No-Knead Bread

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

Easy Chicken Burritos with Mojo

Mojo Sauce:

• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 serrano chilies, seeds removed
• 1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves
• Juice 2 limes
• Juice 1 orange
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 large flour tortillas
• 1 (3 to 4 pound) whole roasted chicken, shredded
• Yellow Rice, recipe follows
• Spicy Black Beans, recipe follows
• 2 avocados chopped
• 1 cup grated queso blanco or Monterey jack cheese
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Cilantro leaves, for garnish
• Lime wedges, for garnish

Directions

Make the Mojo Sauce: Put the garlic, chilies, cilantro, lime juice, orange juice, and olive oil into a blender and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

To make the burritos: Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds in a dry skillet or on the grill until pliable. Place some chicken down the center of a tortilla and top with rice and beans, avocado, grated cheese, and Mojo Sauce. Roll up the burrito and serve topped with a generous drizzle of sour cream; garnish with cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lime juice.

Yellow Rice:

2 cups long-grain rice

4 cups water

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 bay leaf

Put all the ingredients into a heavy bottomed pot, stir well, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat until the rice has absorbed the water, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Discard the garlic and bay leaf, fluff with a fork, and serve.

Yield: 8 servings

Spicy Black Beans:

2 cups (about 1 pound) dried black beans, picked over and rinsed

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Quick soak the beans: Put beans in a pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let soak for 1 hour. Drain the beans.

In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and bay leaf and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and cover with water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Taste the beans and season them with salt and pepper.

Yield: 8 servings

Burrito

• Flying Burrito Black Beans, recipe follows
• Flying Burrito Mashed Sweet Potatoes, recipe follows
• 6 (12-inch) flour tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups salsa
• 1 1/2 cups guacamole
• 3/4 cup sour cream

Directions

Warm the black bean and sweet potato mixtures in separate saucepans. Wrap tortillas in foil and warm in a 300 degree F oven, or heat each tortilla on both sides quickly in a heavy skillet over medium heat. In each tortilla place about 1/2 cup black beans and 1/2 cup sweet potatoes. Fold one side of the tortilla over the filling and then fold in both sides, and roll up into a burrito. Place on a plate and top with generous spoonfuls of salsa, guacamole and sour cream.

Variation: You may fold grilled chicken, steak, or any other grilled meat into the burrito as well.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Flying Burrito Black Beans:

1 pound dry black beans

2 onions, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

4 cups water

4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup red wine

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a heavy saucepan, combine beans, onions, garlic, olive oil and water. Bring to a boil and simmer approximately 1 1/2 hours. Add the tomatoes and wine and season with salt and pepper. Simmer another 30 minutes or until beans are very tender. Using a wooden spoon or potato masher, mash the beans slightly. Leave some beans whole. This mixture should mound softly and be moist but not watery. Adjust by cooking longer or by adding water.

This mixture makes an excellent side dish as well as a burrito filling.

Yield: 6 cups

Flying Burrito Mashed Sweet Potatoes:

2 to 3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 large)

Olive oil, as needed

4 ounces roasted green chiles

4 ounces (1/2 stick) sweet butter

1 ounce tequila

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Wash the sweet potatoes but leave the skins on. Rub with olive oil and bake until very tender, about 45 minutes. Cool the potatoes until they can be handled and remove skins. Place in a heavy saucepan and add the remaining ingredients. Mash the mixture well, taste for seasoning, reheat, and serve.

This mixture makes an excellent side dish as well as a burrito filling. It can be prepared while the black beans simmer.

Yield: 5 cups

[轉載] 記基思.傑瑞特和他的科隆音樂會 by Albert Yue Yuan

古典音樂愛好者的爵士入門----記基思．傑瑞特
和他的《科隆音樂會》
by Albert Yue Yuan

古典音樂與爵士樂有很多不同。從音樂上講，古典音樂強調旋律，爵士樂強調節奏﹔古典音樂大都嚴格地按照十二平均律法則調音和演奏，爵士樂則有其特殊的“藍 調”(BlueNote,指比大調音階中的III音和VII音略微降低不到半音的音)﹔古典音樂的演奏者都是照譜彈奏，爵士樂則以即興演奏水平的高低作為 衡量樂手水平的唯一標準。從演奏方式上講，古典音樂大都在音樂廳裡演奏，聽眾須正襟危坐，不許出聲﹔而爵士樂卻大都在飄著煙味和酒氣的小酒吧裡演奏，聽者 往往人手一杯啤酒，邊聽邊搖頭晃腦，腳上還打著節拍，精彩之處還要叫聲好。但是，兩者最根本的區別在于它們的起源。古典音樂起源于歐洲的教堂，被認為是演 奏給神聽的﹔爵士樂則起源于美國黑人的酒吧，是伴舞用的，也間或作為客人的“下酒音樂”。這一文化上的不同直接造成了古典音樂以嚴謹而優雅的風格稱雄歐 洲，而爵士樂則以隨意而個人化的風格享譽美洲大陸。

對古典音樂愛好者來說，如果你想要邁進爵士樂的大門，就必須了解上面所說的兩種音樂的區別。這些不同之處好比一道道門坎，只有當你跨過這些門坎之后，才能 領略到爵士樂------這一人類文化寶庫中豐富的精神寶藏。幸好，近二，三十年裡兩個領域的音樂家門互相學習，借鑒，創造出了許多融合性質的音樂，為我 們提供了跨越這一道道門坎的梯子。下面要介紹的這張唱片就可以被看成是一把出色的梯子。

這是一場鋼琴獨奏的實況錄音。鋼琴可以說是唯一可以在兩種音樂中都能經常聽到的樂器，它在爵士樂中扮演著特殊的角色。一方面，爵士樂的前身，即拉格泰姆 (Ragtime)就是指在酒吧裡演奏的鋼琴音樂﹔另一方面，早期爵士樂中的鋼琴是與貝斯，吉它，鼓等一起被用來給小號，薩克斯等吹奏樂器提供節奏與和聲 的，因此這四種樂器被稱為樂隊中的節奏部分(RhythmSection)。這一對鋼琴的“歧視”一直持續到三十年代，雖然那時曾出了位技巧高超的鋼琴手 阿特．泰圖姆(ArtTatum)。真正讓鋼琴走到前台的是四十年代出現的比波普(Be-Bop)。在這個講究個性的音樂風格的影響下出現了巴德．鮑威爾 (BudPowell)，奧斯卡．皮特森(OscarPeterson),薩龍尼奧．芒克(TheloniousMonk)等一批出色的鋼琴手。五十年代 末和六十年代初，爵士領域又出了位劃時代的人物，他就是白人鋼琴家比爾．埃文斯(BillEvans)，他的樂隊居然只有鋼琴，貝斯和鼓這三樣“節奏樂器 ”！在他的帶領下，這三樣樂器成了互相平等的三個有機組成部分，它們的個性得到了充分的發揮。埃文斯在演奏上大量借鑒了古典音樂的演奏手法，他的才華影響 了他以后的一大批鋼琴手，其中包括我們要介紹的這張唱片的主角：基斯．傑瑞特(KeithJarrett)。

傑瑞特生于1945年5月8日。在他三歲的時候，他的父母發現他很有音樂天賦，便開始教他彈鋼琴。果然，他的彈奏技術提高很快，成了小有名氣的神童，七歲 便登台演奏。那時他彈的都是古典音樂。上中學后，受環境影響，傑瑞特迷上了爵士樂。為此他還學了一段時間的薩克斯和鼓，成了中學裡的小爵士樂隊的全能樂 手。中學畢業后他拒絕了一筆到巴黎學習古典音樂的獎學金而繼續留在美國學習爵士樂，並成立了自己的三重奏樂隊。這時他已專攻鋼琴，而且風格上與比爾．埃文 斯十分相像。樂隊一開始並不成功，他便移居紐約，希望能有機會施展他的才華。很快，機會來了。紐約一個著名的爵士酒吧“前衛村”給了他一次演出機會，那天 台下正好坐著爵士史上最偉大的鼓手阿特．布雷基(ArtBlakey)。布雷基看中了傑瑞特的才華，請他擔任自己領啣的爵士信使 (JazzMessengers)樂隊的鋼琴手。那年傑瑞特還不到二十歲。一年之后傑瑞特又加入了另一支有名的查爾斯．勞埃德 (CharlesLloyd)四重奏樂隊，並隨樂隊多次去歐洲演出。他的才華引起了許多歐洲唱片商的注意。1970年，傑瑞特受邀加入了爵士史上最偉大的 小號手邁爾斯．戴維斯(MilesDavis)的樂隊，在樂隊中彈電鋼琴。七十年代爵士樂經歷了一場相當短命的革新，即電子化。樂手們紛紛把自己的樂器連 上了功率巨大的擴音設備，並模仿搖滾樂的演奏方式。后人把這一時期叫做爵士的融合(Fusion)時代。

就在就是爵士樂手們追求這種譁眾取寵的音樂效果時，一個德國人悄悄地開始進行當時相當反潮流的嘗試。曼弗雷德．埃徹(ManfredEicher)，這位 前貝斯手在德國成立了一家取名為“現代音樂版”(EditionofContemporaryMusic,簡稱ECM)的唱片公司。他試圖把爵士樂與古典 音樂融和起來，把爵士音樂請進以前專供古典音樂使用的音樂廳，而不是小酒吧。他自己也不清楚其后果會是什么，所以給公司起了這么個概念模糊的名字。為實現 這一目標，他做了三件事：一是把樂器上的電插頭通通拔掉，讓樂器還原為自然的原音。二是對錄音設備進行了革新，力圖使樂器定位更準確，並把殘響時間加長， 造成一種音樂廳的效果，即使這樣做有時會使聲音略微失真也在所不惜。第三件事是與傑瑞特籤定了錄音合同，並出版了一張錄音室專輯《面對 你》(FacingYou)，錄的是傑瑞特演奏自己作品的鋼琴獨奏。這張專輯在歐洲獲得了意外的成功。之后，傑瑞特于1973年赴歐洲巡迴演出，舉辦了十 八場鋼琴獨奏音樂會。這些音樂會無一例外都是即興演奏。傑瑞特事先都儘量使自己忘掉音樂，腦子裡沒有任何動機或構架。他要和聽眾與他一起欣賞創造音樂的過 程。這恐怕在音樂史上是沒有先例的。更為難得的是，傑瑞特在這十八場音樂會上的表現均十分出色，沒有一場讓聽眾失望。他卓越的演奏技巧讓歐洲聽眾充分領略 了爵士樂即興演奏的魅力。同年，ECM將他在不來梅和洛桑的兩場音樂會做成三張LP一套的專輯出版，結果這套唱片被《時代》，《立體聲評論》等四家有影響 的雜誌評為年度最佳唱片，並獲格蘭美獎提名。

