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wormil posted:I don't believe most US whiskey barrel warehouses are climate controlled other than vents and maybe fans to let excess heat out in the summer. According to kidsafe the warehouses at Buffalo Trace have crude climate control although I don't remember that being mentioned during the tour… Most bourbon warehouses have "climate control" that's more akin to a greenhouse than an active heating or cooling system. A few (e.g. Labrot and Graham) have steam pipes to provide more heating/cooling cycles during a season, but they are the exception since that's a bit resource intensive. The main idea is to cycle the whiskey in and out of the wood numerous times, so L&G claim the heating allows them to age a bourbon faster than a warehouse without active heating. I think most bourbon warehouses are brick or stone (depending on when they were built) although most of Heaven Hill's are not (I think, I've never been on their tour, just seen it from the road). Blanton's (distilled at Buffalo Trace) is somewhat unusual in that it's the only metal warehouse at BT. Kind of an interesting little article on it at the Blanton's site here: https://www.blantonsbourbon.com/warehouse-h
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# ? May 23, 2012 01:50 |
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# ? May 13, 2024 10:27 |
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Just a heads up: As the weather gets hot and you're thinking of a great bourbon to use in a mint julep - give Very Old Barton Bottled in Bond a shot. At $11-13 it's phenomenally cheap, and at 100 proof it packs just enough punch to give you that great bourbon taste in a mixed drink. As the ice melts it cools and mellows the whiskey creates a sweet, smooth drink to just sip away on your porch. 98 degrees here in Illinois on Saturday. Care to guess what I'm going to be doing? NightConqueror fucked around with this message at 21:25 on May 23, 2012 |
# ? May 23, 2012 21:18 |
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Will Willis posted:"This is a backlash agaist the 60-odd years of large conglomerates dominating the market," says Will. "We'll make in a year what Maker's Mark does in a day. The yield is really small, maybe 1 gallon every 17 minutes, but none of the big houses produe an un-aged whiskey, which we do." From an article about Boston area distilling in the The Improper Bostonian. I guess it's a way to get product to market, but that's usually why new distilleries start with vodka, gin and at least in Boston, rum. I can't imagine why you would want to sell an un-aged whiskey. I do want to check out Ryan & Wood though (mentioned in the article). Maybe their rye will be good.
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# ? May 26, 2012 20:56 |
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attila posted:From an article about Boston area distilling in the The Improper Bostonian. Given that many of the unaged whiskeys I've been seeing appear recently are priced similarly to aged ones, I've got to imagine the margin is pretty good. I more wonder why you would want to buy one as more than a novelty, especially at those prices.
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# ? May 26, 2012 22:37 |
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someguy posted:I always thought corked meant the wine oxidized from air leakage. Mikey Purp posted:This is correct This is not at all correct, the previous poster explained what "corked" is. It is a fungal infection in the cork. That infection leaches "corky" taste into the wine. Maderized, oxidized, "cooked" wine is a completely different deal.
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# ? May 27, 2012 01:15 |
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magnetic posted:This is not at all correct, the previous poster explained what "corked" is. It is a fungal infection in the cork. That infection leaches "corky" taste into the wine. Maderized, oxidized, "cooked" wine is a completely different deal. I thought I had covered it adequately, but there we are. Nice to see the word Maderized though. Quick edit - I suppose I ought to add that TCA Taint can come from other parts of the winery/distillery - often the barrels.
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# ? May 27, 2012 04:21 |
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Killer robot posted:Given that many of the unaged whiskeys I've been seeing appear recently are priced similarly to aged ones, I've got to imagine the margin is pretty good. I more wonder why you would want to buy one as more than a novelty, especially at those prices. I was in Seattle recently and Woodinville Whiskey was $35 a bottle for unaged corn whiskey. That's more than Woodford most places. I actually tried some at a friends place that trip and it's not horrible, but it ain't good. And by not horrible I mean it wasn't pleasant but I didn't spit it out. Really sweet though. I'd say novelty is a powerful motivator for a lot of these products and few will last in the market.
