Are single-malt whiskey snobs supersad haughty people, or are they on to something?

[Asher]

PAST:

A few years ago I was turned onto Crown Royal, Canadian Whiskey. Began to like it, a lot.

My brother started raving about Scotch, which I'd not tried before. So now I've tried some: Johnny Walker Red Label and Dewar's. Slightly prefer Johnny Walker as it seems to be a bit smoother, but I'm not nearly adept enough to detail the differences.

PRESENT:

Now in the process of figuring out the best Scotch whiskey, I've discovered that the Scotch-drinking community is full of supersad haughty douchebaggery, as everyone seems to say the only Scotch is single-malt Scotch, served neat.

So, why are single-malts better? By definition, they are inconsistent. They have a simpler flavour also, to my understanding.

Also: Why do they look down upon adding ice ("on the rocks")? What's the big deal?

FUTURE:

You decide!

[snoopy369]

If you go to http://games.espn.go.com/frontpage/baseball you will see another Koolaid reference of the druggie sort

Oh, and Scotch

[Dinner]

Single malt can be either much, much better or much, much worse. It all depends on quality and if you like the individual taste. Whiskey picks up flavors from the grain used, the smoke of the fire (is it wood or peat, what type of wood, etc), how it is distilled & at what temperature, what type of water is used, and most importantly the barrels used for aging.

Single malts tend to have much stronger flavors and thus is more distinctive to the palt but like I said whither this is better or not depends on if you like the individual tastes of that vintage/maker. Blended Whiskeys tend to be blander since several different vintages/makers are all mixed into one bottle. This can also be good or bad depending on your tastes.

[Asher]

snoops:
Do you prefer Bourbon? You seem to have a knack for liking things from the SOUTH.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Single malt can be either much, much better or much, much worse. It all depends on quality and if you like the individual taste. Whiskey picks up flavors from the grain used, the smoke of the fire (is it wood or peat, what type of wood, etc), how it is distilled & at what temperature, what type of water is used, and most importantly the barrels used for aging.

Single malts tend to have much stronger flavors and thus is more distinctive to the palt but like I said whither this is better or not depends on if you like the individual tastes of that vintage/maker. Blended Whiskeys tend to be blander since several different vintages/makers are all mixed into one bottle. This can also be good or bad depending on your tastes.

How about someone who has actually had a drink of whiskey in their life, none of this emo-listening Californian stuff?

[Dinner]

Originally posted by snoopy369

Oh, and Scotch

I like it though I'm not a huge fan and certainly am not a conisuer of single malts dispit my Scottish dad & his family's best efforts. When I drink scotch I tend toward Johnny Walker black as it isn't to expensive, is retally availible, and is extremely consistant.

BTW I'm on Beer 11 right now so spelling is suffering.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Asher


How about someone who has actually had a drink of whiskey in their life, none of this emo-listening Californian stuff?

Having a father from Scotland has insured that Scotch was regularly drunk.

[Dinner]

Speaking of which I need to go back to Ayr to visit the family. I haven't been there since 2000.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Oerdin


Having a father from Scotland .

My condolences.

[snoopy369]

How is ESPN from the south? Unless your idea of the south is Connecticut?

[Asher]

Originally posted by snoopy369
How is ESPN from the south? Unless your idea of the south is Connecticut?

The Orange Kool-aid as a reference to a prescription drug is a Southern reference.

The Kool-aid reference to Jonestown is the educated, non-racist Northern definition.

[Jon Miller]

Re: Are single-malt whiskey snobs supersad haughty people, or are they on to somethin

Originally posted by Asher

Also: Why do they look down upon adding ice ("on the rocks")? What's the big deal?

I like all sorts of whiskeys, although single malts are very good.

And yes, adding ice weakens the flavor of the whiskey, so obviously it should be looked down upon!

JM

[-Jrabbit]

Like wine, it's all about your palate and your preferences.

Some single malts are actually very complex and subtle. I was at a tasting of single malts in Switzerland once, and there's a lot of variety there. Some were amazing; some were, um, not.

The rocks thing is mainly about diluting the liquor. Cooling it also makes it less aromatic, and a lot of taste happens through the nose. So there's a thread of reality there.

But there's nothing wrong with a quality blend. (I'm a Dewars man.) If you prefer scotch-rocks, so be it. There's no reason to buy into the single-malt snobbery.

My advice is to find a nice bar with a selection of several single malts and dedicate an evening to exploring. You might find one or two you favor. But the important thing is to give a fair chance and make up your own mind.

Then you can really drill those snobs from the high ground.

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by Oerdin
BTW I'm on Beer 11 right now so spelling is suffering.

Are you perpetually on your 11th beer?

[Asher]

If you lived in San Diego you'd be drunk off your ass on cheap "microbrew" hipster beer all the time as well.