I run a liquor store and I was hired with zero drinking experience. Your videos help me suggest things to people who don't know exactly what they want. Very informative stuff, and quite fun!
When I use the term smooth it refers to several things. 1) creamy, rich, oily mouth feel 2) rounded flavor profile where flavors roll seemlessly from one to the next 3) low alcohol burn and/or barrel spice impact regardless of actual proof.
No surprise really, smooth (ie “easy to drink” in a “can throw it back” sort of way rather than “piss weak”) whiskeys drunk in short order... yep gonna get start wrecking havoc with the brain.
As a beginner in whiskey I think the reason people want smoothness to start out with is because the alcohol over powers the flavours and being a beginner its hard to pick the subtle flavours when they are being over powered.
I don't know that it's so much about "overpowering the flavors", because as a beginner, it's often about which burns your mouth and throat the least, so in other words, it's the burn and the associated pain that overpowers experiencing any potential pleasure. At least I'd say that's the case for total newbie rookie beginners. Pain obliterates all senses.
Smooth = completely inoffensive. No burn, no tingle, no sharpness. Mostly vanilla and sweetness. Cardhu 12 year old is the best example imo. First time i drank that I didn't think it was scotch, My gf at the time drank lots of it because its a very easy drink. Although its a little pricey for what it is, when its £40 for a 70cl here and the equivalent volume of glenfiddich 12 is £28
@@samcass7621 I cant remember. I think ive had a glass of it bought for me at some point (the name rings a bell) but clearly I dont remember it well enough to remember tasting notes
My pick would have been glenmorangie, (I've had cardhu 12 but I got one quite early in my whisky tastings), It's my "I want to just have a whisky, whisky", having it after anything else, it has absolutely no fight at all. And yeah it's a bit pricy for what it is, I'm always amazed at how good glenfiddich and glenlevit are for their price, the other week there was a 15 year glenlevit for £30, absolute bargin!
For me, smooth means you can drink large quantities without feeling an unpleasant alcohol burn. It has nothing to do with flavor: a whisky can still be considered smooth even if it has very strong flavors. So, to me, Isla whiskys like lagavulin 16 and ardbeg 10 are in fact very smooth. Dalmore and Glenfiddich as well, absolutely. And a blend like the Green label is to me much much smoother than the Red label or a basic bourbon like Jack Daniels.
@@konatrees if you are looking for sweetness then I'd recommend focusing on bourbon. there is a lot of sweetness in scotch but there are a lot of other flavors that for a beginner might be overpowering, whereas bourbon is universally sweeter
It’s very nice right?! I have opened one like a month ago. Really like that Irish smoothness and rich taste :) I’m going to drink one now:) cheers mate!
wonderful isn't it? All my inlaws have to do to get me to come over is let me know my FIL picked up a bottle. Generally a little to rich for my blood though.
I was going to add here that smooth is a texture and not a flavor but then Rex quoted me saying so... so it would be redundant to say that here. When I think smooth I think silky, velvety and sometimes oily depending on the finish. As pointed out in this video, nothing beats Irish in that category. For a bargain Irish that is smooth and sherried try Bushmills Black Bush for under $30.
To me smooth is something that isn't overly aggressive on the pallet while still remaining flavorful and enjoyable. Something that you can just throw over a large ice cube and enjoy on a hot summer's day.
What I have always found to be unexpectedly "smooth" it was Laphroaig 10 or for example the select, which just have a very very light begining in taste with overall no noticeable alcohol. It seems harsh from the smell but the taste while carrying peat of course brings such a smooth and nice mouthfeel and development in taste, it‘s lovely.
That's why drinking Irish whiskeys seem so lame compared to Bourbons. They don't have enough flavor and the light mouth feel leaves me wanting something more
To me, the word "smooth" equates to complimentary balance with minimal burn. In other words when tasting a distillate I have not had before, I look for balance in the tasting notes. If the sweetness is complimented by the spice notes or say smoke and you can taste all of the elements without one overpowering the others, then it is smooth. When you have too much ABV all you taste is the alcohol, when you have too little it is often difficult to distinguish the notes. Anything between 43 and 55% falls in that category. I must admit though that Jameson Caskmate Stout Edition is one of my favorites and I would consider it smooth. I also like The Tyrconnel, both for the price and the taste.
So sad to see Balvenie not making the list here. My personal favorite authentic scotch whiskey and personally I find smooth to mean that it creates almost a coating of the mouth that makes it literally feel smooth and go down very easy and with minimal burning. The Balvenie 30-year was amazing for this when I managed to afford a bottle once. It was like drinking liquid 1930's masculinity somehow. Pretty sure I woke up the next morning and my mustache had curled itself in my sleep
Weirdly enough some of the smoothest I've had are really peaty scotch. Somthing about the oil and the smoke seems to hide the burn. My general thought is smooth is what I can pass to a non whisky drinker and have them drink without pulling a face.
Why a non whiskey drinker and not a drinker in general? If the non whiskey drinker is a drinker of other strong alcohol like vodka, tequila and/or lots more they wouldn't be new to the alcohol effect. So they may not pull a face either but that doesn't mean what they're drinking is smooth right?
So I tried Laphoaig 10 recently I heard Rex describe it as making out with a cigar smoking walrus. Which was exactly right not a fan of peated scotch but weirdly it had no burn at all.
My usual go-to for people who say they don't drink much whisky and I want to give them something "smooth" is Oban 14. If they still don't like it, welp.. more for me. haha
I'm a whisky noob and I recently bought Glenfiddich 12 & Glenmorangie 10. I drink them both every night and I'm loving every sip. Thanks for introducing these two beauties to me and I know that I will buy other brands because of you guys. Thanks again, and hope your channel gets even bigger in the near future. I'm gonna have another sip now. Cheers!
Yeah, for me smooth is the lack of the sharpness at either end of the taste. It sort of starts slow and ends slow. Or just like, single minus blended taste profile.
One of the smoothest I’ve had is Sexton Single Malt Irish Whiskey. Delicious green apple notes and absolutely no burn going down. Plus the bottle looks really cool. Don’t judge me.
