# Need advice on Single Malts



## ASH

For the gentlemen out there, 
I am trying to start a good single malt collection and I am new to this ......here's what I have so far:
Fine Selection Single Malt Scotch:

•	Balvenie – 14 Yrs. Golden Cask
•	Balvenie – 12 Yrs. Double Wood
•	Cragganmore – 12 Yrs. Single Speyside Malt
•	Glenmorangie – 12 Yrs. Quinta Ruban
•	Glenmorangie – 18 Yrs. Extremely Rare
•	Glenlivet – 21 Yrs. Archive
•	Glenlivet – 18 Yrs.
•	Glenlivet – 15 Yrs. French Oak Reserve
•	Glenlivet – 12 Yrs.
•	Glenfiddich – 15 Yrs. The Solera Vat
•	GlenGoyne – 17 Yrs. 
•	GlenGrant – 16 Yrs. 
•	Macallan – 1824 Collection

Fine Scotch Blends:
•	Johnie Walker Blue Label
•	Johnie Walker Green Label

Can someone pls help me to add to this list some of the finest and rare single malts please.

Thanks in advance,
ASH


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## Epaminondas

And this relates to clothing.............?


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## Taken Aback

Clearly, he's tired of beer stains, and plans on moving up in the world.


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## PTB in San Diego

The truth is to be found in Lagavulin. No pretence, just substance, power, and complexity. Stop messing around.

Blue Label is very, very nice, if you're feeling a bit fragile, in need of comfort. Are you man enough? Go to Islay.


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## g3dahl

A very worthy thread topic indeed, but I wouldn't be surprised if it gets moved to the Food Drink & Travel forum.

Along with the Lagavulin (excellent!), here are some other superb choices:

Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Ardbeg 10 year old
Highland Park 15 year old

And my very favorite: Ardbeg Uigeadail

Enjoy!


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## bernoulli

ASH,

You really need some Islay malts. I strongly recommend Talisker, Caol Ila, Scapa and Jura to go alongside Laphroig and Lagavullin, previously recommended. As for Highland malts, you are missing the best one IMHO, which is Oban. As for Lowlands, my favorite is by far Springbank. I am sorry to say but other than the Balvenie and the Macallan (and even so, with serious reservations) I would not touch any of the other ones. But that is only my opinion of course, and I tend towards Islay malts. 

Once you feel tired of too many Scottish malts, I also recommend Japanese single malts. You can easily find Yamazaki and it is a very fine treat, believe it or not. And Connemara is a very nice Irish one. 

Enjoy!


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## Bjorn

Caol Isla, Ardbeg and Talisker would be good additions. 

A good midway whisky between non peaty lowland/highland whiskies and peaty Spey/Isla whiskies is Highland Park, preferably the 18 or 15 yo. 

An absolutely excellent 'new' whisky is the Port Charlotte from Bruichladdich, very rich and a lot of good peat. 

Also a very good highland whisky which is very 'clean' is Dalwhinnie. Good for desserts.


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## bernoulli

Bjorn said:


> Caol Isla, Ardbeg and Talisker would be good additions.
> 
> A good midway whisky between non peaty lowland/highland whiskies and peaty Spey/Isla whiskies is Highland Park, preferably the 18 or 15 yo.
> 
> An absolutely excellent 'new' whisky is the Port Charlotte from Bruichladdich, very rich and a lot of good peat.
> 
> Also a very good highland whisky which is very 'clean' is Dalwhinnie. Good for desserts.


Bruichladdich makes some fine malt whisky! Ardberg and Highland Park don't do much for me. Ardberg has some funny taste and Highland Park goes the way of non-descriptive taste like Glenfiddich and Glenlivet.

Something for the connoisseurs: I was in Munich a couple of years ago and somebody pointed my to Slyrs. New distillery which uses scottish distillation with fine Bavarian water. I was impressed, it had a lot more body than I was expecting. Hard to find, but worth it at least as something unconventional.


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## ASH

Thanks....I will add to my collection some of the fine recommendations from you gentlemen. So Here's my wish list for now:
Slyrs
Caol Isla
Ardbeg
Talisker
Port Charlotte from Bruichladdich
Yamazaki
Connemara
Scapa
Jura 
Oban
Lagavullin
Laphroaig Quarter Cask


Thank again and sorry if I posted this request in the wrong section......however I knew those who appreciated finer things in life would know something about single malts


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## fishertw

*Islay single malts.*

I agree with those recommending Islay single malts. I just returned from a trip to Islay and have tried all of the Islay single malts over the past year in preparation for the trip. While I started with Laphroaig a couple of years ago and have tried all of the Islay malts, I too really enjoy the lagavulin as an outstanding drink as was recommended by another poster. Lagavulin, Ardbeg and Laphroaig are all distilled in close proximity to one another and are all wonderfully peaty. If you ever have the chance to visit Islay and see the peat fired process of distilling, you should take that time to do so. It is an exacting and wonderful experience to see all parts of the distilling process. Most of the distilleries have wonderful tours and great tasting rooms for visitors to enjoy.
Tom


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## jeffdeist

Collect wine; drink scotch.