這套唱片的成功讓行家大跌眼鏡，事先誰也沒有料到一套三張唱片的鋼琴即興演奏能在唱片市場上取得如此巨大的成功。更讓人難以預料的是，兩年后傑瑞特在科隆 舉辦的一場鋼琴獨奏音樂會取得了更大的，幾乎是劃時代的成功。演出于1975年1月24日在德國科隆的歌劇廳舉行。演出前一天晚上，傑瑞特小時侯一次事故 落下的背疼病又犯了，疼得他一夜沒睡好覺。演出前他又發現台上的鋼琴品質很差，于是他請求延期，主辦機構好說歹說才把他請到台上。事后人們才發現正是這背 疼病和一架破鋼琴，還有科隆歌劇廳獨特的音響環境，造就了鋼琴史上的一件傑作。

這是一套雙LP唱片(LP編號ECM-2-1064,CD編號ECM1064/65,TheKolnConcert)。就象傑瑞特的其他獨奏音樂會唱片一 樣，曲目都沒有名字，只是編號為第一和第二兩部分。其中第二部分分為A,B,C三小部分。當傑瑞特奏響第一個音符時，你的第一感覺可能會是：鋼琴聲失真 了！的確，這架破鋼琴的音色過于明亮了，難怪傑瑞特一開始不想彈它。但聽下去你就會發現這一失真的音響效果正好與傑瑞特的演奏風格配合得天衣無縫。音樂一 開始像是一段緩慢的，節奏自由的古典小品，聽起來甚至有點像中國民歌。鋼琴家顯然十分疲倦，他在慢慢調整自己，讓音樂把自己帶入狀態。就在他右手努力地在 鍵盤上尋找可以發展下去的動機時，他的左手始終在彈著輕柔溫暖的和聲，借以緩和氣氛。他曾找到了好幾個在我看來十分不錯的動機，對它們傑瑞特也進行了一些 越來越有爵士味的變奏，可他本人顯然並不十分滿意。有一個很值得聽眾注意的細節是：傑瑞特有時邊彈邊跟著哼唱，那同時發出的人聲與琴聲其音高是一模一樣 的，這說明這位即興演奏大師按下的每一個鍵都是他心裡想彈的那個音，我們聽到的真正地是他的創造，而不是隨機的音響組合。他無以倫比的演奏技巧不過是為與 聽眾的即時交流提供了可能性而已。這段“熱身”進行了七分多鐘。突然，就像是音樂之神突然降臨，在左手漸漸引出的固定節奏之上，傑瑞特的右手奏出了一段無 以倫比的優美旋律。我喜歡把這個溫暖而堅定的動機叫做“希望主題。傑瑞特自己也似乎被這段旋律感動得從睏倦中清醒過來，居然禁不住叫了起來。且慢！他突然 停了下來，似乎有意調調聽眾的胃口，又似乎告訴你希望不能來得太早。他又開始在鍵盤上隨意地試驗起來，像是在尋找什么。啊！找到了！一個新的節奏型在傑瑞 特的左手指下緩緩流出，對，這才是爵士的味道！傑瑞特對自己的發現驚喜地大叫起來，那個“希望”主題再次隨著新的節奏冒了出來，充滿了整個大廳。我不知道 該怎么形容接下來的一段對那個希望主題的即興變奏，不過如果你想在音樂史上找到一段比她更優美，更積極，更樂觀的音樂恐怕是不可能的。唯一遺憾的是她太短 了，也許傑瑞特想告訴你光是希望還不行，還要努力奮鬥吧。音樂又變成了自由節奏的狂想曲，不過這段音樂正好向人們展示了傑瑞特天才的即興演奏技巧。鍵盤下 緩緩流出了許多美妙的短小動機，每一段都被傑瑞特用各種調式和和聲加以變奏。聽眾也被這豐富多采的音樂語言牽引著，走過生活中的喜怒哀樂。正當人們還沉浸 在對往事的追憶中時，悄悄地，傑瑞特的左手又引進了一段極富動感的節奏，把人們的思路引到了一起。同時，又有一段不知從哪裡來的優美旋律從他的右手指下冒 了出來。就像那個希望主題一樣，這段旋律也是充滿了樂觀精神，而且又多了份成功的喜悅。對了，就叫她“成功”主題吧！不同的是，傑瑞特左手的伴奏充滿了力 度，有力地烘托著“成功”主題給人們帶來的信心和力量。到后來，傑瑞特似乎越來越喜歡這個來自左手的伴奏型，他的右手竟然放棄了旋律的演奏，轉而為這個伴 奏型彈起和弦來。這段動感的演奏會讓你覺得眼前出現了一位凱旋的將軍，他騎著戰馬，手中高舉寶劍，身后紅旗招展，前面人潮如海，歡迎他和他的軍隊進入被解 放的城市。慢慢地，軍隊近了城門，城內人們的歡呼聲更加響亮了。終于，城門砰地一聲關上了，將軍自信的表情和人們狂熱的歡呼聲都已成為過去，門后只傳來了 漸漸遠去的馬蹄聲………

這段可稱之為鋼琴史上最偉大的樂章之一的第一部分共用了26分15秒，佔了LP唱片的一整面。幸虧如此，如果再長點的話出版商肯定會左右為難，不知在哪裡 暫停才好了。第二部分的A，B各佔了LP的一面，但它們其實是一段連續的演奏。一開始，人們聽到的是極為典型的傑瑞特式的即興演奏。他用左手極為快速地敲 著單音作為節奏，右手則在這類似吉它的急速節奏上彈出了一連串令人眼花繚亂的即興變奏。在這段有些鄉村味道的樂曲中人們偶爾還可以聽到早期拉格泰姆風格的 華彩樂段，黑人靈歌似的美妙和聲，還有布魯斯的憂怨。傑瑞特似乎在向歐洲聽眾展示豐富多采的美國音樂，又似乎在向人們介紹黑人音樂對人類文化寶庫的偉大貢 獻。值得一提的是，在這段近八分鐘的即興演奏中，傑瑞特的右手一直以極快的速度彈著那個單音節奏，如果你有機會在琴上試一下，同時右手再順便彈點什么你最 熟的東西，你就會發現左手這樣堅持八分鐘是多么不易！這段快速的即興演奏幾乎是突然停下的。然后，你會聽到四個輕柔的和弦，就這么簡單，仿佛是變魔術，聽 眾一下子就從喧鬧的酒吧裡進入了一座教堂，這裡似乎正在舉行一場宗教儀式，氣氛肅穆莊嚴。傑瑞特似乎在用這段凝重的音樂告訴人們，儘管黑人對世界音樂的發 展做出了如此巨大的貢獻，可至今仍受著不平等的對待。他似乎要聽眾和他一起追悼那些歷史上為正義而鬥爭過的英雄們。音樂就在這莊嚴的氣氛中結束了第二部分 的A面。

第二部分的B面則一改前面兩部分的大起大落而變得十分平穩流暢。傑瑞特一面用左手以令人驚奇的準確性彈著一段切分的，中速的伴奏音型，一面用右手彈著一段 典型爵士風格的即興演奏。在裡面傑瑞特隨意地進行著各種和弦和分解和弦的嘗試。在試驗中他抓住了一種雙音輪奏的音型，這個簡單的音型給了他很大的自由在調 與調之間遨遊。最后，傑瑞特終于找到了一個平和安祥的動機。對這個動機的不斷加強的變奏讓我覺得自己正借助音樂的翅膀，掙脫了世間的一切束縛，向天堂飛 去。音樂最后在一小段溫柔甜美的旋律下輕輕結束。

第二部分的C面其實是一段加演。雖然很短，但那如歌的旋律仍然讓人難以忘懷。難怪音樂會結束后人們的掌聲久久不能平息﹔難怪這張唱片在全世界賣了二百萬 張，成為音樂史上銷量最大的鋼琴唱片﹔難怪有那么多人因此而迷上了爵士音樂﹔難怪德國權威的音樂雜誌《立體聲》把她評為二十世紀七十年代的最佳唱片！

這張唱片獲得巨大成功之后，有人把她記成譜，以便后人模仿。但傑瑞特一直不同意出版這張樂譜，因為他要人們永遠記住這其實只是一次事先沒有任何構思的即興 演奏。直到近幾年在人們的不斷要求下，樂譜才得以出版。這倒提醒我應該在這篇文章的結尾重申一下，上文關于音樂的描寫只是我個人的感覺，聽眾們一定會有自 己獨特的體驗。畢竟，連傑瑞特自己在敲響第一個鍵盤以前，也不知道會彈出什么東西來。但有一點可以肯定：只要你是個真正愛音樂的人，那么無論你身邊發生了 什么不走運的事，無論你的情緒因此如何低落，我建議你找個夜深人靜的晚上，給自己騰出一個小時的時間，然后泡上一杯香茶，把這張唱片放進CD機，你的一切 煩惱就會煙消雲散。





--byAlbertYueYuan

分享一道私房作法----脆皮烤豬腳
豬前腿
浸料:黑麥啤酒750cc+小茴香+肉桂一片+冰糖1點點+醬油20cc+五香粉1小匙
將豬腳浸入並按摩10分鐘增加入味----放置冰箱冷藏4天
已烤桶子雞的桶子 小火烘烤約1.5小時
期間每隔20分取出以浸過豬腳的醬汁刷3次
完成品皮脆肉嫩 無油膩感
有興趣的試試吧

Scotch!!
by Tyson of audiocircle.com

Scotch has become one of my "other" passions outside of audio and music, and I thought I might share some of my experiences in trying various scotches. I hope others find this enjoyable and useful reading.

