Here are my favourite whiskies:
If you're a beginner try Glenmorangie or Glenlivet (the latter being a VERY light whisky).
Both of them are smooth, easy on the finish and taste of honey with only a slight oak (Glenlivet having slightly less wood in it).
Islay:
Quarter Cask Lephroig - A fusion of honey, liquorish and aniseed with a big kick. One of the peatiest whiskies about
Talisker - Very very woody/oaky, with traces of orange and nuts. Very strong, not as peaty as quarter cask but stronger on the wood.
Ardbeg: Smoky, peaty and oaky all at once: Traces of coal, buttercream and toffee, has a long burning pleasant finish and very light on the tongue (very clean and crisp).
Speyside:
Tormore: Very honey and sweet, slightly like Drambuie but not as sickly, a slight metallic kick on finish (which is surprisingly nice). It's one of the cheaper single malts but it doesn't taste like it.
Oban: This one is hard to describe, sharp at the start but smooth on the finish, a good flavour of honey oak, aniseed and nippyness. A very tasty whisky, a bit shy, could use the tinyest drops of water (it's also the fastest selling whisky around) one of the classic malts.
Cragganmore; Also one of the classics, no frills, plain pure and simple taste of 'scotch', smooth as you like, oak, honey, nutty but not peaty or smoky.
Highland:
Old Pultiney: Not everybody's cup of tea, but I think it's great. Slightly salty, oaky and mature, not sweet but very slightly peaty.
Lowland:
Glenfiddich: Because it's a lowland this whisky it gets mistaken for a beginners one, it is not. It takes a bit of getting used to, although it is very light on the tongue, it has a combination of pears and salty oakiness with a slight bit of honey. If you are not used to whisky it's the most likely to make you sick, if you can handle it though it's lovely.
Irish whisky:
Bushmills (yuk): The sweetness and the fruit covers up the obvious taste of sulphur, it's like taking a bad cough medicine.
Jameson's: A very lovely whisky, combination of toffee, honey, oak and a good bourboun, it's like a perfect fusion of a bourbon such as Jack Daniels and a good speyside whisky. It goes down very easy too.
Blended Malt/ Grain whisky:
Black Bottle: Can't afford a single malt; then get this, it is the best blended/grain malt you can get and it is fully convincing as a single malt, it can be drunk straight, it has a very meaty smell and flavour, strong with barley and beer aftertaste. You can taste the malt (and hops?!) in this one.
Vatted Malts:
Naked Grouse: A blend of single malts with famous grouse added as their own single malt blend. Quite strong but a good kick of honey, aniseed
Monkey Shoulder: Very meaty and syrupy, not too sweet, metallic and oaky. Nice.
Anyway, be sure to check these ones out.
Forum
