Anyone drink scotch?

[N80]

I've never been much of a whiskey drinker. Always liked gin and tonic, beer, wine, etc. Then a few years ago I discovered..... maybe even invented, Jack Daniel's in Blenheim's ginger ale. It's just fantastic. So from there I developed a taste for JD just in water (whenever I would run out of Blenheims which can be hard to find). After a few years I got to where I began to enjoy JD plain.

Anyway, I told my wife I wanted a bottle of whiskey, meaning JD, for Christmas. She brought home a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label scotch. I think she thought I would like it because it was expensive. After explaining to her the difference between bourbon whiskey and scotch, I tried the Black Label and I like it.

Now, despite all that I'm not a big drinker. I'm a weekend sipper and usually just when I'm down at my cabin. No fancy bars or men's clubs. Not trying to impress anyone with expensive booze or hoity toity taste. But, I do like the scotch and am curious about how you guys drink it.

So far, I like it on ice with a little well water. I've read that serious scotch drinkers only drink it neat and that ice masks the flavor. Of course I'll drink it however I like it best, but I live down south and we're used to drinking stuff with ice in it. I think I could drink it without water but drinking it neat and room temp doesn't sound good.

 

[FallbrookFarmer]

Try an good single malt scotch, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. And by all means, drink it neat.

 

[N80]

Try an good single malt scotch, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. And by all means, drink it neat.

I'm looking forward to a single malt at some point. From what I've read the single malt trend tended to make people think that the blended scotch was inferior but in truth they're just different.

And when you say drink it neat, does that mean room temp?

 

[Bird]

I have never liked Bourbon for some reason. And I recall a friend telling me, before I was old enough to drink, that Scotch was an acquired taste. According to him, no one likes Scotch initially. So, one evening in 1965, a neighbor offered me a drink and he was drinking Johnnie Walker Red Label with ice and water. From the first taste, I knew that if I were going to drink whiskey, it would be Scotch. I've never tried the Black Label; guess I should sometime. Chivas Regal would be hard to beat, in my opinion. However, in 1971, I discovered a really cheap Scotch, Clan MacGregor, that's not bad. I don't drink much Scotch, but I do keep a bottle of Clan MacGregor on hand. And no matter what brand, I want it with plenty of ice and about 2 or 3 to 1 water to Scotch. In 1969, my wife and I went to Carlsbad Caverns the weekend after Labor Day (no traffic, few tourists). The evening we got out there, we went into the White Buffalo Saloon in White City, and I'd heard of Scotch and Soda as being the most popular way to drink Scotch, so I ordered a Scotch and Soda, took one sip, and told the bartender to throw it out and bring me a Scotch and Water.

When we bought a new house with a wet bar in 1977, I stocked the bar with a little of everything for company. There were two things NO ONE that I knew would drink, and I eventually threw them out. One was Creme de menthe and the other was the Jack Daniels black label.

I've found that Crown Royal ain't bad in coke or 7-up, but I'd rather have Scotch.

 

[Hosskix]

Yep, I'm a scotch drinker, in the winter months anyway.
(Like a cold beer when it's hot.)

Like Bird says, the first time I tried it I couldn't stand it.
I bought a really expensive bottle for a friends birthday (he loved scotch), I tried to mix mine with everything in the house to make it palatable, nothing worked!

A few years later I tried it at another friends house with a little ice and soda and kinda liked it, (it really is an acquired taste for some) now I drink it pretty often. Can't stand sweet drinks like crown and coke.

If you like the JW black, try Tomatin (?).
A guy at the store got me to try it; it's about half the price and beats JW in competitions all the time.

 

[kyspartan]

i can drink anything and love it, except gin, just can't take the pine tar taste of it, my current favorite is kentucky tavern, ice and coke. with a local apple jack moonshine being a very close second

 

[FallbrookFarmer]

I agree,
When I first tasted Scotch, almost gagged, but about 10 years ago somebody gave me a taste of single malt and IMHO it's totally different, If you like Bourbon, I think you'll like single malt. Sort of a smoky flavor. I know it costs an arm and a leg, but once in a while you just gotta treat yourself.
If you know anybody who is a fan, ask them for a taste.

 

[FallbrookFarmer]

Sorry didn't answer your question
Neat= No water.
Google Single malt scotch and you'll get a much better explanation than I can give you. Happy Drinking.

 

[Matt_Jr]

Yuck! My dad loves scotch, but I'll only drink it if you're all out of pee. I like to drink bourbon.. or bourban liqours like American Honey, or Jeremiah Weed. I like to pour them over ice, let the ice melt enough to water it down a little, then sip and puff. Usually with a Monte Cristo, or a new favorite, Atom Maduro by Acid cigars. When I run out of cigars, I'll pack the pipe with some Yachtsman, Ebony mix. I drink and smoke a lot less in the winter though 'cause I don't smoke in the house, and the frigid temps lower the pleasure enough to make me stay inside. Mostly just on the weekends on the porch with a good book on days when it's not too cold.

