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Deleuzionist, Bunnahabhain (besides Toiteach) has only trace levels of peat, like any random Speyside/Highland might. It's less peaty than, say Glenfarclas or Oban.
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Jan 18, 2014 07:39
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My mistake. I'd have put it in the peatier, smokier section based on their current 12yo, current 25yo and the Toiteach but I may be exaggerating based on false memory. I just decanted a Laphroaig CS into a smaller clear bottle. The colour is so deep it's hard to believe it's not e150.
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Jan 20, 2014 09:13
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Can anyone recommend any particularly good whisky news sites or blogs? I need things to read at work for those few hours when I can't be drinking.
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Jan 22, 2014 18:18
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It really is a shame that Buffalo Trace isn't listed with the "beginner" bourbons in the OP. At $25 a fifth it's real easy to justify getting a bottle, and I think it can easily stack up to many of the $40+ varieties in the genre. It routinely receives high marks and makes Top 10 lists and the like from bourbon reviewers.
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Jan 22, 2014 18:46
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Sailor_Spoon posted:Can anyone recommend any particularly good whisky news sites or blogs? I need things to read at work for those few hours when I can't be drinking. The only three I follow with any regularity are... http://www.whiskyreviews.blogspot.com/ - Guy gives really nice reviews on a TON of different whisky. I always enjoy checking his reviews for new things I've never heard of, and also to see how his taste notes compare to what I pick up flavor wise. All reviews are via youtube if you aren't blocked by a proxy. https://www.youtube.com/user/whiskybitch - Also does nice youtube reviews. She has many more whiskey with an E reviews than Ralphy. http://scotchnoob.com/ - Only text based site I visit regularly. Guy has a focus on reviewing more affordable whisky.
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Jan 22, 2014 19:12
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Above Our Own posted:It really is a shame that Buffalo Trace isn't listed with the "beginner" bourbons in the OP. At $25 a fifth it's real easy to justify getting a bottle, and I think it can easily stack up to many of the $40+ varieties in the genre. It routinely receives high marks and makes Top 10 lists and the like from bourbon reviewers. I will add it if people really think it should be there but BT is inconsistent and for that reason it tends to be devisive. My prefernce would be to leave it off.
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Jan 22, 2014 19:18
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S.W.O.R.D. Agent posted:
Her notes are consistently more accurate (well, in tune with mine) than Ralfy's as well. Also, K&L's Spirits Journal is definitely worth bookmarking. Driscoll does well to balance his retail background with philosophy and opinion.
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Jan 22, 2014 19:30
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kidsafe posted:Her notes are consistently more accurate (well, in tune with mine) than Ralfy's as well. Thanks for that link. I've not run across that one before, but it's definitely worth giving a read.
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Jan 23, 2014 21:36
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I tend to find http://sourmashmanifesto.com/ to have good notes on the styles they cover.
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Jan 23, 2014 21:40
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Assuming both are the same price and I can't really find either locally. Port Charlotte 10 Year(the regular 46% release) or Hakushu 12 year old. The only Scotch I really hated was Highland Park 12. Loved Laphroaig though, so I don't dislike peat.
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Jan 23, 2014 23:33
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Here's a fairly accurate flavor map/infographic for a bunch of distillery house styles. Left it as a link because it's huge. Some personal discrepencies, but not many. For example, I find Bunnahabhain to be have a strong nuttiness to it. Maybe this is old data from before Burns Stewart rejuvenated the distillery.
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Jan 25, 2014 01:11
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A friend came by yesterday with a bottle of Deanston virgin oak. It is in-chill filtered with no age statement. The nose is full of citrus with no real peat. The palate brings some apple and generic honey with just a bit of peat. The finish is short and for what I assume to be a very young whiskey, is pretty smooth. At $24 a bottle at the liquor outlet, I will probably grab a couple as a light change of pace, something to serve people hesitant about scotch, and a pleasant dram to bring to a dinner party.
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Jan 26, 2014 22:30
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It bugs me that Auchentoshan, Deanston and others are deemphasizing the fact that their Virgin Oak releases are ACE / finishes only and not actually aged exclusively in new oak barrels like Ardbeg Alligator was.
