i like the smoky, peaty islay style. looking for some suggestions of other brands. i found this cheap one to be a bit harsh
tried mccleelands islay, need more suggestions
- Thread starter narativesoul
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IMO, the trilogy is Laphroaig - Ardbeg - Lagavulin. In ascending order.
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IMO, the trilogy is Talisker, Oban, Laphroig in ascending order of peatiness.
I've had McCleelands plenty of times, and I didn't find it harsh at all. Not the best Scotch out there, but quite enjoyable for what it is.
How are you drinking your Scotch? Neat, with water on the side? Do you add water to it to open it up? Pour it over rocks?
Don't overlook the Scotch blends. Johnny Walker Black became my default drink a decade ago, and I went through about 20 years of drinking anything and everything before I discovered Scotch, and another 5 years of sampling various Scotches before I found JWB. Once I found it, I said "Yeah, this is the stuff for me," and I haven't drank anything else since.
If you ever get to Baltimore, there is a bar in Fell's Point that specializes in Single Malt Scotch. 120 different brands to choose from, the drinks are generously poured and the prices are cheap. The Owner/Bartender Alicia Horn is a very nice lady and she really knows her Scotches, and she will help you choose. They have a good little kitchen in the back, I recommend their Reuben sandwiches. But if you want to go down the street and bring in take-out food from another establishment to eat at the bar while you drink, that's fine, too. "Birds of a Feather" - 1712 Aliceanna St. - Baltimore, MD.
Talisker, and anything from the Isle of Islay (pronounced "EYE-luh"), although Bowmore tends to not get much love (and deservedly so, IMHO.)
Oban is not an Islay distillery.
Bunnahabhain, Ardbeg, Both outstanding and affordable.
Bunnahabhain, Ardbeg, Both outstanding and affordable.
For peaty Islay single malts my favorites are Laphroaig and Lagavulin. The best regularly available Laphroaig expression is the 10 Year Old cask strength. For Lagavulin I like the 16 Year Old, but the annual release 12 Year is among my favorites. It is matured in American oak, and bottled at cask strength.
I also like certain Bowmore expressions quite a bit, especially the Tempest 10 Year Old, which are matured in first fill American oak and bottled at cask strength. It is sold in the US as Bowmore Dorus Mor. I also like the standard 18 Year Old Bowmore bottled at 43% ABV.
I am not much of an Ardbeg fan as I think the quality has been in decline for a while. I still like and enjoy Ardbeg Uigeadail but that is the only expression that I buy regularly.
Also, Port Charlotte from Bruichladdich is worth a look. The 10 Year Old expression came out last year at 46% ABV. There are some cask strength bottlings still out and about, such as PC10, PC9, PC8, etc, but those are fairly expensive when you see them because they are considered collector's items.
Most standard expressions from Bunnahabhain are not peated, so check the labels carefully if peat is your thing.
Caol Ila is also very good, but I don't like any of the standard expressions. When I buy Caol Ila I look for it from independent bottlers such as Signatory Vintage or The Perfect Dram.
And as has been mentioned, there are a number of very good peated whiskies not from Islay: such as Talisker and Ardmore. And if you like just a touch of smoke then Highland Park from Orkney is also worth a look, especially the 18 Year Old.
--Jerome
I also like certain Bowmore expressions quite a bit, especially the Tempest 10 Year Old, which are matured in first fill American oak and bottled at cask strength. It is sold in the US as Bowmore Dorus Mor. I also like the standard 18 Year Old Bowmore bottled at 43% ABV.
I am not much of an Ardbeg fan as I think the quality has been in decline for a while. I still like and enjoy Ardbeg Uigeadail but that is the only expression that I buy regularly.
Also, Port Charlotte from Bruichladdich is worth a look. The 10 Year Old expression came out last year at 46% ABV. There are some cask strength bottlings still out and about, such as PC10, PC9, PC8, etc, but those are fairly expensive when you see them because they are considered collector's items.
Most standard expressions from Bunnahabhain are not peated, so check the labels carefully if peat is your thing.
Caol Ila is also very good, but I don't like any of the standard expressions. When I buy Caol Ila I look for it from independent bottlers such as Signatory Vintage or The Perfect Dram.
And as has been mentioned, there are a number of very good peated whiskies not from Islay: such as Talisker and Ardmore. And if you like just a touch of smoke then Highland Park from Orkney is also worth a look, especially the 18 Year Old.
--Jerome
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Ardbeg (10yo, Alligator, Uigeadail, Renaissance) and Lagavulin (16yo), those are my favorite from Islay.
Definitely my favorite peaty single malts as well. Of the three, I usually favor Lagavulin, but they are three excellent choices. IMO Ardbeg usually offers the peatiest of the three, Lagavulin is the more complex, and Laphroaig is the one with the more iodine, offering a pack of flavor.
I think your pretty much going to get similar suggestions, Ardbeg, Laphroaig, and Lagavulin. I would throw in Talisker even though it's not on Islay, it's on the Isle of Skye, but it still has a similar profile as the Islay malts just a bit more subdued in my opinion. Lagavulin 16 is my favorite followed by the 12 yr old, however I like Ardbeg Coryvreken, Uigeadail, and the 10 yr and Laphroaig 10 yr and especially the 18 yr. I started out by finding local scotch tastings through some of the liquor stores in my area and some of the liquor stores near me will offer samples of various scotches to try before you buy. However based on your tastes I don't think you could wrong with a blind buy of Ardbeg 10 yr old, Laphroaig 10 yr old, or Lagavulin 16. I know the Lagavulin 16 is a bit more money but as I said it's my favorite.
Great post. Although, I'll dissagree with you
on the Caol Ila. The 12 is absolutely wonderful!
the Signatory that I had of Coal Ila was light and
refreshing. Like Tullibardine 13 year with peat.
delicious!
Below is link to an interesting article on Scotchaddict.com about the same question. They recommended Bruichladdich Octomore.
http://scotchaddict.com/smokiest-peatiest-scotch-whisky.html
http://scotchaddict.com/smokiest-peatiest-scotch-whisky.html
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