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# ? May 27, 2012 17:36 |
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I'm wondering if someone can take a look over what my local place carries and give me an idea of some brands / bottles that I need to try. http://www.beveragewarehouse.com/search/?category_id=31
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# ? May 28, 2012 01:31 |
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Acethomas posted:I'm wondering if someone can take a look over what my local place carries and give me an idea of some brands / bottles that I need to try. Four Roses Single Barrel - Sweet, carmelly and very, very good. Wild Turkey 101 - Very affordable stuff with a big, spicy rye punch. One of my favorites. Evan Williams Single Barrel - Probably the best sub $30 single barrel offering in bourbon. I haven't tried the 2001 vintage they have there, but if its anything like my 2002, its well worth the money.
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# ? May 28, 2012 02:35 |
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I'm also quite partial to Woodford Reserve. It's got a tiny bit of rye spice to it (although not anywhere near what the Wild Turkey has), but it's also pretty mellow and easy to drink because there's not a lot of alcohol kick to it.
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# ? May 28, 2012 03:43 |
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Black Maple Hill is quite good if you like sweeter/cornier bourbon.
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# ? May 28, 2012 10:18 |
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It breaks my heart looking at bourbon prices in the States compared to what I pay here in London. Woodford usually hovers around £28 ($43ish) and I recently bought a bottle of Eagle Rare 10yo for ~£35 (~$54). Would there be a market for a spirit swap thread à la the beer-swap thread? I'd be well up for packing up some interesting whiskies/gins and posting them off to climes unknown. So as not to de-rail too much, a chum bought me a bottle of Old Grandad for my birthday. Not had it before, and god help me I like it. Very strong rye notes to it - planning on trying a bastardised Sazerac with it tonight.
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# ? May 28, 2012 15:10 |
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Flint_Paper posted:It breaks my heart looking at bourbon prices in the States compared to what I pay here in London. Woodford usually hovers around £28 ($43ish) and I recently bought a bottle of Eagle Rare 10yo for ~£35 (~$54). The issue with a spirit swap would be the expense. When I was at Royal Mile Whiskies in Edinburgh, it was looking like I'd have to ship 6 bottles to break even on the shipping versus saving on the VAT, since purchases to the States are VAT free but the shipping costs a lot because they generally cover customs in that cost. It cost me about GBP 80 to ship 2 bottles from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society to the US via Royal Mail.
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# ? May 28, 2012 17:26 |
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Now drinking: Kilkerran WIP3. Weird thing. I loved WIP1 and WIP2, but merely enjoy WIP3. The third one is definitely the most refined of them, but in the case of Kilkerran, that doesn't seem to be the greatest quality. This distillate seems to work better with a degree of roughness. That said, I'll probably still get 3 bottles of WIP4.
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# ? May 30, 2012 21:46 |
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Anyone have experience with sub $40 Scotch whiskies? I've heard that Old Pulteney 12 is good, and also have heard good things about the Gordon and Mcphail bottlings of Highland Park. I think it'd be fun to try some of the cheaper stuff, if for nothing else, to ease the pain on my wallet. In non budget news: This whisky, this god drat whisky. Wonderful stuff.
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# ? May 31, 2012 00:31 |
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NightConqueror posted:Anyone have experience with sub $40 Scotch whiskies? I've heard that Old Pulteney 12 is good, and also have heard good things about the Gordon and Mcphail bottlings of Highland Park. I think it'd be fun to try some of the cheaper stuff, if for nothing else, to ease the pain on my wallet. Price depends at least a little on location. Here in Washington we already had high prices thanks to the state monopoly, but now with privatization there's going to be a 27% tax so it could actually end up being more expensive than it was before. Everyone was excited about privatization leading to lower prices during the campaign too. I did get a peek at the scotch/whiskey/bourbon shelf in a Safeway and it looks like there will be a good selection to choose from. We'll find out how much it all costs on Friday. I'm trying to get more coverage on this flavor map: I've got Glenlivet 12 and Highland Park 12. Where would Redbreast 12 fit on the chart, bottom right corner? I was planning to try Laphroaig 10 next unless there are some other suggestions. I like everything I've got so far but I'm just at the point of trying to appreciate their differences.
