5 Scotches you NEED! 

I’m a rum drinker and just had Wild Turkey 101 after watching your Bourbon video with an awesome cigar and I can’t tell you I’m now in love with Bourbon! Thank you I’m now on a journey to seek out other bourbons.

The Uigeadail costs much more than $30-35, but worth the $80 price. Good choices overall.

The smile on your face when pouring the DKA3 said it all....Cheers.🥃

That is a fantastic collection!! Well done, Sir!

You keep reminding us, in your modest ways, that you’re not a whiskey expert/specialist, but your videos are incredibly informative and your whiskey knowledge and insights are commendable. Above all, I really like your comprehensive approach to what’s available on the whiskey scene, and the practical categories in which you present the products.

Great review! We went on a binge yesterday, and one was the Bruichladdich. WOW! Intense and delicious! And I'm one of those peaty people, and it's good to branch out. You rock! 🥃

I absolutely love the Classic Laddie and the Highlandpark 12. Thanks for the video!

Great advice, I will start to track them down. Great videos, thank you from the UK.

That's a lot of whisk(e)y for a regular guy and five years! Glad you found a fulfilling hobby. I've got my lineup and it's limited to about 10 bottles. Nice post !

ALWAYS A GREAT SERIES THANKS SLB!!

Thanks for doing Scotch!!! Your list is fantastic! Wonderful descriptions . I think both Monkey Shoulder and Naked Grouse are Pure Malts, basically blended malts, so no grain whisky in there. Johnny Walker Green is also a Pure Malt. In Scotland Islay is pronounced I-Luh or Eye-La.

Love that you mentioned the Distiller app! I have been using it since day one and would drive my wife nuts everytime I went in the store. Love the list function as well too help focus when hunting.

Solid list! Love that you have three Islay malts! Slainte y'all! 🥃

I know these are all about personal taste. You do a great job of covering the spectrum for everyone. I'm a non-peated scotch drinker myself. I'm going to try that classic laddie. Great video.

“And whoever is the master blender, this had to be just like a mad scientist that just came out with nothing but beauty in the end.” Best thing I’ve ever heard. They should put that review on the bottle pressed in gold foil. 👌🏻

So glad to hear Distiller mentioned in this video. Indispensable tool for newbs like me, who need help navigating the scene. Indispensable for intermediates (which I am aspiring to be), to help keep track of tasting notes, wishlist items, tracking bottles on hand. Indispensable for anyone really.

Just great stuff Bro! Thanks!

Your list is spot on.

Love your videos man keep it up

Thank you for producing this awesome video. I’m somewhat new to scotch whisky as a guy in my late 60’s. They say it’s an acquired taste and I ain’t got time for fooling around! Next, I’m going to try Classic Laddie.

Just tried the Classic Laddie, very impressed! Thank you for the reviews!

I'm completely new so thank you for enlightening me about the distiller app. As I said I'm a noobie and what amazes me most is how the experts can find so many flavours when they do the nose thing. That said, my son has a bed and breakfast place on the Isle of Skye. He said he did a whisky tasting for some guests and he read up and remembered what was on the label and the guests lapped it up. I'm planning on doing my first distillery tour next week. Great show.

We share an experience with the Ardbeg, my wife couldn't stand to be in the same room if I was drinking it. I found that Caol Ila made for a mutually acceptable compromise.

Your local prices are fantastic congrats!

Well done.

I'm a big scotch drinker have had both Ardbeg and Dalmore but neither are staples in my cabinet. Will have to revisit these two offerings. Right now my impress your guest is a 20 year McCallum. Daily drinker Oban. Love the Balvenie Carribean and their Double Wood. So many options in Scotch with a broad spectrum of flavor profiles.

