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There was a time when a perfect night out for Chicagoist consisted of last call at the Green Mill, a cigar, and a dram of good single malt scotch. We don't get to the Green Mill as near as we'd like - because we don't stay out until sunrise anymore - and we stopped smoking cigars years ago. Thankfully, we can still enjoy a good single malt without the other two.
There's a single malt scotch for every taste. Some of us love the "peat monsters" of Islay. Others prefer the more subtle flavors found in Highland malts or the spicy beasts of the Island single malts. If it's elegance you're looking for in a single malt, a Speyside malt usually does the trick. Then there are those of us blasphemers who often disregard Scotland altogether and look to the Land of the Rising Sun for a complex single malt. Yup, you don't have to stick to Scotland to find a good single malt. Single malt scotches are produced all over the world.
Of course, we have our favorites, which we've listed after the jump.
Isle of Jura 16-Year-Old Island Single Malt: Island malts usually fall under a subcategory of Highland malts. They're often known for their bright spice and hints of citrus and honey. Isle of Jura's 16-year-old single malt benefits from aging. The 10 and 12-year-old versions of this Island malt will set your mouth on fire. The spice on the 16-year-old version is refined, palatable, and intended for slow sipping, possibly over a cognac dipped cigarillo.
Old Pulteney 17-Year-Old: One of the worst-kept secrets about single malt distilling is that sometimes caramel is added to give the scotch a darker appearance. This is largely due to the fact that the barrels the distilleries are using come from bourbon, sherry, and cognac distilleries. After a couple of go-rounds, the scotch has absorbed all the color that it can from the wood. Old Pulteney 17-year-old single malt, another Highland malt, has a straw color, which indicates that most fo the color is coming from the malt. Old Pulteney has a thick flavor reminiscent of honey. this is a very upfront malt on the palate. It's probably one of our favorite summer single malts.
Yamazaki 18-Year-Old Single Malt: The Japanese have been making quality single malt scotch for over eighty years. Suntory's Yamazaki single malts are aged in three different types of oak - American, Spanish, and Japanese. each lends a different quality to the scotch. Yamazaki 18-year-old single malt has a prominent toffee flavor, with a hint of butterscotch and black cherry, along with a spice that casual scotch fans might mistake for peat. The dry finish of this scotch makes for an ideal apéritif.
Glenrothes Select Reserve: If you want a classic Speyside single malt, you cannot go wrong with Glenrothes. Their Select Reserve line is rich in vanilla, orange, and dark plum flavors. It's almost a dessert in itself.
"Lost in Translation" photo via Pigmotel.com
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I am partial to Laphroaig. It has a great peat, smokey, oak taste. Mike at Delilah's introduced the the scotch to my boyfriend and me a few years back. It's perfect for a chilly evening watching the snow fall.
Delilah's is a great place, by the way, to get a taste of various scotches before going out and buying an expensive bottle. And Mike really knows his shit when it comes to hard liquor.
I, too, love Laphroaig, and my mission this year is to find one better. So far, a few have come close, but nothing can top it.
Any suggestions?
Yamazaki is not scotch, it is a single malt whiskey. Scotch only comes from Scotland, much like the difference between sparkling wines and champagne.
Glenrothes is an excellent pick. I also like Bowmore quite a bit. New scotch drinkers should give Macallan a go since it should be easier to find than many of these at the local bar and is much better than the typical offerings (Glenlivet).
If you like Laphroaig, I'd give Lagavulin (16yr) a try. Allegedly, I guess depending on which side you're on, the Lagavulin founders tried to imitate Laphroaig way back in the day, but had a different water source on their property, hence the different flavor...
Anyways - definitely my fav, tons of peaty smokiness to it, and yet, somewhat sweet at the finish. There's other bottlings besides the 16yr, but they're either harder to find or way out of my price range to buy.
While I never foresee myself buying a bottle, I do enjoy Mike's suggestions at Delilahs. While you are there siping on the incredibles, try one of the pre-prohibition whiskies for fun!
My favorite scotch has to be Lagavulin. It is a single malt Scotch Whisky produced on the island of Islay. I would describe it as the "aristocrat" of Islays. It has an unmistakable, powerful, peat-smoke aroma. It is robustly full bodied, well balanced and smooth with a slight sweetness on the palate. A must for my fellow Scotch Hunters. Slainte!
A great website to check out to find out more about Single Malt Scotch is http://www.scotchhunter.com. They have a great tasting notes section and even a huge star ratings list that really can help pick a great single malt. If you still aren't sure which one you want, go ahead and send them a question. I did and got back all kinds of great information back the very same day!