What would be your recommendation for an introductory Islay scotch for an individual that is not accustomed to the peat, smoke, and iodine this regions offerings are renown for?

Something that is not a "peat monster" that whacks you between the eyes!

Obliged.

I am a fan of Talisker but I'm afraid all the subject offerings I've tasted have those flavors well embedded. Maybe mathman can help out.

A little ice could help out.....

Laphroig is the only Islay I've ever tried, and it's peaty. But you get used to it.

I can taste the peat/iodine in just about all blends. Johnny Walker Red, for example. Which is why I don't buy blends.

I've heard that the Talisker 18 is subtle (as far as Islay goes) and much more "drinkable" and smoother than the 10 year old scotch.

Unfortunately, no 18yr Talisker to be found in my AO.

Go stand in the corner Ingwe!

Go to your room, and to think I just stood up for you in another thread!

Glennmorangie....

I did it just for mathman......

A friend has a recipe for an Islay martini. I don t remember all the details but I do know that instead of ice he floats a couple of mothballs in it.


Islay is mean stuff.




Johnny $

ALL Talisker 18 production is being grabbed by the Arabs and the orientals. Go figure. We only get the ten year old stuff and the ultra-pricey stuff.

Laphroaig is Islay to the core.

I have had some of Bowmore's offerings that were less intense.

have you tried Sheep Dip??

i'm not really an islay kind of guy; i tend to go for the speysides. i prefer the 15 year solara reserve and 18 year ancient reserve from glenfiddich. balvenie 15 years is good too. i recommend all of them. there's just something about all of the islay malts taste that doesn't go down as smooth.

I answer to the OP

Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch or for a Speyside Single Malt The Macallan 18 is superb.

Funny, my ancestorial home is the Isle of Islay, but I've never had any....

Yeah, I'm fairly well versed in the Speyside single malts (hic), but been contemplating venturing outside my comfort zone.

No kidding! I tried Laphroaig (10yr I think) a few years ago.... THAT will put hair on your chest! lol
The wiff alone burned the hair on the inside of my nose.

Don't forget the splash of 7-UP...

Go to your room as well!

omg!!! not 7 up!!

To the OP: I usually opt for some McClelland's. It's an Islay single-malt that's not overly ferocious. Better, it won't cost you the title to your favorite daughter. If you don't like it, you're not out half a week's pay.

Hmmmmm....on a night like this, a finger or two, neat, might be just the thing. Good thing I'm looking at my bottle at this moment!

Sprite will do in a pinch - if you're slumming it.

Try a little Ardbeg. It is not subtle. Everthing after that would be mild.

I have a bottle that I break out with a bagpipe CD when I want to reconnect with my roots.

I am not a single malt snob and have some The Famous Grouse in my glass as I (sip, AHHHH) write this.

Are you referencing the eight or twelve year reserve my good man?

+1 on Laphroig!!!!

How about a dash or two of bitters? I'm not a huge scotch snob I prefer Famous Grouse or old Smugglers. Johny walker when I want to splurge. I'm sitting on a bottle of blue I've been saving for when the Jets are in the superbowl or when the little guy turns 21 whichever comes first.

I'm not big on the real peaty stuff, but I did have a wee dram of the Glenmorangie Lasanta since you guys keep talking about it.

Sacrilege

FAMOUS GROUSE!!

Ya won't go back to whatever it was you were drinkin!!

If you want an Islay malt that's not peaty at all try Bunnahabhin or Caol Ila or Bruichladdich. The standard Bowmore isn't too peaty. If you want a hint of peat in the aftertaste try Highland Park from Orkney. Oh, Talisker is from Skye not Islay. Peat is an acquired taste. You can work up to Ardbeg and Lagavulin. Laphroaig is a monster for sure and it's not all peat. There's iodine and other notes there. And, if you can find a copy, read a book called Peat Smoke and Spirit, a Portrait of Islay and it's Whiskies by Andrew Jefford.
Slainte.

Some of the various blends are surprising good, but on a philosophical level I think its just a damn shame mixing single malts.

Some of the various blends are surprising good, but on a philosophical level I think its just a damn shame mixing single malts.
[/quote]

I agree. But a wee splash of water is OK.

I like Ardbeg 10.

Me too. Excellent choice. Also try Ardbeg Uigeadail if you get the chance.