Thanks, great episode

My Friday night pour is Ardbeg 10

New Sub here! I TOTALLY and UTTERLY appreciate the fact you put PRICES in there! It helps make a more informed decision, if you will.... Many great choices in here.... I'm no expert and don't own a bar but I do enjoy meself a dram every. single. day. Glenfiddich 16, JW green label & Laga 16 being my top 3 right now... Keep up the good work mate! Greetings from Baja, Mexico! Cheers!

I am decidedly not a regular Scotch drinker at all, but I’ve come to really appreciate Oban 14.

Great video. I put scotch drinkers in two categories-peaties or other. Glad you are slowly liking the good stuff! Classic laddie was my first venture of any scotch and still enjoy. Grants is a great cheap mixer. Again, good info. Slainte

Man, you seriously have me drooling right now. I’m going to Scotland in July, and my mission is to bring home a SUITCASE full of scotch (as well as schmoozing the wife and her mom to pack a bottle or two in their suitcases lol). I’ve not tinkered with the blends much at all, though I’ve been really wanting to try the Monkey & the Grouse. I’ve been dipping my toes in scotch with some good budget Speyside picks, and now it’s time to start really getting into it. I’ll be bring home at least a couple of Islays, several Highlands, and who knows what else. Hell, I might even pay an overweight luggage fee and just shoot for the moon here. Love your videos!!!

I am so glad to see a review of Scotch Whisky! Wish Curt would do more frequent reviews of Scotch, especially, in the 30 to 60$ price range (you know, the range retired people like myself can afford !)

This man's mixer is the price of my sippers

Bunnahabhain is a staple in my whiskey cabinet. Most of my favorite scotches are sherry cask influenced highland single malts. Glenfarclas, Glenallachie, Tamdhu, Glendronach, Aberlour, etc.

I'm a new whisky drinker and my first experience was with The Sassenach. I absolutely loved it! It is a blended scotch that won several awards in the US, and was created by the actor, Sam Heughan. I'd be interested in what you think, if you ever happen to get your hands on a bottle.

My friday night is Dalmore KA III. Love it. And a great price at the duty free.

finally three scotches I have in my collection! Never hit 3 of 5 before!

I see someone mentioned Islay is pronounced eye-luh, but hoping to be helpful: It's also Oog-uh-doll for that Ardbeg offering, and Bunna-hah-ven (Some Scots say it as SLB says it here, but the Gaelic bh is a v sound). Thanks for the rec on the Dalmore, btw. Right now my special occasion is a blend called the Sassenach (rec'd on a podcast, and I love it) but the Dalmore sounds right impressive.

Great channel.. just picked up the classic vladdie

To explore Scotch whisky is really like going on a journey that never ends. For beginners, the heavy smoky Islay types of whisky like Ardbeg, Laphroaig and Lagavulin may be a bit much but they really grow on you. The special year editions (12 year) old from Lagavulin are fantastic, especially 2017, 2019 and 2020. They do cost quite a lot but they are fantastic. One of the fantastic young malts is the Arran 10 year old. This is a fantastic whisky. A bit more advanced could be the Springbank 15 year old, if you can find it. This is also a fantastic non-peat whisky. If smoke is not your thing, there are an infinite range of possibilities with Scottish malt whisky.

Hahaha, my first peated scotch was a Laphroaig 10. I absolutely hated it. Was like drinking a campfire. Bought a Hakushu 12 without realizing it was peated. Years later, I've developed a taste for it. I just opened a Glen Moray peated and love it.

Your words are the gold

Hey Kurt if you don’t have Highland Park in your bar you should pick some up. It would be my Friday night pour hands down.

What a bar!!!

Really enjoyed your video

First time I tried Ardbeg I thought it was finished in 1973 Buick ashtray. Actually enjoy it now.

Enjoyed your video. Stumbled onto your channel and subscribed after seeing your rec's. I think we have similar preferences, and I appreciate your humble honesty. Don't see Bunnahabhain mentioned too frequently, but it's one of my favorites. I have the 12, 18 and 25 and love them all for different reasons. The 25Y is hard to drink without having an urge to see if I may have lost my wallet though, so I probably wont' buy it again.

