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Note there is an actual distillery called Speyside, though ironically their water doesn't come from the river Spey. It's one of those brands that's available inexpensively at many American supermarkets along with Speyburn. As for Balvenie Double Wood, yeah, not robust.
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Mar 2, 2015 07:19
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I meant Speyburn. I ended up buying the Ardbeg. Its really good. The only other peated scotch I have had was an expensive bottle of johnny walker and it just tasted like an ashtray. The Ardbeg has the same smoky charcoal flavors, but in a more pleasing way.
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Mar 2, 2015 17:50
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eSporks posted:I meant Speyburn. If you like Ardbeg 10 then your next purchase needs to be Laphroaig Quarter Cask or Lagavulin 16 (or both).
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Mar 2, 2015 18:43
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Speyburn is okay for the price. It's like a slightly rougher AnCnoc.
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Mar 3, 2015 08:02
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Devil Wears Wings posted:If you like Ardbeg 10 then your next purchase needs to be Laphroaig Quarter Cask or Lagavulin 16 (or both). lagavulin 16 tastes smoky but laphroaig qc tastes peaty to me after conversations describing those flavours to me. is that correct or are my taste buds still lacking
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Mar 3, 2015 08:53
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Bushmills Irish Honey is on clearance in PA. Which is a shame since it still tastes like something resembling whiskey rather than some cotton candy nightmare like Wild Turkey's or something.
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Mar 4, 2015 04:41
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Jon Von Anchovi posted:lagavulin 16 tastes smoky but laphroaig qc tastes peaty to me after conversations describing those flavours to me. is that correct or are my taste buds still lacking
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Mar 5, 2015 04:57
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spoon0042 posted:Bushmills Irish Honey is on clearance in PA. Which is a shame since it still tastes like something resembling whiskey rather than some cotton candy nightmare like Wild Turkey's or something. That's because they just put some real Irish honey in rather than a honey liqueur, I always try to steer people towards it over the Honey Jack.
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Mar 6, 2015 01:19
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Sashimi posted:For what it's worth I think Laphroaig QC is just a more mellow, less peat bomb-ish version of the 10 year. That's actually a pretty good description, though I'd instead opt to use the phrase, "more balanced."
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Mar 6, 2015 01:59
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Jon Von Anchovi posted:lagavulin 16 tastes smoky but laphroaig qc tastes peaty to me after conversations describing those flavours to me. is that correct or are my taste buds still lacking Laphroaig Quarter Cask is woodier, crisper (minerally) than Laphroaig 10. The smoke is cleaner too, so I'd describe it as less peaty. Both follow a simple recipe of sweet and peat. One of my favorites. Lagavulin's sweetness is fruitier. It has more seaside funk to it. It's additional age lends itself to a chewier, better mouthfeel. A safer introduction to Islay to friends at a holiday dinner.
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Mar 6, 2015 16:28
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I fancy a couple of bottles of the good stuff for my upcoming 30th birthday. I think a bottle of Scotch or Irish, and a bottle of American. So far I've narrowed it down to: Scotch/Irish Laphroaig 18 Highland Park 18 Redbreast Cask Strength American Whistle Pig 10 Year James E Pepper Stagg Jr Wild Turkey Rare Breed Balcones Brimstone (seems a bit, I dunno, gimmicky) Either that, or a single bottle of something a bit more special, for which I'd be prepared to pay up to £200. Does anybody have any recommendations?
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Mar 6, 2015 17:21
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Need some input on my next purchase. My absolute favourite so far of all I've tried is Talisker 10, I just loved the smell and the shift from sweetness to pepper to salt. Should I play it safe and buy Talisker again or should I give Lagavulin 16 a try? The reason I hesitate is because I bought a sample pack of Springbank, which left me feeling quite indifferent. I had such high hope before the Sprinbank purchase... So - Talisker or Lagavulin, what do you think?
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Mar 6, 2015 17:26
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Wachter posted:I fancy a couple of bottles of the good stuff for my upcoming 30th birthday. I think a bottle of Scotch or Irish, and a bottle of American. So far I've narrowed it down to: HP18 is great if you like your whisky a bit more peaty but RB12CS is just in a league of its loving own. My recommendation: Grab that and WT Rare Breed and pocket the extra $100.
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Mar 6, 2015 17:34
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Wachter posted:I fancy a couple of bottles of the good stuff for my upcoming 30th birthday. I think a bottle of Scotch or Irish, and a bottle of American. So far I've narrowed it down to: I've not tried the Brimstone (I heard its not great), but Balcones Baby Blue is pretty good.
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Mar 6, 2015 21:43
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MalleusDei posted:I've not tried the Brimstone (I heard its not great), but Balcones Baby Blue is pretty good. Brimstone tastes like a prairie fire. I wasn't a fan.