Smooth = Well integrated. The balance of flavours (nose, palette, finish), legs (mouth feel), and alcoholic burn/tingle/bite/sharpness don't lack/overpower, compete, or become offensive. I think the the higher quality the scotch, the more it complex and ever changing nose and palette, rich and oily mouthfeel, very minimal or no alcoholic burn/tingle/bite, and long finish. I've had very high ABV scotches that are super smooth, and low ABV scotches that were super offensive. So although a scotch with lots of legs indicates more oils, richer mouthfeel, and higher ABV, it doesn't necessarily indicate how much it may burn/tingle/bite.
I'll be honest, I appreciate the finish these days as a part of a whiskey. Where I think smooth is perfectly apt is wine. If the finish on wine isn't smooth I'm just not a fan, it's brutal crap for me. If I want something with a harsh finish I'll go fine some gas state boxed wine, otherwise if I'm paying 50 a bottle for a lovely Cab-sauv I want a smooth finish.
Aberlour or Angel's Envy would be the "Smoothest" that I can think of off the top of my head. For most people I have talked to Smooth would be missing the bite or phenolic burn and essentially missing anything that makes an uncomfortable feeling.
I've said smooth alot of times. Eagle Rare was "Smooth" for me and I see it made your list but it's also what got me back into bourbon. Young college days or was Jim Beam and I always got a bite or burn if you will from and I wouldve rather just drank beer. Eagle rare is what did it and idk if smooth is the word to use or just an easy drinker, plus it has a decent amount of flavor to it. Nothing too complex but once again better than Beam. Alright back to your video.
To me smooth would be something on the sweeter side with lower abv. Thank you guys so much for introducing me to Glencairn glasses. It really helped me find a love for trying and exploring whiskeys. Learning to describe flavor profiles is so fun!
I downed 2/3 a bottle of Ledaig 10 on a long overdue video call with a friend. I solidly agree with the sommelier's take that smooth is more of a texture than anything in the flavor profile, and a lot of your MBs said similar things, the lack of sharpness, or punch something has equates to smoothness. Great video guys, no matter how painful it may have been!
Smoothest I've ever had is Tullamore Dew at room temp from a fresh opened bottle. Smoothness is how far to your stomach it gets before you feel/react to it. Two fingers in a glass that goes right down fresh without a prior drink that then simply warms you from your lips to your butthole is a 10/10 smooth. That's the joke about people gagging/choking on something and accidentally spraying out out and saying "schmooghth" The smoother the drink the less it reacts with the moisture in your mouth. Its a sign of less volatiles and oils.
Yes Tullamore dew 10 year black label is the best and smoothest whiskey I have ever had I’m not sure if it was ever imported to the US but I would love to find a case of it
Smooth : no bite or burn easy to drink. That being said Jameson 18. Just got my son a bottle for his 21st. SUPER easy to drink. Not the fullest flavor but almost easy as water to drink. My son has several different Jamesons and all are smooth Redbreast will be our next bottle. We have been considering it for a while.
I think of "smooth" as "the absence of bite"... not always a good thing, but not always bad either. Either can be desirable, depending... even though taste is subjective, some things (like bite) do blend well for taste in many cases.
This is one of your best videos guys. The explanation of beginners looking for texture vs flavor is really insightful and something I’ve tried to explain many times during tasting classes to people who are struggling to find all the flavors and feel the only can taste alcohol.
great discussion in this video on beginners looking for texture before flavour. when i started drinking whiskey in my late teens there was no way i could comfortably sip whisky straight, so it was difficult to get past the harshness which came with almost any brand. now i'm used to it to the degree that i could down any whisky like water if i chose, so "smoothness" is less of a priority for sure, and i don't necessarily think a whisky is bad because it's not smooth as i may have in my younger days. good example is Suntory Toki. it's by far the smoothest whisky i have ever drunk, but it has almost no flavour, so i consider it to be poor when compared to Nikka FTB for example, which is a much less smooth.
This is the video ive been looking for since i got into whisky, ive tried about 30 scotch and irish whiskies now and i would say that dalwhinnie 15 or monkey shoulder are the smoothest scotches and the irish i would choose is the jameson stout cask. Personally i would describe smoothness as the drink having no bite or spice or strong challenging flavours, you want vanilla honey and caramel for a smooth taste, without that peppery face churning feeling
I'm glad I'm hearing some good things about Jameson Caskmates here. There are just so many whisk(e)ys in the world to try, and I wasn't sure whether it was worth trying the stout edition or any of the others, but it sounds like there's a lot of value in doing a comparison to standard Jameson. Sweet!
"Smooth is a texture not the flavor"absolutely agree, all my friend that do not drink whiskey love green spot redbreast 12, Glenfiddich 12, and they did struggle with Japanese. For me red breast and green spot got a lot more flavor, once you pass texture flavor become more important. This is same for any kind of hard liquor.
Still pretty new on my whisky journey, but as an old rum guy, I know that from my lack of ability to detect subtle notes, that I am coming to have to accept that I will likely lean towards smooth over flavor even as I move forward. I can say that I can make a call on "liking" the flavor of a whisky, but can't tell you why sometimes, and don't expect that to really improve. I just don't have great taste buds, and that is ok, but it will put some limits on what I can appreciate over time. I have already found that I need stronger flavors if I am going to identify them, port cask, rum cask, stout cask. But that is ok, we all like different stuff for different reasons. Like you said, the best whisky is the one you like, the way you like it.
I'm quite late to this but really enjoyed the video and an interesting concept. For me, smooth equals a nonconfrontational flavor profile. Bladnoch 10yr is an excellent single malt I've recently come to appreciate and to me embodies a smooth Scotch whisky.
As a beginning whiskey drinker I look for smooth a s a priority because it allows me to pick out flavors easier. I’m guessing as I become more experienced I’ll be able to pick out more flavors despite alcohol content
Two years ago eagle Rare, yes. All of 2020 and most of 2019 releases I have tried were not near as “smooth.” Have yet to try a new bottle and enjoy it as much. Anyone else notice this trend. Kinda been the same with blantons lately also
"Smooth" just means it doesn't kick you in the nuts or burn your mouth when you drink it. Doesn't make you cough or gasp. Some might equate smooth with boring or flat. Nailed it right at 1:48, "Goes down without a kick or a punch or anything that make you pause or wince.”
I am kinda of surprised that Balvenie did not make the list. They make a really good product for me. The Hibiki Hamarony is very nice too. Smooth is when it is easy to drink without a bite or really strong favor of any one thing. The favors should mix together and compliment each other.
