anyone recomend a decent whiskey for a gift?
28 August 2005, 12:29 PM
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anyone recomend a decent whiskey for a gift?
i want to give a bottle/bottles of whiskey as a thank you gift but don't know the first thing about proper whiskeys (i drink jack daniels
)
looking to spend around £100, will this get me something special or am i better off getting a few £30odd bottles?
any websites or recomendations would be much appreciated as there's alot of choice but i don't know what to go for!
ta
)looking to spend around £100, will this get me something special or am i better off getting a few £30odd bottles?
any websites or recomendations would be much appreciated as there's alot of choice but i don't know what to go for!
ta
28 August 2005, 01:07 PM
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Hello mate.
Went to Edinburgh a while back, great place. My missus, who'd been before, took me to a shop called Jenners. So, we've walked in and we go our seperate ways. I trundle up the stairs and find the whiskey / cigar section. There was a really sound Geordie lad there who new his Scotches inside out and started giving me a few sample shots and this included a little test.
Three shots lined up (with requisite spring water) there was one £100 dram, one £240, (both singles) and a £16 blend...... and the winner......you guessed it the £16 blend. I was not alone, established customers were all going for the blend! The Bailie Nicol Jarvie is it's name - so mellow and delicate mmmmm. HTH
Went to Edinburgh a while back, great place. My missus, who'd been before, took me to a shop called Jenners. So, we've walked in and we go our seperate ways. I trundle up the stairs and find the whiskey / cigar section
. There was a really sound Geordie lad there who new his Scotches inside out and started giving me a few sample shots and this included a little test.Three shots lined up (with requisite spring water) there was one £100 dram, one £240, (both singles) and a £16 blend...... and the winner......you guessed it the £16 blend. I was not alone, established customers were all going for the blend! The Bailie Nicol Jarvie is it's name - so mellow and delicate mmmmm. HTH
28 August 2005, 01:11 PM
#3
Originally Posted by hoskib
i want to give a bottle/bottles of whiskey as a thank you gift but don't know the first thing about proper whiskeys (i drink jack daniels)
looking to spend around £100, will this get me something special or am i better off getting a few £30odd bottles?
any websites or recomendations would be much appreciated as there's alot of choice but i don't know what to go for!
ta
)looking to spend around £100, will this get me something special or am i better off getting a few £30odd bottles?
any websites or recomendations would be much appreciated as there's alot of choice but i don't know what to go for!
ta
TT
28 August 2005, 01:38 PM
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Try the Glenfiddich website, you can also get personal labels made up to go on the bottles too. www.glenfiddich.com
Cheers
Colin
Cheers
Colin
28 August 2005, 02:15 PM
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Originally Posted by brihoppy
i saw a bottle of whiskey for sale in the loch ness visitors centre gift shop the other week...1600 quid...!!!
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28 August 2005, 02:43 PM
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Originally Posted by brihoppy
i saw a bottle of whiskey for sale in the loch ness visitors centre gift shop the other week...1600 quid...!!!
28 August 2005, 04:25 PM
#10
Talisker is a top drop - come is a variety of ages and prices.
Highland park is a nice middle of the road orkney or Isle of Jura - although never tried the expensive stuff (cheapskate
).
TBH an avid single matt whisky drinker won't complain about trying out some lesser known brands that you can only get in the specialst shops (if there is any local to you) rather than the more common supermarket stuff.
(if somebody gives me one more bottle of Bells as a present...I swear that'll I start running the lawn mower off it )
Highland park is a nice middle of the road orkney or Isle of Jura - although never tried the expensive stuff (cheapskate
).TBH an avid single matt whisky drinker won't complain about trying out some lesser known brands that you can only get in the specialst shops (if there is any local to you) rather than the more common supermarket stuff.
(if somebody gives me one more bottle of Bells as a present...I swear that'll I start running the lawn mower off it
)
28 August 2005, 04:48 PM
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Originally Posted by ALi-B
Talisker is a top drop - come is a variety of ages and prices.
Highland park is a nice middle of the road orkney or Isle of Jura - although never tried the expensive stuff (cheapskate ).
TBH an avid single matt whisky drinker won't complain about trying out some lesser known brands that you can only get in the specialst shops (if there is any local to you) rather than the more common supermarket stuff.