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Mar 7, 2015 15:36
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Wachter posted:
I wouldn't call it gimmicky, but it's definitely an acquired taste. Personally, I love it: it tastes like smoky Texas barbecue. But it is most certainly not for everyone. It is also becoming pretty scarce. Since the NYT article about Chip Tate's removal from the company, it has been hard to find here (DC). It's been almost impossible to get in Texas for at least a year (I have a friend who always brings a few bottles back home to Texas when he flies to DC because he just cannot find it in Texas). edit: I guess I should add that it's not a gimmick - it's just that Balcones makes (made?) Texas whisky, using Texas ingredients. So instead of peat, they use Texas scrub oak. El Miguel fucked around with this message at 20:02 on Mar 7, 2015 |
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Mar 7, 2015 16:50
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Hey, thanks all. I think I'll get a sample of the Brimstone before shelling out for the whole bottle. I guess I was hoping for a more intense version of High West Campfire (drat, I need a bottle of that too).
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Mar 7, 2015 17:41
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I like the peated Islay scotch for the most part. On a whim I picked up a bottle of Ardmore Peated, and I really like it. It's a nice change from the usual Islay's. Also Caol Isla is drat nice, silky smooth.
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Mar 8, 2015 00:18
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Wachter posted:Hey, thanks all. It tastes like the Shiner Smokehouse but made with whiskey instead of beer. It's easily my least favorite offering from Balcones and I like peaty scotches like Lagavulin 16. I really enjoy the Balcones Rumble or Rumble Reserve and their Single Malt
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Mar 8, 2015 13:57
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Aw yeah, the Irish pub down the street from me has a bottle of Yellow Spot on the shelf so I had to try it. It's a 12-year single pot still Irish whiskey aged in a combination of ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and ex-Malaga casks (I'd never even heard of the third one until looking it up on Wikipedia). Anyone who tells you that Irish whiskey is bland needs to try this stuff. It's got a lovely spicy character with just enough fruit from the sherry and Malaga. All in all, a nice alternative to the all-sherry Redbreast that allows the spice to shine through a bit more.
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Mar 9, 2015 03:12
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Devil Wears Wings posted:Aw yeah, the Irish pub down the street from me has a bottle of Yellow Spot on the shelf so I had to try it. It's a 12-year single pot still Irish whiskey aged in a combination of ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and ex-Malaga casks (I'd never even heard of the third one until looking it up on Wikipedia). Never had the Yellow Spot, but I have had the Red Breast, which I like. I actually have never heard of the Malaga either. But, I will see if my liquor store carries it, always looking to try new stuff.
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Mar 9, 2015 08:39
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Devil Wears Wings posted:Aw yeah, the Irish pub down the street from me has a bottle of Yellow Spot on the shelf so I had to try it. It's a 12-year single pot still Irish whiskey aged in a combination of ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and ex-Malaga casks (I'd never even heard of the third one until looking it up on Wikipedia). The Green Spot should be readily available most places and for my tastes I prefer it to Yellow Spot.
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Mar 9, 2015 19:42
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Devil Wears Wings posted:Aw yeah, the Irish pub down the street from me has a bottle of Yellow Spot on the shelf so I had to try it. It's a 12-year single pot still Irish whiskey aged in a combination of ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and ex-Malaga casks (I'd never even heard of the third one until looking it up on Wikipedia). I just got a bottle of this as a gift--I had no idea Irish whiskey could be this good.
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Mar 11, 2015 06:39
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Sanzio037 posted:I like the peated Islay scotch for the most part. On a whim I picked up a bottle of Ardmore Peated, and I really like it. It's a nice change from the usual Islay's. Also Caol Isla is drat nice, silky smooth. you need to get ahold of some bruichladdich octomore
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Mar 14, 2015 13:27
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marmot25 posted:I just got a bottle of this as a gift--I had no idea Irish whiskey could be this good. The Yellow Sopt is definitely better than the Green Spot, but in retrospect, if I tasted them side by side, I don't think it would rank as $40-$50 better. But yeah, Irish whiskey really gets a bad rap because nearly all of it used to be blended - and when you blend the already more subtle Irish-style malt with young grain whiskey then you have a recipe for a really bland spirit. Nowadays, of course, Irish distillers are stepping up their game and the results are, IMO, some of the best "bang for your buck" whiskeys on the market today. Green Spot, Redbreast 12 and 12 CS, Tullamore 10 Single Malt, Connemara NAS & 12, and pretty much the entire Bushmills lineup are all fantastic values for your money, especially with Scotch prices still rising.
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Mar 14, 2015 17:58
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Devil Wears Wings posted:The Yellow Sopt is definitely better than the Green Spot, but in retrospect, if I tasted them side by side, I don't think it would rank as $40-$50 better. Haven't noticed the rising prices, what gives?
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Mar 15, 2015 05:18
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A girl sent me a picture with writings on a bar chalkboard that said "Whisky Special" and her caption was "What kind of bar doesn't know how to spell whiskey?" 
