Scotch

[Waistcoat]

So my birthday is coming around soon, and I'm considering asking for another bottle of scotch to add to my ever expanding collection. Here's what I'm considering:

Johnnie Walker Gold
Ardbeg Alligator (assuming I can get my hands on it, I'm an Ardbeg member so there's a chance)
Talisker 10
HP 18 year old

Quite a tough choice. I'm a huge fan of the HP12 and all reports I've read on the 18 are phenomenal. I had a dram of Talisker at a restaurant a few months back and found it delicious. Ardbeg Alligator is intriguing (and I enjoy the 10 y.o.) and JW Gold has alot of great reviews too. What are your experiences with these and what are your thoughts?

[joshgambit]

Personally, if you can get the Ardbeg Alligator, I'd grab that. (Only because it'd be a tough one to get, and I would likely savor it more).
Second choice: Highland Park 18 yo - I too have had the 12 year old, and enjoy it a lot. I'd love to try the 18...
Third: Johnnie Walker Gold -- Even though I prefer single malts, I'd never pass up this one...
Last: Talisker. I didn't care for Talisker. But I had it about 5 years ago, so my tastes might have changed...

[Greyfox]

Well if you start with Highland Park 18 you are unlikely to find a better scotch. Consistently achieves ratings as one of the best spirits made. It is a well deserved honor as it is outstanding. There may be a style that you like more as you taste of few of them but Highland Park is known as one of the top 3 or 4 distillers in the world. What a way to get introduced to Scotch!

[TimmyBoston]

Go with the Ardbeg

[BigRich]

There will be a standard non-committee Alligator release later this year so don't let a perception of exclusivity or attainability swing you one way or the other. Per Ardbeg, the general public release will be the same stuff.

[DogHair]

I'd have to go with the Highland Park 18. Hands down my favorite whisky.

[JM]

Whatever you do, don't overlook the blends.

[jsj_297]

i like jw anything!

[Waistcoat]

I just realised if I go for the Ardbeg I'll have to pay import duty on it as well, putting it most likely at a price that right now I'm not willing to spend on a bottle of scotch. It's going to be a tough choice between the other three, definitely not any easier!

[keiller]

I very seldom drink any single malts outside of the islands - with a particular love of all things Islay.
I don't really know what is available in your area - but if you like the Ardbeg you may also like the Caol Ila 15yr old or perhaps the Bowmore 15yr old (the one finished in Oloroso sherry casks).
Both the HP and the Talisker are fine whiskies - though if push came to shove I'd almost always opt for the Talisker, especially the 12 or the 18 yr old.

[CyanideJenkins]

FTW

[SenorPartagas]

Tough choice as the whiskies are so different. Tha Ardbeg is heavy peat, the HP is smooth. If it were my choice I would grab the Alligator simply because of the difficulty to get it. I am a fan of both Arbeg and HP. The HP18 is one of the best whiskes for my personal taste and I would choose it over a regular production Arbeg in most cases.

Since you like the HP, have you tried any Balvenie? I think The Balvenie Double Wood is so under-rated and its one of my all time favorites.

[DogHair]

I think The Balvenie Double Wood is so under-rated and its one of my all time favorites.

Double Wood is very good whisky. I've had a couple bottles pass through the bar. Bunnahabhain 12 is a another great whisky that gets minimal press. Nice lightly peated Islay whisky. Easy to drink.

