What are some good scotches that have that smoked wood taste and don't cost so much I'll have to sell my first born?
If your after smoke(peat in the whisky world), then you need to look for a whisky from islay. It's a small island of the coast of Scotland that's whiskies are traditionally very peaty! I would recommend the Bowmore Legend which is peaty but with a nice honey and lemon freshness on the palate. Or if your after a heavier peat then the Ardbeg Ten is your ticket, bold leather and tobacco with lapsang souchong tea and a hint of sea salt!
Hope this helps you, I would give you prices but I live in Australia so it wouldn't really help.
Enjoy your wee dram!
9 Answers
Try Laphroaig - very distinct flavor. If you are looking for a more classic Scotch - midrange price - I would suggest Oban
There are two blended Scotches that immediately come to mind. Compass Box's The Peat Monster and John, Mark & Robbo's (JMR, no Web site) "The Smoky, Peaty One." Those should be under $35 US per 750 ml bottle.
Laphroaig 10 Year Old should cost around $40 (sometimes less) per 750 ml bottle, which might be the cheapest Islay single malt you can find.
Stay away from Lagavulin and Ardbeg only if cost is an issue! If it isn't...
If you are looking for a good American Rye, try Templeton Rye. It is bottled in Templeton, IA and it fantastic. Might be hard to find depending on where you are, but I am in Chicago and can find it at Binny's and Sam's Wine and Spirits.
Johnnie Walker Black Label is in my opinion the perfect scotch and an excellent match to your request. I've yet to find anything better for the money (and many more expensive scotches I don't care for at all), and it's available everywhere. It is always in my cabinet.
If your after smoke(peat in the whisky world), then you need to look for a whisky from islay. It's a small island of the coast of Scotland that's whiskies are traditionally very peaty! I would recommend the Bowmore Legend which is peaty but with a nice honey and lemon freshness on the palate. Or if your after a heavier peat then the Ardbeg Ten is your ticket, bold leather and tobacco with lapsang souchong tea and a hint of sea salt!
Hope this helps you, I would give you prices but I live in Australia so it wouldn't really help.
Enjoy your wee dram!
Nick
Laphroaig is the most highly 'peated' of the Islay malts. (Islay is a small, quite strange little island off the west coast of Scotland where the whisky is more 'smokey' than other scotches.) Laphroaig also has the most extreme taste - got a lot of phenol, so some people think it tastes like cough mixture...
I'd go for Bowmore - the 17 year old is best in my view. (Legend is the youngest, cheapest expression.) Anything much older than 17 year and the lighter spirits have gone, so a bit heavy.
Here's a quick guide to how to enjoy your single malt scotch - and to look like you know what you're doing. (I got this from a distillery manager on Islay.)
1. Don't put scotch in a tumbler. The best glass is like a small brandy glass - the idea is it holds in some of the vapour...
2. Hold the glass by the stem - don't cradle it in your hand like a brandy poseur - that just warms it up and drives off the finer notes
3. Have some fresh still (spring) water to hand but don't put any in... yet.
4. Hold the glass up to the light. What colour is the whisky? The colour tells you nothing baout its age. If it's darker, it's probably been matured in sherry casks and is therefore probably more expensive. If it's paler, it's probably been matured in bourbon casks and is possibly cheaper.
5. Roll the whisky round on the insides of the glass, then watch it run down in 'legs'. The slower it runs, the more 'oily' or heavy the liquid, the older it is. (The faster, the younger.)
6. Holding the glass at arms length then pass it under your nose, breath in deeply, a couple of times. What does that smell remind you of, apart from whisky? There isn't really a right answer - it's what works for you. (If it reminds you of bonfires, you can guess it's from Islay!) All you're trying to do is to frame the signature scent of that whisky in your own mind, so if you smell it again, you'll recognise it.
7. Cradling your tongue into a little spoon shape, take a sip, and hold it on your tongue. Take in some air if you can do it without feeling like a prat... Again, all of those tastes and smells will explode on your tongue - whatever it reminds you of is cool. (It's your tongue, your life's memories of smells and tastes.)
8. Now add some water - no ice. About 1/3rd to half of the amount of whisky. Give it a gentle a swirl to mix it. Now take another sip - you'll find a range of different, more subtle flavours come alive.
9. Enjoy. You're now as much a whisky expert as you'll ever need to be.
Perhaps you won't mind if I can suggest you try an AMERICAN Rye. It's very similar to the taste of many Scotches in a lot of ways, if not a bit more peppery, but often, not near as expensive.
Jim Beam makes a very accessible Rye (you have to get the Jim Beam Rye , it's in a yellow labeled bottle) that's a little more smooth than the other AMERICAN Rye you can typically find, which is .
Wild Turkey Rye is stronger and has a much more pronounced smokey/ spicy flavor of the two.
They're both nice over ice or with a splash of soda or water, if that's your thing.
There are more AMERICAN Ryes out there, but these two are probably the easiest to find and they're a nice alternative to a Scotch, especially for their price which is typically ~$18 for a 750ml bottle.
If you're set on your drink being called Scotch, I would decide if you care if it's blended or single malt, then maybe ask again...