Favorite Simple Dram?

@paddockjudge I guess it would depend on which batch of A'Bunadh... But I'd feel obligated to kick in the difference between the overinflated LCBO prices.

@Nozinan - Current stock on shelves, which I believe is 45. Should that be acceptable, there would be no need for a kicker - it is the perception of value and developing relationships for future swaps.

I drink every day. Usually whisky. In the summer and particularly hot Arizona days, I will often go with a blend on the rocks. Grant's, JW Black, Te Bheag, Teacher's, Pig's Nose, etc. when it is 111ºF (44ºC), I just can't handle to much Peat, or sherry, or... character. ahaha

But my simple everyday drinking whiskies that are a little more vibrant are bottles like The Ladie Ten, Talisker, HP 12…

We all need a vice. Mine is drinking.

@OCeallaigh, so you are back in Arizona from Europe? I think that I would be happy to drink several of the Jameson products, especially Jameson 12 YO Special Reserve, and Jameson Gold, during those Arizona summers.

Oh, I found one. A simple dram I enjoy occasionally. Forty Creek confederation oak. Or the Portwood reserve. Not as complex or demanding as some of the single malts but still quite dependable.

I think i know what you mean by this. Some whiskies are done a disservice if you can't concentrate to enjoy the flavours. The one I could put in a glass and enjoy without any effort, perhaps whilst doing other things, was Johnnie Walker Green Label, of which I've just found another bottle. Talisker 10 and HP 12 are also just in this camp, although less so.

@Victor Jameson 12 and Jameson Gold are EXCELLENT in the Arizona summers. You are absolutely right. I always have one or two bottles of Irish sitting around my house somewhere. ;)

I work as an engineer at an Underground Gold mine out in the Goldfields of Western Australia, and after a 12 hour day, kicking back with a Bruichladdich Laddie 10 and a good book for a de-stress is amazing.

Aberlour 10 would have to be my favourite, though its older brother the 12 is slowly catching up due to its more subtle approach it must be said.

My "everyday" simple dram will be at weekends and I get to choose between a bourbon (Four roses Yellow), a blend (White Horse or Teacher's) or a malt (Glenfiddich 12). The "big boys" are kept for drinking with the boys...

Talisker 10 or the Laddie 10 are right now my 2 favorites but I am now only drinking a dram or two on Weekends. Strictly a calorie reducer reason for me right now.

@GotOak91 a great question. I don't have just one but I really enjoy a glass of Bailie Nicol Jarvie as an all around great but easy dram. A terrific blend that is astounding value.

I would be interested to see what Nozinan said here in the thread.

This "buried by the community" thing is mildly insulting to our intelligence. Personally, I would like to see a system that goes up to -30 or so before being buried, if at all..

We are grown adults here. If something rubs an adult the wrong way then he or she does not need it to be censored. Adults don't need parenting by site managers. They can opt not to read comments that they don't enjoy seeing. Big deal. Is that how things are done in France? I thought the French were known for being egalitarian conversationalists.

Here in America, people recoil at political comments over dinner with friends. We are brainwashed in America to think that "talking politics" is ungentlemanly. Not so in France, at least not when I was there last. I find that refreshing about the French. Wasn't this site started (and maintained) by a Frenchman? PC social censoring in the USA grows very tiresome and makes me long for a visit to Europe. Please don't tell me that the Europeans have been infected by the censoring mind control crap that social engineers love to inflict on populations. . . . .Say it ain't so

It's logical to bury wantonly offensive cursing and ungentlemanly behavior, but I don't see any evidence of that here.

@rigmorole

I really appreciate your support. I wasn't bothered much that my comment was buried. It was clearly intended for those who carried the shovels.

Ralfy alluded to this in his most recent vlog. (though his solution isn't mine...). The topic of alcohol abuse is a very sensitive one in Whisky forums. I can understand why. No one wants to think that they might in fact have a problem with alcohol.

