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Ok, so I was put off whisky in my teens by Bells and Glennfiddic - yeah I know.
So, if I wanted to experiment with a smooth but warming evening sipping drink where would I start? And is Whisky and Bourbon different in this sense?
My favourite just now is Monkey Shoulder, failing that Bushmills, over ice and 50/50 with Fever Tree ginger ale. Don’t like whisky any other way.
Irish is a good start, Bushmills 10. I'll be having one for Christmas. Spey side will be less "challenging" than the really peaty stuff. Ardmore, balvenie, An Cnoc all do lighter peated
Old pultney a good middle ground
My dad likes famous grouse. Like OP I tried it but in my early 20s and never again.
Don't shy away from some of the staples. Jameson is a pleasant enough tipple, sweet and smooth.
For a reasonably safe bet try a bottle of Lidl's Ben Bracken Speyside Single Malt, or Ben Bracken Highland malt. A drop of water in either will open it up as a decent sipping whisky.
dalwhinnie is very mellow. as is edradour. both my faves.
i dislike tcp flavoured peaty stuff.
Ok. Where to start?
Ignore the first answer.
Ice will kill flavours, but don't be afraid of a small splash of water.
If you're north of the border, find a whisky bar and ask for advice. Much easier to find what you like a measure at a time.
Have fun.
APF
Ok, so I was put off whisky in my teens by Bells and Glennfiddic
I can't really see why they'd put you off as such, Bell's is a decent enough cheap blend and back in the day Glenfiddich pretty much invented the mass-market malt by being inoffensive and approachable.
The Irish mentioned above are a good shout, Woodford Reserve if you fancy trying American or Aberlour 12 and Balvenie Doublewood for Scottish single malts - they've plenty to offer taste-wise and are very easy drinking.
Actually, apf has the best idea. Go to a pub with a decent selection and try a few, saves hazarding your £30-40 all on one bottle you may not much care for. Plus you'll be in a pub!
Miniatures is the best way in.
Macallan Sherry cask. It's a great beginner whiskey. Might get myself a bottle, not had one for a while.
Go and sample a few at either a bar or event.
Find What styles you like then home on from there.
Jameson's is very sweet. Nice enough but not something I'd want to offer someone just getting into whiskey.
Alex has the best answer here so far.
If you want to buy a bottle then maybe Jura, Tobermory, Glenmorangie, anything that has the word "sherry" on the label. But really, find a pub or a friend or some other outlet where you can sample without the outlay.
Bell’s is a decent enough cheap blend
If you need to get gloss out of paintbrushes maybe.
Remind me, where are you geographically?
Wildcard advice, as I know my taste isn't everyone's.
Jump in the deep end and grab some Laphroaig and/or Caol Ila. No point in gradually working your way 'up' to them...
is Whisky and Bourbon different in this sense?
Very much so.
If you want a bourbon that meets your criteria I'd recommend Maker's Mark. Drunk in a tumbler over ice.
You'd never drink whisky with anything other than maybe a literal drop of water.
Caveat: drink it however you enjoy it and ignore snobs. But you wanted advice, so...
Jump in the deep end and grab some Laphroaig and/or Caol Ila.
He said "smooth but warming" not "set on fire" 😁
See, I find Caol Ila quite smooth...
But then I do drink my single malt over ice, so what do I know?
Sipper (raised pinkie) or thrower backer ?
You’d never drink whisky with anything other than maybe a literal drop of water.
Massive disagree!
I basically used to force whisky down hoping I'd one day get over the burning in my gullet, then one day met a bunch of old guys who'd hiked into a bothy just to drink whisky all weekend. They were free-pouring the whisky and water in surprisingly equal proportions (probably more like 2:1 whisky/water) with no flips given.
I've enjoyed whisky infinitely more from that day, the secret is to put just enough water in to douse the fire but not drown the drink completely, takes a few test sips sometimes.
Oh yeah and peated vs. non-peated is like two different drinks! Once you get used to the TCP flavour you might actually find a peated whisky less 'rich' and more drinkable.
