|
The Springbank 18 don't sit right with me. It's not a bad whisky but kind of subdued and a little bland for a bottle of that price. The sulphur-burnt match-sandstone smells also mask the rest of the nose too much for my tastes, and the smell left in an empty glass can be best described as sandy. I still like this more than I recall liking the 10yo when I tasted it but I'd still expect a little more show from it. I gave a glass to a friend who likes the SB 10 and 15, and he was equally unimpressed. Maybe save your buck and get one of the younger ones if you're considering looking into this distillery. Deleuzionist fucked around with this message at 03:08 on May 9, 2013 |
#
?
May 9, 2013 03:02
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 23, 2024 22:35 |
|
|
I've been perfectly happy with the 12 year old cask strength version. I would consider myself pretty sensitive to sulfur, and it luckily has none of those notes. It's more on the slightly sour side, which I do like. Haven't sampled anything else from Springbank yet.
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2013 03:47
|
|
|
So I have been drinking this grangestone and I really enjoy it. It's a total wine exclusive, and it goes for 30 bucks.  It starts off really sweet with a strong vanilla taste than pretty rapidly gets pretty spicy and ends with a cinnamon finish. All in all it's a pretty good buy for such an affordable price. If you got a total wine in your area I recommend you try it. (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
|
|
#
?
May 10, 2013 00:05
|
|
|
Whiskey stones are pretty useless, imo. Also I made a decent drink at my restaurant tonight. Catdaddy "moonshine", tonic and an orange wedge. Beautiful citrus vanilla drink.
|
|
#
?
May 10, 2013 10:03
|
|
|
What are you guys taking these pictures with  , they look like camera phone pictures from 2004. I've tried whisky stones as well and was not a fan. I don't put ice in my scotch, but I love my bourbon with just one or two ice cubes  . The late drink dillution is okay with me.
|
|
#
?
May 10, 2013 16:30
|
|
|
DoctaFun posted:What are you guys taking these pictures with The lighting in my place is really terrible. So any indoor picture looks like crap.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2013 09:41
|
|
|
Just got back from a trip to Europe with a 10 day tour of Scotland as well. Didn't get to visit every distillery but I hit up my faves and got to try so much whisky (probably about 55... I recorded 43 but tried about 11 more in Dufftown at a couple of events there associated with The Whisky Shop Dufftown) and a couple more at Albannach in London. 10 in Dufftown were blind tasted and the other I just can't remember. My haul includes: 14yo Springbank 1st Fill Sherry Cask from their "cage". No distinct branding or anything, just a full bottle sample really. Aberlour 200 year (town) anniversary, 12yo cask strength. Dailuane Flora and Fauna 16yo... should have got the Mortlach, regretting it now. But I didn't get to try the Mortlach so I went with what I got to taste  They also had a Mortlach for 100gbp which was just for the Spirit of Speyside festival but I baulked at the price... don't regret that so much.Glenfarclas 12yo cask strength, limited edition Distillery only bottling. "Last of the Millennium" Barrel filled 31/12/99 and bottled 10/08/12. Bought it untasted because they were releasing 20 a day and the visitor centre was only open until 4pm and we turned up at 4:30 and they still had one there... amazing luck and a bargain at 62gbp. After I bought it the kind lady at the visitor centre offered me a taste and god drat it was a good decision to buy the whole Litre!!! Awesome! Highland Park Drakkar 1L for 40gbp... while good it is more in line with a sherried HP like the 1994 travel exclusive... even though it was a cheaper bottle with a more standard taste the Earl Magnus was not interesting enough for the price and Loki and Thor were too expensive for me to justify... only mild regrets at not buying the Loki. KhyrosFinalCut posted:On the subject of Highland Park, has anyone here had Thor or Loki? duckstab posted:In that case you've got heaps of options, but if you fancy something interesting, check out the 1986 G&M Secret Stills bottling they've got (it's a Talisker). spankmeister posted:In other news: got myself a Tomatin 15, I'm very underwhelmed by it tbh. There's subtle and there is simple lack of flavour. This falls into the latter category. They could do with some better casks or maybe start finishing their whisky. Also since there have been a few collections posted and I took a photo before I left of my own:  And these are my new bottles: 
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2013 01:17
|
|
|
How common are bad batches of whiskey? Because I just bought a bottle of Evan Williams 1783 for the first time and it has a really horrible chemical taste. On the other hand, the bottle of Evan Williams single barrel I have might be my favorite whiskey in the $20-30 range.