Hey old man, although I just turned 60, maybe it's the other way around, I'm the old guy. Just the show I've been looking for, love the learning aspect for sure. I will subscribe and give it a shot, thx.

Great channel and this video’s concept for a top 5. I’ll have to dig out the Bruichladdich Laddie as I don’t know it, and I trust your judgement after watching this. For the record my choices would be: Daily Drinker : Glenmorangie 10 Cheap Mixer: Grants (completely peerless as a cheap blend) Friday Night Dram: Redbreast 12, or if it has to be Scotch Ardberg Uigeadail (but I’d prefer the Redbreast if permitted to bend the rules…) Impress a Guest: Ballantine 17. A trick one here, guests would expect a single malt, so you want to pull something from left-field: this is a stunning expression of the blender’s much underestimated art. Special Occasion: Any Macallan 18 years and up.

great list

very nice info , started getting serious about 5 years ago.. how do you feel about talisker 18 or the 11 year special edition?

Excellent I’ll. E following you👍

Glengoyne 12 would be my choice for everyday sipper or Friday night whiskey. It’s simply delicious. Not well known in the states and hard to find, but wow it’s good. $60ish on the price in my area, when found

Haven't tried any of the Scotch Whiskeys you have mentioned but I am just getting into Scotch now so there is plenty of time. I have only tried Johnnie Walker atm. Will surely try some others before I am done and hopefully some you mentioned here.

Grouse is the most widely sold Scotch in Scotland. Good stuff.

That is a nice bar.

Auchentoshan Three Wood is very nice. ( Scotch not from Scotland. Stranahan's Diamond Peak ) Both are moderately priced. Give them a try. Your mileage may vary.

classic laddie is my favorite daily as well. i used to be a jameson guy till a friend showed me classic laddie and red breast irish whiskey. classic laddie is what got me to go $50 up and since then i have tried highland park 12 and balvenie 14yr. i want to try your #3 and #4.

The nicest whiskey I've drank so far in my short drinking life (whisky drinking of around 25ys)im 55yrs old is Slow&Low (Rock&Rye)

Thank you for the tip on the Distillers App!

Wow, a bottle for 50-60 bucks as a daily drinker! My daily drink is Connemara Peated Single malt like 20-25$ I don't have a cheap mix because I don't take them. Friday night pour I take Ardberg 5 Wee Beastie, I prefer the young Islay's Whiskys. To impress a guest, I will take with no doubt Tomatin Legacy, just 35 bucks and one of the best in the world right now. And last but not least, the bottle that I only open on special occasions, there, I agree with you, Dalmore King Alexander III is liquid gold, there is nothing quite like it and every time you drink it it improves and changes.

Just found your channel and love it. I like the every-man, no nonsense reviews that you give. I’m new to bourbon but have been collecting for about 6 months now. Your reviews, imo, surpass many of the “professional” tasters. I get the feeling that those guys make up a lot of the bs that they talk about just for clicks.

I find that I prefer the Speyside single malts first, with the Northern Highlands second. Speaking of Highlands, I agree with you about the Dalmores. :-) But none of the Islay varieties that I've tried have agreed with me.

Old Pulteney 12 very nice slight saltiness and Arran Robert Burns nice caramel butterscotch . Burns quite reasonably priced.

Not sure a daily drinker does the classic laddie justice. A superb bottle of whisky with a high abv for the price. Just full of flavour. Only tried it due to watching your channel in the first place. So thank you.

Firstly, enjoying your content. Secondly, if you haven't tried it and can even find it these days, Lagavulin 16 is a great impress-your-guests choice.

Regular pour, Macallan 12. Friday pour, Balvenie doublewood. Special occasions, king alexander. Day i pay off my mortgage, 30 year Glenrothes AND my 30 year Balvenie

Ardbeg Rollercoaster was matured in 12 different casks. My favorite of all Ardbegs.

