Edited by author 03-18-2008 12:45 PM
It is a very beautiful glass. I thought of buying him a Glencairn glass, it seems like many people are happy with it. It is not too expensive either.
But I will definitely consider the Spiegelau.
I have heard/read that some people prefer the Glencairn because it is a heavier and more stabil glass. And that others prefer glasses on stem so they can control the heating of the whisky. So the Glencairn is more of a "drinking glass" and the Spiegelau would be a "tasting glass".
How do you feel about that?

Glad I could help.

If you are looking for very nice but not-too-expensive glasses, I can wholeheartedly recommend Spiegelau's Single Malt glasses, especially for the Doublewood.

Thank you very much for the quick answer both of you. I will go for the Doublewood then. That will leave money for a whiskyglass too.

Hi Rikke,

I would definitely go with the Doublewood. It is soft, sweet, and, if he gets more into whisky, gives great hints about what the older Balvenies are like.

The Highland Park has a bit of smoke to it, so if he's a novice, it might not be his cup of, er, scotch.

The Glenlivet 18 is very nice, and a lovely exercise in subtle sherrying, but is a bit on the pricey side (more than twice the price of the others.)

Ideal Soft Sweet after dinner type is
  "Dallas Dhu" (if you can get a bottle)
  

QT - Rikke <qtopic-3-5DBMc2FMegg92o6HOEJ3@quicktopic.com> wrote:
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Hi.
My boyfriend has a birthday coming up, and I would like to buy him a whisky. I think it would fit him best with a soft, sweet one - after-dinner type.
I have come down to the following 3 and would like an advice:

Highland Park 12
Balvenie 12 Doublewood
Glenlivet 18

Thank you in advance.

Hi, Michael. I still have an email sent to me, as well.

I have to say, probably my favorite all around Scotch, for a while now, is Balvenie.

I went to China for a few weeks last fall and have really enjoyed the green teas from there. I went to Longjing (a town just outside of Hangzhou) to get some Longjing tea. It's the most famous Chinese green tea and rightfully so. I have also really enjoyed the Mao Feng and a couple of other types of tea grown in the Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) area southwest of Shanghai and Hangzhou. They had a little sweetness to them (without sugar), which was nice. There's more good hot sauces out there than you can shake a stick at...so get two sticks!

Well, that's my update. Hope all is well with everyone.

Thank you for the nice words!

I still monitor the board, and I know others do, too. But you're right, it's gotten quiet in these parts. Want to help? Post a question, review, or whatever you'd like! We'll get the conversation started again.

Is this message board still active? I loved reading Joshua's tasting notes but I noticed that there have been no messages posted since 2006. Thanks.

Nice job I love the site

It will make your search easier if you look for "Johnnie Walker" (J-O-H-N-N-I-E).

Try http://tinyurl.com/vole6 for US$69 plus shipping.

Good luck,

- Josh

I am looking to buy a bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label Limited Edition,
and live in California. Any Suggestions would be appreciated

I have a question for scotch experts: Why is the Macallan 18 a thousand times better than the Macallan 12???

and my favorite additive style is Dave's Ultimate Insanity

It's funny that you mentioned Dave's Ultimate Insanity sauce. I happen to have a bottle of that myself. I poured it over half a sandwich at Firehouse Subs in Orlando and another hot sauce on the other half. (Firehouse Subs is a chain that sells subs and has a wide variety of hot sauces for you to put on them). Anyway, we're talkin' at least 3-4 tablespoons of DUI! Never having met a hot sauce I couldn't handle, I finished the half. Luckily, that particular store sells bottles of the hot sauces (not like in Tallahassee). I had to get a bottle and have enjoyed the sweaty foreheads and wide eyes of my friends who don't believe them when I tell them how hot it is...BTW, I made it all the way back (a four hour drive) without an unforced bowel movement, so I feel like I accomplished a manly milestone that day...

I just got a bottle of Highland Park (12yr). I like it, but I'm not in a position tonight to give it much of a review.

Ah, yes, you're right on my obvious ommission. Probably my favorite is Caymus Cabernet Savignon. I like BV Napa Valley wines, as well.

I was stationed over at Mather AFB in Sacremento for a year in the mid 1980s while going to navigator school. Needless to say, I made a lot of trips over to Napa to sample the wares. Without that experience, I can't imagine going into a store and letting some guy talk you into buying an expensive bottle based on nothing other than conversation...unfortunately, it's been so long that I'm in the position I can't imagine now...time for another refresher trip!

Speaking of experiencing first hand, I still haven't gotten to the part of the message board where you report on your trip to Scotland. I'm looking forward to reading about it.

Take care,

Scott

I think scotch, tea, beer and hot sauces are what separates man from the beasts

Ah, a soul mate! Count me in on all four. My favorite daily hot sauce is Marie Sharp's Habanero (the original one). My favorite salsa-style is the whole Ring of Fire range, and my favorite additive style is Dave's Ultimate Insanity. Surely you are a friend of Sweat 'n' Spice? I've been planning a hot sauce addition to mcgees.org.

And beer -- we have one of those great bars near us that allow you to collect world beers in your "passport" and then get a t-shirt and plaque (when you've reached 200!) What fun. Some favorites are Fuller's ESB, which a (different) local tavern has on tap, and Young's Oatmeal Stout. Of the four categories, this is my area with the least expertise.

You left "noble reds" off your list.... :-)

Edited by author 03-22-2006 10:29 PM
Thanks for your quick reply! I'm just now about halfway through the posts here and have quite a shopping list built up...I live in Tallahassee, FL and am lucky to have a local liquor store that carries a wide variety of scotches.

Thanks to you, too, Partha.

I do like some Pu-erhs, particularly the ones that have a smokey flavor to them (rather than straight vermiculite ;^) ). My favorite is the Buddha type from the In Pursuit of Tea site that you like. I've tried a lot of teas from different sites and am thinking about starting a review site of my own on them. If I do that, I'll link to yours, as well.

Anyway, as far as scotch goes, thanks again for the response and I'll report back within a couple of weeks to let you know what my new purchases were and how I liked them.

It's so nice to have things that are produced with so many different flavors and subtle differences. I think scotch, tea, beer and hot sauces are what separates man from the beasts (though if you have too much, the separation disappears!)...

Scott