Choosing Between Whiskies

[joggerjayne]

Yet another Burns Night thread, sorry.

With the haggis, I'm going to give each person four shot glasses of whisky ...

1. a Light or Fragrant one

2. a Smooth or Delicate one

3. a Rich one

4. a Peaty one

(yes, I have been doing lots of research online, and with the various husbands who are coming)

So, from my available bottles, I've narrowed it down to these, I think. I need to pick one from each group, preferably ones that are most different from each other, and that particularly show the character of their group. I, however, don't drink any of them, so I don't really know what they are like.

Any suggestions?

1. Light or Fragrant

Dalwhinnie
Glenkinchie

2. Smooth or Delicate

Auchentoshan
Glenmorangie
Aberlour
Bruichladdich

3. Rich

Macallan
Balvenie
Highland Park
Glenrothes
The Singleton

4. Peaty

Laphroaig
Ardbeg
Lagavulin
Talisker
Coal Ila

[EcclesCake]

My choice would be partly based on how commonly available some of them are, it is much more interesting to try a lesser known Whisky to my mind.

It is difficult to give a complete answer as there is a lot of variation between ages and finishes, but my choice would be....

1. Glenkinchie
2. Auchentoshan
3. Glen Rothes
4. Caol Ila. This is definitely the toughest as there are just so many different finishes, if you have Lagavulin 16yr old or Laphroaig Quarter Cask I might go with one of them.

[-Talbot-]

I'd rather choose between a

Tin of Chappie
or
Tin of Whiskers


Than choose between whiskies :0/

[joggerjayne]

ludwig ... the online views definitely put Aberlour towards the Rich end of Delicate.

I've never tried it.

Maybe not that one then, if it's not distinctly one or the other.

[Sqad]

JJ...you are going a bit OTT with this.

Tastes of whiskies are very personal, each differing in your 4 groups.

[EcclesCake]

Oh and if your Ardbeg is 17yr old I'd definitely go with that if it is Uigeadail clean the toilet with it.......or get Olive to.

[joggerjayne]

Eccles, I have got a Lagavulin 16

They are all fairly commonly available in the sense that they're all on my dining table.

[Buenchico]

>>>Hang on ... you add whisky to the haggis???

Haggis is always enhanced by the addition of 'a wee dram', JJ ;-)

[joggerjayne]

The Ardbeg isn't a 17

It's a 10

[237SJ]

I`d just tell the guests to bring a bottle of their choice

[joggerjayne]

sqad ... I don't entertain very often (because I'm a bit scared of cocking it all up) so I want to do this properly.

[joggerjayne]

Holy crap, Eccles ... I was just wondering if I should try to track down a bottle of Ardbeg 17 ... and I've just seen the price !!!!

So, not that one, then.

[joggerjayne]

No no, SJ ... We want to have them lined up in front of each place setting when everyone arrives.

[EcclesCake]

It doesn't come cheap, but is worth every delicious penny :-)

[joggerjayne]

// It doesn't come cheap //

It really doesn't, does it!

[EcclesCake]

Lordy, Ardbeg 17 has more than tripled since I bought a bottle......I thought I was being extravagant then!

[237SJ]

With that lot, they`ll be ratfaced before they even start on the haggis - or is that the general idea? :-)

[joggerjayne]

The Lagvulin bottle is quite pretty.

But the Ardbeg looks more Scottish.

And the Laphroaig is the classic peaty one.

Thinks, thinks ...

Okay, hang on, that could mean that more of the guys will have had Laphroaig before.

[joggerjayne]

Eccles ... your bottle might suddenly start to look like a bargain! (if you got it for around £100!)

[EcclesCake]

Which Laphroaig do you have? If it is the standard 10yr old then it will almost certainly have been sampled by your Whisky drinking guests.

[joggerjayne]

SJ ... it will only be a shot glass of each one.