Talya wrote:
Vindicarre wrote:
My experience has been the opposite; I've had quite a bit more Irish whiskey that tastes more like Crown than it does good Scotch.
Most Irish Whiskeys are blends. (And unlike Scotch, being a "blend" does not in any way denigrate the quality of the Irish Whiskey. A "Blend" refers to a blending of malted and unmalted grain, as opposed to blending the finished product.) Single Malt Irish Whiskeys are rare, but if you find one, it will be only subtlely different from a good Scotch. In fact, the signature difference between Scotch Whisky and Irish Whiskey is whether they use a kiln to dry the malted barley, or whether they allow the peat-smoke at the grain...and even among Scotch brands, there is a wide variation there. West coast distilleries like Laphroaig on Islay tend to be harsh and smokey. (If you have a chance to try some very expensive Laphroaig, it's worth a taste. Not to say you'll like it--I can't stand the stuff. It's like drinking liquid smoke.) East coast distilleries like Glenmorangie (my favorite Scotch Whisky) tend to be less smokey.
Irish Whiskeys
usually use a kiln which entirely shelters the malt-barley from the peat smoke, but otherwise are identical to Scotch. A few Irish Whiskeys even peat smoke their barley-malt, which blurs the lines even further.
Canadian/Rye Whisky is more like bourbon, with that subtle spicy-fruity flavor, though is usually far less sweet.
It's a misnomer that blending liquor always denigrates the quality. I think you're confusing "single malt", "single grain" and "blended" whiskeys. When an Irish whiskey is referred to as "blended", it's referring to a mixture of different "batches" of whiskey, rather than the "blend" of grains used. Bushmills makes a single malt, and it only resembles Scotch in color and the fact that it contains alcohol.
I've had quarter cask, 10 year old, 18 year old and 30 year old (Cairdeas) Laphroaig none of which would I call harsh. That said, I prefer Lowland and Speyside scotch. I just don't have the palate to pick out much from either Islay or Campbeltown Scotch. The east coast of Scotland comprises more than one tradition of scotch-making, ranging from Highland and Speyside to Lowland - each is different.
There are more differences between Irish Whiskey and Scotch Whisky than just the smoking. The distillation process, age - as well as aging process and the ingredients (only malted barley for Scotch, a mixture of raw and malted for Irish) are all different, usually as mandated by law.
I'm still confused by the reference to Crown, but all that said, there are unique Irish Whiskeys that resemble Scotch, but they are usually intended to resemble Scotch.
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