I have one bottle of good single malt in the house, and when it's gone I will buy another.


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## Bjorn

jeffdeist said:


> Collect wine; drink scotch.
> 
> I have one bottle of good single malt in the house, and when it's gone I will buy another.


The only objection I have to that is that it's hard to compare different ones. But I like the drinking part...


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## fishertw

jeffdeist said:


> Collect wine; drink scotch.
> 
> I have one bottle of good single malt in the house, and when it's gone I will buy another.


+1- However I usually keep several at various stages of depletion. That way, I always have several on hand to choose from, but I do agree with "drinking rather than "collecting".
Tom


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## bernoulli

The thing with the various stages of depletion is the share that the angels take every day. But having said that, I have at least 2 bottles open at the same time for variety.



fishertw said:


> +1- However I usually keep several at various stages of depletion. That way, I always have several on hand to choose from, but I do agree with "drinking rather than "collecting".
> Tom


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## WouldaShoulda

I never got the single malt bug.

Besides, it would be a shame to damage such a commodity with ice and Drambuie!!


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## Bjorn

Try this one:


It's a Caol Isla by an independent bottler. It is easily accessible, lovely clean full Caol Isla that has only been kept on bourbon casks (none of that wine/port/rum cask deficiency, IMO) and offers good bang for bucks in the upper middle price range at around £80 per bottle.


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## bernoulli

Ah.....

The world of independent bottlers! There are many with various degrees of quality. Thanks for this tip, I will keep my eye on it, even though I make most of my purchases at the Duty Free at Charles de Gaulle airport, a wonderful place for the connoisseur.


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## eyedoc2180

Since you listed blends, I would take Pinch over the Johnny Walkers, any day. On the single malt side, I have come to agree with an article (Wall Street Journal, I believe) that indicated many scotch drinkers prefer the younger ages to the elders. For me, this is certainly true of Glenfiddich, which I definitely prefer at 12 years.


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## Bjorn

eyedoc2180 said:


> Since you listed blends, I would take Pinch over the Johnny Walkers, any day. On the single malt side, I have come to agree with an article (Wall Street Journal, I believe) that indicated many scotch drinkers prefer the younger ages to the elders. For me, this is certainly true of Glenfiddich, which I definitely prefer at 12 years.


That is because they are cheaper, or the author is deceiving himself 

Not that older is always better. But a 30 yo Talisker blows a younger Talisker out of the water. And pretty much everything else younger as well, IMO. Except for a 30yo Port Ellen.

Cask is also 'always' preferable, since it allows for watering. Non chill filtered is also better than chill filtered.

Many scotch drinkers prefer what they can afford though. Including me.


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## eyedoc2180

Bjorn said:


> That is because they are cheaper, or the author is deceiving himself
> 
> Not that older is always better. But a 30 yo Talisker blows a younger Talisker out of the water. And pretty much everything else younger as well, IMO. Except for a 30yo Port Ellen.
> 
> Cask is also 'always' preferable, since it allows for watering. Non chill filtered is also better than chill filtered.
> 
> Many scotch drinkers prefer what they can afford though. Including me.


In advancing middle age, I deceive myself on a daily basis. That said, the point of the WSJ article is that the older scotches tend to be smoooooooooooooooother, which I duly note, agree or not. However, smooth is not what I seek. I truly prefer the subtle bite of the younger Glenfiddich.


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## Bjorn

That's true. They do have a bit more bite.


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## Bjorn

If you like a younger taste with more bite, Kilchoman is something to try out. It's very young but very good, it's a 'new' Islay:

https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-14193.aspx

There's also something fairly new and interesting from Ardbeg (who can do nothing wrong apparently); the Ardbeg Alligator, made with charred casks:


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## eyedoc2180

Nice! Neat labels, too. I will look for them.


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## Starch

Do people _collect_ Scotch?

I though the point of the stuff was to drink it.


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## Bjorn

Starch said:


> Do people _collect_ Scotch?
> 
> I though the point of the stuff was to drink it.


I kind of concur, but if for example in Scotland, it's a shame not to buy 3-6 bottles of really good stuff. Then you don't drink it all at once...


