Posted on 07/07/2014 10:01:11 PM PDT by KJC1
I am not a Scotch or whiskey drinker; I am asking FReepers on behalf of a friend of mine.
He used to drink Johnnie Walker Black, and insists they changed something to make it inferior. The price on Black has since gone down.
Then, he switched to Gold and sometimes Blue. He thinks the Gold has gone downhill, and the "jury" is still out on the quality of the Blue.
I'd like to buy him a bottle of something nice that will make him happy. But, as I said above, I'm not a Scotch drinker so I'd be an ineffective judge of what is good or not, especially keeping in mind his most recent taste is for Gold and Blue.
My friend is a Vietnam Vet and retired Police Sergeant and does not get online much, and I thought FR would be a great place for suggestions.
For a good selection, go to Cavabenitowhisky.com
I happened on this store in Andorra. They have 928 single malts to choose from. And a few others.
Oban ...
Johnnie Walker has no business calling itself scotch.
There is a rarer 18 year edition that sells for somewhere from $100 to $150.
Oban is truly special. It is a single malt so it has a more complex flavor than a blended scotch like Johnnie Walker. It's milder than some of the smokier single malts and tastes more refined like a Glenlivet or Glenfiddich, but to my taste buds is miles above in overall flavor.
Look at reviews around the web and you will see that Oban is highly regarded by all scotch lovers.
Very good single malts can be had for well under $100. There is a wide array of flavors. I like the peaty Islays, but enjoy most decent scotches. There is not a pretentious bone in my body. Cutty Sark is paint stripper in a bottle. Bitter, crappy stuff with a turpentine aftertaste. A decent scotch will not ever taste like Cutty Crap.
Hell, I’ll even drink an Irish whiskey if offered.
Andorra? Believe it or not I’ve been there, lol. I will check out your link, but I would imagine the shipping charges would be significant. Thanks for the link!
I love you want to spend that money on your friend...however at the end of the day he should be grateful for the grift not how much you spent
You’re welcome. The thing about scotch is that dark smoky flavor, and it’s very slightly hallucinogenic from all the weird stuff in it. The blended types are meant to be uniform bottle-to-bottle, so that “oddness” is kind of blended out. On purpose.
And IMO it’s not especially snobby...you don’t have to be snobby to like a good, not even a super-duper steak over a hot dog. It’s simply a much richer experience by virtually any measure. And a nice single malt (almost all of them are) is only a little more expensive than a JW Red or similar semi-premium brand. JW Blue is pretty good, but silly expensive; I’d rather have Glenlivet any day. Cheap scotch, on the other hand, is truly vile swill.
Thanks for the info on Oban.
One thing my friend did NOT like was Johnnie Walker Double Black. If I remember correctly it was the extra peaty/smoky flavor that turned him off.
Balvenie 12 yr or Balvenie 14yr Caribbean.
Oban
All the suggestions I would have made, have been made. Just thought I’d say I concur with everything in your profile! FReegards!
Also found out all Cuban cigars imported into Europe come through Andorra.
Castro made a deal with them. Something to do with taxes.
Did you see the sporting goods store by the river across from the Novotel?
Owner has shot about every game animal in the world and has them stuffed and on display.
I would buy your friend a selection of the miniature bottles of single-malt; let him sample, and he can decide which he likes best, while letting him know that he can expect a special gift of a full-size bottle of his favorite. Among the miniatures, you should include Talisker, Cardhu, and Caol Ila, as they are the base single malts of Johnnie Walker Black, and likely to be among the ones he likes best. Don’t forget Laphroaig (deep, smoky, peaty), Glenmorangie, Glenlivet, Cragganmore, Glenfiddich, Oban, and Lagavulin, to round up a nice 10 selections. If none of these make his day, there are many, many more that he could sample; the above choices are amongst the best this world offers.
If you do go with a single malt, then stick with those from the Highland region like Oban, Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, etc. These scotches have milder tastes that more closely approximate the blended whiskeys.
Stay away from Islay scotches like Lagavulin and Laphroaig. I personally love these scotches, but they have very smoky and unique tastes. Some even leave a hint of iodine in the mouth. Truly an acquired taste.
There are many who will recommend Talisker. I have tasted Talisker and was not impressed, but it could just be my taste buds. It tasted a little flat to me the couple of times I tried it. Oban, Glenlivet, and Glenfiddich have much more rounded and full tastes that are much more satifying IMHO.
18 YO Macallan (~$160-200). I carted a bottle up to the top of White mountain :-) Only had a sip there though, couple shots and I’d be a mummy up there.
Bulleit is spectacular bourbon for the price too, if he’s partial to that.
Heck, get him the 12 year old Macallan. It's only $49 and is nothing to sneeze at. 18 is a little extravagant, unless the guy's your lifelong best friend, imo.
Don't think you can get the 25 year old Macallan for less than $200. But if you find some, let me know! Worth every penny. Like drinking silk.
We are both grateful for each other's friendship, which is forever. I just want to do something nice for him, which he doesn't expect or even anticipate. He's an old-school American, a dying breed. Anything I can do to make him happy I will do; it's not about the money, but I don't want to buy him something he will not enjoy.
It’s nice to know that one of the best liquor stores in California agrees with me on Oban.
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