TobinHatesYou fucked around with this message at 10:22 on Jan 27, 2014 |
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Jan 26, 2014 23:33
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kidsafe posted:Here's a fairly accurate flavor map/infographic for a bunch of distillery house styles. Some information on how exactly maturation effects the whisky in the cask and why certain flavours can only be produced by time. edit: It was time again to book a tasting at the local yearly whisky fair. Too bad the list of tastings was a huge letdown compared to last year. In the end I couldn't find any one that I would have really liked to attend so I picked a Bunnahabhain vertical (Toiteach, 12, 18, 25 & 40) because I obviously need more schooling on Bunna. Deleuzionist fucked around with this message at 11:54 on Jan 27, 2014 |
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Jan 27, 2014 08:40
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Has anyone tried the Ardbeg Corryvreckan? Is it worth the price tag? We just reached the end of two of our scotches and are looking to try something new.
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Jan 30, 2014 04:14
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Depends. I love the Corry as I haven't run into any other currently produced whisky that would be quite like it but the price is horribly steep. After buying my first bottle I initially felt as if I should have just got another Uige instead, but it really grew on me and now I find myself buying a bottle every now and then when the last one has been empty for a while. Speaking of Ardbeg, popped this one today:  bottled 2000
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Jan 30, 2014 18:45
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Trying some Aberlour 12 ($37 at Total Wine) and I find it very good and for sure a value leader on the mild side of things, definitely has the sherry and fruit tones but little else. Worth a try for a change of pace although I still prefer the smoke and peat monsters. http://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/aberlour/aberlour-12-year-old-double-cask-matured-43-whisky/ 
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Jan 31, 2014 03:19
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Deleuzionist posted:Depends. I love the Corry as I haven't run into any other currently produced whisky that would be quite like it but the price is horribly steep. After buying my first bottle I initially felt as if I should have just got another Uige instead, but it really grew on me and now I find myself buying a bottle every now and then when the last one has been empty for a while.
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Jan 31, 2014 03:44
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Keyser S0ze posted:Trying some Aberlour 12 ($37 at Total Wine) and I find it very good and for sure a value leader on the mild side of things, definitely has the sherry and fruit tones but little else. Worth a try for a change of pace although I still prefer the smoke and peat monsters. Keep an eye out for the NCF 48% ABV Aberlour 12 as well. It's probably not as good of a value at $50, but it may be worth the premium.
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Jan 31, 2014 09:39
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My views on this are thoroughly documented but the Corryvreckan is too peppery for me and a departure from the core strengths of Ardbeg.Deleuzionist posted:Depends. I love the Corry as I haven't run into any other currently produced whisky that would be quite like it but the price is horribly steep. After buying my first bottle I initially felt as if I should have just got another Uige instead, but it really grew on me and now I find myself buying a bottle every now and then when the last one has been empty for a while. Uige isn't as good as it used to be but it's still good. Now where's the trip report for the 1975 so I can read with extreme jealousy and plot how I will come to your house and steal it?
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Jan 31, 2014 17:28
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Ardbeg 1975 (2000) 43% The nose is layered, detailed. The top layer is slightly vinegarish reminding me of the sensation Port Ellen 6th release gave me at first, but there's more to it than this superficial similarity. Ardbeg themselves mention cocoa (van Houtens comes to mind) and pine, which is also fitting. A bit of Laphroaig-style bandages too. Quite refined and although obviously a peaty hitter still very gentle next door to a glass of the regular 10yo. The 10yo is more overtly smoky and fireplace sooty, with salinity creeping in after a drop of water. Back to the 1975's nose: leather, window cleaner, and some kind of a grass. The tiniest whiff of vanilla/oak. Mouthfeel velvety, very minimal peat burn. Liquorice, then amazing hit of straight up salmiak. It's Ardbeg for sure in the bottle. Can't find anything fruity here. Very aromatic but not a heavy hitter. Rather just slowly sinks in, developing a cocoa note as it goes, ending with charcoal. I said earlier something about Port Ellen 6th (because I had some a few days ago and it's in the same age and taste range) and there is that same vinegariness and fullness here, although the PE was stronger and more insistent on its smoke. Ashes, surprise hit of uncooked pasta. After swallowing it slowly settles everywhere in the mouth and digs in as if tannic. One of the few tasting notes I've found for this vintage, a video where Master of Malt offers some to one of the guys behind the Caskstrength and Carry On blog, mentions a pool smell but I'd disagree: a swimming pool smell is very noticeable in the Mortlach I wrote about some time ago, and here the aroma is not the same but rather a cousin to it, as if someone dumped sugar in the pool with the chlorine. I gave the dram a half a spoon more of water after the first spoonful and the tannic peat hit in my gums amped up, getting a bit of pepperiness as well. This is not a peat cannon from '72 or '74, rather '75 is restrained, delicate and pungent, having a couple of common characteristics with the modern 10yo and the Alligator I compared it to while writing this, but deviating quite wildly in mouthfeel and aftertaste, and in the way it settles in the mouth after swallowing. Less fiery and burning and more just a blooming of cocoa mixed with ashes. 1975 is apparently the year Ardbeg begun to use maltings other than only what they processed themselves, and I would love to cross-taste this with a pre-'75 and one of the '78 vintage releases to get some better perspective of that, as the first one would have been made entirely of onsite maltings and the '78 entirely offsite with the '75 inbetween. Deleuzionist fucked around with this message at 15:29 on Feb 1, 2014 |
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Feb 1, 2014 11:31
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I want to recommend a scotch that you never see listed in the usual names. It's a bit hard to come by, but if you like fruity and non-peated, I think it would be really worth your while: http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-9408.aspx The Glencadam 15: 46%, non-chill filtered, no colouring. Apple, vanilla, and honey - possibly my favourite scotch.
