Favourite Scotch Whiskeys that I can find in Calgary - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Bownesian · 12-21-2009, 10:25 AM

CP, I was wondering if people would tell me their favourite unique Scotches that are reasonably easy to find but are unique and interesting. Cost is not really an issue, just flavour and availability. Thanks in advance.

red sky · 12-21-2009, 10:27 AM

Some good recommendations here:

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthr...ghlight=Scotch

Locke · 12-21-2009, 10:53 AM

McCallan's 12 year is a good, smooth option. Its popular and available, its nothing too fancy or expensive and most people like it.

Puppet Guy · 12-21-2009, 10:57 AM

I like the Bowmore 12 year. Smooth, tasty and reasonable inexpensive (about $50, I think)

Suzles · 12-21-2009, 11:16 AM

Just because I am feeling pedantic today Scotch should be referred to as whisky (no 'e') - whiskey is the American and Irish versions.

I can also agree that the 12 year old McCallan is yummy!

NBC · 12-21-2009, 11:42 AM

If you like Islay malts then you can't really do much better than Lagavullin 16 year.

yads · 12-21-2009, 11:49 AM

Bowmore definitely has an interesting taste, but I'm not really a big fan. Too peaty for me.

I like Balvenie any vintage. Auchentoshan is also quite tasty as is Dalwhinnie.

Pastiche · 12-21-2009, 11:51 AM

Lagavulin tastes like a damn ashtray. Gross.

Aberlour is my favourite single malt.

Johnny Walker Green is probably my favourite though. Blended scotches are seriously underrated.

And, in the end, you can't go wrong with a $30 bottle of Jameson. Infact, it will beat out most snooty scotches for smoothness and taste.

Puppet Guy · 12-21-2009, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pastiche

And, in the end, you can't go wrong with a $30 bottle of Jameson. Infact, it will beat out most snooty scotches for smoothness and taste.

not to nitpick, but Jameson's is actually an Irish Whiskey, not a Scotch.

That being said, it is quite a fine whiskey. This'll remind me to pick one up for the holidays.

Pastiche · 12-21-2009, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Puppet Guy

not to nitpick, but Jameson's is actually an Irish Whiskey, not a Scotch.

That being said, it is quite a fine whiskey. This'll remind me to pick one up for the holidays.

I'm responding to this for risk of being perceived a fool.

Of course I know that Jameson is Irish.

Indignance level: severe

kermitology · 12-21-2009, 12:07 PM

I have a Balvenie double wood at home that is fantastic. Has a nice sherry finish to it thanks to the second barrel it's aged in.

I also love Oban.

Puppet Guy · 12-21-2009, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pastiche

I'm responding to this for risk of being perceived a fool.

Of course I know that Jameson is Irish.

Indignance level: severe

my bad.

worth · 12-21-2009, 12:11 PM

I was just looking at the willow park events for the winter and spring and there are some whiskey/whisky/scotch events going on:

Whisky Wednesdays
Scotch festival - Feb 24 - $50
Jamesons Irish - St Patrick's Whisky Day - March 17 - $20
New Scotch Releases March 24 - $20
Whisky Basics - April - $125
Whisky Festival - November 3 - $85

Anyone been to any of these events in the past? I read the post the flip did in the other thread about the Scotch festival. I didn't really know they did stuff like this. I'm really interested in going to some just to try as many different scotches or whiskys as I can so I can buy a couple.

http://www.willowpark.net/pdf/2010WinterSpringCal.pdf

Iowa_Flames_Fan · 12-21-2009, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bownesian

CP, I was wondering if people would tell me their favourite unique Scotches that are reasonably easy to find but are unique and interesting. Cost is not really an issue, just flavour and availability. Thanks in advance.

A mutual friend of ours brought me an 18-year old Dalwhinnie as a housewarming gift. I know literally nothing about Scotch, but I was shocked how much I liked it. Really smooth and caramelly.

Ford Prefect · 12-21-2009, 01:10 PM

Buy single malt and spend as much as you can and you can't go wrong.

If you're on a budget, I find Glenmorangie has pretty solid affordable stuff. I'm personally rather fond for McCallan's Cask Strength series, particularly the Sherry cask stuff. It's not very traditional, but I like the sweetness the Sherry casks add to it.

You can never go wrong with Oban or Cardhu either.

red sky · 12-21-2009, 01:12 PM

Dalwhinnie is as smooth as they come in my opinion. Good on a nice summers day!

FurnaceFace · 12-21-2009, 01:20 PM

Overall thanks for this thread. I was at a party on the wekend and the host has more bottles than I've seen in a house. Given the number of people in the house it wasn't really easy to ask him about them and go through the different tastes so threads like this are good for ideas.

I'm in the less peaty, smooth tasting camp so there are a few I'll have to try. If we had a group interested in the Feb 24th festival that would be fun.

Bownesian · 12-21-2009, 01:55 PM

Thanks everyone. I have a tradition whereby I buy a new and interesting bottle of scotch that the grown-ups in my family drink from on Christmas Eve and while I know what I like, it's always a bit intimidating standing before the big wall in the Liquor Store.

simmer2 · 12-21-2009, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FurnaceFace

Overall thanks for this thread. I was at a party on the wekend and the host has more bottles than I've seen in a house. Given the number of people in the house it wasn't really easy to ask him about them and go through the different tastes so threads like this are good for ideas.

I'm in the less peaty, smooth tasting camp so there are a few I'll have to try. If we had a group interested in the Feb 24th festival that would be fun.

If you like the less peaty stuff, there's a ton of variety out there for you. Single Malt Highland scotches are fairly abundant. Like other's have mentioned, the Macallan offers a fairly nice range of scotches although they tend to be a bit more expensive than others I find. Glenrothes is a good one to go with, they come in these random cardboard containers but they are very nice.

I'm into the peaty stuff a bit more and here's a few of my personal favourites:

Bowmore 18 yr
Caol Ila 18 yr

They aren't super cheap but that Caol Ila is incredible. It gives you the peatiness you look for in an islay but the smoothness of a highland...it's awesome.

Another one I just recently tried that I picked from a scotch tasting was a Cragganmore 12 yr old...it's a Speyside scotch so it has a bit more body to it than a highland but is still very good.

After all this, I feel like having a scotch right now.

Iowa_Flames_Fan · 12-21-2009, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bownesian

Thanks everyone. I have a tradition whereby I buy a new and interesting bottle of scotch that the grown-ups in my family drink from on Christmas Eve and while I know what I like, it's always a bit intimidating standing before the big wall in the Liquor Store.

I think I know someone you could ask for advice....