What whisky for a beginner

[Seriesteve]

Aye Aye Styler
No doubt a few of these will be making their way across my Lips tonight. As per norm on a wednesday
Have you tried the Glen Dronach 15 yr old Revival yet ? It's a beauty with a Cigar
Ss
"Aye coontin the Minutes"

[Styler]

Yay, a discussion on a subject I know about

Firstly Irish Whiskey and Scottish Whisky really warrant separate threads, I like whiskey for how smooth it is as it's usually triple distilled as opposed to whisky which is generally only distilled twice. I do think that whisky is a lot more complex and robust however which is why I hardly ever drink whiskey. Whether you want to add a drop of water to your whisky (the only thing that should ever be added to it) is up to you, some people say it releases more of the flavours but I don't like it to be honest, I've got no problem picking out the flavours neat.

There is a saying in Scotland that to call yourself a whisky lover you have to appreciate whisky from all regions and not just ones with a specific flavour profile. I think this is very true although there is certainly an established route for beginners from Speyside to Islay (pronounced eye-la for those in far flung shores). The Diageo flavour map that Daverave999 posted will be very useful to anyone getting into whisky but remember that it's not definitive guide to all whisky, it shows mostly Diageo owned brands.

The whisky trail in scotland has changed over the years, it used to be split into Highlands, Lowlands, Islay and Campbeltown. When more and more sweet and light whiskys were produced around Speyside it seperated from the Highlands and became a whisky region in it's own right. Campbeltown is a tiny region in the south west that used to have many, many distilleries but now only has 3 and is often not even included on whisky maps anymore, just integrated into the lowlands. The Lowland area has also suffered from a decrease in distilleries and probably doesn't have many more than Campbeltown. If you want a very rough idea of the lowland/highland divide then draw a line between Glasgow and Edinburgh. The final change to the whisky map comes from the islands on the west coast. Islay has always been a region in it's own right I believe but the other islands were simply part of the highland group. Now however some maps show the islands (Jura, Skye, etc) as a region in their own right which I have to agree with.

Crap, I've just realised how much I've written without actually telling you about any whisky... can you tell I'm bored at work?


Speyside

It's often recommended that beginners concentrate on Speyside first as they have lighter, sweeter whiskys, Glenfiddich is often suggested but I much prefer Balvenie which you can often get good deals on. The Macallan is also nice if you find it cheaper than the other two. I must admit that I don't buy much Speyside anymore unless I see a rare Balvanie expression. These would suit a lighter cigar, something creamy or with sweet notes.


The Highlands

The problem with the Highland region is that, because of it's size, there is a tremendous difference between some of it's whiskys. The further east you go, the more like Speyside it gets and the further west, the more like Islay. Glenmorangie is often mentioned to beginners and while there is nothing wrong with it, I find it a little dull and lacking in complexity. A favourite whisky of mine is Dalmore, it's sweet but unlike the light floral Speyside malts it's much more of a dark fruit sweetness, it's like someone made a really rich christmas pudding and doused it with whisky. That's what it reminds me of anyway! I think this would be great with a medium bodied, spicy cigar or one with bitter chocolate flavours.


The Islands

Highland Park is another oft-mentioned brand that, although it has "highland" in the name, is actually now considered an island whisky as the distillery is in Orkney. It's a great transition between the lightly and the heavily peated, right in the middle. I've seen Jura mentioned a lot here but while it is very reasonably priced, I think there are better whiskys in it's peer group. Wouldn't turn down a bottle though! One of my top whiskys is Talisker from Skye, it's got a lot more peat than any of the above brands while also keeping some spicy sweetness. It's also what I would also describe as a salty whisky, a slightly sharp taste that you often get with island whiskys although I'm not sure where Talisker gets this from as the peat that's used in the fire to germinate the barley comes from near Inverness. If you hadn't already tried Laphroaig I would have suggested this as your first peaty whisky. You're going to want a medium to full bodied cigar for these guys, lots of spice and leather.


Islay

So this is where all the monsters come from, the kind of whiskys that will smack you across the face the moment you stick your nose in the glass. My favourite whisky has to be Lagavulin, even it's standard expression is aged for 16 years and it's an incredibly complex whisky with a lot of smoke flavour as well as peat, one to work towards! Then you've got your Laphroaig which is very salty, I believe this comes from the locally sourced peat which contains a high precentage of seaweed. Ardbeg is another name which always comes up when strong whiskys are mentioned. It's a very light whisky (the opposite of the Lagavulin which is very rich) but it packs probably the biggest peat punch of the lot. These cigars would require a very full bodied, woody, leathery cigar.