A quick note about how I drink scotch. Since 80 proof (or higher!) is enough alcohol to overpower your sense of smell and your sense of taste, desinsitizing you to the actual flavors contained in the scotch, I always add water. Some people say only add a "drop", but IMO that is not nearly enough. Professional "nosers" in the scotch industry dilute the scotch to 20% (40 proof) to get the full bouquet of the "nose". While that may work for opening up the nose, to me it waters down the liquor too much for drinking. Over a long period of time I've found that I taste and smell flavor the best at about 60 proof, which generally breaks down to 1 part water to 2 parts scotch. Of course I only used distilled water since distilled water doesn't have a "flavor" of it's own to influence the flavor of the scotch. Also, I never use any ice for the simple reason that lowering the temperature of the scotch reduces flavor and nose to a very signifigant degree. So, if you want the most character possible while drinking scotch, try a bit of room temperature water in it.

And a word about glasses. The traditional tumbler is not the best choice. What you want is a glass that is tulip shaped so the aroma is focused at the nose. I've found 2 glasses that I really like, one is actually a brandy glass, called Luigi Bormioli Michelangelo Napolean Brandy Glass, and can be found on amazon (among other places):

Luigi Bormioli Michelangelo Napolean Brandy Glass

The other set I really like is the one from the Scotch Doc. The glass is similar size & shape, but much thicker glass and sturdier overall:

Scotch Doc Glasses

Another set of glasses I recently got are the Reidel O glasses, they are made for wine, but work perfectly for Scotch. The viognier / Chardonnay glasses at 11 oz. capacity is the one to go for:

Reidel O Chardonnay / Viognier glasses

So, I thought I'd post some of the scotches I've picked up, and some impressions:

Aberfedly 14
The nose came through as fairly citrusy with a bit of malt in the background, but favoring the citrus a bit too much for my tastes. The taste was a lot better balanced, with the malt coming on strong. Finish was pretty short and not all that different from the initial taste. Decent, but I probably won't buy it again.

Aberlour a'bundah
ooh, a cask strength (120 proof) Aberlour. Yummy! Tastes like buttered toffee, chocolate, and cheyenne pepper. Careful, more than a glass or 2 of this will knock you on your ass. I think I've posted about this one before, but it's so good it's worth reposting.

Aberlour 15 Sherry
Compared to the 10 year old Aberlour, this one is definitely worth the price increase. The sweetness is more integrated with the overall flavor, and the "bite" of the alcohol is lessened just a bit, leading to a drink that is similar to the Macallan 18, with a bit more character, but less refinement. Whereas w/the Macallan you mainly get a buttery smooth sensation after the sweetness wears off, with the Aberlour 15 you get more of a mint type sensation.

Ardbeg 10
Holy smoke!! This one has a nice bit of a sweet intro and then SMOKE! and more SMOKE. A friend once describe it as "charred oak", and I think that's pretty accurate. One of the few under $40 scotches that is truly great. Not for beginners though

Ardbeg Uigeadail
Tastes exactly like the 10 year old Ardbeg, but with a bit of extra sherry sweetness. For my money, I'm sticking with the 10, it has a more distintive character and is cheaper too.

Ardbeg 17
One of the few instances where I like the older scotch less than the younger scotch. Sure, the 17 has more depth and complexity, but the brash smokiness of the 10 year old is greatly dimished. Considering the 17 is well over $100, save your money and stick w/the 10 year old for under $40.

Ardbeg 1977
Ah, another glass of whiskey that I happened to luck in to getting gratis at my favorite pub (helps to be on a first name basis with the owner). I will not mince words, this is the best glass of whisky I've had, ever. The peat is so light it's like it floats up on helium, and it is so smooth it does not have any "sting" in the nose even at full strength with no dilution. For taste, it's the absolute perfect blend of sweet malt and peat I've ever had. Stunningly good, phenomenal whisky. If you ever get a chance to try it, do not hesitate!

Ardmore 12 - Cask Strength
Combination of cut grass, cedar, and sweet malt in the nose, with a fairly thick and oily mouth coating feel. Taste follows the nose precisely, and the finish is more cedar. Good stuff and suprisingly smooth for a young whisky.

Arran 12
Also known as "Isle of Arran". When I ordered this the poor waitress kept thinking I was saying "Isle of Iran". It was pretty comical. But, lets talk about the scotch. Has a bit of an oily texture, which I like (I usually like whisky's that are a little "thick" feeling). The aroma and taste is unique and quite wonderful. Imagine citrus potpouri, not the canned fake stuff, but the real stuff that people heat up on the stove, and you've got a good idea of what makes this whisky special. Reminds me of sorbert ice cream. Yummy.

Balvenie 12 DoubleWood
One of the first scotches I ever had. At the time I really liked it, as it was nice and sweet, with a malty flavor that was quite nice. However, after having tasted many more whisky's, I've go to say this bottling is only average, the main fault being that it tastes so young and raw, especially for it's age. If it has more fullness and smoothness I would recommend it, but alas it does not.

Balvenie 15 Single Barrel
This was my last chance taste for the Balvenie distillery. I've had a bottle of their 12 year Double Wood, and their 21 year port wood, and wasn't terribly impressed with either. Well, the 12 I liked at first simply because I hadn't compared it to many other scotches. Right now I'd say the 12 and 21 were average or below average. But, the 15 Single Barrel is supposed to be da bomb for this distillery, so I order up a glass a Pints and proceed to drink. Immediately disappointment sets in. It's not "bad", its just not all that good. And it tastes and feels so young, very sharp and prickly for a scotch this old. Subsequent tasting merely confirmed this impression.

Balvenie 21 Port wood
Definitely a better bottling than the 12 or the 15 from this distillery, in fact this one is quite enjoyable and definitely above average. It is actually quite good, and if you are looking for a smooth, sweet (winey) scotch, this is it. I enjoyed my bottle while I had it, but haven't felt compelled to buy another one.

Ben Nevis 10
It has been a while since I had a really good scotch, and honestly I wasn't expecing much out of the Ben Nevis 10. What a pleasant suprise. Starts off with a big malty nose with a hint of orange and vanalla. Sweet malt taste to start with, aniseed and vanilla with a touch of orange, and a very late dry oak finish. Yum.

Benrinnes 1982 Signatory
Back to the highlands with this one. This one was quite unique in that I consistently picked up the flavor of bubble gum right smack dab in the middle of the flavor. Otherwise it was pretty standard highland malt type taste. It's pretty rare, and definitely worth trying, but I won't be buying it again.

Bowmore Darkest
Now this is the good stuff. I love Bowmore Darkest, a great blend of the sweetness of the speyside malts, and the smoky dark flavor of an Isaly. Highly recommended. Word of warning, some people have found the bottling of Bowmore whiskies to be inconsistant, with some batches being weak and mediocre tasting. Luckily I've not had a single bottle from a bad batch, they've all been really excellent.

{edit} after trying this one in the pub, I bought a bottle, and I went through a period thinking it was "flat" and fairly low quality. Figured I had finally gotten one of the infamous "bad bottles", but I tried it again recently after having opened over a month ago, and it is back to tasting as good as I remember it at the pub. I guess this one needs to "breath" a bit before it hits its stride.

{2nd edit} One other note, the Darkest is one of the few scotches that I like much better "neat", with no water added. When taken neat, the initial sweetness has a thickly viscous feel, ala a Macallan, which caries through the middle and then converts at the end to the typical Bowmore smokiness. Great stuff. If you put water in it, the initial sweetness is greatly diminished, and the whisky really does end up tasting "flat".


Bowmore 12
One of the few scotches I like better without any water added. Without water its very dry and smoky, not sweet at all, reminding me of dying embers of a fire. With water it smooths out and sweetens a bit, but IMO it is to the detriment of the experience. Word of warning, some people have found the bottling of Bowmore whiskies to be inconsistant, with some batches being weak and mediocre tasting. Luckily I've not had a single bottle from a bad batch, they've all been really excellent.

Bowmore 12 - Signatory Non-Chillfiltered
Very light in color for a Bowmore. This is now the 3rd time that the Signatory non-Chillfiltered range has a bottling that is much better than the distillery bottling (Glenrothes and Edradour being the others). It is more oily, and a lot smoother than the distillery bottlings, little to no sherry sweetness, it's all malty sweet, grassyness, and the trademark bowmore smoke. None of the grainy hotness of the distillery bottlings. Really good and definitely recommended.

Bowmore Marriner 15yr
Somewhere halfway between the taste of the Bowmore 12 and the Bowmore Darkest. Of course, being a Bowmore it is a very good scotch. But for my preferences it doesn't rate as high as the 12 or the darkest.

Bowmore 17
Very similar to the 15, but with even more sherry sweetness, much closer to the overall flavor of Bowmore Darkest, but the 17 is definitely smoother, with more wood flavor mingling with the usual smoke flavor.

Bowmore 25
What many feel is perhaps the best expression of bowmore. As with most bowmores, no water should be added. First thing that hits you with this one is the incredible thickness of it, the viscosity. My friend said it was "thick like motor oil". He was not wrong. If you do "not" warm it in your hand, the nose and taste are oily, soapy, and woody, and not particularly pleasant. Warming it in the hand causes the soapiness to go away, and the thick malt flavor (with low sweetness) to come to the fore. Layers and layers of intensity just slowly peel away before you. The finish is almost entirely wood, strong "old vanilla" flavor, mixed with the trademark smokiness of this distillery, although the smoke is greatly subdued. Overall a very interesting dram, but not top 10 material. The Bowmore 12 and Dusk remain my favorite Bowmores.

