Question for the single malt gurus

[Pour1Malt]

If I was a single malt drinker I would listen to anything that P1M had to say. For whatever reason I never developed the taste for Scotch Whiskey that I have for Irish Whiskey. There is a relatively new Irish Whiskey called Michael Collins that I found rather smooth and palatable.

It's been a few years since my last Scotch so maybe I'll have to give it a retry soon. I'll have to make a list from this thread before I head to the store.

Irish Whiskey is triple distilled an' efen quite smuith...

try Bladnoch, Glenkinchie, Auchentoshen... ya shiud like them as weel....

[David Dalglish]

I'll probably be hung for this, but I can't tell the difference between most Scotch and Listereen. I don't mind drinking it, but all I can taste is the not so subtle taste of burning dog in my mouth. Or something.

Now rum or red wine, I can taste all of the flavours in there.

Maybe it is a genetic thing.

The diffierence is that you spit the listereen out

[Kilted KT]

Dread, you won't be hung..you will probably just be sent out to the athletics field to practice your caber catching skills.

[Dreadbelly]

Dread, you won't be hung..you will probably just be sent out to the athletics field to practice your caber catching skills.

I've drank some 'good' scotch here and there, so it is not a case of bad scotch, at least I don't think. I don't know what the deal is, but I just can't taste anything. It is like licking a peat bog flavoured lolly soaked in naptha oil and set on fire.

[turpin]

And then be careful not to try Lagavulin and Caol Isla! Your wallet will hate you, but your taste buds will thank you for it.

[The F-H.C.A.G.]

I agree with Dreadbelly-I tried the Caol Isla at our Burn's night and thought that someone had made a mistake and dumped the contents of an ashtray or the dust from the floor in the bottle. I could not taste any of the sublteties that are supposed to be in there, just the dirt...I mean peat. I prefer the Balvenie Doublewood-smooooooothe, minimal dirt. But to be honest-I am still developing a taste for scotch at all-I prefer a Rusty Nail (add a little honey, i.e. Drambuie, and anything tastes better).

Be well,

[Freelander Sporrano]

10 y Laphroaig isn't what I'd call smooth.However thats my own opinion.

Taste is relative . I find it has a lot to do with what I have eaten or drunk beforehand ,mood that kind of thing.I always find at tastings it's always best to leave the powerful Islay malts until last.This is to give the more delicate malts a chance to shine .

You ask if your palate is out of whack ? Why should it be we are all individuals

[SnakeEyes]

I gotta say, I'm not into scotch. Born and raised middle-class Albertan, so it's nothing but Crown Royal for me.

[Pour1Malt]

... A friend many moons ago (15 yrs) gave me a bottle of 12 y.o. Glenlivet. I had tried it several times and "ok" with it. Since coming here to Xmarks I have read the threads on single malts and noticed that some guys enjoy the 12y.o. Glenlivet, so I got it out of the back of the cupboard and decided I would see if my palate had matured some. ... But, I continued telling myself it was an adjustment thing. The only way I can describe it is that it has very strong "bite" to me, almost "abusive". ...
...Laphroaig.. I picked up a bottle of the 10 year old. When I got home, I tried a small dram. A totally different experience. Smooth! Complex flavor, none of that real harsh bite I got from the Glenlivet. I LIKE IT!!!
My question is this, I have read on here that the Islay Malts are something you have to grow into basically. Why would I then not take a liking to the Glen but immediatley enjoy Laphroaig? Is my palate that much out of whack?

Brad

e'ery yins palate is different... ya soond like ya dae no fit the "norm"... nay big deal...

if that bottle of Glenlivet has been open fur maire than 6 months... an if it is less than half fou.... it is nay langer tastin as it shuid... mix it wi soda, lemonade, ginger ale, whit e'er... it is nay langer tastin like a single malt oiny maire....

ai also think Glenlivet has a "bite" (it is a lack of maturity i' the wood, actually... alcohol taste is tae prevalent, an' it is the type o' wood used... Livet is aged in ex-bourbon casks that still contain a lot o' strong tannin an other sharp wood flavours...) ai dinnae drink Glenlevit aften mysel....

maist folk have tae work slowly (many many months tae yeares) tae develop they's palate tae gae frae coke & JD, tae blended whisky & water, tae malt whisky, tae aulder maire intense malts... (but "maist" certainly does no mean a' (all))

maist people (the "norm" again) prefer the lichter "woody, grassy, lemony, pear-like, flavours o' Glenlivet , Glenfiddich, Glenkinchie.. when they start drinkin malt... maire matured palate malt drinkers will drink these lichter flavour malts wi' heavily flavoured foods....

Peat monsters like Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Caol Ila- arr usually no liked by non-malt drinkers an non-matured palate malt drinkers.... they arr intensely flavoured.... flavours in these micht run frae-- burnt treacle, plasticine, bandaids, turpentine, auld fish boxes, rubber bands, smoked fish, salted herring, mushrooms, root cellar, antiseptic, iodine, phenolic, arr seaweedy....

sae although ya dinnae meet the "norm"- that is nay big deal... folk arr the same wi' food... ai still dinnae like sea urchin even though ai luv sushi an sashimi... nay big deal...

the important thing is tae keep tryin' new an different malts ... each distillery maks a muckle huge variety tae choose frae...

have fun...

and share yur malt wi' yur friends!!!

slainte

[Pour1Malt]

while ai'm oan ma wee saipbox...

here arr a few warnings...and helpful hints...

1- Single Malt Scotch Whisky- can ainly come frae Scotland- an' must bae made by yin distillery ainly- an' must bae made frae 100% malted barley... an it must bae aged in wood in Scotland fur nay less than three years... (ai refer tae this as "malt")

2- Blended Scotch Whisky- can ainly come frae Scotland- an' will bae a blend o' many many different single malts alaing wi' a lot o' grain alcohol (this is like vodka- but it is aged in wood like malt whisky is)... it is no made frae 100% malted barley... it is a mix o' malted barley, unmalted barley, wheat, maize (corn), rice, an other grains... an it must bae aged in wood in Scotland fur nay less than three years... (ai refer tae this as "whisky" arr "blended whisky"")

3- check the alcohol strength afore ya taste... (it is oan the label)
most are around 40-43% alcohol... an' dinnae need watter...
if ya get a bottle o' "cask strength" malt -the alcohol will bae 50-71%... an' anything o'er 50% will burn yur taste buds richt aff... which will ruin yur tastin' ability fur the nicht...
ya need tae put a couple wee drops o' watter in it - just enough tae lower the alcohol tae 40-43%....

4- use yur nose maire than yur mooth.... yur nose is far maire sensitive than yur tongue...

5- Rinse yur glass an mooth wi' watter atween each malt whisky...a biscuit (cracker) is guid now an' then tae.... (ai usually fill my glass wi' watter- then pour it intae my mooth an' wash my mooth.. then drink the watter...)

6- NEVER add ice tae malt... it actually changes the molecular structure... an' kills the flavours...

7- malt is best a' a cool room temperature... beware o' warmin' yur glass tae much wi' yur haun... ai also frequently 'cool aff' my mooth wi' cool watter atween sips o' malt... oor mooth temp is 98.6F... which is tae warm fur malt....


hope that helps...

have fun and

Slainte mhath!