Learning whisky - Recommend a bar in Edinburgh

[bulb763]

I've starting taking an interest in whisky and have got a couple of samples / bottles that I am working my way through. I don't really know what I am doing however: when I'm in the supermarket (this is my level at the moment) ready to drop a few notes on something I don't know which to try. I don't know which flavours I like, I don't know if I've even tried all the "fundamental" flavours yet (probably haven't). I'd like to try a few in a pub / bar but there are none with a decent selection nearby. That would also be a cheaper way of working out what I like.

I'm going to Edinburgh for new year with a few friends so I figured this would be a good opportunity. Can anyone recommend a few bars with a good selection of flavours and helpful staff that we can spend an afternoon in working everything out?

Oh and in the meantime, if anyone can help the learning process with a few recommendations that I can get from Sainburys so I can see, for example, what a "sweet" whisky tastes like vs a smokey one that would be great. I think I am basically looking for a beginners selection of whiskies.

Ta

[Lefty]

You're absolutely doing the right thing in trying to find a good whisky bar!

You could try the Scotch Whisky Experience on the royal mile too, they've got a huge selection.

Decent bars include (but not limited to)

Whiski
Caledonian hotel
The Lounge
The Albanach

If you don't want to spend a fortune on buying lots of 70cl bottle to try you could always go for miniatures and Master of Malt sell 3cl samples of some very good whiskies at decent prices.

Slàinte

[Wadeski]

where abouts are you when not in edinburgh?

could get some early practice in

[Nefarious]

You could do a lot worse than the Scottish Whisky Experience on the Royal Mile (right by the Castle) - they do tasting tours for a good general introduction and there's an extensively stocked bar to go and experiment for yourself. They also sell all the 'cask stregth' versions of all the major brands, which are nice to take away as a souvineer.

Basically any bart in Edinburgh will have a very good selection, so if you want advice and time, just pick any more traditional and quieter pub!

As for trying yourself malts basically fall into four categories:
Islands - smoke/peaty (laphroig is the 'classic' example, but some find it a bit too smokey. Isle of Jura or Bruichladdich are maybe easier starters. Lagavulin is my personal fave, but its quite pricey).
Speyside - 'Sweet'/mellow. Well know brands are Glenlivet, Aberlour or Glenfiddich. Of those Aberlour is probably the most "classic" speyside whisky. Personal fave is Benromach (if you can find it) and is very typical of the 'sweet' taste.
Lowland whisky - 'mild'. Not so many of these about. Only one I can think of is Auchentoshan, which is mild and a little sweet (but nothing like as sweet as a speyside).
Highland - 'Robust'/intense - more tart than a Speyside or a Lowland, with a hint of the peatiness found in Island malts. Glenmorangie is bang smack in the middle of what highland whiskys are about and available pretty much everywhere.

HTH

[Cheese Mechanic]

Curiously enough, I had a glass of Benromach 10 this evening. Not bad, not bad at all.

As already said, your doing very much the right thing.

One really good wheeze is 20cl bottles . There's not a huge number that do them...but they tend to be cost effective , and score over the miniatures and small samples as they are big enough to gain more than one impression of the whisky.

Specialist retailers do them, although I believe some big Sainsbury's outlets offer the odd one...I'm thinking Talisker 10 primarily.

Mail order , just put 20cl in the search box...usually throws up what they have.

Here's one for example...

http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/

Be very scared of Lagavulin 16...if you find you like smoky whisky, life will never be the same again!

[bulb763]

Sounds like there are plenty to choose from and that I'd struggle to go wrong with any of them.

Whisky tours - I did the Famous Grouse tour at Glenturret last year and really enjoyed it. Was looking for a bar this time so we can just take our time. And not have to walk through a gift shop to get out. Although I may well end up looking for a bottle or two!

As for what I've tried already - I've got a bottle of Laphroaig (on offer in Sainsburys) and find it *ok* (need to learn better lingo). I've also got a bottle of Talisker (20cl ) and prefer this. I've had a taste of Springbank Claret Wood at my local indy booze shop and loved it. According to him I will therefore also enjoy Auchentoshan 3 Wood. I have also had that seemingly obligatory Glenfiddich gift set of 12, 15 & 18 yo. 18yo was the nicest. Oh and there was a Highland Park (I think) on the Glenturret tour which I seem to remember also liking. I remember her saying it was voted best whisky 200X I think.

So any more pointers after that? Can my tastes be categorise yet? I am currently enjoying a talisker and a laphroaig, since I poured them both to tell you which I prefered

Cheers for the tips

[sherman]

At the most basic. You could try one of each of the "classic malts" They have a little symbol on the back label of the bottle to tell you that the malt is part of the collection. There are 13 different malts in the collection spread through 4 different tasting category's.
http://www.malts.com/index.php/en_gb

[ninja-lewis]

You could join the Scottish Malt Whisky Society. They have members' bars on Queen Street and Leith. They do whisky tasting sessions as well as meals.

http://www.smws.co.uk/