I have the Michters American, Habiki Harmony and out of my small stash, Glen Grant would be a contender. I'm slowly getting past smooth and on to flavors but I really appreciate this list. The reason is I want to have a nice selection for my new to whiskey friends. Thanks gents. Merry Christmas
Jameson has an ability to essentially dissolve in a mixed drink or over ice. Straight? In your face. A drop or two of water and you are looking for where it just went.
Daniel please..... Riddle me this: I like a lot of different Whiskey. I like Bourbons, Scotch, Irish, American whiskey and even a couple Japanese I'm especially fond of Islay (Bruicladdich in particular). You're talking Smooth in this video.... My personal smoothest is Glendronach Allardice 18. Which does not burn (to me) but actually warms me, it gives a nice calming warmness or glow in the belly several minutes after that taste. Please explain....
My most recent additions to my collection are an Old Grandad Rye Mash Bournon, and a Grangestone bourbon cask finish. The Old Grandad had a really nice butterscotch quality that I liked, and both were pretty smooth for me.
Heavily underrated japanese whisky that I think would meet the criteria: Mars Iwai Tastes so sweet, goes down so smooth. I would say hibiki harmony has a little bit of a bite in comparison actually. Aged hibiki bites a little less, 17 year is a nice one.
I just want to say, that I absolutely love your whole setup for this video. As somebody who has a startup podcast and potentially gonna do videos later - you guys are definitely inspiring. Loved this video!
Gents... it's THIS video that separates the chaff from the grain (take your pick). Some of my favorite whiske(y)s that are on your list I chose for character and provenance, being Green Spot and Redbreast 12. Only THEN I discovered that they are smooth as well.
To me smoothness is the how well the flavor's and abv work together to make a great whiskey. i've had some very good whiskeys at 50 abv and more that amazing and what i would say is smooth, because how well they work together. i've had others where something is too overpowering and takes away from the rest of the whiskey profile. example for me is makers cask strength vs old granddad 114. old granddad 114 is a great high proof and what i would call smooth because nothing is overpowering, and makers cask strength abv overpowers the flavors. right now i'm drinking a cask proof scotch at 60 abv and i would say its smooth, but i'm still not use to that high of proof yet. i've had smokey scotches that i would say are smooth because the overall profile works great together, but if you don't like smoke in scotch then you wouldn't think that. smoothness is rule one. its what you like how you like it.
I was really surprised to see Redbreast 12 at the first place here. It was because of you guys that I felt compelled to go out and purchase redbreast 12 from the very video you mentioned from your other channel. "Whiskey for beginners" had me going all over city checking out stocks of select stores, and I settled on this one. Being super new, it still burned like hell and I probably downed it way too fast, but I appreciated the complex flavor that I never got from other, cheaper bottles i've bought in the past.
Smooth whiskey is all I drink. Here is my list so far: Macallan 12, Red Breast, Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon, Jack Daniels Gentlemen Jack, Aberlour 12. If you guys got any recommendations similar to these let me know. Love adding to my list!
I'm also a big fan of Gentlemen Jack and will say if you have the pocket for it, Jack Daniels Gold No. 27 is a sweeter, smoother Gentlemen Jack. Although it runs about $100 a bottle and somewhat hard to find.
Thanks for the list guys, it was fun to watch just like all of videos! Keep up the good work. 😁 As far as smooth, I definitely agree that for me, it's more of a textural analysis than the description of a flavor. To cast a late vote: Even though it's no where near my favorite, I would have to say that the smoothest whisky I've tried so far was Johnnie Walker Blue.
Wow you guys are great! Love your videos just discovered you guys yesterday while searching more history on Yellow Spot Whiskey. That is my #1 favorite ❤
@@demetriscott7880 If you're in the US Demetri, yellow spot on sale for $79.99/bottle on internet wines... Thinking of picking up 2 to stay stocked myself.
For me I think of each whiskey/whisky on levels of smooth/harshness. This is the combination of alcohol bite, texture, and flavors. Some flavors can add harshness, as can texture or high ABV although as you said some higher ABV whisky can be really smooth. With that in mind for me as someone who has only been drinking whiskey for a year or so the one I found to be the smoothest is Dalmore 15. I have to be real careful drinking it because it goes down way too easy and before you know the glass is empty. It also has this great mocha note on the finish.
I used to think I wasn't "adult" enough to drink whisk(e)y. Now I have a bottle on Monkey Shoulder on my shelf at home because of you guys. Thank you so much for all of the information and tons of laughs. Keep up the great work.
Glenmorangie 10 is super smooth... it's the one that got me into whisky. Currently, my favourite 'smooth whisky' is the Glenmorangie Signet. It's still very smooth, but with more depth and character.
I've had many a bottle of Jameson Stout edition and it is definitely one of my favourites.... I am a beer guy mainly (though I have been trying different whiskys and rums recently and i've been enjoying the journey) I'm a lover of dark beer and this sit really well with me and as soon as I tasted it I got all of the typical stout flavours from it... 100% would recommend to anyone and its also inexpensive (about £20-£25 here in the UK) I tried the IPA edition one.... didn't enjoy it as much... you can taste the hoppyness from the IPA barrels and personally I don't think that belongs in a Whiskey. Also, I love Eagle Rare... not as smooth as the Jameson Stout but id still say it was a smooth Whiskey
The smoothest I had so far were the Dalwhinnie 15 and Redbreast 12. My girlfriend says to every Whisky that it burns in her mouth, but Redbreast even she liked and said it was smooth.
I can see what he means... It's a strong flavour but has a very velvety mouth feel to me. One of my all time favorite whiskeys though so I might be biased 😉
When I was working in Vietnam, 'smooth' meant that you would not get a raging hangover the next day. It was nothing to do with flavour or texture for them. It probably also meant that what was on the label was actually in the bottle, and that it was therefore horrifically expensive.
Smooth is when it feels like you get punched in the face, fire coming out your nose, and you can't stop coughing, brings tears to your eyes. That's smooth
I have a question. I just started about week ago to try whiskey. Have 2 bottles good quality different kinds. One is Japanese the other is Scottish. However, beyond smelling a bit sweetness in one of them or tasting some charcoal in the other. Beyond the alcohol I do not smell or taste anything else? Is that normal. Is that something that comes later?
