Me and a few friends are going to start getting together each bringing a whiskey to sample. We’re all fairly new to whiskey and have struggled to appreciate it in the past (feeling the whiskeys we’ve tasted are too harsh) so this is an attempt to find the right whiskeys for our tastes.
Was hoping for some suggestions on some good whiskeys to start with, thinking aiming for lighter, smoother ones and work through.
Any other tips appreciated!
Cheers,
Jake.
It’s whisky in Scotland and whiskey in Ireland. I’d start with the likes of Glenfiddich or Glenmorangie as good Scottish whisky for beginners. Then graduate to Dalwhinnie. As regards Irish whiskey, the likes of Bushmills is quite palatable.
The American stuff is gash though. Apart from Woodford Reserve. Never tried the Japanese or Welsh stuff.
Benromach 10 and Bunnahabhain 12, even converted missis to be a whiskey fan ...
Redbreast 12 is The perfect intro to a beautiful love affair
RIAC
For Scotch : the Glenlivet is nice and smooth. Not smoky, not peaty. A bit like the Quality Street toffee pennies. The 12YO you can find in Tesco is fine.
Makers Mark Bourbon Whisky is American - however I like it and my friend who was a whisky novice liked it too.
It's more gentle that some. Gets a good review from these guys too.
https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/1168/makers-mark
Amazon is a bit cheaper...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Makers-Mark...003ZINBLE?th=1
I was a Whiskey lightweight a few years back, then I acquired a taste for it, but even now I avoid the hardcore Islay ones, (too much smoke and peat flavour for me), I can take a Talisker but not Ardbeg or Laphroaig.
I find Irish and Speyside Scotch the easiest drinking, so maybe a Jamesons or Bushmills, then Spesides, pretty much any, but Glenfiddich, Balvennie, Tamnavulin, Aberlour. But even Sainsbury’s TTD Speyside or Aldi’s Single Malt Speyside makes a perfectly acceptable supping whiskey for not a lot of money.
One you want to progress, a lovely Highland whiskey is Dalwhinnie 15yo.
So many to enjoy.
For me single malts are over rated, but they are where the collector congregate. It's a great example of creating a market and unfortunately if you decide you like whisky/whiskey, where you have to end up. To be fair, bourbon is not much better. I tend to camp in the middle ground and I don't think it is a bad place to start.
Scotch/whisky: I like Tallisker as something approachable. Shockingly I also like J&B as an everyday drink. I think blends are a good place to start and I believe the whisky and soda is overdue a return to popularity.
Irish: Teelings is good, but I think if you were to start anywhere Black Bush is a great entry point. Red Breat Lustau is my whiskey of choice.
American: I like Old Granddad, because a) my wife laughs at it, b) James Bond (Ian Fleming who knew how to drink) liked it and c) it's bloody good.
Japanese: Lovely, overpriced, but the Suntory I had at Christmas made me forgive the price.
Elsewhere: I've drank drinkable whiskeys from Sweden, France and India.
TLDR
Try a few mid range whiskeys and see what you like.
Last edited by gerrudd; 24th January 2022 at 19:02.
I’ve just finished a Method and Madness French chestnut finished bottle my sister bought me for my 50th and it was delicious and quirky enough for it to be a treat tipple. My usual tipple is Jamesons, occasionally Redbreast and I would describe all of them as smooth and light. I’ve never been able to enjoy single malt after hammering a Laphroaig with a mad Scotsman at a wedding. The spare room at my then girlfriends parents looked like a murder scene the morning after and I’m transported back to those shaky, sweaty hours every time I smell a peaty single malt.
Last edited by jmarchitect; 23rd January 2022 at 20:13.
You've just got to try a few.
Some people (like me) prefer the Islay whiskies. Others think they are too strong and prefer a Highland or a Speyside.
I find those stronger tasking smoky whiskies smother and easier drinking than the Glenmorangies and Glenlivets of this world.
Do drink small amounts. Tiny even. Don't drink to much it burns, just a drop so you can taste it properly. Add water if you need to. It's not supposed to be a punishment.
