Whats a good beginner scotch?



[This message has been edited by big ben (edited 4/21/2011 11:58p).]

Honestly the Glen Moray 12 yr is pretty mild and is a good starter IMO. This is my second time to buy it. The first bottle I bought was good, but I like this one better. You can get it on sale at specs right now for $32

Big Ben, a nice intro to Scotch are the lowland varieties, such as Glenkinchie or Auchentoshan. Not too smoky or peaty, and easy on the palate. They're also price friendly.

As for myself, I am a Glenmorangie/Aberlour/Oban man. I have had the blessing of befriending an elderly couple who own a B&B I have frequented in Scotland, and I have been given more offerings to taste Scotch than I can recall.

Scotch is an adventure, so take your time and enjoy every step. If you can, take notes of your first tasting of each distillery, and you'll see what you favor.

I was walking down the scotch aisle at specs yesterday. Coming the other direction was a man and his wife. They stopped and he started looking at the various bottles. He decided what he wanted and placed it in his cart. Then, after thinking about it for half a second, he grabbed two other boxes and put them in the cart as well.

She asked what he was doing. He told her he was buying scotch with that "what does it look like I'm doing" tone in his voice.

She said, "Stocking up huh? Look, this one is on sale!"

He gave her a great "are you kidding me" look and then gave me a "can you believe that sht" look and then moved on down the aisle with out saying anything else to her.

I suppose women just don't understand that what applies to shoes and purses don't apply to scotch.

[This message has been edited by IsleAg11 (edited 4/30/2011 11:02a).]

Balvenie is a good scotch to start with--there are many varieties--ages, portwood, etc but non of them are offensive and all are very good.

Lagavulin is a scotch where one bottle will last a while. I drink this one slooow drink at a time. I try to appreciate the rich, strong flavors--almost there, but not quite.

Edit for "uncharacteristic" error--I meant Laphroaig &typed Lagavulin. Sorry

[This message has been edited by IslandAg76 (edited 4/30/2011 11:24p).]

quote:

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Honestly the Glen Moray 12 yr is pretty mild and is a good starter IMO. This is my second time to buy it. The first bottle I bought was good, but I like this one better. You can get it on sale at specs right now for $32

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I agree with this.

I recently started getting into Scotch/Whisky etc and the Glen Moray 12 was my 1st purchase. A single malt with a relatively mild flavor that isn't too harsh, but also not necessarily very memorable (ie. not a lasting aftertaste).

When I have more disposable income, I might venture into the older barrels, but the Glen Moray 12 was the perfect starter whiskey.