Bourbon or rye :). Get your hands on a bottle of Peerless Single Barrel cask strength rye. Amazing distillery I got to visit last month with amazing bourbon and rye.
Oh boy, Scotch for Beginners. Get ready for fighting in the comment section among the non-beginners! Taking some chances on this one, Anders. Some might say it’s… whisky business.
Never piss on someone's sacred cow!!! I'll never poo poo anyone's choice of whisky they prefer. I'm a bourbon/rye guy, but am open to anything and a good friend who's a Scotch guy has introduced me to some interesting stuff. Not in love with it, but it's a fun diversion on occasion.
Honestly, as someone who loves Scotch, there isn't much to add except for maybe some info on the barrels used for aging. Unlike American bourbon that, by law, must be aged in NEW oak barrels, Scotch is often aged in USED barrels that were previously used to age bourbon, or sherry, or port, or rum, etc., and this imparts a ton of flavor to the Scotch. So, along with "peat-monster" scotches that have their own following, there are also "sherry-bombs" that others tend to enjoy. But the peatiness and sherriness are not necessarily mutually exclusive, i.e. Ardbeg Uigeadail (my personal favorite Scotch)
Some years ago I bought a bottle of Glenmorangie which was aged in barrels that had previously held bourbon. Attached to the neck of the bottle was a small booklet explaining the production process. In here they explained that bourbon barrels were great to use, as "the bourbon seasons the wood and absorb undesirable flavors". ...Which really is the most elegant way I have ever seen of saying that bourbon is shait, we make the good stuff :D
Anders is knowledgeable and charismatic. He shows an understanding of art and craftsmanship without being pretentious. My wife and I love your channel, keep it up brother!
I was gifted a bottle of Laphroaig and hated it. But because I'd been raised in a "people are starving in China" household, I mentally wasn't allowed to throw it away. So, I began sipping it and sipping it and sipping it. By the time I was at the end of the bottle, I loved it and bought another one. And then another after that, and then and Ardbeg, and so on. Coupled with the fact that my godmother gave me a taste of Scotch and Seven Up when I was barely old enough to drink, I've developed into a full-blown whiskey/whisky addict. Scotch, Bourbon, and Irish are my favorites. Since I live in the US, I toured distilleries in Kentucky twice and spent more money than I ever should collecting and drinking different whiskies.
My introduction to Whisky was kind of similar. I had tried Jack Daniels and Jameson and didn't much care for it. Then during an 18 months military deployment in country where alcohol is illegal, my friend "smuggled" me in a bottle of Lagavulin 16 for my birthday. I didn't want to seem ungrateful, and it was the only alcohol I'd be able to drink for a year and a half, so I started sipping it. By the end of the bottle I loved it so much, I've been wishing for a bottle for every one of my birthday's since! Now I'm also into the other Islays, particularly Caol Ila and Laphroig.
You should try Plantation Stiggin’s Fancy Smokey Formula. It’s a rum that is infused with real pineapples and then aged in ex-peated Irish whiskey barrels to give it a sweet, creamy, smokey vanilla with rich tropical fruit undertones. Unfortunately it was a limited release so it’s not always easy to find.
You know what mate! As a Scotsman and a whisky enthusiast, this didn’t actually hurt my feelings at all, a really respectful summary of things and pretty much on the money throughout. You should try to get into more Campbelltown’s for sure, the springbanks are great but longrow, Kilkerran, hazburn etc are all utterly superb. If you ever wanna chat whisky, get some suggestions or need any info, feel free to give me a shout! Keep up the good work!
My wife and I both agreed that this was a super helpful video. We finally understand what bottles are talking about when they say "Single Malt". Thanks so much, Anders! We love learning on your channel.
As an avid whisky collector, I'm happy my favorite mixologist did a video on it. For an in depth understanding, I highly recommend First Phil Whisky another must watch channel. Thanks Anders for always providing accessable content.
I follow First Phil Whisky too. I like his presentation and his fondness on Springbank. This presentation from Anders is so simple and short to understand. It has Springbank in it too.
As a whisky lover from Scotland, I just wanted to say how great a video this is. Fantastic intro to Scottish Whisky and full of really good advice and accurate information (which is sadly not always the case!) Love your channel, Anders.
