287863 Sat Nov 10 19:58:48 -0800 2001 4 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1551058 I'm a fan of single-malts, but don't drink blended scotch much. I often attend weddings or other events which are catered or take place at cheap bars with a selection of the basic commercial blendeds only (Johnny Walker, Dewar's, etc.) Anyone have any opinion on which of these is the best for a single-malt fan? Thanks. Sat Nov 10 19:58:48 -0800 2001 0 SKU 1 1551059 I like the single malts I've tried, but, being pooooor, I'm happy to drink blended scotch. My blended scotch of choice is Chivas Regal, but I'll admit it's mostly because that's what my grandfather drank. I drink it now because it makes me think of him, and because it has a distinct, recognizable flavor that I've grown accustomed to. They also make an aged blended, under the name Dimple Pinch (in a distinctive, "dimpled" bottle), that I think is quite nice (though generally not available at most bars, in my experience). It's _very_ smokey, peaty, etc, and costs as much as many a single malt by the bottle. Gabriel Sat Nov 10 20:18:52 -0800 2001 1551058 0 Gabriel Solis 1 1551063 I like Famous Grouse, especially when it's on sale. Sat Nov 10 22:43:20 -0800 2001 1551058 0 Terrie 1 1551066 There are a couple of ways to approach your problem, and which one might work best can be determined by knowing which single malts you prefer. The first approach is to drink the blend that has as its basis whisky the malt you drink. For example, you might want to drink Johnnie Walker Black if you are a fan of Cardhu. Blends are, of course, a marriage of many malt whiskies, often at ages not seen marketed, and grain neutral spirits. In many cases even when the basis whisky for the blend is known it may not be clearly evident in the associated blend. A different approach is to drink blends that have a higher proportion of single malt in their mix. Twelve year old blends usually have more single malt than the same brand's younger whiskies. Among young whiskies J&B has a high proportion of malts and a fairly complex, if somewhat light, flavor. Another approach is to try to find a blend that has many of the taste characteristics of the malt whisky you like. Johnnie Black and Chivas Regal have some of the smokiness associated with Islay malts, but without the brininess. Another fairly smokey, and much less expensive blend, is Ballantines. The other approach is to just try a few and find one you like. When I drink scotch -- which is fairly often -- I usually have a single malt (until recently I ran a pub that featured more than 70 of them). When I have a blend it is usually Famous Grouse, a whisky I enjoy so much I made it the house pour at the pub. In short, there is no one answer to your query. Different blends will appeal to different malt drinkers. But think of the fun you can have experimenting and finding the ones that appeal to you. Sat Nov 10 23:13:22 -0800 2001 1551058 0 Deven Black 1 1551075 My father is an inveterate single malt scotch drinker (his whisky of choice is Macallan, 12 year), and he usually drinks Dewar's in situations like this. I've been drinking it a lot lately, having gone to a lot of "open bar" functions, and it's pretty good. If you usually drink it neat or even on the rocks, and blended isn't as good (which is just isn't) you might want to try a variant -- Dewar's makes a pretty good scotch and soda. Sun Nov 11 11:43:44 -0800 2001 1551058 0 Caitlin Wheeler