Best Beginner Scotch – Trenny and C take a look at their top 5 Scotches for beginners #5 is controversial. Please SUBSCRIBE.
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Holy moly! Did you notice all the comments?
My recommendation for beginner Scotch is Glenmorangie Original. It is light, refreshing and unobtrusive. Great review!
Seriously the best intro I have seen on youtube hahaha, laughed out loud all by myself. Nice video 🙂
Agree with everything thing except for the Laphroaig. Laphroaig is divisive even among people who enjoy peated scotch. My 5 intro whiskies are Balvenie 12, Glenmorangie 10, Macallan 12, Compass Box Great King Street Artisan Blend, and Ardbeg 10 for a peat monster.
Hey guys, just came back from the liquor store with a new bottle of Scotch. I found your video and was surprised to see the bottle I bought on your beginner list. It’s the Laphroaig. I have to wait until I get home from work to taste it. How do you think it compares to a Lagavulin 16 or a Bowmore small batch? Those are the only 2 peaty ones I’ve had and they really grew on me. I’ll let you know my thoughts once I’ve sampled it. Take care
Laphroaig was my 2nd purchase and it is still one of my all time faves. I agree on including it
Although I did love Laphroaig on my first try, I find that it isn’t the easiest to introduce to people who want to make the jump from blends to malts. I find that Caol Ila 12 is easier on the begginers palate as an Islay representative.Besides that, this is a great lineup! The next time someone asks me about malts, I will start to offer them Highland Park besides G’morangie, G’farclas, and Caol Ila/JWgreen that I often use to introduce.
Excellent choices. I am Macallan drinker, but I remember my first glass which was a Glenfiddich.
Laphroaig Quarter Cask was the first whisky I bought and I absolutely loved it, found it sad that they used food colouring though
Balvenie Doublewood Glenfiddich Solera Glenmorangie Nectar
Cardu
Great Video guys! Very good lineup for beginners as well! Couldn’t agree more about Highland Park 12, One of my absolute favorites and has something for everyone. Very unique flavors. Subscribed and look forward to seeing more videos 🙂
I’d go with specific types (Glendronach – super sherry, Glenfarclas -malt forward light sherry, Bruichladdich scottish barley bold and perfectly balanced flavorful, whichever cheap Bruichladdich Port Charlotte for peat I can find (An Turas Mor for example), and something on the sprinbank/kilchoman spectrum. Probably would try to replace something there with Balblair ’02 if I could still find it…
I like the choice of the Laphroaig QC, but the Lagavulin 16yo would also be a nice peated whisky to start with.
I don’t like the Highland Park, had it and sold it.
Macallan is too commercial and way to expensive.
Black label: no idea.
Aberlour: great scotch, from there go for the A’bunadh and the 16yo.
My 5 beginner Scotches:
– Aberlour 10yo
– Lagavulin 16yo
– Glenfarclas 15yo
– Old Pulteney 12yo (and then straight for the 17yo)
– Kilkerran 12yo
Thanks for the video!
Good review, guys. With so many to choose from, the debate on ‘best beginners’ Scotches could go on for ever. Personally, I would replace the Laphroaig Quarter Cask with Balvenie Doublewood, but heck, why not add something from Islay, everyone gets to love the peat monsters sooner or later. Cheers.
I think you guys could revise placing Johnny walker in the mix as it’s a blend. You guys could incorporate an islay un peated like coal ila, and maybe a real Highland dram like old pulteney, with a real seaside brine taste. Also incorporate a lowland like auchentoshan… this would give you a wider idea of the different whisky’s we have to offer. FYI Aberlour is pronounced Ah b loo ur.
*raises hand* so is scotch not a whisky?
I love the peat and I like the inclusion for sure.
I would highly recommend old pulteney 12, Glengoyne 12.
Maybe Glenmorangie Original or Glendronach 12, L QC, no for beginners. Was the first heavily peated Scotch I tried and I hated it at the time.
Cheers
Unfortunately good whiskies in Brazil are super expensive. For an example: a Glenfiddich 18y, 750ml will cost you about 600-700 bucks. For a parameter, the min. salary for our country is almost 900 bucks. Meanwhile, in the US, the same scotch is at 100 bucks. =(
Even the Black label, which used to cost around 99 bucks, nowadays is up to 200 bucks. Unbelievable.
I heard a woman being murdered around the 1:00 mark. Have you called the cops?
why my dick small?
Hey guys, I have been enjoying scotch for about 35 years now. I agree with your choices. At first glance Laphroaig does not seem to belong on the list. (BTW I am on “like” side of the Laphroaig argument) but then again……I think you included it for the right reasons. As for my personal enjoyment, (and I’ve tried them all over 35 years) I change from time to time but I’m partial to Glennmorangie, Macallan, and Bunnahabhain in all their ages and variants.
