|
22 Eargesplitten posted:Yeah, I tried all of them last night, the Green was really good. My only point of reference is bourbon, but the Green label made me think of the single barrel WL Weller that I had, very spicy, but with a lot of other flavors as well. Green kinda spicy (has a healthy dose of Talisker) and flavorful, check. Blue kinda bland, check. Gold nice and sweet, check. Black restrained, check Sounds like your tastebuds work just fine. 
|
#
?
Mar 26, 2013 23:58
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 00:29 |
|
|
Based upon the recommendations of the thread here I purchased a bottle of Elijah Craig 12yo bourbon for my girlfriend for her birthday. We are reacquainting ourselves with whiskey - the last time I drank it with any regularity was in undergrad and that was mostly Maker's Mark, which I liked quite a bit. I am disappointed with EC 12. It seems a bit harsh and not particularly flavorful compared to the buttery flavor I came to expect from the MM. I'm drinking it neat.
|
|
#
?
Mar 27, 2013 00:25
|
|
|
Boner Slam -- I tasted the Glenmorangie Original, Lasanta, Quinta Ruban and Nectar D'or all in a single sitting. I've gone on to buy bottles of Quinta Ruban and Nectar D'or. Lasanta was too syrupy for me. Balvenie doublewood is good to try because it's a good scotch that's pretty widely available and it's worth knowing if you like it. So priority of recs for you is 1. Other glenmorangies finished in interesting barrels 2. Balvenie Doublewood 3. Highland park/Edradour for more balanced/less smoky. On a more general note I'd like to share the following nosing techniques referencing the questions about how to taste the JW set: 1: Open your mouth and hold your glass at the level of your lower lip and inhale through your mouth -- this allows the scents to reach your olfactory nerves through the back end while your mouth absorbs the sting of some of the alcohol. 2. place a drop of the whisky on your clean hands and rub over the back of your hand to burn off the alcohol and smell. Fun sometimes and these are ways to expose scents it's hard to tease out of the alcohol.
|
|
#
?
Mar 27, 2013 04:56
|
|
|
KhyrosFinalCut posted:Boner Slam -- I tasted the Glenmorangie Original, Lasanta, Quinta Ruban and Nectar D'or all in a single sitting. I've gone on to buy bottles of Quinta Ruban and Nectar D'or. Lasanta was too syrupy for me. KhyrosFinalCut posted:Balvenie doublewood is good to try because it's a good scotch that's pretty widely available and it's worth knowing if you like it. alright thanks gonna do this
|
|
#
?
Mar 27, 2013 18:56
|
|
|
ThirstyBuck posted:Based upon the recommendations of the thread here I purchased a bottle of Elijah Craig 12yo bourbon for my girlfriend for her birthday. We are reacquainting ourselves with whiskey - the last time I drank it with any regularity was in undergrad and that was mostly Maker's Mark, which I liked quite a bit. I am disappointed with EC 12. It seems a bit harsh and not particularly flavorful compared to the buttery flavor I came to expect from the MM. I'm drinking it neat. Maker's is a wheated bourbon, Elijah uses Rye as its flavor grain, which may be what is putting you off. Try Maker's again (Maybe step up to Makers 46), Larceny, any of the Old Fitzgerald line, any of the Weller Line (Antique, Special Reserve, 12 year). They are all wheaters and may have what you are looking for.
|
|
#
?
Mar 27, 2013 22:59
|
|
|
kidsafe posted:I don't really follow OR pricing, but in CA it's a $55 bottle. That's an acceptable price to me. It is well concocted and combines all the points from a single malt flavor map into a melodious chord. Oregon has state run hard liquor stores and high prices. It must pay for the highways as they are always immaculate and clean, although the speed limits are annoyingly slow. I am still enjoying the Four Roses Single Barrel I got last month and desperately trying to make my bottle of Lag 16 last a bit longer.
|
|
#
?
Mar 27, 2013 23:38
|
|
|
kidsafe posted:I preferred Seascape to Leviathan. Leviathan was all peat and nothing else, it had no sweetness, no terroir, nothing at all. And as this is really the smallest of microdistilleries, there's not going to be any sort of consistency between batches of either whiskey. It's a nice little story and I'm glad the dude it local, but he is also a bit of a flake... He didn't show up to the K&L tasting so the pouring was actually done illicitly. I expected a lot of variation between barrels but drat, I'm bummed to hear yours was so bad. Makes me hesitant to try the Leviathan II because I felt it was perfectly balanced and he claims II will be even smokier. Definitely going to have to try some stuff from St. George and Old World Spirits.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2013 01:46
|
|
|
Trying my first Buffalo Trace, its smell wasn't exactly to my liking but I find that I'm really liking is its finish, really smooth, really enjoyable. Anything similar to this?
