Lagavulin™

December 2, 2015 7:39 PM

Nick Offerman's 'Yule Log' Nick Offerman Drinking Lagavulin Single Malt Whisky for 45 minutes. [Warning for the ad adverse: The linked video is obviously advertising.]
posted by cjorgensen (85 comments total)

Fuck yeah Lagavulin! I just had a snifter myself.
posted by grumpybear69 at 7:43 PM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

O were my love yon lilac fair...
posted by Guy Smiley at 7:47 PM on December 2, 2015 [8 favorites]

I've said before that I'm a fan of slow tv but that was mainly because it helps with anxiety, which in this instance is counteracted by Mr Offerman running his fingertips on the rim of the glass which is gross to me.
posted by dogwalker at 7:49 PM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

For a discussion of said whisky: Ralfy.
posted by postcommunism at 7:59 PM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

As a Hanukkah gift to myself, I ordered myself a whiskey advent calendar, where every day in December has a different, secret single serving bottle of whiskey. It just came today, and the first dram was a Glenfarclas 25.

This is gonna be a good month.
posted by Itaxpica at 8:01 PM on December 2, 2015 [56 favorites]

you are truly living your best life.
posted by palomar at 8:04 PM on December 2, 2015 [8 favorites]

Good for you, Itaxpica.

I've got some smoky browns in the cupboard there. I'll pour myself one in a bit.
posted by rtha at 8:09 PM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

I do not approve of that man's trousers.
posted by kenko at 8:13 PM on December 2, 2015

Saw Offerman live last week in A Confederacy of Dunces, and I'm looking forward to spending some time just sitting with the man. Thanks.
posted by carsonb at 8:23 PM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

I don't believe I've ever felt tweedier.
posted by MrVisible at 8:23 PM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

Dammit, this is actually surprisingly perfect. Also I have not yet tried Lagavulin so I guess I should give it a whirl. My usual go-to is Highland Park 12yo.
posted by turbid dahlia at 8:24 PM on December 2, 2015

For a man so committed to authenticity, woodcraft and woodsmanship I'm surprised that Nick Offerman would condone the use of a gas fireplace by which to sip whisky.
posted by Flashman at 8:25 PM on December 2, 2015 [14 favorites]

Also I have not yet tried Lagavulin so I guess I should give it a whirl.

If you like drinking things that taste like sitting next to a campfire but better, you'll love it!

(it is my very favorite scotch)
posted by Itaxpica at 8:26 PM on December 2, 2015 [4 favorites]

I do!
posted by turbid dahlia at 8:29 PM on December 2, 2015

And if you like drinking things that taste like you're sitting inside of a campfire, try Laphroaig.
posted by gwint at 8:31 PM on December 2, 2015 [38 favorites]

I was trying to explain laphroaig to my wife and could only come up with "it tastes like a housefire smells"
posted by Ferreous at 8:33 PM on December 2, 2015 [11 favorites]

gas fireplace

I would guess this has more to do with the mechanics of the filming than with any stylistic choice. I'm not going to watch the whole 45 minutes, because holy fuck why would you, but this appears to be one continuous shot with no cuts? If so, then this is less an advert and more of an impressive bit of acting in an art film.

I hope they had something set up just off camera to distract him.
posted by Panjandrum at 8:34 PM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

I like Bruichladdich so I suspect I will enjoy Laphroaig as well...perhaps I should just get one of each.
posted by turbid dahlia at 8:35 PM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

things that taste like you're sitting inside of a campfire

Or literally any mezcal! But I digress.
posted by Panjandrum at 8:37 PM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

My friends and I call Laphroaig "barbecue juice", as in it's what you'd get if you juiced a barbecue.
posted by lucidium at 8:38 PM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

like you're sitting inside of a campfire

But.. but that's why I drink Laphroaig!