Man encouraging people to just dive in at the deep end with Laphroaig
because then they’ll learn whether they love or hate it just strikes me
as more machismo than good advice. There’s plenty of peated scotch for a
reasonable price that can introduce you to that world without running the risk of turning you off it. Ledaig 10 year is really affordable and “wonderfully peated” as their tagline goes, Lagavulin 8 year is an even better Islay that is not much more expensive than Ledaig. Taliskers not my cup of tea but is probably worth a mention. And if you really want strong peat the Ardbeg 10 is a better whiskey than many brands three times it’s age and well cheaper than the Laphroaig half cask. You could at least have a little mercy and advise a drop of water boys. Also Dura’s a good starter whiskey, it’s relatively cheap and uncomplicated and I’d take it over your Macallan any day. Good shout on the Highland Park though.
Laphroaig 10 was actually my second single malt, after Oban 14, previously coming from only drinking JW Black Label. My first dram was off-putting, and found it difficult to finish the glass. However, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. By my second and third drams, I had fallen in love. Now my mouth waters when I think about it 🙂
Good review guys, good choices. I would just replace the Laphroaig Quarter Cask with a sober Caol Ila 12.
Also, you are talking about beginners so, I am introducing my wife to the world of Scotches as I believe she is quite mature to leave Malibu and Coke and taste something better. Auchentoshan 12 (18 if you want to spend a bit more) I believe deserve a spot on this beginners list. She loved it and I believe is a good entry level of whisky for whom is not familiar with heavy spirits. The triple distillation makes it easy to sip it but at the same time gives a very pronunced Lowland identification. Do you agree?
Im not sure why you cats would introduce an overpriced blended scotch (Johnnie walkers black) compared to a single malt? Speyburn 10, or even McClellands highland, or even the “Speyside” single malts such as Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, would be more at the same price range for a 750ml bottle.
I agree with the Islay of Laphroig, but, such scotches tend to “turn” people “OFF” since its super peaty. Lagavulin is prefereed by many, but just way expensive. (especially Lagavulin 16 being at 100 U.S. bucks)
I would say your right on all the scotches except for “Johnnie walker black” Its price range is overpriced to cheaper single malts that are range and lower in price.
Some incredible choices there fellas and all are still some of my favourites. As you predicted, I wouldn’t have included the Laphroaig as I think you can learn to love peated whisky eventually but it might put you off if you try it too early. Out of your choices, the Gold is the most expensive here, the others are frequently on deal for super cheap, the benefit of being attached to Scotland
Laphraoig is not a beginner Scotch, IMO.
Highland Park is not an Islay, it’s from Orkney. A little peat, but not Islay! Get your regions straight!
Like the bar atmosphere better but this is a classic Trenny and C location too. How’s that for a non vote?
The choices are pretty consistent with other people’s opinions. I’ve only had a few blends so far but they’ve all been good experiences. I enjoyed JW Red actually and Teacher’s is a good choice for a peat introduction.
Yupu dickbackbegeed hibbster cunters
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Laphroaig for beginners?! Please no! It is okay on the way down but it has a horrendous chemical aftertaste – somewhere between petrol and bleach. Lagavulin is THE Scotch to introduce people to heavy peat. Hell, for twenty years I hated Johnnie Walker Red, etc. because of the “smokey” taste… thankfully I was introduced to Lagavulin and now I’m dismayed when a Scotch isn’t pure, golden, liquid smoke.
Best beginner tip: Stay away of anything coming from Islay! Unless you like drinking a campfire. 😉
Where is Glenmorangie??????
Totaly agree on Laphroaig in there, i think it’s a must to get the feel of it, you either like it or hate it but the big test to take ! Thx guys, nice suggestions, good job 🙂
Thanks guys! Really enjoy your reviews. I still consider myself a beginner, so your reviews are helpful. Right now I’m really enjoying Talisker 10, and think the flavors of that are wonderful. But you can’t go wrong with the Balvenie either. Also a 2nd for the Old Pulteney 12.
As a Laphroaig lover i would suggest ‘select’ for the begginers. Also i do not like the pronunciation of Aberlour 🙂
All these comments are good, but there is only one mention of Talisker, the only malt produced on the Isle of Skye. The debate on Laphroaig versus Lagavulin for beginners is interesting. I would go for Lagavulin.
I don’t like Laphroaig because of it’s iodine taste and smell. Who likes the smell of a hospital? Also there is nothing subtle about it and somehow I can’t get behind the idea that just because something is extreme, it’s automatically good.
That’s a great line up. Highland Park was my first Scotch purchase and I prefer Ardbeg and Lagavulan over Laphroaig.
Laphroaig is more of a gateway scotch.
I like your choices, well-balanced!
My recommendations for Beginner Scotch by Region:
Highlands – Old Putney 12 or Oban 14
Lowland – Glenkinchie 12 or Auchentoshan 12
Speyside – Macallan 12 or Aberlour 12
Islands – Highland Park 12 or Laphroaig 10
Campbletown – Dalmore 12 or 15, or Glendronach 12