Oban 14 is my go to cheap(ish) malt. Very smooth, even for a non drinker like myself.
Miniatures definitely a good way to go as everyone's taste is different. I much prefer the peaty Islay malts to the sweeter (IMO) Speyside malts.
I would also really recommend Monkey Shoulder. It's a really easy drinking mellow blend and won't break the bank. Drink it how you like, but preferably neat with maybe a drop of water 🙂
As mentioned above, Dalwhinnie is a very smooth and easy whisky but has bags of depth and character. I prefer the peaty ones but I always find Dalwhinnie satisfying.
But I can enjoy Bells as a sipping whisky too.
if you do 10 different distillery tours - youll get 10 different opinions on how much water required.
i find it tends to be the peatier - the more water i want to open it out.
the speysides need very little depending on age and strength - eg the straight from the cask edradour needs much more than a balvenie 10 - which can indeed be drank neat from the bottle ..... (blame Somafunk - SSWC)
My usual sequence of supermarket choice is Highland Park, Talisker then Laphroaig. Recently I have been enjoying a peated Arran.
I go without water but each to their own preference for getting the most flavour out of the whisky.
Glenfiddich is very pleasant and easygoing. I'm happy to buy one now and then (usually when it's that or a blend in a pub).
My go-to mellow single malt is Glenmorangie 10-year-old, the yellow label.
I think it's an absolute classic and one of the best-balanced whiskies I've enjoyed.
They were free-pouring the whisky and water in surprisingly equal proportions (probably more like 2:1 whisky/water)
This is how I usually drink it.
Or sometimes chuck a fair bit of ice in, so it gets more mellow as I sip it.
As nabove, there's no "right" way to drink whisky though.
My go-to mellow single malt is Glenmorangie 10-year-old, the yellow label.
I think it’s an absolute classic and one of the best-balanced whiskies I’ve enjoyed.
This, Glenmorangie is about right for someone wanting to start on whiskey. It's what I started with before I started getting others in.
Or just buy a bottle of Lagavulin 16yo - that's all you'll ever need.
then Laphroaig
...you trying to put the bloke off for life!! 🙂
Don't start with Laphroaig.
Highland Park was my entry level whisky. Best thing is persistance, you'll become accustomed to the taste after a while.
This, Glenmorangie is about right for someone wanting to start on whiskey. It’s what I started with before I started getting others in.
I still like to keep it in, alongside a couple of bottles of Islay usually (but not during Sober October).
Highland Park was my entry level whisky.
Highland Park is a great "try something a little bit hotter" whisky IMO, not quite as mellow as some, but still very approachable and really good.
I could not enjoy Whiskey for a long time - mainly for the same early teens reasons. But once I discovered the difference a splash of water can make to the taste - sold. I don't mind the burn, I drink strong rum usually - but the water really opens the taste out. Especially from the Islay ones.
I started on Bowmore, nice tipple tbh
Johnny Walker Black Label is a very easy and smooth drink. You can often find it on offer in the supermarket too.
I always say to try Bunnahabhain 12 or even their Stiuireadair which can be found in tesco. I really like both of these and are easy to drink.
I used to work with a whisky enthusiast (a Scot, who later went on to Chair the Scottish distillers association, so knows his stuff) who had a very enlightened approach to how to drink it. He recommended a little bit of water just to open up the flavours a bit, the bottle strength is IHHO a bit strong and the alcohol is overpowering.
BUT - he said you should drink it however you like it to enjoy it..... with lemonade or coke or whatever it takes. His only demand was that you drank scotch, not Irish or Bourbon 😉
It's so personal though. Just because you like it. Very hard to say as loads have said.
I'd go light as an intro
Glen moray.
Old pultney
Maybe Bowmore.
But even staying light do you go cask strength or chill filtered. I always prefer cask as its not as dulled.
Ask 100 folk get 110 answers
Was in the same boat as you OP.
Started out with Balvenie double wood 12, nom.
Dalwhinnie and Arbelour 12 would be my usual go to suggestion. The Arbelour is very smooth. Fettercairn 12 is also a delightful dram.
