Single malt scotch

[big1515]

I was in Fort Myers Florida with friends to watch Big Blue win the super bowl..For a celebration after the game ..we had a bit of McCallam (Spelling ?) 15 year old ...it was excelent and did not last long , cost around $70 .What do you consider the best single malt for a price around $30-$40

[DavidT]

I saw the 12-year old Glenfarclas for sale last nite in an San Francisco shop for $40. This is another single-malt well worth trying. It is somewhat similar in style to Macallan, as both distilleries are in the Spey Valley.

The same shop was selling the 14-year old Clynelish, but that was at least $10 more.

[Chinon00]

Macallan I believe is one of the few scotch's aged in 100% sherry wood giving it a rounder mouthfeel. Not sure therefore if other single malts will give you the same delight.

[big1515]

I just got a bottle of Chynelish malt scotch for V-day ..Anyone have a feeling on how good this malt is .. thanks

[DavidT]

Clynelish single-malt is quite good as well, although it has a different taste than the Macallan. Did you get the 14-year old? A lot of the whiskey from the Clynelish distillery goes into the various Johnny Walker blends.

[sku]

It is excellent. One of my favorites. You must be loved!

Currently the only Clynelish being released in the US by the distillery is the 14 year old, though there are also some independent bottlings. It is one of the major ingredients in Johnnie Walker Gold, though I think the plain, 14 year old is far better than the Gold.

[big1515]

sku:
That is interesting.. I thought that the Johnnie Walker line was all the same except for the aging .I did notice the the Black is ''smokey'' compared to the Red .. Are you saying that different blends are used for different JW scotches ? thanks

[sku]

In answer to your question, yes, each label (red, black, gold, blue) is a different blend of whiskies. Only the Black (12 yo) and the Gold (18 yo) have age statements at all, which means that Red and Blue could contain whiskies of any age over three years.

I actually just recently did a blog posting on the JW line which goes into more detail: http://recenteats.blogspot.com/2008/0...

[big1515]

SKU
you mention Port Ellen malt as being used in the JW blue ..You seem to indicate it is exceptional ..Is it avalible ,,if so where ..price ?

[sku]

Port Ellen is more exceptional for its rarity than its quality. It is a distillery on the Scottish Island of Islay that shut down in 1983. There are still old casks of the stuff floating around and if you go to a very good Scotch store, you might see some, usually in the range of $2-300 per bottle and up.

Frankly, unless you are a collector, I would avoid Port Ellen and its big price tags. It is vastly overpriced because of its scarcity and its value on the collector's market.

It's a fine smoky malt, of similar character to Caol Ila, which you can get for much, much cheaper.

[zin1953]

Yes, the blends ARE very different from one another in terms of the malts they use in the blend(s), as well as in the style they are attempting to achieve,

[big1515]

sku:
Had some Clynelish last nite ..you are right.. bold and distint ,but had a little bite . good stuff ..thanks

[scubadoo97]

Highland Park 12 is one of the best deals in single malt. I can pick it up for under $30 in my area and it's a steal. May cost much more in some areas. Reminds me, I need to stock up

[lanersg]

I like Glenmorangie and I just bought a bottle last week at BevMo for $35.

[DavidT]

At that price, I am guessing you bought the 10-year old Glenmorangie, which is also pretty good stuff.

[lanersg]

Orange box. The older stuff was about $15 or more pricier. Yummy. I finally figured out that I do like Scotch, I had just tried really bad stuff!

[DavidT]

The Dalmore 12-year old single malt is available (in the San Fran Bay Area) at both Trader Joe's and BevMo for under $25. At that price, it is a very good value. I like the Macallan 12-year old as well, but it is likely $10 a bottle more.

[Jpaul]

I prefer the Dalmore Cigar malt scotch for its smokey flavor. about $33.00 in Texas

[smalt]

I second that, Jpaul! I've turned quite a few friends on to the Dalmore Cigar Malt ....Decent price, smooth finish....I find it somewhat chocolatey.

[theswain]

Just chiming in with others that it really depends on taste. For that price range, you're looking generally at 10-12 year old whiskey. I might recommend a few here for you to consider: I like the Balvenie 12 year Double Wood, one of my personal favorites. You might also look at Bowmore and Cragganmore. I also have to say I love the peatiness of Laphroig 10, but I know its not for everyone.

[Captain]

It really is a matter of taste. Once you begin enjoying whisky or whiskey, do not limit yourself to just one kind. Try different things. i began drinking whiskey when I was underaged with a friend. We thought that if we went into a bar and ordered scotch on the rocks, our age was less likely to be questioned. It worked. After drinking Johnnie Walker Black for a few years, I learned about single malts in my early 20s, and thereafter pretty much stopped drinking blendeds. It was not until I was in my 30s that I again decided to broaden my horizons. Now, I often drink whiskeys that are not single malt Scotches at all. I really like Irish potstills, rye, and when I drink scotch, it's often cask strength.

Before you go out and commit to buying a bottle you have not tasted, try a whisky or whiskey at a bar, and try different ones to figure out what you like. The one thing that really changed what I drink was WhiskyFest, during which you get to try lots of different things.

If I had to pick an agreeable but inexpensive single malt, that mgiht fit your request, maybe something liek Glengoyne, but that only my opinion. YMMV.

GO BIG BLUE!!

[zin1953]

The Macallan 12 year Old.

But you'll get very little agreement here. It's not that no one else likes The Macallan. (And if you liked the 15 year old, you should try the 18!) Rather, it's that single malts are so distinctive, so individualistic, that everyone -- OK, everyone who drinks malt -- has his or her own favorite!

Cheers,
Jason

[white light]

Macallan makes a 12 year old that should be in that price range. Not as nice as the 15, but you could give it a try.