It's so tasty!
posted by curious nu at 8:42 PM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

I've loved Glenfarclas since I bought a bottle after reading about it in Iain Banks' excellent book Raw Spirit. (I sometimes joke this is the most expensive book I've ever purchased, because I now I'm in the store and say to myself, "Oh, and I want some of that, and some of THAT, and I've never tried that one, and what did he say about that distillery...")
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 8:42 PM on December 2, 2015

Laphroig tastes like you're sucking on charred peat moss. In a good way.
posted by twsf at 8:49 PM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

Just to be clear: Laphroaig is my favorite whiskey. Or possibly just my favorite thing.
posted by gwint at 8:54 PM on December 2, 2015

Just finished the last of the Laphroaig a few minutes ago. I recently saw it described as tasting "like a burning hospital".
posted by escape from the potato planet at 9:10 PM on December 2, 2015 [11 favorites]

I'm not going to watch the whole 45 minutes, because holy fuck why would you, but this appears to be one continuous shot with no cuts?

The video appears to be continuous, but I can't say for sure because holy fuck why would I, but I guess they did some separate, more "real" fireplace audio and it appears to be on a loop of about 43 seconds or so. You can tell when it's just about to start again because you hear the fire crack and then someone's whistly nose-breathing.

Usually when it's our turn to have everyone over for Christmas Day (we rotate), I put a fireplace video on the TV since we don't have a fireplace. It's our turn this year and I'm putting this on.
posted by chococat at 9:17 PM on December 2, 2015 [9 favorites]

This is superb.
posted by RolandOfEld at 9:22 PM on December 2, 2015

Something something whiskey blue.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 9:26 PM on December 2, 2015

I'm pregnant right now and slowly turning green with envy as I watch this man enjoy his Lagavulin. What I wouldn't give.
posted by town of cats at 9:47 PM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

> And if you like drinking things that taste like you're sitting inside of a campfire, try Laphroaig.

If you like drinking things that taste like you're licking the inside of the fireplace while the fire is burning, Bruichladdich's Octomore. (I love Octomore.)
posted by rtha at 10:13 PM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

Lagavulin used to be my favorite whiskey. But now I can't afford it, even when it's in stock.

I'm going to be spending several months in Mexico, and I'm looking forward to trying lots of mezcals; there's only one option in my local liquor store (actually, I think, in the whole city).
posted by leahwrenn at 10:49 PM on December 2, 2015

Spoiler Alert!
Spoiler space:
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He refills the glass right around 20:35 or so.
posted by jacquilynne at 11:23 PM on December 2, 2015 [13 favorites]

The video reminds me of that pernicious type of hangover where electing to remain silent is overwhelmingly preferable to the alternative of revealing your incoherence, prompting friends to remind you just what you did, or simply aggravating your headache with the sound of your voice.

(by contrast - for the love of God - will somebody please buy Ralfy an editor)

Finally, just to illustrate that Isla malts are not entirely the province of dudes; a link to a page about the First Lady of Isla, Bessie Williamson. She is a major reason why the island's malts have become so internationally well known today.
posted by rongorongo at 11:32 PM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

So peaceful... I feel like there should be an alternate cut where his lovely and talented, but let's be real, shrill-voiced wife Megan Mullally is calling "NICK?! Where are the --- Oh HERE they are" and other such things, while he remains unmoved.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:46 PM on December 2, 2015 [15 favorites]

book Raw Spirit. (I sometimes joke this is the most expensive book I've ever purchased

Tell me about it. I got promoted just after reading it and decided I just had to have a bottle of his preferred perfect dram to celebrate (and that's not the only one). It was good but I didn't think it was great.

Also: let's all step up our game on the whisky/whiskey front eh?
posted by biffa at 1:15 AM on December 3, 2015 [2 favorites]

I came here to Laphroaig and mic drop, but Gwnt beat me to it.
posted by C.A.S. at 1:22 AM on December 3, 2015

I've loved Glenfarclas since I bought a bottle after reading about it in Iain Banks' excellent book Raw Spirit.

