I'm no scotch conneseur but want to purchase a decent bottle (750 ml) of scotch as a gift. My price range is $30-$55. I know there are many, many types but I need something NC's ABC stores are likely to sell.

FWIW, the recipient recently made comments indicating Chivas 18 was something he admired when a commercial came on. I looked and this is a bit too pricey. Chivas 12 is more in my price range.

I guess what I'm asking is what should I buy that won't make me look cheap or like I have no idea about scotch quality or perception (which I obviously don't).

Johnnie Walker & which color label?
Chivas 12?
J&B under the tree?

12/17/2007 11:15:36 AM

if youre not buying older than 15-18 years, dont buy it at all, atleast for a gift anyway

12/17/2007 11:19:14 AM

glenfiddich
glenlivet

12/17/2007 11:19:39 AM

Johnnie Walker Black label
Dewers 12

12/17/2007 11:22:33 AM

http://www.bestinwine.com/shop/catalog/Johnnie-Walker-Blue-Label-200th-Anniversary-Decanter-750-ML-p-6533.html

just ball out dude

12/17/2007 11:23:56 AM

blue isnt really much discernable difference to the other jw's, unless you've got a pretty kickin' palate, or just a big snotty stuck up nose.

12/17/2007 11:28:24 AM

or 4 stacks rubberbanded in your pockets

thats not regular blue label

12/17/2007 11:29:49 AM

Quote :

"if youre not buying older than 15-18 years, dont buy it at all, atleast for a gift anyway"

thats not true, unless you're buying someone who drinks it more as a status symbol then for the taste. longer aging doesn't necessarily equate to a better experience.

This is a pretty good list:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4787058/

Glenkinchie 10 year is fantastic, and its only about $40 a bottle

[Edited on December 17, 2007 at 11:34 AM. Reason : df]

12/17/2007 11:29:56 AM

of course not, and that holds true for all spirits, wines etc...

but as a general rule of thumb for the uneducated and for gift giving purposes, it generally works out fairly well...

12/17/2007 11:33:26 AM

i looked on the NC ABC price list and i think if i were in your situation, i would roll with a bottle of glenlivet as PS suggested

it's in your price range, wont get you dirty looks when given, and is sort of the call scotch for most bars, so you're not going to embarrass yourself

plus it appears that right now it comes with a couple rocks glasses, or tumblers or whatever you want to call them, maybe they'll share a drink with you


i should add that i myself am not a scotch drinker most of the time, but i do give it as gifts (usually a little bit more expensive)...it sounds like sober may have more time clocked with it and better taste...

[Edited on December 17, 2007 at 11:49 AM. Reason : .]

12/17/2007 11:42:47 AM

glenlivet is good, but as agent 0 said, its pretty common. its safe, and a scotch drinker won't turn it down, but its nothing "special".

i would definately stick with single malt for a gift over a blend like JW, Chivas, or Dewars.

12/17/2007 12:00:11 PM

^ agreed on single vs. blend

12/17/2007 12:07:12 PM

RE: single vs blended. I'd just as rather have a glass of JWB than Macallan 12.


[Edited on December 17, 2007 at 12:32 PM. Reason : .]

12/17/2007 12:27:21 PM

It's Scotch Whisky. If you spell it Whiskey you're referring to Irish Whiskey.

12/17/2007 1:06:53 PM

For Scotch I usually drink Ballantine's Finest or Chivas. Everything else ranks of too much peat (for my tastes).

I'm more of a Bourbon drinker for sure. More flavor, less smoke. I dare anyone to drink a bottle of Woodford's or Blanton's and not be in heaven.

12/17/2007 1:16:34 PM

Lagavulin is quite good...better that glenfiddich or glenlivet from what I've heard. Think you can find a bottle in that price range....

12/17/2007 2:16:34 PM

Laphroig is very unique and I've met very few people who've tried it. It's easily the smokiest beverage that I've ever tasted.

But overall I think that a bottle of alcohol is the most impersonal gift that you can give a young adult.

12/17/2007 3:08:48 PM

Lagavulin, despite its awesomeness, is not for the uninitiated. Islay FTW.

12/17/2007 3:09:27 PM

Quote :

"But overall I think that a bottle of alcohol is the most impersonal gift that you can give a young adult."

Fine whisky is an education in a bottle.

12/17/2007 3:10:18 PM

Quote :

"But overall I think that a bottle of alcohol is the most impersonal gift that you can give a young adult."

i think it really depends on the person/situation. if you're just giving a bottle of alcohol because its an easy gift, then i agree, but if the person really has a favorite, it can be very personal. especially if you get something thats not "ordinary"

if someone gave me a good scotch, they obviously know my likes.

[Edited on December 17, 2007 at 3:12 PM. Reason : d]

12/17/2007 3:11:45 PM

^ You're right. I did make a bit of a sweeping generalization.

12/17/2007 3:13:11 PM

Thank you for all the info. I'll pick a single malt out when I go to the ABC store tonight, probably Glenlivet.

Quote :

"But overall I think that a bottle of alcohol is the most impersonal gift that you can give a young adult."

No, cash is the most impersonal gift you can give, followed closely by gift cards. This is just a token gift for my GF's brother. I know he'd enjoy it so it's not impersonal at all IMHO. Secondly, he's not a young adult. He's in his middle 30's.