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Feb 2, 2014 09:53
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I picked up some Old Grand-Dad 114 tonight and I think it is my favorite bourbon. It's amazing how mellow it is for a full Sykes-proof spirit. I've recommended it before and I'll recommend it again. High-octane, almost sticky texture, full caramel honey rye spice flavor. An amazing bargain for $27.
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Feb 2, 2014 10:38
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Kenning posted:I picked up some Old Grand-Dad 114 tonight and I think it is my favorite bourbon. It's amazing how mellow it is for a full Sykes-proof spirit. I've recommended it before and I'll recommend it again. High-octane, almost sticky texture, full caramel honey rye spice flavor. An amazing bargain for $27. Funny you should mention this. I'm sick as poo poo right now including pink eye so I can't see poo poo and just don't feel like making cocktails. I'm sipping OGD 100 with a touch of water. There is something comforting and warming about a glass of bourbon. I take mine with a little water to cut the alcohol punch a little. It's all according to taste but I have good results going between five to ten mls of water based on how obscenely large of a glass you pour. Do you add water or ice to the 114?
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Feb 2, 2014 20:55
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rxcowboy posted:Funny you should mention this. I'm sick as poo poo right now including pink eye so I can't see poo poo and just don't feel like making cocktails. I'm sipping OGD 100 with a touch of water. There is something comforting and warming about a glass of bourbon. I take mine with a little water to cut the alcohol punch a little. It's all according to taste but I have good results going between five to ten mls of water based on how obscenely large of a glass you pour. I love my OGD 114 and I find it reaches perfection with just a couple drops of water.
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Feb 2, 2014 20:56
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I typically don't add water – I just take small sips and enjoy the heat and the flavor. It could definitely withstand a dash of it though.
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Feb 3, 2014 06:31
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Plus dude, the cork on that thing. Yeah it's surprisingly good stuff.
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Feb 4, 2014 07:52
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Looks like Highland Park's next Valhalla collection release is going to be Freya, and will be out soon. I'm a bit surprised as I was expecting Odin. They have some available at the local whisky fair that starts tomorrow but unfortunately it's limited to the Highland Park tasting event which I won't be attending due to the very 'meh' lineup of mostly 40% travel retail bottlings. \/\/\/\/ that's pretty cool of them, wish there was something like that nearby Deleuzionist fucked around with this message at 20:26 on Feb 5, 2014 |
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Feb 5, 2014 14:41
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there's a store near me doing whiskey tastings every night in february. expect trip reports. Tullibardine is something I'd heard of in passing but really hasn't been around in the last 6 ish years apparently. Their base product has a really grassy nose, almost a lemongrass note in flavor, and smells way earthier than it tastes. It's sweet and smooth drinking, moreso than the immature nose might lead one to believe. The burgundy (pinot noir) finished version brings out a little more of the citrus and I feel that the cask imparts some of the stone fruit aspects of a good pinot. Neither of them is all that smoky. The third bottle is a Berkshire Bourbon from Great Barrington MA. The mashbill is a locally sourced version of Woodford Reserve's proportions. The immature corn comes out a lot more on the nose than it does in the taste -- I was worried about this tasting like the Hudson distillery's baby bourbon but was very pleasantly surprised to discover it was much better.