(if somebody gives me one more bottle of Bells as a present...I swear that'll I start running the lawn mower off it )
Highland park is a nice middle of the road orkney or Isle of Jura - although never tried the expensive stuff (cheapskate
).TBH an avid single matt whisky drinker won't complain about trying out some lesser known brands that you can only get in the specialst shops (if there is any local to you) rather than the more common supermarket stuff.
(if somebody gives me one more bottle of Bells as a present...I swear that'll I start running the lawn mower off it
)Nothing wrong with "Ding Dong" Bells. IIRC approx £15 per bottle? A bit overpriced perhaps.
If you want to give out presents, by all means stay away from the malts, and maybe get some stuff in a presentation pack. Johnnie Walker perhaps?
Contact some blenders / bottlers, you never know what can happen, esp if they can get an endorsement.
Try the Scotch Whisky Association for links.
http://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/
K.
28 August 2005, 06:06 PM
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It depends who you are buying it for. If the person knows and likes their whisky, then they will appreciate a really good bottle. If not, stick to the well known stuff. Glenfiddich do some excellent 15 year old malts (Solera Reserve single malt) that are not overly expensive (around the 30 quid mark). Lagavulin is also very good, but quite smokey - bit of an acquired taste.
If (like me), you like your whisky, then look for something a little better. I was lucky enough to be drinking some Johnnie Walker Blue a few nights back - beautiful whisky, as smooth as engine oil, with no bitter after taste - the best I've ever tasted. But give it to someone who doesn't drink whisky regularily and they're wonder what all the fuss is about (incidently, the Blue might be out of your price range!).
Chris
If (like me), you like your whisky, then look for something a little better. I was lucky enough to be drinking some Johnnie Walker Blue a few nights back - beautiful whisky, as smooth as engine oil, with no bitter after taste
- the best I've ever tasted. But give it to someone who doesn't drink whisky regularily and they're wonder what all the fuss is about (incidently, the Blue might be out of your price range!).Chris
Last edited by Chris L; 28 August 2005 at 06:10 PM.
28 August 2005, 06:34 PM
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Get a couple of bottles from the Whisky Society www.smws.co.uk you can order online.
They start at about £40+ a bottle.
This is whisky before it is "blended" into a known brand.
Everything is unique, so you will never see the same whisky again. They also do single cask bourbons and rums too which are rather nice.
If you don't know what they like then play it safe and avoid the peaty Islay malts.
Infact if you go to the search page www.smws.com/shop/search.html and choose whisky between £41-£60 a bottle, from the Summer bottlings, none of them are Isaly, so just pick any two and you won't go wrong.
edited to say the first one, cask 3.101 is an Islay (Bowmore)
They start at about £40+ a bottle.
This is whisky before it is "blended" into a known brand.
Everything is unique, so you will never see the same whisky again. They also do single cask bourbons and rums too which are rather nice.
If you don't know what they like then play it safe and avoid the peaty Islay malts.
Infact if you go to the search page www.smws.com/shop/search.html and choose whisky between £41-£60 a bottle, from the Summer bottlings, none of them are Isaly, so just pick any two and you won't go wrong.
edited to say the first one, cask 3.101 is an Islay (Bowmore)
Last edited by workshy_fopp; 28 August 2005 at 06:38 PM.
28 August 2005, 07:43 PM
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Contact....
Robertsons of Pitlochry
46, Atholl Rd, Pitlochry, Perthshire PH16 5BX
Tel: 01796 472011
...do mail order and are amongst the best whisky retailers in the world.
Robertsons of Pitlochry
46, Atholl Rd, Pitlochry, Perthshire PH16 5BX
Tel: 01796 472011
...do mail order and are amongst the best whisky retailers in the world.
28 August 2005, 08:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Ken 275
Nothing wrong with "Ding Dong" Bells. IIRC approx £15 per bottle? A bit overpriced perhaps.
K.
I personally prefer a large Ding Dong and soda to a teaspoon of triple distilled single malt which I am supposed to drool over!
A couple of decent bottles of Port or some good red wine makes a super present as well. dl
28 August 2005, 08:19 PM
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Black Bush.... is a subtle dram..... very nice tipple .....
i too am a 'Daniels' drinker , but have recently 'aqquired (sp) the 'taste' for Black Bush ( the Whisky , before anyone Muppets,.... i much prefer the shaven in the 'other' Variety)....
i too am a 'Daniels' drinker , but have recently 'aqquired (sp) the 'taste' for Black Bush ( the Whisky , before anyone Muppets,.... i much prefer the shaven in the 'other' Variety)....
