School me on Scotch.

[mekender]

Aging: freshly distilled whiskey is pretty noxious.

Freshly distilled whiskey being also known as moonshine or white lightning, no?

Kinda... Moonshine is what is made as soon as the distilling process is done and before any mixes, dilution or aging is done... It is basically pure or almost pure ethanol... In distilling, the temperature must be proper or you risk having methanol left in the liquid which can be highly fatal.

[Bob K]

All I can add is having drunk a fair amount of white liquor ... and don't ask how ... when it's done right, it is as tasty and smooth as anything. It warms the cockles of your heart (and other places), but damn, it's good.

[workinwifdakids]

I really like the 12-year Fiddich. My dad, on the other hand, prefers the lower-scale blended. He says it tastes good to him, and he says he won't drink something else because it's supposed to taste better but doesn't. Yeah, it's very personal.

[Aglifter]

Heathens. Drink Bourbon. I was quite impressed w. a Ron Zacapa 23 year rum, I tried. There's some horrible, blended, stuff called "Michael Collins" Irish whiskey - and a good single-malt "Michael Collins" Irish whiskey - I don't know the Irish name of it, but that's the name in the US.

[Legman688]

Well, this thread is up there for quickest hijack....

Okay. The Idiot's Guide to Scotch Whisky goes something like this: There are basically three kinds; Islay Malt, Speyside and blended. There are distilleries all over Scotland, but those three distinctions are the most important.

Islay malts are notable for the fact that they are distilled in contact with peat fires. As a result, they have a decidedly smoky flavour that is very distinctive. Some of them, notably Laphroaig, taste pretty much like drinking a burnt peat bog. They are generally darker in color and obviously stronger in flavour.

Speyside is a more diverse category, ranging from sort of... well, whisky flavour (how else to describe it??) with notes of fruit to very light in flavour with considerable fruit notes, like Glen Moray (which was my first Scotch and sadly very hard to find in the states). Glenfiddich is probably the most common Speyside single-malt along with Glenmorangie and a bunch of others starting with "Glen."

Then there are blended whiskies. As the name implies, these are created by mixing the products of a number of distilleries. They are also what Scots actually drink as a regular tipple. I know, I lived there for almost a year. There are many of them, but the only one you need to know about is Famous Grouse. Really.

So there are two ways to go about this. One, you could buy a bottle each of Islay Malt (I recommend Laphroaig - it's kind of the standard, and one taste will tell you instantly if you're an Islay Malt guy or not), one of Speyside and a bottle of Famous Grouse.

Or you could go to a decent bar with a decent bartender, throw a $100 bill on the bar and tell him you want to learn about scotch. Any decent bartender in any decent bar (admittedly, those are getting hard to find) will be more than happy to help such an enterprising young man in pursuit of such a worthy form of self-betterment (unless it's busy).

These two options will cost about the same. Option A buys you more whisky but you risk getting saddled with something you don't like, and it will take you longer to explore what's out there. Option B buys you less booze but you'll gain knowledge much quicker.

[Jered]

I'm not really into the bar scene.

[workinwifdakids]

I think by "bar" he meant a nice bar in a clean, refined hotel. Someplace like the Presidential Lounge in the Mission Inn comes to mind.

[Catbird]

As a start, go get yourself some Johnny Walker Black.

I bought a 375 mL bottle today on your recommendation. It was very smooth and somewhat peaty. I enjoyed it very much. It's good to have a drink that I know I'll like that's available most anywhere.

I know beer pretty well, and that's usually my drink of choice, but in some social settings it's less appropriate than a glass of wine or liquor.

[Jered]

I'll have to try it.

[mekender]

As a start, go get yourself some Johnny Walker Black.

I bought a 375 mL bottle today on your recommendation. It was very smooth and somewhat peaty. I enjoyed it very much. It's good to have a drink that I know I'll like that's available most anywhere.

I know beer pretty well, and that's usually my drink of choice, but in some social settings it's less appropriate than a glass of wine or liquor.

That is the best part about Walker Black... It can be had damn near anywhere...

I'll be the first to admit that sometimes I prefer the more peaty flavors but as a starter it is hard to go wrong with Johnny Walker for both cost and taste... Here is a good breakdown of the different colors they sell:

Standard blends

* Red & Cola – a premix of Red Label and cola, sold in cans and bottles similar to beer.

* Johnnie Walker Swing — supplied in a distinctive bottle whose irregular bottom allows it to rock back and forth. It was Alexander II’s last blend: it features a high proportion of Speyside malts, complemented by malts from the northern Highlands and Islay, and is "almost as sweet as a bourbon."[6]

* Red Label — a blend of around 35 grain and malt whiskies. It is intended for making mixed drinks.[7] 80 proof (40% ABV), although it drinks fine on its own, being rather maltier than the other Walker colours. According to William Manchester this was the favorite Scotch of Winston Churchill, who mixed it with soda.[8]

* Black Label — a blend of about 40 whiskies, each aged at least 12 years. 80 proof (40% ABV).

* Gold Label — a blend of over 15 single malts. It was derived from Alexander II's blending notes for a whisky to commemorate Johnnie Walker's centenary. His original efforts were thwarted by a shortage of these malts following World War I. Gold Label is commonly bottled at 15 or 18 years. 80 proof (40% ABV).

* Green Label — a rich blend using only malts drawn from the four corners of Scotland – the intent of the blend is to deliver depth, substance and intensity. Each of the malts is selected by the blender for balance. Each malt whisky is matured for a minimum of 15 years.

* Blue Label — Johnnie Walker's premium blend. Every bottle is serial numbered and sold in a silk-lined box, accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. There is no age declaration for Blue Label. 80 proof (40% ABV). It is one of the most expensive blended Scotches on the market, fetching prices upwards of $200 a bottle.

I have used Red Label many times, mostly as a mixer or a marinade ingredient for steaks... The oak flavoring gives a steak a great flavor.

I have only had Blue once, it is very smooth but it is best purchased when someone else is using their corporate Amex to pay for dinner.

Reminds me... I have to swing by the ABC today