Bruichladdich is a mellow Islay malt, light on the peat.


Interestingly, one of the whisk(e)ys I enjoyed this evening was named The Peat Monster.

the only islay scots i've tried is Laphroaig... and it has, in my opinion, a bit too much of what makes good scots whiskey... and every bottle of it i've tried is completely different...

i first tried scots while in campbeltown... springbank, at the time was still a family owned operation, and pretty popular with the locals... never seen it in the states, but i'd love to...

i also shared a bottle of oban... it's a bit darker and richer than the campbeltown stuff, but not as smooth... not likely to find it on a local shelf either... if someone does, please let me know...

Glenfiddich is what does it for me... their 12 yr reserve stuff is great...

as for the islay stuff... let me sit in the yard for a while with a glass of glenfiddich, and i might be fit for a glass of laphroaig next....

Springbank and Oban aren't in every corner store, but they're hardly exotic.

Another vote for McClellands Islay if you want to venture to Islay.

RH

I picked up a bottle of Caol Ila last time in Aberdeen. It's a very good Scotch but like all the Islay's there's not a lot of middle ground. They have such a different taste that most either like them or hate them.
I prefer Johnny Walker double black

Glenlivet 12 years.





A very mery christmas to all of you good folk.

And a sack of coal for the philistines.

Ice and 7Up... in a Scotch thread. The very idea. Should be hung by their toes. Toes, that is.

Glenlivet is good stuff...

Another big + for the McClellens Islay.

My favorite Scotch, and affordable!

Virgil B.

It's Christmas time, indulge yourself and get some Glenlivet 15 or 18.

Frohe Weinachten.

since it's the season..a single-barrel Jack Daniels will cure all that dirt taste and please the crowd.....

Fie! Get thee to the Bourbon isle and offend our ears no longer with thine insidious rambilings!

I would enthusiastically recommend the highland park; I know it is not Islay but it 'tis a wonderful scotch. If you can get the 18 year old is wonderful. It is about miles from my wife's aunt's house therefore I deem it buying local. 100 miles from any friend's or family's home is the 100 mile diet for me.

It may be sacrilegious to mention cooking with scotch, but I have used the Ardbeg to marinate ribs for a truly lovely peat smoke flavour.

Merry Christmas and god bless. GRF

You know, I think I will.

Danke sch�n. Frohe Weihnachten.

Try Oban, while not really an Islay, it will get him started down that path if he wishes. I is also a damn fine Scotch.

Well, there's been a lot of nonsense activity on this thread, which does NOT befit the near-holy topic raised by the OP!!!


(ingwe... what Terry said!)

The Islay malts are few, when compared to the many Speyside malts (some of which were offered here by their fans, but they are NOT Islay, and don't taste at all Islay). THe major Islay malts are: Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Ardberg, Port Ellen, Jura, Port Akaig, Caol Ila, Bowmore, Bunnahabhain, Bruichladdich, and Port Charlotte. I've had a bottle or more of all of thse but Caol Ila and Bunnahabhain at one time or another. If McLellan has an Islay malt, I've never tried it or heard of it, but I don't indulge as much as I used to. The Islay malts tend to be stronger flavored in general than the Speyside malts, and in the case of the Big Boys (Lagavulin and Laphroaig) VERY strong. The various "Glen" whiskies (Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie, Glenlivet, etc) are all Speyside whiskies. Talisker is a Skye whisky, NOT an Islay.

Anyways, it sounds like you've tasted Laphroaig or Lagavulin, which are both very phenolic whiskies, and although peaty, I don't think it's the peat you've found objectionable. I can enjoy a glass of Lagavulin, but Laphroaig smells and tastes so strongly of phenol (carbolic acid) that I can't enjoy it.

My favorite Islay is Jura, with Bowmore my second choice. I quite enjoyed several of the others, but to be honest, they're just not that easy to come by here in the USA, whereas I can find Bowmore in almost any good sized liquor store that stocks single malt, and Jura is almost as easy to get. Jura is a light whisky for an Islay, but smoky and salty enough to distinguish it as an Islay malt.

Jura's a fine whisky to break out at the end of an early fall day of bird hunting, with the dogs back in the truck and the shotguns cased and the sun low in the west; or as a before-dinner dram any time of year. Bowmore is smokier, richer, and more suited to a winter evening by the fire, or as a substitute for port after a good supper of roasted red meats.

