O/T Single malt

had some 32 yr old Oban, It was nice, but do not have any in the cabinet.

Currentlly only have a bottle of 15 yr old Mccallan. Not as good as the Oban, but easier on the wallet!

I'm a Macallan guy...normally will drink 12 yr.

ive tried a bunch, i like the macallans 18 year old the best and its the only bottle i would buy now (once a year for a particular trip). still havent tried the oban. was the first customer in a new irish pub once, they sat a bottle of paddy whiskey down for me on the house, i also really like that stuff but cant find it. on a similar note, im happy sipping on an old tawney port, sandeman is the best ive tried.

Lived in the Highlands for 5 years so I was able to try a lot of them - including "Sheep Dip". Like Stike says the west coast and western isles single malts are distiguished by their peaty taste - Laphroig for example. My personal favorite is Macallam - aged in casks formerly used in sherry making. I don't think there is a bad single malt. Balvenie and Knockando are a couple of my other favorites - Knockando is sometimes pronounced "no can do" after too many.

A good blended scotch is Famous Grouse.

The big boss was visiting once and I was hustling before dinner drinks from the bar at a hotel in Inverness. He said I'll have a Laphroig neet - I was impressed. When I brought it to the table he asked where the ice and water were - not good form. I told him neet was straight up. He said yeah, neet with ice and water - go figure. I understand why the board decided to move on.

Did you know. The only way to see Nessie is to drink two bottles of scotch and then hold them up like binoculars and look across Lock Ness.

i haven't brewed in about ten years. you are right. the variety is so good, i no longer brew,

Bowmore is Islay and smoky but nothing like Laphroig.

Regrettably, there are some pretty bad single malts. One, for example, is Old Fettercairn - distilled in, I think, Kincardine just north of the Angus border. I say this fondly, sort of, since its the one closest to my family's homestead along the North Sea. I was dumbfounded when I learned that Old Fettercairn is one of the singles blended into Chivas.

I like your other selections. Sheep Dip is pretty good, all things considered! Balvenie, usually one of their newer trendy ones (e.g., Doublewood or Portwood) is one of my regulars, although I'm trending to lighter singles in my dotage.

I like Glenmorangie but, curiously, its about the only one that gives me a serious headache (not hangover) the next morning even if only having a wee dram. I gave it up after a while as simply not worth the pain.

You can only drink what your supplier carries, unfortunately. And then, depending on which it is, you might be able to only drink the smallest dram. I always question those who say they prefer Laphroig and other heavily-peated Islays - it reminds me of a young stud bragging on his manhood. As I age I find that I like the Islays once in a while and only one a night but if I want something more pleasant I tend towards the lighter malts. Oban is one of my favorites but has gotten too pricey. The Macallan 12 is better than the 18, particularly since malts have become so popular - I used to be able to get the 18 at $35 in Maryland but now its closer to $60. Did you know that Costco has its own label that, in fact, is actually a Maccallan - if you can get it, grab it!

Everyone seems to be doing doublewoods and portwoods and the like, trying to out-do their competition - they are mellow but when I do a direct comparison I find I often like the old versions. I finished a Balvenie Doublewood last week and am halfway through an Aberlour and when I made the transition I found I rather preferred the lighter Speyside to the more rounded Balvenie.

In any case, no matter how much I like good Bourbon, there is no comparison to almost any good whisky!

Here's a provocative little nectar I've come to enjoy.