What dram is in your quaich?

[DyerStraits]

The kilt run in Raleigh, NC (USA) is tomorrow. We are attempting to break the Guinness World Record for number of kilted runners in a race. So to get ready for it, I am listening to Julie Fowlis on YouTube and drinking George Dickel Rye Whisky. This stuff is good -- a dark, reddish, amber color and a serious oaken charcoal aroma and the taste is strong. Slainte! int:

If there's no Scotch whisky to be had, my second choice is ALWAYS Rye, and George Dickel is my favorite--dirt cheap (about US$20.00 the bottle here in the Chicago area) with a 95% rye mash bill--the real deal. And it's produced in my home state of Indiana, no less (hopefully this will placate my Sots-Irish ancestors from Kentucky who would otherwise haunt me for championing a Tennessee brand and making no favorable mention of Bourbon). My understanding is that up until about the Civil War/Reconstruction period or so, most American whiskey was predominantly rye (including the stuff produced on George Washington's estate). Rich, spicy stuff on its own, and indispensable for making a "true" Manhattan.

[mookien]

Am finishing a bottle of Speyburn Bradan Orach as I write this. Currently US$20.00 the bottle here in the Chicago area and thus an excellent everyday dram indeed (although I generally indulge only on weekends).....

That's one of my favorite "value" whiskies - very tasty and refreshing "on the rocks".

[mookien]

So I made it by the ABC store the other day, and purchased a magnum (1.75 liter) of House of Stuart Blended Scotch Whisky. "Since 1772, A Blend of Highland and Lowland, Islay and Speyside Whiskies". Now, this was the least expensive Scotch they had, and yet, it has a nice light amber color, and smells wonderful. It tastes, not too bad. Of course, we know there is no such thing as a bad whisky. Some are just better than others. ...

I had a glass of blended whisky tonight. I blended it myself. I poured some Ardbeg 1990 over a glass of ice. The bottle emptied before the glass was full, so I grabbed a bottle of Bowmore 18 and topped it off. IMHO the whole was better than the sum of the parts. Nothing like good blended scotch whisky.

[DyerStraits]

If there's no Scotch whisky to be had, my second choice is ALWAYS Rye, and George Dickel is my favorite--dirt cheap (about US$20.00 the bottle here in the Chicago area) with a 95% rye mash bill--the real deal. And it's produced in my home state of Indiana, no less (hopefully this will placate my Sots-Irish ancestors from Kentucky who would otherwise haunt me for championing a Tennessee brand and making no favorable mention of Bourbon). My understanding is that up until about the Civil War/Reconstruction period or so, most American whiskey was predominantly rye (including the stuff produced on George Washington's estate). Rich, spicy stuff on its own, and indispensable for making a "true" Manhattan.

"Sots-Irish"--now there's a Freudian Slip for you. I meant "SCOTS-Irish", for Pete's Sake......

[DyerStraits]

That's one of my favorite "value" whiskies - very tasty and refreshing "on the rocks".

Absolutely, Mook, it's definitely the best of the value bottles I've found lately, and thank God that real, honest-to-goodness Single Malts can still be had in these inflationary times for about twenty bucks. My first was a Glenlivet 10 or 12 that I dug out of the discount/marked-down barrel at the local off-campus liquor store and which my Girl Magnet fraternity brother college roommate (a Forbes on his mother's side) somehow persuaded me to part with twenty precious dollars to buy. I will never forget that whisky......

[DyerStraits]

I had a glass of blended whisky tonight. I blended it myself. I poured some Ardbeg 1990 over a glass of ice. The bottle emptied before the glass was full, so I grabbed a bottle of Bowmore 18 and topped it off. IMHO the whole was better than the sum of the parts. Nothing like good blended scotch whisky.

I believe that is a custom, one-off version of what used to be called a Vatted Malt, i.e. a blend of aged single malt whiskies, as opposed to a blend of single malts and unaged, neutral grain alcohol as a "filler". A combination of two very mature Islay malts--a noble experiment indeed......

[S Mitchell]

If there's no Scotch whisky to be had, my second choice is ALWAYS Rye, and George Dickel is my favorite--dirt cheap (about US$20.00 the bottle here in the Chicago area) with a 95% rye mash bill--the real deal. And it's produced in my home state of Indiana, no less (hopefully this will placate my Sots-Irish ancestors from Kentucky who would otherwise haunt me for championing a Tennessee brand and making no favorable mention of Bourbon). My understanding is that up until about the Civil War/Reconstruction period or so, most American whiskey was predominantly rye (including the stuff produced on George Washington's estate). Rich, spicy stuff on its own, and indispensable for making a "true" Manhattan.

I'm right with you there on the rye; although, it's a relatively new discovery for me. When I first tried it I had an aha! moment and realized rye was the ingredient I enjoyed so much in bourbons like Four Roses and Bulleit.

I guess I'm also right there with you on the Sots-Irish!

[S Mitchell]

Tonight it's Battlehill Ben Nevis 16 (another gift from my wife). I've never tried Ben Nevis and I find my tasting vocabulary isn't sufficient to the task of describing it. But, I'm enjoying it. It doesn't have a very sweet nose on it, almost salty (there is a faint sweetness, citrus? brown sugar? chocolate?) It's smooth and has long finish. It's tasty.

[DyerStraits]

A Freudian slip if ever there was one--I meant SCOTS-Irish, not "Sots-Irish" (or at least I think so).

Rye whiskey is currently enjoying renewed popularity, and was a revelation for me also; although an upper classman in my college fraternity who normally drank scotch would occasionally drink rye, I never actually tried it until a few years ago at the insistence of my girlfriend's Manhattan-loving dad (I returned the favor by sending him a bottle of Wild Turkey Rye for Christmas). It's a different animal, alright. If you're like me and don't particularly care for Bourbon or corn (maize) in general (again, Dyers Of Kentucky, Forgive Me), the dry, complex spiciness of Rye or Rye-based Whiskey is very enjoyable.

[mookien]

I believe that is a custom, one-off version of what used to be called a Vatted Malt, i.e. a blend of aged single malt whiskies, as opposed to a blend of single malts and unaged, neutral grain alcohol as a "filler". A combination of two very mature Islay malts--a noble experiment indeed......

I believe you are correct. You can still get "vatted malts", but you have to vat them yourself.

My "experiment" was exceedingly ad hoc and fortuitous. It was driven by a simple, primitive desire to drink a full glass of scotch and I didn't want to end up with just a "half-glass" solution. To me it actually tasted better than either bottling. Pure luck.