What is the Scotch equivelant?

**tundramanq** · 3rd July 13, 05:19 PM

There is a blended pure malt ( not watered down with linear distilled tasteless spirits) that is inexpensive and most people like it - Glenfiddich. It has a very uniform set of characteristics from year to year.
It is considered a blend because they age the distillate mostly in plain oak and 10% in sherry casks. then mix them to get the character they want. They are one of the very few distilleries that bottle their own product, keeping total control from end to end.

**David Thorpe** · 3rd July 13, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by tundramanq

There is a blended pure malt ( not watered down with linear distilled tasteless spirits) that is inexpensive and most people like it - Glenfiddich.

Glenfiddich produces single malt. Many single malts are "blended" from multiple casks, but they are all distilled from all malted barley mash.

**adempsey10** · 5th July 13, 02:42 PM

I'm partial to Smokehead at the moment. It doesnt have a fancy celtic name so its not very popular with the pretentious types. But if you like peat and smoke, it's a killer. Aberlour is also a fantastic choice. I would think you might be disappointed trying to find a scotch that resembles Irish whisky. In the same way, after reading a really good book and you attempt to seek out another just like it to keep the same thrill going, you always end up disappointed. Whereas, if you treated them as entirely different things, you might have enjoyed the second book in a different way. Therefore, my advice would be to try to develop a taste for scotch separate from your Irish whisky palate.

**English Bloke** · 5th July 13, 04:54 PM

Good advice in adempsey10's post above regarding separate palates...

If you'd like a 'Jamesonesque' Scottish single malt (and I use the term with caution) it will be quite difficult to find. Jameson is not a blended whiskey as such. A blended whisky takes product from several distilleries and mixes them to make what's in the bottle. Johnnie Walker is an example (red label, 35 different grain and malt whiskies blended... Great with ginger ale!! Probably. ;)

Jameson is however a single distillery 'whiskey' in that all the raw product they use comes from the one distillery. It is not a single malt because it uses a mix of malted barley and unmalted barley spirits.

So what's the difference between unmalted and malted? It's complicated but loosely, the barley grains are first encouraged to sprout (unmalted or green malt at this stage) and then some of that green malt is dried at high temperature, which stops the growth of the shoots and creates natural sugars in the dried grain (malted barley).

Jameson mix the two stages of barley (green & malted) after distilling them separately, but the end result is all their own distillery product, hence 'single distillery'. Scottish distillers of 'single MALTS' only use malted barley and then only offer whisky from the one distillery.

So to your original question. Is there a single malt that tastes a bit like Jameson?

As previously stated, it's subjective but give Glen Moray 'Classic' a whirl.

It's a 'no age statement' (minimum three year old), unpeated single malt from the Speyside region. They take their water from the river Lossie at Elgin so it's as authentic Scottish as you're going to get. It's reasonably consistent (the bulk of their production goes to make blended whisky), It's one of the more affordable standard single malt offerings and in my opinion is as easy drinkin' drinkable as the Jamesons you already enjoy. It doesn't have the developed character of some of the the more renowned single malts but it doesn't taste like medicine or feel like it's stripping your taste buds off when you try it for the first time.

In my opinion, there are others that are (arguably) better. Age is a factor, region is a factor, personal taste is the critical factor. But whisky IS an acquired taste and it takes time to discover what you like and what you don't like. As a first timer, and I'm not being patronising here, this one is a good place to start.

In addition, if you find any whisky fierce, don't be afraid to add small amounts of water to it (mineral preferred, not tap). Add it a teaspoonful at a time till you find the level you like. Remember you can put it in, but you can't take it out. Also observe how the aroma and subtleties of flavour change progressively as you add your dribbles... The distillers add water to the whisky to bring it down to bottle strength so why shouldn't you? Anyone who calls you a 'softy' for doing so is an idiot and deserves their hangover in the morning.

Smell your whisky before you drink it, and I mean get your nose right in the glass and have a good sniff. 50% of the enjoyment is in the 'nose'. Take a taste in a small sip and let it wash over your whole mouth. Your not looking for flavours like rubber boots, creosote fence, old leather sofa or mouldy cheese, or any of the other hogwash the experts come out with... but you are looking for the basic sweet, salt, sour, bitter flavours that normal people can comprehend. Take mouthfuls of cold water between whisky tastes to cool down your palate. It helps. And if you are trying different whiskies at the one sitting, rinse your glass in between them and swig that as well.