Smooth and flavorsome has become my go to now, rather than peated. So tend to stick around the Speyside/Highlands.
Dalwhinnie would be recommended here too. When I went round the distillery it was described by them as a 'ladies whisky' and an excellent gateway to the drink in that it is alot softer than most and not very peaty. Probably not allowed to describe it as that now...
You asked about whisky and then got loads of recommendations for Irish and blended stuff!
Also, some good suggestions given...Highland Park, Dalwhinnie, Old Pulteney... maybe Talisker. See what's on offer at the supermarket and dive in.
My Mrs would totally agree with the suggestion about whisky and sherry casks.
100 people... 100 opinions 🙂
When I went round the distillery it was described by them as a ‘ladies whisky’ and an excellent gateway to the drink in that it is alot softer than most and not very peaty. Probably not allowed to describe it as that now…
Nope - My parents were told that a while back and its one of the few they like. Took them to the distillery recently and it's now termed 'the gentle spirit', changed for marketing purposes! Guessing 'For soft sassenachs' didn't make it through the screening either.
Please completely ignore 13thfloormonks advice its whisky not squash 😉...shudders..
Easy drinker, not harsh, cheap to try Deanston virgin oak lovely for the money
Try as much as you can as it really does taste very different despite what some may have you believe, try for for min of 43/46 abv , non chill filtered and no added colour where you can too tbh
Try neat and with a few mil of water added a bit over time and let it breathe for a while keep trying and you'll be amazed at the difference it can make, 2 to 5 mil can make a huge difference both good and bad but worth trying to find out your preference, they also say a minute in the glass per year in the cask to let it stand, oh and if you don't like a bottle put it away and try again jn a few months the change can be massive
And God's no ice
Ps I'm a bit of a whisky snob tbh lol
Bit harsh ^ - he recounted what a load of blokes were doing, and then the advice was
the secret is to put just enough water in to douse the fire but not drown the drink completely, takes a few test sips sometimes.
which is pretty similar to what you said, and which my old colleague advised (I think I can out him as Chair of https://www.scottishwhiskyawards.org.uk/swa/judges)
The only clarification to your post - 2-5 mil to how much spirit? A single shot, or a half pint?
Anyone saying not to add water to whisky is talking rubbish – why on earth do distilleries make these otherwise?
And why do you see them on the bar in every good whisky pub (specifically in Scotland)?
Ohh and the water needs to be room temperature by the way.
Woodford Reserve - great bourbon
Buffalo Trace - great/ cost effective bourbon
Jamesons - very soft Irish Whiskey
There was a wink with that comment and it is a few drops of water that's added not a massive dilution, as i said add a bit then try and so on til you find it to your taste
But the jugs ect are known as tourist tat anyway
Oh and Jon when i was last in one of the smws bars in Edinburgh I asked the stewards opinion on water in whisky and they said if it needs water it's not been bottled right
Johndoh ill note I didn't say don't add water I said don't make it into pop
I'll try a drop or two some times a teaspoon in 50ml but I drink mainly cask strength stuff that's 50/60 abv but generally I prefer neat but I always play around a bit at first
Johndoh ill note I didn’t say don’t add water I said don’t make it into pop
I wasn't saying it was you.
Oh and Jon when i was last in one of the smws bars in Edinburgh I asked the stewards opinion on water in whisky and they said if it needs water it’s not been bottled right
Seems a bit odd considering the smws generally do cask strength which often benefit from a bit of water to dilute it down to standard 40-45%ish.
The other flaw is all our tastebuds vary so a perfect strength for me can be too strong for someone else and hence either they will think whisky is a bit crap or alternatively they could add some water and enjoy it as well.
There was a wink with that comment
Don't worry, after drafting several furious replies I gave up and decided to take it in the spirit intended 😉
That's why I asked them as ita all high abv, like I say some like a drop some like non, and some it seems like a lot 😉 heck some like ice, when i was last in islay the bar man refused to serve an American who wanted laphroaig 18 with ice and coke, he said ill serve you the 10 or nothing for that lol
Fair enough jon I figured you were meaning me apologies
13thfloor 'spirit' I like what you did there 🤭
Agree with the Glenmorangie suggestions. Nice, balanced, not too over the top, very easy drinking. Can't go wrong!