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# ? May 31, 2012 01:02 |
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Cpt.Wacky posted:Price depends at least a little on location. Here in Washington we already had high prices thanks to the state monopoly, but now with privatization there's going to be a 27% tax so it could actually end up being more expensive than it was before. Everyone was excited about privatization leading to lower prices during the campaign too. I did get a peek at the scotch/whiskey/bourbon shelf in a Safeway and it looks like there will be a good selection to choose from. We'll find out how much it all costs on Friday. Redbreast isn't a Scotch whisky, but it would be at the very bottom of that chart and either in the middle or slightly left of middle in my opinion. So -2 to 0 on the x-axis and -4 to -5 on the y-axis. Everything on that chart/map is drinkable, but don't let it govern your next purchase. Also don't buy a single malt from Safeway if you can help it. In my opinion you should try something properly peaty. Highland Park has some, but it's also quite a different style of peat than on Islay or even on the mainland. Go get a bottle of Laphroaig Quarter Cask, Ardmore Traditional Cask or Ardbeg 10.
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# ? May 31, 2012 03:03 |
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By way of easing into peat, Oban Distiller's Edition is fairly good that way as well. I love drinking campfires, but that bottling from Oban does a good job as well. It's good. That flavor chart is a good thing, I bought a copy while in Scotland lately. That said, it's not a bible and it's hard to predict what you'll like based on that, rather it just gives ideas. On the $40 pricepoint, the private bottler McClelland's Highland is pretty solid. Glenlivet 12 is absolutely solid in that range. I think Glenfiddich's "Solera Vat" is somewhere in that range? Their normal offering is dreck, but the Solera Vat is pretty good. Bowmore 12 in my opinion is chemically and medicinal, but has a good finish. I'd stay away from Glenmorangie's 12 year, but some of their others are decent though more expensive. It's not bad but it's not good. Speyburn is a solid Speyside near that price as well, but not exceptional either. Edit: kidsafe, I do agree with your assessment that those selections aren't great, but for some of us less fortunates living in ABC states it's what we get unless we order. I tend to do that, mainly from the SMWS, but like to order others as well. Trying to get a hold of Lagavulin's Distillery Edition as it stands. Paramemetic fucked around with this message at 03:32 on May 31, 2012 |
# ? May 31, 2012 03:24 |
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Paramemetic posted:By way of easing into peat, Oban Distiller's Edition is fairly good that way as well. I love drinking campfires, but that bottling from Oban does a good job as well. It's good. I am a big fan of PX finishes, but Lagavulin doesn't do it for me. A good DE like Caol Ila DE or Talisker DE should effectively hide the fact that it comes from barrels that weren't good enough for their core product. Lagavulin DE, at least the batch I have tastes like a flawed whisky. Honestly, my favorite Lagavulin is the standard 16yr..it's already rich enough on its own. As well the 12yr cask strength has less nuance and tastes more like Ardbeg 10 than anything.
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# ? May 31, 2012 04:12 |
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Cpt.Wacky posted:I've got Glenlivet 12 and Highland Park 12. Where would Redbreast 12 fit on the chart, bottom right corner? I was planning to try Laphroaig 10 next unless there are some other suggestions. I like everything I've got so far but I'm just at the point of trying to appreciate their differences. Redbreast 12 is very mild, slightly "oily" on the mouth is how'd I put it. The finish is quick and disappears pretty fast. Funny you should throw in Laphroaig 10 there, which I think would be the absolute polar opposite. Rich, smoky flavor and lots of peat. Wonderful campfire nose and a finish that lasts a long time. Now, heavily peated whiskys seem to be a "love it or hate it" kind of thing. So if you don't 100% like peat and smoke, I'd avoid Laphroaig. If you do like it, Laphroaig is one of the best. Someone else mentioned Ardbeg, which is also really good.
