Laphroaig 10 year old

smell: peat, river bottom, last chances
color: b/w dim straw and bright copper
bottle: super classy
taste: spicy
finish: Novocaine

Poet: This Islay is haunted with peat, so smokey in flavor that the light color is a surprise. An ice cube is nice with this, but without, it has a romantic vampire, graveyard quality.

Eng: The peat bites hard if you let it roll to the back of your throat and breathe. The hot spicy scotch has a numbing effect on the main tasting sensors. I like Laphroaig- even though (or perhaps especially because) I have no idea how to pronounce the name.

Auchentoshan Select

color: aren't these things all light gold??
pronounced: Och’n’tosh’n
smell: faint peat, I think, also flowers
taste: positively ghoulishly moderate

According to the scotch malt whisky society (www.smws.co.uk) Lowland whisky's are "... generally light in colour and weight and typically have a dry finish. Their aromatic intensity is low and tends to be grassy, green or herbal, with grainy and floral notes. Lowland malt whiskies are regarded by many as an excellent aperitif."

Eng: The guy was recommending me something rich and sweet because I was trying something other than the Islay. But I wanted something with a little peat. This was recommended. and I got to say It's not bad!

Poet: If there were Islay-lite, I would say this is it. It has a bite, but it feels dangerous as though I'm not drinking Scotch at all when I'm having it. It is incredibly easy to say, "Let's have some more!"

Ardbeg 10 Year

Color: lighter that you'd think
Smell: frog breath, exploded firecrackers...
Taste: biting and powerful peat
Finish: the word "crescendo" comes to mind
Eng: This is a complex scotch that teaches me valuable lessons. Yet questions remain. What is too much? When is enough? Is too much power bad?

Jack Daniel's Tennesee Sour Mash

color: toward molasses
smell: medicine
taste: honey, acid, and rock & roll
finish: the bottle too fast
price: right

Poet: Flasks were made for this. Though a touch of water tempers it, Jack is easy enough for drinking alone, without any ice or even a glass. While this whiskey isn't my number one choice, I can't imagine turning it down.

Glenfiddich 12 year old

color: light gold
smell: sweet flowers, honeysuckle
taste: mellow smoke, pears
finish: medium warm, lacking spice
price: moderate ~40

Engineer: At $40 or less 12 year Glenfiddich is a good speyside single malt scotch which is reasonable and tasty. Not too much peat smoke but it's there in moderation, like everything else good. For me Glenfiddich 12 year old lacks the mark of a special scotch, but it encourages me to try the 15 year old.
Poet: A good whisky but very mild. I like it, but it's like a sweet but boring date. Nothing wrong's with it, but I'm not sure I'll pick up another bottle.