I'll be right there! - maʀtha

Let me know if you need any suggestions. I used to be quite the whisky hound. - Akiva

Ooh, Akiva, I tasted one that I bet you would love because I HATED it. It tasted exactly like pulling a stick out of the fire and gnawing on the charred end, and it smelled like iodine and bandaids. VILE stuff. Ardbeg. - lris

That description belongs in a catalog somewhere. - laura x

They prefer to say "Ardberg is the PEATIEST and the SMOKIEST of all the Islay malts..." (emphasis in original). So there are some keywords to avoid when shopping - Steele Lawman

wait, am I still an admin for LSW? Because if I am, I am totally changing the subtitle for the room right now. [EDIT: lo and behold, I am. Heh.] - Catherine Pellegrino

I hate the smoky stuff. Ptooey. - maʀtha

That would kind of push *our* definition of unusual reserves, but I imagine it would be popular at least. Two hour, one day or three day becomes half ounce, one ounce, two ounces? - John Dupuis

that or there's be a sudden spike in "medical emergencies" in the library - DJF

It's one way to get faculty back in the library. - John Dupuis

"Good whiskey never lets you lose your place." Originally about fiddlin', but couLd be about readin'. - Steele Lawman

In my Martian mode, I see your original post as meaning that you plan to collect tiny bottles of whisky (and whiskey?) from airlines...you know, a small whisky collection. - Walt Crawford

Heehee! - lris

I am a Friend of Laphroaig if you're looking for something special. Maybe I can get some membership deals shipped? - Eivind

I don't think you'd have much trouble getting people to sign up as "Friends of the Whisk(e)y Collection." - John Dupuis

Iris, Ardbeg is hardcore. It's the most hardcore of the hardcore of the Islays. I personally enjoy it but it does taste like a hospital smells. I'd never recommend it to anyone unless they were already whisky hounds themselves. What I'd recommend to you would be the Macallan Fine Oak and the Balvenie Double Wood. I think you'd enjoy having both of those in your library. - Akiva

I don't understand... whiskey that sticks around!? Hmmmm... interesting. - SAM

The Glenmorangie line of products is pretty accessible too. - John Dupuis

I just recently realized that I love the Balvenie Double Wood, and yes, Glenmorangie is good too. I also like Cragganmore and Glenfiddich. I'll have to keep an eye out for Macallan. - lris

Back in the day, when I actually drank liquor (I lost interest about 40 years ago), I was aware of a Scotch with my family's name. As I remember, it was neither terrible nor memorable. (Hmm. I see Crawford's still exists, in 3* and 5* versions.) - Walt Crawford

Macallan, to me, is the finest whisky on the planet. It was the first I had ever tasted and I've never had the better. Regardless of which bottle you choose, if it has that name on it, you'll never lose. - Akiva

Great! - lris

Peatiest?!? Think I'll stick to vodka... - WarLord

Is Ardberg anything like Dalwhinnie? I tried D and hated it. - MiniMage from YouFeed

MiniMage, nope. Trust me, when you encounter an Islay, you'll know it! - Akiva

And you'll switch to lighter fluid. ;-) - lris

(You shouldn't say Glenfiddich around enthusiasts. The ten year (12 year?) is sold for cheap all over European tax frees so they're obliged to scorn it.) - Eivind

I'm with Akiva on this one, I've tried quite a few, and I always return to Macallan. If you want to spoil yourself, splurge on a bottle of 18 year, it's fantastic. - Georgia

Georgia knows what's up. And, keep in mind that you do get what you pay for. Expensive whiskies are expensive for a reason and they keep. I used to buy an expensive bottle of Scotch every year on my birthday and that one bottle would last me about a year. So, in essence, a $200 bottle of Scotch is different from a $200 bottle of wine which must, based on whether it's red or white, be entirely consumed in three to five days. I think having one bottle of very fine Scotch is worth having around for special occasions. - Akiva

Note: If you get a really expensive (and old, say 30 yo) Scotch whisky, it has lost all it's sting. - Eivind

Eivind, you say that like the sting is a good thing. If I had unlimited funds, I'd go for no sting every time. :-) - lris

Then you should look into getting a nice brandy collection ;) (I am 100% confident I'd fuck up in a 30 yo Laphroaig vs, different brandys taste test) - Eivind

Iris, not sure how well-versed you are with wine but young wines have a lot of tannins in them and tannins are what produce that bit of pucker sometimes. As wines age, the tannins relax and the wine becomes smoother. The same goes for whisky. The older the whisky, the smoother it is. And, based on how it was stored, it absorbs more from its casks which give it an increasingly intense flavor. That's why the Balvenie Double Wood is so interesting: it's aged in one set of casks and then another. - Akiva

Hm, I wonder if I'm allowed to have brandy. (All this started because of a wacky set of dietary restrictions than disallowed beer and wine, and while I don't drink a lot, I did want to have some excuse for meeting up with friends at our local pub. The place would hate me if I only ordered water.) - lris

You also get whisky from smaller casks that is supposed to get more of absorbtion of wood in a shorter time. - Eivind

Yeah, they were just talking about that at my friend's birthday party / whisky tasting last weekend. (He's Scottish, and so's our other colleague who happens to have a second job as The Whisky Wench https://www.facebook.com/whiskyw... ) - lris

One last bit: when you open a bottle of whisky (and I mean each time, not just the first time), let it breathe for awhile before serving. And when you do serve: put just a bit of water in and give it a swirl and let that rest a few moments before drinking. No ice. Ever. Whisky should always be served neat. If someone likes their whisky chilled, put their glass in the freezer before you pour. I'm a bit of a purist, obviously, with whisky. And with martinis, as well. - Akiva

My wife got me a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue (for our 20th anniversary last month), which is pretty damn good for a blended scotch. - John Dupuis

I love the idea of whiskey, but after a sip I'm out. That said, after touring the Jack Daniel's distillery (highly educational), we bought a bunch of samples to do a thorough comparison. Maker's Mark truly is the smoothest that I tried. - Jen

those are bourbon, which has the definite advantage that a really good bourbon is a lot cheaper than a good scotch, and they taste really good. But there isn't as much variety in taste of bourbon, in my experience, as there is in scotch. - DJF

actually, DJF, Jack Daniels is known as a Tennessee Whiskey, not a bourbon :) - ~Courtney F