It's been a long month... So let's relax with some scotch!

[Mike_P]

I'm not too much of a drinker outside of beer, but scotch is something that I've always been interested in. Something about the smell, the color, etc...

Buuut, as the title says, it's been a LONG month for me.

It started out in June with a B&E at my home resulting in a shooting (http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?se...cal&id=8685951 Here's a little info... Turned out to be 4 people, you can google for more info, though you won't find much detail.) That resulted in threats made and a move from our house in less than 24 hours. The family is still messed up and working on settling in. Not to mention PTSD.

And if that wasn't enough, our awesome storms last night with golf ball sized hail resulted in a nice broken windshield on my car.

Between all the appointments and requirements of the first incident eating up all my time, I had really been on edge and on my last leg as far as needing some time off. So I figured, I need a drink!

Did some researching here on B&B, as well as utilizing almighty google. And after a brief conversation with some employees at my local liquor store, ended up bringing home what you see below.

So with that said, hopefully my start is a good one! We shall find out later today or tonight.

If anyone has any suggestions on where to go from here, I'm all ears!

[BlackBard]

I'm not too much of a drinker outside of beer, but scotch is something that I've always been interested in. Something about the smell, the color, etc...

Did some researching here on B&B, as well as utilizing almighty google. And after a brief conversation with some employees at my local liquor store, ended up bringing home what you see below.

So with that said, hopefully my start is a good one! We shall find out later today or tonight.

If anyone has any suggestions on where to go from here, I'm all ears!

Sorry to hear about your tough month. I'm sure a small dram will help.

As to your question on where to go from here, I recommend going for two glasses. Both whiskies are good choices, so why not conduct a taste comparison?

[CyanideJenkins]

Damn dude, if you ever find yourself in Houston, I'll buy you a few rounds of scotch just based on your story!

As for the scotch....I truly believe that Macallan 12 is the best single malt you can get for the amount of money spent. My recommendation is to set up 3 glasses. One to fix neat, one to fix with a little bit a water and another to fix with maybe one cube of ice. All three will taste different. Figure out the one you like best.

[gegarrenton]

Holy crap, that's a rough month man. Macallan is a can't go wrong single malt no doubt, I actually really like the Glenlivet as a go to drink though, and i am not a huge scotch drinker (more a Tennessee Whiskey guy).

Hope your next month is way better!!

[Mike_P]

Thanks guys! The stress of everything sucks but... life goes on.

I opened the Macallan a bit early and did a bit of a tasting with it. Great flavor. Tried it neat and with a cube. Tried to let it sit and warm up a bit.

The straight scotch had a strong scent to it that I loved, very smooth once it hits the tongue and not as much bite as what I've had in the past. (My biggest thing with my drinks is that I don't like the sharp alcohol bite most have. The Macallan was rather, not mild but, not harsh) Once I put the cube in it, I just couldn't decide if I liked it as much or not. The flavor wasn't as strong and I get a mixed feeling as to whether or not it should be cool or room temperature.

I feel as if that's one type I'll only be drinking neat. It's just not "right" watered in any way, or with the temperature changed. Maybe the Glenlivet will be the opposite. I'll give that a taste tonight!

[acesn8s]

Try it neat, then add the tiniest dribble of water to it and let it stand for about 20 seconds. The water opens up the aroma of the whisky.

I hope July treats you better than June!

[ackvil]

Try it neat, then add the tiniest dribble of water to it and let it stand for about 20 seconds. The water opens up the aroma of the whisky.

I hope July treats you better than June!

+1. You have picked two good single malts. After you try those two you can branch out and try some others. You will find that depending on where the scotch comes from it will have a very distinct taste.

[Prince]

I'm a Johnnie Walker Black fan. Nice peaty taste. Keep in mind, it's a blend.

[Clarifixer]

Good choices. I was turned onto Tomatin single malt a while back, and it has become one of my favorites. Some are more affordable than others, of course. Also, I picked up some Glencairn glasses and find they add to the enjoyment of neat imbibing for me.

[wilsonent]

Haven't had Scotch in years. (In Kentucky, so have moved back to bourbon) That being said, The MaCallan was a favorite when I used to imbibe. You did a good job with that one. Sorry to hear about the break in. Thank God no one was killed.

