ehowton ◾ Taste Test (Reply)

Name	Age	Body	Peatiness	Palate	Rating	Repeat purchase

Balvenie	10	Kinda rough	No peat	Strong flavor	***	Probably
Balvenie	12	Smooth enough	Very mild peat	Medium flavor	**	Probably
Balvenie	15	Very smooth	Light peat	Medium flavor	***	Probably
Dalmore Cigar Malt	15	Smooth	Stronger peat	Strong flavor	***	Yes
Glenfarclas	10	Kinda rough	No peat	Light flavor	*	No
Glenfiddich	12	Smooth enough	Light peat	Medium flavor	****	Definitely
Glenfiddich	15	Smoother	No peat	Medium flavor	***	I prefer the 12
Glenfiddich	18	Smooth	Medium peat	Medium flavor	****	Yes
Glenlivet	12	Smooth enough	No peat	Medium flavor	**	Possibly
Glenmorangie (Madeira Wood)	12	Smooth	Light peat	Strong flavor
Glenmorangie (Rare Malt)	15	Smooth	Great peat	Strong flavor	*****	Yes
Glen Parker	??	Kinda rough	Hint of peat	Medium flavor	*	(See below)
Isle of Jura	10	Smooth enough	No peat	Strong flavor	****	Have Already
Macallan	12	Smooth	No peat	Light flavor	***	Yes
Macallan	18	Very smooth	No peat	Light flavor	***	Unlikely
Sheep Dip	8	Kinda rough	No peat	Medium flavor	**	No
Tomatin	12	Smoothish	No peat	Meek flavor	*	No

What I enjoy most about scotch is the peat. As Jim, manager of PX Liquors in Saint Louis intoned, I like to 'chew the peat.' Unfortunately, quite a few of my selections were low on the peat-scale. Still, with a strong enough flavor (Isle of Jura)¹ or a rougher body (Balvenie 10)² I've found that I can drink my way past the peat. Considerable time & expense have gone into the above study, and it was a joy each and every step of the way. I'm still short a couple I would have liked to have added, namely, a scotch I hear they don't make any more I tried back in '02 (Bowmore Darkest 12-year) introduced to me by Mr. Green of Wichita, and (Oban 14-year) which PX Liquors has for $58 a bottle. At the prices I've found recently, and with my wife's affection for the Isle of Jura, I think I'll exhaust that supply first. But I'm still searching for that peaty bottle of scotch...

¹Special thanks to

lehah for suggesting the Isle of Jura.
²Special thanks to

catttitude for the Balvenie.

Added Sheep Dip to the list. It's only an 8-year-old scotch and was mentioned to me twice, once by the proprietor of PX Liquors, and a follow up by

danzigfried. It was $27 dollars a bottle, three dollars more than the Isle of Jura which my wife now also drinks. Betwix the two, my money's on the Isle scotch, though I'll give this one it's due: It is unique.

Added Dalmore Cigar Scotch. It's between 15-25 years old, and cured in in casks used previously to mature Oloroso sherry. According to reviews, "The additional dose of sherry adds to the whisky's already full body. It is a fabulously flavorful whisky that inexplicably costs in the mid-$20s." The bottle we picked up was $31.99, and it was wonderful.

Added Glenmorangie, Tomatin and GlenParker to the list. Of these, two bottles are ~$20. The Glenmorangie (12-year Port Wood Finish) was $64, and the clear leader in enjoyment. The latter two were rather horrific, but the GlenParker at least had a hint of peat, where the Tomatin did not. If I'm ever flat-broke, I'll buy another bottle of the GlenParker (which, incedently is how I ended up with this one), as it is reminiscent of a poor man's Glenfiddich. Have purchased three more bottle of Isle of Jura however, as that is my wife's favorite, and it always pleases the palette. Every time I'm in the store, I see the Cigar Malt, and memories of D.C. fill my head - what good times, and what good scotch!

Saving up Scotch for my next visit with

photogoot turned out to be at The Party of the Decade! We sampled for the first time the Macallan 12, and the Glenfiddich 18. Both of them very nice, but not quite what I look for in a Scotch. Prior to the party, however, I cracked open a bottle of Glenmorangie 15 Rare Malt (which I've since discovered they've stopped making). Ashame really, at $70 a bottle, my new favorite! (I've highlighted it in the matrix above). I did, however, learn of The Peat Monster from

photogoot upon his arrival back to D.C. MUST try that one. The party was a lot of fun, and I got to share a lot of good Scotch with people who appreciated it.