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2013 13:38
|
|
|
I.G. posted:How common are bad batches of whiskey? Because I just bought a bottle of Evan Williams 1783 for the first time and it has a really horrible chemical taste. It's not super common, but it certainly happens. You could take it back to the shop.
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2013 13:39
|
|
|
I.G. posted:How common are bad batches of whiskey? Because I just bought a bottle of Evan Williams 1783 for the first time and it has a really horrible chemical taste. I'd put some in a glass with a bit of water and let it air out for maybe an hour or so and then see how it tastes. I've run across whiskies that really needed to open up before they tasted good. If it's still really lovely after that, maybe you do have a bum bottle. I've never run across it, but I suppose its possible.
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2013 14:18
|
|
|
I was recently recomended "The Famous Grouse" as a cheap-ish starter Scotch. Is it any good (Am I going to be buying a bottle of horse piss, so that my friends can laugh their asses off at me?)
|
|
#
?
May 13, 2013 15:48
|
|
|
It's nothing to write home about, but it's nothing to be ashamed of. I generally use the old Grouse for mixing, rather than sipping.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2013 00:26
|
|
|
If you're going to be getting cheap-ish blends, I'd just go with Johnny Walker Black. It's a fairly good introduction into scotch and showcases the smoky feature without being too overwhelming. It's a good mild sipper that I wouldn't ever turn down.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2013 01:56
|
|
|
I just finished off a bottle of Glenlivet 12 a few days ago. It was very smooth and sweet but felt like it lacked depth and a finish. Especially a finish, it felt like it just fell flat at the end. I'm assuming the Glenlivet 15 & 18 have greater depth, but are they rather similar to the 12? I was looking for Laphroaig Quarter Cask to satisfy myself with tonight but there wasn't any available at my lovely small town liquor store, so I grabbed Glenfiddich 15 Solera instead. Looking forward to it!
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2013 03:42
|
|
|
AuxPriest posted:I just finished off a bottle of Glenlivet 12 a few days ago. It was very smooth and sweet but felt like it lacked depth and a finish. Especially a finish, it felt like it just fell flat at the end. I'm assuming the Glenlivet 15 & 18 have greater depth, but are they rather similar to the 12? I've tried the Glenlivet 15 French Oak, and I think it was better than the 12, but not something I would go out of my way to get. They're both good, just... boring. The Solera is good stuff.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2013 06:17
|
|
|
I liked the glenfiddich 12 much more than the glen levit 12. both were nothing spectacular, but the glenfiddich was really drinkable and smooth and easy and i'd get another bottle again next time it's on sale.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2013 06:22
|
|
|
Kenning posted:It's nothing to write home about, but it's nothing to be ashamed of. I generally use the old Grouse for mixing, rather than sipping. Have you tried the Black Grouse? I think it's pretty decent.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2013 06:33
|
|
|
No, but I've been meaning to try it soon. I've heard it's mighty tasty for its price point.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2013 07:54
|
|
|
So....Glenlivet Alpha. http://www.masterofmalt.com/Blog/post/The-Glenlivet-Alpha-Its-Started.aspx Marketing gone crazy? I do know that Pernod Ricard were *ahem* having a play a few years back. Those nasty angels taking a share? Well let's stymie them by shrinkwrapping our casks. I wonder if this is a shrinkwrapped Glenlivet?
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2013 15:26
|
|
|
biglads posted:So....Glenlivet Alpha. Just another way to sell hyper young spirits at hyper high prices. And people will buy it - that's the sad part.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2013 16:13
|
|
|
Haha holy poo poo, 'colossal velocity' and 'chap of steel' were both mentioned as possible mock names for the Alan Partridge film in the trailer for it, is it some way affiliated or does the marketing guy just have a sense of humour?
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2013 23:18
|
|
|
Jakabite posted:Haha holy poo poo, 'colossal velocity' and 'chap of steel' were both mentioned as possible mock names for the Alan Partridge film in the trailer for it, is it some way affiliated or does the marketing guy just have a sense of humour? The guys at Master of Malt have a good sense of humour.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2013 23:36
|
|
|
Im curious about this Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection: http://caskers.com/product/bt-experimental/ There is a Rice finished bourbon, Oak finished bourbon, and two different coopering methods.
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2013 08:20
|
|
|
Politicalrancor posted:Im curious about this Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection: http://caskers.com/product/bt-experimental/ The heavy char and rice sound pretty tasty. Buffalo Trace is really the only bourbon I've tried, and I did enjoy it quite a bit. I would like to try more bourbons, are there any obvious choices I should go after?
