About

Hi, my name is Jim and I’m a scotch addict. About a year ago, my friends introduced me to the delight that is single malt scotches and since then I haven’t been able to get enough. No other drink on the planet is as varied as scotch, no other drink on the planet is as subtle in its flavors and deep in its complexity, and no other drink on the planet can you drink for years and still learn something about. Whiskey, in all its forms, is a complex animal that hundreds of books have been written about and as a novice to the drink, I hope to learn as much as I can, as quickly as I can, and I hope you can join me on this wonderful journey.

I’m not an expert on scotch, I’m just a regular guy trying to understand a most complex drink.

You can join along by subscribing to the Scotch Addict RSS feed by clicking on the orange button to the right or via email. Please join me!

24 thoughts on “About

  1. I like to taste various single malts, but not sure of the pronunciations of a few scotches. Like Laphroaig etc. Any website that has this info? Thanks

  2. Enjoy whisky whether scotch, irish or american. Started w single malts at low end then father in law spoiled my taste w lagavulin. Now have a collection of twelve different kinds. Sampled a JW blend sampler from my wife and shared the 250 ml bottle of blue Johnny Walker with two friends, that was great! Now is Christmas time and found a new bottle of Balvenie finished in Caribbean rum casks, and that was Wow, smooth. Sitting here reading the tasting notes and opinions; appreciate all in good company and much mirth. Prefer my scotch outside in a southern winter night with a good wool cap from Donegal and a good short cigar from family Olivia!

  3. What are your opinion on the vessel to enjoy said whisky? My father in law gave me a Waterford crystal lowball glass that is a bit large for my hand but he swears it is better to enjoy good scotch. What say ye?

    • Honestly? The best vessel is the company of good family and friends.

      As for what you hold it in, make sure it’s glass and try to avoid holding the part that touches the whisky as you might warm it up with your body heat. If you can, get a tapered mouth so all the aromas are directed right into your nose and into your brainstem. 🙂

  4. It seems that you mostly cover Scotch Whiskey. How do you feel about Japanese Single Malts or any other single malts being made outside of Scotland? Being a lover of all ranges of beverages, I assume you enjoy them. But from a single malt standard, do you believe Scotch is superior or have others matched their mastery?

    • I think they’re great, I think from a technical perspective there are many that have matched the production capabilities of Scotch but that’s to be expected. I think a lot of the allure about anything consumed has to do with the rich history and provenance.

      • I must agree. The history and tradition behind Scotch does make it all the more special. The Japanese are masters of duplication and have done a great job making delicious single malt but it will never match the storied traditions of the Scotch. Cheers, sir.

  5. Jim –
    What can you tell me about Lismore? Nice single malt, inexpensive.
    There’s no distillery withat name…and no web site…???

  6. Good day,
    Glad to be aboard. I have been running a whisky club for 5 years now and just recently started up another one in Cape Canaveral, FL. Central Brevard Whisky Appreciation Society. We have monthly tastings featuring unique whisky’s. I am looking forward to the benefits of your website.

  7. I found an unopened JW Red Label sitting in a cupboard. It must be 10 plus years old. There is a slight change of color, but that’s not the issue — there are clusters of fungus-like formations visible in the liquor.
    I am wondering whether it’s safe to consume. Does scotch turn toxic?

  8. I started on Bourbon but always found it too sweet. I then moved to Irish whiskey which I still enjoy to this day. But my first Scotch… oh happy day. I think it was a Chivas given to me by my father. I think my first reaction was probably shock; it’s so much more ‘aggressive’ than Irish whiskey. But then I took another sip, let it swirl over my tongue and I was in love. Since then I’ve spoilt myself and been spoilt with some fantastic single malts and never get tired of the different notes to each of them, almost like getting to know a new lover. Some I’ve disliked at first only to re-evaluate my decision on a second or third taste then taking a fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh taste just to be absolutely certain of my opinions you understand. Others I’ve quite enjoyed only to find them a bit bland or boring on further tastings.
    I try to keep my snobbery to a minimum unless I’m around others that share my passion which is why I find it amusing that I found this site on a whim to mix some cheap scotch I was given with some milk. So lowbrow.

  9. Jim,

    I’m the same way! Friends introduced me a few years ago, and since then I simply love exploring this medium. And while I can’t afford the $3,000 bottles of scotch, I’m a lot more intrigued looking at them behind the glass doors at Binny’s.

    If you ever find yourself in Chicago, drop me a line. There’s a great place at the corner of Damen and Montrose called Fountainhead that has the most wonderful menu of Scotch especially for us neophytes. It rates each one on several different metrics.

    The beauty of it is you can find a scotch you know you like and see how it scores among the many metrics. Then, you can find another Scotch that is a little higher in peat or a little higher in smoke to stretch out your taste experience. It’s a wonderful way to sample and they have some rare bottles there.

    I’ll be looking forward to your newsletter. And should you need any former journalism grads to help contribute to your posts and articles, feel free to assign me to an article. I’d be happy to contribute pro bono.

    Sincerely,

    James Willett

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