Great vid as always - 2 quick notes on the rules, 1 - only Single Malts have to be bottled in Scotland but all have to be made there of course, 2 - age statement of the youngest applies to all categories not just not just "blended" but it is easy to get confused between the category "blended" and the act of "blending" multiple casks from the same distillery for a Single Malt.
Coming in to second and boost this. It's very easy to assume the spirit in the bottle is 10 years old, but when a spirit is marketed the age statement refers to the youngest whisky in the bottle for the purposes of making a good (or consistent) product. Ralphy has a few great videos on the subject of the entire production cycle of a bottle for when you really want some granular facts about how whisky comes to be.
A good example of the ‘blending casks’ for a single malt, I think, is also the Laphroaig Select (which made me a very confused girl when I saw it said blended and single malt on the same bottle!) oh, and also to point out, some whiskies like the Glenfarclas 105 refer to ‘proof’ as the UK definition (we class it as 1.75x the ABV, not 2x for some strange reason)
@@jodiesandiford6503 the strange reason is that at 100 (UK) proof, gunpowder doused in the alcohol would still ignite; this led many rums to be bottled at "Navy strength" aka 100 proof (UK) aka 57% ABV and is also partially responsible for the relatively high prevalence of whiskies bottled at 43% (~75 UK proof) ABV. Bottling whiskies at 46% ABV is not solely popular due to being 80 (UK) proof but also because that is the lowest ABV at which chill-filtration is not necessary to prevent esters and other oils and fats from precipitating out of the solution in micelles of sediment (which looks unappealing and "cloudy" and may convince a consumer that the product has spoiled somehow) when the bottle or its contents are chilled.
We should really start using the term batched or batching more when speaking on the “blending” process of multiple barrels for a batch of a single malt product
@@kingkrow420 I'd say "batch" refers more to the distillation phase, which usually has a clear starting and finishing time (although distillation is a whole chapter by itself so I can't be very sure 😅) anyway something I relate more to the meaning of "batch", and that is happening by definition years before the final blending and bottling. Maybe the french term for champagnes and wines "cuvee" (meaning the particular selection and assembly of different wines for a line of production) would describe it well.... but I'm afraid the french would be sensitive to borrowing the word 😂
Another great wee beginners guide to a spirit. If you and Oz are ever in Glasgow then try the Pot Still, Bon Accord or Ben Nevis bars. All full of great whisky and knowledgable staff.
While I was in the Navy, back in the early 2000's, I was fortunate to visit Scotland on many occasions. On one visit, we took the train from Glasgow to Edinburgh where we explored the Castle, and just outside the castle - the Scotch Whisky museum. For anyone who enjoys whisk(e)y, this is a must do pilgrimage. Cheers.
It's actually called the "Scotch whiskey Experience". And their collection of scotch is incredible. It was gifted by its previous owner to them on the condition that it was viewable by the public And of course, they determined Scotland was its rightful home.
Great episode!! I'd love to see a beginners guide to Bourbon as well. We tend to drink more Scotch than Bourbon here in Europe so knowledge is generally low.
My introduction to Scotch was actually through mezcal. I was taking a class on tequila and mezcal, and the presenter described mezcal as something people who love Islay Scotch would also love. I already knew that I enjoyed mezcal so I went and bought a bottle of Ardbeg 10. I honestly do enjoy mezcal more, but my journey through Scotch is very enjoyable. I also recommend for people to try a Texas whisky from Balcones called Lineage. It's heavily influenced by Scotch but is also uniquely Texan.
Oh this is exciting! I'm thinking this could be a series for the intro to bourbon, rye, Irish, etc. Then sherry, cognanc, and so many more types of lovely bottles we could learn more about. Love it you guys!
Big fan of Glengoyne, the distillery is just down the road from my grandparents so I've been several times. Also, interestingly, it's the only distillery in Scotland that distils its whisky in the Highlands but matures it in the Lowlands, because the distillery straddles the border.
Nice video! We toured both Edradour and Talisker in 2019, both were great but Edradour was very, very special! Pitlochry is a lovely village and I highly recommend it. Skye is amazing, as is Mull. Magical place!