[Woodman]

If you can get a Bruichladdich 'Laddie 10', you will be very impressed. As for your two choices above, I prefer them without water but, ofcourse, YMMV.

[ksb63]

Two of my favorites when aged a little longer. Love Glenfiddich 15 yr old, Glenmorangie 10 yr old is not bad either.

[legrandfromage]

Can't go wrong with either of those; they should open the door to a lot more good ones to try. Hopefully you can buy these on base.

I watched the video link that you posted. I have mixed feelings about incidents like that; the first is to be glad that you and your family are OK and the second is that they all deserved a bullet. Sorry that you got threatened; hope that the law does something about that.

[Edcculus]

Those are both great Scotches. I'm somewhat new to the world of Scotch (and good liquors for that matter). The hardest part for me to get over is the hot alcohol or "burn" as some call it. Good Scotches like these have a lot less than a $10 handle of Taaka, but for someone not used to drinking 40 proof spirits, it can be a little rough. Luckily, I had an awesome mentor invite me over one dreary Cleveland winter night for a tasting of his extensive Scotch collection (thanks Pat!)

When I started, I didn't like keeping an ice cube in for the reasons you described. Cooling it down does help a little with the burn, so I used to drop a large cube in, swirl it around for 10-30 seconds with a fork, then fish it out. That will effectively chill the drink a little bit and dilute it just the right amount. From there, I stepped up to a few drops of water. Its also handy to keep a glass of regular water handy too. After you get used to the flavor and sensation of the alcohol itself, you will suddenly start to pick up on all kinds of great flavors. The most surprising thing to me was how sweet it is!

[Mike_P]

Thanks to everyone for all the info. It's a learning experience so everything I can take in about scotch is a great asset.

As some had mentioned, that "burn" is definitely something to get used to. I'll have to try the temporary ice cubing.

So far the Glenlivet is coming out slightly on top when served Neat. I'm not sure why, maybe the taste slightly? I tried adding a few drops to it after a few sips, just to see if there would be a distinct difference. There was a slight one, but I can't really pick which one I prefer at this point.


In regards to the link and home invasion. I can't comment a whole lot on the situation as it's an ongoing investigation. The 4th man is still on the loose. 1 remains in the hospital to this day (His "injury", the news couldn't really elaborate on, and I can't say a whole lot outside of this. He hasn't and probably isn't waking up. He has a bullet lodged in his left frontal lobe (brain).) And the other 2, if you google a bit, you'll see they are both being held on $500,000 bond. So I can agree with those of you who are thankful nobody was killed when it comes to my side of things, their's... they weren't so fortunate and clearly picked the wrong home.

My family was told to move, and we did so. There are supposed gang ties which resulted in threats, and with my girlfriends kids involved, we couldn't take the chance at staying there.

I do appreciate all the kind words and thoughts. Hopefully this thread sticks to the main topic, the scotch, I just figured I'd throw a bit of info in there to really show how much I appreciate the good drink right now. Enjoying it and the learning experience involved with it.

Thank you all for the knowledge you're sharing with me. It's definitely not going to waste!

[gegarrenton]

Two of my favorites when aged a little longer. Love Glenfiddich 15 yr old, Glenmorangie 10 yr old is not bad either.

Glenmorangie is actually my favorite <15 year scotch.

[menghai]

My Scottish friend recommended 2 scotches for a newbie (both relatively cheap). Balvenie Doublewood, and Macallan 12. All I know is that my brother has tried over 100, and his favorite is Macallan. When I'm with him, that's what we drink. I mix mine with Coke. He is not happy with me.

[Mike_P]

The Macallan has been growing on me the more I smell it. Also gave it another try last night. The Glenlivet I think is still ahead by a bit, but I'm strictly comparing them neat right now as I kind of like them a bit better like that?

I think I need to try them with water a bit more before I can make a solid opinion, but I know my initial impression which I posted above was that the Macallan just did not need the water. The Glen is to be determined.

[biloxi123]

If you can get a Bruichladdich 'Laddie 10', you will be very impressed. As for your two choices above, I prefer them without water but, ofcourse, YMMV.

+1,000,000 Especially, if you're not a fan of peaty Islay's. This Islay is a real gem!

[biloxi123]

I think you picked two great choices. Macallan's a great highland and Glenlivet is a Speyside malt. It's good to try different regions.