 

[N80]

Thanks Fallbrook....I knew that neat meant no water but didn't know what temp it should be served at. Anyway, just been sipping on the Black Label neat, room temp. Its okay and I like it but a couple of ice cubes makes a big difference for me. Like it lot more. Guess I'll never be a purist. The Black Label is very smokey too me, maybe even a little too smokey. Not as smooth as some others I've tried.

Matt, it used to gag me too. Even bourbon. Not sure what happened but slowly acquired a taste for it. I still love gin, any kind, any way.

Never have been crazy about cigars but I do like to smoke a pipe. There is a shop down in Charleston called the Smoking Lamp that sells their own mix called Holy City (Charleston's nickname) and I love it. It is a dark aromatic and probably sweeter than most pipe tobaccos but I've never found another 'flavor' that I like half as much. This is also a weekend, down at the cabin sort of thing. Usually just in the cooler months. When its 98 out I just can't smoke.

 

[actionaj]

Try some Gentleman Jack, over one ice cube. Talk about Smoooooooth

 

[bigtiller]

I keep a bottle of Clan MacGregor in the fridg year round. It is inexpencive and tastes a little like a cheap single malt to me. If my bride wants to go out for supper I will have Glenlivet - neat, with a glass of ice water on the side. It is pretty darn good and smooooth.

 

[xkbal]

Different strokes, I don't like Johny Walker (I've tried Red, Black and Blue). I prefer Lagavulin or Laphroig but they re very smoky so a lot of folks don't like them. I drink it neat at room temp or with a splash of water for the cask strength bottles.

 

[EastTexFrank]

Being Scottish, I grew up drinking the stuff, always neat. Those who say they know about these things say that the best way to drink it is with a "splash" of water. Never, ever, put ice in it. It makes it turn cloudy.

Having said that, when I do drink it, it's with a lot of ice. I let the ice melt and somewhere along the way you find the point where there is just the right mix of whisky and water. Heaven.

I usually drink Johnny Walker black but somewhere at the back of the booze cupboard is a bottle of 12-year old MacAllan for those days when I'm feeling really good about myself or have something to celebrate.

 

[Cami]

My favourite scotch is Talisker; you can taste the Skye turf. Bells is a really nice brand that's easy on the wallet.

Nobody mentioned the world's best cocktail, the Rusty Nail; equal parts scotch and Drambuie....Don't use the Talisker for that.

As a teenager, I drank the occasional Boilermaker. A friend always gave me a hard time for, "ruining beer AND whiskey at the same time."

As for tobacco, I have loved kreteks since I was a teenager.

Here's a funny scotch story(names have been withheld protect the innocent): A man in the village where I grew up, who was very fond of scotch, had some friends over and pulled out a new expensive bottle and poured everybody a drink; neat, of course. He stepped out of the room for a minute and one fellow said to the others, "watch this when **** comes back."

Well, when the host came back the troublemaker made a sour face and asked if he could have some 7-Up to mix with the scotch. The host had quite a reaction before he realized that this friend was only joking and it made for some good laughs

All this reading about scotch makes me want a drink but all I have in the house right now is Advocaat..

 

[irvingj]

Parents drank it, so I guess I picked it up.... I actually prefer JW Red to JW Black, but when my Mom started with the single malts.... wow! Lagavulin all the way!

Of course, I can't really afford that, and would agree Clan MacGregor is pretty good. That's what I'll usually have on hand: a reasonable price and pretty decent.

I remember ordering a Scotch & Soda at a restaurant once... the very young & new waitress misunderstood and brought Scotch & ginger ale. Man, that was nasty!

It's -5 here this AM, with (still) a strong wind.... good Scotch weather if you have to go outside for any length of time!! (Just a wee nip, of course!)

 

[RoyJackson]

I'm an occasional scotch drinker. I've tried several different brands of blended scotches (no single malts yet) but I have a taste for Cutty Sark. This one has a nice smoky aftertaste which goes quite well with a good quality cigar. Very nice on a late spring or summer evening when setting outside...
I drink it neat, but do put a couple of ice cubes in it to cool the cigar smoke.

 

[biggerten]

................... threw them out. One was Creme de menthe ............

Too bad, Grasshopper. You can leave when you snatch the drink from my hand.

My boss is from Scotland, he's been here 10 years and I'm still trying to teach him English. They're a stubborn lot.

Anyhow, I asked him to recommend a good Scotch, he suggested Balvenie, I bought a bottle of Balvenie 21. I tried to like it. I really did. Finally I told him it was really good mixed with Mountain Dew, just to give him a heart attack (which he did).

I gave the remaining half bottle to him.

 

[archerm3]

uuuummmm, single malt Glenlivet, ummmmm

Anyways, I don't normally afford the good stuff, but I always drink it in double shot with one ice cube, and don't drink until the ice cube is melted. Just that littlest splash of water really smooths most of them out. Can't trust anyone else to get the splash amount right, so one ice cube is usually the right amount for a double.

 

[Thomas]

Yes do try malted scotch w/ice also w/smooth cigar.
Neighter I am I drinker nor club person,but setting on the deck or even at wood pile after long day kind of reward once in while.
Doc told me good shot every now and than better than any store bought medicine.