gmburns -> RE: Whiskey (Dec. 4 2012 13:55:18)
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Having worked in a whiskey bar in Edinburgh while I was a student there for a couple of years, I have some thoughts. I'm biased, based on my own heritage and tastes. I am by no means an expert. - Single malt is where it's at. Single malts from Scotland, in my opinion, are hands-down the best. Anything else isn't nearly as good. Single malts are also purer, thus likely resulting in less of a hangover the next day. - Folks like the Irish, Canadian, American, and Japanese stuff, but I don't understand why. Personal opinion. - The year makes a HUGE difference in a line. I like some years from some brands and others from the same line I can't stand. My personal favorites are MacCallan 10yo and Highland Park 12yo. MacCallan 12yo is very popular and easy to find. I think it tastes like crap. Not a huge fan of MacCallan 15, but 18 is really nice and smooth. MacCallan 10 is peaty and smokey; 18 is fruity. Highland Park 15 takes some getting used to, but I like it, too. Not a huge fan of the Laphroaig or Oban lines, but there are some years that I like. I prefer the peaty stuff. Oban has some peaty years. - I personally stay away from water (and thus, ice). I think it changes the flavor too much. My method for getting used to the flavor is to take a reasonable sip and hold that in my mouth for about 30 seconds. I don't swish like a lot of people do, but instead move it around slowly to get the flavor on my tongue and in my gums and cheeks. Over time, the whiskey tends to numb and that's when I start to feel the flavor. For me, non-single malt whiskeys tend to lose their appeal closer to the 30-second mark, and single-malt whiskeys tend to get better. My advice is to find what kind of flavors you like, and then find the lines that make those flavors. Again, it varies by year and line, so you need to try a lot.
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