I think a few of the ideas (Bunnahabain, Balvenie Doublewood, etc) are possibly a bit far down the 'christmas cake' route - I do love them (I'm ekeing out my bottle of Bunnahabain because I can't bear to finish it) but if that turns out not to be the OP's taste then perhaps not the best place to start?
I had a great bottle of Glen Scotia the other year. A bit of sweetness and a bit of peat, but not excessive in either direction, so possibly a good intro? Looks like they've redesigned their range now (sigh) but the equivalent bottle seems to be this one which is currently on offer for £25 at Morrisons. If it's remotely like the one I had then that's a bargain. It's 35 everywhere else.
So are you all saying the glug of Teachers I had in my young teens is not representative of the whisk[e]y industry? 'Cos I'd have rather used it to clean my brushes tbf...
BTW if you have a waitrose nearby keep having the odd check in there as they often have really odd reductions on that aren't online the other day I got a douglas laing the gauldrons meant to be 45 reduced to 37 but it was marked down to 20.49 in one near me but not in other but one near my mate had other stuff reduced but not that, I got a Glenrothes 10 for 17 once too, very random but worth a look if you have one local
Glenmorangie was my gateway too.
Ever tried a Godfather? (Scotch whisky and amaretto with a slither of orange peel)
So are you all saying the glug of Teachers I had in my young teens is not representative of the whisk[e]y industry?
Teachers has one thing going for it: it's better than Bells.
As for water,
The whole point of adding water isn't to dilute it, it's to separate out flavours. You only need a couple of drops for that. Some whisk(e)ys explode, typically those at the peatier end of the spectrum, some die.
why on earth do distilleries make these otherwise?
Because people give them money if they do.
Jameson’s is very sweet. Nice enough but not something I’d want to offer someone just getting into whiskey.
I was given a bottle a couple of years ago. Made hot chocolate with it after rides.
Then once there was room in the bottle, filled it with blackcurrants from the garden. The resulting liquor tastes like a very grownup version of cough medicine!
Jura and Old Pulteney would be where I would start
I’m no expert, but I’m quite partial to Tamnavulin which I’ve found on offer and bought a couple of times. Speyside and fairly fruity/sweet so pretty drinkable for a scotch.
The other option (where I started) is a Japanese whisky. Hibiki is very light and sweet, I think most Japanese whiskys are.
Just book a weekend at the Mashtun and make use of thier advice.
I would also suggest the Fiddichside, where I enjoyed a few new malts to me at the weekend. Even better the holiday cottage attached is basically in the pub garden. It's basically full with 8 people in there...
On they “what whisky?” Question, I’d offer Talisker, Jura, highland park or old Putney for easy glugable drams.
As a curveball alternative - I’ve stayed at a couple of AirBnB’s the last few years that have had a surprisingly decent whisky selection with honesty pot (last one last week in Boat of Garten). You could always take your partner away for a nice weekend away and if you chose the accommodation right, will get to taste a good selection of drams at “good value”whilst winning some brownie points at home and having a nice time away.
I think that’s a win-win-win.
@matt_outandabout - I really like that suggestion you’ve made, I’m not a whiskey drinker so going to a proper whiskey bar with accommodation and food seems ideal.
Being a typical Englishman I’ve never ventured to that area of Scotland in winter, what would the road conditions be like? Best waiting until May sort of time?
Being a typical Englishman I’ve never ventured to that area of Scotland in winter, what would the road conditions be like? Best waiting until May sort of time?
There's more local than me on here.
The road will be kept open in all but the worst of weather. Don't let the winter put you off - the walks and views are fantastic, and the fireside and food all the more welcome after a bracing walk.
The only downside is that a good few businesses close for the winter, usually October to March.
Winter can be awesome. If its clear the views are unreal.