I was talking about whiskey with a colleague the other day and she said she once did a whiskey tour of Islay and I went green with envy. And then she said Iain Banks was on the same tour and they hung out all evening and she showed me photos and an email from him she got later and then I killed her in a fit of jealousy and so she's dead now (and maybe I can forge her will to inherit her whiskey collection).

And only that last bit about her being dead is untrue.
posted by lollusc at 2:15 AM on December 3, 2015 [10 favorites]

I developed my love for Islay whiskeys one summer working with viciously toxic chemicals to perform organic DNA extractions in not quite adequate conditions. Theoretically, you're supposed to do anything involving either phenol or chloroform under a chemical flow hood that will protect you from their fumes, but my tiny classical microbiology lab didn't have one, so I ended up learning to love both the lingeringly sweet smell of chloroform and the scent of phenol, which does indeed smell like a house fire. Pure phenol is pretty absurdly carcinogenic, will produce hideous chemical burns that never heal on contact with skin, and when you breathe enough of it will make your lungs swell up to the point where you begin to drown - but at appropriate dilutions its fucking DELICIOUS.

Lagavulin, as well as a few other varieties of Scotch are distilled using phenol-rich peat moss as the fuel for drying the mash that gets fermented, which imparts natural phenol into the final product. The concentrations it ends up at in whiskey are far less toxic than the ethanol you drink with it, being just enough to tickle your pallet with the beautiful threat of what phenol really is, but it does seem like an oddly appropriate thing for Ron Swanson to be willing to go to Europe for.
posted by Blasdelb at 2:32 AM on December 3, 2015 [13 favorites]

If you pointed a camera at me with a glass of whiskey for 45 minutes it would look a lot like that except you'd also know how frequently I pick my nose.
posted by Nanukthedog at 3:27 AM on December 3, 2015 [6 favorites]

Notes of smoke, tea and pipe tobacco, fishboxes and kippers, with aromas of laurel and light cereal, but sweet. The palate shows more creosote, with hints of kelp and a little touch of iodine. Complex. Goes well with warm firesides on rainy nights, slow jazz, and unvoiced regrets.
posted by misteraitch at 3:42 AM on December 3, 2015 [3 favorites]

Pure phenol is pretty absurdly carcinogenic, will produce hideous chemical burns that never heal on contact with skin, and when you breathe enough of it will make your lungs swell up to the point where you begin to drown

Casting my mind back to 1989 and the start of my chemistry degree, I am pretty sure it was phenol in the story they told us as to why we should wash our hands before going to the toilet if we have been in the lab. Basically because someone who didn't got cancer of the cock.
posted by biffa at 4:05 AM on December 3, 2015 [2 favorites]

Phenol is not a human carcinogen. I mean, really, we're not selling beverages in the grocery store with 30 ppm of an "absurdly carcinogenic" ingredient.
posted by ryanrs at 4:10 AM on December 3, 2015

Here's the CDC's toxicological profile for phenol.

It's something like 250 pages, but Ctrl+F will find you a lot of studies showing not-statistically-significant effects and other, perhaps not reassuring, but also not damning, results.

For what it's worth, phenol is an important industrial chemical, so we've been exposing lots of factory workers to it for a long time. It's a well-studied chemical.
posted by ryanrs at 4:16 AM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

why we should wash our hands before going to the toilet

Phenol soap was a common, everyday thing 50 years ago. It was basically the triclosan of the early-mid 20th century. Whole generations grew up washing with it, and they didn't die of dick cancer.
posted by ryanrs at 4:26 AM on December 3, 2015 [3 favorites]

man, I never thought I'd be up at 4 AM on a Thursday defending phenol, of all things, but there you go
posted by ryanrs at 4:27 AM on December 3, 2015 [15 favorites]

Probably not phenol I was thinking of then, what's the one that makes you lose your memory?
posted by biffa at 4:43 AM on December 3, 2015 [2 favorites]

I dunno, but there's a vaccine for dick cancer if you're worried (really).
posted by ryanrs at 4:48 AM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

It's my favorite Scotch and I like Nick Offerman but I'm not up for a 45 min video of him drinking it. I'd be happy to spend 45 minutes drinking it with him in person but I seriously doubt that will happen.
posted by tommasz at 5:27 AM on December 3, 2015

For a discussion of said whisky: Ralfy yt .
Almost. The review is of Lagavulin 12. Nick is drinking 16. Discussion of the difference.

