1 minute read
Scotch whisky
from deadCenter Lives
Dad drinks
IF YOU WERE TO PRODUCE A CANDLE OF CLASSICAL “DAD” SCENTS, THE SWEET, STRONG ODOR OF SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WOULD BE ONE OF THE TOP ITEMS ON THAT LIST. FOREGOING THE SMOKY PEAT FLAVORS OF THE ISLAY MALTS ENTIRELY THIS YEAR, HERE ARE FOUR SPEYSIDE SCOTCHES TO SHARE WITH YOUR FATHER THIS HOLIDAY.
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The Glenlivet
There’s a reason why this 12-year Scotch is the best-selling brand in the country. Founded just shy of 200 years ago in 1824, this spirit was originally produced secretly under the cover of night to avoid a hefty English excise tax. This Speyside malt wrestles for the title of the world’s most popular Scotch with Glenfiddich, but with six million bottles produced each year, there’s enough to go around.
The Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve
Probably the last mental association made when thinking of a single malt Scotch whisky is a beach and a pina colada, but The Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve is finished in Caribbean rum barrels, which provides a tropical finish that is the complete opposite of the Speyside whisky’s distinctive sweet bitterness.
Aberlour
Cask matured twice over — once in American oak and again in Spanish sherry — this single malt whiskey takes on the flavor of both while retaining a distinct flavor imbued by the barley and spring water that goes into it. Aberlour is both sweet and a little spicy, with oak and fruit flavors shining through. This one isn’t too far down the road from The Glenlivet, so for those looking to venture out a little without straying from the path, Aberlour is a fine choice.
Chivas Regal
A classic of both dad’s liquor cabinet as well as the Scotch of choice for gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson’s legendary snow cones, it took nearly 150 years of production before this blended whisky first saw American shores. While information about the blend itself remains largely proprietary, there are definitely hints of The Glenlivet contained in each sip. For those unsure which to select for Father’s Day, Chivas Regal contains a whole blend of right answers and not a single wrong one.