Blended whiskies are becoming more of an appreciated art form in recent years. Barrell Craft Spirits here in the US is blending bourbon and rye and making some amazing stuff, and Compass Box is upping the blending game for Scotch! Some of Compass Box’s lower end products are gonna be in the $40-60 range and are a good entry point for someone looking to get into Scotch with something approachable! Fantastic video, cheers!
absolutely one of my wifes and I favorite videos. Perfect amount of information without bogging it down with things that do no help us understand Scotch. We do like Scotch just did not understand enough to make informed decisions and now we feel we can make better decisions on our purchases.
The best beginners guide to scotch I’ve seen and I’ve been doing scotch for a couple decades I’m an Islay person Ardbeg Corryvrecken or Uigeadail, Bruichladdich Octomore 14.3, and Port Charlotte are my favorite spirits full stop.
Idk how, but every time I think "I wish I knew more about X", you make a video about it. Thank you so much for making such excellent and informative content. I've learned a ton from you over the years and always look forward to your next video!
Thanks so much for always being so easy and interesting to listen to. As a newish bartender in a craft cocktail lounge, your videos continue to teach and entertain at the same time. Appreciate it so much.
I loved this video! Islay is my favorite, I love my smoke. Funny story I've always loved scotch but started out hating tequila. But then I ran into mezcal, and loved it because of the smoke. After that, I was actually able to start appreciating tequila as I started comparing them like you might scotch.
I love Laphroaig 10y as much as the next guy (I'm drinking it right now), but it's a crime not to have mentioned JW black in this. An absolute masterclass in blending, consistency and value for money.
Monkey shoulder is my go-to scotch. It was the 2nd bottle of scotch I bought for my home bar, and I haven't been without it ever since. Its a good flavor neat or mixed, and its pretty affordable as well.
I started with beer graduated in to scotch ,now it is relaxer of all tension at work ...social life needs little drink can use blue label too....great .. Thiruvananthapuram Kerala
I bought Monkey Shoulder on a whim because it came with a banana flask! Turned out to be a great scotch. I like sipping it neat on the rocks. Good recommendation!
Alcohol and cigarettes addiction actually destroyed my life. I could remember several years ago after divorce with my wife which brought me into my disastrous journey on Alcohol and cigarettes. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Got diagnosed with cptsd. Not until a friend recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 8 years totally clean. Much respect to mother nature the great magic shrooms.
Thanks for sharing your story. That's rough I sympathize. Save your health save your mind. Life is better without heroin, cocaine, alcohol and cigarettes. And you have more money in your pocket. God bless everyone who has rejected the devils intentions to be addicted to alcohol and cigarettes etc which can cause so much damage to health. I will pray for you all.
Can you help me with the reliable source 🙏. I'm 56 and have suffered for years with addiction, anxiety and severe ptsd, I got my panic attacks under control myself years ago and they have come back with a vengeance, I'm constantly trying to take full breaths but can't get the full satisfying breath out, it's absolutely crippling me, i live in Germany. I don't know much about these mushrooms. Really need a reliable source!! Can't wait to get them
My wife and I introduced ourselves to Scotch on a trip to Edinburgh several years ago. We started with lighter highland singles and blends often diluted with a bit of water, but we are now devoted Islay fans. Just picked up a bottle of Ardbeg 10 year today....KA-BAM! Huge smoke with a little background sweetness, just the thing to get us through the coldest part of a Toronto winter. Cheers!
I love these kind of overview videos you make! The rum and gin ones gave me a lot more understanding of their respective manufacture and am likely going to pick up a few of your recommendations :D
Cheers to You From Down Under🇦🇺 no Scotsman has pull an intro to the GOOD Drop better than yourself!! Well done I personally have been into Scotch and Whisky for 40 years and never have I had it presented so well😊😊 And hi to the Windy City😊😊 Mate
I've been a fan for a while and you are my go to when I need a cocktail recipe. I am going to New Orleans soon and wondered if you or any other fan had a few bars to recommend. There are so many that seem authentically old but where are the best cocktails?
Several years ago we were in San Francisco. There was a shop near the Chinatown Gate on Grant Avenue that sold all things Scottish. They had well over a hundred different Scotches for sale. On our first visit we bought a bottle of Edradour, because it came from the smallest distillery. It was a fine Scotch. At the time they actually listed the names of the people who worked at the distillery. The entire staff amounted to four people. I wonder if they've expanded. Regarding the pronunciation of some of the names: The proprietor of the shop was Named Hector, and he had a very strong Scottish accent, so I considered him a good resource. I asked him how to pronounce some of the names that were of geographic origin, and he said, "Sometimes only the people who live there really know how to say it." So, who knows? Maybe you nailed them all! Anyway, thank you for the video.
