Best single-malt Scotch...


I have to give credit to Redwiki for the inspiration to start this thread. Yes, certain malts better compliment certain music or certain moods. Of the fifteen or so different malts in my cabinet right now, my favorites are: Aberlour "Antique", similar to the popular Macallan, but not as syrupy; a bit drier, light hearted and less complicated; great with Mozart and Brubeck. Mortlach "Limited Edition" cask strength. Powerful, smoky, mysterious. Great with Bartok, Berg and late 'Trane. Loch Morar 25 yr old. Incredibly complex and intense, with a hint of honey and flowers. Great with Poulenc, Stravinsky and Bill Evans. Any other single-malt aficionados out there?
frogman
Had a bottle of 25yr Talisker recently. Unbelievable!!! Very tough to find as only 3000 bottles released. A friend tasted it at Talisker before release. Felt lucky to find a bottle. I'm usually an Islay guy, the older the better. But this Talisker is definitely worth seeking out.
I've recently veered off the True Path to sample some small cask bourbons. Lovely drinks, they are. I'm especially taken with Booker's - they claim it's the only cask-strength bourbon being bottled. Deep, rich flavour, albeit without the peat I so love. There are lots of others - Knob Creek is good, as are Baker's, Van Winkle 12 and Woodford Reserve. The nice part is that they're usually only half or 2/3 the price of the Scotches I normally drink. Once all the money has been spent on the stereo, this can be an important consideration.
In my opinion the 44 yr. old Mortlach tops them all. The 21 year old Linkwood gave a promise of what the Mortlach delivered and is a very fine Scotch, also!

Having tasted nearly all of the more popular scotches, from Islay, lowland, Highland and HS Speyside My taste tend to appreciate the Speysides more.

Compared to the Single Malts, American Scotch, with the exception of the Glenlivits, Glenfiddich and Famous Grouse (and I drank them all for years) are garbage!

What's best is what's best for you!