My wife has chosen a batch cocktail for Thanksgiving called a "sneaky peat", which features scotch as the primary liquor. I know nothing about scotch, but will have to go buy some on Wednesday. Could you fine folks recommend a good bottle that would come in at $50 or less? (For reference, the other ingredients in the recipe are oolong tea, angostura bitters, homemade cranberry syrup, and lemon juice.)
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If you’re mixing, anything will work, a ‘big’ name brand might be good for bragging rights, but you won’t taste the difference in a mixed drink. I’m not an avid Scotch drinker, but Johnny Walker White is the smoothest scotch I have tried, it has a mild scotch flavor, so it would not stand out in the mix. A bottle is about $50.-
Ok, I'm not the only one. I've tried most JWs, and while I'm not a blended guy, per se, I had no idea what Johnny Walker White was. Apparently it's a special Game of Thrones edition of Johnny Walker. Go figure. -
realdocBBQ - Yep. Got a bottle JW White as a gift. Like I said, I’m not a big scotch drinker, but to my surprise I finished that bottle.
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Buffalo Trace has released an excellent bourbon in a collaboration with a country western singer. Travellers. $37 here in store. Won a big award recently.Comment
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Monkey Shoulder and Chivas Regal 12 are my everyday blends of scotch. I have both straight and mixed in cocktails such as a Rusty Nail: scotch and Drambuie.Last edited by Purc; November 25, 2024, 06:04 PM.Comment
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My grandfather drank a double pour of Chivas whenever he came over our house when I was kid. Just one. He called it his "medicine". I was out in the backyard with him once when I was about five years old and asked him if I could try it. I choked and sputtered on one sip, grandpa laughed, and I wheezed "grandpa, your medicine is even worse than mine!" I've since come to appreciate the flavor, even though it's not my whisky/ey of choice. (For hard-wired genetic reasons, I tend to favor Irish.)
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Judging by the name of the cocktail, I would imagine you would want something a little peat/smoky. I agree that I would not waste the money on a single malt or anything expensive.
When making scotch cocktails, I generally use something like a Famous Grouse or Black Bottle. The Black Bottle is reasonably priced and is sort of known as a cocktail scotch. It has a bit of smoke and likely would go well in this. A bottle is around $25 here in NY.
FWIW - I'm likely making Penicillin cocktails for Thanksgiving (or at least for me!) and will be using Black Bottle as my mixing/blended scotchComment
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If you do not want smokey/peated Scotch, my recommendations for a great starter Scotch is either Glenmorangie or Monkey Shoulder. Those are two easy to find ones that should be available nearly anywhere and are great for the money. They are middle ground IMO, like a Scotch version of Buffalo Trace or Wild Turkey perhaps.Comment
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I'll vote for the Monkey Shoulder as well. It's a blend of Balvenie and something else, can't remember. Johnny red is a little peaty/smoky. Though not my fav, but most blendeds aren't, I'm a single malt guy. Glenmorangie Lasanta for a sweet, sherry finished Scotch, something around $50. Balvenie Doublewood if you want to spend more, but, it's now over $70, maybe as much as $80 here, I thnk. Just can't afford it anymore, I don't remember the last time. Prolly been a couple years or more. Hell, lately, I'm even drinking up my stock of bourbon to keep from going to buy more. <sigh> Buffalo Trace is hard as hell to get here, but I had a case from when I was in Texas I think a little over 3 years ago. It'll likely be gone by the end of the weekend, now, I'm down to 1 bottle. <sigh>
Dangit.Comment
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Given the name, Ardbeg "Wee Beastie" is in that price range....or Total Wine, if you have one near you, has a "Spirits Direct" brand of Islay whiskey that looks to be peaty and costs around $30.00Comment
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Since peat is in the name and lemon juice is an ingredient, PA Fine Wine and Good Spirits has Laphroaig Select listed at $43.99 right now. Laphroaig has a citrus note to it that would go nicely with the lemon juice and will bring the peat smoke as well.
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Good call....what he doesn't use in the cocktail, he can drinkOriginally posted by luvthemstillers View Post
A little OT...but I was up in Bedford last week and they had Booker's for $99.99 & Old Overholt 11 year (cask strength I believe), for the same price. I snagged the Booker's but passed on the Old Overholt. I still remember when Booker's was ~ $60.00, but I still bought it...Comment
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Thank you all very much for the great input!
I went with the Monkey Shoulder. I'll post my impression of it both straight up and mixed after Thanksgiving.Comment
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Nice choice! I actually splurged and got myself a bottle of Glenmorangie Lasanta today. Don't tell The Wife! lolComment
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