@Jan-Kaselitz Yes, Curiositas is one of the few core range bottlings. It's not bad for a young peated malt, but there is so much else to discover.

@Slainte-Mhath oh, that is indeed interesting. I am very new to whisky in general so I hadn’t observed this development. But what I noticed is indeed that a lot of whiskies from BenRiach you read about are either out of stock and you sometimes find them for 150€ plus on eBay. But afaik the Curiositas is a stable - and this makes me really happy.

@Jan-Kaselitz You are absolutely right about BenRiach. The main issue I have with this distillery is that whenever there is an expression I like, it's being discontinued. Many bottles are just coming and going, and there is no real core range (very few exceptions). Quality is there, no doubt, but whenever there was a bottle I wanted, it was already gone.

@PBMichiganWolverine Part of me was thinking I hope he doesn't go find one and pay a fortune for it as if it's been built up that much by me he may be mildly disappointed!

@Soba45 yeah—-when you declare the Albariza 18 as the whisky of the year for you, I went searching. No results though...all gone.

@PBMichiganWolverine From a very very reputable trusted source...haha

Over Oaked

@Jan-Kaselitz that’s a good point. I’ve heard their 18 Albariza is amazing. Hard to find now though. I did have their 22yr Albariza, over-Oak

Even if I’m new to the whole whisky world (with just one year in), I find it strange that no one mentioned BenRiach as a Speyside candidate. I may be prejudiced because the Curiositas (peated 10y) is my favorite whisky to date, but it is hell of a contestant in my opinion. If you want to refrain from peat the 16y BenRiach is really good too. Both aren’t very expensive and have a lot to offer.

@Slainte-Mhath Ah didn't know they were both owned by Suntory..explains a lot! Man a good CS Bowmore IB is something to behold though

@PBMichiganWolverine Bowmore has by far the worst presentation of all Islay malts - heavy chill filtration, tons of E150a and low ABV. Same problem as with Auchentoshan (both Suntory).

@Slainte-Mhath out of curiosity—-why avoid Bowmore? Are their younger stuff just really bad?

@Generously_Paul Apologies for my late response, but here are my picks: Speyside = Mortlach 16; Highlands = GlenDronach 12; Campbeltown = Springbank 10; Lowlands = Glenkinchie 12; Islands = Talisker 10; Islay = Caol Ila 12. I follow Michael Jackson's interpretation of the regional definition of Speyside, so strictly speaking I consider Glendronach, Knockdhu and Ardmore as part of Speyside, which most people don't. Benromach 10 is a great Speysider, but it doesn't represent the typical Speyside style. Glenfarclas 15, Macallan 12 Sherry (discontinued?) and GlenAllachie 12 are suitable alternatives. As for Highlands, Old Pulteney 12 and Clynelish 14 are great picks, but not for beginners. Campbeltown must be Springbank. Amen. Lowland could be represented by Bladnoch 10, but that one is not easy to find. Auchentoshan suffers from poor presentation. For Islands, Arran 10 and Tobermory 12 are options, and I am NOT mentioning Highland Park here (too much crap). Islay is just a personal preference, you can't go wrong with Lagavulin 16 or Ardbeg 10 as well. Avoid Bowmore. Cheers!

@Generously_Paul Something I've found useful for tastings with a group not familiar with scottish whisky is to print out an aroma wheel for each person. It doesn't matter which one (although I like Charlie Maclean's) as it's not so much about accuracy as giving them a clue where to start. Also if you're talking about the distilleries then have a map of Scotland and mark out the regions and the distilleries in question. Just saying "Macallan distillery is near Craigellachie in Speyside" means nothing unless you already know the area. A dot on a map means little more, but at least then they can see that the distilleries you've chosen come from different locations in the country.

@Rick_M I have a few of two of those ...and one Y18...we’re good

@PBMichiganWolverine - you might be the only person we invite because your entry fee would be a rare Karuizawa, Yamazaki 21, or Brora thirty something. 😊

If @Rick_M Or @LeeEvolved ever have a tasting, I’m coming over. It will be epic.

