You are in Hamilton. Go south and come north back with a stop at the Duty free. There are worse reasons to go to Buffalo/Niagara

Man, have you seen the border towns around here? They don't seem the kinds of places that would stock single malts, only screech! :D

Not a bad idea, if I can find a store that has some.

Cool! I will enquire at the liquor store, although from the sound of it the internet is probably a better bet.

I'll have to start a new thread later to tell you all about the tequila I had on Saturday.

You bought it -- drink it as you like it.

I'll take something nice (Talisker for me) and have it with ice.

Starts out strong but there's always relief later as the ice melts. Top it off at the end if you need further help digesting the day's events.

Placing such rules on the "ceremony" is sort of precious, isn't it? If "they" don't like you adding water or ice, isn't it lucky that "they" didn't pay for it and "they" don't have to drink it?

Also, try club soda. I tried it on a flight with Dewars and it wasn't too bad. Tried it at home with Ardbeg 10yo and it was quite nice.

Mike
'78 SC "waterproofing" the driveway
(rumor is Cao Illa makes up most of JW Blue at 1/5 the $ - have some 12yo and 18yo and I agree...)

mmmmmm, talisker. having a sip right now between keystrokes.
if you want to try a really smooth malt, try glen morangie, 18 year old.

art,
you are right about the red breast, just great. best advice i ever got from a priest was to try it.

Mike - I quite agree, if that is how you like it then it is entirely up to you. Some people like it just to drink it and some enjoy the 'ceremony' and like to experience all the aroma, flavor, and subtle nuances that each Scotch has to offer. If that's your objective then mixing anything with it with the exception of a few drops of water would be a little like smoking a fine cigar while eating peppermints.
The nice thing about whisky is that nobody is ever wrong. If you mix it with club soda and you like it that way, then you're right. If you like the ceremony and want to take an hour driking it, then you're right. If you drink it and decide it tastes like marshmallow and toffee, then you're right. If someone else drinks it and decides it tastes like honey and wood smoke, then they're right too. It's all about personal preference and opinion.

As you say, you've paid for it who cares what you do with it?

Lubbey,

Once again I'll refer to the Speyside Single Malts and really good smooth choices. The burn vs. warm also depends on your drinking technique. When sampling a scotch, do the following (Note, I'm just a midwestern schmoe, so this may not be the hoity-toity method, but it works for me.)

Take a sip of water first, clear the pallete. Then sip your scotch. Do not inhale through your nose, sip the scotch without bringing any air into your mouth. Scotch only. Roll it around on the back of your tongue. Swallow. Take a small sip of water. Fer god sakes don't put ice or nuttin in it!

Once you develop the habit well, I like to inhale the scotch before and after ths sip through my mouth, really brings out some of the less noticable flavors in it.

Back to suggestions for smooth.

Others have already mentioned Red Breast. That, along with most of the Irish whiskies, is very smooth with no real burn. Other Irish whiskies worth trying are Connemara and Tyrconnell as well as the more familiar Bushmills and Jameson.

If you want Single Malt Scotch, the Glenlivet 18 is a good value smooth drinker. Auchentoshan is a lowland whisky and is triple distilled like the Irish whiskies. The Auchentoshan 'Three Wood' might be a good start. Maybe try Bunnahabhain 12 too for something a little different.

Blends are more difficult as I haven't tried many, but I had a really good Bell's Royal Vat - but I have no idea where you'd find it. If you can find Chivas Regal Royal Salute, Famous Grouse Gold Reserve or Black Bottle if you like a little peatiness.

Not to leave out Bourbon and the like. I have really enjoyed some of the lower production bourbons. The Gentleman Jack and the Single Barrel were both good. Some of the other distilleries turn out some decent stuff for much less than Scotch normally costs. Japan make some good whisky too but it's usually quite difficult to find.

If you had to generalize, age is the key to making a whisky smoother. The older years are generally smoother and more mellowed from their time in the wood. The downside is that you have to pay more for them.
You might find that 'chewing' the whisky (I know it sounds daft, but try it) will warm it up in your mouth and can soften the burn as well as bringing out the flavor.

If you fancy a good read with loads of information and tasting notes you could do a lot worse than picking up 'Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch' from you're local bookstore. It currently on it's 5th edition and mine has a price of $27.50 on the back. It might save you a fortune in the long run. By the way, don't worry it's a different Michael Jackson - this one's 12 year olds are legal.

I like my whiskey the same way I like my ladies... 16 years old and mixed up with coke :D

Islay - my fav as well.

Drink it the way you like, but a purist will shun ice at all costs - but add up to 1/2 volume (to taste) of room temp water to open up the Scotch - watch as the water and scotch marry. Don't use tap water though, the chlorine will kill the taste.

+1

I'm with Don on this one. Islay is my favorite too, although it is definitely an aquired taste. Either you like them or you think it's like disinfectant or drinking an ashtray. Top of the Islay's in my book is Ardbeg. I cant get enough...
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