Single Malts

[Jacquester]

So for years now I have developed a love of scotch, and in particular single malts(especially with a fine steak) One of my favorites is a Single Malt called the Glenrothes. I'm wondering what my fellow egulleteers feel about this subject, and which single malts you may like.

Personally I like to taste the different charecteristic flavors, like peat, smoke, and grain.

[KD1191]

Single malts from Balvenie have always been my go to. The 21-year PortWood is far and away my favorite. The 12-year DoubleWood is a fantastic warmer in the winter, and makes an out of this world Rob Roy. I prefer Speyside, and am not fond of most Islay. Don't care at all for the smokey, iodine-like character that brands like Lagavulin and Laphroig seem to put forward.

Edited November 3, 2009 by KD1191 (log)

[thirtyoneknots]

I've been priveleged to get to taste most of the Glenrothes line and though I prefer Islays in general they are very good. Here, briefly, are my opinions on the ones I've had:

(Unfortunately I'm not 100% sure of the bottling dates of all of these)

Select Reserve: Great value (<$40) single malt, very representative of the house style with orange peel and some subtle, mellow sweetness. Malty notes balance the fruit in a nice way.

1972: Actually probably my favorite, especially if you're buying. Rich nutty raisiny notes that suggests the sherry cask it was aged in had been from PX. Richest of all the lineup, quite decadent in it's way. Fruit more subdued probably from the extended aging.

1979 Single Cask (bottled c. 2007, 519 bottles): 57% alcohol. Absolutely cerebral. Layers of intense flavor including the obligatory orange peel and nuts but also with layers of minerals and sulfur, like a match. This brings the smoke forward in a very subtle way, helping to balance it out. Nutmeg, touches of balsamic...the complexity is mind-blowing, and really quite impossible to describe (I also tasted this last over two years ago). The guy leading the tasting said this run came off of brand new stills, alcohol that would normally be sold to rectifiers but was barreled because it was the 100th anniversary of the distillery. Apparently this contributes to the extremely distinctive character.

1984: As an American Whiskey drinker, this one was most delicious outright to my palate...apparently in the 80s Glenrothes was aging in Bourbon casks, no idea what distillery they came from. Basically add a layer of Wild Turkey flavors to the Select Reserve notes above. As far as I know this one is no longer available.

1985: Raisins and toffee, touch of tawny port on the back end. Very nice and relatively reasonable.

1987: Lightest of the vintage bottlings I have tasted. Similar to the 1984 but a little less interest. Not terribly memorable--but cheaper.

1991: Sort of a compromise between the Sherry cask 70s and the Bourbon cask 80s. Lighter and less rich than the 70s while retaining more of the fruit. I think by this year they had reverted to Sherry casks so the relative lightness could just be a function of the relative youth.

Not the most detailed notes and most of these are from two year old memories but hope this helps a bit. When spending my own money on single malt I like Laphroaig Cask Strength with a splash of water.