The fact is, I worry about my own alcohol consumption. As someone who has 1-2 drams a week? Why? Because I often taste stuff I like and can't wait until I can try it again. And that concerns me. Now, as it turns out, I don't have a chance to drink most nights, and for when I do, I have strict conditions like not if I'm upset, not when I may need to drive, never on call. Not if I'm worried about something. And if I start to feel a buzz, I stop (some people don't like the feeling of losing control, and I'm one of them). But that's 2 drams a week more than 2 -3 years ago, and given I have an addictive personality (snack food, chocolate...). So I feel the need to watch that I don't creep too far slowly.

As a physician I have seen the end result of alcohol abuse, sometimes in people who were highly functioning. You don't have to be "addicted" to harm your health. Many people are infected with hepatitis viruses and don't know it, and, especially with hepatitis C, the damage can be severe even with moderate use. And you don't notice till it's too late.

So, when I see posts with half a dozen drams, sure I'm envious. I'd love to experience all those different flavours and I know that even if I had that at home it would take me a month. But I also realize that in taking up this "hobby" I'm playing with fire with a glass of flammable liquid.

If you bury this post, that's ok. But bear in mind it's not intended to offend. And if you have to give it thumbs down, ask yourself why...

@Nozinan I gave you a thumbs up just now, just to even out possible future thumbs down. In this discussion you gave your honest opinion.

To be clear, I didn't agree with you completely. The discussion was started to get tips about easy drinking Whisky. However your contribution was good and a fair warning for some. So no thumbs from my side on your earlier posts.

On one hand the thumbs down works very well. I remember a very annoying discussion started by someone that made an account just to sell a bottle. I was so glad to see that buried within a day.

On the other hand your post was buried without good reason, in my opinion. Maybe we should only be able to thumbs up of down with a motivational post.

@wtrstrnghlt I think that the thumbs up / thumbs down is another topic for a new (or old) discussion.

I liked this topic because I wanted to read about peoples easy drinking bottles not health issues and national stereotypes. That said, some of the best discussions are ones that meander through a series of points to create a rich tapestry of opinions. These are a bit off topic for me though in this case.

So, with the aim of diverting the topic back on track to easy drinking Whisky... I always go back to Laphroaig 10 which is my go to bottle but was given abottle of Glen Moray (which i was unlikely to buy myself). It is light, fruity and very easy to drink. It is no classic but it can hit the spot on a nice summers evening. It is pretty cheap too.

Very well said @rigmorole. I completely agree.

@Nozinan Okay, I will attempt this again but this time without humor. I'm not quite sure you realize what you are doing. You get pushback when you write things like this...

"The topic of alcohol abuse is a very sensitive one in Whisky forums. I can understand why. No one wants to think that they might in fact have a problem with alcohol."

I want to say so much right now, I will try to be brief. This topic is about a favorite simple dram. Your initial response set up anyone who possessed a "simple favorite dram" as an alcoholic. You complain that whisky forums are sensitive to this topic and no one wants to admit they have a problem. Do you not see that by writing that you are continually assuming, accusing and handing out baseless judgments that declare people on these forums are alcoholics?

Friend, let me tell you something, you do NOT know what an alcoholic is. I grew up with 5 of them. Trust me, their problem was not that they had a "favorite simple dram." There are deep psychological issues that cause alcoholism, not because an individual made the gigantic leap from 2 drams a week to 3 for the love of God.

Do you know how ridiculous you sound when you paint someone who cares about tasting notes, terrior or age statements as a lush? My brother, people who have problems with the bottle do not have tasting notebooks nor do they roam around whisky forums such as this. This is the last place someone with a whiskey problem will be.

I hope I articulated my point well enough to you. Please stop building the straw man only to knock it down so easily. I am no longer amused with your ignorance. Do you also strut into health food stores and warn people of obesity if they have too many Greek yogurts in their basket? Read that last sentence again, do you see what I just did there?