28 August 2005, 09:21 PM
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Check out http://www.whiskymag.com/
Agree with Chris L on the Johnnie Walker Blue. It's absolutely delicious and wonderfully smooth. It's a blend of a number of high quality and rare malts...so make sure you'd be giving it to someone who would appreciate it and not someone who would simply scoff at a 'blend'. I think it retails at £150+ a bottle though nowadays. I've only ever bought one bottle, and still have about a fifth of it left after 2 years...at that price it's not the sort of stuff you simply knock back
There's such a vast range of different styles and prices of whisky available, personal recommendations of specific bottles from this site aren't going to scratch much of the surface. If you want something heavier and peatier then look at Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Lagavulin, Laphroig from Islay (Islay malts are my personal favourites). For something lighter from the lowlands then maybe Rosebank. For something more 'middle of the road' then perhaps one from Balvenie (much better than the stuff from Glenfiddich which is I think just down the road). The Whisky Shop in Covent garden has a decent selection iirc, but I usually buy online if I want something that I can't get on the high street. Unless you really want to, you won't need to spend your full budget to get something very nice.
I prefer Scottish whisky, but if you want to buy an Irish whiskey as a bit of a wildcard, then I would highly recommend Red Breast. It retails at about £27 a bottle, and is the best Irish whiskey I've tasted - absolutely superb. If you're London based, then Milroys in Soho sell it.
Gary.
Agree with Chris L on the Johnnie Walker Blue. It's absolutely delicious and wonderfully smooth. It's a blend of a number of high quality and rare malts...so make sure you'd be giving it to someone who would appreciate it and not someone who would simply scoff at a 'blend'. I think it retails at £150+ a bottle though nowadays. I've only ever bought one bottle, and still have about a fifth of it left after 2 years...at that price it's not the sort of stuff you simply knock back
There's such a vast range of different styles and prices of whisky available, personal recommendations of specific bottles from this site aren't going to scratch much of the surface. If you want something heavier and peatier then look at Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Lagavulin, Laphroig from Islay (Islay malts are my personal favourites). For something lighter from the lowlands then maybe Rosebank. For something more 'middle of the road' then perhaps one from Balvenie (much better than the stuff from Glenfiddich which is I think just down the road). The Whisky Shop in Covent garden has a decent selection iirc, but I usually buy online if I want something that I can't get on the high street. Unless you really want to, you won't need to spend your full budget to get something very nice.
I prefer Scottish whisky, but if you want to buy an Irish whiskey as a bit of a wildcard, then I would highly recommend Red Breast. It retails at about £27 a bottle, and is the best Irish whiskey I've tasted - absolutely superb. If you're London based, then Milroys in Soho sell it.
Gary.
Last edited by GCollier; 28 August 2005 at 09:24 PM.
28 August 2005, 09:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Chris L
I was lucky enough to be drinking some Johnnie Walker Blue a few nights back - beautiful whisky, as smooth as engine oil, with no bitter after taste - the best I've ever tasted.
- the best I've ever tasted.
28 August 2005, 09:57 PM
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Originally Posted by carl
Seen this in Dusseldorf airport. Don't they also do Green as well? I'm pretty reluctant to splash out that sort of money on what is, after all, a blend
Last edited by JTaylor; 29 August 2005 at 11:41 AM.
29 August 2005, 09:23 AM
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Of all the whisky I've tried - the best I've ever had was a Glenfarclas.
http://www.glenfarclas.co.uk/
Smoother than a smooth thing on smooth day
http://www.glenfarclas.co.uk/
Smoother than a smooth thing on smooth day
29 August 2005, 10:03 AM
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my old man got me a bottle of this-
http://www.drinksdirect.co.uk/acatal..._Year_Old.html
he says its one of the nicest single malts he's had, he's a bit of a fan of scotch.
its sitting in my cupboard unopened. cant stand the bloody stuff
http://www.drinksdirect.co.uk/acatal..._Year_Old.html
he says its one of the nicest single malts he's had, he's a bit of a fan of scotch.
its sitting in my cupboard unopened. cant stand the bloody stuff
29 August 2005, 12:28 PM
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Lagavulin seems to be virtually impossible to get hold of at a reasonable price now. The 16yo used to be 30 quid a bottle in Sainsbury's and Tesco's, but now you can only get it at specialist whiskey shops for around £45. I guess there's a shortage. Must have become too popular 
29 August 2005, 12:38 PM
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Is it scotch you want to go for? If you dont mind going for an Irish whiskey, could I recommend a bottle of Middleton. It is an absolutely fantastic bottle of Single Malt. It has a really smooth taste to it, with a hint of peach from the casks it is distilled in. It really is brilliant and you will get a bottle for just unser £100. Comes in a lovely wooden box etc.