@Rick_M you think too much of me 😆. Most of the high end stuff I review comes by way of other people. Either way, I’m not serving up anything “bottom shelf”, but even if I did I doubt my friends could tell the difference. @cascode it will be a mix between formal and informal. Plan is to have 2 drams poured at all times so they can switch back and forth to really experience the differences. Talk about the different characteristics of each region, some throw away facts about the distilleries, whisky making info, etc. I don’t want it to be too stuffy though so I’ll have a little music on and I’m sure we’ll all be joking around and being our usual selves.

@Generously_Paul - most of those bottles are around $100 or less. You can’t give your friends bottom shelf when you have good stuff sitting in the draw. And don’t forget, I’ve seen your draw. 🙂

@Generously_Paul Looks like a great tasting - representative, but not too challenging. Are you planning to make this informal or a formal sit-down at the table with pre-poured drams?

@PBMichiganWolverine oh yes, plenty of water and snacks

@Generously_Paul and...you’ll have plenty of water and finger foods too, right? Else the noobs will be plastered somewhere between Hp12 and Springbank 10

@Generously_Paul That’s what I figured you were planning to do. Not sure there’s a wrong approach either way.

@Scott_E I had the same thought originally, but then I thought it might be a good idea to break up the peated entries. One after another after another might cause palate fatigue. Putting the sherry bomb between the two with the most peat might be the best way to keep it fresh

@Generously_Paul I would suggest the thought of swapping the HP and Macallan spots. I think the subtle tobacco/peat flavors are a build/crescendo to the more peat/briny Ardbeg. Looks great overall. Should be a fun night.

@Rick_M does the M stand for Moneybags? Even if I had the means, I wouldn’t waste such fine spirits on a bunch of noobs. It must with that list 😂. I believe I have finalized the list as follows and to be presented in this order: Cutty Sark to awaken the palate, then Auchentoshan Bartenders Malt OP12 HP12 Springbank 10 Macallan 12 Double Cask Ardbeg Kelpie The order can be tweaked if you all feel it should go differently. Reasons would be helpful

Speyside: Glen Grant 18, Macallan Fine Oak 18, Dalwhinnie 15 Islay: Lagavulin 16, Octomore 8.3, Ardbeg Uigeadail Islands: Highland Park 18, Talisker 18, Arran 18 Campbeltown: Springbank 21, Springbank 15, Kilkerran 12 Highlands: Old Pulteney 21, Dalmore 18, Glendronach 15 Lowlands: Compass Box Hedonism, Auchentoshan 12

@PBMichiganWolverine It is ticking all the boxes: The price is right, lots of room and who knows what else I'll find in there. Just not sure about one crucial factor...enough air to breathe for several weeks :-)

@Generously_Paul @cascode @geologyjane Balvenie 12 is a great one. my memory is generally terrible however there is one whiskey which stood out for me several years ago when I started and that was it. My first woah whisky is great moment the rest I can't even remember what they were

@Soba45 yes...in a shipping container via China 😄

@PBMichiganWolverine Does the price include airfares from NZ? 😁

@PBMichiganWolverine Sounds like a hell of a party, but you have to be careful about cooking and filling the house with those aromas. You don't want to taint the nosing. We will probably just have some charcuterie during and order pizza at the end of the night.

@Generously_Paul one thing I always wanted to do was a dinner + high end tasting. So—I’d make a home cooked 5 course meal, and each course followed by a high end pour. A Littlemill with appetizer, a Brora with the main course, an Amrut PX with dessert, etc. And obviously, fee based...$300pp.

@ScotchingHard this will be a mix of people. Most will be scotch noobs more acclimated to Irish or bourbon, but most have sipped spirits at least occasionally. I do have a bottle of Talisker Port Ruighe but felt that probably wouldn’t even properly represent Talisker, let alone the islands. I want to try to use bottles I already have so that this party won’t cost me a small fortune. I could charge a small fee, but I feel that’s kind of a dick thing to do to friends.

