How long have you and Scotch been together ?
Just over a month. In the past I tried
Johnnie Walker Red Label blended scotch which I would discover isn't really meant to be drank neat, it's more of a mixer and is essentially gasoline. Haha I could only smell tobacco notes and grain alcohol. A few months after that experience I bought something a bit more pricey
The Glenlivet 12 and all I could smell or taste was essentially the alcohol, although it went down more smooth than Johnnie Walker.
I was turned off by scotch after that and went on to try different Bourbons such as Maker's Mark, Bulleit Bourbon, and a few others and none of those really suited my pallet.
For a while I thought I was going to be resigned to drinking Rum and Coke or Vodka mixed with grapefruit juice anytime I went out to a place that served alcohol or just simply stick with beer.
A few years went by that way and a couple weeks into August I stumbled across some whisky reviews on YouTube and watched a video about a single malt scotch called
Jura: Superstition that was "slightly peated" and I had no idea what "peated" at that time and I did a Google search and more or less it means "smokey" and that sounded good and I went to the liquor store and picked up a small bottle.
I came home with it and was excited to give it a try, unwrapped the seal, pulled off the cork and poured it into a tulip shaped glass. I nosed it, gently at first and smelled none of this smokiness then a went in a little more aggressively and once again no smoke. All I got was alcohol. My novice nose could not pick up on any other aromas other than perhaps a little sweetness, but that's it.
I gave it a small taste and I got nothing besides alcohol burn and again a little sweetness. No smoke! Let down, again!
At that point I was a little upset. I thought I gave the things I tried a fair shake, I didn't think I should have to hunt for flavors and aromas and I was either a matter of I was going to like it or I wasn't. So I was like fuck it, what is one of the most highly "peated" whiskys available? Because whatever it is I am going to go and buy it because goddamnit I want to taste some smoke!
I consulted Google again and came across several from the Isle of Islay of the West Coast of Scotland.
Ardbeg 10,
Lagavulin 16,
Laphroaig 10 etc... I YouTubed reviews for those three specifically, watched several about each and when I heard a man by the name of Horst Luening describe Laphroaig 10 as something that if you gave it to a novice it might turn them off scotch forever, I said "Challenge Accepted!" because what did I have to lose? I already was more or less turned off of scotch, so if I hate it then oh well it will be just another disappointment in my whisk[e]y drinking ventures so whoopie-fuckin'-do!!!
I go out the following day and pick up a bottle of Laphroaig 10 get back home and open it. The moment I pour it into the glass a weird medicinal hospital solvent cleaner mixed with bonfire smoke engulfed my nostrils. I thought "Holy shit, I can actually smell something besides alcohol!"
Imagine a box of band-aids and set it briefly on fire and oddly enough I thought it smelled kind of good.
I was apprehensive but excited to give it a taste. The instant it hit my tongue it tasted like I had just bit down on a charred oak stick, bonfire smoke, ash, and beautiful brine note.
I fell
in love with it at first sip! Amazing.
As mentioned previously this was approximately a bit over a month ago. Since then I have went on to try other peated scotch like Lagavulin 16 and Talisker 10 . . . right now Lagavulin 16 is my second favorite after Laphroaig 10.
That was a life changing experience for me and I am inspired to start my own distillery one day. :ROFL3:
I highly recommend giving it a try if you haven't.
