I've been a fan of bourbon for quite sometime, but only recently started getting into scotch. Picked up a bottle of Laphroaig 10 Year Single Malt, and so far it's one of my (affordable) favorites. Crazy high peat content, kind of makes me feel like I'm sipping on a piece of driftwood. Great pairing for my weekend of planning honeymoon destinations, watching true detective, and smoking some beef. Anyone have any recommendations for scotch that I need to try?
Single malt, peaty, and though technically not scotch, Japanese I am a huge fan of. I've tried Oban Bay Reserve (awesome), Dalwhinnie, Johnny Walker, and Laphroaig. If it gives you a good reference point as far as my palate for scotch, I tried the Laphroaig Triple Wood as well the 10 Year (at different times), and couldn't taste the difference between the two. I just have a very inexperienced palate when it comes to scotch.
You might like Dalmore 12 year old... I quite like it. I picked it up a couple years ago just because it had a cool deer head bottle thing going on, and was pleasantly surprised. I've picked it up a few times since.
Seriously, though... there are tons of "glen" whiskey's that are absolute crap... it just means "valley".
My favorite bourbons have been Blanton's or Elijah Craig; EC 18 every once in a blue moon. Blanton's is freakishly smooth for a bourbon, and just overall delicious as hell. It's been a while since I've had Knob Creek; I probably need to add it in to my rotation. Currently I have Blanton's Elijah Craig, Woodford Reserve, Evan Williams Single Barrel, Bulliet, Maker's, and Henry McKenna 10 year in my bar for bourbon. Elijah Craig 18 is pretty much my special occasion bourbon at this point.
I've been drinking 1792 recently for bourbon. It's another one of Buffalo Trace's offerings and it's great. In line with Four Roses small batch. Eagle Rare is another slam dunk. Both can be had for less than $35. For scotch, I'm a fan of Balvenie 15yr and Macallan 12yr. Both are Speysides, so they lean more toward the vanilla end of the spectrum. For the "drinking a campfire" experience, Laphroaig 10 can't be beat.
I'm a fan of Bunnahabhain, I keep a 12yr on the bar and I have a 25yr under the bar for special occasions. As far as Glens, I do like Glenmorangie, Glengoyne, & Glenkinchie, other Glens such as the Glenlivet that someone left after a party years ago, not so much. Wigle's landlocked rum is a nice change of pace; technically not a rum and made with honey instead of sugar cane. Photo is with their Rye. Wigle is a micro distillery out of Pittsburgh & named for one of the distillers hung during the Whiskey Rebellion.
I know not scotch whiskey-- But I just hate that I puked so much that last time with the Jack and cokes, which is an all time favorite. I can get less than a drink down before the taste of vomit rises in the back of my throat. Time heals all things, I'll try again this summer because that deck just screams deckdrinkdrunk.
For what its worth - I quit soft drinks cold turkey last April after a lifetime addiction. I've had exactly three soft drinks since and have no desire for any more. And, my blood sugar got a lot lower. The first week was a bitch, then okay. Coffee (black) helps, as does seltzer. Fruit juice is cheating. Hang in there.