Real ale for preference, but for a treat a really good island malt, Talisker or, even better, Lagavulin. Heard a lot about Caol Ila but never managed to afford a bottle. Oh, and anyone who adds anything to whisky is a Philistine!
My wife is the telesales manager for Wadworth's, she'll appreciate your good taste. Old Timer is available bottled year round from Ocado (online) or from the Wadworth website, follow the link to the visitor centre and you can order online from them too. The bottled stuff is still pretty good stuff, although never as good as draught. I drink all sorts, although growing up in Somerset I do appreciate good cider.
Well I'm led to believe that it's to do with how it's poured and stored. It's supposed to be poured with the glass at a 30 deg angle I think, stopping just before the glass is full and allowing it to settle. Then it gradually gets topped off until you have a full glass. The English (from what I've seen) just pour it straight up, which is all wrong! Apparently the perfect pouring time is something just under 2 minutes, and there was an ad campaign for it with the tagline "good things come to those who wait" Then of course in England I think it's stored at room temp too, when in Ireland it's chilled to about 6C.
You must have been to some rotten pubs in England Conman. Most pubs store their guinness in a cellar, which will be cooler than room temperature, and then deliver it to the pump through a chiller which takes the temperature down to the correct level - You're correct about the pouring time, but I think you'll find that more bar staff than not know what they are doing these days. If the pub is really busy, you'll probably get a pint that has been poured too fast, because it would cause delays to pour it properly. We tend not to buy as much Guinness per head in England as they do in Ireland, where it is often pre-poured and then just topped up when ordered because they know they will sell it anyway.
I put a little bit of water in my single malt, as its supposed to bring out the flavour. I quite like it that way. As a blend, I think Jamesons is good value
At this time of night horlicks but at about seven o'clock it was a malt whisky and an equl measure of tap water. No ice and no fizzy stuff of any sort, that is for children.
Nice thought, but Old Timer only becomes the best beer in the world when it is on draught. At it's best it is like drinking a fine wine.
TBH, I can appreciate them all, even quite rough ones, with the right mixer. If you're talking straight whisky then... er, I suppose... well yes, Glenmorangie is beautiful. But so is Laphroaig, Lagavulin, The Macallan, and many more. I suppose my tendancy is towards Islay Malts. Speyside is iffy for me. For example, Glenfiddich I actually don't like, The Macallan I love. Some of the best are the much lesser known brands that are often only found in Scotland, or rarely found down here, like Knockando, Old Pulteney or Ardbeg. The Talisker is one I can't drink. I love it, but I can't drink it without it blowing my head off. I think it does something with my sinuses, like too much good English Mustard in one mouthful. You can't breathe in with Talisker in your mouth..! The other thing is that both Aldi and Lidl do Single Malt whisky for the price of a blended, and they are amazingly good. I thought I was being deceived by their excellent flavour because they were so cheap, but in an independent blind tasting by whisky connoisseurs [still somewhere on the Net], they came 2nd and 3rd in a price bracket ranging from their price [about £17] to over £100 a bottle.