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Feb 5, 2014 20:07
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Here's the calendar for Bottle Rocket, 19th St Just west of 5th if any NYC Whisky Goons want to go/meet up there.  I'm probably there on the 6th, 9th, 18th, 20th, 21st, 24th
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Feb 6, 2014 23:24
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Deleuzionist posted:Continuing on flavours, some might find this interesting, at least from page 23 on: http://www.tuthilltown.com/wp-content/uploads/Long-Term-Changes-In-Whiskey-Maturation-Presentation1.pdf That presentation was neat, anything else like it? I'm a little confused because it's telling me the mature mouth feel on aged whiskies is mainly from water - ethanol interaction, affected by wood chemical concentrations. Seems to me like I should be able to bottle age my whiskies then, give them that 30 year old mouth feel simply by waiting.
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Feb 7, 2014 14:20
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Jumping into whiskey and this thread. So far it's all quite good but I still can't do neat warm whiskey; on the rocks works for me. I've had:
The rye was ok, I don't think I'm quite there yet. What's next?! I'm checking the OP for beginner go to's and Rare Breed seems like a good bet.
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Feb 7, 2014 15:13
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My scotch club quarterly offering came in today with these 2 beauties. My collection now has a more decent footing in Islays.
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Feb 8, 2014 00:19
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KhyrosFinalCut posted:I'm probably there on ... 24th
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Feb 8, 2014 03:27
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Does anyone have any tasting Notes they would like to share on the Bunnahabhain offerings?
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Feb 8, 2014 08:54
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Admin Understudy posted:That presentation was neat, anything else like it? I'm a little confused because it's telling me the mature mouth feel on aged whiskies is mainly from water - ethanol interaction, affected by wood chemical concentrations. Seems to me like I should be able to bottle age my whiskies then, give them that 30 year old mouth feel simply by waiting. I don't at the moment have anything else like that doc but will post any if I come across. Admin Understudy posted:My scotch club quarterly offering came in today with these 2 beauties. My collection now has a more decent footing in Islays. Marshall Louis posted:Does anyone have any tasting Notes they would like to share on the Bunnahabhain offerings? My memories of Bunna were obviously a bit wrong since the tasting turned out to contain mostly really gentle whiskys. I'd remembered the 12yo being more like the Elements of Islay Bunna bottlings which are kin to the Toiteach, but it turned out to be slightly sherried, slightly oakish, ever so slightly nut oilish and with a noticeable sea breeze on it. No iodine though. The 18 had less of the sea breeze and more sherry tones with definite nut & almond oil smells. Drank one after the other and then returning to the 12 I felt the 12 could have used a bit more oomph. The third one was the 25 which turned out to be a disappointment, just like the first time I ever drank it. It's recognizable next to the other ones but kind of sandy, like Springbank OBs, and subdued. Corn oil, peanuts, woody dryness. Not particularly flavourful, deep or complex. The Toiteach is much like the 12 with added rubber boot sole and boot grease + chimney smoke from being peated. The smoke hits heavy but it's a one note wonder that did not impress although it was not bad either. The 40 is just ridiculously good. It's drat hard to write anything definite with only 1cl to go on but the nose was absurdly rich, going a bit into vinegariness. The nuttiness was there but no longer oily, just dry. Strong sherry influence but age had turned it into something unexpected. There were absolutely no traces of the raisins, plums and sultanas I usually expect from more sherried drams, and no sulphur or rubberiness despite the massive age. Just this glorious dried fruit and berry taste, sticking a bit to the gums. edit: Before the Bunna tasting I warmed up with 1cl of Highland Park 25 which was as excellent as ever, and after it I checked what else was on offer and found an unimpressive MacKillop 1990 Caol Ila (turns out this retails for over £100 which makes it the first more expensive MacKillop that hasn't tickled me), an equally unimpressive Kentucky Gentleman, and a delicious Compass Box Hedonism of which I will have to get a bottle. The next day I sampled Deanston (unpeated Tobermory IIRC, light and nothing special), Glendronach Cask Strength batch 3 (uninteresting middle-of-the-road release, friend said batch 1 was much better), Mortlach 21 from G&M (okay but forgettable), a G&M Glen Grant 35 (fair but a little understated for something that old), Kilchoman 2007 (okay but their ex-bourbon single casks are better) and some more Bunna 18 and Hedonism which felt just as nice as the night before. Deleuzionist fucked around with this message at 20:27 on Feb 9, 2014 |
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Feb 8, 2014 16:58
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Deleuzionist posted:The Bunna 18 is a darling. After reading everything you wrote, I will take this phrase with me to the store next time I have a little money to spend. Thank you!