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2013 15:12
|
|
|
Knob Creek is my favorite bourbon so far.
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2013 18:40
|
|
|
Something I have discovered is that Collingwood Rye actually makes a decent manhattan.
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2013 18:47
|
|
|
Knob Creek 9 year small batch is decently good but don't bother with the single barrel reserve. This has been said in the thread before but I put it to the test last month, it really doesn't taste as good as the 9 year and is just 20 proof stronger, to no good end. For other bourbon suggestions, I've been enjoying Bulleit recently, myself.
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2013 18:48
|
|
|
Fun Facts about Famous Grouse and JW Black as I understand them: Famous Grouse is basically the UK Equivalent of Johnny Black here. (ubiquitous not bad cheap-ish blend) The central single malt component of Famous Grouse is a Highland Park, and the center of Johnny Black is a Cardhu. Fun to taste them side by side.
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2013 20:55
|
|
|
Eagle Rare 10 year, Angel's Envy, Four Roses Single Barrel
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2013 21:32
|
|
|
KhyrosFinalCut posted:Fun Facts about Famous Grouse and JW Black as I understand them: How much of the highland park can you taste in the grouse? I really enjoyed highland park a lot.
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2013 21:34
|
|
|
KhyrosFinalCut posted:
Really? I thought it was glenturret.
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2013 22:02
|
|
|
Wow the Glenfiddich 15 Solera is amazing stuff! Anyone have any recommendations for something that might be similar but more fresh and floral? The Solera feels a tad heavy for my likes.
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2013 23:03
|
|
|
spankmeister posted:Really? I thought it was glenturret. According to Masters of Malt, it's Glenrothes, Macallan and Highland Park... not sure how accurate that's supposed to be, but if it's true I will definitely be grabbing a bottle. I'm in love with Highland Park 12 and I'm almost halfway done with it. 
|
|
#
?
May 16, 2013 16:15
|
|
|
I bought a bottle of Jim Beam Black yesterday, because it was only a couple bucks more expensive than white, so it was worth a try. Well, from the start it was good, nice mouth feel, good flavour. But by god the aftertaste made me gag.
|
|
#
?
May 16, 2013 16:20
|
|
|
spankmeister posted:Really? I thought it was glenturret. I'm willing to believe my information is incorrect/out of date on this one. On bourbons, I like Woodford reserve quite a lot and Willett remains my favorite.
|
|
#
?
May 16, 2013 17:11
|
|
|
 New additions to a friend's whiskey collection; supposedly the 23 year old's production is going to be stopped but planning on opening the 15 year old tonight. For those still looking, we actually found a readily available supply in England.
|
|
#
?
May 16, 2013 18:39
|
|
|
Pouring a little more love for the Dalwhinnie 15. Already called it a nice dram for the price it commands but I kind of like this odd balance it has. When you roll it around your mouth it starts building up nice flavours but behind them a bitter alcoholic tang begins to rise. Just before reaching a stinging, too boozey point, which is a major turn off for me and a reason I can't dig the younger Auchentoshans or Glendronachs, the taste bends beautifully into a creamy, taffylike afterwash with none of the bitterness. Nice.
|
|
#
?
May 16, 2013 18:41
|
|
|
Furious Lobster posted:
Oh very nice. Funny thing, I really like the van winkle 12 even more than the pappy 23 in terms of taste, but the mouthfeel of the 23 is really gorgeous and the only other bourbons that have the same kind of chewiness are the willets that I've had.
|
|
#
?
May 16, 2013 22:18
|
|
|
I don't know much about scotch and I'd like to get a decent bottle for my shelf. I had Macallan 12 recently and liked it, but it's like $65 at the liquor store (PA ). Is that reasonable for scotch? I really have no idea. Is it worth going to Delaware to buy it and smuggle it back over the border like it's the god damned 1920s?
|
|
#
?
May 17, 2013 22:38
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 23, 2024 22:35 |
|
|
Erwin posted:I don't know much about scotch and I'd like to get a decent bottle for my shelf. I had Macallan 12 recently and liked it, but it's like $65 at the liquor store (PA I expect to pay at least that much in Washington with our lovely spirit taxes for decent single malt in a smaller, more rural city. As you look at the more expensive stuff it becomes more worthwhile to seek out better pricing. For example, I won't pay $135 for Lagavulin 16 locally, but I'll take a look around for it in Seattle where it might be less. The OP has some good recommendations and I found the scotch flavor maps to be useful when just getting started.
|
|
#
?
May 17, 2013 23:40
|
|
