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
Do any of you live in Central Ohio? If so do you know of a store with a good single malt selection? I'm in Columbus and it seems hard to find anything other than the usual suspects (Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, Macallan & Bowmore).
It's a bit of a drive for you, but you can find a much wider selection in the Cincinnati area. Best place is The PArty Source right across the rive in Newport. They have a huge selection, with lots of rare (and expensive) bottlings. Just picked up a bottle of 21 yr old Bowmore from a single cask private bottling for $ 68....lees than the very good but now overpriced LAgavullin..and arguably better....
Best I've tried is Macallan 25 as of yet. But, my standard single-malt for any day is the Balvenie 12 Doublewood. Ultra smooth, a bit syrupy, gorgeous color and a flavor that fits like an old glove.
..."a flavor tha fits like an old glove." Much better than a flavor that sips like an old sock.
The Balvenie Doublewood is indeed a very smooth whisky. But for great memories, I have to harken back to a Glenfarclas 30 yr old that I sampled on a vacation to Scotland back in December of 1999. I wanted to lick the inside of the glass!