Quote:
Originally Posted by Goodfella
Can anyone give me a recommendation?
I am looking for the best Scotch (or Scotch's) That are not avalible in the U.S.
Thank you...
Joel Marchello
P.S. I am lovin this forum!!!
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Hi Joel,
As 505Gibbs stated,
The Whisky Exchange in London is a great source as well as
Royal Mile Whiskies in Edinburgh. I have been buying from these retailers for years. One thing to keep in mind. In order to keep one from having a heart attack over shipping charges, I have found that a minimum of three bottles should be purchased to make it more palatable. No pun intended.
Royal Mile Whiskies is a little bit cheaper on shipping charges, but both stockists are generally competitive. Keep in mind that the price you will pay is the "ex VAT" price as the whiskies will be shipped out of the UK. Also, always
pay in POUNDS STERLING if given the option to pay in DOLLARS or in POUNDS. The exchange rate will be friendlier on your credit card. I keep up-to-date with the current exchange rate by frequently visiting
XE.COM
But in answer to your question about whiskies that cannot be had in the US, there are several good whiskies currently on the market. As taste is subjective, one has to ascertain as you are doing. I highly recommend
TALISKER 57 NORTH ( no age statement ). As I normally find the younger
GLENFIDDICHS austere; there is a current bottling of
GLENFIDDICH named
GLENFIDDICH 14-YEAR-OLD RICH OAK which is a delightful and pleasing dram. Additionally,
BALVENIE currently has two 14-year-old expressions on the market; a
RUM and a
GOLDEN CASK. The
BALVENIE 14-YEAR-OLD RUM CASK can be bought in the US, but the
BALVENIE 14-YEAR-OLD GOLDEN CASK is only sold in Europe and
DUTY FREE. In my opinion, the
GOLDEN CASK is one of the best bottlings that
BALVENIE has come out with recently. I recently compared the two in a tasting. The
GOLDEN CASK has loads of complexity and palate pleasing tastes that repeat themselves along with continuously picking up new flavors along the way. The
GOLDEN CASK also has a long and lip-smacking finish. The palate begs for more. It is definitely a "moorish" dram. As I bought a bottle of the
RUM cask for comparison, I found the
RUM cask to be the fraternal twin that did not shine at all. I would not buy another bottle of the
RUM cask. If you like peated whiskies, and especially Speyside peated drams,
TWE bottles a
12-Year-Old CAPERDONICH at 57%. A good digestif to sip and savour to lose yourself in for the rest of the evening. Two of the drams I have recommended have age statements and one does not.
A NOTE ABOUT AGE STATEMENTS: Never get hung up on age statements. The age of a whisky does not indicate the quality of the whisky inside. To paraphrase Michael Jackson, the noted whisky writer ( God rest his soul ), Americans for some reason feel the magic age for a whisky is 12 years old. Why? No one knows.