Roads are mostly OK as its not a shock like it is down south.
Plus less people and zero midges make it my preferred time.
If you fancy a couple of nights away the Highlander Inn do a winter offer where you get the room for free if you spend the equivalent cost in the bar on whisky. They have an extensive selection and the only thing I'll say against them is they're not dog friendly.
http://www.whiskyinn.com/tariff.html
As for whisky to try don't rule out heavily peated ones. The first I tried that I actually enjoyed was an Ardbeg and I know a couple of people who aren't keen on whisky generally but think Octamore is amazing.
Laphroaig and coke or Fever Tree Ginger beer for the win, superb combo.
bigdug - you're a philistine.
There are no rules. I am only talking about whisky here. Drink what you want mixed with what you want. My preference is neat or with just a drop (literally) of water. Don't rule out blends. Look for an age statement in my opinion a decent guide to quality.
All I ask is that you drink enough to keep distilleries in production but not so much that the price goes up.
You asked about whisky and then got loads of recommendations for Irish and blended stuff!
So?
He didn't. He asked for recommendations thus:
So, if I wanted to experiment with a smooth but warming evening sipping drink where would I start? And is Whisky and Bourbon different in this sense?
whilst asking if whisky and bourbon were different. Hence the Irish, Welsh, Japanese and other recommendations came flooding in.
I would love to be able to say I was really, really edgy, and hip, and only wanted to drink eye-wateringly expensive age-statemented expressions of the purest and most unadulterated cask-strength masterpieces ever casked and bottled. But I like supermarket single-malts (as well!) , and, lord help us, Jameson.
ok thanks for all the advice! Just out some Jura Journey - discounted at Sainsbury's to £22 btw - in the basket for Christmas!
Ralfy talks sense, all 3 bottles around the £40 mark and all integrity bottlings.
Smooth and flavorsome has become my go to now, rather than peated. So tend to stick around the Speyside/Highlands.
This is right, I think when learning your way around whisky it is really worthwhile understanding the geography/regions. In summary, if you know where the whisky came from, you can have a pretty good guess how it easy it is to drink. Highland and Speyside are easiest to drink. I'm no whisky nerd, but understanding the basics of regions really helps me avoid wasting money!
This is a good read
Regions Guida
Aldi Islay Malt @£16 is very good a. the price and b. as an introduction. I'd sip a bit, reflect on what it tastes like, then put 2/3 Ice Cubes in, let them melt, and be amazed at how it changes to an actually nice sweetish sipping thing.
Proper grown ups use a dash of water but I am a savage.
Being a typical Englishman I’ve never ventured to that area of Scotland in winter, what would the road conditions be like? Best waiting until May sort of time?
Spent a year living in Moray, right in the middle of whisky country. If I turned right from my door to Dufftown and Aberlour, I’d encounter Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Craigallachie, Singleton, Aberlour, MacAllan to name but a few in 10 miles. Go left and I’d be at Glenlivet, Tamnavulin, Tomintoul.
One of the best local whiskies I found is Glenallachie, from just outside Aberlour - nicer than an Aberlour 12
The road from Dufftown down through Glenrinnes carries on to Tomintoul and Cockbridge over The Lecht, the most frequently closed road in the UK. Winter 2020 was pretty exceptional - we had snow on the ground pretty well from Christmas Eve until April and at one point we were snowed-in for 10 days as it was too deep and set solid the snowplough couldn’t shift it. From April onwards you should be OK.
There is a Snowroads 90 mile signposted drive that takes in some of the area.
I now live 500m from the Tobermory distillery
find a whisky bar
VERY VERY MUCH THIS ^^^^
I mean whatever you like is whatever YOU like but why spend money until you have an idea.
and ask for advice.
Yeah once you find one and can say what you like about it then do this...
At the risk of being lambasted ... French aged
https://www.masterofmalt.com/distilleries/michel-couvreur-whisky-brand/
I know a few places sell in the UK...
D. Byrne & Co. Fine Wines Ltd in Clitheroe started AFTER I gave my cousin a bottle and he asked them to start supplying.