Got my first bottle of scotch.

[Kyle Weiss]

Irish whiskey is far too sweet for me.

I'll compromise by enjoying a nice lowlands scotch, though. 8)

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

PD, any of the Oban line is woooonnndddeerrrffffuuullll! Occasionally you can see the younger ones get down to $40 around fall.

On the other hand, Ardbeg is one I haven't tried. I think I know what my traditional yearly "nice scotch" purchase this year will be. 8)

Oban does make some great stuff and Ardbeg 10 as an excellent Islay to be had for a very reasonable price. If you haunt the local BevMo around the holidays, 39.99 no problem. Here's a few that I like that are fairly inexpensive, or at least they were a while ago. Granted the price for a good single malt seems to go up every year. I remember buying a bottle of Lagavulin 16 7 years ago for 59.99. Now it's 89.99 a bottle. Anyway check these out - Old Pultney 12, Glenmorangie 10, Balvenie 10 (if you can afford the Balvenie Double Wood grab it, it's even a better bang for the buck), Ardbeg 10, Ben Nevis, Bowmore Legend, Aberlour a'benadh. Laphroig 10 is good, but unlike Ardbeg 10, which I prefer, you have to go with Laphroig 10 cask strength which is harder to find to really experience how good their malt can be. Ardbeg 10 on the other hand is cask strength, no frills, very peaty with superb smokey semi sweet balance.

I also love the more aged offerings from Springbank, Highland Park, Anenoc, Macallan, Glenrothes, Bruichladdich, and Lagavulin, but my bank account doesn't agree.

 

[Zeno Marx]

$30 is a difficult price point for Scotch. $40-50 will give you a lot more range and options. Personally, I find one of the greatest Scotch values to be Balvenie Double Wood 12 Year Old at around $40.

+1 for the lovers of Peat. Bring it on.

 

[Harlock999]

OK, picked up a bottle of Glenmorangie 10 on the way home from work (and ran into an old friend at BevMo!).
Wow, smooth!
Fruity, light, perfect for summer.
A nice change up from the Islay peat monsters.

 

[Ocelot55]

$30 is a difficult price point for Scotch. $40-50 will give you a lot more range and options. Personally, I find one of the greatest Scotch values to be Balvenie Double Wood 12 Year Old at around $40.

+1 for the lovers of Peat. Bring it on.

+1 for the double wood.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

...and for $50 - $70... you get even more options... and don't forget $70 - $100... I mean, it's just money. :lol:

Don't get caught in the price trap, i.keen, although a true sentiment. There's a half dozen extremely tasty single malt scotches out there for around $30. If you're just starting out, they'll be fine. You have plenty of time at your age to save up, try more, and expand your taste for it.

Other sagely advice? Find a beverage place that's doing a scotch tasting and show up... they usually cost about $10 - $20, and you can sample far more whiskeys than you'd be able to on a limited budget. Bring a designated driver...I've gone home more than sauced a few times.

Gee, sounds almost like pipe/tobacco advice...buy what you can afford and enjoy what you like.

8)

 

[Kyle Weiss]

OK, picked up a bottle of Glenmorangie 10 on the way home from work (and ran into an old friend at BevMo!).
Wow, smooth!
Fruity, light, perfect for summer.
A nice change up from the Islay peat monsters.

I have a bottle of Glenmorangie 12 that's a little more syrupy, but much the same. I rather like it in the summer!

 

[idbowman]

Other sagely advice? Find a beverage place that's doing a scotch tasting and show up... they usually cost about $10 - $20, and you can sample far more whiskeys than you'd be able to on a limited budget.
8)

If you have any good pubs or nicer bar/restaurants in your area...they often do the same thing. Very cost effective way to get a taste of a few different options.

 

[i.keenum]

Don't get to go out much. 2 year old keeps me home most the time, don't think there is anything like that close by. May have to take a night out and go to new orleans for something like that. Good to get out every once and a while.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Don't get to go out much. 2 year old keeps me home most the time, don't think there is anything like that close by. May have to take a night out and go to new orleans for something like that. Good to get out every once and a while.

Very good to get out--especially if you got chil'ns. You're still young, you just gotta juggle irresponsibility with the responsibility. Speaking of which, if your kid's two, ask for a booster seat at the bar. They'll understand.

8)

 

[i.keenum]

Ya having a child at twenty wasn't my best choice but I don't regret it. I pay all my bills, watch my kid and live in my own house. I am stubborn but I like the thought that I can support myself in a situation where I can take the easy way out. Need to enjoy my youth more while I have it. :lol!: Already like an old man as it is.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I'm a young coot, too. Hell, you're probably more of an adult than I am. If that wasn't already apparent. :mrgreen:

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Ya having a child at twenty wasn't my best choice but I don't regret it. I pay all my bills, watch my kid and live in my own house. I am stubborn but I like the thought that I can support myself in a situation where I can take the easy way out. Need to enjoy my youth more while I have it. :lol!: Already like an old man as it is.

Look at it this way, by the time you're my age you'll have the house to yourself.

I have 2 little ones, if I had any regrets it's not having kids earlier.

 

[i.keenum]

My wife wants more. :suspect:

 

[Kyle Weiss]

My wife wants more. :suspect:

Good luck winnin' that discussion. Hope you're a family man. If there's one thing I know about women, they get what they want by any means necessary. :lol:

 

[Tim_Haggerty]

Don't worry about which Scotch to drink too much, it's a journey not a destination. Blended scotches are fine to start with, you'll develop a palate, and as the other posts suggest, there's a world of good single malts to try. It's like getting the hang of pipe smoking with 1Q and then finding out there's a lot more blends out there; nothing wrong with the tuition payments along the way. Cheers!

 

[i.keenum]

Thanks for the advice Haggerty.

She knows that I enjoy the process just not necessarily ready for the end product, so she's pointed out if she wanted that it wouldn't be too hard for her to accomplish. :lol!:

 

[Growley]

Ya having a child at twenty wasn't my best choice but I don't regret it. I pay all my bills, watch my kid and live in my own house. I am stubborn but I like the thought that I can support myself in a situation where I can take the easy way out. Need to enjoy my youth more while I have it. :lol!: Already like an old man as it is.

Man, I not far off from where you are. I got married at 22 and had kids two years later. I've been married now for almost 15 years and have kids that I can still keep with Kids have WAY too much energy to wait too long in life to have them. There are definitely sacrifices either way. What I learned too late in life is to just be happy in whatever stage of life I'm at and make the absolute best of it.

That doesn't mean you don't still need time to get away every now and then.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Fortunately, having kids is a choice, not a requirement--scheduled properly, that is. :lol: I will be enjoying this mortal coil very happily without them.

 

[i.keenum]

When your other half shows up with a couple at your house I am gonna giggle.