@Generously_Paul it depends if these are spirit noobs or scotch noobs. Biggest challenge for someone new to sipping spirits is the alcohol masking all the flavors. In this case low ABV with obvious flavors will be best. E.g. talisker 10, laga 16, glendro 12, glenkinchie 12, glenlivet 12, and springbank 10.

@geologyjane @Ctrexman good points. I’ll have to spend a little time tweaking the list but I think it’s going to look mostly like this OP12 HP12/Valknut/Valkyrie Glen Scotia 15 or Springbank 10 Auchentoshan Bartenders/Three Wood Macallan 12 Double Cask Laphroaig 15 or maybe Lagavulin 8

@Generously_Paul I wasn’t invited to the party either, but I can say that in my experience of attempting to broaden the horizons of Scotch noobs, I would throw out that Dalwhinnie 15, Balvenie 12 DW, and Lagavulin 16 in particular have done well and ended in purchases from the noobs. Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Springbank, etc. were often too much for them to handle. Macallan was actually passed over in favor of Balvenie 12, and Glen Scotia 15 did better than Springbank. This doesn’t necessarily give you an uncontested “most representative” list (and doesn’t cover all regions) but it does give you an idea of some bottles that have done particularly well and that noobs didn’t want to spit out. 😅

@Generously_Paul OP12 as the highlander and Mac 12 as Speysider would work. Your novices would be impressed/enthused to see a bottle of any Macallan on the list 😊 @Ctrexman Tomatin 12 as highlander – great suggestion.

Okay so I wasnt invited to this party but I can provide a perspective for scotch noobs. If you have certain bottles to use thats great but most higher end scotch will be lost on newcomers. Here's my inexpensive plan. Monkey Shoulder to start off to set palate. Lowlands: Auchentoshan American oak or 12 yr Highlands: Tomatin12 or Glenmo 10 Islands: Talisker Storm or HP 12 Islay:Lap select or Caol Ila 12(little more $) Speyside: Craigellachie13 or Mac 12(any of em) Campbeltown: Springbank10 or Glen Scotia Double Cask

@cascode i just watched Green Book—-I found a whole new level of respect for Cutty Sark. ( one of the best movies I’ve seen in a while...)

@Generously_Paul, I think @PBMichiganWolverine list is tight. I would tweak it slightly given the tasters, as you say, are mostly new, these are brands they will see or recognize and the costs are reasonable. Highland : Old Pulteney 12 Speyside : Glenlivet Nadurra Islands: Talisker 10 Islay: Lagavulin 16 / Ardbeg 10 / Laphroaig 10 Cambeltown : Springbank 10 /Kilkerran 12 Lowlands: Auchentoshan Three Wood / Auchentoshan 12

@cascode I could very easily be convinced to buy an OP12, or possibly open my OP17, then use the Macallan 12 double cask as my sherried Speyside. I also have an Oban 14, though it is lightly peated and I wanted to avoid having too many with peat

@Generously_Paul One last thought - when presenting a tasting for novices I always start with a palate cleanser of a competent but unexciting blended scotch - Cutty Sark is a good choice. The first whisky of the flyte is always subjectively a dud, no matter what it is, and following a blend with a single malt highlights the malt's superiority.

@Generously_Paul Re. GlenDronach 12, although it's a marvellous malt and technically a highlander, it is an Aberdeenshire highlander and has more in common with the stereotypical sherried Speysider. I know sherry & Speyside is a bit of a cliché, but when I think highlands I think of Old Pulteney, Wolfburn, Clynelish, Balblair, Glencadam, Oban and Ben Nevis - even Dalwhinnie.