I'm relatively new to single malt (or any hard liquor), but my neighbor has organized an annual Scotch-tasting party for the last couple of years with 15-25 bottles hidden in brown paper bags- blind taste tests.
I discovered I like the peat of Islay, particularly Laphroaig.
My notes on Lagavulin (that are legible) from my 4 partys are inconsistant: 1st year- bottom half; 2nd year- top third; 3rd year- bottom half; 4th year- tied for best.
The last year was a 16- not sure about the other years.
posted by MtDewd at 5:52 AM on December 3, 2015

The first (and only time) I tried Lagavulin I winced and said, "It tastes like a barn fire in my mouth!" Not my thing.

However, Nick Offerman is one of my celebrity crushes. And if you're interested in the other humorous ads he's done for Lagavulin and other Diageo properties, here's the YouTube channel.
posted by kimberussell at 6:02 AM on December 3, 2015

MetaFilter: dick cancer.
posted by OmieWise at 6:12 AM on December 3, 2015 [3 favorites]

So, I'm not sure if people are being facetious or really don't understand basic chemistry, but phenols are a group of chemical compounds, with a wide variety of characteristics and effects, not a single thing; corrosive, toxic, and lethal effects noted above are for various phenols in concentrations many orders of magnitude higher than those found in whisky; lots of otherwise beneficial or pleasurable chemicals hurt or kill us when encountered in high concentrations; phenols are found in red wine, tea, berries, chocolate, chili peppers, and a wide variety of other foods as well; "cancer of the dick," seriously, did I accidentally click through to reddit?; and, sure, 16 y. o. Lagavulin is very good, but I'm more of an Ardbeg or Laphroaig partisan myself, and Ardbeg Uigeadal is the best of the best.
posted by aught at 6:23 AM on December 3, 2015 [3 favorites]

So I was in a really stupid band in high school, and there was this one song that I sang. It was mostly nonsense about croquettes, and bits of it were always improvised. Anyway we were recording it, and I got to the big high spot, where I proclaim that at least these potato nuggets haven't yet given me cancer, and for some reason I decided to say "dick cancer" instead. We had to scrap the take because everybody else was laughing so hard. I don't know what's extra funny about dick cancer as opposed to just cancer, but there you have it.
posted by uncleozzy at 6:25 AM on December 3, 2015 [2 favorites]

This is what happens when the FPP is just a man drinking scotch in front of a fire: we end up talking about phenols and dick cancer.
posted by Panjandrum at 6:35 AM on December 3, 2015 [9 favorites]

I mean I'm also a fan of Islays (the scotches on the shelf at home are Lagavulin and Laphroaig), but I figured the key point here was the DC.
posted by uncleozzy at 6:39 AM on December 3, 2015

For a discussion of said whisky: Ralfy yt .
Almost. The review is of Lagavulin 12. Nick is drinking 16. Discussion of the difference.

OK - for those with a further 10 minutes to fill with Ralfy meanderings, here he is with the 16 year old. For those without "there is a little bit more cask involvement than with the 12 ... but its not what it was back in the 1980s when the distillery was only working 2 days a week and they had more time".

He also talks about Maltmill Lagavulin - from the distillery within the distillery. If you find a bottle then don't fucking drop it!
posted by rongorongo at 6:42 AM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

The work that went into this comment almost (almost!) makes YouTube comments worth having.
posted by jedicus at 6:43 AM on December 3, 2015 [4 favorites]

gas fireplace

But it does crackle - and appears to require a backup supply of logs.

