The single malt scotch thread

[xcheck]

Probably just calling @xcheck would be easier but looking for help. My sister is looking to get her boss a good bottle of scotch. She's good for about $100 and as far as I know doesn't know a thing about Scotch. I've not delved into the world seriously at all. Help appreciated for anything she can buy from LA area.

I woke up with a strange tickle. Lo and behold, someone other than me contributed to this thread that has been in hibernation for quite some time.

$100 can get you a nice a bottle. Avoid grocery stores and chain stores. Depending on where you live, look into some of these places: Mission Liquor, Wine and Liquor Depot, Wades Wines, Hi Times or really any boutique wine shop that also carries liquor. Note that some of those boutique stores can inflate their prices a little more than the aforementioned places. Other than the boutiques, at $100, you're not going to get significant differences in price comparisons.

If you want to get some interesting selections, go to the independent bottlers. These are companies like Signatory Vintage, Old Malt Cask, Gordon & MacPhails, Alexander Murray, etc. These are different than the distillers, but they take the whisky from the distiller (should be identified on the bottle), and is then bottled and sold under the independent's label. These can be some unique expressions of the distiller's whisky.

And remember that an older whisky is just older; not necessarily better.

[xcheck]

Had a sample of each of these Ardbegs last night. Here was the list:

2 different 10s
Ugi
Nam Beist
Day
Galileo
Kildalton
Supernova
Rollercoaster
Kelpie
Corry
Auriverdes
Perpetuum
Alligator
17
Ardbog
Dark Cove
Blasda
Renaissance
21

Super amazing line up. Note: if you eve get a chance to taste the Renaissance, do not pass it up. They are extremely rare and super friggin good.

[xcheck]

Kilchoman tasting last night at the Daily Pint:

Machir Bay (awesome)
Sanaig (good)
100% Islay (good)
Loch Gorm (not my thing)
Kilchoman Tour 2017 (F-in amazing; its a cask strength Machir Bay)

Just a great tasting

[shadowalk]

went to the Lost Spirits distillery tour last Sunday. http://www.lostspirits.net/

They produce a malt beverage that cannot be called whiskey because it has not been aged at least 3 years. Abomination, aptly named. It will turn your tastes buds and mind inside out. They make a single malt beverage in days that others make in decades. If you like heavily peated single malts, these will blow you away. Price is unbeatable.

[xcheck]

Just cracked open a Highland Park Einar. I don't know if this is one of their duty-free-only releases, but I did get it on a recent international trip. I swear that duty free might be the best way to get rid of the rest of your local currency. It's really good. Very briny with red apple notes. Still needs some time to open up a bit, but very good so far.

Makes the Kings' recent 7-1 matinee debacle to the Blues a little more palatable.