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## TruthfulLies

Birth of Malt Whisky
The adventure of analysis that eventually alien malt whisky to the apple began in abundant the aforementioned way as it did for beer and wine: agrarian yeasts and amoroso (like amoroso from grapes) eventually begin themselves at the aforementioned affair and their acknowledgment was ad-lib and dramatic. Together, aggrandize and amoroso began a action of actinic abracadabra alleged beverage and the aftereffect was alcohol.

As with annihilation accepting to do with civilization, area in the apple this action was aboriginal noticed bent everything. In warmer climates, the art of wine authoritative was born, and in acknowledgment climates, the art of beer brewing was born. It wasn't continued afore these were both distilled to actualize brandy and whisky, respectively.

Distillation is the action of baking liquid, accession the beef and abbreviating it aback into liquid. It was anticipation to accept aboriginal been apparent by Phoenician sailors to advice abolish the alkali from alkali water. While the action helps abolish assertive substances, it additionally helps apply others like the booze from distilled beer and wine. The action of beverage is why we accredit to abounding types of alcoholic beverages as booze - there is an about mystical affection to the assembly as beef is created and wafts about the beverage space. Similarly, this spirit is abridged aback to apple in a new form, as a new life. Overtime, cultures accept agreed to accredit to this alleviation action as the the baptize of life: Vodka, Aquavit, Eau-de-vie and Usquebaugh are all linguistic plays off of this term.

Usquebaugh is the Gaelic advertence to baptize of activity and this was eventually truncated to usky and translated from Gaelic by the British into whisky.

Single Malt Scotch
Whisky by simple analogue is a distilled, grain-based alcohol. In the American south, it is fabricated from blah or rye and alleged bourbon. In Ireland, it is fabricated from barley and alleged Irish Whisky. Scotland has internationally adequate the appellation Scotch, which can alone accredit to barley-malt whisky produced in Scotland. Scotch in its finest anatomy defines the actual best in whisky anywhere in the world, and the best commendable specimens are about consistently audible malt scotch.

Single Malt refers to the actuality that the whisky comes from a audible distillery. The association is that it will backpack the audible aromas and flavors of alone that distillery as authentic by the baptize used, the fields and rocks the baptize passes through to ability the distillery and area the distillery allows the whisky to age. The asceticism of the audible malt distillery is affiliated to the angle of terrior in France: bearing wine from a audible acreage is angelic in that it embodies all of the flavors, aromas and subtleties that cannot be begin anywhere in the apple except on that one baby artifice of land.

It follows, then, that audible malt scotch differs from the attenuated scotch that has authentic best of the world's acquaintance with scotch whisky up until actual recently. The aboriginal whisky distilleries can be traced aback to 1494 in Scotland, but the bartering bazaar for the alcohol didn't become applicable until the 18th century. During this beginning aeon in Scotch whisky production, it was acutely difficult to accomplish any array of affection or bendability with a audible distillery. So, avant-garde abundance owners like John Dwar (1806), the Chivas brothers and Johnnie Walker absitively to aftermath a acclaimed whisky by aggregate scotch from assorted distilleries until affection and bendability were achieved. These attenuated scotches bedeviled the apple bazaar for whisky until the 1960's and 1970's back technology and centuries of acquaintance accustomed audible distilleries the befalling to actualize consistent, world-class scotches.

These avant-garde audible malt scotches are now so arresting in personality and subtlety and so affably audible from one addition that they command the absorption of the absolute world.


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## Starch

Uh ....


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## Bjorn

Accession of the beef. Bedevil the apple bazaar. Interesting.


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## Chouan

jeffdeist said:


> Collect wine; drink scotch.
> 
> I have one bottle of good single malt in the house, and when it's gone I will buy another.


Well said!


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## Chouan

Connemara is ok, although it is distilled in County Louth, in a distillery built in an old potato processing factory in 1987, and nowhere near Connacht! Bushmills 16 and 21 year old are both good. Tullamore do a reasonable malt as well, but I can't remember the age or the name.
I'm too weedy to drink Islay, which, to me, is like medicine. Genlivet is probably my favourite Scotch single malt.
I generally only have two bottles in the house, one of the above and one of Paddy, Famous Grouse, Tullamore (blended) or Bushmills blended, although I do have a bottle of Islay (forget the brand) that I've had for several years.