"Smooth" - alcohol for people who don't like alcohol. In rum world, underproof hooch served with extra sugar and caramel coloring in a pimped up bottle for that "premiumizzle" effect. "Dude, Zacapa is a super smooth rum..."
For me a good comparison is between Denstone virgin oak and Denstone 18. The virgin oak i can only describe as spikey, yet at only around 40% the alcohol shouldn't bite. The 18 is smooth, there isn't anything trying to punch you in the mouth. Its just a nice drink. Choose those 2 as they were in a tasting kit I got last month and Daniel's love of Denstone.
Smooth: 1. adj. When used to describe whisk(e)y, the alcohol does not "bite" or "burn" when you drink it slowly, resulting in an entirely pleasurable whisk(e)y-drinking experience. 2. adj. When used to describe love, it's just like the ocean under the moon; it's the same as the emotion that I get from you. Give me your heart. Make it real, or else forget about it. (See: Santana)
I would say Eagle Rare and Pappy 12 are two of the smoothest Bourbons I own. But not my go to bottles. I prefer a high-proof Elijah Craig or a cask strength. Trying to stay away from big names and shop smaller at the moment.
smooth to me just means its easy to drink without cringing from either heat or nasty bitterness/sweetness/sourness, bitter, sweet and sour can be good but just not too much
Always cracks me up, the "smooth" thing... nobody balks when we call a whisky "rough" but the ones that aren't "rough" can't be "smooth?" Do we not know how opposites work? Personally that's how i narrow down the somewhat ambiguous term "smooth" in a spirits context - the opposite of "rough" - so it's neither mouthfeel nor flavor for me, it's how the alcohol presents. I accept there are other definitions, that's mine.
got me a bottle of ardbeg the ultimate 10yr and im new whisky drinker n omg this changed my life on all kinds of whiskeys i LOVEEEEE IT!!!! also tried 14 yr glenlivet also enjoyed so far irish whiskeys i love american not so much that ive tried yet lol
When I think smooth booze I basically think of anything I can shoot without wanting to gag. My passion is bourbon. But if I’m taking a shot of whiskey. Jamie every time.
I run a liquor store and I was hired with zero drinking experience. Your videos help me suggest things to people who don't know exactly what they want. Very informative stuff, and quite fun!
There's a video on here somewhere, where they talk to a shop owner. A lovely woman who wears two watches, take her advise and your business will boom.
@@nuuwnhuus Irene Tan
@@pudgebonetv9628 Yeah that's her! I've got some liquor stores here with awesome people but she is something else.
Since you run it, you should try every product you sell.
@@nuuwnhuus i
0:00 - Welcome
1:07 - Macallan 12
2:08 - Green Spot
4:29 - Jameson Stout Edition
5:56 - Hibiki Harmony
8:15 - Michter's American
11:33 - Eagle Rare
13:53 - Glenfiddch 12
15:25 - Glenmorangie 10
(15:40 - Rex breaks Daniel)
18:06 - Jameson
19:00 - Redbreast 12
Yea they had a good day.
thank you! now i have an easy reference for when i want to find a strong proof beverage
Thank you for doing what the Whiskey Tribe should have done!
Thanks and be sure to teach these guys what smooth really means !
Smooth means as easy drinking as water.
When I use the term smooth it refers to several things. 1) creamy, rich, oily mouth feel 2) rounded flavor profile where flavors roll seemlessly from one to the next 3) low alcohol burn and/or barrel spice impact regardless of actual proof.
seamlessly
15 minutes and several drams later, two men absolutely and hysterically lose it. Funny as heck!
One of the best moments to watch in all tribe videos :)
Real men would say, “Fun as Zippity Do Dah.” Do not be afraid to use dangerous language.
No surprise really, smooth (ie “easy to drink” in a “can throw it back” sort of way rather than “piss weak”) whiskeys drunk in short order... yep gonna get start wrecking havoc with the brain.
That is Tribeness at its best!
I think adult beverages may have led to these two grown men loosing it at 15:30!!! Absolutely entertaining 🤣
As a beginner in whiskey I think the reason people want smoothness to start out with is because the alcohol over powers the flavours and being a beginner its hard to pick the subtle flavours when they are being over powered.
I don't know that it's so much about "overpowering the flavors", because as a beginner, it's often about which burns your mouth and throat the least, so in other words, it's the burn and the associated pain that overpowers experiencing any potential pleasure. At least I'd say that's the case for total newbie rookie beginners. Pain obliterates all senses.
Rex, as a wife who is always looking for a decent bottle for my husband...”this is another Scotch” is for me and many more like me. Thank you!
Whose wife is Rex, and why is he always looking for a decent bottle for your husband?
Lucky man!
I read that and was like "thats a great name for a play".
Smooth = completely inoffensive. No burn, no tingle, no sharpness. Mostly vanilla and sweetness. Cardhu 12 year old is the best example imo. First time i drank that I didn't think it was scotch, My gf at the time drank lots of it because its a very easy drink. Although its a little pricey for what it is, when its £40 for a 70cl here and the equivalent volume of glenfiddich 12 is £28
Still not tried that one, it must be extremely smooth to beat the dalwhinnie 15, have you tried that one ?
@@samcass7621 I cant remember. I think ive had a glass of it bought for me at some point (the name rings a bell) but clearly I dont remember it well enough to remember tasting notes
My pick would have been glenmorangie, (I've had cardhu 12 but I got one quite early in my whisky tastings),
It's my "I want to just have a whisky, whisky", having it after anything else, it has absolutely no fight at all.
And yeah it's a bit pricy for what it is, I'm always amazed at how good glenfiddich and glenlevit are for their price, the other week there was a 15 year glenlevit for £30, absolute bargin!
@@indeerocker im drinking glenmorangie 12 at the moment and its very smooth easy going whisky, but for me still has more fizzle than the cardhu
@@dannywhite132 I've now got an excuse to buy a bottle and compare them properly!
If you mooch the whole list, does that make you a "Smooth Criminal"?
Rex's hoodie makes the AC symbol upside down
I see what you did there.
it makes you a smoooooch.... wait
A Mooch Criminal!
It makes you a sheep. Use your own words.
For me, smooth means you can drink large quantities without feeling an unpleasant alcohol burn. It has nothing to do with flavor: a whisky can still be considered smooth even if it has very strong flavors.