12/17/2007 3:21:02 PM

Glenlivet has to be my least favorite single malt... at least in any of the 10 or 12 year incarnations.

12/17/2007 3:24:46 PM

Glenfarclas 12 should do you right

12/17/2007 3:32:14 PM

12 yr. Glenlivet, it may be average, but it is a good one. Always a nice standby around the house.

12/17/2007 4:07:00 PM

black or blue label

i'd be your best friend if i received this gift

12/17/2007 4:08:30 PM

Quote :

"blue isnt really much discernable difference to the other jw's, unless you've got a pretty kickin' palate, or just a big snotty stuck up nose."

Are you serious? I mean, you sounded serious...but part of me is thinking "that's got to be a fucking joke, right?"

i mean that's like saying you can't tell the difference between walmart sheets and 1000 count egyptian cotton...sure the latter seems to be stuck up, but it sure as hell is different and much better

[Edited on December 17, 2007 at 4:14 PM. Reason : .]

12/17/2007 4:12:59 PM

I got my dad a bottle of the JW Blue for Christmas. He's a huge fan of scotch whiskey, so this will be a good gift to him

12/17/2007 4:13:32 PM

Green, Gold, Blue and 200th Anniversary Labels are overrated and just used as an "I'm better than you" status symbol.

Read some articles outlining Diageo's primary marketing scheme back in the late 90s or whenever it was that the JW brand needed more exposure and appeal.

^^I think a more appropriate analogy would be something along the lines of a 200 dollar filet at The Ivy vs a 40 dollar porterhouse at your favorite steakhouse. The gap you're describing is simply wrong. Plenty of drinkers even prefer the other labels (or even a great single malt) to blue.

[Edited on December 17, 2007 at 4:41 PM. Reason : carot]

lol @ my 500 edits.

[Edited on December 17, 2007 at 4:42 PM. Reason : \/what he said]

12/17/2007 4:31:55 PM

agreed. its definately delicious, but you're paying a premium price for the name. you can get a comparable quality (if not better) single malt for a quarter of the price.

[Edited on December 17, 2007 at 4:40 PM. Reason : d]

12/17/2007 4:39:06 PM

ok my bad...i guess the wal-mart sheets would be more of a JWR (I hate that shit)

12/17/2007 4:43:02 PM

i like good scotch, but im not a snob by any means. my everyday drink is dewar's, and then i treat myself to a good single malt every now and again.

real scotch snobs won't touch blends.

the average palate though probably couldn't tell the difference between a decent single malt and decent blend (atleast from what ive read about blind taste tests). so for most people, paying over ~$60-$70 for a bottle of scotch is nothing more then a status symbol.



[Edited on December 17, 2007 at 4:53 PM. Reason : f]

12/17/2007 4:48:00 PM

Quote :

"real scotch snobs won't touch blends"

People who really know their scotch, and aren't just pretentious, know that blends can be magical and, in theory, can be far more deep and complex than any single malt. However, very few distilleries put the proper effort into their blends and few can afford the fruits of the labor of the distilleries that do make superb blends. Anyone who turns their nose up at the concept of blended scotch is just plain uneducated.

12/17/2007 4:55:18 PM

gf

[Edited on December 17, 2007 at 5:00 PM. Reason : fg]

12/17/2007 4:59:38 PM

snobbery sometimes goes beyond simply taste....it can incorporate history as well (just like some wine snobs prefer the old world to new world wines). blended scotch was originally made for the english because they though single malts were too harsh. its not all about taste (to some snobs).

12/17/2007 5:00:39 PM

first time i tried a single malt, i thought it tasted like how a dental office smells it was supposed to.



[Edited on December 17, 2007 at 5:07 PM. Reason : phenol]

12/17/2007 5:04:16 PM

jumping in as a former scotch snob...I think Glenmorangie is the perfect gift bottle. It doesn't have the strong character of a Laphroaig that might turn off a recipient, but it isn't generic like JW, Dewar's or even Glenlivet. Yes, I called Glenlivet generic.

12/17/2007 6:22:57 PM

drive to sc or another state without a liquor monopoly and get them a kickass bottle of scotch on the cheap. as long as you have business out of state that is.

12/18/2007 2:07:42 PM

you're really gonna get what you pay for with scotch (for the most part) and i would avoid anything that is advertised cough cough JW

hit up the Cameron Village ABC, they're entire back wall is scotch......its a pretty good selection

12/18/2007 11:07:47 PM

I went to the Cameron Village ABC and they had a large selection of scotch. Selections vary widely by store. I was in an ABC on S. Saunders a while ago and the top shelves were stocked with bottom shelf products.

I wound up getting Chivas 18 because the recipient specifically mentioned it and there was a manager's special of $59.

12/19/2007 9:36:44 AM

dag yo, bring back the bourbon thread.

12/19/2007 10:07:41 PM

Quote :

"Johnnie Walker Black label "

[/thread]

12/20/2007 4:08:28 PM

Quote :

"[quote]Johnnie Walker Black label "

[/thread][/quote]

12/20/2007 4:12:14 PM

lol

12/20/2007 4:20:44 PM