Bowmore Dawn
Ooh, a port wood finish and at cask strength, me likes! Man, Bowmore is making a hard dash to the top of my list for distileries. The Dawn is definitely sweeter and easier at first sip, very sweet and grapey tasting, then developing a tawny and spicy earthy tast in the middle, and finishing with it's signature smokey flavor. Word of warning, some people have found the bottling of Bowmore whiskies to be inconsistant, with some batches being weak and mediocre tasting. Luckily I've not had a single bottle from a bad batch, they've all been really excellent.

Bowmore Dusk
This is their Bordeaux finish, and it is magnificent. All of the Bowmore's I've had have been exceptionally good, but this one is the best of the bunch, IMO. The sort of dark flavoring of the Bordeaux matches perfectly the woody/smokey flavor endemic to all Bowmore's I've tried. Throw in the fact that it's at cask strength and pretty readily available, is not too harsh, and is overall delicious both to the experienced scotch drinker and the newbie alike, and you have a real winner. Top 5 with a bullet.

Bruichladdich 10
Pretty smooth for a young liquor - even though it's technically not an Islay, it has a lot of islay characteristics. Phenolic and peaty, and a bit of astringincy from the low aging. Reminds me a lot of a lighter, more gentle version of the Ardbeg 10. Not bad, but, IMO, not great.

Bruichladdich 15
Significant increase in price over the 10 year old, but definitely worth it, has a smoother, deeper, and more complex taste. But keeps the slight Islay character, making for a pretty great scotch. Definitely in my top 5.

Bruichladdich 17
Yet another step up over the 15. Keeps the greater depth of the 15, but has a touch more peat. Intense flavor, but not overpowering smokiness or peatiness like a Lagavulin or Laphroaig. A sophisticated and complex dram.

Bunnahabhain 12
This was a quite interesting scotch, it's an Islay, so it has a heavier feel and body than the highland malts, but unlike most Islay's, it's not very peaty. It has some good smoke flavor, combined with good maltiness in the taste. It starts smokey and malty, transitions to more malty, then finishes mainly smokey again. Reminds me of a heavier and maltier version of the Ardbeg 10, but with less overall smoke taste.

Bunnahabhain 14 - McPhail Collection
My local liquor store recently got this in for a reasonable price, so I picked a bottle up. Where I was only moderately impressed with the Distillery bottled 12 year old, I am quite impressed with this McPhail bottled 14 year old. The overall flavor profile is similar, but slightly different. The somewhat heavy feel is still there, perhaps even intensified, and the malty sweetness is definitely higher. The middle flavor is almost chocolatey (similar to a Dalmore 12), and the finish is a wonderful smoke reminiscent of pipes (if you've ever smoked a pipe before). Very good.

Caol Ila 12
Picked up a bottle because it is supposed to actually be better than the 18 from this distillery, and I really love the 18. After tasting it I have to disagree, the 18 is better. The 12 is much, mush more peaty, with very little of the malt and depth that characterize the 18. It was so peaty, in fact, that I did a head-to-head with it and the Lagavulin 12 Cask Strength I also happen to have on hand. I can say that the Caol Ila 12 is better here. It is smoother, softer, less spirity, and has more depth and complexity to the flavor. I'd actually say its probably a bit closer to the Laphroaig than the Lagavulin or Ardbeg style of peatiness.

Caol Ila 14
Another Islay type malt, smoother than the Bruichladdich 10, but less full than the Bruichladdich 15. I liked this one quite a bit, but it's pretty rare.

Caol Ila 18
My local liquor store just stocked up on this for a very reasonable price, so I picked up a bottle. Tasting it with no water shows a sharp and spirity taste, so water needs to be added. I find that 3:1 ratio of Scotch:water is about right. At that point, the nose and palate are in remarkable synchronicity. Initial taste/smell is cinammon transitioning to currants. Middle is currants and curry. Finish is refined peat, malt, and a touch of smoke. Definitely an Islay malt, but ultra refined. In fact it probably has more in common with Highland Park 18 than with Lagavulin 16. Overall very much worth it's price.

Clynelish 12 - Signatory
Yet another Islay style malt, this one is quite oily and viscous tasting/feeling. Overall I'd say it was of average quality. I didn't like it much at first, but noticed I liked it better as I got toward the bottom of the glass. Maybe it just needed to breathe a bit?

Clynelish 14
At last, someone had a bottling from the distillery. Most bottles I've seen have been from private bottlers, like Cadenhead and Signatory. I'd been hearing good things about the bottlings from the distillery but never ran across one to try. I'll say flat out that it's the best under $200 a bottle scotch I've ever had. It is so, so close to my #1 scotch (Ardbeg 1977) in both flavor profile, smoothness, refinement, and all around goodness that I'd call it the bargain of the century, considering it sells for $47 at my local liquor store. For taste, see my description of the Ardbeg 1977, and just modify that to have a slight bit more sharpness to the nose and taste, and more maltiness overall. Damn good stuff, and easily knocks the Springbank 12 y.o. 175th anniversary bottling out of 2nd place.

Craggenmore
This one "noses" very yummy, great aroma. Unfortunately the actual taste is a big letdown. Very much similar to the "kerosine" flavor that Glenlivet 12 also exhibits. Not recommended

Dalmore 12
Ahh, my favorite type of discovery, a really good tasting scotch that is inexpensive. I really like this one, it starts off quite sweet ala Macallan or Aberlour, but quickly transitions to oaky/peaty tasting in the finish. Very nice and currently the only under $30 scotch that I like. Based on taste and quality, it comptes very nicely with many scotches in the $50 price range. However, once you get to that price range, the Bowmore Darkest kicks the Dalmore 12's little hiney.

{edit} After going through my 2nd bottle of this, I'm upgrading it quite a bit. Over time it has become one of my absolute favorite scotches, 2nd to Oban and tied with Highland Park for best "all around" scotch. This one really has it all, a smooth malt flavor, sweet tobacco, orange, late smoke, and a very light touch of peat. The recent bottlings have been outstanding.

Dalmore 21
Ah, now we are talking, Dalmore had a "ambassador" visit Denver last night, and I got to drink a decent amount of the 12 year old, the 21 year old, and the Cigar malt. Focusing on the 12 and 21 year olds for a minute, I'd say the 12 is good but not nearly at the level of the 21. The 21 has more of a vanilla/oak taste with a much longer finish, and overall much, much more smooth. Of course its also $65, so it had better be good. And it is, I'd say it is definitely worth the money. Not very peaty, but a bit spicy with some nice honey notes.

Dalmore Cigar Malt
OK, this one is insanely good for the money. For $28 you will not find a better scotch. Hell, for $50 you're still gonna have a hard time doing better. Smoother than the Dalmore 12, fuller, more smoky, and a darker flavor, with hints of coffee/chocolate. Delicious. How much do I like it? I like it enough to ignore the stupid name and give it my enthusiastic recommendation. You don't have to drink it with a cigar, it is superb as a stand alone drink.

{edit} After living with the Cigar Malt I'm downgrading my rating just a little. I still think it is very good for the $$, but over time it has started to taste a little too "liquer" like, and not scotch enough. The coffee/chocolate sweetness is just a tiny bit cloying. Now, this is coming from a pretty hardcore scotch drinker, so I doubt most people would notice or care. Still a good scotch for the money.

{Second edit} OK, downgrading this one some more. The Liquere type taste in this one really gets annoying on repeated tasting. It does indeed go well with a cigar, but as a standalone I don't recommend it.

Dalmore 30
Got this dram free from my local pub (as a pre-birthday present), and I have to say that is was awesome. Reminded me of buttered caramel popcorn. Sweet buttery goodness! And a looong sweet oak finish. Not much else to say except TRY IT!

Deanston 17
Expected to dislike this one after all the negative reviews of it. But to my suprise I actually liked it. The reviews are correct in the respect that this malt doesn't "do much". It starts of with a buttery malty nose, with a butterscotchy taste, and a malty buterscotch finish. But I still found I liked the taste that was there, despite the sameness of it. Don't think I'll be buying a bottle, but a good dram at the pub, nonetheless.

Dufftown - Whyte & Whyte bottling
Tried this on the recommendation of a scotch-o-phile friend when I asked them for something that was very malty. The nose is not all that great, really pretty closed down and hard to pick up much at all. But the taste is very good, sweet malt in abundance. No real change in character for the quite short finish, so this is a simple dram, pretty good quality, but marked down because of the short finish and lack of nose.

Edradour 10
Wow, this one is really sweet, but not "sherry" sweet, more like sugared nuts (maybe cashews?) kinda sweet. Throw in the fact that it has just a little trace of astringency, and a very full flavor and feel, and you've got one fine malt. Only the short finish is a bit of a let down. Otherwise very nice.

{update} Tried this one again recently, and it still had the same sweetness, an almost "candylike" sweetnes (those sugared nuts again), but this time there was also a bit of grunginess to the taste, almost like dirty laundry. It was subtle, but definitely there. I hear that Edradour is notorious for having variable bottlings, so maybe I just got a bad one this time.

Edradour 10 - Signatory
At last, a bottling that does the Edradour distillery proud. This has all the strengths and none of the weaknesses of the distillery bottling above. Sweet, malty, full, clove and sugared nuts in the nose. Sweet, full malt, big and "wet" (as opposed to dry) flavor and feel on the tongue, and a strong oak finish. Damn fine stuff and highly recommended for lovers of Highland style malts.

Glendronach 15
Reminds me a lot of the Mortlach below. Very sherried, with a woodsy/leather type finish. I like it better than the Mac 12, but I think I like the mortlach a bit better, just that extra little bit of character and length to the finish that gives it the edge.

{edit}Tried this one again and I believe that this is one scotch that is better taken "neat" without added water. Without water you get that great sherry sweet viscous taste up front, and it balances very nicely the woodsy finish. With water added, the taste looses a lot of intensity in the sweetness department, and becomes almost nothing but wood/leather tasting.

Glenfarclas 12
Another go at the Glenfarclas for me, I keep trying it and wanting to like it, so I can have an alternative to the ever-increasingly-expensive Macallan scotch. Starting off, typical sherry sweetness and transitioning to maltiness. But right in the middle I get the taste of cleaning fluid, it's slight, but enough to make the dram unpleasant. Finish is fairly unremarkable. Maybe I've gotten a couple of bad bottlings in a row, but I won't be trying another one again from Glenfarclas for a while.