I don't like Japanese or Lowland whisky as they usually seem over distilled and pretty bland. Irish and American whiskey is what you drink if you're adding a mixer.
I come from a short walk from Talisker distillery and went to school just beside Dalmore distillery. While they are ok, they aren't my favourites.
The peaty single malts will probably not be for you at this stage. They can be difficult to like initially.
Don’t drink Laphroaig unless you like medicine and want to feel like you’ve just been to the dentists.
Please don’t disregard the American efforts, Basil Hayden’s is an excellent, smooth easy drink. .
Likewise, the Japanese . They have taken an ages old tradition and turned it on its head. Some of their lower end whiskies are excellent .
Having said all that, the Scottish single malts can be amazing . You’ll no doubt get some fantastic recommendations here.
Jamesons and Powers are a lovely introduction to Irish whiskey .
Don’t drink Bells ;)
Surprising how your taste can change, I’ve now got a taste for the peaty smokey ones even though I couldn’t stand them a few years ago! Can’t explain this, maybe its age- related.
Try a few, don’t get too hung up on the elaborate descriptions of how it’s supposed to taste, be your own judge.
I enjoy a whisky after a really hot curry, wife thinks I’m crazy!
If "proper" whiskey/whisky isn't for you, don't try to force it, you don't have to like everything. Whiskey can taste good, ask the Yanks. Forget Jack Daniels and Jim Beam, there are some truly delicious bourbons and rye whiskies out there. Woodford Reserve, Buffalo Trace, Makers Mark, and those are just the low-end supermarket brands.
I'm a relative beginner and I've become partial to Laphroaig with a splash of water it grows on you. Edradour is very smooth and easy to drink no harsh or peaty from what I remember. Highland park might be a good place to start a mix between the two and on offer at Morrisons at the moment https://groceries.morrisons.com/prod...E&gclsrc=aw.ds
I'm not a connoisseur, but I have also found adding a little bit of still water to some whiskies takes the edge off and brings out some of the more subtle underlying flavours.
Thanks for all the pointers so far, really really helpful and given us plenty of ideas for at least the first few rounds of tasting!
I'd advise keeping to the lower ABV spirits, say 40-46%, to start with. The majority of whiskies are literally watered down to a specific ABV level therefore the higher the ABV the more concentrated the flavours. Typically this means that, if you're not accustomed to them, the higher ABV whiskies may be challenging if you jump straight in..
Add water if you'd like though do it a few drops at a time, don't go sloshing it in. Ultimately add as much or as little as you'd like though, you're the one drinking it!
If a few of you are thinking of getting some bottles then make sure you spread the distilleries and/or cask types, this will help you all understand how the wood influences what you taste. Sherry, virgin oak, ex-bourbon etc.
Islay whiskies are stereotypically peat smoked and can have bonfire, medicinal and maybe saline flavour profiles amongst others - you may love them, you may not! There are also Islays that aren't peaty and non-Islays that are.
If you're starting with whiskies easily found in supermarkets then keep an eye out for discounts. I know that, for example, Tesco and Sainsburys rotate many of their whiskies in their sales every few weeks/months or so.
Gather some tasting notes prior to drinking and see if they match your own thoughts when you try each drink. If you're drinking together then discuss amongst yourselves what you can taste, people pick up on different things!
Lastly, you may wish to try some blind, though that will mean you don't know what anyone else is buying. For example, if there's 3 or 4 of you, you all buy a bottle and when you meet you each pour a measure for everyone else out of view of the others, that way no-one can be influenced or biased prior to drinking.
I would say the Clynelish 14 would very much meet your needs OP.
Id be astonished if you found anyone who had a bad word to say about that dram.
Its not that expensive and its very well done.
I’m not into the really peaty whisky’s so what I tend to go with is a nice Macallan. I’ve just finished a bottle of the Double Cask 15yr which went down particularly well.