Paracausal fucked around with this message at 02:03 on Mar 28, 2013 |
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2013 02:00
|
|
|
Smokewagon posted:Maker's is a wheated bourbon, Elijah uses Rye as its flavor grain, which may be what is putting you off. Try Maker's again (Maybe step up to Makers 46), Larceny, any of the Old Fitzgerald line, any of the Weller Line (Antique, Special Reserve, 12 year). They are all wheaters and may have what you are looking for. Thanks, I'll look into these.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2013 02:30
|
|
|
I've yet to find an Edradour that is any good whatsoever. That's not to say it doesn't exist......just that it seems to be hiding it's light under a bushel of butyric acid.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2013 15:19
|
|
|
biglads posted:I've yet to find an Edradour that is any good whatsoever. That's not to say it doesn't exist......just that it seems to be hiding it's light under a bushel of butyric acid. The 10 is what I pour as an introduction to highlands. It's not stellar but I've found it a wholly unobjectionable, sweet, smooth sipping dram. Those guys also did a great tasting with a bunch of signatory bottles in NYC once. I miss the ben nevis 17 I got there. Maybe I'm a little biased cause I remember it fondly from that night, but I have had different experience. KhyrosFinalCut fucked around with this message at 15:57 on Mar 28, 2013 |
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2013 15:54
|
|
|
TG-Chrono posted:Trying my first Buffalo Trace, its smell wasn't exactly to my liking but I find that I'm really liking is its finish, really smooth, really enjoyable. Anything similar to this? Eagle Rare is a nice little step up, it's basically a single barrel version.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2013 17:59
|
|
|
TG-Chrono posted:Trying my first Buffalo Trace, its smell wasn't exactly to my liking but I find that I'm really liking is its finish, really smooth, really enjoyable. Anything similar to this? Old Charter, Eagle Rare, George T. Stagg, all share the same mashbill (#1, low rye mashbill) as Buffalo Trace. If you find you like the flavors the rye is giving you you could go for their #2 mashbill: Elmer T. Lee, Ancient Age, Hancock Reserve, Blantons, Rock Hill Farms. The #2 mashbill has more rye in it. And for the curious their #3 mashbill is their wheated mashbill (Weller, Van Winkle), their #4 mashbill is their Rye mashbill (Sazerac), and their #5 mashbill is for their grain neutral spirit(Rain vodka).
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2013 22:47
|
|
|
Had some Glenmorangie Ealanta today. Might be the best straight-up whisky flavor I've ever tasted. For those not aware, it's their special release this year, and it spent 19 years in new oak barrels from Missouri, so no sherry or port or old bourbon or anything to impart their taste. Incredibly smooth and balanced without being boring. Not a single person who tried it (whisky fans and non-fans) didn't really enjoy it. It's expensive at almost $120 a bottle, but if anyone was wondering if it's worth it, trust me it is.
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2013 02:22
|
|
|
Interesting... do any other Scotches use new oak barrels? Maybe that's a stupid question, but I thought that was a differentiation between Scotch and bourbon.
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2013 07:23
|
|
|
Glottis posted:Interesting... do any other Scotches use new oak barrels? Maybe that's a stupid question, but I thought that was a differentiation between Scotch and bourbon.
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2013 09:06
|
|
|
The Balvenie just released a new duty-free series called Triplewood, consisting of 12, 16 and 25 year olds. The cask recipe is apparently first fill sherry, first fill bourbon and 'traditional' casks, meaning probably refill bourbons. According to the shop clerk, they will be phasing out the 14yo Golden Cask. I tasted the 12 and 16 on my way through Heathrow terminal 3. The 12 was really rich in flavour and texture, a massive sweetness/vanilla assault. Didn't end up buying that as it was a bit over the top for me, I would imagine getting bored of it after 1 or 2 drams. But the 16 was really nice and complex so I ended up with getting one for further analysis. A bit on the pricey side, but being a Balvenie fan I couldn't resist. The 25 was priced at £299, which I just can't comprehend.
|
|
#
?
Mar 30, 2013 12:52
|
|
|
smn posted:The 25 was priced at £299, which I just can't comprehend. Eh, duty free.
|
|
#
?
Mar 30, 2013 14:04
|
|
|
Does anyone recall when there were genuine deals to be had at the duty free before it became a showcase for overpriced exclusive distillery bottlings?
|
|
#
?
Mar 30, 2013 17:41
|
|
|
Picked up a bottle of Glennfiddich Solera Reserve 15 today after reading some positive reviews and the price was pretty reasonable. I like it a lot better than the 12 year. Very smooth and sweet, lots of apple and some spice on the palate with a pleasant finish. I'm pretty satisfied with this purchase.
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2013 01:00
|
|
|
NightConqueror posted:Does anyone recall when there were genuine deals to be had at the duty free before it became a showcase for overpriced exclusive distillery bottlings? Many many, many, years ago.
