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“I love to sing, and I love to drink scotch. Most people would rather hear me drink scotch.” – George Burns

Where were we? Oh yes! My favorite Scotch is … I can’t answer that! That’s like saying “my favorite bourbon is” or “my favorite movie is” or “my favorite child is.” How can one possibly narrow it down with the (literally) hundreds of possibilities out there on the market today?

As dear ole Dad said “it’s all made to sell,” and Scotch is no exception. So, how to narrow things down?

Well, as I’ve said (ad nauseum) it all comes down to taste and subjectivity. For me, we can just go ahead and throw out anything from the Islay and Campbeltown regions. I’m just not into peaty, smokey, or medicinal whiskies. I have a good friend who loves Laphroaig and Lagavulin. To me they taste like cough syrup. I’m not talking about today’s sugar filled, yummy, cough syrup. I’m talking about the kind we had growing up in the ‘60s and ‘70s that tasted like a mixture of kerosene and arsenic. At least that’s what I thought at the time. Yet, millions of drinkers enjoy these highly peated drams.

Moving on. Speyside has the highest concentration of distilleries in Scotland. It’s home to some of the most famous ccotches around: The Macallan, Glenlivet, and Glenfiddich to name a few. Just so happens that these are the top three single-malt scotch distilleries in the world. I have had my run-ins with these brands through the years, and they are all quite good.

Here’s the thing about scotch(es); they all have a hint of peatiness/smokiness. Oftentimes nearly imperceptible, yet still there. These are world famous, classic Scotches, yet they don’t really do it for me.

Alright, I’ll stop dilly-dallying and just get to it.

I might not have a favorite scotch, but I do have a favorite Scottish distillery. It is the Glenmorangie* Distillery from the North Highlands Region. Which just so happens to come in at number four worldwide behind the others mentioned above.

Thirty years ago, Glenmorangie introduced different “expressions” of their scotch. Each of these expressions featured a different taste profile. Some examples: The Lasanta, aged 15 years in bourbon and Oloroso Sherry casks, The Quinta Ruban, aged 14 years in bourbon and Portuguese Port casks, The Nectar (formerly Nectar D’Or), aged 14 years in bourbon casks, then another two years in sweet white wine casks.

Glenmorangie was the first to come up with this innovation across several different bottles during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Their Port Wood Finish (now called The Quinta Ruban) was a huge hit. Soon, other companies followed suit. I took a stroll down the scotch aisle at my local liquor store the other day. Almost every other scotch producer has followed Glenmorangie’s lead. Including The Macallan, Invergordon, Highland Park, and Glen Fohdry to name a few. Ahh, capitalism!

I haven’t tried any of these others; probably should. Being more of a “bourbon guy” I just stick to what I know. Glemorangie suits me just fine. In fact, if my feet were to be held to the fire, I suppose I would have to admit that there is one of Glenmorangie’s limited expressions that could be classified as my favorite.

About a year ago, in my usual perusal of the whiskey aisle, I came across a bottle of Glenmorangie “A Tale of Ice Cream.” How could I pass that up? I went home and cracked it open. Did it taste like ice cream? No. I didn’t like it at all. Another $100 wasted. But wait! I tried it again … much better! Then it turned out that I kept going back to it, and pretty soon (in fact, quite rapidly) the bottle was empty.

One must understand that I have some bottles of scotch that have languished on my shelf for years. At this point, I’m on my third bottle of the Tale of Ice Cream, and that one is disappearing rapidly. Aged in bourbon and high-vanilla casks, it is truly delicious. Not sure what I’m going to do when this limited edition runs its course. That’ll be depressing.

Glenmorangie describes the flavor profile as “rich and creamy … followed by a burst of sweet and spicy flavors: brioche, almond marzipan, honeycomb, fudge, lemon sherbet and desiccated coconut.” Don’t know about all of that. Do know that it still tastes like scotch, but there’s something more there that makes it extraordinary, and admittedly, a bit sweet and creamy – like ice cream.

So, there you have it: a bourbon guy’s very limited, discussion of scotch whisky. I’m certain that there are many scotches out there that are outstanding. Go out and give them a try. Life is short – too short to just drink one type of whiskey.

One more thing of note. Go back and look at the descriptions of the Glenmorangie scotches. Are you getting the pattern here? All are aged in bourbon barrels. Bourbon makes everything better! So, next time, I’ll get back to America’s whiskey. Until then, slàinte mhath!

*Pronounced glen-MOR-un-jee. The ending rhymes with “orangey.”

Jon Smyrnis is a lifelong Indianapolis area resident. He enjoys traveling, hiking, biking, kayaking, dining out, and, of course, fine cocktails and great bourbons.