I really like Glenmorangie, I find it light and drinkable, perhaps I need to expand my taste buds and try some others, anyone got any tips on miniatures so I don’t waste money on a full bottle?
Arran 10, Glenkinchie 12 would be my recommendations for the lighter style, accessible, affordable whisky that isn’t too challenging, but a genuine step up from what I now consider, sadly, mass market once great malts but now really banking on their name such as…. Glenfiddich and Glenmorangie. My mate’s dad had a standard 12 tear old Glenmorangie sitting unopened in his drinks cabinet for well over a decade until we discovered it just before Christmas. If you blind tested it with today’s bottlings, you’d be hard pushed to know they were supposed to be the same thing. In many ways, good grain/malt blends are a lot better bang for your buck than they ever used to be and shouldn’t be overlooked, especially if you’re starting out and looking to pick up on standard characteristics. If you’re having a group of you together, a bottle of something like The Famous Grouse should definitely be something on your list to compare against the pure malts. See if you can pick out the malts added to that blend…… like Caol Ila.
As a general guide to buying malt whisky, and all else being equal (and they’re not equal, which is why it’s such a nuanced hobby)… the higher the abv the better (43% minimum, 46% plus is where it starts to happen… it puts YOU in the driving seat in terms of if and how much you want to dilute). Look at the label for something indicating natural colour (be wary of added E numbers, usually caramels…. can be a sign of poor quality barrels or barrels that have been refilled too often). If your whisky is naturally coloured from the barrel alone, they’ll be proud to say so on the label. Likewise, look on the label for some indication that the whisky hasn’t been filtered (usually ‘chill filtered’). This is a post aging process that removes micro particles that might be picked up from, typically but not exclusively, the barrel, which you might think is a good thing but it isn’t. They do it to produce a bright, clear, ‘appealing’ looking spirit, but filtering can strip the whisky of natural oils, minerals and phenols… all of which ‘add’ something distinctive and unique to the distilling and ageing process.
The biggest tip I can give you is to think about what you’re tasting and write it down. Use your notes to compare against other tastings. You think you’ll remember how something tasted last year, but you won’t. Nostalgia, company, mood, time, and your evolving palette…. They all influence how you perceive things. Writing stuff down and thinking about stuff helps you to stop getting pissed really really quickly… which can be a good thing… sometimes.
Enjoy! It’s a wonderful and still affordable pastime.
Gary
Last edited by galewis; 24th January 2022 at 02:54.
for irish the already mentioned red breast as well as green spot (these are pot still whiskeys) - i also like powers .
good pot still whiskeys have more flavour and are smoother (imo)
For a sweeter easy drinker, if you like rum try Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve, it’s on offer everywhere currently too.
Berry Bros and Rudd have a classic range of blended malts on Amazon which are all excellent, each of the four variations being a perfect intro to the different flavour styles, Speyside, Peated Cask, Sherry Cask, Islay. start with the Speyside, all buttery and maple syrup flavours. The Sherry cask is like a good Xmas pud, rich and fruity plum raisin. The peated is sweet and lightly Smokey, haven’t tried the islay yet but I gather it’s quite a gentle introduction to the earthy Smokey medicinal world of huge peated monsters. Each bottle is about £25- £30.
ktmog6uk
marchingontogether!
You can buy whisky sampler kits - just a small amount of a range of whiskys.
It’s an expensive way to buy whisky, but cheap compared to buying a full bottle of something you don’t like !
Example here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CZF1R...ing=UTF8&psc=1
Pete
I always think Auchentoshan is a great starter malt.
Seconded on Auchentoshan. A proper dram but little acquiring of taste required. The Three Wood is a lovely step up.
As a few have mentioned, a splash of water makes a difference.Originally Posted by jakesblue
Laphroig says on the bottle to add water, and there’s a reason there’s a pitcher of water on the bar in many highland pubs...
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Although not a single malt, the blended malts in "Shackleton" make a good introduction to malt whiskys, and currently at £18 in Co-op is a bargain.
Just try them and see what you like, no one else has your taste buds so don’t rely on what you read. If you can, make some notes about what style the whisky was and whether you liked it, that way you can start to build a picture of what you like.