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# ? May 31, 2012 04:38 |
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Lagavulin is really the only characterfully rich peated single malt on Islay. That upper right corner is properly uncluttered...the only other notable contenders in that space I think are Ardmore 25/30yr and Laphroaig 25yr. Edit: I suppose Springbank/Longrow could be placed in the vicinity as well, but it's quite a 'unique' smokiness they exhibit. TobinHatesYou fucked around with this message at 05:09 on May 31, 2012 |
# ? May 31, 2012 04:53 |
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kidsafe posted:Oban is decidedly less peaty than any Highland Park...it's really a very neutral Scotch when measured against the entire spectrum. I also agree that Speyburn is quite okay for its $20ish price range, but it is what it is. To be honest, the Oban DE I've had was from 1993, it may be much less peaty. Oban's standard offering available here is a 14 which is not worth what the Kroger here wants for it, sadly. I agree it's neutral, but I think it's quite a nice utility dram, though not at $70. I very much enjoy the standard Lagavulin 16 as well, probably my favorite dram for peat right now. Highland Park does have a nice peat to it though and you're right in suggesting it I think. Have you had the 25 year from Highland Park, by the way? I was three weeks in Scotland and didn't find it in a pub. Is it considerably better than the 18 (IMO a superb pour)? I find that after 15 years or so generally I don't see much improvement except in double barrels and such, as I think the wood has taught it all it can, do to speak, but there are of course exceptions.
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# ? May 31, 2012 05:36 |
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My experience with whiskies older than 18-21 years is generally limited to tastings and expos. And even then Edrington Group brands seem to have a low profile at most US events. I've never seen a proper Glenrothes, Macallan or Highland Park table at Whiskies of the World Expo for example. I do know that I am not particularly fond of Highland Park's take on smoke...I imagine a mound of ash in a fireplace tasting similar.
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# ? May 31, 2012 06:15 |
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Paramemetic posted:I very much enjoy the standard Lagavulin 16 as well, probably my favorite dram for peat right now. Highland Park does have a nice peat to it though and you're right in suggesting it I think. Have you had the 25 year from Highland Park, by the way? I was three weeks in Scotland and didn't find it in a pub. Is it considerably better than the 18 (IMO a superb pour)? I find that after 15 years or so generally I don't see much improvement except in double barrels and such, as I think the wood has taught it all it can, do to speak, but there are of course exceptions. I've been slowly working my way through most of the Highland Parks that are readily available. My thoughts on the ones I've gotten to try so far: 12 - good intro dram, I found after going to the older whiskies I didn't really miss it too much. 15 - a bit smoother but without any noticeable change in flavour profile. 16 (old Travel only) - beautiful! found much more sherry influence which just rounds it out to be a much deeper more interesting dram. 1990 (new Travel bottling) - very typical Highland Park notes, backing off on the sherry I found in the 16. More like my SigV bottle... 25 - VANILLA! Amazing change in direction, very smooth and delicious but also heavily dominated by the Vanilla notes rather than Sherry. I love it though, in Australia I can also get it for only AU$200 which is ridiculous for a 25yo scotch of this calibre. I've also got an 18yo and the Leif Eriksson waiting to try. From even further afield I have a SMWS bottling to open on Sunday too! 4.160 http://www.smws.co.uk/CaskEndsSale/4.160_In_a_gentlemansclub.html I also have a 200mL sample of some 8yo Douglas Laing or something or other I picked up while in NZ a couple of years back. I really should just drink it some time And I tried the Douglas Laing Double Barrel HP/Bowmore, much better than the Macallan/Laphroig which I tried while in Hong Kong at the Angel's Share Whisky Bar.
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# ? May 31, 2012 13:47 |
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Boy Gregorio, that's a hell of a lot of interesting stuff. Didn't realize Highland Park put out so many different bottles. I saw a bottle of their new "Thor" at the local store behind a glass case for the low, low price of $200. To me, it seems like its really pandering to collectors who either want to sit on it for twenty years or ebay it for a profit.
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# ? May 31, 2012 17:39 |
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magnetic posted:This is not at all correct, the previous poster explained what "corked" is. It is a fungal infection in the cork. That infection leaches "corky" taste into the wine. Maderized, oxidized, "cooked" wine is a completely different deal. pork never goes bad posted:I thought I had covered it adequately, but there we are. Nice to see the word Maderized though. Yea sorry for the mistake, I've edited my original stupidity. Deep in the darkest corners of my whiskey-addled mind I knew all about corking/TCA taint but my wires got crossed. In whiskey-related news, I recently had a Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 year and enjoyed it immensely. I didn't think I would, seeing as how I generally hate rum, but rather than overpower the flavor with rum sweetness the casks enhanced the fruity aspects and added burnt sugar notes to the whisky which I enjoyed. I'd definitely drink it again, although I don't think it would be a regular dram for me.
