The second way Scotch heads do it up is on ice, handed over in a heavy-bottomed rocks glass. If it's a particularly fancy bottle, those in the know also recommend adding a few drops of water to bring out flavors that otherwise might have been masked by the liquor's boozy punch. These glasses both feature full, rounded bowls that taper towards the rim, which works to showcase the liquor's color, body, smell, taste, and finish. The first, neat, is as easy-peasy as it gets - a couple of ounces just poured into a glass, preferably a tulip-shaped whisky glass or a brandy snifter. If you're planning to drink your Scotch mixer-free, there are two main ways to do that. But, truth be told, a lot of blends - i.e., the ones listed above - are actually very skillfully produced, scoring well against single malts in blind taste-tests, and should definitely not be slept on (though, they may make you sleepy). Single-malt fanatics sometimes dismiss these brands for not distilling their own whisky and adding grain alcohol to the mix. Some killer, easy-to-find blended Scotches include Chivas Regal 18 and Dewar's 18, both awarded 96 points by Wine Enthusiast, as well as Johnnie Walker Platinum Label, which scored 94 points, and Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition, a 90-pointer that goes for a measly $30 a bottle (get on this, stat). And, lucky for you blend boys, they're usually a bit kinder on the wallet than the singles. Here, a master blender mixes different single malts from various distilleries with a bit of grain whisky (which, unlike single-malt Scotch, is not 100% malted barley) in order to create a specific flavor profile. Flickr/Johnathan Nightingaleīlends are made with a mixture of single malts and grain whisky from different distilleriesĪlthough single malts dominate the scene nowadays, blends were actually the only kind of Scotch sold in the US up until the '70s. Stick with me, and that will soon include you. TL DR: Scotch is kind of a big deal, as are the people that drink it. So if all you know about Scotch is that it comes from Scotland, there's no better time than the now to dive headfirst into those gorgeous Scotchy waters (insert Ron Burgundy joke here). In 2015, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States reported that sales of single-malt Scotch had risen 134% since 2002 - and the single-malt style only accounts for 20% of US Scotch imports. While it might occasionally pose as a members-only club, the Scotch industry is actually booming stateside. I'm with you, bro - between its smooth-AF rep and storied history, getting into Scotch can feel like a whirlwind of smoke and peat - and that's exactly why we're about to tackle it. One day you're drinking cheap longnecks and slamming Fireball, and the next you're envying a silver fox down the bar, eyes glued to his amber-hued rocks glass with a million questions in your newly grown-up brain. It's like when you discover that coffee doesn't actually taste like dirt, or when you finally figure out the appeal of televised golf (still waiting on that one). I'm talking real-deal, owning-more-than-two-good-suits sophistication. At some point during our paths to adulthood, each of us will wake up one day with the distinct realization that Scotch is the epitome of sophistication.
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