recommend it, especially their tasting options if you're a neophyte like I.

http://www.dewarrattray.com/whiskey-...-and-shop.html

I went in hating peaty, and discovered that I can handle it in small doses. 100% Islay is still too much, but a nice cask blend with some Islay is very nice! Plus, you have the option of two different cask bottlings with self-dipped wax in-store.

Raphael, the shop manager, was the F&B manager at Turnberry for many years before moving to this new role, and did an excellent job with the nosing.

My favorite Islay single malt is Caol Ila, 12 year old. Give it a try. It is locally available.

mispost

Let me be the pedant for a minute here, and discuss terminology.

Whisk(e)y = the generic name for whatever the local distilled-from-grain firewater is.

bourbon = whiskey made from at least 51% corn (I think), generally from or around Bourbon County, Kentucky

scotch = whisky made in Scotland and distilled over a peat fire

There is also Irish whiskey and Canadian whisky...I don't remember exactly what differentiates them.

If you ask for whiskey in the USA, you'll usually get bourbon. In Canada, you'll get Canadian whisky. In Ireland, you'll get Irish whiskey. Just about anywhere else in the world, you'll get scotch.

:)

The Japanese make some fine 'scotch like product' too. You're leaving out rye whiskey as well. They're super popular in my joint the last couple years. Here's the differences between the lot:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whisky

I went to Total Wine yesterday to purchase a bottle of Glenrothes. I was talked into buying independent bottler Montgomerie's Single Cask Collection Glenrothes 1992 instead. Will report soon.

I think Yamazaki 18 is currently my favorite, followed by Lagavullin 16. I recently had some Scotch called Ledaig at a hotel in Miami that was by far the worst I've ever tried. It smelled like a port-a-potty.

Y18 is great - but overpriced IMO. The Hibiki 18 rocks as well. I've still got a couple bottles of Balvenie 17 'Rum Cask'. It's all gone everywhere else. I wish they would make some more. It won everything at 'Whiskeys of the World' a few years back. It's my favorite without getting up to stratospheric prices. Talsiker 18 & Oban 18 are well priced (when available) as is Glenfarclas 17. For a 12 yr - I like Glendronach. For some reason their 18 is horrid. I can't think of another 18 that I don't enjoy. I made a mistake on a 6 pack of it. Fortunately, I had one knucklehead who loved it & eventually got rid of it for me. wj

Sometime in the next few weeks I plan to order a few bottles of scotch online. My order will probably be Macallan 12 and a Macallan 25. I thought about getting a simple Johnnie Walker Black (not Double Black) for mixing. I've debated about getting a bottle of Glenlivet since that also comes from Speyside, but I'm not sure I'll enjoy it. In the past I've tried Talisker and Jura. I don't recall being that crazy about either one. I also wasn't crazy about the JW Double Black. It's too smoky for my taste.

What's a good scotch for someone who enjoys "The Macallan"?

A whisky made in Canada is usually called a Rye although there is no requirment for the use of rye in the production. Most modren Canadian whiskys are made from a cobination of corn and rye mash