11:08 I will always be worried when I drink an Islay, on holiday in Scotland I had a Caol Ila and fell both into a hedge on the way back from the pub, and then out of bed. Gave myself a black eye on the second day of a two week trip. Partner got dirty looks the entire time (though it was his fault for not finishing his).
Thanks Anders, that peaty taste some people like, for me growing up in ireland I’ve had enough of peat ha ha. But thank you for the suggestions, monkey shoulder is pretty nice
Kinda funny my intro was Monkey Shoulder. Its inexpensive around $30 typical retail. Perfect to sip on neat or with soda. Me and my dad got it on a whim because we wanted something new. That bottle didn't survive the night.
My go to ones are Famous Grouse, Glenfiddich and Laphroaig 10 yr. Different weather and moods for different whiskies. I do need to branch out and get my hands on Tallisker and Glen Garioch. If you can’t find Famous Grouse, try Teacher’s.
I live in the uk and if you want to start your whisky journey then I would recommend a Glendronach 12 as drinking Scotch. Look out for a new English distillery called Ad Gefrin. Also another excellent English whiskey is Cotswold.
Absolutely LOVE the Laphroig 10! Started with Jameson, then tried a Buchanan 10. They were good, but the Laphroig cemented my love of scotch. No mixing, neat only for me
I've drank Bourbon for 30 years. I only recently started drinking Scotch when I was gifted a Johnny Walker black label. I really liked it. I tried Famous Grouse on the recommendation of a friend. I really like that one. I've tried others that I didn't like so much like Glennfiddich and Chivas Regal. I'd really like to try some of the expensive offerings but I find it hard to shell out a couple hundred bucks to try something. I like the smokey ones though, better than the ones that aren't smokey.
Maybe my favorite video of yours. I love the subtle (and often not so subtle) distinctions among various Scotches. For the longest time I thought mixing a cocktail with Scotch was sacrilegious. I have revised my thinking since watching your channel.
I find the "lore" surrounding Scotch whisky almost as confusing as that surrounding French wine...this vid actually makes the basics almost understandable!
One recommendation I have for a budget friendly intro Scotch is Shackleton Whisky. It's based on the MacKinlay's Blended Malt Scotch Whisky that the Earnst Shackleton Expedition took on their Antarctic Expeditions. It's about $35, and I find it comparable to Monkey Shoulder. I do genuinely prefer the flavor of the Shackleton's for a budget Blended Malt Whisky. It's a good pick for a first introduction for those who are accustomed to American or Canadian Whiskey
You have such a wealth of knowledge geez. Honestly I’d love to hear even more details about scotch.. even a long form podcast about it. Idk if it would be popular but I love to learn about this stuff
I bought a Springbank 18yr as an expensive wedding gift ($250), and it was hands-down the best scotch that I've had... The caveat is that I haven't had a lot of scotches, but of the ones I have had, it was amazing. And most whisk[e]ys/scotches I've had I prefer on the rocks, but this one seemed best neat
Glen Moray from Elgin Scotland is my favourite Scotch.Canadian single malt whisky for me the best and oldest distillery in Canada is Glenora distillery in Mabou,Cape Breton,Nova Scotia,ad the whisky is Glen Breton
Glenfiddich 12-year-old is always at Costco for a reason, it is good sipping and popular. During the holidays they had a Sherry cask 12-year-old which imparted that sweetness of sherry to the blend. Fantastic stuff. 👍
I suggest Glenlivet 12 as a good first scotch to my friends and family. My dad doesn’t like scotch but will drink that one with me! Not terribly expensive in my region and very light and floral IMO
I’m a bourbon guy, I tried scotch 25ish years ago and did not like it, about a year ago I thought I would try again and bought a bottle of Buchanan and it almost turned me off again. My next bottle was Glenlivet 12 and I loved it, I bought a bottle of Glenfiddich and loved it also, I switch back and forth. Last week I bought a bottle of Lagavulin Offerman edition I am yet to try. I still prefer bourbon but am really taking a liking to scotch. Thank you for the great video and breakdown of the scotches
I knew almost all of this, as I love scotch. But still great to watch and here someone else's perspective. I tend to drink scotch neat, but I would love to see a follow-up episode with some scotch cocktail recommendations that are lesser known. One I make myself from time to time, a Rob Roy with Glenmorangie 14 year. The port cask finish goes so well with the vermouth to make the cocktail REALLY wine forward, and it's very cool!
