The Ten Best Scotch Whiskies

The Belfast Telegraph ^ | 22 January 2009 | Chosen by Charles Maclean

[Daffynition]

Take a load off with one of these wonderful scotch whiskies.

[1]Johnnie Walker Black Label Perfectly rounded, deep and full, this is the blended Scotch most admired by blenders. If I had to take only one whisky to a desert island, it would probably be this one. 40 per cent ABV

[2]Lagavulin 16 Year Old The prince of the Islay malts, this is deep and dark, with notes of fruitcake and sweet seaweed. A voluptuous texture and a fragrant, smoky finish. For drinking with poetry, late into the night. 43 per cent ABV

[3]The Glenrothes 1985 A big, rich Speyside, with notes of dried fruits and peel and some spicy or tannic dryness. Drink with roast Aberdeen Angus beef. The last remaining drops of this vintage have now been bottled. 43 per cent ABV

[4]Old Pulteney 12 Year Old An elegant malt from Wick in the far north of Scotland, this has a lightly "maritime" character and goes well with fish and seafood. The distinctive bottle features a traditional Wick herring drifter. 40 per cent ABV

[5]Clynelish 14 Year Old A North Highland malt, from the coast of Sutherland. Fresh and heathery, with waxy notes reminiscent of a High Church. Drink from the deep freeze in chilled glasses with dessert ? you will be amazed! 46 per cent ABV

[6]Auchentoshan 18 Year Old A triple-distilled Lowland single malt, from a distillery overlooking the River Clyde. Refreshing, even invigorating, and light in style, this makes an excellent apéritif. 43 per cent ABV

[7]Asyla An uncommon (and uncommonly good) blended Scotch, from the Signature Range of the artisan whisky maker Compass Box. Sweet and delicate, this is ideal as an aperitif. 40 per cent ABV

[8]Highland Park 18 Year Old bA distinguished, rich, complex and slightly smoky malt from the Orkney Islands, to accompany coffee, dark chocolate and cigars. A most satisfactory balance of sweet and dry, with dryness winning in the finish. 43 per cent ABV

[9]Bailie Nicol Jarvie An entirely different creature ? light in style, clean and zesty. Easy to drink, this is a blended whisky from the Glenmorangie distillery in the Highlands, named after a character in Walter Scott's novel, 'Rob Roy'. 40 per cent ABV

[10]Talisker 10 Year Old From the Isle of Skye, this is THE malt to accompany haggis (and many other dishes). Sweet and lightly smoky, but watch out for the chilli-pepper hit in the finish. Robert Louis Stevenson regarded Talisker as "the king of drinks". 45.8 per cent ABV

[livius]

They make a lot of cheap stuff in Scotland which obviously meets the requirement to be called “Scotch” but doesn’t necessarily mean that the whole product was produced there. I’m not sure what the requirements are - companies may be able to bring the liquor from elsewhere and age it there, or maybe they have to make it and age it there but can use their own ingredients or blends. All I know is that Spanish “Scotch” tastes sort of like sherry - because they make it in Scotland but age it in sherry casks, which is a flavor the Spanish like.

[Fiji Hill]

I do have a dumb question. Are all Scotch whiskeys made in Scotland?

Once when I was in Mexico, I was in a liquor store looking vor a bottle of good tequila to take north of the border, when a bottle of scotch caught my eye. I don't recall the brand, but it sounded authentically Scottish--Highland Bagpipe, or something like that. However, on the label were the words--in small print--"hecho en México."

[livius]

I think the real division is between the Highland Malts and the Islay Malts.

[kalee]

ping

[Arrowhead1952]

Thanks. I’ll check it out later. Actually, he and I are both scotch with a splash of water guys.

[BibChr]

Ditto. Like others, love Lagavulin 16. (Don’t drink much, but when I do....)

[Mr Inviso]

The requirements for Scotch are fairly simple:
(per the Scotch Whisky Heritage Center in Edinburgh)

Contains malt alcohol to a certain percent
Aged at least 3 years in barrels.
Made in Scotland.

There wasn’t any more than that, if I recall correctly

[Churchillspirit]

Laphroaig or die

A friend is a big Laphroaig fan, but will take Trader Joe's Finlaggen at a pinch.

LOL! Spellcheck will have a field day with this thread.

[MeanWestTexan]

“. . some off brand stuff at CVS drug stores that says it is Scotch whisky”

Look carefully, it will (should) say “scotch whiskey” not “Scotch whiskey.”

Same with “California champagne” -— only the Champagne region of France makes “Champagne.”

[Fiji Hill]

I’ll stick to my Guinness Extra Stout.

I like Guinness, but I swear that it tasted better before they changed the shape of the bottle about 20 years ago.

[allmendream]

Another vote for Glenfiddich.

[Vision]

[2]Lagavulin 16 Year Old The prince of the Islay malts, this is deep and dark, with notes of fruitcake and sweet seaweed. A voluptuous texture and a fragrant, smoky finish. For drinking with poetry, late into the night. 43 per cent ABV

Euro queer.

[chesley]

Check wikipeida Erin Go Bragh (also sometimes: Erin Go Braugh) is the Anglicization of a Gaelic phrase used to express allegiance to Ireland. It is most often translated as "Ireland Forever",[1] and pronounced /ˌɛrɪn gə ˈbrɔː/.

Speakers of the Irish language assume that the phrase is a corruption of the Irish "Éire go brách", or "Éireann go Brách", which would be pronounced [ˈeːrʲə gə brɑːx]. The term "brách" is equivalent to "eternity" or "end of time", meaning the phrase may be translated literally as: "Ireland until eternity" or "Ireland until the end (of time)". The form "Éirinn go bráth" or "Éire go bráth" which also means "Ireland forever" or literally "Ireland until the Day of Judgment", is also used in Irish.

[dblshot]

I just finished of a bottle of 16 year old Lagavulin given to me by an old friend. free does seem to enhance the taste. If I had to settle for only on whisky I’d go with Highland Park but the nice thing about scotch is the great variety of styles and flavors.

I grew up at the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains where moonshiners of Scots-Irish decent raced on dirt tracks since they were pretty good at hopping up cars. I wonder if that’s where the term hopping up a motor came from-hops? Anyway that was the early roots of NASCAR and there it is no coincidence that the cross of St Andrew adorns the flag of the CSA and and is proudly waved at NASCAR tracks. The Scots no more were willing to pay the whisky tax to Washington than to London.

So tonight I’ll tip a wee dram to all those who put thier heart and soul into the water of life.

Oh yeah, to the point that Talisker 10 Year Old From the Isle of Skye, is THE malt to accompany haggis (and many other dishes). Sweet and lightly smoky, but watch out for the chilli-pepper hit. With haggis, there ain’t ever to much of a chilli pepper hit.

[Dead Corpse]

Any list that puts that formaldehyde laced Johnny Walker on it isn’t much of a list.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

"Scotch" is what the Brits call the Scottish - or Scots - so the term Scotch Whiskey is the British term.

[livius]

Thanks. I guess people could meet those requirements and still get their national ingredients and preferences into it.

[SkyDancer]

I don’t like scotch very much - I drink it only if offered by friends ... gimlets or vodka/cranberry is what I prefer ... or a good microbrew ..

[al_c]

[Travis T. OJustice]

NOPE! Tastes like antifreeze to me.