My friday pour is Dalmore 12 so tasty !

I like all your choices, they show a good variety of styles. I would only argue with Dalmore, and I'll tell you why. Ralfy likes to say for a true "craft" presentation, a Single malt should have 3 things. NCF, no added coloring, 46%. Dalmore fails all 3. That being said, I'm sure the whiskey is fine. I also listed some of my options below. Hope you check out Glengoyne if you haven't. I don't actually mix scotch so don't have a cheap mixer. Daily drinker varies, but I am a huge Glengoyne fan and their 12yo is only $40 or so. Old Pulteney 12 would be another good choice. Friday night pour I would go with anything from Clynelish, usually the 14yo, unfortunately, the price went way up with the tariff and hasn't recovered. Impress your guest I would go with Springbank 12 CS. Springbank is a spectacular craft distillery and the 12 CS is a sherry bomb. Special occasion for me would be Glengoyne 21yo. Glengoyne was one of the best values in single malts and I was getting the 21yo for $140. Sadly I see that has changed as well. Cheers

😆😆that's a hell if a basement you got there bud!!

Glengoyne 18 is my Friday night drinker in the winter.

Thanks from a Johnny drinker (Double Black, Green, Gold) looking to expand my palate

Love the Dalmore King Alexander III. Ardbeg is a great choice

Talisker 10, Lagavullin 16, Ardbeg 10, Oban 14 and Glenlivet 12. Of course, zillions more :) Most of those are too sweet for my palate, but I do like regular and peated.

I drink both scotch and bourbon. I tend to enjoy them both based on mood or to changed things up here and there. I enjoyed this video. The only thing I would have changed up for my particular taste, is maybe have a Glenmorangie the Original as my "daily drinker". And possibly Oban 14 as my "Friday Night drinker". Other than that I would have to agree with much of what you said. I've enjoyed this in a few others of your videos. Thanks.

Monkey Shoulder was my first scotch I liked it neat, on ice and mixed I’m looking to try the classic laddie next

The original bruichladdich was a loverly 10 year old single malt, the trouble is the classic laddie and those unaged, are course distalates and very disapointing. If you can get it try Penderyn, Welsh whisky, very reasonably priced and a treat.

I agree with Naked Grouse! An Everyday sipper without emptying the bank. You need to have the Balvenie 12yr Doublewood, thats your every other day dram. Slainte!🥃

Haha the look on his face when he poured the Dalmore was great

Shout out to you sir for listing the Bunna 18. Only available for 1-2 weeks a year where I am.

Best cheap mixer - Johnny Walker double black

If you can get hold of a copy, read a book called "Raw Spirit (In Search of the Perfect Dram)" written back in 2003 by the late great Iain Banks. He drove and took trains etc. all over Scotland for months, visiting distilleries, finding their history and speaking to the people in them, and of course tasting all their whisky!! Great little book, and funny as hell! Of course when all his friends heard about what his project was, they couldn't volunteer fast enough - "You'll definitely need a hand with this!"- almost every chapter starts like that! The book is a real education on Scotch Single Malt, the culture behind it and how it's made, and where it's made. Iain Banks' choice? Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 year old, but many others could have been there - Glenmorangie, Talisker, Macallan, Highland Park, Springbank, without even mentioning the Islay malts. The variety is huge!

I had a bottle of King Alexander III. It really is a special dram. I think that it could be even better with a little higher abv. , about 46°.

There are 2 budget scotches that I love as everyday drinkers AND mixers….White Horse and Teacher’s Highland Cream. I know Monkey Shoulder gets a lot of hype…but I think White Horse and Teacher’s Highland Cream (especially White Horse) are both superior and literally half the price. Gotta try them, i promise you’ll be surprised.

