A blended scotch whisky will soon be launched after being successfully funded on crowdsourced startup birthplace Kickstarter…. At any rate, your money is better spent on a product from a passionate small-business venture like SIA than on yet another bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label. Go SIA!
In an ongoing attempt to make this site pay for itself, I’ve joined a new (more respectable) ad network. Hopefully the impact to my loyal readers will be minimized, but please let me know via the Contact Form or via email at nathan (at) scotchnoob (dot) com if you see any objectionable content in the …
Despite its faults this could easily serve as a “third round” scotch or sacrificial bottle for undiscerning visitors. I would say this particular bottle is worth exactly $26. Right on, Mr. Trader Joe.
This isn’t awful. It’s a simple, single-note dram with no complexity, but not as faulty as others at this price point. The black pepper on the nose is interesting, and the raw grain whiskey doesn’t announce itself on the tongue like other competitors do.
I like to think that the cause of the historically established whisky bubble/bust cycle is twofold. One, the law of supply and demand coupled with the lengthy aging process of whisky. Two, the capriciousness of public opinion and global taste trends.
Around this time of year I get a lot of emails from people asking for gift suggestions. So, I’ve worked up a handy little chart for anyone who wants to gift something “slightly better” than last year’s gift.
…that makes it my “desert island” whisky book, and the one I would recommend anchor any whisky lover’s library. If Dave Broom’s World Atlas of Whisky were a dram, I would definitely award it with a “Must Have” rating.
An interesting one. It has almost no presence in the nose, but shows really nice body on the tongue. It isn’t until the finish that the flavors really come to life. Seems odd to skip the smelling and tasting stages to get to the good stuff, but there it is.
Ok, fine, it’s really not that bad. It has some nice floral elements in the nose, a straightforward flavor, and not too much bitterness on the finish. For $30, you could certainly do worse, but I feel that for a little more money, one could enjoy a wide variety of single-malts that shine in their own ways.
Whisky enthusiasts are easy to buy for. Most of us are happy to try a new and unfamiliar Scotch, and will be enthused to drain the bottle even if it doesn’t become a new favorite. Here are my top 10 suggestions for giving whisky gifts in 2012.