As an old(-ish) git, I feel it is well within my rights to moan about how things are done – whether it be politics, sports (though really I couldn’t care much less), business or pretty much anything else – and that’s exactly what I am about to do. Fear not, I will return to reviewing whisky shortly and I will keep this brief, but there’s something that has really started to annoy me lately.
One of Britain’s favourite sweets is, without question, fudge. So it is no surprise, then, that one can find a lot of different fudge varieties – ranging from cheap supermarket own-brands, to exclusive handmade fudge to branded fudge containing anything from yeast extract to whisky.
Not long ago a dear friend of mine bought me a tin of Jack Daniel’s branded fudge and I thought “hey, that’s a great idea! Fudge and whisky, that ought to be a delicious combination”. The smooth, creamy sweetness of fudge with a hint of whisky to give a more mature and palatable flavour, instantly delicious – right? Wrong. The Jack Daniels fudge was an utter disappointment, for several reasons.
I was recently asked by one of my blog readers to give advice on good whisky or two for students – that is, a suggestion that won’t cost too much yet offers good value and taste. After having thought about it for a while, I’ve come up with a couple of names. Oh, and I should mentioned that the suggested budget was about £20, though I took the liberty of making this £20-25 in order to offer a better variance.
Whisky 1 – Macallan 10 year old Fine Oak – Speyside – ~£25
Not quite as good as the more expensive 12 year old fine oak, but definitely not bad for its price. Suitable for those who enjoy a nicely balanced and quite fruity whisky. Nicely malted, too.
Whisky 2 – Auchentoshan Classic – Lowland – ~£23
Unfortunately not as good as the more expensive expressions from the same distiller, it does come across as ‘not quite there’ if compared to its older siblings. That said, it is a fine whisky indeed and with a limited budget it makes for a good purchase.
Whisky 3 – Bowmore Legend – Islay – ~£22
For the peat and smoke lovers, this is the obvious choice! At £22 it offers fantastic value for money, and in honesty it is my favourite of the suggested whiskies.
Whisky 4 – Aberlour 10 year old – Speyside – ~£25
Well balanced and quite sweet, this is an outstanding whisky for beginner drinkers and, of course, students.
Those are the 4 whiskies that, off the top of my head, offer the best value for students. If I had to pick two of them, I would go for 3 and 4, though the others are well worth the money as well. Apart from being good value for money, they’re a great way to introduce yourself to the regions they are from and prepare your palate for the more intense flavours of their older expressions once you’re out of university and earning the big bucks!
As I sat down at my local pub (which I will reveal the name of later on in this article; no stalkers, I do beg) the other day, I came to think of all the whisky enthusiasts who come to this beautiful city of mine hoping to enjoy our seemingly endless choice of pubs and whisky, but with no clue as to where to best do so. Many of them end up paying too much in mediocre, but central, pubs. Thus, I would like to take this opportunity to help you steer clear of the tourist traps, should you be planning a visit.
Now, most tourists will end up strolling aimlessly back and forth along the Royal Mile, which is home to a host of pubs. Nothing wrong with that, in fact a lot of the pubs there are decent, but it is a shame that some of the true gems Edinburgh has to offer remain unseen. So where should you be going? Let me introduce you to three of my favourite pubs, one to the North, one Central and one South.
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