Rob's Scotch Page

As you’ll see below, I have my ever-growing scotch selection separated into three categories; swill, everyday and special occasion scotches. As it turns out, I grabbed a couple of new bottles of scotch this summer, and each will assume a place in one of the categories. So without further adieu, let’s review:

THE GLENLIVET NADURRA 16 YEAR

This is a brand new and much heralded scotch from one of my favorite brands, The Glenlivet. Unlike most scotches today, this Nadurra (which is Gaelic for “natural) is non-chill filtered, which basically means you are tasting the scotch as it tastes in the cask. This means it will be stronger tasting and more potent, but also should deliver livelier flavors.

I’ve read a lot of negative reviews about the Nadurra and the problem, it turns out, is with each writer, not the scotch. This Nadurra delivers exactly what it is supposed to deliver; a lot of alcohol taste and rough, biting flavors. Most negative reviews center on the “harsh” feel of the scotch, and some even recommend drinking it with water which is blasphemy and shows the ignorance of the reviewer.

This is a strong, fiercely alcoholic, biting scotch with flavors of smoke, butter, and vanilla if you can handle the acidic finish. A guess a wussy would need some water to allow him to enjoy the flavors. At the very worst, I would recommend filling a pint glass with ice, pouring 2 ounces of Nadurra over it and allowing the chill to soften the flavors before the ice melts.

This is a sipping scotch that will warm you up in a hurry this winter but is not for an amateur. At only $50 per bottle, a true connoisseur should add this to his day-to-day rotation and pull it out when he feels like a good old fashioned “belt” of a great scotch.

LAGAVULIN 16 YEAR

Holy Crap. If other scotches have “flavors of smoke,” this is a freaking forest fire. I have never smelled or tasted so much smoke flavor as in this scotch.

Any other flavors that may be in this Lagavulin are simply ambience and background compared to the overwhelming flavor of wood smoke that dominates this scotch. The alcohol is consistent with what you would expect and this scotch all comes down to whether or not you want to feel like you are drinking a chimney. I love this flavor at the right time, in the right place. This is a great scotch to enjoy a cigar with, it is also a fantastic sipping scotch accompanied by a handful of smoked almonds or any smoked meat.

Drop me an E-mail with your thoughts on these bottles of Scotch

Scotch, Whiskey and bourbon are not the same thing…at least not always, necessarily. Does that clear it up for you?

Scotch is simply whisky blended and/or distilled in Scotland. As such, it derives its flavor from peat fires, as opposed to Irish whisky, which is made without the fire and thus, is less smoky in flavor. Scotch is then aged for a variety of years, adding flavor and character. Scotch is widely acknowledged as the best whisky in the world.

American whiskey is also more commonly called bourbon and is made with at least 51% corn and aged for at least two years. Almost all bourbon is made in Kentucky.

For more information on whiskey terms, try this website:

After years of destroying my liver with shots of Jack Daniels (a fine product), I have graduated to the art of sipping on fine scotch. This page is designed to help you also enjoy the hobby (vice), while also answering your questions about why I drink it, how to drink it, what it costs and where to find it.

My scotch collection is divided into three categories:

#1. Swill

This is my "low end" scotch. If I just need what they would call in TV-Land a "quick belt," I reach for a bottle of Chivas 12 year or The Glenlevit, aged 12 or 18 years. These scotches are surprisingly smooth for their below $40 price tag and provide the needed punch for a quick taste of scotch.

#2. Pretty Damn Good

These bottles are all priced around $50-75 and provide a variety of flavors. Macallan makes a wonderful scotch aged in Sherry oak that delivers a unique, smooth scotch/sherry flavor that I enjoy. Glenmorangie has an entire line of scotches aged in different barrels that I am working my way through, and a recent find that has me captivated right now is the very smooth and smoky Dalwhinnie.

#3. Top Shelf

These are the bottles I break out only for special occasions. Each of these bottles starts at $200 and go to $400. The most impressive is the Macallan 1861 reserve which is a replica scotch of that amazing vintage. It is amazingly smooth and flavorful and should be for $350 per bottle. The Chivas 21 Salute, aged 21 years does quite well as a smooth, woody, smoky drink, as does the 25 year old Macallan and the Johnnie Walker Blue which is a blend of Walker's best scotches.

I always drink Scotch "neat," or "up" as opposed to "on the rocks," or "over." When ordering it in a restaurant, an order of a specific Scotch served "neat" will net you an inch of scotch in a glass and nothing else. This is the way Scotch should be drunk, at room temperature and with no foreign flavors corrupting the scotch taste.

Scotch can be served in a variety of glasses, including traditional after dinner snifters.

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I prefer mine most commonly served in a traditional "bucket" glass.

Scotch should be sipped, not gulped, and the flavor enjoyed. As you drink more, you will find yourself recognizing flavors of wood, fire, tobacco, cream and a wide range of individual tastes.

One more note; Scotch is now as portable as ever. I have begun carrying small bottles of scotch in my golf bag because, well, golf is a maddening game and sometimes drives me to drink. If I'm going to drink on a golf course, I might as well drink well...personal and professional.