Glenfarclas 17
Only had one dram of this at a pub, but it was pretty good, reminded me of a cross between the Aberlour 15 and the Macallans 18. Quite enjoyable, but has a slight hint of a sulpher like taste in the middle that prevents me from rating it at the same level as the Macallan.

Glenfarclas '105'
Tried this one on the recommendation of the "Malt Maniacs" site I visit sometimes. One last chance for the Glenfarclas distillery, since I've been underwhelmed with their other bottlings. Nose is heavily sherried, mixed with malt, and that's about it. Taste is again heavily sherried, but unlike other Glenfarclas' I've had, this one does not have that icky sulpher taste. No, this one has a taste that reminds me of polished wooden floors. Strange, but not a definite negative like the sulpher taste. Finish is fairly short and doesn't change much from the nose and taste. Overall this bottling doesn't have the same spicy quality that makes the Macallan Cask Strength and Aberlour A'Bundah so good.

Glenfiddich 15 Solera Reserve
I'm normally not a fan of the 'fiddich, the 12 year old is pretty boring, almost exactly on par with the Glenlivet 12. But I picked up a bottle of the 'fiddich 15 Solera reserve because the do something very interesting indeed in the aging and finishing process. First, most of the whisky is aged in traditional bourbon oak barrels, then it is transferred to new oak barrels for finishing. In addition, other parts of the whisky are aged in sherry casks, then all of it is combined in a huge vat called the Solera reserve. This vat is never more than half empty at anytime, with the idea that there will always be present much older whisky than the 15 year old stuff that just got added. So, what are the results? Well I can say without a doubt this is the best 'fiddich I've had. It starts of with that light sherry/malty sweetness, transitions to a light malty center, and finishes with a quite nice mixture of new and old oak taste. Overall its still just a touch "light" for my top recommendations, but it was certainly worth the $45 I paid for it. If you're a fan of this distillery you owe it to yourself to check out this bottling.

Glenfiddich 18 - Ancient Reserve
Confession time - this is the 1st time I've had the 18 year old fiddich - I always avoided it because I had a bad impression of the 12 year old, and the fiddich brand is generally poo-poo'd by the "scotch elite". Well, here is another example of where the "scotch elite" have there heads up their collective butts. This was a GREAT dram, one of the better ones I've had. It reminded me a lot of the Dalmore 21, with malty sweetness, smoke, chocolate, dry oak, all mixed in to a smooth experience with a kick at the end. Really great smoky and dry oak finish on this one. Where the Dalmore 21 is a bit more of a "wet" smoke (like a pipe), the fiddich 18 is a drier smoke (like a campfire). Highly recommended.

Glen Garioch 15
Tried this one at pint's pub, and it's a lot of fun. Not particularly sweet, but quite malty, and interestingly enough, smoke but no peat. Overall a very fun drink (in a serious kind of way). I really like it, and will probably buy a bottle before long.

Glengoyne 17
I'm a little hesitant to write this one up as I was having a bad "nose day". Sensitivity of smell can and does vary, and it was a bit on the low side for me today. But, given that I will say that this dram was a bit disappointing, the initial nose was a bit soapy, otherwise it was very malty, and lightly sweet. Taste was strongly malty, with an old oak finish, slightly bitter.

Glenlivet 18
Wow, the big shocker of the bunch. I had the 12 year old and absolutely hated it. The 12 wasn't just boring (which it certainly was), but was actively bad, reminding me of kerosine more than anything else. But the 18 is a whole 'nother thing entirely. The extra 6 years mellows this one out a lot, and you end up with a mellow, sorta peaty, sorta sweet scotch. Not the most characterful scotch around, but still very enjoyable to drink. Lets call it "middle of the road", but a high quality middle of the road.

{edit} OK, tried this again 3 months later, and I have to downgrade it a bit. Still a decent scotch, but overall pretty boring and not particularly tasty. There's just not much character there. I think I rated it more highly initially because I was expecting it to be terrible like the 12 year old is. Trust me, save your money and get something truly great, like an 18 year old Macallan, 15 year old Springbank, 16 year old Lagavulin, or 17 year old Bowmore.

{2nd edit} Tried this again tonight, and this time was specifically looking for the "herbal" character a friend said was prominent. I'll be damned if it wasn't there all right. Knowing to look for it and being able to taste it enhanced my enjoyment of this bottling immensely. I don't think (as seems to be popular among some "afficianado's") that denigrating a popular or widely available scotch makes me an "elite" scotch drinker. I try to find things that I "do" like about a particular bottling, rather than things I "do not" like. I believe Hemingway said that there were not bad whisky's, only some that were better than others. I definitely agree with that statement. While I still wouldn't put the Glenlivet 18 with the top rank, I do feel it is worth the $70 price tag.

Glenlossie 15
Very light malt. Has a fairly grassy taste to it, with a bit of pear thrown in. Very short finish. Not really recommended, unless you like lowland-style malts.

Glenmorangie Madiera Wood
OK, I've been hard on Glenmorangie in the past, and this is a partial retraction - the Madiera wood finish is quite nice. Reminds me of the Bowmore Dawn a bit, but smoother and easier going down, less smoke, but similar levels of spiciness. After a few more tastings, the spice in particular that I taste is clove. Very nice once you are on the look out for it. Short finish though. I think this bottling is a very good spring or summer scotch, where Bowmore is more a fall and winter scotch. I may have to try their port wood finish next.

{update for Glenmorangie Madiera Wood}
I did a taste off against this one and the Balvenie 21 Port Wood. Gotta say that the Glenmorangie was signifigantly better, and at a lower price to boot. Where the Balvenie had a bit of sharpness (even after 21 years of aging), the Glenmorangie was remarkable smooth and full for a 12 year old scotch. Where the Balvenie was a bit citrusy tasting, the Glenmorangie was more of a honeysuckle and clover flavor.

Glenmorangie Burgandy Wood
Saw this at my local liquor store (which has greatly increased it's scotch section, much to my delight). Picked it up immediately because I had such a good memory of the Madiera Wood finish from this same distillery. Getting it home and in a glass, oh man oh man this is goooood stuff. My favorite bottling from this distillery, beating out the 15 and 18 year old pretty handily. Not only that it is so smooth and drinkable it is my #1 recommendation for people just getting in to scotch, or people that don't think scotch is "for them". It is a beautiful dram. Nose is the typical glenmorangie goodness, clove and honey, but with an addition of plum. Taste is reminiscent of baked plums and sugar/spice. Finish is also typical of Glenmorangie, looooong, malty and with a very late arrival of oak.

Glenmorangie 10
OK, I'm doing an about-face on the Glenmorangie distillery. Initially I must have had a bad bottle or something, cause the 10 year old is very, very good. Has a very slight sherry sweetness up front, but it transitions almost immediately to the typical Glenmorangie clove/honeysuckle flavor. A bit more "spicy" than the Glenmorangie Madiera wood, but less sweet. More clove and less honeysuckle. Add to that a full and smooth feel on the tongue, and I'd say its highly recommended.

Glenmorangie 15
Very similar in style to the 10 year old, but much heavier, thicker, and sweeter. Really great. Starts of quite sweet, but it's a malty sweetness, not a sherry sweetness ala Macallans. Transitions to that wonderful spicy maltiness in the middle, and finishes up with a vanilla/woody flavor. The best of the glenmorangies I've had so far, and one of my absolute favorite malts.

{update} After having lived with the Glenmorangie 15 year old for a few months, I'm very impressed. It has a depth and smooth complexity that are very enticing. Definitely my favorite bottling from this distillery, and one of my favorite scothes overall.

Glenmorangie 18
All the recent bottlings I've tried from this distillery have been excellent, and the 18 year old is no exception. Really great stuff, very malty and with that great spicy character endemic to this distillery. That said, I did not find it appreciably better than the 15, so my advice is to stick with the 15 and use the money saved to buy some more scotch!

Glen Moray 12
For some reason I've been on a kick lately of really enjoying "malty" flavored scotches, and this one definitely qualifies. Not as dynamic or interesting as a lot of other scotches, but a straightforward uncomplicated dram for sure. Similar to the Glenrothes. For an inexpensive scotch I'd recommend the Dalmore 12 or the Glenmorangie 10 over it, but for $24 the Glen Moray is certainly not bad, and certainly better than most blended scotch I've had.

Glen Ord 12 - Cask Strength
Suprisingly light and grassy. Reminded me a lot of a good lowland malt.

Glenrothes 1989
This was my favorite of the last batch of 5 scotches, definitely a highland malt, perhaps a bit fuller and heavier than most highlands, and it is, IMO excellent. It is perfectly balanced in it's highland way like Oban is balanced in it's way, just without the strong peaty and briny elements that Oban has. Sweet, maltly, nutty, spicy, all come together very nicely. Recommended.

{edit} Tried this again at pint's pub and have to say I didn't get as much sweetness this time, and more of a dark spice type flavor. I don't think that it's 'perfectly balanced' as I said before, but it is nicely balanced and good quality, just not at the top echelon. Good but not great.

Glenrothes 1990 - Signatory
Aha, finally a Glenrothes bottling that lives up to the promise I always felt this distillery had. This is a great, great bottling, on par with the best offerings from Glenmorangie (which has a similar style). Gone are the "dirty socks" and "dark" quality of the distillery bottlings. This is pure, sweet malt, cinnamon, blueberry concentrate, and a long, new oak finish. Very delicious and highly recommended.

Glen Scotia 14
One of only 3 whiskies made in Campbeltown (Springbank and Longrow being the other 2). Has some similar qualities to Springbank, the sort of briny finish being one. But on the other hand it also shares some character with a more Islay malt like Caol Ila, with the peat more prominent and a more grassy and less sweet flavor. Not in the same class as Springbank, but still a quite good whisky.

