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Trenton can not go 3 episodes in a row without showing the people that he lives under a rock.. how have you never had cheesecake? Also, Kurt, more scotch content please! Can you do a show that highlights your favorite bottles from each region (islay, highland, speyside etc) or maybe the Quintessential bottle for each region.
Hitting Trenton with Wee Beastie was solid gold. 😂 Not sure if his reaction or his tasting notes, said in disgust but actually spot on, were funnier. Great video guys!
"Tastes like a cheesecake, but I've never had it before" -Trenton Beautiful review. 😅 Kurt is the man, these are all excellent choices for intro to good scotch on a budget! There's nuance to scotch, and a palette that has an acquired taste for savory. Bourbon is sweeeet, so I understand the dislikes. Just a surprise knowing how much whiskey is consumed by Trent and to hate it that much 🤣
Highland Park 12 is my favorite "budget" scotch. Lightly peated, and an excellent flavor profile for the relative price. Would definitely love to hear the top 5 budget ryes list!
My own journey with scotch and bourbon started at the Highland Park distillery in the summer of 1998 ... at a tasting there, I picked up sea oats in the nose. I was so happy I actually "nosed" something, it became my favorite scotch ;-).
My scotch go-tos are Balvenie Doublewood and Dalmore 12. They're on the sweeter end so for bourbon drinkers they will be more approachable and both are not peated.
I like all whiskeys. My first smokey pitted scotch was the Lagavulin 16 yr. old. I vowed never to drink peated smokey scotches or any other pitted whiskey. You would have to put a gun to my head to make me drink it. That was 5 yrs ago. A month a go I tried a lightly pitted scotch, the Teacher's Highland Cream scotch. It was fabulous. I believe that within the next few months I'll be able to drink the Lagavulin. The teachers was a great entry level to acquiring a taste for the more heavily peated whiskies, and it's a great budget whiskey picked it up for $14. Cheers!
My budget scotches are Naked Malt, Monkey Shoulder, and Wee Beastie along with Teacher’s for mixing and scotch and soda. I've played with mixing Wee Beastie and Wee Beastie to try to create a poor-man's Uigeadail with moderate success (good palate, not as good of a finish). Might be an experiment you (Kurt) might like to try.
I really appreciate these 'budget' reviews. I am a believer that high cost is often a sign of rarity, not necessarily quality. As far as these Scotch Whiskys...I love the Ardbeg. And Trent made me laugh. I know peat isn't for everyone but I am definitely a peathead. In fact my introduction to Scotch was Laphroaig 10 Year Cask Strength. It remains one of my favorite Whiskys. I hope you do a budget Rye review. I am also a big fan of Rye! Thanks for the great reviews!!! 👍
Great line up, thanks for featuring these affordable scotches. 6-7 yrs ago I splurged on my birthday at a local piano bar with an excellent scotch inventory. I bought a deep pour of crazy expensive old (18yr?) Islay scotch (can't remember, was Ardbeg or Laphroag). Wow, it was like drinking WW-1 trench wound iodine treatment. It got better by the last sip. I've never had any parted scotch that old since but now do occasionally enjoy a milder peaty pour like Kurt's 5 yr Ardbeg. Definitely an acquired taste.
Get Trent a bottle of the new Dewars 12 year aged in first fill bourbon barrels. I had a little trouble finding a bottle (it has a copper label and specifies first fill) but it is very much a bourbon drinkers Scotch. I'd be curious to hear what he thinks. Looking forward to seeing what you all pick for the budget rye video and how it compares to what I would select. Great video as always guys!
I love this topic. I've had 3 of the 5 and really appreciate the suggestions of the other 2. I'd love to see you expand this to a $50-$100 range in a future. Just please leave Trenton behind the camera. If he's not open to Scotch then forcing him and defending the spirit for significant time takes away from the subject matter. I have no problem watching Kurt by himself for this series the same way I did for at least a year before Trenton got in front of the camera. It would be great to do an introduction to Japanese whiskey at some point. I can see it gaining shelf space all the time and Kurt has mentioned that is something he enjoys. That topic would be a great one. Thanks for great videos
Great show. Got to visit Ardbeg and Deanston last year. Will be on the look out for that Glencadam. Trenton, don't stop trying the scotches. It may just grow on ya. Cheers!