Here's the equivalent video for Buckfast, in case you were wondering.
posted by rongorongo at 7:06 AM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

I heat just with wood, and given that it's winter in Michigan, I have a lot of fires this time of year, so I smell a lot of wood smoke and I've become accustomed to it. The only thing that tastes smokey to me anymore is Laphroaig, and it doesn't taste smokey so much as it tastes like shoe leather smells. (Except in a good way.)

Now I need to find some Bruichladdich...
posted by tempestuoso at 7:24 AM on December 3, 2015 [2 favorites]

> I was talking about whiskey with a colleague the other day and she said she once did a whiskey tour of Islay

We did this! It was awesome. gingerbeer had a conference in Liverpool and we figured we should do a little traveling afterwards and Islay's tourism schtick is basically "Birds and booze - come visit if you like those things!" and we were all, we love both those things, yes!

> And then she said Iain Banks was on the same tour and they hung out all evening

This did not happen to us, and I am also now a little green.

The tours were cool, though we didn't manage to get to all the distilleries (so I guess we'll have to go back). Caol Ila didn't allow photos inside, which we found odd considering there isn't anything secret about the process and that the labor pool is not huge, so it's highly likely that someone might work at different distilleries over the years. The Bruichladdich tour was the best, we thought.
posted by rtha at 8:00 AM on December 3, 2015 [2 favorites]

so i have this "friend" who is interested in learning about the fine art of whiskey-drinking.

he would like to know if one drinks whisky with ice or without? or does it depend on the whisky and/or occasion and/or situation?
posted by bitteroldman at 8:15 AM on December 3, 2015

Here's a decent short answer, but really someone with the username bitteroldman asks about putting ice in whiskey? You have to be trolling.
posted by Wretch729 at 8:31 AM on December 3, 2015

" If one drinks whisky with ice or without?"

Together with a friend I teach Scotch 101 classes at a store in the LA region semi regularely. As he likes to point out each time: there is no right or wrong way to drink whisky, just what works for you and what doesn't. He then points out that a few drops of water can open up the odd tight dram you may encounter but that ice tends to destroy and pull in flavors. To quote him (imagine thick Glaswegian accent): "just don't put any into my fockin whisky!"

You can always use whisky stones because those don't really work to start with. (No phase transition sucking thermal energy out of the surrounding liquid.)

Personally I find Scotch to be best enjoyed at room temp out of Glencairn glasses. A good dram of 1oz of a good Scotch will last you almost an hour because of the strong lasting flavors. Pouring enough to be able to put a few ice cubes in it seems like a waste.

Lagavulin 16 was the first whisky I ever had. Someone got it for me when I turned 16. Also love the annual batch of 12yo cask strength Laga. We always get a bottle for our lot. But Ardbeg Uigeadail is where it's at when it comes to reasonably priced peat-packed whisky.

The true peaty treasure in my personal collection are 5 sealed bottles of Bruichladdich Port Charlotte PC5. That's like sucking whisky directly from ${deity}'s nipple. But based on life expectancy calculations I can't open the next one until 9 years from now :(
posted by Hairy Lobster at 8:39 AM on December 3, 2015 [6 favorites]

NSFW, good taste

I dunno, you guys. Nick Offerman at 22, Nick Offerman at 34. Just 12 years of drinking Islay can do that? Stick to bourbon.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 8:47 AM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

Just bought my annual Lagavulin this week (costco), a present I give myself or thankfully get each year.
What works for me is starting w one finger with just a bit of pure water, and the next one w/o water.
Try one with a chocolate chip cookie, sweet baked goods compliment the flavor.

Whiskey stones are like ties for presents, thanks, but I avoid their use.
posted by artdrectr at 8:51 AM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

Just finished the last of the Laphroaig a few minutes ago. I recently saw it described as tasting "like a burning hospital".

Also, according to my copy of the late Michael Jackson's (the beer/whisky guy, not the other one) Malt Whisky Companion, Laphroaig 10 year Quarter Cask has "industrial, tarry, boathouse" notes.