No kidding! Where's it made? Is it a blend? I see it's a Speyside malt...

Bunnahabhain is a great malt.

Stay away from Lagavulin and Laphroaig if you don't want peat.

Doc, just to clarify: The correct name is McClelland's and it is indeed an Islay single malt.

It isn't Speyside. It's heavily peated Islay and island malts rounded out with the addition of some old,rich Speyside. It's a mixture, but all malt whisky.

Ah, thanks. I couldn't make out the writing on the left side of the label. Old eyes, and it's early, so I have too much blood in my alcohol-stream...

I'll look for it next time I'm in Town. Single malts aren't easy to find here in west Texas, sadly. Even in Town.

"Scotch drinkers � "

Scots who drink whiskey, or folks who drink Scotch whiskey?

Ken: yes.

There's no 'e' in Scotch whisky.

Rocky � thanks for clearing that up for me so that I won't lose sleep over it.

Gotcha, RR.

It's not listed in any of my books on single malts, which I admit are all older editions. Did a quick google on it, and it appears it's a re-packaging of Bowmore single malt for overseas markets. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

From Wikipedia:

McClelland's Single Malt is a range of Single Malt Scotch whiskies from four of Scotland's key whisky distilling regions�Highland, Islay, Speyside and Lowland.

There is no McClelland's distillery per se; with the scotch being supplied by McClelland's parent company Morrison Bowmore Distillers. The Highland, Islay, and Lowland bottlings were introduced in 1986, with Speyside added in 1999. While most of the McLelland's bottlings do not specify an age, the brand added a second Speyside bottling with a listed age of 12-years in 2008.

The packaging of McClelland's was updated in 2007 by Nevis Design of Edinburgh to support the expansion of the brand worldwide. It now features Scottish imagery by British artist Kathy Wyatt. Incorporated in the imagery is the character "Mr. McClelland", a 1920's explorer making his way around Scotland taking in the sights, sounds and drams as he goes. He reports back in blog format on the McClelland's website.

Laphroaig Cask Strength.

Major Faux Pas....

not as major as ice....


Maux Faux.....

Cask-strength???

Don't think I could handle it. The usual stuff makes me gag.

I think it's because my pediatrician's office smelled so strongly of phenol when I was a kid, and I have unpleasant associations with that place... injections, getting my tonsils ripped out, etc...

That cask strength was too strong; I found it went best with water, in about a 3/1 water to whisky ratio.

I drink the cask strength Laphroaig straight. It'll put hair on your chest, or scorch it off!

Yeah, I drank a bottle or two of that stuff just to prove I was a "real" single malt drinker. Then I came to my senses, and now I only drink single malts I can enjoy.

But bear in mind that I also used to play rugby, wrestle steers, and freestyle-ski, so I never was exactly playiin' with a full deck.

Besides, I've got so much hair on my chest my wife calls me "Loofah".

Thanks back to you, Doc. I had never bothered to look the stuff up - I just enjoy it. I still (pun intended) think that McClelland's would make a fine introductory Islay whisky, much as Famous Grouse is a good choice as a first blended whisky.

I have to admit that my choice is more than a bit shaded by the outrageous tax on "life in a bottle" here in Utah. Any high-end drink is liable to run $75 or $80 a bottle at the state-run liquor stores.

I actually enjoy the stuff, all the way from a mild Lowlander to the big bad Islays. I pick the whisky to match the time, mood, other consumables, et cetera.

My main scotch buddy and I both enjoy the sweetness at the core of the flavor of regular Laphroaig 10. Yes, I did say sweetness and Laphroaig in the same sentence.

Port Charlotte Scotch, that blew me out of the water and made me google!

[quote=mathman]Bruichladdich is a mellow Islay malt, light on the peat.


IF you can still find that 10 year ..... Very mild Very good . So good my dog is named after it

I tried the 12 year 2nd edition of brook laddie , a bit more harsh to my very unsophisticated pallet.

If McClelland's is indeed just a re-labelled and re-marketed Bowmore malt, I would have to agree with you. Bowmore's a very easy Islay malt, and likely to appeal to the palate that's been accustomed to the smooth Speysides or blends.