Highland Park 12
Ah, the scotch that Michael Jackson calls "the greatest all-rounder in the world of scotch". Nice phrase, only I disagree, I'd give that honor to Oban. The Highland Park would rate up there if it were only as full and smooth as Oban. But, enough comparisons, how does it taste? Starts with a thin sweetness, moves to a beeswax flavor, and finishes with a touch of clover and a hint of smoke. But still a very "young" tasting scotch

{edit} Picked up another bottle of the 12 after my 18 had run out, mainly because it was cheaper and I wanted to verify if my memory was correct on this one (good but not great). I've got to say that lately I've been enjoying less sherried and more "malty" flavored scotches, and am raising my estimation of the HP 12 quite a bit. I really like how this one treads the line between a malty speyside flavor and a peaty Islay flavor. The malt is strong and the peat is light, and the balance is just right. No scotch bar should be without it (unless of course they have the 18 year old instead).

Highland Park 18
About $30 more than the HP 12, and soooo worth it, it is an excellent scotch. Very similar flavor profile to the 12, but significantly fuller and smoother. Not in my personal top five, but I can see how it would top someone else's list. Longer finish with additional notes of heather and leather.

Highland Park - Old Malt Cask
Special, independent bottling of HP at cask strength (100 proof), aged 16 years, and not chill filtered. An even better scotch than the distiller edition 18 year old listed above. A bit less smooth, but the other flavors all come across stronger, particularly the heather/leather finish. Yummy. Not my top 5, but definitely top 10.

Highland Park - Signatory non-chillfiltered
This is the only bottling I've had from the Signatory Non-Chill Filtered line that wasn't better than the Distillery bottling (Edradour and Glenrothes were both much better w/Signatory). Not that this was bad at all, it has the traditional Highland Park strenghts of a clean, sweet maltiness married to a bit of smoke, a bit of honey, a bit of heather. But the dry charcoal/leather taste I get from the distillery bottlings is notably absent here. Overall very good but not quite able to step in to greatness.

Highland Park - Signatory 24
Very light color and body. I don't think any sherry casks were used at all for this bottling. Shockingly light and grassy. Is this even a HP? Straight it tastes almost exactly like Glen Ord. That's not a bad whisky, but I expect a lot better from a HP. Adding a bit of water improves things, bringing out a bit of the honey flavor this distillery is famous for, and also bringing out a bit of light, Ardbeg style peat. But it's too little. Avoid this and go for the distillery bottling of the 18 year old instead, its much more complex, full bodied, and just better.

Imperial 12 - non-chillfiltered
Alas, a distillery that has closed down, but there is still stock left on the market. This one has a very clean, intense malt flavor, with a smell like taking a walk in an evergreen forest in the spring. That intense pine smell, minus the sap smell. Taste is again very clean and malty, zesty, but not citrusy. How malty is this? Well, my friend said the finish tasted "like beer". That's pretty malty alright. Perhaps the most intensely malty dram I've had. But it's not heavy like a Strathisla or a Longmorn, but a lighter style, like Glenmorangie. Really fine stuff.

Isle of Jura - Superstition
Found a bottle of this after looking for nearly a year. It is perhaps the most unique tasting malt I've had this year. Nose and palate are very much a bees wax and biscuit flavor. Finish adds a touch of peat in the background. Very, very smooth. Recommended if you are looking for something refined and unique.

{edit}Trying a few more drams of this, the bees-wax flavor seperates out in to 2 different and disctint flavors - a big, buttery maltiness (ala Aberlour), and a quite heavy peatiness (in the style of Laphoaig 10 Cask Strength). My respect and enjoyment of this dram just went up quite a bit at this unexpected development of complexity. Superb and a killer bargain. Still a "very" unique taste and nose.

Isle of Jura 16
The Jura has gotten better in recent bottlings, it's now pretty good (it was only passable before). A touch of spice and cinamon up front, transitioning to a malty and smoky (but not sweet) middle, and finishing smoky with a very faint hint of peat. Not a sweet scotch, but interesting and good.

Lagavulin 16
Ah, the favorite distillery of many, many scotch fanatics. Like the Ardbeg 10, it has an insane amount of smoke upfront. Like the Laphroaig 10, it has a huge peat finish. And it keeps them both in perfect balance. Not a very malty or sweet scotch, but the intensity of its earthy and smoky flavors is amazing. Highly recommended.

Lagavulin 12 - Cask Strength
Picked this up while on vacation in Europe recently. It's not available in the US currently, only in Europe so I was very glad to find a bottle (in a little town on the German/French border). Some scotches I like at full strength, but this is one bottling you "have" to cut. I find that 1 part water to 1 part scotch is about right. This brings it to 60 proof, and at that point the taste and nose really open up. Doing a head to head with the Lagavulin 16 shows that the 2 are somewhat alike, but with significant differences. The 12 is more of a peat monster, and you can tell less aging was done in Sherry casks than with the 16. The extra 4 years of aging for the 16 show a mellower presentation (if the word "mellow" can ever be applied to Lagavulin!), and a deeper, more complex malt. But, the 12 has it's own brash charms. It reminds me a lot of the Ardbeg 10, but in a head to head with the Ardbeg, the Lagavulin show itself to have all the peat attack, but none of the sharp spirity nature of the Ardbeg 10. So, I'd rate it somewhat below the Lagavulin 16, but definitely above the Ardbeg 10.

Laphroaig 10
Shockingly smooth for a 10 year old. Very peaty and uh, peaty, and more peaty. Lacks the smokiness of Lagavulin and Ardbeg, but for a smooth and peaty tasting scotch, it is great. Vies with Ardbeg 10 and Macallan 12 as my favorite under $40 scotch.

Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength
Very similar to the standard 10 year old in overall "feel", same smoothness, same sweet peat flavor, same smokey, long finish. But just intensified. Flavors are more pronounced and amazing. This one goes straight to my Top 5, nudging the Bruichladdich 15 out.

Laphroaig 15
A laphroaig is a laphroaig is a laphroaig. Meaning that the 15 is definitely similar to the 10 and the 10 Cask Strength. But the extra aging brings the maltiness to the fore, and recedes the seaweed/iodine flavor just a bit. Personally I like the more emphatic taste of the 10 Cask Strength. The 15 is very good, but not my favorite from Laphroaig.

Ledaig 15
Very similar to Laphroaig 10 in that it's very peaty/oaky tasting, but it has a bit less body and a bit less sweetness. Overall a good "manly" scotch, but definitely not for beginners. A bit dull and boring though. Peaty, but reticent.


Linkwood 10
This one is total swill. Avoid at all cost. Michael Jackson says it has a "lemon zest" to the finish. Lemon zest my ass. Sour and icky is what I get. Adding water made it worse. I didn't even finish it, it was that bad.

Longrow 10 - Bourbon finish
Tried this at pints and I'm very glad I did. It's the more peaty/smokey release from the Springbank distillery. This one also was not aged in sherry casks, but exclusively in bourbon casks. This gives it a much lighter, less heavy, more grassy initial flavor. But them comes the intense malt and salty sweetness this distillery is known for, and finishes with a bit of lingering smoke. Overall a "ligher" dram, but a really excellent one.

Longrow 10 - Sherry finish
Had high hopes for this one after I was so impressed with the Longrow 10 Bourbon finish (above). But I was a bit disappointed. It was almost exactly like the bourbon finish above, but the sherry did not add much depth, in fact it seemed to cover up some of the interesting things that the bourbon finish had. The sherry seemed "pasted on", and not particularly integrated. Still pretty good, but not at the level of excellence of it's bourbon sibling.

Longmorn 15
Very highly rated scotch that just have not been able to connect with. I think it's the slightly licorice taste I get from it. I don't like licorice, so that tends to become a focal point and prevents me from really enjoying this one.

{edit} After having it sit in my cabinet for about 3 months I decided to pull it out again and give it another go. This time I let it sit out and breathe a lot more than last time, 30 minutes total before I took a drink. This time instead of licorice, I taste sweet peperment. Much nicer! Add to that the smooth overall character, and the malty middle and you've got yourself a great spring/summer malt. I tried another glass that I didn't let breathe and it was back to the licorice taste. So let it sit for a bit and enjoy.

Longmorn - 1973 (Signatory bottling)
Another spectacular dram. Very, very similar to the Macallan 25 I also had recently. Same incredible depth, same thick viscosity on the tongue, same super layered, old oak, intense finish. Main difference is the Mac 25 has a more intense sherry flavor upfront, where the longmorn is almost entirely deep malt with sweetness. Awesome.

Macallan 12
The Macallan 12 is quite an interesting malt from the standpoint that many of the scotch "authorities" rate it highly, and many plain old enthusiasts rate it rather lower. I'm with the authorities, I think it is quite good, and great for the $$. I think many enthusiasts let the fact that the 12 is not very smoky or peaty lower their overall rating, where to me, it is simply a different style, but excellently executed. I certainly like it over the similar style Glenfarclas scotches I've had, since the Glenfarclas has a sort of sulpher taste that bothers me a little bit.

Macallan 12 - new triangle label
This is the newest bottling from Macallan, brought out recently after they had also brought out their "Fine Oak" series of Bourbon cask aged whisky. This new sherry aged Macallan 12 is FAR, FAR better than the previous sherry bottlings over the last few years. I know that demand for Macallan had outstripped supply over the past few years, so my theory is that they had started scraping bottom on their supply, and they came out with the Fine Oak Range specifically to cut demand for the Sherry Oak range, which allowed them to be a lot more choosy about good quality Sherry casks that they bottled. Whatever, all I can say is that this new Mac 12 is BETTER than my Mac 18 and my Mac Cask Strength bottlings here. For $40 this is a no brainer - BUY IT.

Macallan 18
Picked this one up just as I was on the last serving of my previous bottle of Macallan 12. In direct comparison, I have to say that the 18 is certainly better than the 12, in that the 18 has a bit more complexity (a little pepper and even a touch of peat), but is it $70 better ($35 for the 12, $105 for the 18 )? IMO, no. The 12 is actually a little smoother, and while less complex, is a very enjoyable, straightforward scotch.