I'd suggest you try and avoid ice in any single malt. It's only my preference but I find it kills all the character. On the other hand, I tried a Grant's Ale Cask Conditioned whisky a month or two ago, it's blended, some mixed malts but mainly other-grain whiskies and while I'm not a great fan of blendeds, the addition of ice transformed it into a magical glassful. The same cannot be said for single malt. Ice (in my opinion) definitely does it a dis-service.

Finally... Please don't put Coke in it!!! If you want to do that drink Jack D.

Enjoy. Single Malt in moderation is a delightful journey of discovery. There are literally hundreds of varieties and no two are the same.

I'm not an expert... I'm just a devoted fan.

If you want more erudite and detailed info on "a beginner's guide to single malt whisky" Have a look here

And If that doesn't whet you're appetite? You're cured!!

**English Bloke** · 5th July 13, 05:24 PM

Kyle, I've said it before but that's a corkin' Macpherson Kilt!!! I Love that 'to stripe' pleating.

**creagdhubh** · 9th July 13, 05:44 AM

Originally Posted by English Bloke

Kyle, I've said it before but that's a corkin' Macpherson Kilt!!! I Love that 'to stripe' pleating.

Cheers, John!

**artificer** · 6th July 13, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by adempsey10

I'm partial to Smokehead at the moment. It doesnt have a fancy celtic name so its not very popular with the pretentious types. But if you like peat and smoke, it's a killer. Aberlour is also a fantastic choice. I would think you might be disappointed trying to find a scotch that resembles Irish whisky. In the same way, after reading a really good book and you attempt to seek out another just like it to keep the same thrill going, you always end up disappointed. Whereas, if you treated them as entirely different things, you might have enjoyed the second book in a different way. Therefore, my advice would be to try to develop a taste for scotch separate from your Irish whisky palate.

My wife got me a bottle of Smokehead for Father's Day - it is indeed very nice.

I agree with the commentator a while back that recommended Auchentoshan, the lighter, unpeated Lowland Malt would be a good place to start on Scotch Whisky.

ith:

**RockyR** · 6th July 13, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by artificer

My wife got me a bottle of Smokehead for Father's Day - it is indeed very nice.

I agree with the commentator a while back that recommended Auchentoshan, the lighter, unpeated Lowland Malt would be a good place to start on Scotch Whisky.

ith:

As I'm a HUGE fan of Islay Scotches, I'm shocked and embarrassed that I've not heard of and / or tried Smokehead. Where can I purchase a bottle in PA (or online and have it shipped to myself)?

**artificer** · 6th July 13, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by RockyR

As I'm a HUGE fan of Islay Scotches, I'm shocked and embarrassed that I've not heard of and / or tried Smokehead. Where can I purchase a bottle in PA (or online and have it shipped to myself)?

A search shows it's available in NJ, NY, and RI, but I don't see any PA, so you might have to order it online.
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/sm...islay+scotland

You might also want to try "Peat Monster" which is actually a blended Whisky, made of Islay and Highland Malts. It's like an extra-peaty Highland Park without some of the sweeter notes.
It's probably the BEST blended Whisky I've ever tried.

http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/pe...+scotch+whisky

ith:

**English Bloke** · 7th July 13, 03:30 AM

Scott.

If you fancy a crack at another peaty blended, give this a whirl. It's stands up well to single Islays.

It's a mix of non chill-filtered malts from Ardbeg, Bowmore, Coal Ila and Port Ellen. The chap's face on the label says it all really.

Last Christmas (over here anyway) they released a cask strength version at 57.8%. That definitely need a bit more than a splash of water lemmee tell ya!!

You might be interested to hear what Ralfy Mitchell has to say...

His considered opinion of Big Peat is here

His review of your Peat Monster is here

And to bring us back to doe... Some interesting notes on Irish Whiskey and particularly Jameson is here

CAUTION: To those who haven't yet arrived at this fork in the road, these Islay flavours are nothing like Jameson whiskey!!

Edit: Just for fun, you might like to see what Ralfy has to say about this recent innovation... Not that I have an interest obviously.