Chicagoist: A Sucker for a Single Malt

guest

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 20:19:23 -0600

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!

JoeM500

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 19:22:48 -0600

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!

guest

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 16:57:17 -0600

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.

guest

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 14:14:27 -0600

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).

guest

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 14:10:01 -0600

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?

sparky

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 13:46:36 -0600

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.