I don't have a favorite simple dram because I am still learning a great deal about whisky. Currently, I have a bottle of Laphroaig Cask 003, Clynelish 23 yr, Longrow Gaja, Edradour Cask, Springbank Claret, and a few vattings open that I made from things like 9 yr Glenfarclas, Isle of Skye 12, and McClelland's Islay.

As for drinking every day, I did so for about a year and got sick from it. My doc told me to ease off. Lately, I've been drinking less. One of the illnesses is drinking related, the other is other things aggrevated by too much drinking that was too often. I would still love to drink a dram or two every day, but I've slowed down in favor of being more sensible for my own situation and my own health needs. There's no harm in mentioning that. I respect others that drink every day and I don't think of anyone as an alcoholic just because they drink every day. Getting drunk every day is of course different, and I don't hear anyone defending that sort of thing. I can only speak for myself when I say that I've slowed down and only drink a few days a week now.

Wish I could drink more often. If I were younger and in better shape, I would probably still drink a daily dram in the evening. I swim nearly every day, but I need to lose about thirty pounds in order to be at my ideal weight. I keep telling myself that if I get down to 175 (I am 5"11) then I will drink more again. In fact, that is part of my motivation in losing weight. Hey, I'm just being honest.

Sorry to burst peoples' bubble, but we are only human. I'm 47 and I need to start behaving like an adult. In my younger years, I drink too much but I was never an alcoholic (at least in my view). These days, it's quality over quantity. My vattings are for guests that don't really appreciate fine scotch. Two nights ago, I shared my very best scotch with friends who only marginally understood what they were tasting. It was very hard for me to share the Springbank Claret because I love it so much and it is the last bottle I will ever own since it has been discontinued, but I shared it with a good friend to be nice. I wanted to help him to broaden his taste. It's fairly limited right now. He did appreciate it as much as he was able. It was his favorite of the bunch. I did not suggest anything but just set out the bottles on my table and let my two friends sniff the bottles to decide which they would like to drink. The other friend liked a vatting that happened to be in a nice Aran bottle. I didn't tell him it was a vatting. He enjoyed it very much. I didn't tell him it wasn't a vatting either, however. If anyone asks for ice at my house, they automatically get the tasty but less expensive vattings. It's really that simple, a no-brainer.

Looks like @GotOak91's quite innocent question got sidetracked onto quite a controversial tangent. Maybe the tangent merits a separate thread, the question being something like: "Do you think your love of whisky might be causing your alcohol consumption to escalate to an unhealthy level"?

I have been spending a lot less time on this forum lately because my consumption has increased from a dram or two on weekends to 3 or 4 drams a night, every night, and reading about whisky all the time makes me want to try more whiskies. I love the whisky, but I'm not a very good drinker. I get headaches, I put on weight and I lose energy. I decided it was time to give it a rest. My wife and I just got back from 32 days in England and Scotland. We were drinking every day, either beer, wine and/or whisky for me. I think it was becoming problematic.

I think @Nozinan and @rigmorole make some very good points. I don't think @Nozinan deserves the vitriol expressed by @JJBriggs. I did not get the impression that he was accusing anyone participating in a whisky forum of being an alcoholic, merely pointing out some hard truths about alcohol consumption and the dangers of over consumption. The red wine lobby may have convinced us that their products are good for us but any thinking person knows that it is healthier not to drink any alcohol than to drink alcohol more than very moderately.

No offence intended to anyone here, just my own experience. I hope we can all keep this forum a place for friendly and informative discussion of a common interest.

Lagavulin 16yo

Stellar quality, medium-low price. I'll buy ever a bottle of this whisky.

Glenfarclas 12 spruced up in the bottle with about 20% Glenfarclas 105. I let these marry for a week or two before drinking any. I also try to leave at least 1/3 of the bottle empty to oxygenate the whisky a bit. I usually tend to like it most when the bottle gets below 1/4 full for some reason.