[Craig_In_Cincy]

Blended Scotch is often overlooked by many people in their rush to single malts, and it's a shame too because blends can be fabulous. This is particularly true for what is known as "Deluxe" or "Luxury" blends, those 12, 18 and 20+ year old whisky blends that are typically big, peaty, lush, often smokey and imminently drinkable. A few Deluxe Blends worth checking out:

Walker Black (12 Year), Gold (18 Year) & Blue (25 Year) (Black is a particularly good value for the money, it's blend is in particularly fine form at present)
Chivas 12 & 18 Year (esp the 18 year)
Haig's Dimple Pinch 15 year
Buchanan's 12 & 18 Year
Dewars 12 & 18 Year
Famous Grouse 12 & 18 Year & The Black Grouse
Grand Old Parr 12 year, Old Parr 15 year, Old Parr Superior 18 year
MARTIN'S Fine and Rare 20 Year (if you should ever be fortunate enough to find it)

You can get many of the larger production brands (Walker, Chivas, Pinch, Dewars, Grouse) in 50ml "airplane" size bottles at many stores. This is a fantastic way to try some of these blends without investing a great deal of money in a larger bottle. try a few, you might be surprised at how great older blended Scotch can be.

[Deacon Frank]

I very seldom drink any single malts outside of the islands - with a particular love of all things Islay.
I don't really know what is available in your area - but if you like the Ardbeg you may also like the Caol Ila 15yr old or perhaps the Bowmore 15yr old (the one finished in Oloroso sherry casks).
Both the HP and the Talisker are fine whiskies - though if push came to shove I'd almost always opt for the Talisker, especially the 12 or the 18 yr old.

My favorite is Laphroaig. The 10yr is good, but the Quarter Cask is great! If you like Islay, this is the best in my opinion.

[Mvcrash]

JW Gold is one of my favorite Scotchs. Hard to beat it. The others are also very nice. I'd get the JW 18.

[5 over]

An overlooked fact is that the main ingredient of JW is Talisker. It's the ingredient with the largest percentage of the final blend, or so I've read. Thus if you opt for the JW Gold, a really fine blended whisky, you get a 2 for 1 in a manner of speaking.

[Craig_In_Cincy]

An overlooked fact is that the main ingredient of JW is Talisker. It's the ingredient with the largest percentage of the final blend, or so I've read. Thus if you opt for the JW Gold, a really fine blended whisky, you get a 2 for 1 in a manner of speaking.

You read correctly 5. Cardhu is the main base malt whisky in all of the Walker blends, followed by Talisker and Dailuaine. in fact, the growing international demand for Walker (especially Walker Black) led to a shortage of Cardhu for several years while Diageo increased production of that whisky. You could hardly Cardhu anywhere in the nation for some time as a result.

[BigRich]

An overlooked fact is that the main ingredient of JW is Talisker. It's the ingredient with the largest percentage of the final blend, or so I've read. Thus if you opt for the JW Gold, a really fine blended whisky, you get a 2 for 1 in a manner of speaking.

You read correctly 5. Cardhu is the main base malt whisky in all of the Walker blends, followed by Talisker and Dailuaine.

True...however, the actual percentages of any single malt in a blend with the number of components found in JW is still relatively small. The 2 for 1 idea may be a bit overstated.

Generally, the sum total of single malt components in a blend is considerably less than half the volume of the finished whisky.

[Craig_In_Cincy]

True...however, the actual percentages of any single malt in a blend with the number of components found in JW is still relatively small. The 2 for 1 idea may be a bit overstated.

Generally, the sum total of single malt components in a blend is considerably less than half the volume of the finished whisky.

Blended Scotch can contain as little as 30% malt whiskies to 70% grain whiskies. This percentage will be found in your value bottom shelf brands, like Passport, Queen Anne, Clan MacGregor etc. Luxury Blends like Walker Black will have a higher percentage of malt whisky, typically at least 40%, and those malt whiskies will be much older too. The age statement, 12 years old for instance, means that the youngest whiskies in the blend have to be at least 12 years of age, but there will likely be older whiskies in the blend as well. There is also a category known as Vatted Whisky, such as Johnnie Walker Green Label, that are made up of blends of 100% malt whiskies without any grain whisky. Cardhu, Talisker and Dailuaine are the malt whiskies that make up the largest percentages in all of the Walker blends. This is how Walker maintains a consistent 'house character' throughout their blends.