So, to me, Isla whiskys like lagavulin 16 and ardbeg 10 are in fact very smooth. Dalmore and Glenfiddich as well, absolutely. And a blend like the Green label is to me much much smoother than the Red label or a basic bourbon like Jack Daniels.
Of those which would you say is the sweetest?
@@konatrees if you are looking for sweetness then I'd recommend focusing on bourbon. there is a lot of sweetness in scotch but there are a lot of other flavors that for a beginner might be overpowering, whereas bourbon is universally sweeter
Finally got a bottle of RedBreast 12. I have to say it was amazing. Best gift my wife gave me for Christmas this year.
I Got the Cast Strength RedBreast 12 for my first one. It is a great Whiskey
My wife just got me the same for Christmas and it has become my favorite
It’s very nice right?! I have opened one like a month ago. Really like that Irish smoothness and rich taste :) I’m going to drink one now:) cheers mate!
You need to look for the Redbreast Lustau next.
wonderful isn't it? All my inlaws have to do to get me to come over is let me know my FIL picked up a bottle. Generally a little to rich for my blood though.
Best whiskey review:
It smells like bourbon. I definitely taste alcohol. It's very smooth.
I was going to add here that smooth is a texture and not a flavor but then Rex quoted me saying so... so it would be redundant to say that here. When I think smooth I think silky, velvety and sometimes oily depending on the finish. As pointed out in this video, nothing beats Irish in that category. For a bargain Irish that is smooth and sherried try Bushmills Black Bush for under $30.
To me smooth is something that isn't overly aggressive on the pallet while still remaining flavorful and enjoyable. Something that you can just throw over a large ice cube and enjoy on a hot summer's day.
What I have always found to be unexpectedly "smooth" it was Laphroaig 10 or for example the select, which just have a very very light begining in taste with overall no noticeable alcohol. It seems harsh from the smell but the taste while carrying peat of course brings such a smooth and nice mouthfeel and development in taste, it‘s lovely.
My grandpa drank Irish pretty much every day. He loved bushmills and hated Jameson he called it liquid sandpaper
Smooth- doesn't have that slap/bite and maybe a mouth feel... The Belvenie 14 Caribbean cask and Lagavulin 16
The caribbean cask is one of my favorite whiskeys ever
That Caribbean cask is a thing of beauty. Love sipping on it neat when I smoke a cigar
That's why drinking Irish whiskeys seem so lame compared to Bourbons. They don't have enough flavor and the light mouth feel leaves me wanting something more
I love the 12 Doublewood. I might have to try the this one next.
You wouldn't say Lagavulin has a little bit of a smoky flavour that sticks out like a saw thumb, barring it from ever being called smooth?
To me, the word "smooth" equates to complimentary balance with minimal burn. In other words when tasting a distillate I have not had before, I look for balance in the tasting notes. If the sweetness is complimented by the spice notes or say smoke and you can taste all of the elements without one overpowering the others, then it is smooth. When you have too much ABV all you taste is the alcohol, when you have too little it is often difficult to distinguish the notes. Anything between 43 and 55% falls in that category. I must admit though that Jameson Caskmate Stout Edition is one of my favorites and I would consider it smooth. I also like The Tyrconnel, both for the price and the taste.
Years ago, Glenmorangie 18. Yesterday, my wife actually said "smooth" to her gift of Writer's Tears
One of my Favs! Copper por
Love em both but but very different beasts
I drink the port cask finish Glenmorangie regularly. Haven't ever tried the 18, but maybe I should branch out!
Nothing wrong with liking a smooth and enjoyable whisky.
So sad to see Balvenie not making the list here. My personal favorite authentic scotch whiskey
and personally I find smooth to mean that it creates almost a coating of the mouth that makes it literally feel smooth and go down very easy and with minimal burning. The Balvenie 30-year was amazing for this when I managed to afford a bottle once. It was like drinking liquid 1930's masculinity somehow. Pretty sure I woke up the next morning and my mustache had curled itself in my sleep
smooth = no burn on the throat
eg Aberlour 16
Glenfiddich 15
Seeing Redbreast 12 as #1 makes total sense
Weirdly enough some of the smoothest I've had are really peaty scotch. Somthing about the oil and the smoke seems to hide the burn. My general thought is smooth is what I can pass to a non whisky drinker and have them drink without pulling a face.
Why a non whiskey drinker and not a drinker in general? If the non whiskey drinker is a drinker of other strong alcohol like vodka, tequila and/or lots more they wouldn't be new to the alcohol effect. So they may not pull a face either but that doesn't mean what they're drinking is smooth right?
So I tried Laphoaig 10 recently I heard Rex describe it as making out with a cigar smoking walrus. Which was exactly right not a fan of peated scotch but weirdly it had no burn at all.
I’m surprised the Glenlivet 12 isn’t on this list. It is the definition of smooth to me.
Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask too
Glenlivet sucks dude
@@southpawlibranine3511 dummy
@@southpawlibranine3511 it may be comparably cheap and widely available, but it definitely ain't bad by any sense.
My usual go-to for people who say they don't drink much whisky and I want to give them something "smooth" is Oban 14. If they still don't like it, welp.. more for me. haha
I'm a whisky noob and I recently bought Glenfiddich 12 & Glenmorangie 10. I drink them both every night and I'm loving every sip. Thanks for introducing these two beauties to me and I know that I will buy other brands because of you guys. Thanks again, and hope your channel gets even bigger in the near future. I'm gonna have another sip now. Cheers!
Yeah, for me smooth is the lack of the sharpness at either end of the taste. It sort of starts slow and ends slow. Or just like, single minus blended taste profile.
One of the smoothest I’ve had is Sexton Single Malt Irish Whiskey. Delicious green apple notes and absolutely no burn going down. Plus the bottle looks really cool. Don’t judge me.
The further down it gets before you get any burn, the smoother it is.
Smooth = Well integrated. The balance of flavours (nose, palette, finish), legs (mouth feel), and alcoholic burn/tingle/bite/sharpness don't lack/overpower, compete, or become offensive. I think the the higher quality the scotch, the more it complex and ever changing nose and palette, rich and oily mouthfeel, very minimal or no alcoholic burn/tingle/bite, and long finish. I've had very high ABV scotches that are super smooth, and low ABV scotches that were super offensive. So although a scotch with lots of legs indicates more oils, richer mouthfeel, and higher ABV, it doesn't necessarily indicate how much it may burn/tingle/bite.