{edit} After living with the Mac 18 for a bit longer, I'm revising my rating upward. IMO, it IS worth the $105, someone described it as the "rolls royce" of scotch, and I agree. For a smooth, luxurious, upholstered scotch, it can't be beat, at least not by anything commonly available. The Mac Cask strength may be a more fun and characterful drink, the Mac 18 simply oozes class and refinement. Top 5 for sure.

Macallan 25
Finally got to try this on a business trip (company paying for food & drink, woohoo!). I have to say it is the finest Mac I've ever had and one of the best scotches so far. It has all the smooth clean flavor of the new triangle-label 12 year old, with the traditional intense malt/sherry sweetness upfront, but it is balanced by the gentlest, most layered, delicious old oak/vanilla flavor imaginable. Finish is loong and complex, layers and layers of wood infused malt. Really great stuff.

Macallan Cask Strength
Putting this head to head against the Aberlour a'bundah shows the a'bundah to be a bit thicker ane caramel-like it taste and texture, with the Macallan being more of a dense sherry character with strong caramel characteristics. Both are absolutely great and don't need any water added to enjoy them. In fact if you don't drink them neat, they lose a bit of their intense flavoring. Carefull though, at 120 proof they will both knock you on your ass in no time flat.

Macallan 27
Almost exactly like the 25 year old. In fact, I think the 25 is a bit better. The 27 has more intensity in the upfront sherry sweetness, and it tends to mask the malty middle and even a bit of the layered oak finish.

Macallan Fine Oak 15
Much lighter than the traditional sherry aged Macallans. Lighter even than the similar-in-style Mortlach 15. But it noses very similar to the Mortlach 15 below, sweet malt, cut grass, hint of curry. But body is similar to a Glenmorangie 10 year old, and the taste starts off with peppermint stick, transitions to sweet malt with mint leaves and shortbread cookies. Overall it is quite good, despite an only medium length finish.

Mannochmore 12 - Cask Strength
Pretty rare dram, but worth seeking out. Light in color and light in body, but very clean, sweet malt, grassiness, a touch of smoke, and a strong wood finish. Very good and one of the best "lighter" malts I've ever had. Highly recommended, if you can find it.

Mortlach 15
Unlike the Murray McDavid Bottling below, this one was not aged in first fill sherry casks, and it is a much better tasing whisky for it. This one has a classic highland maltiness, with a somewhat thick, oily mouth feel. Throw in a bit of spicy character ala Glenmorangie 15, and a bit of peat and smoke, and you have one damn good dram. Hard to find but worth seeking out.

Mortlach 13 - Murray McDavid Bottling
Casked in 1990 and bottled in 2003 using all fresh sherry casks. Tastes like a Macallans but with a touch more character. Overall good, but a bit disappointing due to me having very high expectations indeed for this distillery. I found out later that this particular bottling is not very representative of the distillery, so I'll have to pick up another bottle some time in the future.

{edit} After about 3 months in my cabinet, this bottle went bad. Became very sour tasting, so I had to throw the bottle out. It was good while it lasted, but definitely a word of warning to anyone thinking about buying this particular bottling.

Mortlach 13 - Signatory 1989
Another sherry bottling, but a much better bottle than the Murray McDavid above. Where the MM above was completely and thoroughly dominated by the sherry (very similar to the Macallan), this one starts off very sherried, but retains a "cut grass" speyside character (to borrow a phrase). Then the finish has a very nice curry and ginger. Definitely recommended if you can find it.

Oban 14
An almost perfectly balanced scotch, sweet, malty, peaty, a touch of smoke, a very light touch of salt. Nothing stands out as an over-riding characteristic, but that's the beauty. Reminds me a little bit of the Glenlivet 18, but with a lot more character.

{edit}Drinking a bit more Oban last night, I definitely picked up a taste of mango at the first part of the finish. And the smoke in there is reminescent of a freshly lit cigarette. Overall still quite taste, if a bit "hot". Better if diluted to 2 parts scotch to 1 part water instead of my normal 3:1 ratio.

Old Pulteney 12
Had this bottle about a week. It was very inexpensive ($30) and I'd been wanting to try it for a while. I'm glad I waited a bit before posting on it because the first couple of tastings did not go well at all. I just didn't like it, I only tasted stong alcohol and not much else. But, like some other scotches, it just took me a little while to grasp fully what it's taste actually was. The problem was that I was going in expecting something like a Highland Park type of taste, but got something completely different. I would now say that the Old Pulteny's over-riding characater is a strong maltiness very similar to Longmorn 15, but instead of sweet peppermint it has a toasted bread and chocolate flavor (somewhat similar to the Dalmore), along with a mixture of tawniness somewhere between the Bowmore Dawn and the Laphroaig 10. So, the nose has slightly burned toast, aniseed, strong malt. Taste has no sherry sweetness, rather a malty sweetness upfront instead. Transitions to the toastiness and chocolate noted before. Then finishes with the tawniness. Overall it's very good stuff. Oh yes, don't dilute it at all, take it straight. Adding water destroys the balance and seriously weakens the flavors.

{edit} I'd have to say that instead of chocolate I get more of a coffee flavor, after trying it a few more times. And it's got quite a bit of vanilla in there to, so much that it reminds me a bit of a good bourbon. Burnt toast, aniseed, and strong malt flavors I still get consistently.

Royal Lochnagar 12
Been wanting to try this for a long time, finally found some last night. I have to say I'm pretty disappointed as I was expecting a really good whisky. It's not bad, but just not great. Not much nose beyond a not-very-sweet maltiness, and the flavor isn't much different than the nose. Finish also evinces very little change (perhaps a very subtle smokiness sneaks in), but it's a short finish and not particularly interesting.

Scapa 12
The "sister" distillery of Highland Park (same region, Orkney, produces both scotches). This was good stuff. Has a mouth coating, oily feel to it which is pretty cool. Has just a slight touch of sharpness, but not bad. Overall has a fairly woody/oaky flavor with just a very slight touch of heather. Not quite on par with the Highland Park stuff, but very good in it's own right.

{edit} I liked this one enough to go buy a bottle and do a head to head with my Highland Park 12. I have to say that IMO it holds it's own for overall quality. The HP is one of my favorite whisky's, and the Scapa is right there with it. The main difference seemed to be that the Scapa was a bit more smooth and full, and the HP had a bit of peat. I also picked up a bit of a pear flavor and smell in the Scapa, which combined with the honey/heather flavor and slight smoke in the background makes this a very nice scotch indeed.

Springbank 10
Bought this the other day to replace my empty bottle of Ardbeg 10. I was hoping to get most of the good qualities of the Springbank 12 but at a cheaper price ($50 instead of $70) Unfortunately, the grad qualities that the 12 year old has were notably absent. The 10 is quite immature tasting, with a lot of alcohol bite and a notable lack of smoothness. At $20 it would be a good buy, at $50 it's very poor value.

{edit} I have to revise my Springbank 10 year old - initially I was drinking it neat, and did not realize it was 92 proof instead of the more common 80 proof. For younger whiskies at higher proof, water generally helps a lot in getting the overpowering "sting" of the alcohol out of the way so the true taste of it can be enjoyed. So, a bit of water is in order. After adding a bit, then a bit more, the rough edges smoothed out nicely. Now that's the stuff! Sweet, salty, and malty. Reminds me of chocolate covered pretzels. So, with a bit of water it goes in to my strongly recommended category.

{second edit for Springbank 10} I did another tasting of this and even with the extra water, it is too young and too green tasting to fully enjoy. From now on I'm sticking with 12 or older for Springbanks. Too bad no one in Denver carries anything except the 10 year old. Bastards.

{third edit} OK, I've nearly finished this bottle, and I've had another change of heart. I've been on a kick lately where I've been really enjoying "malty" flavored scotches that don't have a heavy sherry influence, and I finally "got" this bottling. Yes, you do have to add water to it, and you definitely need to warm it with your hand (a thin glass is very helpful in doing this). Now, you are ready to enjoy it. To me it tastes like a more peaty and harder version of a Highland 12. In fact, the middle of the taste is what I would call "brittle", like peanut brittle, it has a wonderful hard texture. This is definitely not an easy scotch to love, but over time I have grown to appreciate it.


Springbank 10 - 100 proof
I really wanted to like this one, but so far it is my least favorite of the Springbanks. Even when cut with water it was too "hot" and astringent. The regular 10 year old is fairly agressive, but the 100 proof is agressive to the point of interfering with the actual taste. My advice is to stick with the regular 10 year old (which is still a pretty high avb at 92 proof).

Springbank 12 - 175th Anniversary Bottling
Of all the scotches I've tried so far, this is without question my favorite. Rich, malty, peaty, full bodied, super long smoky finish with a touch of salt at the very end. Damn. IMO, it is the perfect blend of up-front sweetness, and peaty/salty finish. Wonderfully complex, and incredibly enjoyable. Expensive but soooo worth it. Definitely top 3.

Springbank 15
The owner of Pints had just gotten this in, and bless his heart, decided to let me try a glass gratis. It has that great initial sweetness combined with the oaky middle, and that unique briny finish. Perfection. Not sure if it would knock the 12 year anniversary bottling out of my top 5, but if not, it would surely be a tie. Again, expensive, but absolutely worth it.

Strathisla 12
Very similar to the Benrinnes, but Strathisla does not have the bubblegum flavor in there. Overall this was my least favorite of the last 5 I've tried, it just didn't have much character. I guess you could say it was balanced, but the flavors were each individually so weak that it's hard to even give it props for that. It's not a "bad" whisky in the way that, say, Glenlivet 12 is, but there's better out there.

{edit} Trying this again, I'm raising my rating up a bit. Last time I had it I tried it right after a GREAT whisky, and it prevented me from fully appreciating this one. I would now say that it does have character, just not much complexity. If you want to taste what people refer to when they say a scotch is MALTY, this this is your scotch. It starts off malty, transitions to malty, and finishes malty. A straightforward style, but good quality.

