Dalwhinnie 15 Year / Jameson 

A Highland Scotch and an Irish Whiskey. Quick reviews.

Dalwhinnie is a Highland Scotch, so it runs less smokey and earthy than the Islays that have been more common over the past few days. The Dalwhinnie has a very sweet smell, not overwhelmingly saccharine, but pleasantly sweet. It has an incredibly smooth taste. It's not a complicated whisky; it's smooth and sweet and fruity, with a little bit of smoke in the background.

It would be a great first Scotch for someone who thinks that Scotch is all about burning your nostrils and making you burn all the way to your belly. This would be a great whisky to have around when you've got guests who don't love the Islays.

The old standard. Jameson Irish Whiskey.

I'm not really sure what to say about it. Irish whiskey runs much sweeter and there's no smokey flavor, due to the way Irish whiskey is created. Jameson is a standby because it's solid. Comparing ameson to a bourbon or Scotch, the big standout difference is how smooth it is. Jameson is a smooth, sweet drink that almost anyone, even a non-whiskey drinker, could sip after a meal or on a cold day.