I'll be honest, I appreciate the finish these days as a part of a whiskey. Where I think smooth is perfectly apt is wine. If the finish on wine isn't smooth I'm just not a fan, it's brutal crap for me. If I want something with a harsh finish I'll go fine some gas state boxed wine, otherwise if I'm paying 50 a bottle for a lovely Cab-sauv I want a smooth finish.
Smooth to me is less harsh like the burning of it so like it goes down nice and easy like water
For smoothest I ever drank was some kind special reserve crown royal was literally about as much bite to it as ginger ale.
Was it Crown Royal XR? It's easy to drink imo
Aberlour or Angel's Envy would be the "Smoothest" that I can think of off the top of my head. For most people I have talked to Smooth would be missing the bite or phenolic burn and essentially missing anything that makes an uncomfortable feeling.
I would say the arbelour 10 is much smoother and cheaper than the arbelour 12
I was very surprised that aberlour wasn't included in this.
I get myself Redbreast first time this Christmas and fell in love. By far best one I had, yet.
I've said smooth alot of times. Eagle Rare was "Smooth" for me and I see it made your list but it's also what got me back into bourbon. Young college days or was Jim Beam and I always got a bite or burn if you will from and I wouldve rather just drank beer.
Eagle rare is what did it and idk if smooth is the word to use or just an easy drinker, plus it has a decent amount of flavor to it. Nothing too complex but once again better than Beam. Alright back to your video.
To me smooth would be something on the sweeter side with lower abv. Thank you guys so much for introducing me to Glencairn glasses. It really helped me find a love for trying and exploring whiskeys. Learning to describe flavor profiles is so fun!
I downed 2/3 a bottle of Ledaig 10 on a long overdue video call with a friend. I solidly agree with the sommelier's take that smooth is more of a texture than anything in the flavor profile, and a lot of your MBs said similar things, the lack of sharpness, or punch something has equates to smoothness. Great video guys, no matter how painful it may have been!
Smoothest I've ever had is Tullamore Dew at room temp from a fresh opened bottle. Smoothness is how far to your stomach it gets before you feel/react to it. Two fingers in a glass that goes right down fresh without a prior drink that then simply warms you from your lips to your butthole is a 10/10 smooth. That's the joke about people gagging/choking on something and accidentally spraying out out and saying "schmooghth" The smoother the drink the less it reacts with the moisture in your mouth. Its a sign of less volatiles and oils.
Yes Tullamore dew 10 year black label is the best and smoothest whiskey I have ever had I’m not sure if it was ever imported to the US but I would love to find a case of it
Smooth : no bite or burn easy to drink. That being said Jameson 18. Just got my son a bottle for his 21st. SUPER easy to drink. Not the fullest flavor but almost easy as water to drink.
My son has several different Jamesons and all are smooth
Redbreast will be our next bottle. We have been considering it for a while.
In Afrikaans we say, "sag op die tong", which would loosely translates to soft on the tongue.
Makes sense since it sounds like "zacht op de tong" in Dutch. Afrikaans is a wonderful language
I think of "smooth" as "the absence of bite"... not always a good thing, but not always bad either. Either can be desirable, depending... even though taste is subjective, some things (like bite) do blend well for taste in many cases.
This is one of your best videos guys. The explanation of beginners looking for texture vs flavor is really insightful and something I’ve tried to explain many times during tasting classes to people who are struggling to find all the flavors and feel the only can taste alcohol.
great discussion in this video on beginners looking for texture before flavour. when i started drinking whiskey in my late teens there was no way i could comfortably sip whisky straight, so it was difficult to get past the harshness which came with almost any brand. now i'm used to it to the degree that i could down any whisky like water if i chose, so "smoothness" is less of a priority for sure, and i don't necessarily think a whisky is bad because it's not smooth as i may have in my younger days.
good example is Suntory Toki. it's by far the smoothest whisky i have ever drunk, but it has almost no flavour, so i consider it to be poor when compared to Nikka FTB for example, which is a much less smooth.
This is the video ive been looking for since i got into whisky, ive tried about 30 scotch and irish whiskies now and i would say that dalwhinnie 15 or monkey shoulder are the smoothest scotches and the irish i would choose is the jameson stout cask. Personally i would describe smoothness as the drink having no bite or spice or strong challenging flavours, you want vanilla honey and caramel for a smooth taste, without that peppery face churning feeling
I'm glad I'm hearing some good things about Jameson Caskmates here. There are just so many whisk(e)ys in the world to try, and I wasn't sure whether it was worth trying the stout edition or any of the others, but it sounds like there's a lot of value in doing a comparison to standard Jameson. Sweet!
I think Monkey shoulder gets a ethanol taste. Coming from drinking 16year highland park.
@@jarlnieminen4307 i found highland park 12 the harshest whisky ive ever drunk, the smokiness put me off completely
@@samcass7621 haven't had the 12 interesting.
Dalwhinnie 15 is definitely the smoothest I have tried
"Smooth is a texture not the flavor"absolutely agree, all my friend that do not drink whiskey love green spot redbreast 12, Glenfiddich 12, and they did struggle with Japanese. For me red breast and green spot got a lot more flavor, once you pass texture flavor become more important. This is same for any kind of hard liquor.
A smooth whisky is a whisky without a strong bite "at any time".
Still pretty new on my whisky journey, but as an old rum guy, I know that from my lack of ability to detect subtle notes, that I am coming to have to accept that I will likely lean towards smooth over flavor even as I move forward. I can say that I can make a call on "liking" the flavor of a whisky, but can't tell you why sometimes, and don't expect that to really improve. I just don't have great taste buds, and that is ok, but it will put some limits on what I can appreciate over time. I have already found that I need stronger flavors if I am going to identify them, port cask, rum cask, stout cask. But that is ok, we all like different stuff for different reasons. Like you said, the best whisky is the one you like, the way you like it.
I'm surprised Angel's Envy got beat out by Eagle Rare for smoothest bourbon.
For me smooth means that it doesn't feel harsh, sharp and goes does easily neat. Not too strong on the alcohol or oak effects.
The Caskmates Stout is literally a slight, but direct upgrade to normal Jameson. Please try it if anyone has not. It's so damn good.
