Scientists making coffee
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There is such a lot of variation in whisky flavours you need to do extensive research (hic!) to find what you like.
My sister used to give me a bottle of Talisker for my birthday and I had to confess that I didn’t much like it - too peaty.
I prefer the softer more fruity single malts such as Jura.
I am aware of this, which is why I don’t add boiled water. My description might have been a little better and described it as water that had been freshly boiled and had sat for a minute or 3.
Irish whiskeys can be very smooth, although my favourites are the Speyside single malts. I don’t do peaty.
Getting Speyed is often a good idea… 
93 degrees? I think. It might depend on which beans you’ve ground.
I’ve just been looking at the alcohol selection on Lidl.de, and thinking why didn’t I move to Germany. Where there are tasting notes, eg for whisky some of which are Scottish but n/a in England, if they’re ones I’ve tasted I’d say they are pretty accurate. Prices very ok as well as selection. Grrrrrrr.
JD one of my favourites and always neat, can’t bear scotch or irish whiskies as the taste makes me gag. With family in Tennessee, I got dragged round every moonshine outlet going but its great fun as its all free.
More for me, then! My favorite scotch is Lagavulin. I gave my friend Jason a sip - he’d never tried scotch - and he gagged and said that it tasted like dirt.
Only if you consider certain attributes to be no longer useful. 
In the end it’s just hot water on Tesco ground Italian style coffee.
As for whisky, tasting notes can be helpful, but only partially helpful. I found this very enjoyable more recently:
Tamnavulin Single Malt Scotch Whisky German Pinot Noir Edition 70cl | The Signature Speyside Malt | Red Wine Cask | Rich, Elegant and Fruity | 40% vol : Amazon.co.uk: Grocery?
Try laphroaig, all peaty.
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I once bought a bottle of 10YO Laphroaig. Even ginger ale couldn’t stop it tasting of carbolic soap.
Indeed, which was the point I was trying to make. 
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I have, it is good. You said that you live near La Roche-Posay, IIRC? Do you know where I could get either Laphroaig or Lagavulin around there? I don’t think that I’ve seen it.
Yes that’s similar to Talisker, I don’t mind a bit of peat but not something that’s totally bog-flavoured.
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My favourite for many years, it’s like nothing else I’ve ever tasted, so evocative.
However, as I drift further and further away from things British, I’m less and less attracted to whisky.
Most French supermarkets carry a surprisingly wide range of whiskies, never had trouble finding 10 year old Laphroaig
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Always reminded me of seaweed…
A.K.A. Leapfrog. I used to like it. Then the day came I didn’t. Seaweed, seagull shit, salt water and the obligatory Island scotch peat. A ‘Marmite’ of a scotch. You can go off things …
A couple who worked for me at my boatyard took to giving me a bottle every Christmas. Never got round to saying “Ummm … thanks but can we make it The Macallan next time?”
Today I bought a bottle of medicinal blended Scotch, ‘Loch Castle’ Carrefour’s cheapest. It does say, “Distilled and matured in Scotland in oak barrels” Having a bit of a snorter I got it to make hot toddies. I made one last night but without the scotch a hot toddie is a poor thing.
Not in my house, it isn’t. I can’t afford the wines I’d like but I can afford good coffee. It’s more or less the same price as ‘Tesco …’ I’ve put time into boning up on what’s good coffee and how to prepare it.
This Malawi coffee that was remaindered at C4 is really classy stuff. Trouble is it was ‘yellow stickers’ because they won’t stock it any more. It can be had but the p 'n p tends to be silly money.
When I said “I think I’m addicted to coffee” my mate agreed. “It’s the only reason I get up in the morning”. I rarely have more than one cup a day, so it’s a serious addiction!
Lidl came up with a grinder, about pepper mill size [€10.99 from €14.99] that, to my surprise, produces as good a grind of coffee beans as my burr grinder, despite being a twirly blade thing. The burr grinder is a great lump of a thing and makes the most tremendous din. It’s fine for small coffee-shop quantities but just a few day’s worth, for me, the Lidl one is perfect
Like the Gaggia, the burr grinder is now in retirement.
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Is that the manual Mövenpick grinder from Lidl, or is it their little electric one?
Used to have a Rhodesian flatmate that said the best grass comes from Malawi too.