And it is an uneducated view too.
My first introduction to nice whiskies was in the late 70's when sharing a house with a load of other students, one of which was from the Highlands. Yes we called him Jock, and no he wasn't bothered by it - times move on obviously. As a student it was about getting... happy...? But by the early 80's the gluttony had diminished and it was about flavours, with the emphasis on the 's.' And Glenturret became a firm favourite.
Now for the uneducated bit. Blended as it infers is a mix of whiskies, but from different distilleries, not to be confused with single malt whisky that can be from different barrels from the same distillery. Single cask whisky is, by definition, from a single cask.. double cask, if you've got the drift, will be from 2 casks but the same distillery.
And then you get them from different flavoured casks. How on earth do you flavour a cask I hear you ask? Well, those of you that don't know may have asked. Basically, a cask that has originally been used for another liquor may, subsequently, be bought by a distillery and used to 'house' a whisky. Typically, you'll see a single malt from a sherry cask or a bourbon cask. The idea being that an element of the previous liquor will infuse into the whisky flavour.
So what are the good whiskies and when is best to drink them? That's entirely up to individual taste. Some might prefer the Highlands and Islands whisky, that often have a flavour of peat in the background. Its where the water came from that's used in its manufacturing process. Some can be really peaty, e.g. Laphroaig, and are often thought to be overpowering. Others like Caol Ila only have a hint of peat. But having said that, each individual batch may have more or less of that flavour.
How about the when and the what to drink? That's your choice. But one suggestion, don't spend a fortune on your favourite whisky at 2am in the morning, at the end of a heavy session. You'd be hard pushed to tell the difference between Bells and a 50yr old , apart from the price. £30 'v' £2500 a bottle.
So, if anyone is up in Aberdeen, this uneducated heathen(not Scottish) is happy to spend the evening with you in The Grill Bar on Union Street, a mega whisky haunt, continuing his education.
Remember, don't drink and drive.
My first introduction to nice whiskies was in the late 70's when sharing a house with a load of other students, one of which was from the Highlands. Yes we called him Jock, and no he wasn't bothered by it - times move on obviously. As a student it was about getting... happy...? But by the early 80's the gluttony had diminished and it was about flavours, with the emphasis on the 's.' And Glenturret became a firm favourite.
Now for the uneducated bit. Blended as it infers is a mix of whiskies, but from different distilleries, not to be confused with single malt whisky that can be from different barrels from the same distillery. Single cask whisky is, by definition, from a single cask.. double cask, if you've got the drift, will be from 2 casks but the same distillery.
And then you get them from different flavoured casks. How on earth do you flavour a cask I hear you ask? Well, those of you that don't know may have asked. Basically, a cask that has originally been used for another liquor may, subsequently, be bought by a distillery and used to 'house' a whisky. Typically, you'll see a single malt from a sherry cask or a bourbon cask. The idea being that an element of the previous liquor will infuse into the whisky flavour.
So what are the good whiskies and when is best to drink them? That's entirely up to individual taste. Some might prefer the Highlands and Islands whisky, that often have a flavour of peat in the background. Its where the water came from that's used in its manufacturing process. Some can be really peaty, e.g. Laphroaig, and are often thought to be overpowering. Others like Caol Ila only have a hint of peat. But having said that, each individual batch may have more or less of that flavour.
How about the when and the what to drink? That's your choice. But one suggestion, don't spend a fortune on your favourite whisky at 2am in the morning, at the end of a heavy session. You'd be hard pushed to tell the difference between Bells and a 50yr old , apart from the price. £30 'v' £2500 a bottle.
So, if anyone is up in Aberdeen, this uneducated heathen(not Scottish) is happy to spend the evening with you in The Grill Bar on Union Street, a mega whisky haunt, continuing his education.
Remember, don't drink and drive.
