Not necessarily the best place to ask, but I know some of you are whisky drinkers... I've usually just stuck to Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey, but am looking to get some Scotch. Having only had Scotch on occasion, I can't remember which ones were good and bad, so I need some recommendations on which to buy and which to avoid. Ideally I'm looking for the cheapest possible that still tastes nice to drink straight. -Are supermarket own brands any good. I'm guessing the "Smartprice" stuff should be avoided though? -I've heard that I should also steer clear of Bell's? -What about Teacher's, Grant's, Famous Grouse, High Commissner, etc? -I do seem to remember reading something good about Lidl's whisky(?) Cheers.
If you're going for Lidl then Glen Marnoch wold be your best choice I think. Otherwise, I'd be looking to avoid things like Grouse too. The best budget Malt would be some Glenfiddich 12.
Define cheap - One man's fortune is another pittance Grouse isn't too bad for a run of the mill blend. Are you planning this whisky as one to mix, or one to drink straight?
All of this is my opinion: Avoid Generic/own-label stuff Teachers is crap, Grants is ok, Whyte and Mackay likewise, as is Jamesons [that's an Irish one] not had Grouse recently enough to recall what it's like [they're all blends iirc] Not a big fan of single malts so others would be better placed to advise you there... Bourbon and Rum are more my thing... also for the record I drink all my spirits neat, no mixer, no ice... mixers and/or ice changes things...
Value for money wise I really like Grants, in fact its one of my favourite whiskeys. if your looking to spend a little more (but still not expensive) grants ale cask aged is good
Is an oxymoron. There is no such thing as a good cheap whisky. If you prefer something smoother than the "bite the back of your throat" numbers try an Irish whisky
As cheap as possible without tasting like paint thinner Grouse is £18 per litre which seems like an alright price. Everything is relative.
In an entirely related story: Yes. It was cat. No, I didn't mean to. Yes, I was drunk, and sleeping on the floor. I woke up with cat sleeping on my face. The ensusuing flailing and 'wtfing' has lead me to know what fur near a cats arse tastes like. Highland park does not bring back painful memories!
I'd take Jameson over Grants, the later feel like drinking sand. If I were you I'd pick a bottle of Glenfiddich 18, it's a good one and not that expensive.
If you like something a bit peated then Ledaig is a decent choice, for something more delicate then Glen Moray is worth a crack. Failing either of those I'd follow the suggestions of Jameson's. Whatever you do avoid Bells, Grouse, Whyte & Mackay et al like the plague.
General rule of thumb: If it's called "Glen"-anything, it's probably a single malt. Anything cheaper than Jameson/JW Black Label is not worthwhile if you're drinking neat. AFFORDABLE (not cheap) single malts worth drinking include (but aren't limited to - my selection at this end of the world is somewhat limited and our prices are ridiculous): Glengrant - affordable, drinkable, polite for a single malt. Glenmorangie - less polite. Quite good, though, dependant on which one. I like the Lasanta. Glenlivet - less polite than glengrant, but still quite polite. Possibly somewhat uneventful. I have only had the "normal" 12 year one. Blends that are quite good (blends are often less flavoured and therefore a bit easier to drink than single malts) and still affordable: Johnny Walker Black Label - Not the cheapest or the best, but a good starting point. Boring, mainly. Jameson - the normal one is drinkable. It's Irish, though. which (to my tastebuds and in my limited experience) makes it less sweet. Bushmills - Again, Irish. But I prefer this to Jameson, and it's a wee bit cheaper here. Bushmill's Black bush - Irish as well, but more aggressive. Nice, though. Chivas 12 - A reliable staple, really. Quite sweet, quite rich, very pleasant to drink, if somewhat uneventful when compared to a few of the alternatives (especially the single malts). Dimple - I'd put this on par with the Chivas 12. It's good, if a bit uneventful. Famous Grouse - MEH! I am not a fan of the stuff. If you're new to Whisky (non-bourbon), I'd suggest starting with something like the Chivas. It's good stuff, won't give you colon cancer immediately, and it's a good platform to try others from. If you figure you like the sweetness, try some single malts. Otherwise try some of the Bushmills.
Aldi's Highland Black 8-year old whisky won a gold award at the International Wine and Spirits Competition. £12,99 a bottle.
