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by Dr. D'Og
Last time we looked at how similar beer and whisky are for the first couple of days. Now that you know
the difference between beer and whisky (the former foams, the latter doesn't), it's time to put that knowledge to good use:
purchasing single malt scotch. Whether in a liquor store or your favorite bar, there are lots of choices.
No longer
does the buyer choose only between Glenfiddich, Glenlivet or a couple of blended whiskies. Lesser known single malt whiskies
are now coming on to the American market. So what you look at first? Price! The cost of single malts can vary from nineteen
to several thousand dollars. For our first attempt, we'll stick to single malt whiskies that retail for under $30.00 .
The list is a lot longer than you would think (would you believe 23?) Some of these whiskies are very difficult to find
anymore (Tullibardine is a case in point. It used to sell for under $20 in Milwaukee, but I have not seen it recently. The
distillery itself is currently not in operation.) Others sound more like an Viking event than a whisky (throw the Lammerlaw!)
A good rule of thumb in drinking whisky: price does make a difference. The less it costs, the less distinctive a whisky.
One of my favorite smooth, round, easily drinkable whiskies is Speyburn. Not only is it produced by a small company,
the whisky is just as good as many $30-50 single malts. Except that Speyburn rarely costs more than $20 per bottle. Speyburn
is not, however, a complex, bold, mind boggling example of scotch whisky. It is for people who like the taste of whisky but
are not looking for one of the stronger, full bodied, smoky style of single malts. Let's divide the whiskies into five basic
groups. There are many more classifications than this (just take a taste-bud chart and see how many different variations of
flavors a person can distinguish), but for our purposes, these categories are a good start.
1. Smooth, round, gentle
whisky Dalmore 12 year old Glen Moray 12 year old (pron. Glen Murray if you're interested.) Glenmorangie 10 year old (pron.
Glen moor un gee) Lismore Speyburn 10 year old (pron. Spay burn) Tamnavulin (pron. Tom na voo lin)
2. Sharper, more
full-bodied whisky Balvenie 12 year old doublewood (pron. Bal vay nee or Bal vennee) Finlaggan 10 year old (pron. Finn laggin)
Glenfarclas 10 year old Lammerlaw 10 year old Old Fettercairn 10 year old Old Pulteney 12 year old (pron. Old Polt knee) Tullibardine
10 year old (pron. Tulluh bar din)
3. Salty, lightly peated (smoky) whisky Bowmore Legend
4. Flowery,
lighter, slightly sweet whisky Bruichladdich 10 year old (just say Brook laddie and the bartender will understand.) Glen Deveron
5 year old Glenfiddich (pron. Glen fid dich, but glen fiddick is acceptable.) Glen Garioch 8 year old (pron. Glen Geery. Honest.)
Glenlivet 12 year old Littlemill 8 year old Old Rhos Dhu 5 year old (pron. Ross Ghoo, but say Ross Dew so you aren't tossed
out of the bar for making rude noises.) Tamdhu (see Rhos Dhu) Tobermory 10 year old
5. Smoky, iodine-smelling, bold
whisky You will notice that #5 is blank.
What did you expect for under $30? There are some blends that cost more
than most of these single malts. The next time you feel like trying something different, order one of the under 30 whiskies.
And I'm nae tellin ye agin.
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