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## ASH

Agree, I love the Ardbeg and Jura 16 yr......however the •	Glenlivet – 21 Yrs. Archive is one of the best. Not sure why most of you had a low opinion. I also enjoy opening multiple bottles to try. Here's an updated list:

Highland Malts:
•	Balvenie – 14 Yrs. Golden Cask
•	Balvenie – 12 Yrs. Double Wood
•	Glenmorangie – 12 Yrs. Quinta Ruban
•	Glenmorangie – 18 Yrs. Extremely Rare
•	Glenlivet – 21 Yrs. Archive
•	Glenlivet – 18 Yrs.
•	Glenlivet – 15 Yrs. French Oak Reserve
•	Glenlivet – 12 Yrs.
•	Glenfiddich – 15 Yrs. The Solera Vat
•	GlenGoyne – 17 Yrs. 
•	GlenGrant – 16 Yrs. 
•	Macallan – 1824 Collection

Isle Single Malts:
•	Talisker – 10 Yrs.
•	Laphroaig – Quarter Cask
•	Ardbeg – 10 Yrs.

Speyside Malts:
•	Cragganmore – 12 Yrs. Single Speyside Malt
•	Glenrothes - 1994

Jura Island:
•	Jura – 16 Yrs. Diurach’s Own
•	Jura – 10 Yrs. Origin

Fine Scotch Blends:
•	Johnie Walker Blue Label
•	Johnie Walker Green Label


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## Kingstonian

Chouan said:


> Connemara is ok, although it is distilled in County Louth, in a distillery built in an old potato processing factory in 1987, and nowhere near Connacht! Bushmills 16 and 21 year old are both good. Tullamore do a reasonable malt as well, but I can't remember the age or the name.
> I'm too weedy to drink Islay, which, to me, is like medicine. Genlivet is probably my favourite Scotch single malt.
> I generally only have two bottles in the house, one of the above and one of Paddy, Famous Grouse, Tullamore (blended) or Bushmills blended, although I do have a bottle of Islay (forget the brand) that I've had for several years.


Sainsbury's own label single Irish malt is excellent and inexpensive. It is from Cooley. The standard one is better than the slightly more expensive 'Taste The Difference' - which is an older bottling. I also have Redbreast - a pot still whiskey and Jamesons in the house. I prefer Powers to Jamesons and Paddy. I never took to Bushmills though we visited the distillery in July. I also visited The Glenlivet many decades ago.


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## ASH

Any recommedations on Irish Whisky? I will be in Dublin next week and dont mind picking up a couple of fine Irish whiskey


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## VictorRomeo

Visit here....

https://www.celticwhiskeyshop.com/

Their store is very central - right beside Thomas Pink if you're interested - on the St.Stephen's Green end of Dawson Street.

They've a fantastic selection of whiskies from all over the country(and world) and have daily tasting sessions.

I'm not one for whiskey in any real sense, but I got a present of a bottle of Middleton Extra Rare a couple of years back and it's like molten butterscotch. Only for special occasions given the price.


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## Langham

Starch said:


> Do people _collect_ Scotch?
> 
> I though the point of the stuff was to drink it.


That was my thought too. Maybe he runs a pub? Still, he has a very good collection to be going on with...


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## zzdocxx

BTW, Costco again has bought some excess from MacAllan and is selling it as Kirkland from MacAllan Distilleries, Single Malt, Sherry Cask aged 15 years.

The price is around $55 - 60.


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## Haffman

I wouldn't knock Highland Park off the list. Get the 18 year old.


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## Haffman

I have some sympathy with the philosophy of storing wine and drinking Scotch. The problem with opened Scotch is it starts to go off a bit after a few months. Depends how fast you are getting through it!


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## Flairball

Haffman said:


> I wouldn't knock Highland Park off the list. Get the 18 year old.


This.

And if you can find the Ardbeg Alligator, I'd recommend snapping it up.


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## Piscator

Bowmore was a pleasant find a few years ago (I don't remember the age). Nice intro to Islay malts without a steep price


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## zzdocxx

Yeah Costco was sold out the Kirkland MacAllan the other day but they had a 20 year old Speyside aged in sherry casks sold under their own brand. I don't remember from what distiller it came, I don't think I recognized the name. But I'm not a big liquor aficionado anyway.

Anyone seen that TV show "Moonshiners"?

Wow.


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## Bjorn

It was great. I find Caol Isla unbeatable at its price. Maybe Talisker is as good. And Highland Park is great as well, but not the same genre.


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## bernoulli

Caol Ila is indeed great, but I still prefer Talisker. I remember fondly a special edition of Caol Ila that came in a wood box. I lifted the pic from https://www.whisky-distilleries.info/Bottles/Caol-Ila_EN.shtml. I second Bjorn in recommending it, as I do Bowmore from a previous poster (the 12 years is great).

I still find the simple expression of Jura (10 years) the best malt around, especially regarding price/value ratio.


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