He also describes the Lagavulin 12 as a "warm bear hug," IIRC. Will have to double check on his assessment when I get home tonight by pouring a glass and pulling the book off the shelf.

For science, you understand.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:23 AM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

good god, just a little bit of warning that those were full-on frontal nudes of Offerman would have been nice. BRB, gotta go talk to IT about why I'm looking at dicks today... :/
posted by palomar at 9:53 AM on December 3, 2015 [6 favorites]

(sure, one of those dicks is a big fake one, but it's the size of a toddler so it's not exactly a better situation here)
posted by palomar at 9:55 AM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

brb, calling the bottle shop to see if I can get the Lagavulin 12 or the Ardbeg Uigeadail... typically I keep Laphroaig 12 and Lag 16 on the bar.

ahem, palomar:

Metafilter: (sure, one of those dicks is a big fake one, but it's the size of a toddler so it's not exactly a better situation here)
posted by a halcyon day at 11:02 AM on December 3, 2015 [2 favorites]

palomar: good god, just a little bit of warning that those were full-on frontal nudes of Offerman would have been nice.

I took the "NSFW, good taste" right at the beginning of the comment to be a smidge more than a little bit of warning. Now get back to work!
posted by carsonb at 11:05 AM on December 3, 2015

I distinctly recall discovering Laphroaig a few years back in my new-to-Scotch days while late-night surfing with a bottle of some entry-level stuff. I stumbled upon someone's comment somewhere* to the effect that "Laphroaig:Scotch::Morphine (the band):Music".

I'd never heard of either, but there may be no more perfect analogy anywhere for anything. Morphine = "cigar bar low rock", and was--dammit all--comprised of drums, baritone sax and a bass with only two strings tuned to octave-As and played with a slide! Each are to this day my favorites in their respective categories, though I do of course equally appreciate me a good Lagavulin or Ardbeg as well as the vibes of Vapors of Morphine and A.K.A.C.O.D.

Pour yourself a glass of any of these, click one of those links and hear what great Scotch tastes like!


*I try to re-find that reference occasionally, never any luck. As previously disclaimed, I was well into a bottle at the time; as I--oddly--tend to be each time the urge to re-find it strikes... Bonus points for anyone who can point me to it!
posted by TigerMoth at 12:15 PM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

The 16 year old Lagavulin remains my personal fave of all the scotch I have tried, but I have just got back from a nice dinner of venison and have popped open the Dalmore Valour. Not bad. I like Bruichladdich but find it the most pedestrian of the Islays, though the first growth series were fantastic.

I am def convinced of the value of opening up an Islay with a bit of water, and the Laphroaig QC is one that benefits for me. If you are after cold then some chilled stones might give that to you without dilution you might not want.
posted by biffa at 12:38 PM on December 3, 2015

I took the "NSFW, good taste" right at the beginning of the comment to be a smidge more than a little bit of warning.

And some might say that tagging something NSFW is more useful when put next to the link, not two lines ahead of the link where it can be pretty easily missed, but I super hope you enjoyed your condescension break today! Stay gold, ponyboy.
posted by palomar at 1:12 PM on December 3, 2015 [3 favorites]

If I had a time machine, I'd tell 19 year old me that drinking that whole bottle of Bushmills in the back of that limo isn't going to impress anyone, and it's a bad idea and will make you unable to enjoy or even be near people drinking peaty scotch that you'd probably enjoy if you didn't have that peaty vomit smell in your sinuses for about a week. Then I'd bet ten thousand dollars on Buster Douglas.

Speyside 4 life.

If it wasn't three in the afternoon, I'd do a snort of the Macallan 18 I have gathering dust in my liquor cabinet. Well shit, it's five o'clock somewhere, right?
posted by Sphinx at 1:20 PM on December 3, 2015

> Just bought my annual Lagavulin this week (costco), a present I give myself or thankfully get each year.