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# ? May 31, 2012 18:40 |
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NightConqueror posted:Boy Gregorio, that's a hell of a lot of interesting stuff. Didn't realize Highland Park put out so many different bottles. I saw a bottle of their new "Thor" at the local store behind a glass case for the low, low price of $200. To me, it seems like its really pandering to collectors who either want to sit on it for twenty years or ebay it for a profit. Haven't seen Thor yet... and I'm no collector (even with the Leif Eriksson ). I just take a while to try them I think the basic range is 12, 15, 18, 21, 25, 30, 40 (it's like $10k or something stupid). But then the travel has changed from having the 16yo as an additional "Travel only" option to going by year, so the 12 is now like 1998, then 1995, 1994, 1990... and I haven't seen any older I think. But then they also have more interesting Original Bottlings (OBs from the distiller) like the Thor or Leif or Earl Magnus. The 8yo is an Independant Bottling (IB) from Douglas Laing I think and the Signatory Vintage is another IB (distilled in 1986, my birth year). I just really like HP, even their basic flavour profile... but I love the 16yo, add a bit of sherry cask and it is gold. Also, I think it was decided amongst the goons with even bigger collections than I have that collecting Whisky for Profit is not really viable. Buy it to drink it
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# ? May 31, 2012 22:35 |
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Has anybody tried the Finlaggan OR? It's a house brand whisky from Trader Joes' and it tastes drat close to good Islay younger aged batches. There's a bit of speculation that it's a younger Lagavulin. To be honest I could care less where TJ's is getting it from, as it's quite good if a little rough on the tail end. But it beats out all other scotch in terms of money/value. Try it, its <$20 a 750 and it'll smoke your socks off.
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# ? Jun 2, 2012 10:30 |
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Symbolized posted:Has anybody tried the Finlaggan OR? It's a house brand whisky from Trader Joes' quote:and it tastes drat close to good Islay younger aged batches. There's a bit of speculation that it's a younger Lagavulin. To be honest I could care less where TJ's is getting it from, as it's quite good if a little rough on the tail end. But it beats out all other scotch in terms of money/value. Try it, its <$20 a 750 and it'll smoke your socks off. It's excellent stuff for the money and I for one really really like young Islays because of the sheer punch-you-in-the-face peat they have. A downside is usually a near-absence of finish. It's a short, powerful smash of peat and then it disappears almost completely. spankmeister fucked around with this message at 13:26 on Jun 2, 2012 |
# ? Jun 2, 2012 10:43 |
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Finlaggan was young Caol Ila a couple of years ago. It could be anything from Islay now, but is unlikely to be Ardbeg or Lagavulin.
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# ? Jun 2, 2012 13:23 |
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Finlaggan and Ileach aren't a house brand. Basically what happens is distilleries like Laphroaig and Caol Ila realize a young cask isn't developing how they want OR they've overestimated future demand, so they sell them off to independent bottlers. Like Biglads mentioned, a bottle from one year might have malt from a different distillery than a bottle from the next... Ardbeg does find itself in one of these 'secret' malts too...at least we think so. It's widely accepted that it's the distillate in Smokehead.
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# ? Jun 3, 2012 06:09 |
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Hmm the last time I had Finlaggan was over a year ago so I can't give an accurate tasting comparison. Any recommendations for good Islay whiskys with more complex flavor profiles? I typically prefer rye bourbon because of the varied flavors it brings to the table, so I'd prefer an Islay with a more varied or atypical profile.
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# ? Jun 3, 2012 10:15 |
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biglads posted:Finlaggan was young Caol Ila a couple of years ago. It could be anything from Islay now, but is unlikely to be Ardbeg or Lagavulin. I've heard mixed reports on where it's from, like ususal, but I did find an interesting bit here: http://www.whisky-distilleries.info/Finlaggan_EN.shtml quote:1) Finlaggan Old Reserve comes from one Distillery and one Distillery only. It is a completely consistent product. The only thing that changes is the date of distillation from year to year and the palate of those who taste it. This is a quote from Brian Crook who spankmeister fucked around with this message at 11:07 on Jun 3, 2012 |
# ? Jun 3, 2012 11:02 |
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I almost want to go to BevMo or Trader Joe's to pick up a bottle just to see if I can recognize the distillate.
