This page is for the Scotch single malt whisky lovers among the visitors here. I’ll start with the bottles that I currently have in my collection and I will list new entries when I occasion to buy a new bottle. I hope you’ll leave some comments about your likes or dislikes for any of them. I definitely wouldn’t consider myself an expert or even an aficionado – I’m just happy to live in a metropolitan area where there is such a wide variety available for sale. I’m typing the entries here in no particular order though if I had to select a favorite from them I’d go with the Ardbeg or the Highland Park. I currently have only one blend in my collection and that is not because I don’t like them (Dewars has always had a place on my shelf). I’ve just been concentrating on adding single malts as new bottles become available at local distributors. Most of the scotches I list here are between 40% to 43% ABV though I do have a few that are more potent.
1. Ardbeg, 10-yo, Islay (Superior in every way. My preferred Scotch.)
2. Littlemill, 14-yo, Signatory Vintage, Lowland (distilled in 1990, this is a very rare bottle and I drink it sparingly. I have just slightly more than half-a-bottle left.)
3. Benriach, 10-yo, Highland
4. Glenlivet, 12-yo, Speyside
5. Glenlivet, 16-yo, Nàdurra, Speyside (I find that I have to drink this with a few ice cubes – something I don’t naturally do. This particular whisky is 59.2% ABV making it a pretty stout drink!)
6. Strathisla, 12-yo, Highland
7. Ledaig, Port Finish, Isle of Mull (non Islay) (This is unusual to me to find no age statement on either the packaging or the bottle. Knowing nothing about this I’m going to guess that this is taken from Ledaig’s 7-yo vat and then aged a few additional years in a port cask. But it’s just a guess.)
8. Cragganmore, 12-yo, Speyside (I don’t why this single malt gets critiqued so poorly by scotch aficionados. I like it very much – and at under $25 it’s a bargain.)
9. Old Pulteney, 12-yo, North Highland
10. Bowmore, 15-yo, ‘Darkest’ (Sherry Cask Finished), Islay (Fantastically good! I hope to add an additional 2-3 bottles to my scotch storage as this bottle will go quite quickly I’m afraid!)
11. Dahlwhinnie, 15-yo, Highland (I particularly like this Scotch for it’s smooth heather-honey finish.)
12. Speyburn, 10-yo, Highland (This Scotch is specially priced at below $20 a bottle but that shouldn’t fool you; very subtle with a great peaty finish.)
13. Macallan, Amber Liqueur (A most unusual single malt. There’s no age statement but I will guess that this is the distillery’s youngest [7-yo] that is then, by the bottle’s definition, “delicately balanced with natural maple and pecan.” As are all my bottles in the collection this is 750 ml by weight but only 25% ABV. This particular bottling is a rarity in the United States being marketed in only three cities during the past year – Minneapolis, Boston & San Francisco - and it has since been discontinued by Macallan. This bottle was given to me by my parents as a birthday gift and as it turns out it’s become another rare collectible to be used sparingly.)
14. Dalmore, Cigar Malt, Highland (Again no age statement only the accompanying explanation that the Dalmore Cigar Malt is aged for ‘many long years in specially selected casks’ and only when they are designated to ‘have reached the perfect age’ are they then bottled.)
15. Glenmorangie, 12-yo, Nectar D’Or, Highland
16. Highland Park, 12-yo, Orkney
17. Bowmore, 8-yo, Legend, Islay (The Legend label is actually a combination of Bowmore distillery’s 7 & 10-yo vats; the 8-yo is simply a convenient ’rounding off’. This particular bottling was specially created to be priced at a much lower price than Bowmore’s other more expensive selections. The Legend was sold at prices that would compete with the sales of Bourbon whiskey but it has since been discontinued. If you can find a bottle I’d recommend picking it up as the price is right and the taste is as good as Bowmore’s other younger single malts.)
18. Johnnie Walker, Black Label, Blend (This is the only blend I currently have. I’m not a single malt Scotch ’snob’ by any means as I like a number of blends that are out there. I don’t find either the Red or the Black Label particularly good though and I suspect that this bottle will quite likely last me the duration of my collection. I do plan to add a bottle each of Johnnie Walker’s Green, Gold and Blue Label eventually, all of which I like very much.)
19. Glenmorangie, 12-yo, The Quinta Ruban, Highland (A very smooth scotch – I can’t recall another like it. Guaranteed not to disappoint even the most discriminating scotch aficionados among us.)
20. Balblair, 10-yo, [Pot Still], Highland (I’ve been hoping to happen across a bottle of this to add to my collection and quite luckily I stumbled upon it at an MGM Liquor Warehouse during it’s last day of business.)
21. Edradour, 10-yo, Highland (When I purchased this originally I thought I was quite fortunate to have an opportunity to see a bottle available at the local municipal. However, I am not too fond of the taste of this particular scotch at all – but that’s what Drambuie is for! A touch of Drambuie to this makes a world of difference to the taste.)
22. Macallan, Cask Strength (Sherry Cask Finished) (Somewhere between 10-12 yo I’d say – there is no age statement either on the bottle, packaging or even on the official Macallan website. At 58.6% ABV I will most definitely be adding a little water and likely a few ice cubes to the tumbler before imbibing this!)
A few months ago I had a new and troubling experience at home with a bottle I’d never encountered before. The purists among you may recoil at the story I’m going to relate but keep in mind I found myself in dire straits – and desperate times call for desperate measures. During the previous week I had purchased my bottle of Strathisla which had recently become available at the local municipal. Upon getting home I prepared to settle in for a drink and when uncorking the bottle I sniffed the cork as I normally do and noticed it was torn halfway through near the cap. It didn’t cause any distaste to the Scotch as it remain sealed as well as any other bottle I had purchased until I opened it. The cork seemed to work fine as well though I made a notation on the box I kept the bottle stored in to remember to turn the cork only clockwise when removing so I would not cause it to tear or separate and this worked just fine for the three times I had occasion to drink from it.
Well, a week ago from this past Saturday (12/20/08) I desired another drink of Strathisla and removed the cork in the way I taught myself to and the worst happened. The cork severed completely from the cap and became stuck in the neck of the bottle. Well, that’s alright I thought to myself. I’ll just get the corkscrew, remove it and replace the cork in the bottle like I would a bottle of wine. Simple, huh? I got the corkscrew and began to slowly work it into the cork and before I even made a complete turn the cork worked loose and fell becoming part of the contents – a situation that did not agree with me at all. Well, now I didn’t know what to do. I sat stewing about it for a few minutes before coming up with the next part of the plan. I fetched a teapot from the cupboard and poured the Strathisla into it – it was a perfect fit too! The cork remained in the bottle and I just discarded that mess. Next I shined a flashlight into the teapot and inspected the surface for any portions of the cork that may be floating and found only a single tiny piece which I removed with a spoon. Then I placed the cover on the teapot, placed my finger tightly on the spout and gently swirled and then agitated it for a second to force any other foreign matter to come to the surface. Nothing. I then poured the Strathisla into an empty bottle of Tomatin which I had saved since I’d finished it earlier this summer – I wasn’t sure why I had but I was glad I did! I haven’t had a drink from it since I made the transfer but I’m not expecting any disappointment either. In any case I’m very, very happy that a potential crisis was averted.
