Didn’t see a community for Scotch whisky enthusiasts and figured I’d just get going.
Welcome on in!
Hi!
Just saying hi! I am not a big Scotch drinker though I enjoy most other liquors. It always seems to have a hairspray quality to it that bothers me. Any suggestions for an intro scotch for a non-scotch drinker?
Hey there!
Sadly a lot of the basic stuff that’s out there can be a bit rough, especially stuff you can readily find in most bars/restaurants.
I’d suggest to see if you can find a whisky bar that has a lot on the shelf, Scotch runs the whole gamut between sweet & fruity, light & floral, heavy & smokey, and just about everything in between so there is probably something that will jive with your tastes.
If you like things that are a bit sweeter and fruitier, I’d recommend giving Arran a try (just about any of them should be pretty solid), Aberlour 12 year double cask and Balvenie 10 year are also solid ones to give a go.
If you want something that might be a little more rich, something like Glendronach 10 year might be up your alley.
If you want to try something that is smoky and a bit savory, Ardbeg or Lagavulin are probably good ones to try.
For things that are a little different, I’d suggest Clynelish or Talisker. Clyenlish is fairly light and has a waxy character to it, Talisker is something that will be lightly smokey but also give you some ocean-esque notes.
Hopefully that helps!
Thank you so much for the detailed reply! I’ll give these a try next time I am out. I have had the Lagavulin kinda liked it, so I’ll look for smoky/savory descriptors. Appreciate you writing this up
To introduce myself, I got into Scotch after a trip with a roommate to the UK. It was during Lent, he had given up alcohol for it and used me to be his personal taste tester of all boozes so he could bring back stuff with him. Got me hooked and I’ve been drinking it since.
I’ve been reviewing whisky since early 2018, after a chance encounter with an inspiring bottle of Linkwood. I might not rate that bottle as highly now as I did then, but it certainly sparked a huge shift in my love of whisky.
You might recognize me from reddit, I am also /u/zSolaris there. A bunch of folks I’ve become friends with reviewing spirits and I have recently launched a new review platform for us, you can check us out at Malt Runners.