When I first got back into whisky I bought two £100+ bottles based on reviews in the whisky bible and I found both very disappointing. Especially compared to the Nikka From the Barrel I was also drinking at the time, which was the whisky that got me back into it in the first place. I’d recommend that every time.
Try some bourbon & rye’s too.
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Line yourselves up with the following to begin with:
Glenmorangie 10
GlenGrant 10
Rebreast 12
Bunnahabhain 12
4 easy to find, reasonably priced , easy to drink whisky’s and whiskey to start with - a highland, a speyside, an Irish single pot and the subtlest of islays ….
after that explore the other regions and branch out into some heavily sherried offerings like a Glendronach revival 15 to name but one, and perhaps a long row or springbank to explore the cambletown offerings
once to start to hit on styles and regions you like and have explored different distillers , then start moving up the age ranges
Last edited by I AM LATE!; 27th January 2022 at 01:40.
Johnnie Walker Blue. It's just amazingly well balanced and a benchmark imho. Everything else seems to emphasise specific characteristics one way or the other. It's on special at Costco for about £99. Cheap for what it is - one of the best blends out there.
Last time I tried that it seemed drowned in caramel!
ktmog6uk
marchingontogether!
I asked a similar question in the whisky shop in Oxford and was sold a bottle of Glenfarclas 10. A great starting point.
Recently bought a bottle of bottle of something very nice from Tobermory
Highland Park
Old Pultney
That was the advice of a very dear friend and whisky expert who died far too young.
It was his response to my question of what should I bring to my first sailing holiday when I was told to bring whisky! I was whisky naive then.
That was great advice, and I still drink them. Beyond Scotch, I do like the Japanese offerings, and Nikka from the Barrel is inexpensive and a good starting point.
Dave
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^^^^^^
What he said!!
When we went into lockdown a group of us joined the vgtg meets every other Thursday to have a laugh a few beers & generally while away a good few hours.
First gtg about 10.30pm the talk moved to Scotch/Whisky/Whiskey at this time I had only drank the blends with mixers or as a cold remedy with honey & lemon.
I came back from the kitchen with a bottle of Whyte & Mackay, from memory Kirks words were something along the lines of pour that down the sink!
Few examples were mentioned I decided to join in on next meet, over the weeks I have tried several & keep going back to several.
Glenlivet Founders (1), Tamnavulin speyside (3) Arran10 (3) Bunnahabhain Stiuireadair (2) Bunnahabhain Moine (1) Benraich 12 (1) got the last three on the go
Well there you go then OP, as is always the result of this type of question there have been approximately 300 suggestions for you to try.
Any the wiser?!
There’s dozens I really like and could recommend
Highland park is a pretty good starting point….quality drink.
I tried scotch but it just isn’t for me. I much prefer bourbon. Woodford Reserve and Bulleit being two of the best I’ve tried
I’ve struggled to appreciate whisky and my Irish MD bought me a bottle of the Irishmen Founders Reserve. It’s a blend and lovely.
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My uncle gave me a bottle of Laphroaig. He was a cigar smoker and I see why he liked it. Imagine pouring a good whisky into an old ash tray and you are about there! He got the bulk of the bottle back!
If you are ever near Snetterton, The English Whisky Company is worth a visit. Book ahead for a tour and a meal :-
https://www.englishwhisky.co.uk/
Last edited by tixntox; 31st January 2022 at 16:22.
As you can see from the answers so far, it’s quite literally a matter of taste, so you just need to try a few to see what you like.
Probably sensible to start on the lighter Speyside whiskies rather than the smoky, peaty ones but not a guarantee you’ll prefer them.
There’s a lot of snobbery about whisky and I’ve had lots of expensive ones that tasted terrible to me, but I can quite happily drink an £11 bottle of Aldi Highland Earl.
Just go with what you like.
I’m an American light weight woman.