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Mar 15, 2015 07:03
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MikeyLikesIt posted:A girl sent me a picture with writings on a bar chalkboard that said "Whisky Special" and her caption was "What kind of bar doesn't know how to spell whiskey?" shes dead to me
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Mar 15, 2015 10:28
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Shif posted:Haven't noticed the rising prices, what gives? Greater demand is causing rising prices across the board. For example, Buffalo Trace used to be $20/bottle, now it's closer to $30. There's a lot of talk about a "whiskey bubble" right now as the major distilleries are rushing to expand and demand could stagnate or crash at any moment (which wouldn't be a bad thing because it would mean prices drop again).
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Mar 15, 2015 17:54
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Devil Wears Wings posted:Greater demand is causing rising prices across the board. For example, Buffalo Trace used to be $20/bottle, now it's closer to $30. There's a lot of talk about a "whiskey bubble" right now as the major distilleries are rushing to expand and demand could stagnate or crash at any moment (which wouldn't be a bad thing because it would mean prices drop again). The hundreds of millions of growing middle-class in Asia/South Asia make this very much not a bubble.
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Mar 15, 2015 21:36
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kidsafe posted:The hundreds of millions of growing middle-class in Asia/South Asia make this very much not a bubble. Actually, recent evidence shows the contrary. Chinese and Singaporean whisky imports were down by a pretty hefty percentage in the first half of 2014, and the UK's market for Scotch saw something like a 5% decline in 2014. Some cursory Googling shows that some smaller markets increased their imports, but overall the industry is in a slump. While we're probably not going to see a dramatic drop in prices any time soon, chances are that the price increases and shortages that we've been seeing for the past several years are going to slow or stop very soon. Devil Wears Wings fucked around with this message at 01:27 on Mar 16, 2015 |
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Mar 16, 2015 01:25
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I keep seeing the same article circulated around for the last year or so about Bourbon prices about to skyrocket because the demand is increasing past the current supply due to a recent increase in popularity. Found it: http://www.wsj.com/articles/fear-of-a-bourbon-shortage-puts-enthusiasts-over-a-barrel-1418004595
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Mar 16, 2015 17:08
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   Recently discovered the joys of Whisky on a trip to Hong Kong of all places. A friend recommended we go to this particular whisky bar for a drink. Was never interested, but on this particular night, I was converted. TBH I don't know what I like yet. Wanted to find that 12yr Hibiki at the duty free, but no luck... Picked up some 10yr Ardbeg instead. Kind of gimmicky I guess? It's really peaty, rather hot and gives me a headache the next day for some reason. I have some Glennfiddich 15 Solera Vat which is very sweet and smooth- almost like drinking a dessert liqueur. Just picked up some Nikka From the Barrel which is really quite nice, but I can't describe how. Sorry I haven't developed the vocabulary yet. Well, guess I'll start reading the thread. smooth jazz fucked around with this message at 08:48 on Mar 17, 2015 |
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Mar 17, 2015 08:44
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Ardbeg isn't gimmicky* but that's just the style of Islay whisky. *Well they make plenty of gimmicks but the 10 isn't one of them. But glad you enjoyed your experience, welcome to the fold. ONE OF US, ONE OF US. 
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Mar 17, 2015 09:18
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So I picked up a bottle of Tullamore Dew on a whim today. I've never tried whiskey before so is there anything I should know before I crack it open?
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Mar 17, 2015 22:20
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ShootaBoy posted:So I picked up a bottle of Tullamore Dew on a whim today. I've never tried whiskey before so is there anything I should know before I crack it open? Don't expect a great deal from it. It's a mass market blend.
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Mar 17, 2015 22:29
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ShootaBoy posted:So I picked up a bottle of Tullamore Dew on a whim today. I've never tried whiskey before so is there anything I should know before I crack it open? It's not a super fancy whisky like a single malt Scoth or anything, so I'll give you my advice which some may disagree with. Try it straight up, and/or straight up with some ice or water mixed in. If you've never had whisky before, there is a better than even chance you won't like it, but give it a try. It is an acquired taste. That said, try mixing it with other things. You can try the classic mixer of Coke, but that's kind of boring in my opinion. I recommend mixing with a ginger ale, or even better a ginger beer. I personally love the taste of a decent mass produced Irish whisky like Tullamore combined with ginger.
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Mar 17, 2015 22:34
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spankmeister posted:Don't expect a great deal from it. It's a mass market blend. ...that makes a perfectly acceptable Irish Coffee. (Pretty high on my reasons for tolerating a typically grey and damp winter)
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Mar 17, 2015 22:37
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themachine posted:I recommend mixing with a ginger ale, or even better a ginger beer. That works too. Tullamore even recommend it on their website.
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Mar 17, 2015 22:41
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Distorted Kiwi posted:...that makes a perfectly acceptable Irish Coffee. (Pretty high on my reasons for tolerating a typically grey and damp winter) Sure, it's fine just expect a mass market blend and not some single pot still nectar of the gods is what I'm saying here. 
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Mar 17, 2015 22:44
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