I'm quite late to this but really enjoyed the video and an interesting concept.
For me, smooth equals a nonconfrontational flavor profile.
Bladnoch 10yr is an excellent single malt I've recently come to appreciate and to me embodies a smooth Scotch whisky.
Enjoying some Henry McKenna 10yr and pretty sure it’s smooth AF!!!!! Much easier to find than my standby: Blanton’s. Cheers to 2021!!!!
You are lucky, after I copped a bottle for around $35, the price in SF is sitting at around $60-$70 now due to rarity 😭
As a beginning whiskey drinker I look for smooth a s a priority because it allows me to pick out flavors easier. I’m guessing as I become more experienced I’ll be able to pick out more flavors despite alcohol content
Four Roses Small Batch is incredibly smooth and incredibly underrated
Two years ago eagle Rare, yes. All of 2020 and most of 2019 releases I have tried were not near as “smooth.” Have yet to try a new bottle and enjoy it as much. Anyone else notice this trend. Kinda been the same with blantons lately also
"Smooth" just means it doesn't kick you in the nuts or burn your mouth when you drink it. Doesn't make you cough or gasp. Some might equate smooth with boring or flat.
Nailed it right at 1:48, "Goes down without a kick or a punch or anything that make you pause or wince.”
I am kinda of surprised that Balvenie did not make the list. They make a really good product for me. The Hibiki Hamarony is very nice too. Smooth is when it is easy to drink without a bite or really strong favor of any one thing. The favors should mix together and compliment each other.
Cragganmore 12yr Speyside single malt. Crazy underrated. Anybody else dig it?
Agree. Love it.
I tried it, was on sale at Costco for $45. It was pretty good.
I tired it, read some bad reviews and wondered why. It’s a solid slightly peated malt that doesn’t stand out good or bad. I prefer talisker
I have the Michters American, Habiki Harmony and out of my small stash, Glen Grant would be a contender. I'm slowly getting past smooth and on to flavors but I really appreciate this list. The reason is I want to have a nice selection for my new to whiskey friends. Thanks gents. Merry Christmas
Jameson has an ability to essentially dissolve in a mixed drink or over ice. Straight? In your face. A drop or two of water and you are looking for where it just went.
Daniel please.....
Riddle me this: I like a lot of different Whiskey. I like Bourbons, Scotch, Irish, American whiskey and even a couple Japanese I'm especially fond of Islay (Bruicladdich in particular). You're talking Smooth in this video.... My personal smoothest is Glendronach Allardice 18. Which does not burn (to me) but actually warms me, it gives a nice calming warmness or glow in the belly several minutes after that taste. Please explain....
Jameson's Cask Mates Stout edition. Smoothest and most easily drunk whiskey I've ever had
Agreed! I emptied the Jameson Stout the fastest of all whisky's I've had. Loved the chocolate taste in it.
My most recent additions to my collection are an Old Grandad Rye Mash Bournon, and a Grangestone bourbon cask finish. The Old Grandad had a really nice butterscotch quality that I liked, and both were pretty smooth for me.
You two have the best chemistry. Best whisky channel out there. Merry Christmas
Thanks TB
Heavily underrated japanese whisky that I think would meet the criteria: Mars Iwai
Tastes so sweet, goes down so smooth. I would say hibiki harmony has a little bit of a bite in comparison actually. Aged hibiki bites a little less, 17 year is a nice one.
I just want to say, that I absolutely love your whole setup for this video. As somebody who has a startup podcast and potentially gonna do videos later - you guys are definitely inspiring. Loved this video!
Gents... it's THIS video that separates the chaff from the grain (take your pick).
Some of my favorite whiske(y)s that are on your list I chose for character and provenance, being Green Spot and Redbreast 12.
Only THEN I discovered that they are smooth as well.
The classic jameson is dangerously "smooth" I could drink a pint like it was a beer
You might have a problem
Jameson is sweet butter whiskey, tbh a pint of stone's fear movie lions would put up more of a fight, so I get where you're coming from.
Are you crazy? It's like broken glass.
To me smoothness is the how well the flavor's and abv work together to make a great whiskey. i've had some very good whiskeys at 50 abv and more that amazing and what i would say is smooth, because how well they work together. i've had others where something is too overpowering and takes away from the rest of the whiskey profile. example for me is makers cask strength vs old granddad 114. old granddad 114 is a great high proof and what i would call smooth because nothing is overpowering, and makers cask strength abv overpowers the flavors. right now i'm drinking a cask proof scotch at 60 abv and i would say its smooth, but i'm still not use to that high of proof yet. i've had smokey scotches that i would say are smooth because the overall profile works great together, but if you don't like smoke in scotch then you wouldn't think that. smoothness is rule one. its what you like how you like it.
Wow... Rex managed to induce a divide by zero error in Daniel's brain
I was really surprised to see Redbreast 12 at the first place here. It was because of you guys that I felt compelled to go out and purchase redbreast 12 from the very video you mentioned from your other channel. "Whiskey for beginners" had me going all over city checking out stocks of select stores, and I settled on this one. Being super new, it still burned like hell and I probably downed it way too fast, but I appreciated the complex flavor that I never got from other, cheaper bottles i've bought in the past.
Smooth whiskey is all I drink. Here is my list so far: Macallan 12, Red Breast, Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon, Jack Daniels Gentlemen Jack, Aberlour 12.
If you guys got any recommendations similar to these let me know. Love adding to my list!
I'm also a big fan of Gentlemen Jack and will say if you have the pocket for it, Jack Daniels Gold No. 27 is a sweeter, smoother Gentlemen Jack. Although it runs about $100 a bottle and somewhat hard to find.
Aberlour 12 is nice, Johnnie Walker blue is ultra smooth if you haven’t had it, worth to get a sample.
Drambuie
Thanks for the list guys, it was fun to watch just like all of videos! Keep up the good work. 😁
As far as smooth, I definitely agree that for me, it's more of a textural analysis than the description of a flavor.
To cast a late vote: Even though it's no where near my favorite, I would have to say that the smoothest whisky I've tried so far was Johnnie Walker Blue.
Wow you guys are great! Love your videos just discovered you guys yesterday while searching more history on Yellow Spot Whiskey. That is my #1 favorite ❤
Thanks Demetri . I haven’t had a bad spot yet. They make good stuff.