I am also partial to 1/3 Caol Ila and 2/3 Highland Park 12. These are my favorite "more often" simple drams. I also leave this bottle about 1/3 empty for oxygenation purposes.

I realize these vattings don't exactly sound "simple" but they create very nice "go to" drams at a reasonable price for the scotch connosr.

@Nozinan It takes a bit of nerve to come onto a serious whisky forum and not-so-subtly imply that most of its members are a bunch of drunks... Especially when it seems like you might be projecting your own worries about yourself onto others. You claim to be scientific about this topic, but you're clearly quite emotional. I can only speculate about your motivation, but your attitude is more apparent.

Now, that said, if you wish to discuss this topic at length, I think that's probably a good idea. I think about my own alcohol consumption from time to time -- any sane drinker should. But may I humbly suggest starting a new thread rather than hijacking this one?

As for the question: I used to drink a bit of bourbon here and there as a daily driver, but nowadays I find that a little unfulfilling somehow. So if I want to just grab something and relax a bit with the ol' brain turned off, I'd have to say that I'd want to reach for some Highland Park 12. Good whisky, good price, and it's definitely something that won't bore me. (Bore is the wrong word, but I hope you get the idea.)

@JJBriggs Here, here!

I think we should simply move on. We should feel free to proclaim a favorite simple dram but also always be thinking about our consumption level. Both are fine ideas.

Stay classy, everyone.

I also suggest that GotOak91 should rename this thread "GotOak91's Regret."

I've enjoyed reading this thread immensely. I love a good hot argument. It makes me thirsty for a dram or two of delicious whisky to sip while I chuckle and read.

I'm glad Nozinan piped in with his thoughts. He is a doctor after all. This said, I also really got a kick out of seeing die hard daily drammers get their undies up in a bunch over it. They've certainly made some great points, as well.

Lots of good ideas for simple drams here and the back and forth about health matters made it all the better to me.

We are all being programmed in real life these by test-riddled red tape-encumbered tripe being passed off as "public education" and by the media to specialize in hobbies, careers, tastes. Stay on topic. Chop chop. Do as you're told. Mind your P's and Q's.

It's quite boring an insipid. Scotch is an industry that started with rebels and self starters, lest we forget. It was due to their ingenuity and out of the box thinking and resourcefulness in far away and distant corners of Scotland (far away from the prying eyes of the Crown with its manifold manacles, both physical and mental) that we have good scotch whisky today. In America, the whisky tax was a big deal back in the yar! It nearly overthrew the nation with riots, and in fact there were many of them! Today, moonshiners continue the good tradition of thinking outside the box and not doing what they're told to do.

A good organically whole life is full of curiosity and side ways excursions mentally and physically. When I hike in the woods, I love going off trail. The woods can handle it here in Oregon! I'm the same about conversations about whisky. A few drams of whisky now and then keep a feller or a gal goin strong! We all know that!!!! It's good for the spirit and the soul to relax and self medicate with the scrumptious wonders of bourbon and scotch, as well as many other ichors, including those which dabble in herbs like worm wood.

We are big enough to approach whisky like renaissance thinkers. The explosion of discoveries in the renaissance was due to multi tasking and the cross polllenization of disciplines.

If this thread had merely been about "simple drams" I would have read it once and moved on. It has turned into a carbuncle of controversy. Bravo!!! Well Done!!!!!! Aye, there's the rub!!!!!! Drink up, ye maties!!!!

Very, very well said @rigmorole!! Kanpai!

@two-bit-cowboy Ancnoc 12 yr, and Old Pulteney 12 yr are wonderful 'daily' drams...Just recently I discovered the Bowmore 12 yr; which I find to be a nice intro to Islay single malts which could be added to the list.

The Dalmore 15. After a long day filled with stress, it justs hits the spot. The scent, the taste, it just seems to make the weight of the world less heavy, relaxation in a bottle.

www.youtube.com/watch