I used to drink Single Malt daily, and then I remembered when I enjoyed blended scotch or even Canadian whiskey. So, I went back and realized I still enjoy them, and they were a lot less expensive. Now I open up a single malt for a special occasions (Christmas, birthday or just with a good cigar). The Dalmore 12 (circa $50 back then) was my first love, and my biggest disappointment was the Dalmore Cigar Malt (circa $220). My weddings and new grandchildren scotch is JW Blue (circa $220). It is not a single malt, but it is quite special. My fun scotch is Shackleton, (named for the explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton), nicely blended with a hint of peat.

My special occasion is The Dalmore 18. I like Glenlivet 18 too and it’s less than half the price of The Dalmore 18. I also have the Bunnahabhain 18. They are the only ones I drink on a semi-regular basis. I have a friend who likes Laphroaig but it’s not for me. I heard it compared to drinking a burning hospital. Thanks for the reviews! I will have to try some of these.

Hello Kurt, just discovered your channel and I very much enjoy your presentation. Question: You quoted peat levels in terms of ppm. Where do you get that information? I currently have Talisker, Oban, Laphroig and Lagavulin on hand. None of the bottles quote ppm.

I'm new to your channel and I am enjoying it very much. I appreciate that your not a "whiskey snob" and quite humble. Your background music makes me want to grab a fine cigar and a Glenfiddich. Cheers 🍸 Edit: Question, I have a house warming party to attend for a friend , yours thoughts on a sub $100 scotch?

Go to tastings at your good local bottle shop. In my area we have 4 who have tastings monthly or quarterly. Also flights of scotch or bourbon at a good local bar is excellent. I drink sour mash, bourbon and scotch yet some bottles I hate from the same distillery I love it’s not always easy. Best to try before you buy when possible. Some low end bottles are better than higher and some low end is trash but mid range (high end of cheap) can be excellent! You never know.

In my World Scotch has always be considered a "Old Man Drink" And Now at 67 I'm drinking JW Red, Tomorrow I'm headed to Total Wine to add a 750ml of Monkey Shoulders also OGD 100 (Bonded) & Wild Turkey 101 got that EW BnB already for the "Trifecta" 5-Bottle Bar: 3 Bourbons 2 Scotchs. I have 300+ HandRolled Cigars to pair up with InDaCoffee or InCocktails 8:34

I think the Laphroaig Cask Strength is still my favorite Scotch whisky...just absolutely will blow your socks off with peat and smoke. Also any of the Springbanks are up there as well, but they are becoming harder and harder to find.

My first taste of peated reminded me of calamine lotion....became a fan after a couple more glasses.

Michael Jackson's "Complete Guide to SINGLE MALT SCOTCH" was a Christmas present from my wife many years ago - it started me on the hobby of Scotch. Excellent resourse (my edition is 1989 copyright, but there is a 2004 edition). I still believe that Scotch is the most artful, soulful and interesting of the spirits. (Bourbon drinkers, please don't hate me for saying that, but it's true.) I respect these choices, but there are LOTS of great single malts - I think that it's a matter of personal preference.

I like the Dalmore cigar malt (180 is) over the Alexander but each to his own. The new Balvine cask and character al beit a bit pricey with the new master distiller is wonderful.

My Daily Drinker is Johnnie Walker Black, Mixer is Monkey Shoulder, Friday Night Pour is Lagavulin 16, Impress a Guest I agree with the Bunnie 18, and last but far from least Special Occasion is Glenlivet 21 Archive

I’ve enjoyed all of those. But….. My daily drinker, Highland Park 12. An extra special find. Replace the Ardbeg Uigeadail with Ardbeg Corryvreckan. More of the Islay character. And, if you can find it, Glenmorangie Ealanta. I bought my first bottle for $120. It was so good I bought a second bottle for $350. I think it’s topping $1,000, but worth it. Best whisky ever.

LORE!

I'd switch the special occasion Dalmore with an Octomore. I just love Peat