Quote:
Originally Posted by Grabber
I've always wanted to try some Mcallan, but, they are pricey.
The 25 year is over $2,000 a bottle, so, I'll pass on that.
Slowly getting on a scotch/whiskey kick, even though I've been a die-hard craft beer snob the past several years.
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People, people. It is
The Macallan.
A big mistake people make when trying to get into scotch is to buy a bottle of something higher-end that they heard somebody else say was good. Your palate is not their palate, most likely. They try it, end up not liking it when it was supposed to be "good". I have bought 250 dollar bottles of scotch, but I knew exactly what I was getting first!
Scotch can be horrible if your palate is 'ruined'. Imagine brushing your teeth and then having a glass of orange juice. That's an example of ruining your palate.
My advice: go to a bar with a friend that knows something about scotch. Try two or three, over three or four hours. You're not 'goin drinkin' on this trip, you're going scotch tasting and you will have a few drinks only. Like maybe four.
Get your scotch
neat, and with it, get a glass of ice water and a spoon. The ice water is to clear your palate after you finish drinking the glass and try something else, and the spoon is so you can try adding a little water to your scotch to 'open it up'. Add a little at a time, you don't want grog.
There is no wrong way to enjoy a scotch. If your buddies suggest otherwise, they don't know what they are talking about. A couple drops of water, no water, on the rocks, in a tumbler, in a stemmed snifter, warmed between your hands...all good.
But try to inhale the aroma gently before you take a sip. A sip. Not a glug.
With a little practice you will 'learn your palate'.
I suggest you try 12 year old Balvenie Double Wood and 15 year old Dalwhinnie. The Double Wood behaves like a more expensive scotch. The Dalwhinne 15 is not called 'the gentle spirit' for nothing.