@Generously_Paul My choices, and I’d present them in this order. 1st, Lowlands: Glenkinchie 12 (cereal & orchard fruit). 2nd, Islands: Highland Park 10 or 12 (honey, orange & very mild smoke). 3rd, Highland: Balblair 15 (tropical fruit, malt & oak). 4th, Speyside: Cragganmore 12 (floral, sherried malt) or Balvenie 12 (honeyed orange, raisin &, sherry). 5th, Campbeltown: Hazelburn 10 (waxy, earthy, mineral, maritime malt) or Kilkerran 12 (lemon, soot, herbs, earth, maritime salt). 6th, Islay: Laphroaig 10 or Lore (medicinal maritime smoke). If the crowd is all noobs then Laphroaig Select.

@Generously_Paul Good point about the sherry bombs. I wouldn't take out the Glendronach 12 - it's perfect. A bit harder to find on short notice, but how about Cardhu 12? Light and not sherried.

@jonwilkinson7309 I’ll consider the kilkerran 12, but I wanted to avoid Macallan if I was going to go with GlenDronach. Too similar i.e. sherry bombs. If you had another choice for highlands I’d go with Macallan 12 double cask, as I have that one as well

@worldwhiskies95 If you ever have a tasting...I want an invite !

@worldwhiskies95 those are all great, but mostly expensive. I need to keep this relatively cheap as well

@Generously_Paul Your list is exceptional! Just a few thoughts - for Speyside, I'd be inclined to go with one of the classics - Macallan 12 Double Cask or Balvenie 12 Doublewood. Or you wanted to go upscale, the Mac 18 or the Balvenie 17. For Campbeltown, I agree that Springbank 10 is very representative. But I find Springbank to be very challenging, particularly for Scotch newbies. That may not be a bad thing, but if you want something a bit more accessible but still representative, I would recommend Kilkerran 12.

@Generously_Paul I think all those are solid choices. Since a lot of folks are new, and it’s all personal choices, I’d choose a reasonably priced core range offering : Highland : Glendronach 15 Speyside : Tamdhu batch strength Islands: Talisker 10 Islay: Lagavulin 16 or a Laphroaig Cairdeas Cambeltown : Springbank 10 or Kikkerran 12 Lowlands: Auchentoshan 18 I’d throw in a single grain too: like a well aged Invergordon And...a blend, so they can compare: Compass Box Oak Cross or Great King St Artist Blend

@Generously_Paul Campbeltown: Springbank 15, Springbank 21, Kilkerran 8 Sherry Cask 2019 Release, Springbank Local Barley Islands: Highland Park 18, Talisker 18, Arran Islay: Port Charlotte 10, Bruichladdich Black Art, Lagavulin Distiller Edition Highlands: Glendronach 18, Glengoyne 21, Glengoyne 25, Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban Lowlands: Auchentoshan Three Wood, Any Bladnoch Speyside: Balvenie 15 Sherry Cask (try first fill if possible), Aberlour Abunadh, Glenfarclas 21

@Generously_Paul I think you nailed it! Love the 15/Lore and Kelpie is awesome. The others are all solid.

Apologies Pranay, but I’m going to attempt to hijack this review for my own purposes. I am in the planning stages of hosting a scotch whisky tasting party. I want to have 6 bottles, one for each region of Scotland. Campbeltown, Highlands, Islands, Islay, Lowlands, and Speyside. I would like to get everyone’s opinion on the one distillery/bottle that best represents each region. There will be a lot of scotch noobs so I want to limit the heavily peated stuff to Islay and maybe Campbeltown. Islands maybe. I have a couple bottles in mind: Auchentoshan Bartenders Malt (lowland), GlenDronach 12 (Highland), Springbank 10 (Campbeltown), HP 12 or Valknut/Valkyrie (Islands), Laphroaig 15/Lore, Ardbeg Kelpie (Islay). I picked those because I already have them, but I’m open to buying others. Speyside is where I’m having the biggest struggle though. @Scott_E, @Rick_M, @Soba45, @cascode, @LeeEvolved, @Slainte-Mhath, @ScotchingHard, @dubz480, @worldwhiskies95, @Dreaming-of-Islay, and anyone else I forgot to tag