Love the scotch content! This is my whiskey of choice, and being young and recently married I am always on the lookout for delicious bargain malts! I like single malt offerings generally. It was a pleasure seeing the Wee Beastie on this list!! I happen to have just grabbed a bottle myself this last week and, for the price tag, I think it may be the most enjoyable I have ever bought.
Ardbeg Wee Beastie is by far my favorite of the "budgets" but the price keeps going up to where it's barely 10 dollars less than the 10 year. I have a bottle of the Naked Malt right now I got on sale for 30 and it's been pretty decent.
I have been waiting for Trenton to try wee beastie and this didn't disappoint !! Loved his facial.expreasion. I let my brother in law smell it and he said don't you dare get that thing anywhere near my glass lol. I really like it.
Trenton, you may want to try these two. As a fellow bourbon drinker, not too into scotch, I really enjoy them. Glenfidich 14 Balvenie double wood 12 A few that I’ve seen recommended for similar purposes: Compass Box SpiceTree Macalan 12 sherry oak Abelour abunah Bunnahabhain 12 Deanston 12 Glenmorangie Quinta Rubin 14 Oban 14 Talisker 10
Good to see that Trent survived! Thanks for being a good sport and taking 5 for the team. Really enjoying this series of videos. They are very helpful for those of us starting our journey.
Great show chaps, please keep going Kurt to show Trenton the value of a malt! Was on holiday last year a few miles from the Glencadman distillery and came back with a few samples; it’s become my go to daily drinker.
Maybe the funniest episode I’ve seen! Trenton’s reaction to the smoky stuff is so much like me. Loved watching this and hoping you do the rye show you suggested.
With regards to peat, I was Trent prior to 2017. Then a friend gifted me a Laphroaig 10. I wasn't sure at first sniff, but after I finished it, I became Kurt. What a terrible sign of the times that most of these "budget" bottles are >$40. I'd also recommend Glengoyne 10 or 12 if you run across them for a less expensive pour. Talisker Storm and Oban Little Bay are also
That was very nice episode guys! I've got the same love as you Kurt, peated whisky is very good. I started to drink peated scotch whisky with Talisker 10yo. Malted barley is really delicate peated, about 20p.p.m as I remember and you've got campifire notes and a little bit salty like sea salt, they said that there is marine flavours and also smoky. The next one was Lagavulin 16yo and it's now my top of the top. It's the best marriage of peated whisky with sherry notes. You've got so many red fruits, dried fruits, raisins and all of this in very nice smoke. Add it to your "whish list" it's worth. I've got on my "whish list" Laphroaig PX Cask it's also peated Islay Single Malt Scotch whisky and it's from sherry Pedro Ximenez casks. So please Kurt do your job with Scotch whisky, and of course give a big hug for Trenton - keep your mind open and don't give up Trenton - world of whisky is beautiful! Greetings from Poland guys! I really enjoy your videos, and I thank God that we've in Poland so many different Scotch whisky, and I'm also thankful to my friend Spencer from US that he bring me to Poland some rare in our country bourbons like Eagle Rare and Blanton's! Na zdrowie! 😊
Love the info on scotch. I have gone from total ignorance a few months ago to having tried several at a Robby Burns dinner in January. Enjoyed the Highland and Speyside single malts, lots of vanilla and honey. Then we had an Islay, Laphroaig 16 year, and that was an eye opener. Main tasting note was iodine, but still I can't say I didn't like it. Anyway, always open to learning more on this subject. And YES, budget ryes please! Thanks guys!
Great show. These shows are guiding me. Do the budget rye show! Throw Templeton Rye in there. My best friend loves it. I would like to know what you think.
Thank you for clearing up my confusion with the Naked Grouse. I was looking for it at the store and only saw the Naked Malt with the barrel and assumed it was something different so I passed it up haha.