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# ? Jun 3, 2012 22:27 |
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kidsafe posted:Finlaggan and Ileach aren't a house brand. Basically what happens is distilleries like Laphroaig and Caol Ila realize a young cask isn't developing how they want OR they've overestimated future demand, so they sell them off to independent bottlers. Like Biglads mentioned, a bottle from one year might have malt from a different distillery than a bottle from the next... That's not quite how the independent bottling scene actually works. Given how many casks a big distillery (like Laphroaig) has, checking every cask is a) logistically expensive and time consuming and b) unnecessary due to the consistency of spirit and wood they have. Casks are very seldom sold on an individual basis from a distiller to a broker or independent bottler direct, they almost always come as a 'parcel' of x number of casks either mature or as freshly filled casks. If there is a situation where a sample is drawn from a particular cask, if its particularly bad it will simply end up re-racked into a more active cask or dumped into a large vatting where it has no effect. In the case of things like Smokehead or Finlaggan, the companies that produce the brand will have a relationship with someone (broker or a distillery owner/group) that will provide them with a fill contract or mature stock, which is becoming increasingly difficult to get these days. quote:Ardbeg does find itself in one of these 'secret' malts too...at least we think so. It's widely accepted that it's the distillate in Smokehead. Highly unlikely these days for it to be Ardbeg as they (to my knowledge) have no filling contracts with any independents and are not currently supplying to any blenders. This doesn't mean that the occasional cask shows up from early 1997/98 or prior, but no one in their right mind is going to do a no age statement unbranded Ardbeg, that stuff is just far too hard to come by. The only blend / unlabelled product I can think of that actually contains Ardbeg is Big Peat, and even then it will be in fairly small amounts. Interestingly, Smokehead (no age) and Smokehead 18 come from two different distilleries.
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# ? Jun 3, 2012 23:28 |
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My wife bought a bottle of Talisker 30 for me as a wedding gift, by far the best scotch I've had! Strangely enough it was a bottle of Talisker 10 that got me started down the road of the smokier/peatier scotches but the 30 is nothing at all like the 10; its so smooth with minimal alcohol bite. My usual bottles are Laphroiag Quarter Cask & Cask Strength when I have the funds or Elijah Craig when I just want something nice and inexpensive. This is a serious treat!
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# ? Jun 4, 2012 18:18 |
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Privatization in Washington has been pretty lame so far. Shelf prices look good but roughly 25% tax is added at checkout. $3.77 per liter plus 20.5%. I also heard something about the stores having to pay a 10% distributor tax which they must be adding to the shelf price. Most everything I checked has been the same price or higher than the previous state prices. A few things have been a few dollars less at most. I didn't look much at the bottom-shelf spirits that are in the $10-15 range. Costco does have better prices but they also have the worst selection. Glenlivet 12 at $38 from them is about the same as before when it was $40 from the state. Grocery store selection was average with several of the most common brands in each category. Safeway seemed to be the best followed closely by Rite-Aid, and then Albertsons. I haven't checked QFC yet. All the stores seemed to have trouble getting their shelves stocked with about half the spaces on the shelves tagged but empty. One checker at Albertsons said only half their shipment arrived. The state liquor store licenses were put up for auction and most of them will reopen as private stores but they haven't opened yet due to some confusion in the new law and policies. It's looking like that will be our only option to get better selection.
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# ? Jun 4, 2012 19:00 |
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Can we talk about brandies and such itt?
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# ? Jun 4, 2012 19:02 |
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Seamonster posted:Can we talk about brandies and such itt? Is it whiskey? I don't care personally, but there is a cocktail thread that might be more in to that discussion. Some people might not love it here.
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# ? Jun 4, 2012 19:07 |
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# ? May 13, 2024 10:27 |
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Cpt.Wacky posted:
I know my friend in WA would usually just go to the Duty Free shop at the border crossing... TobinHatesYou fucked around with this message at 19:21 on Jun 4, 2012 |
# ? Jun 4, 2012 19:19 |