You are in for a treat. You found both channels then?
@@michaelo5665 yes I have it's called whiskey vault 👌🏼😉
@@demetriscott7880 If you're in the US Demetri, yellow spot on sale for $79.99/bottle on internet wines... Thinking of picking up 2 to stay stocked myself.
For me I think of each whiskey/whisky on levels of smooth/harshness. This is the combination of alcohol bite, texture, and flavors. Some flavors can add harshness, as can texture or high ABV although as you said some higher ABV whisky can be really smooth. With that in mind for me as someone who has only been drinking whiskey for a year or so the one I found to be the smoothest is Dalmore 15. I have to be real careful drinking it because it goes down way too easy and before you know the glass is empty. It also has this great mocha note on the finish.
I used to think I wasn't "adult" enough to drink whisk(e)y. Now I have a bottle on Monkey Shoulder on my shelf at home because of you guys. Thank you so much for all of the information and tons of laughs. Keep up the great work.
Glenmorangie 10 is super smooth... it's the one that got me into whisky. Currently, my favourite 'smooth whisky' is the Glenmorangie Signet. It's still very smooth, but with more depth and character.
I think they had a Super Troopers bet before this episode started.
“How many times can you say smooth in one episode?”
“Bet”
I've had many a bottle of Jameson Stout edition and it is definitely one of my favourites.... I am a beer guy mainly (though I have been trying different whiskys and rums recently and i've been enjoying the journey) I'm a lover of dark beer and this sit really well with me and as soon as I tasted it I got all of the typical stout flavours from it... 100% would recommend to anyone and its also inexpensive (about £20-£25 here in the UK)
I tried the IPA edition one.... didn't enjoy it as much... you can taste the hoppyness from the IPA barrels and personally I don't think that belongs in a Whiskey.
Also, I love Eagle Rare... not as smooth as the Jameson Stout but id still say it was a smooth Whiskey
Smooth is one of those words that “looks” and “sounds” like the letters forming the word! It’s not just lazy!
The smoothest I had so far were the Dalwhinnie 15 and Redbreast 12. My girlfriend says to every Whisky that it burns in her mouth, but Redbreast even she liked and said it was smooth.
I had my friend try laphroaig 10 and he called it smooth I wouldn't call it smooth but at least I converted another to the islay way of life
I can see what he means... It's a strong flavour but has a very velvety mouth feel to me. One of my all time favorite whiskeys though so I might be biased 😉
It is intense but I would call it smooth. Possibly my favourite Islay, it never disappoints!
When I was working in Vietnam, 'smooth' meant that you would not get a raging hangover the next day. It was nothing to do with flavour or texture for them. It probably also meant that what was on the label was actually in the bottle, and that it was therefore horrifically expensive.
Smooth is when it feels like you get punched in the face, fire coming out your nose, and you can't stop coughing, brings tears to your eyes. That's smooth
So Stagg Jr?
You must have just finished off a bottle of Four Roses.
Red Label?
Famous Grouse? 😂
Smooth is when it coats the tongue evenly and doesn't burn. Feels like a buttery coating.
Smoothest I've had is Johnnie Walker Blue.
JW Blue is the worst value in whiskey... period.
Yup - had to go back and re-watch Earl's episode. Smooooooth
I have a question. I just started about week ago to try whiskey. Have 2 bottles good quality different kinds. One is Japanese the other is Scottish. However, beyond smelling a bit sweetness in one of them or tasting some charcoal in the other. Beyond the alcohol I do not smell or taste anything else? Is that normal. Is that something that comes later?
"Smooth" - alcohol for people who don't like alcohol. In rum world, underproof hooch served with extra sugar and caramel coloring in a pimped up bottle for that "premiumizzle" effect. "Dude, Zacapa is a super smooth rum..."
For me a good comparison is between Denstone virgin oak and Denstone 18.
The virgin oak i can only describe as spikey, yet at only around 40% the alcohol shouldn't bite.
The 18 is smooth, there isn't anything trying to punch you in the mouth. Its just a nice drink.
Choose those 2 as they were in a tasting kit I got last month and Daniel's love of Denstone.
'Smooth' to me means it goes down with a minimum of ethanol burn.
Smooth:
1. adj. When used to describe whisk(e)y, the alcohol does not "bite" or "burn" when you drink it slowly, resulting in an entirely pleasurable whisk(e)y-drinking experience.
2. adj. When used to describe love, it's just like the ocean under the moon; it's the same as the emotion that I get from you. Give me your heart. Make it real, or else forget about it. (See: Santana)
Surprised Basil Haydens didn't end up on the list
10 - Macallan 12
9 - Green Spot
8 - Jameson Stout Edition
7 - Hibiki Harmony
6 - Michter's American
5 - Eagle Rare
4 - Glenfiddich 12
3 - Glenmorangie
2 - Jameson
1 - Redbreast 12
After so many years of people describing Canadian Whiskey as "Sugary Water" it's amazing that Crown Royal isn't on this list.
Crown is a lot of things, but smooth never comes to mind for it haha
I would say Eagle Rare and Pappy 12 are two of the smoothest Bourbons I own. But not my go to bottles. I prefer a high-proof Elijah Craig or a cask strength. Trying to stay away from big names and shop smaller at the moment.
7:03 let's just slide this on outta the way
smooth to me just means its easy to drink without cringing from either heat or nasty bitterness/sweetness/sourness, bitter, sweet and sour can be good but just not too much
Always cracks me up, the "smooth" thing... nobody balks when we call a whisky "rough" but the ones that aren't "rough" can't be "smooth?" Do we not know how opposites work?
Personally that's how i narrow down the somewhat ambiguous term "smooth" in a spirits context - the opposite of "rough" - so it's neither mouthfeel nor flavor for me, it's how the alcohol presents. I accept there are other definitions, that's mine.
got me a bottle of ardbeg the ultimate 10yr and im new whisky drinker n omg this changed my life on all kinds of whiskeys i LOVEEEEE IT!!!! also tried 14 yr glenlivet also enjoyed so far irish whiskeys i love american not so much that ive tried yet lol
The bite actually tells you it’s whiskey & reminds you about tomorrow
When I think smooth booze I basically think of anything I can shoot without wanting to gag. My passion is bourbon. But if I’m taking a shot of whiskey. Jamie every time.