What Scotch do you prefer?

[UG_Passat]

Originally Posted By: DBMaster
Did you guys know that the scotch industry is permitted to use E150A (caramel color) in scotch? I guess it's because the most commonly used cooperage is used bourbon barrels from the U.S. and the majority of the wood coloring has already been pulled by the American whiskey.

If you hold up a glass of scotch and the color has sort of a "fluorescence" to it you are most likely looking at the color additive. Sherry cask aged scotches will look redder and that color will more likely be natural. This is why I like the scotches in dark green bottles. It prevents the bias due to color at the store and prevents the distilleries from adding as much, or any, E150A. Ardbeg Ten has a very light color, in fact, which tells me that they most likely don't add coloring.

I believe the whole practice may be geared toward Americans who tend to equate color with age and quality. You MAY be able to equate color with age for a bourbon (level of barrel char can do it as well), but not with scotch. With scotch the color means almost nothing.


Not to mention the "No Age Statement" that is allowed and some distillers take advantage of.

see ralfystuff youtube channel (which I mentioned earlier), as he goes into detail about the NAS and origins of E150A

 

[DBMaster]

Originally Posted By: UG_Passat
Not to mention the "No Age Statement" that is allowed and some distillers take advantage of. See ralfystuff youtube channel (which I mentioned earlier), as he goes into detail about the NAS and origins of E150A


I started watching Ralfy's videos in 2009. That's where I have obtained most of my scotch education. NAS can be OK. Supposedly, it means that the distillery has found that younger whiskies can sometimes be a match for their typical flavor profile. It's also a way to sell younger whisky for the same price, obviously.

Another FYI is that Jim Beam Global bought Laphroaig a few years ago and was then, in turn, purchased by Suntory. So, one of the quintessential Islay malt scotches is owned by an American/Japanese corporation.

 

[UG_Passat]

I've asked the guy from Cigar Obsession youtube channel if he's done the ralfy peat mod to a cigar.

 

[Brad_C]

Originally Posted By: DBMaster

I believe the whole practice may be geared toward Americans who tend to equate color with age and quality. You MAY be able to equate color with age for a bourbon (level of barrel char can do it as well), but not with scotch. With scotch the color means almost nothing.


Another sin is "chill filtering". Without chill filtering there remains a noticeable amount of what can best be described as oil in the scotch. When you add water or ice to it the whole combo can go milky. Unfortunately some of the most complex flavours are also in that oil and are lost in the filtering process. Last time I did a distillery crawl the universal story was chill filtering was added to cater to the American market because they didn't like the discolouration when water or ice was added.

Luckily most cask strength stuff is not filtered.

 

[wilnis]

Monkey Shoulder, blend, smooth and inexpensive.

 

[DBMaster]

Originally Posted By: wilnis
Monkey Shoulder, blend, smooth and inexpensive.


I mentioned that one, too. It is an all-malt blend from three distilleries owned by William Grant & Sons; so, it's practically a "single malt." It is $26.99/bottle locally. If you like sweet scotches with syrupy barley sugar notes and no peat, this could be your whisky.

 

[GrtArtiste]

I'm a noob when it comes to scotch, and most of my other consumption is limited to beer and cheap Canadian whiskey. That said, I liked Glenlivet 12 but I also understand the point of view of someone who said the flavor was comparable to cat p[censored]. I'm currently in the middle of drinking a bottle of Glenlivet 18, and it's so much better that I have no desire to buy the 12 again. However...the flavors are so intense to me that I find it hard to imagine that someone who was stone-cold-sober would want to drink enough at one sitting to actually get intoxicated.

 

[userfriendly]

Well that would depend on who's bottle it is.
The best scotch is always someone else's, as I found out the hard way.
And once they have polished off your good stuff, they pull out a bottle of rot-gut.
The best thing about scotch....it was the only booze I could keep in the house without the kids stealing it.
Or taking some, then filling the bottle back up with water.

 

[Pete]

+1 Nadurra, Laphroaig QC, and Ardbeg 10.

Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban is a good value, too.

 

[MolaKule]

Scoresby's, Extra Rare.