New to whisky appreciation need recommendations

  • Nathan85
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    Joined: 20.10.2018Posts: 1CollectionNathan85s CollectionRatings: 0

    Hi all i am new to tasting different whiskys at the moment so far i tasted glenfiddich 12,15 strathisla 12, highland park 12, bushmills 10 and original,and johnny walker black,so far i am looking for a whisky like glenfiddich 12 or 15 but with the campfire smoke any recommendations thanks.

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  • DramTasticVoyage Member DramTasticVoyage Joined: 09.04.2018Posts: 205CollectionDramTasticVoyages CollectionRatings: 4
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    @Nathan85 Welcome aboard! You have a well rounded start up collection so far! I have a few recommendations for you based off of what you've mentioned.


    IRISH:

    Redbreast 12 year (or 15, or 21 if you want to shell out the big bucks). -Redbreast is a quintessential single pot still irish whiskey. Sherry influence and strong notes of butter cookies. Delicious!


    Powers Signature Release- Very similar to the Redbreast. Made in the same distillery in fact. Its not aged for 12 years, but it is better in some ways. Its non-chill filtered and bottled at 46%. And its cheaper by a good bit. I actually prefer this to the Redbreast.


    Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition- This one is cheap and always easy to find. This is AMAZING whiskey! One sip and you'll be convinced it should probably cost more than it does. Very heavy pot still influence without the pot still price tag. Hands down one of the best value for money Irish whiskeys on the market. 


    SCOTCH:

    Johnnie Walker Double Black- If you like the standard black, you'll absolutely love the double black. It is campfire smoke in a bottle. It is also very sweet. I actually prefer this one on the rocks. The flavor opens up quite nicely when poured over some ice.


    Glenfarclas 12 Year- This is a sweet, easy drinking scotch. Made by passionate people. Glenfarclas is one of the few family owned, 'old school' distilleries left in Scotland. They spend next to nothing on advertising which allows them to sell their product at a cheaper price. They also heat their stills with wood fire which is rare these days. One sip of this and you'll know a lot of love went into making it. No smoke in this one, but very delicious.


    Dalwhinnie Distillers Edition- Distilled in 1997 and bottled in 2015 (17 Years Old). This is one of my all time favorites. Wonderful sweet malty flavor with a whiff of smoke thrown in for good measure. I dont typically stockpile whisky, but i've set a few of these aside in case run out, or the next DE version is drastically different. I love this whisky!


    Highland Park Magnus- Not sure where you live, but I believe this bottle is, strangely, only sold in North America. Its a no age statement single malt. It's the cheapest in the Highland Park line up and it's easily my favorite. Very similar to Highland Park 12 but a little sweeter and the smoke is very distinct. It reminds me of smoked ham. It is fantastic.


    In your search for campfire smoke scotch, you will undoubtedly be steered towards Islay scotch. Not sure if you've read about these or tried them yet, but Islay is a region of Scotland that produces heavily peated whisky. Tread lightly my friend! Most people new to scotch have one taste and run for the hills. Heavy peat smoke is an acquired taste. Its not like the wood smoke you get from JW Black or Highland Park. They call it 'medicinal' smoke because it literally smells/tastes like a hospital. Stick your nose inside a box of bandaids....thats the smell. Now imagine a pallet load of bandaids on fire mixed with some salty seaweed.....Thats islay scotch in a nutshell. The 'big 3' are Lagavulin, Laphroaig, and Ardbeg. I definitely recommend buying a dram at a bar or buying a miniature and trying it this way before you buy a full bottle. They are rather expensive and there is a good chance you may hate it initially. Or, you may be one of those rare birds that immediately takes to Islay and loves it. Its very possible, just rare lol. 


    Good luck in your journey for the perfect dram! It's quite an adventure! 


    “I’m a simple man. All I want is enough sleep for two normal men, enough whiskey for three, and enough women for four.” 

    ~Joel Rosenburg

  • bedlamborn Member bedlamborn Joined: 18.09.2016Posts: 611Collectionbedlamborns CollectionRatings: 21
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    Just to add to @DramTasticVoyage writings.


    Talisker 10 could be a good start if you want to enjoy some smokey whisky and they can also be found in smaller bottles if you don't want to buy a big bottle at once.

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