What's a good entry-level single malt?

[vintage68]

I love drinking Jack Daniels neat, but it's been my drink for a long time and I'm looking to branch out and try scotch. I've always found the charcoal taste in scotch a bit much, so what is a good scotch to start out with? Something that won't turn me off and I can develop a palette for. Price isn't really a concern.

 

[Atinkerer]

If you've been drinking JD, you may want to try a real fine quality bourbon before you branch out to smoky Scotch.

Try Jim Beam Black Label bourbon. It's very smooth and has a classic top shelf bourbon taste.


Tony

 

[Panache]

Balvenie Doublewood 12 year

It is a really wonderful mild single malt that is a very good start. I have offered this to friends that say "I don't like scotch" and they like this one.

Later on you can start tasting the smokier/peatier single malts, but this one is a good one for "testing the waters"

Cheers

Jamie

 

[Mav]

Balvenie Doublewood 12 year

Good suggestion. Dalmore is also a good "starter" scotch.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

Don't go buy a bottle of single malt. Go to a nice bar that has several single malt scotches, and try a few.

Later

 

[St.Ignatz]

A trip to a well stocked bar is a fine way to sniff around. I've found Speyburn to be reasonably priced and well made. Good body and just a bit of smoke.
Tom D.

 

[Burton]

You could try 12 year old Glenlivet or Glenfiddich both readily available and not too exotic. I once had a friend buy me a scotch taster set with a number of the small bottles and it included tasting notes. It was very helpful and gone very quickly. Good luck!

 

[BobC]

My suggestion for a good starter scotch is McClelland's Highland. It's not very pricey, and it's flavor is milder and smoother than many other single malt scotches.

 

[vintage68]

Some good suggestions, thanks everyone.

 

[Smithy]

Probably a Speyside malt might be a good starting point for you. I'd steer clear of Islays especially if you are easing your way into malts.

The Glenlivet is a lovely drop and seems to be popular with American palates judging by how much of the stuff they sell over your way.

Pick up a bottle, I think you might enjoy it.

 

[Optionseeker]

I am just finishing up a bottle of Auchentoshan, a 12 yr old lowland scotch. Think meadow flowers and honeysuckle. Lovely with a splash of spring water.

 

[rkwilker]

1961 is correct. Find a nice bar and "sample".

 

[davidraphael]

If you want a very good bourbon try Woodford Reserve. It melts in the mouth.

Regards a single malt. If you want a more smoky/peaty flavour go for Scottish single-malt whisky. In addition to the ones already mentioned (Balvenie, Speyburn etc - though I wouldn't touch stuff like Glenfiddich personally) good examples are Ledaig, Abelour, Dalwhinnie.

If you don't want the peatiness try an Irish whiskey(Irish is spelt with an 'e'). It'll be nearer to what you're used to in the states, ie, bourbon. Good starter whiskey would be something like Bushmills or Red Breast, though I highly recommend Middleton Rare, which really is the king of Irish whiskeys, but at 120 euros a bottle, it's more of a treat.

If you just want to get drunk, I'd recommend Jamesons. I used to get through it like it was going out of fashion.

I don't drink much whisk(e)y nowadays - the older I get it makes my heart race and I can't sleep. I'm more of clear spirit man now - Williams/Obstler, Żubrówka, vodka, gin, etc

 

[Ethan Bentley]

Balvenie Doublewood 12 year


Jamie

Inclined to agree there. Also the Highland Park 12 is very nice.

 

[HepKitty]

If you don't want the peatiness try an Irish whiskey(Irish is spelt with an 'e'). It'll be nearer to what you're used to in the states, ie, bourbon. Good starter whiskey would be something like Bushmills or Red Breast, though I highly recommend Middleton Rare, which really is the king of Irish whiskeys, but at 120 euros a bottle, it's more of a treat.

sorry I can't help w/ Scotch, I'm not that tough, but Tullamore Dew is another good Irish whiskey for sipping, I like it better than Bushmills (not that it's bad by any means). makes a fine cake too

 

[Geesie]

Glenlivet 12 is fairly inexpensive and very popular in America. It really is the entry-level single malt for Americans. Nobody who has branched out will call it a favorite, but nobody who likes Scotch can really dislike it either.

 

[Ethan Bentley]

Hi

Don't go buy a bottle of single malt. Go to a nice bar that has several single malt scotches, and try a few.

Later

Very true. I'd try and buy from bottles that are quite full (recently opened).
The taste of whisky does change (deteriorate) with time. Be especially careful when ordering really expensive whisky because, as it isn't ordered so frequently, the opened bottle stays around for a while longer so the chances of it spoiling are the greater.

 

[MisterCairo]

I am just finishing up a bottle of Auchentoshan, a 12 yr old lowland scotch. Think meadow flowers and honeysuckle. Lovely with a splash of spring water.

Oddly enough, Optionseeker, my first bottle of Auchentoshan was purchased at Spinnaker's Wine and Spirits shop at Bay and Wilson in Vic West! I'd first sampled it at the Highland Games in Esquimalt!

A great malt. Also, the suggestions on sampling are bang on. There's a pub in Ottawa, the Highlander, that sells "flights" of scotch - you get four samples, totalling three ounzes, each flight containing a mix of smooth to peaty to saline to you name it! A great way to sample!

 

[filfoster]

Just a taste

Hi

Don't go buy a bottle of single malt. Go to a nice bar that has several single malt scotches, and try a few.

Later

This makes most sense. Even here in Cincinnati, there is a wonderful Scottish pub, Nicholson's that serves 'flights' of Scotch samples.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

I'll second Auchentoshan as a great first option. Let me put it this way: I cannot stand Scotch. For the hard stuff, I drink Irish whiskey and that's it. However, I like Auchentoshan and recommend it to people who don't really like a lot of peat.

If you're looking for a good introductory Irish whiskey I would recommend Powers Gold Label. Personally I find White Bush, Jameson's and Tully far too harsh. Powers is one of the few NAS (no age statement) Irish whiskeys that seems to have a substantial amount of pot still complexity and yet lacks the vicious bite of grain distillate. For $20 USD/750ml, it's not too taxing on the wallet either.

Powers is also the #1 Irish whiskey in Ireland itself. In the words of Jim Murray (author of the "Whiskey Bible" series), "an entire nation cannot be wrong." Give it a go and see how you like it.