29 August 2005, 02:20 PM
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You should be able to get something quite special for £100. If the the person you are buying for is a whisky enthusiast (snob), maybe you shouldn't get Glenfiddich or Bells. It's just a little unoriginal.
Better to go for something more unusual, say a 25 or 30 y.o single malt, possibly from a distillery which is no longer in business.
Or I can recommend a really nice blended whisky, Johnnie Walker Swing. It has the novelty of a bottle which doesn't tip over in a swell, supposedly a relic from the golden days of ocean travel. I used to be a faux whisky snob, single malts only. Then I tasted this one and opened my mind.
image
Better to go for something more unusual, say a 25 or 30 y.o single malt, possibly from a distillery which is no longer in business.
Or I can recommend a really nice blended whisky, Johnnie Walker Swing. It has the novelty of a bottle which doesn't tip over in a swell, supposedly a relic from the golden days of ocean travel. I used to be a faux whisky snob, single malts only. Then I tasted this one and opened my mind.
image
29 August 2005, 02:46 PM
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blimey there's a bit of choice isn't there!?!?
had to mail my mate to find out what type of whiskey it is he likes as i didn't even know you get irish whiskey and scotch whisky
, so far found malts, blends and pot stills (what ever the heck that is!)
bit of a minefield, but hopefully i'll have to drop a total bollock to get him something he won't like
thanks for the replies though guys, gradually getting a grasp as to what to go for
had to mail my mate to find out what type of whiskey it is he likes as i didn't even know you get irish whiskey and scotch whisky
, so far found malts, blends and pot stills (what ever the heck that is!)bit of a minefield, but hopefully i'll have to drop a total bollock to get him something he won't like
thanks for the replies though guys, gradually getting a grasp as to what to go for
Last edited by hoskib; 29 August 2005 at 02:49 PM.
29 August 2005, 02:51 PM
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29 August 2005, 05:21 PM
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Originally Posted by hoskib
blimey there's a bit of choice isn't there!?!?
had to mail my mate to find out what type of whiskey it is he likes as i didn't even know you get irish whiskey and scotch whisky, so far found malts, blends and pot stills (what ever the heck that is!)
bit of a minefield, but hopefully i'll have to drop a total bollock to get him something he won't like
thanks for the replies though guys, gradually getting a grasp as to what to go for
had to mail my mate to find out what type of whiskey it is he likes as i didn't even know you get irish whiskey and scotch whisky
, so far found malts, blends and pot stills (what ever the heck that is!)bit of a minefield, but hopefully i'll have to drop a total bollock to get him something he won't like
thanks for the replies though guys, gradually getting a grasp as to what to go for
and lots of other countries, including Japan.
Try here and check out the award winning whiskys maybe?
29 August 2005, 06:14 PM
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Well good luck - strikes me that choosing a whisky (not whiskey btw ) is like setting a mate up on a blind date. About a million to one you will find some totty that your mate really fancies
but a nice thought nonetheless!
Now I like Bells so I suspect that puts me at the low end of the totty market
) is like setting a mate up on a blind date. About a million to one you will find some totty that your mate really fancies but a nice thought nonetheless!
Now I like Bells so I suspect that puts me at the low end of the totty market
30 August 2005, 08:12 AM
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Originally Posted by carl
Lagavulin seems to be virtually impossible to get hold of at a reasonable price now. The 16yo used to be 30 quid a bottle in Sainsbury's and Tesco's, but now you can only get it at specialist whiskey shops for around £45. I guess there's a shortage. Must have become too popular
As regards the single malt / blended debate - almost all whisky's are blended in some way. Singles malts come from one distillery, but they are likely to be a combination of different vats, so technically, it is still blended in a small way. Blending is an art and that's certainly true of the better whisky like Johnnie Walker Blue - the quality of the malts used to start with is exceptional (hence the price)
Yes you can get Johnnie Walker Green - it's a single malt or rather a blend of only single malts (referred to as a vatted malt I think) - never tried it, so I can't comment on it.
30 August 2005, 08:27 AM
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Originally Posted by David Lock
Now I like Bells so I suspect that puts me at the low end of the totty market