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Feb 9, 2014 03:25
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Continuing my series of drunken effortposts, I go through the Arran Millennium Casks and some Oban 14 for contrast. All this is based on first impressions from fresh bottles so it may not reflect on the malts at their best. The Millennium Casks is a vatting of 36 bourbon casks with 10 sherry hogsheads supposedly filled out on the last day of the last millennium and bottled at 13 years old. Released at cask strength (53,5%) this bottling comes boxed in something that's worthy of being reused as a casket for any pet rodent of noble lineage.  Hard cream fudge candy. Very Arran in that regard. I first got a strange alcoholic note off the Oban 14 I'm using for comparison and thought maybe I'd mixed up the glasses although the Oban was supposed to be the darker one, but one whiff from what turns out to be the Arran glass is enough to dispel any idea of an inadverted switch. The Oban is turfy smoke with biscuits while the Arran with a dash of water is already a bit more tender than the rock candy start. There's a hint of floral perfume there but not overpowering. Leather, potato chips & tinned fruit. Not much wood. The taste is not at all as pungent as I remember the 14yo being, this is quite lively actually, not that the 14yo was bad either. Some mineral elements come up with a 2nd spoonful of water. On the tongue: tinned pears, sweetness, not that much caramel, more like apple sweets. I hereby approve this hamster casket also as a whisky. The first glass alone has given me a very positive impression and I can hardly wait to get a bit deeper into the bottle. This can be enjoyed neat but I'd advise some water to open it up properly. Some toasted nuts in the afterwash, many minutes after swallowing. The Oban is a bit more serious ans austere affair but when I sipped it, this time my first reaction was 'so this is coloured isn't it?'. There's a certain taste that's sweet but in a very nondescript way except a certain colaish taint. Moving past that the Oban does not taste as alcoholic as the nose would declare it to be. Actually I don't at all mind this gently honeyed malt, but it does remind me of Talisker. Talisker would be Oban's stronger cousin but both feel to me as if they fall too much in between things to stand out (talking only currently retailed bottles, not old stuff), in Talisker's case between the peated Islays and Highland Park. A nice malt with no particular flaws, but I think I'll keep this to the 20cl bottle I bought and random glasses at bars instead of buying a big bottle for the home shelf, whereas the Arran I feel is a bargain for the £62 or so it retails.
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Feb 10, 2014 20:23
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This weekend I bought my first bottle of whisky since University. RCLS had Laphroaig Quarter Cask on for what I think was a pretty okay deal so I took the plunge. Having spent the weekend with it I'd consider the experience a revelation. My first glass was 50:50 with water but by Sunday I found my sweet spot was about 2-3 ml. I definitely found myself looking forward to a glass at the end of the evening -- seems like my main problem will be making the bottle last for a bit. I spent a lot of time reading over this thread trying to figure out how to get a good experience for myself. Thanks Whisky Thread.
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Feb 10, 2014 21:05
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ChetReckless posted:This weekend I bought my first bottle of whisky since University. RCLS had Laphroaig Quarter Cask on for what I think was a pretty okay deal so I took the plunge. Having spent the weekend with it I'd consider the experience a revelation. My first glass was 50:50 with water but by Sunday I found my sweet spot was about 2-3 ml. I definitely found myself looking forward to a glass at the end of the evening -- seems like my main problem will be making the bottle last for a bit. I just picked up my first LQC last night and oh my god. It's scary how smooth and addictive it is. Previously I had Laphroaig 10 year, Chivas Regal, and Ardbeg 10 year. The Laphroaig 10 was my favorite before I tried the Quarter Cask. The Ardbeg was good but the Laphroaig 10 was much better to me, a lot more smoke and spiciness with less chemical notes. But the Quarter Cask is hugely smooth, and the mouthfeel is incredible, it's almost creamy. I will probably also have a difficult time making this bottle last. I think I have found my Scotch.
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Feb 11, 2014 17:23
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