My nearest and dearest team up to get me a bottle of Lag each year for Xmas; it's all I want, and I can't afford it on my own. (When I started drinking real scotch a quarter of a century ago, you could get the good stuff for $20-$30 a bottle. WTF, this is not the future I envisioned, no flying cars and single-malt I can't afford.)
posted by languagehat at 1:44 PM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

Whiskey stones are like ties for presents, thanks, but I avoid their use.

I got some whiskey stones last year for Christmas - not long after I got into single-malts - and at first I didn't see the point because I like my scotch room temperature with a bit of water. Then one warm day maybe five or six months later I was in the mood for a dram, so I poured myself one and I realized that I don't like my scotch room temperature when the room in question is in New York City in June. So my wife suggested I try the whiskey stones - and they brought it back down to the temperature I like (or at least close enough)!

Anyway, they do seem a bit gimmicky and they don't have much use between, say, October and April, but they actually do a nice job of bringing the scotch down to an appropriately cool-not-cold temperature on warm days.

(Yeah, brown liquor in the summer, whatever.)
posted by breakin' the law at 2:50 PM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

A friend tells me the story of when he was in the bar of a swanky++ London hotel, wincing somewhat at a bombastic guest* being very loud and obnoxious, with a rather silent wife in tow.

"Hey, waiter!"

"Yes, sir?"

"What's the most expensive Scotch you've got?"

"Our finest whisky is the Glenfiddich 1937"

"How much is that?"

"That would be £1500 a glass, sir"

"OK, gimme one of 'em in a coke, lotsa ice."

"Certainly"

The drink was produced without demur. As the waiter walked back to the bar, he noticed my friend watching this with abject horror, and said as he passed, sotto voce: "Don't worry, I charged him for the mixer".

*American, apparently. Sorry about that.
posted by Devonian at 4:06 PM on December 3, 2015 [8 favorites]

Tonight, I accompanied a friend to his holiday party, and after a lot of great food but mediocre alcohol choices, we split and went to a Scotch bar a couple of blocks away.

I got fancy, and enjoyed the Lagavulin 16.

He got really fancy, and got the Highland Park 25.

Wow. Both of those Scotches - wow. Wow. So worth it, and a wonderful end to the evening.
posted by spinifex23 at 12:00 AM on December 4, 2015 [1 favorite]

I can hardly drink alcohol, but thanks to this thread, I was the one who convinced my partner that we should keep a nice bottle of whiskey on hand for chilly evenings. How did this happen.
posted by teponaztli at 2:57 PM on December 6, 2015 [1 favorite]

A good dram of 1oz of a good Scotch will last you almost an hour because of the strong lasting flavors.

It will? I watched somebody shoot 23-year-old Rittenhouse a few years ago and died a little inside, but I'm generally incapable of stretching an ounce even to the half hour mark.
posted by fedward at 8:20 AM on December 31, 2015

"It will? I watched somebody shoot 23-year-old Rittenhouse a few years ago and died a little inside, but I'm generally incapable of stretching an ounce even to the half hour mark."

Oh man, yeah, that's why I keep a close eye on new folks at our workplace bar. If they shoot they'll have to learn for a bit before I dig up any treasures for them. Yikes.

But, yeah, it can last that long. Haven't had that experience with bourbons but definitely with single malts. I think barley produces more oils that corn and the oils are what makes it last. That plus it's usually the cask strength stuff above 55% which keeps that deep fireplace heat in the chest going in addition to the flavor. So to get that lasting experience look for un-chillfiltered cask strength single malts, which means mostly independent bottlings.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 11:19 AM on December 31, 2015