As for The Famous Grouse: it's not my recommendation for a man's first blended Scotch whisky, it's my ONLY recommendation for a blended Scotch whisky, and there's always a bottle or three hanging about the house somewheres!

Ach! Ye're a' wandered, laddie!


Just kiddin', noo. There's no lack of sweet in Laphroaig. It's the Glasgow refinery chemicals they add to it that I can't abide.

The phenol wards off coughs and colds.

A couple days ago the campfire had an add for this place.

lovescotch.com

Did anyone else take a look? Their prices are cheaper than what I usually pay and surprisingly they ship to NY. I think I will give them a try. Lately, I've had a hard time finding what I want on the local shelves.

Dropped by the new Twin Liquors that opened in town recently. For a small rural community, a fairly decent selection of spirits are represented.

Picked up a three pack of 50ml Glenfiddich (12yr, 15yr, and 18yr) to sample over the weekend.

Not much of a selection on Islay malts, but I simply couldn't resist picking up this bottle as it was on sale for under 70 bucks:

What a great thread! So many whiskies to taste, so little time! DocRocket said it better than I could regarding Laphroaig. It is dominated by phenols. Of course when the Islay distilleries order their malted barley from the maltings at Port Ellen they specify how many parts per million of phenols they want. It can range from about zero up to about 60ppm or so. According to Jefford's book, Ardbeg starts with 54ppm phenols in their malted barley and ends up with about 24ppm in their new make spirit. Laphroaig starts with about 43ppm and ends up about 25ppm. Caol Ila (not peaty) starts with 35ppm and ends up with 12 or 13ppm. There are so many other factors that influence the taste of the finished whisky. Things like the shape of the stills, the percentage of alcohol where they break from the foreshots into the spirit run and where they stop the spirit run before the feints. Also the type of wood in the casks and how long it's aged, etc. A lot of mystery involved and that's part of what makes single malt Scotch whisky so interesting. I like the taste and aroma of peat smoke in the whisky because, to me, that reminds me of the highlands and the islands. If you ever get over there, be sure to visit someplace where they have a peat fire burning in the fireplace. Let the smoke get into your nose. You'll never forget it.
As of a couple years ago, the distilleries at Port Charlotte, Port Ellen, are all closed down although you may still find some of their whisky on the market and usually at a very high price. Also, to raise a tiny technicality, Jura whisky is made on the Isle of Jura which is just across the Sound of Jura from the island of Islay.
Also, you Scotch drinkers need to learn the proper toast "Slainte" pronounced Slan Chuh.

Revisiting this thread as I managed to get my hands on a bottle of Lagavulin 16 Islay scotch this afternoon.

Complex, and flavor-rich. The sea salt, iodine and peat smoke build and build, but just the right amount of sweetness (honey/heather notes) and salt persist to keep a balance. The smokiness lingers. Simple put, loved it.

A nice changeup from "sweet" and sherried Highlands and Speyside scotch I'm used to. Not as aggressive and peaty as as Laphroiag 10. Very drinkable. Tastes like a smoky Speyside probably would.

Great choice for someone who wants a nice smooth drinking Scotch!

I like Macallan as my "everyday" Scotch. The 12 Y/O is just fine and not overpriced.

I am a relative newcomer when it comes to scotch but the Talisker I had at Leightons place was not bad at all once I got past the first few sips. I actually started to like it but an early flight back to Anchorage prevented me from sampling more.

My next selection will be Glenfiddich on the recommendations of our local scotch aficionado, mathman.

That distillery belongs in part to the Kennedy family, I understand. I won't drink it, even to pizzz on them.

As I reported in another thread, I'm in Scottsdale AZ at the moment. I visited a cut-rate liquor store and discovered many of the brands and ages mentioned above. I saw bottles running from $100 through $250 through $500 through...$950 - and thought I'd seen it all. Then, in a glass case, I saw a roughly pint-sized bottle called "Last Drop 30" supposedly the last Scotch to be drawn from a barrel aged three decades. The price? $1999.99!

Sixteen grand a gallon sure makes gasoline look cheap, huh?

Plenty of good drinking Scotch for $25-$30/bottle.


THANK GOD!!!

For a casual scotch and soda while I'm cooking or watching a game, I like Famous Grouse my neighborhood grocer keeps for $18. It's not bad for straight sippin' either.