Whisky for a friend

[andym]

I know there are a couple of people on here that enjoy the odd tipple every now and then (I believe there was a thread about it a couple of years ago, which I'm looking for current opinions).... but.

I'm looking for some suggestions for a bottle of whisky as a birthday present, I'd prefer it to be in the £75-£100 region, although might go slightly more. It MUST be a single malt though.

I'm not really a whisky drinker myself (sorry Smiler that bottle was nice, I'd buy that for myself if I could remember the bloody name), so saying things like taste a few would be wasted on me as I'd rather just rattle a bottle of anything with 35%+ alcohol and get wasted.

[jakebrownbass]

Theres so much variance in single malt whiskeys and it really depends on what your friend likes.

If your friend likes a strong peat content in his whiskey i can't recommend enough Octomore from the Bruichladdich distillery. Or on the cheaper side of their range, the Laddie Ten.

If they're not a fan of peat check out the anCnoc 22 year old.
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[arry]

As above, at that sort of price you sort of have to get it right.

Can you ask what is in his current collection?

[ScaredyCat]

I was going to recommend something from the English Whisky company, then I looked as saw where you were ..

Might be interesting for someone who drinks the stuff though. Something different.
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[arry]

Just thinking down the middle of the road but different route, probably something Japanese like Hakushu or Yamazaki more mature years could suit well.

[Oldie]

Any of the Jura offerings will provide pleasure to even the most fickle of whisky drinkers - just a nice drop of the good stuff.

[Kamikaze Bob]

Jura's nice, I've got a soft spot for the Auchentoshan distillery in Clydebank. It's pretty close to me, but their American Oak and Threewood is lovely.
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[MCN]

If you take a rule of thumb. Main styles of Malt.

Island - Medicinal flavour from the Iodine imparted from seaweed used as fuel to dry the grain.

Highland - Peat Smokey flavour from peat used to dry the grain.

The you have strengths of flavour (Alcohol content is fairly standard 40-50% depending on what strength you buy)

My very favourites are Any Glenmorangie or my most fav Glenkinchie (The only Malt from Edinburgh and kind of rare/difficult to find.) but a quite mild and sweet-ish whisky and one I would use as the 'introducer' for a whisky session. The theory of that is to work up the flavour strengths as you go. The palate tends to wane a bit after a few drams.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[effit]

Have a look here mate, never heard of it until someone got me a bottle. Highly recommended...
bunnahabhain.com

[Suntan Sid]

[andym]

OK it kind of spoiled the surprise..... but it can't have a taste of peat, and also must be Scottish

[TheSmiler]

[Bozzy]

I went into Selfridges one time and got my Dad one of those malts where you choose your own decanter and then pick a malt from one of the barrels. IIRC, the one I got for him was £14.50 per 100ml. Being a cheap-skate I got him a 500ml decanter.

Failing that, you could always get him something like this

https://images.selfridges.com/is/image//selfridges/414-3004875-MACALLAN10FINEOAK_M?wid=1440&hei=2048&fmt=jpeg&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=1,1.0,8,0

[stinkwheel]

Here's an idea.

For £75-100 you could get three bottles of really good whisky rather than one bottle of exceptional whisky.

So you could get one each from three different regions.

OR you could get a selection of slightly more unusual ones.

Glenmorangie for example, do single malts matured in different types of cask. You can buy a three pack with one each of the traditional sherry cask, slightly different port cask and (really unusual, should be lovely) sauternes cask.
https://www.johnlewis.com/glenmorangie-explorer-pack-3-pack/p2319364?sku=235142358&s_kwcid=2dx92700012703739004&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclid=CMDE-cCXvs4CFVDaGQodop0Ngg&gclsrc=ds

As for a single bottle. I can't drink whisky now due to a greediness incident some years back but I liked Balvenie, they do some very special ones. Highland Park is an entirely inoffensive whisky that any whisky drinker would appreciate. A slightly more unusual one is Old Pultney. You'd be looking at a special single cask/double wood/aged version for what you're looking at spending.

The ones I recommended are very specifically NOT of the highly smoky/peaty/camphorous island types of whisky like most people have recommended above. They aren't to everyones taste so if you don't KNOW your friend likes them, it might be better to not go there. I personally never liked them and know many whisky drinkers who wouldn't thank you for one (well they would and would drink it to be polite but would rather have something else).
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[Nobby the Bastard]

I wasn't the only one that was glad that the whisky challenge didn't take place then...
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[Kamikaze Bob]

[Analogkid]

I know you mentioned it had to be a single malt, and as a single malt drinker I know what you meant, however one of the best i have tried is Johnnie Walker Blue Label, it's not a since malt though, perhaps a little over your budget, but by god it's the best whisky I have tried, so smooth.

Other than that if you aren't sure what your friend likes then you can't really go wrong with a Highland or Speyside. I'd suggest a MacAllan myself if going single malt, the Islay whisky's for example are a marmite choice, some of them (Laphroag for example) taste to me like creosote.

[c_dug]

Again to ignore the single malt bit Hibiki is a gorgeous blend and is something like £60 a bottle:

https://img.thewhiskyexchange.com/900/japan_hib5.jpg

As Stinkwheel says you could get a couple of decent whiskeys rather than a single mega bottle.

I've never been a huge fan, but my dad loves lafraugh. It's very smokey, a complete contrast to Hibiki. A 10 year old will cost something like £40.
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[pig hog]

I'd recommend something from Springbank's range or isle of arran. The latter are very good without being overly pricey.

Talisker isn't a peaty whisky. I don't think it can be ruled out of this—perhaps look for a distiller's edition. Last one I had was great. I've tried the 25 year old before, too, but can't say that that particular expression is worth the price tag.

A cheeky question of my own—has anybody had Port Charlotte - Scottish Barley (bruichladdich distillery's peated whisky)? If so, is it good? I was considering a bottle.
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[mentalboy]

Caol Isla is a fairly safe bet, an Islay malt with a less 'intense' flavour than the average Islay malts.
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[oldpink]

[Spamalittle]

Anything from Islay is going to be pretty peaty/smoky and they are not universally loved by all, including regular whisky imbibers. Personally they're my favorite with Ardbeg Uigeadail topping the list.

Good all-rounders, and what I call supermarket offerings, are Macallan, Jura, Highland Park, Auchentoshan and Benromach. They're all decent and evenly priced between £30 to £40 but they're nothing really special to write home about and pretty generic.

Japanese offerings are good, with Hakushu being a favourite, but they seem too precise. I suspect I'm biased but there's something about Scotch whiskys that just isn't replicated in Japanese bottlings. Possibly the Scottish water, malting process, peat, storage etc. but maybe also happy flukes and anomalies that the Japanese iron out of their process.

I was given a 21year old Aberfeldy a couple of years ago (as a birthday present) and to this day, despite it being pricey at £110, it remains the whisky I would recommend to both whisky lovers and complete beginners. Unbelievably smooth, great flavour and not at all overpowering.
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[bladeblaster]

ahhhhh Whisky

Talisker Storm

Smokier and peatier the better

[Pigeon]

I used to drink a bit of whiskey now and then. My favourite at the time was Glenmorangie Madeira at £35 a bottle.

15 years later and that stuff changes hands for nearly £200 a bottle.

Doesn't really help here, but if you find any in your price range, grab it!

[RhynoCZ]