Wow, sorry about this. I hadn't meant to ramble on for so long, it's like my intro post all over again! I better go and do some work

Edit: Below is the flavour map linked from the Diageo site, it gives an explanation to how the malts are catagorised.

http://www.malts.com/index.php/en_gb/content/view/full/263

[Simon-JG-hr]

I've not tried any other of the Jura line, but the Superstition is a great little whisky! Nice bit of smoke (but not a lot) alongside some sweetness too - like almost nothing else in the whisky world - it's from the islands, but doesn't really have the distinctive characteristics of the region.

I'd still recommend you get your hands on some Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or, extra aged in Sauternes casks - a stunning whisky and should come in at under ?50 if you look in the right places. (My 'pushing' it has nothing to do with the fact that I came remarkably close to being named Glenmorangie... )

[bambini]

Yeah, Go ahead Bambini... Buy a bottle of Jura, Go on... GOO onn... GO ON GO ON GO ON !

Whats the worst that can happen eh ?

Easy, Pusherman

Jeez, I feel like cigars are some sort of gateway drug, and now my dealer is pressuring me into trying the hard stuff

[MarkSDMF]

Yeah, Go ahead Bambini... Buy a bottle of Jura, Go on... GOO onn... GO ON GO ON GO ON !

Whats the worst that can happen eh ?


If it goes horribly wrong ill happily take the bottle off your hands :P

[mackem keith]

Aww... i feel like a member of a special whisky-themed club

I think that either Jamesons (my first Irish), Jura or Glenmorangie will be next - Jura if I buy a bottle, Glenmorangie/Jamesons if I go to a pub that sells it.

ahh whisky and cigars great combinations, IMO you started at the very deep end going for the laphroaig as a beginer malt but each to there own ive been drinking whisky for a fair number of years now and still cannot get to like the flavour profiles of the peaty malts the "TCP" factor just doesnt do it for me, speyside whiskies are my favourites though i have to agree with the majority regards the irish whisky they seem to offer a smoother taste albeit they dont have the flavour complexities but still drink excellently well.
matter of fact ive just recently purchased an irish whiskey "redbreast 12yo" and its one of the best whiskies ive tried in a long time very sweet smooth taste highly recommended..

[bambini]

Aww... i feel like a member of a special whisky-themed club

I think that either Jamesons (my first Irish), Jura or Glenmorangie will be next - Jura if I buy a bottle, Glenmorangie/Jamesons if I go to a pub that sells it.

[Juniortubed]

Try Glenmorangie....nectar of the gods!

[daverave999]

I find Glenmorangie goes very well with a JL2 or a Hoyo du Depute, for what it's worth...

[Monkey Nuts]

Congratulations Bambini!!

Welcome to an elite club of cigar smoking, whisky drinking gentlemen!!(Assuming you're a man of course!!)

Next time you're in a pub give a Glenfiddich or Glenmorangie a try (most pubs sell them) and let us know what you make of it. A bit less potent and may be perfect for you

[MarkSDMF]

Well done Bambini, big step to take for your first, propper whisky
Next step is to tryyyyy..... (waiting on answer)

JURA !!??

Well done Bambini!!! You have learned alot in the last week
We are proud of you :P

[bambini]

Thought I'd give y'all an update on my whisky adventures.

I tried Laphroaig last night at a friends house. First thoughts were that it smelt like a vet's Then I tasted it and thought "TCP". None of this put me off, but certainly not quite what I expected. Smooth, didn't burn or make me gag, so that was good news

My mate then told me to take a large glug, and to hold it in my mouth to allow the other flavours to emerge. O. M. G. Blew me away.

I had my laphroaig with just a dash of water (although my friend told me later that he'd been a bit generous with the water to go easy on me with my first time ). I still prefer brandy, but I think this is the start of a new friendship with whisky.

[MarkSDMF]

When im having a half ive never added water or ice.

Infact i think thats a little lie, i've once had a few bits of ice in a lovely half of bunnahabhain

Was not too bad but i usually take it straight, like a man :P

[seanbeer]

i keep going back to macallan 18 and Laphorig 10. They have now beoame my house malts. but no guests so far has ever liked the Islay malt. I also like JW black/red labels.

I started off with famous grouse and glenfiddich 10, they are both very easy going.

the trick is to add a dash of water if you find it too strong neat.

[bambini]

Jura seems to be cropping up a lot, so I'll add it to my shopping list! Well aren't you a helpful bunch?