I find Powers Irish Whiskey to be a good mellow drink, of course I mix it with a dab of cherry coke. Sexton Irish whiskey is also very good, but a sunny beach to pour without spilling it, their bottle design sucks.
For a blended scotch I prefer Pigs Nose (it’s as soft and silky as a pigs nose). For the good stuff I drink Old Pulteney, I just love it. Both of those I just mix with a dab of water.
For a great summer drink I love Ole Smoky Peach or Mango Habanero mixed with unsweetened ice tea. It sweetens the the tea and has a good flavor. Nothing better when your doing a backyard BBQ or hanging by the pool.
Last edited by svaglic; 31st January 2022 at 17:02.
Generally I'd grab a bottle of Glenmorangie, however as a good beginner whisky can I suggest Glen Keith, a single malt from Speyside?
I was bought a bottle a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it.
As Tesco and Asda have had it reduced to £20 a bottle, I reckon it's a bit of a bargain.
re irish - if trying bushmills go strait to the green labelled single malt - the red and black are pretty basic.
for jamesons go for crested 10 , the regular stuff is only really good for mixing. the aul'fellas in the pub in Cork where i worked schwore by the 10 with a murphy's chaser.
my personal fave was middleton reserve - discontinued until acquired by the jameson group who re issued midleton 'very rare' - not a patch on the original and tourist prices sadly.
dont bother with the pot still stuff like redbreast or red/yellow/green/ spot its no better and less cheap.
scotch - highland park has been mentioned and is nice stuff and a good start. not a fan of overly peaty malts. glenlivet is a safe start but youll soon move onwards and upwards. the glenrothes distillery do some good stuff - my brother buys it when he visits me and i drink it when i go and visit him doon sooth. my late and great father in law drank Stewarts cream of the barley - best budget blended EVER just add a wee drop o watar to open it up. other than that i would recommend Balvenie but am not up to speed with their latest offerings. avoid johnnie walker like the plague - i know some folk who work at the diageo distillery nearby and they refuse clean their paint brushes with it.
japanese - all too hot and too expensive - thankfully the sake is fantastic - i prefer the medium to sweet stuff served slightly warmed. oh what a year that was ...... out there scotch was painfully expensive so we brank bourbon - wild turkey and jack dainels are both rank - JD do a thing called gentleman jack which is less bad however. bullet and makers mark should have already have been mentioned if this is of interest. i also remember something called 3 roses or perhaps 5 roses as being ok.
and last and by all means least the welsh stuff - sadly after a distillery visit and tasting they are still not yet ready for the quality end of the british market - their young neat spirit tastes better than their aged product - they are ainimg at the tourist and french aperatif market (they state this openly) and it shows - pass .
on a more optimistic note who cares what i like - the point is go look for yourself - try to avoid the hype and limited editions - ignore anything touristy looking
and finally (ok 2 things) get proper tasting glasses - those sort of tall bulbous things.
secondly breath properly when tasting i.e. sniff the booze , mmmmm nice right ?! thats not breathing ... Breath in as normal before taking a small sip - then breath out slowly and get you nose involved in the tasting. if you are a sucker for punishment then try it the other way around - breath out fully, sip the hooch, then breath in - ok, that was fun wasn't it!!!!!!! dont do this please.
dont drink very good stuff on either a very full tummy (malt with a blast curry burp has limited appeal) or an empty one , and dont brush your teeth just before dram assuming you use toothpaste or mouthwash.
if tasting as opposed to drinking then dont have a few pints first -your taste buds will be long asleep and you will be swilling or perhaps quaffing and best.
but then what do i know
enjoy
Last edited by bigbaddes; 31st January 2022 at 18:41.
for super mellow try
https://www.teelingwhiskey.com/
im not a fan of whiskey, but i can drink that.
for a complete cop-out try the jack daniels honey - can drink that like water.
have some whiskey nobody likes? transform it into a Godfather Cocktail by simply adding Amaretto. perfect way to finish a meal in my opinion!
I always have a bottle of Glenmorangie or Cardhu gold reserve in the cupboard, both very palatable.
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