Good summary. I think it helps to understand scotch using quadrant scale of ‘Smokey to delicate’ and ‘light to rich’. Laphroig for example is light and Smokey. The lightness description might indicate to newbe that it is less harsh, but is actually harsher. This is because the lightness brings the smoke to front. A rich whisky will smooth off the roughness of smoke. Honestly you only need 3/4 whiskeys, one at each end of quadrant. There are few standouts that offer amazing value and quality. Anders true to form had 3 on show, and Bunahabben (can’t spell). Laphroig and Talisker. Mentioned lagavulin also, which for £20 more than others is an incredible whiskey
I love his content. I so wish he had YT Channels for everything I was into because I enjoy his enthusiasm and his knowledge. Keep up the great work, Sir...
This was great! It would be an expensive proposition, but having an intro video for each region as part of a periodic series would be amazing. Maybe a brief history of the region, a starter recommendation or two followed by an option that would be a good step into more complex palates. Cheers!
Not quite scotch, but I've been getting into Japanese whiskies lately, which for sure take a page or two from Scotland, and this definitely was a good little educational overview (especially with the different types). All the same, this is really making me want to pay a visit to my uncle over there in Scotland!
yep, I like trying Laphroaig select as the final choice for progressing thru whiskies in mixed drinks. my current favorite for drinking neat is Old Pulteney (so special occasions for this). cheers!
Islay is by far my favorite region. I love that peaty smoke flavor. Never used it in a cocktail though. I did use some Johnny Walker to make a Godfather though...one of my favorite Scotch cocktails, and so simple too.
Enjoyed your energy and humor on this episode - well done! I recently put Ardbeg into a spray bottle and give a few sprays over other cocktails for that Smokey /peaty nose.
My go-to whiskys and the most bang for the buck (available, price, and taste) 2023/24 is from one of the youngest distilleries on Islay. It's the Kilchoman Sanaig, it's aged in bourbon and sherry casks (Oloroso) and comes at 46%. It has a smokey, fruity taste that's amazing. The Straight Rye Whiskey, Blind Seal 46% from Swedish Agitator, it got silver in the World Whiskey Award 2024. these two are my go-to Whiskys! Otherwise, Ardbeg 10, Ardbeg Uigeadale 54,2%, Lagavulin 16, Laphroaig 10, Arran 10, Port Charlotte 10 50%, Cotswolds 59,1% (England). To be really good, they should be non chilled filtered and at least 46%.
Great video Anders. My go to blend is Johnny Walker Black or Johnny Walker 18 yr old. For single malt Glen Livett 15 yr old is great the same with McCallam 12 or 18 yr old. You mentioned Dalmore and it is lovely. I generally drink them neat but on a night out a little club soda or water make them stretch a little longer. Thanks again…Cheers
Anders thanks for presenting this information in this manner, it will make explaining Scotch to my friends easy. At least to start with. It is a very important topic, absolutely. I would have liked to hear mention of Johnnie Walker, so much to be aware of with this brand.
Great video! I have always been fascinated by regional/cultural alcohol, more whisk(e)y videos. I finally bought a bottle of CioCiaro and made a 38 Special, with JW Black, from Petraski's 'Regarding Cocktails' book and look forward to getting into more mixed Scotch drinks with different Scotch.
I'm quite fond of the whisky from Jura. Lovely little distillery... not necessarily anything too fancy when it comes to Scotch, but it is just... quite lovely.
There's something for everyone in your collection, Anders--and a full bottle of Springbank, too! Another good one to try is Arran 10. It's 46% ABV, non-chill-filtered, and has no added color. This single malt is easy to drink, yet interesting enough to appeal to whisky experts. The price is reasonable for a high-quality single malt. It has become one of my favorites, along with Bunna 12.