Suntory 12
Technically not scotch because it is made in Japan. But I include it here for 2 reasons. 1, the japanese have duplicated "exactly" the methods that the scotts use to make whisky, and 2, it tastes almost exactly like Glen Ord. In fact, I like it a bit better than glen ord. Both are what I call a "zesty" malt, lighter with some grassiness to the taste, but the Suntory has a more rounded, highland malt type of taste. Cheap and good, I'm glad I got a chance to try it.

Talisker 10
Another one that is better without any water. Taken neat, this is firewater! Huge spicy/pepper taste with a loooong finish. Water knocks down the spiciness a lot and makes it a less distinctive experience.

Talisker 20
Definitely a Talisker! But the typical firewater/pepper flavor is mated with a more intense sherry sweetness up front, and mixed with an oaky/organic finish. Great, great whisky. Even at $200/bottle, it's worth it. I'll be picking up a bottle before too long.

Tormore 12
Very similar to Isle of Arran it almost every espect, from the citrusy nose, to the light malty middle, and the citrus potpouri finish. The only difference I could tell is that the Tormore had a little bit of a nutty flavor in the middle.

Just a quick summary so far for easy reference.

Top 12 regardless of price:
Ardbeg 1977
Clynelish 14
Springbank 12 - 175th Anniversary
Talisker 20
Mortlach 15
Dalmore 30
Macallan 25
Laphroag 10 Cask Strength
Highland Park 18
Bruichladdich 15
Longmorn 1973 - Signatory
Lagavulin 16

Best under (or around) $40
Macallan 12 - New Triangle Label
Dalmore 12
Laphroaig 10
Ardbeg 10
Glenmorangie 10
Scapa 12
Bowmore 12

Scotch Blends

Johnnie Walker Red
Wow, this stuff is bad, really bad. Hard, harsh, and thin tasting. To be avoided, unless you drown it in coke or the like.

Johnnie Walker Black
Ah, much, much better than the red. Still a bit or harshness due to the grain whisky in there, but much fuller in flavor and much more interesting than the Red. You can definitely taste the Talisker used in the blend. Quite a good blend.

Johnnie Walker Gold
Buttery smooth and lightly sweet. Really good blend. Does this even have grain whisky in it? Of course that's a rhetorical quesion because all blends have grain whisky, but this one is so smooth and light you just don't taste it.

Cutty Sark
Egads this stuff tastes terrible. Sort of a mixture of honey and dirty gym socks. Hopefully I just had a bad batch, cause it was terrible.

Chivas Regal 12
Well, this is definitely one smooth, sweet, non-offensive whisky. But a bit boring for me, there's not character and no flavor development. Definitely better than the Johnnie Walker Red rotgut, but not as good as the Johnnie Walker Black, IMO.

Chivas Regal 18
Well, you would "think" that the 18 would be simply smoother than the 12, but it's not, in fact the 18 has more bite. And more character, and better flavor development. I'd put it on par w/the JW Black, but in a different style (Highland style) than the Black (Islay Style).

Irish Whiskey

Bushmills - No Age Statement
Egads it tastes like sweetened formaldehyde. Yuck.

Bushmills 16
Ah, much better than the standard bushmills. The initial smell and taste is a lot like a highland malt. Sherry and burnt toffee. Drinking it gives a very good smoothness, but a lack of maltiness in the flavor. There is a bit of apricot there, and it ends with a short, non-spectacular finish. Not bad at all.

Jamesons
A little fuller and less offensive than the Bushmills NAS, but still tastes like formaldehyde. It's been a while since I've had Irish Whiskey, I don't remember it being this terrible. Maybe I'm just spoiled after drinking so much Scotch.

BOURBON[/color]

Here are some impressions of different bourbons I've tried:

Ancient Age NAS
Very strong rye on the nose. Tastes isgrainy and sweet, with rye still dominating. Interestinly, this one does not have a real "finish", but rather just sort of dies after a few seconds of being swallowed.

Bakers 7
Now we're talking! A great bourbon. On the nose it is passion fruit and malt. Taste is sharp and very big/full. Finish has mango and tropical fruit on top of the vanilla. Long ginish. A "big"and very satisfying bourbon.

With water added, this one smooths out but loses a bit of character and a lot of the bigness goes away. I recommend drinking it straight.

Basil Hayden
Very smooth indeed. Has very much an orange and malty nose. Taste is a mix of Orange Serbert and Vanilla ice cream. Quite delicious. Finish is pretty short and subdued. Overall a very drinkable whiskey indeed.

Bookers
Had this at a bar the other day. Very impressive, very potent. It's got a very thick, viscous feel to it, with super intense caramel and vanilla, and layers and layers of oak in the finish. Almost as good as the Van Winkle bourbon, but just barely misses out because the Van Winkle is slightly smoother, and has greater depth and complexity on the initial taste.

Buffalo Trace NAS
No Age Statement on this one, but it has to be fairly old, as it is very, very smooth, with almost no alcohol sting. Goes down very nicely indeed. Very much an echt-bourbon flavor profile, similar but Bulliets, but much fuller, and even smoother. Great big caramel, vanilla, and oak. Exceptionally good and a great bargain. Highly recommended.

Bulliet NAS
NAS stands for no age statement, so this is probably a fairly young whisky. Doesn't matter, it is one of the better whiskies on this list. Very balanced, smooth, and soft on the nose. Very malty. Almost scotch-like in it's maltiness. Finish does not turn hard or sharp like most other bourbons, but stays soft and malty. Delicious.

Classic Cask 20
Picked this up on sale for $50 at my local liquor store. It is perhaps the most interesting bourbons on this list. Most bourbons get more vanilla and woody tasting as they age. Also, longer age tends to intensify the overall experience of it. I expected this one to be a bit like the Van Winkle I love so much. But in fact it was almost completely the opposite. Where the Van Winkle is toasty, bisciuty, caramel, and big oak, the Classic Cask emphasized the other side of bourbon - maple syrup mixed with passion fruit and lavander. The almost citrusy flavor of intense fruit is the dominating element of this whisky, and it carries through to the finish, which is only somewhat oaky. A nice compliment to something like the Van Winkle.

Eagle Rare Single Barrel 10
What an interesting bourbon! Nose is very soft indeed, very similar to Bulliets in it's overall reticence. If you really get down in the glass, it's got a touch of red grape or maybe raisin riding on the traditional bourbon aroma. Taste starts off the same way, very soft when it first hits the mouth. But then it transitions almost immediately to sharp rye with a caramel apple flavor. Not a big full bodied bourbon, somewhat thin actually, but very tasty. Finish is intense, sharp, and somewhat fruit like, a bit citrusy. Very good bourbon.

With a bit of water this one smooths out a bit, but loses some of that interesting sharp transition. Also recommend drinking this one straight.

Elijah Craig 12
Easily the smoothest of the bourbon's here. Very mellow on the nose, with a good balance between caramel and vanilla, with a bit of all-spice thrown in. Taste is remarkably smooth, again everything in very good balance, nice and sweet, smooth, full, and good oaky finish. Great whisky, 2nd only to the Van Winkle in my experience.

Evan Williams 7
Very sweet up front, reminds me of cotton candy. Suprisingly smooth since it's only 7 years old. Middle transitions to a clove like flavor, and a short, not particularly woody finish. Very little vanilla. Reminds me of a slightly better version of the Makers Mark.

Jack Daniels NAS
(not a bourbon)
This is the standard black label #7 Jack. The nose is again strong on rye, but also strong on vanilla (unusual). Taste is fairly astringent and grainy, but with a good woody malty flavor that redeems it quite a bit. Finish is almost dark chocolate sweetness. Not a bad bourbon at all. Not great, but suprisingly good.

Jefferson Reserve 12-17
This is a vatting of their 12 to 17 year old stock. It's a tricky bourbon. It's very soft on the nose and is starts off quite smooth and malty, but very sweet ala Evan Williams. But where EW stays smooth right to the end, the Jefferson Reserve explodes with a hard rye and corn sweetness about halfway through. It just builds in intensity for about 15 seconds, overtaking the whole nasal cavity. Then it transitions to medium strong vanilla with a bit of red licorice. Good stuff.

With water this one becomes a very weak, poor tasting whiskey. Drink straight only.

Jim Beam Black Label
Smoother than the Jack Daniels #7 but less smooth than the Bulliet or Evan Williams 7. Flowery on the nose, particularly violets. Taste is typical bourbon, but with a lavendar and vanilla potpouri flavor. Finish follows along the same path, more vanilla potpouri. Good overall, but not great.

Knob Creek 9
Nose is very overpoweringly alcoholic. Taste is more balanced than Makers Mark, but less smooth overall. Stronger wood/oak/vanilla finish, not as sweet upfront.

Makers Mark
Strong caramel/vanilla nose, very sweet. Smooth upfront, caramel is over-riding flavor. Transitions to a sharp grain intensity toward the end, with a not particularly strong finish.

Adding water certainly smooths this out even more, and brings out an orange marmalade on toast type of taste, while still retaining a bit of the sharp spiciness. I like this one better with just a touch of water.

Old Rip Van Winkle 15
Easily the best bourbon I've had so far. Even at 107 proof, it's nose is not overpoweringly alcoholic. Cereal and toaste in the nose. Taste is exceedingly smooth and thickly viscous on the tongue. Bread pudding in the middle portion, with a finish of layers and layers of oak/vanilla. Outstanding.

Old Whisky River 6
Strong alcohol nose. Palate is not particularly sweet, with a strong menthol flavor and smell. Finish is medium wood and shortish. Not one of the better bourbons on this list.

Wild Turkey - Russel Reserve 10
Very, very similar to the Woodford Reserve. But where WR is thin and licorice on the palate, the WT-RR is slightly fuller and stays with a lavendar and mint flavor toward the finish. Have to give this one a thumbs up, very tasty and quite smooth.

Woodford Reserve
Strongly alcoholic on the nose, but not overpoweringly so. Aniseed and peppermint also prominent on the nose. Taste is disappointingly "thin", with a strong licorice flavor dominating toward the rather light finish. Disappointingly mediocre.

With water this one improve a LOT. The thin-ness noted before now becomes a softness and a smooth flavor of maple syrup and orange fruitcake. Extremely good with 4 parts whiskey to 1 part water.