Ah yes, the Difficult Whisky Hour. I enjoy those more in theory than I do in practice. I eventually feel like some of those bottlings maybe aren't worth the challenge. The George T. Stagg I had a couple years ago at the end of a mostly-bourbon night was both that long-lasting and worth the challenge, but the two non-chill-filtered single malts I currently have on the shelf … aren't. And I currently default to things like, say, Highland Park 12, which I specifically bought on a trip to resupply my "easy drinking whisky" so I could pour myself a dram I knew I'd enjoy without having to be challenged by it. (Also bought on that trip: Macallan Fine Oak 10 and Balvenie DoubleWood 12). I did just finish a bottle of Lagavulin 16, but even that isn't so challenging as to take me an hour per ounce.
posted by fedward at 11:59 AM on December 31, 2015

I guess I sound more like a whisky snob than I am. The one hour dram thing isn't about the whisky being challenging for me. It's just that the flavors hang around for that long and I don't feel the need to, er, refresh them very quickly. Particularly if you're doing other things while drinking like having a conversation or reading a book or watching a show.

Yeah, not all independent bottlings are worth it which is why it's hard to buy anything without knowing for sure. I'm lucky enough to be part of what is effectively a whisky co-op where we share risk and reward by pooling money and buying bottles. As a result I know what to buy for myself without taking the risk of being disappointed. Because we can go through a lot of different whiskies (1000th bottle celebration coming up this January!) we're able to find those pearls... and, man, are those ever worth it.

But for day to day I also stick to the basics. HLP has been a bit of a disappointment over the last few years. They fed the booming market without regard for stock and depleted what they had. Now they have to very slowly rebuild as their corporate masters aren't willing to divert any meaningful quantities from their blends business. Balvenie 12 DW is one of the go-tos at our little outfit. Always lovely. Macallan is nice but tends to be overpriced for what it is due to it being such a well-known brand. I'd recommend looking into stuff like the Auchentoshan Three Wood and for something punchy/sherry I'd recommend looking at the Aberlour A'Bunadh. They vary from batch to batch (about 3 per year in the US) but are generally quite good yet not too expensive. Oh, and Craigellachie has FINALLY started bottling some of their stuff as single malts over the last few years. The 13yo is absolutely great and not pricey. Also popped up recently: West Cork 10yo Irish Single Malt... an actual newish distillery, not from the big 3. Good price, awesome taste. Last but certainly not least we just tried the Glenrothes Sherry Cask Reserve and it was very good as well. Yet another reasonably priced single malt. Glenrothes has been a mixed bag in our experience but this one's good.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 1:02 PM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]

Oh, I didn't take it as snobbery, more a contrast to my own habits. I do enjoy a fancy whisky on occasion. And I've actually been pondering launching a sort of whisk(e)y tasting club but I couldn't figure out how to make the purchasing equitable without putting more effort into it than I'm willing to do.

I've had the same experience with Glenrothes. Macallan I tend to like in younger bottlings (I like the 10 better than the 12 and the 15 better than the 17) so it's not too outrageous as these things go, but they clearly have a bottle for every budget. And if you like the Balvenie 12 DW you should also try the 15 year old single cask, which has been excellent every time I've tried it. A bartender poured me samples of an Oban 14 year old Distiller's Edition as well as some Old Pulteney 17 (which she said was her favorite) and I quite enjoyed both of those, so seek them out if you haven't had them yet. And I don't know why I don't like Aberlour as much as most people seem to, but it never really does it for me. It always seems so flat.

Plus my new fascination is Armagnac, thanks to an advent calendar from Masters of Malt (my wife was going to get me the whisky one but second guessed when she realized I had three of the current year's whiskies on my shelf and had recently had a couple others in bars, so she let me pick a different one). Armagnac hasn't attracted the same sort of collectors that whisky has, so the prices for interesting bottles seem much more reasonable. I don't have the reaction "oh, that's really delicious but no way am I paying the asking price for a bottle of it" that seems to be increasingly common with whisky. :-/

This reminds me I need to find out what's happening with the bottle of Compass Box Lost Blend I won in a silent auction and haven't received yet …
posted by fedward at 1:28 PM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]

I'm glad this thread is still open, so I can say: thanks, Hairy Lobster!
posted by languagehat at 3:03 PM on December 31, 2015 [1 favorite]