Cocktails: Starting from Scratch with Scotch
In last week's Washington Post, longtime drinks correspondent Jason Wilson reiterated an admission that had long had whiskey—er, make that whisky—drinkers peppering him with emails: the fact that he didn't love scotch "as much as some think I should."
I know the feeling. I've been covering spirits and cocktails for the better part of five years, and while I've plumbed deep on rum, American whiskey, absinthe, and other spirits, scotch has long eluded me as a subject of fascination.
Wait—did you hear that sound? That was a thousand scotch-lovers banging their desks in frustration before beginning to pepper away at their keyboards with angry, or helpful, or disbelieving comments. Every spirit has those who love it beyond all others, and scotch whisky—and here we're mainly talking about the world of single malts—has a particularly ardent fan base; as Wilson notes, should he make a mistake regarding the spelling of the spirit, including an errant 'e' in 'whisky' when it's typically reserved for spirits of Irish or American manufacture, he'll be sure to receive a slew of comments, some more helpful than others: "[…] some Scotch enthusiast will leave a nice comment online that reads, 'But they'd spell it Whisky, wouldn't they?' That comment will be below the one that calls you 'so uninformed i wonder how much actual knowledge you have' but goes on to spell both 'Cointreau' and 'liqueur' wrong."
This isn't to say I don't like scotch—to the contrary, I'm a big fan of all types of whisk(e)y. But my tastes, and my interests, have more typically been focused on American whiskies, which have a history and organizational structure that are more or less approachable and easy to determine, whereas scotch is governed by a set of rules and traditions that can be impenetrable for the casual observer. It doesn't help that the world of scotch whisky is relatively immense and, to the initiate, bizarre and complex, full of brand names that are peculiar amalgamations of strangled consonants and with a Byzantine array of styles. I know my Islay from my Speyside and a few of the major brands from each region, but beyond that I'm mostly lost. I'd like to learn more, but I feel I'd need a free year or so just to get started.
So hold the scolding, scotch drinkers, and share the wealth of your experience: where would you recommend an interested whisky drinker start to explore? And everyone has favorites brands and styles—what are yours?
About the author: Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.
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12 Comments:
My girlfriend once described my beloved Laphroaig to me as "drinking my dentist's office." I can't get enough of the stuff, but admit it is an acquired taste.
And now your first comment is not denouncing you. So...buy me a scotch next time I'm in town?
Rhetor at 3:02PM on 02/25/09
I am a big whiskey fan but can't seem to muster love for whisky. I do have to imagine that the cachet of (single malt)scotch is a big part of it's appeal to many(most) people. God knows it's not that peat smoke.(kidding, I'm sure it's lovely after a while)
Mike Fox at 3:17PM on 02/25/09
Thing is, when I do get a hankering for a single malt, it's often for those big smoky monsters from Islay. The only single malt I keep in the house is Laphroaig, because when I'm in the mood for something big and flavorful, that's usually what I have in mind.
@Rhetor -- you're on.
Paul Clarke at 3:20PM on 02/25/09
Another vote for Laphroaig, but I would suggest starting out with Highland Park 12, which is a good all-around scotch and quite delicious.
palmsey at 3:28PM on 02/25/09
I'm a fan of the much smoother malts - Edradour, Tomintoul and Old Poultney all vie for position as my favourite. Before that I really didn't much like whisky (coming from Scotland I wouldn't ever dare show my face again if I called it 'Scotch'!), having had many people advocate the peaty island malts to me - not a starting point for the uninitiated IMHO. My suggestion is that the best way to learn a love for whisky is to take a week or so, and go on a whisky tour. Beautiful countryside, some adorable and charming distilleries, and plenty of helpful people ready to explain every nuance of the differences in technique (caramel [crime!] vs. sherry casks for the colouring, for example).
sarahdlr at 3:34PM on 02/25/09
my girlfriend said that whisky smells like paint thinner or building supplies to her. This was as i was enjoying a nice hearty glass of Lagavulin 16 (although i'm equally fond of ardbeg 10 and laphroig 10). Laphroig 15 is also a very good whisky, and a relatively good deal as well.
mr guy at 4:23PM on 02/25/09
I've toured all the distilleries of Scotland, and I can say with certainty that most whiskys taste like road tar to me. If a piece of beef tasted like Laphroig anyone in the world would send it back. But then again I much prefer the Borders of Scotland to the depressingly desolate Highlands, and lowland whisky is a completely different animal. Talisker is good if you want to kill off some nasty flu - or your nasal passages - but Auchentoshan or the brilliant spirits that Raymond Armstrong is making at Bladnoch are sipping whiskys. Just like the vast variety of rums, if you think you hate whisky, you haven't found the right one.
JHayes at 4:44PM on 02/25/09
I'm currently on Whyte and Mackay's. Definitely not a connosieur's whisky, but a good non-smokey week night choice. If I could afford it, I'd drink The Balvenie DoubleWood or PortWood more often.
If you're looking for a gentle whisky to start off your explorations of whisky, then Pig's Nose (blended by the Spencerfield Spirit Co. www.spencerfieldspirit.com - there are a few stockists in the US) is a great choice. Their Sheep Dip is great as well, but a bigger flavour so one to work up to possibly.
Disappointment of the year was Monkey Shoulder. All style and no particular substance.
Sivko at 6:52PM on 02/25/09
For the beginner I'd suggest steering clear of Islay - if a person's first encounter with whisky is a Lagavulin or an Ardbeg then they're likely to run off screaming and never return.
Better to start with something lighter - Edradour and Balvenie Doublewood are great suggestions - also, for the last few years there has been an unsherried version of Macallan available (Macallan 'Fine Oak') which is a really lovely, light whisky.
If you're dead set on Islay then I'd start off with a Bowmore - it's got all the trademark islay characteristics, but at levels nothing like you'll find in the big boys of the region.
If you like a bit of sherry then Auchentoshan does a three-wood - produced using three different sherry casks - very unusual for a lowland malt and insanely drinkable.
ElvisChimney at 6:16AM on 02/26/09
see, I was a relatively recent convert to whisky, but I love the smokey, sea-air taste of Islay malts. in fact, one of my first experiences drinking "real" scotch (as opposed to, you know, Dewar's or whatever -- not to hate on Dewar's, but it's not the same thing) was in a flight at a great bar in Chicago, the Duke of Perth. I don't remember the other two whiskies in my trio, but the Caol Ila 12 is now my favorite slow-sipping beverage in the world. I've never been to Scotland, but the smell & taste of that stuff is like standing on a seaside cliff surrounded by fog with a campfire burning nearby.
courtguerra at 11:49AM on 02/27/09
I always thought it tasted like someone put thier cigerette out in it.
Stiv61 at 8:31AM on 02/28/09
I like to start whisky novices on Lowland malts. They are less peaty and often have floral or fruity high notes, almost like a delicate Roussane-based wine. If you can get your hands on a Rosebank (sadly no longer in production), you'd be surprised at how "fresh" and apple-like single malts can be. The Auchentoshan comes a close second with hints of lemon.
@ElvisChimney That's not strictly true about Islay malts scaring off first-timers. A couple of Spanish lasses of my acquaintence really took to having a dram of Lagavulin of an evening after their first sip. And the Bruichladdich is often forgotten as the uncharacteristic Islay malt with hints citrus and honey.
@courtguerra You're not far off on the imagery of Caol Ila. The distillery is perched right on the edge of a cliff and is a gorgeous, if really windy, spot for a wee beach picnic.
akatsukira at 10:55PM on 03/01/09