My personal favorites thus far - Glenmorangie Signet, Glenfarclas 21, Ancnoc 24, aberlour 18, Glengoyne 18, highland park 12 and Springbank 10.
I'm not a big fan of Islay whiskies

It's OK. Much more a grain whisky and suited to blends vs. being drunk on its own. I wonder if they're trying to compete with Nikka's Coffey Grain? The latter is really good IMHO, Toki just so-so (but at $30, eh, drinkable).



Don't like chewing your whisky, eh?

last time i had macallan 25 and 18 was almost 6 years ago
besides cost, i worry about such brands maintaining standards

besides talisker check out caol ila

champagne thread has pushed this thread back down to #5
both are closing in on #3 fast food thread
interesting scotch is already #3 for views !

Just got a bottle of Caol Ila 25 yo cask strength; barreled in 1979 (my birth year)...!

That's my new goal.. birth year alcohol...

FDW

Expensive? Almost finished a gift bottle of Aberlour. Hope I can find some in my local liquor store. Otherwise it's back to MacAllan 12, which isn't bad.

wasnt too bad. Secondary market of $360 shipped to me. I don't know what the retail was when it was originally sold though.

Fdw

We spent a couple evenings back at one of our old haunts from our East Tennessee days, Boyd's Jig and Reel in Knoxville's Old City. In the 4 years since we left the area, the scotch collection has grown from 300 to over 800 different bottles. I didn't bother calling for my tasting notes. I could never keep up now that we're no longer local. So I failed to note the scotches we tried, although all were from the far north as the Orkneys are where my clan originated. The special of the week was Glenrothes 1992, which I took to be 25 years old although I never asked when it was bottled. I have had younger bottles of their product but this was as smooth as any scotch I've ever tried. And priced half off at $13 an ounce, I thought it was very much a bargain. If only I could get a bottle at 50% off.

In honor of National Scotch Day yesterday opened up my Cadenhead Small Batch Glenallachie-Glenlivet 22 YO.

As good as I remember from the tasting at Cadenhead in Edinburgh and a nice dram to drink on National Scotch Day.

I was introduced to the Glenfarclas 21 in the LH FCT in FRA.

I've been in a bit of an Islay phase this year. Wasn't a fan for a long time, but they're growing on me. I've always had a Laphroaig or two in the cabinet at home, typically my only Islay, but now feel like I need to add an Ardbeg. I think my prior biases have been as much about where I've actually visited in Scotland - which tasting rooms I've been to - and I'm simply never made a trip out to Islay. With a half dozen or more distilleries out there, it looks like it could be worth a trip at some point.

I don't have any Scotland trips planned for now, so the best I can hope for is to pick up a couple nice bottles on my next LHR transit, which will probably be September.

I stick with few to be honest


Tallisker Lagavulin Laphroaig

Don't mind also Glenmorangie and jura

I stay away from all sort of blended unless is a mixer

Talisker became one of my favorites for the aforementioned tasting room reason. Stumbled across it almost by accident on a random weekday a bit out of the main tourist season about 25 years ago. So no surprise we were the only people there, chatting with staff for an hour or more, sampling all of the whiskies. Loved the setting...loved the little towns, pubs, and gorgeous natural beauty of Skye...and to this day always have a Talisker (or 2) in the cabinet.

If you haven't tried it yet, give Caol Ila a go. It is far and away my favorite Islay single malt so far, but I like Bowmore, Laphroaig, Ardbeg, and Lagavulin when I'm looking for a strong tasting Scotch. Come winter, I'm going to side up to some Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain to round out my experience of the Islay single malts.

scottish relatives introduced me to Caol Ila and Talisker

this thread is # 3 in views, although behind champagne in replies again (# 5)

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/dinin...hisky-day.html

I tasted Glenfarclas 21 several years ago. A friend was clearing out her liquor cabinet at a party and announced that every dusty bottle would be thrown away Sunday morning, empty or not. Another friend and I made sure that bottle was bone dry come daylight. :cool: Since then I've been looking for the 21 to add to my own collection but haven't found it locally. Costco in the area does carry Glenfarclas 25 but I'm not sure it's worth the extra money. Thoughts?

The 21 is a sweet spot for Glenfarclas, indeed...but it's the 17 that I actually recommend. Cheaper than the 21 and yet quite close in expression. The 25 is far sweeter from the sherry influence and obviously far more pricey. They don't sell the 17 everywhere, but it's well worth the search. (They sell the 15 in the USA, and the 17 in UK duty free, I think.)