I started with Bourbon and moved totally to scotch. After drinking scotch it was hard to go back. Your show re-invigorated my love of bourbon again. I still love scotch though.
OMG, I love your videos! Little soot, little ash, fudge, yum yum 😅 Awesome! National treasure?YES! Trenton, teaming with your dad is just perfect 👍 Great Video
1) More Scotch videos. I don’t know what’s better, learning about new scotch or watching Trenton. 2) Amber alert for Highland Park 12 and Gelnfiddich 12 at $45!! Good value with those ages too
Thanks for the fun video. I laughed as soon as I saw the Ardbeg. No matter how you cut it, that's an advanced Scotch. It takes a lot of tastings to get past the campfire and peat, and learn to notice (and appreciate) the other notes. But the list wouldn't have been complete without a peatmonster. Although the $50 price point is pretty hard these days, here are some other good values: Highland Park Magnus/Highland Park 12; Bunnahabhain Stiuireadair; Copper Dog blended malt; Cutty Sark Prohibition, Old Pulteney 12, one of the Dewars "smooth casks" (Rum is good) and the granddaddy....Glenlivet 12.
It would be fun to see an American single malt. I just picked up the new Yellowstone American single malt and was pleasantly surprised. Would love to see other American single malt suggestions
Great selections Kurt. I cannot in any way understand how Trenton can hate scotch. I love bourbon. I also love scotch. Yes, you can love both! The Ardbeg was classic. Trenton says he hates smoke and you hit him with an Ardbeg.
I bust out laughing at "That smells awesome to me" "HOW???" When I was younger I remember being told that Scotch whiskies, especially the more heavily peated ones, were an acquired taste. Well, I acquired that taste with my first glass of Scotch at age 19 and have loved it in all its iterations ever since...along with Bourbon, Irish, Japanese, Indian, etc. I don't discriminate when it comes to whiskey. :)
Ardbeg for the win. Wee Beastie is the exact Scotch my son said smelled like Sharpie. I prefer it over Laphroig 10. I swear I am standing on a salt marsh as soon as it hits my nose. Love it. Trenton's reaction was awesome
If you like the Compass Box Artist blend, for the price point in that lower range, you'd really like Compass Box Orchard House. Did a video on it. I'm like Trenton, not a fan of Scotch, but the Orchard House was great.
Naked is a good blend. I do enjoy Pig's Nose as a really good budget blended. It was recommended to a friend of mine from Scottish patrons in a Scotland Pub.
For around $70, there are many great options for single malt Scotch, but there aren't a lot of great budget options. Bourbon and rye have a lot more options in that price range. The only Scotch I have purchased recently that is in the $40 range is Glenlivet 12-year Illicit Still. It is a 48% ABV, non chill filtered version of Glenlivet 12. Unfortunately, it has added color, but it is a big step in the right direction from the standard product, and the price is hard to beat. Deanston and Ardbeg have never disappointed me. I haven't tried these budget versions yet, but I'll be tempted to try them if they turn up at a bar. I don't have room in my collection for more bottles of whisky right now.
Most scotch whiskies are aged in first fill bourbon casks, and some can be finished in sherry casks. Great selections. Non chill filtered and no color added is the gold standard. Peat is definitely an acquired taste.
Thank you For the scotch show. .I'm going to try Naked Malt this week since it's available here in central VA. I'd like to see a show on American Malt Whiskys...... and yes, cby all means get Trent a cheesecake!
I'm only just getting into scotch hard for a few months now. Would definitely love to see how you like some of the more budget versions of things you had in your best of last year. Like Kilchoman Machir Bay normal / cask strength rather than the Loch Gorm or Glenalchie 12 or 15 rather than the 18 (granted that 18 is the best thing I've ever found for scotch).
Trenton has never had cheesecake?!?! How can that be?! Wow!!! I've never had any of the Ardbegs, but some day I will. I'm curious about it's peatiness. I can't seem to find Ardbeg 10, but that's the one that interests me most. I will also try the Deanston Virgin Oak. Thanks for the recommendations, Kurt! Now get that boy some cheesecake!!!