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2013 01:10
|
|
|
kidsafe posted:Yes. Compass Box sometimes uses new oak barrels. Ardbeg Alligator used heavily charred new oak barrels. It's just not that common because new barrels are more costly. I'm sure there are others. The reason virgin oak barrels aren't often used for Scottish whisky is not down to cost, it's primarily down to fresh oak having very high concentrations of things like vanillin which are mostly unwelcome and can dominate the spirit. There are only a few examples of fully matured virgin oak whiskies that I can think of, and two of them happen to have come from Dr. Bill Lumsden (Glenmorangie & Ardbeg). The Ardbeg Alligator really works for me, but i'm afraid Ealanta from Glenmorangie was a bit of a disaster, stuck somewhere uncomfortably between a bourbon and a Scotch. Anyway. Lots of talk about common whiskies at the moment, who has been naughty and picked up something serious lately? biglads, i'm looking your way...
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2013 03:14
|
|
|
duckstab posted:The reason virgin oak barrels aren't often used for Scottish whisky is not down to cost, it's primarily down to fresh oak having very high concentrations of things like vanillin which are mostly unwelcome and can dominate the spirit.
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2013 05:56
|
|
|
kidsafe posted:Causation vs. correlation. You've come to expect Scotch whisky to taste a certain way because everyone started using bourbon barrels decades ago. The decision to use ex-bourbon barrels by all those distilleries was of course a financial decision. Virgin oak maturation simply doesn't work well for the significant majority of spirit produced in Scotland. If virgin oak barrels were seen to be worthwhile, more distilleries would be using them and the increased cost of production would be passed on to the consumer (which is sometimes done with sherry cask matured whiskies). Can you name a distillery that regularly fills spirit into virgin oak casks in Scotland? I can name but one. duckstab fucked around with this message at 06:30 on Mar 31, 2013 |
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2013 06:27
|
|
|
Got a bottle of Amrut Fusion today. I live pretty close to their distillery, hoping to do a tour there soon to figure out how they manage to make such a young whisky taste so good.
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2013 08:57
|
|
|
kidsafe posted:Causation vs. correlation. You've come to expect Scotch whisky to taste a certain way because everyone started using bourbon barrels decades ago. The decision to use ex-bourbon barrels by all those distilleries was of course a financial decision. Scotch started using used barrels back when Scotch first started being made in sufficient quantity to need to be stored somewhere. Originally those were leftover barrels from the insane volumes of port and sherry and Madeira the British were drinking back then. Now that Iberian fortified wines are way out of fashion people use bourbon barrels because seriously there's a loving lot of bourbon barrels floating around. This incidental, historical reason for Scotch using used barrels is paired with the evolution of people understanding the style of Scotch whisky and self-consciously pursuing it. While those two can't really be separated, I do think it's fair to say virgin barrels aren't really amenable to Scotch. It could produce some sort of whiskey, maybe even delicious whiskey, but if people are buying Scotch and they get a lot of rangy fresh oak flavors they're probably not going to be super pleased.
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2013 09:06
|
|
|
Anarkii posted:Got a bottle of Amrut Fusion today. I live pretty close to their distillery, hoping to do a tour there soon to figure out how they manage to make such a young whisky taste so good.
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2013 09:08
|
|
|
kidsafe posted:The temperature 35C in Bangalore right now and it's barely Spring. That's partly why a relatively young whisky might taste more 'mature' than you'd expect. Won't be long till diageo and co catch on and start distilleries here. Diageo is getting a majority stake in Mallya's united breweries, so quite feasible for them to leverage what Amrut has done for Indian whisky name recognition and produce more such for export.
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2013 13:13
|
|
|
NightConqueror posted:Does anyone recall when there were genuine deals to be had at the duty free before it became a showcase for overpriced exclusive distillery bottlings? Lagavulin 21 for £80 (110-120€ at the time). Got some friends to bring it for me from Gatwick and they thought I was insane for buying two.
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2013 13:15
|
|
|
I bought this at Whisky Live last weekend http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-18121.aspx I've really taken a shine to sherry bombs over the last couple of years and this is pretty drat good stuff. I also bought the following http://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/invergordon/invergordon-that-boutique-y-whisky-company-whisky/ http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-18207.aspx and a sneaky Rum for sipping http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-4412.aspx
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2013 18:41
|
|
|
biglads posted:I bought this at Whisky Live last weekend http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-18121.aspx That Kavalan is pretty interesting. Is most of their stock still pretty young, but ages quickly like Amrut? EDIT: Also to weigh in on the uncharred oak thing. I tried a bottle of Deanston Virgin Oak (a NAS Deanston aged in new oak casks and super cheap) and while it was pretty good, it definitely didn't taste like any scotch I had before. If you gave it to me blind I don't know what I would have pegged it as. NightConqueror fucked around with this message at 23:06 on Apr 1, 2013 |
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2013 13:58
|
|
|
NightConqueror posted:That Kavalan is pretty interesting. Is most of their stock still pretty young, but ages quickly like Amrut TobinHatesYou fucked around with this message at 15:21 on Apr 2, 2013 |
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2013 00:23
|
|
|
I think the Sherry Cask example I have is a 6y/o. My memory may be failing me because I had a good few drams at the show.
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2013 10:11
|
|
|
I've made some fantastic purchases based off the recommendations on this thread. I like to have a bit of a spectrum of tastes rather than just one bottle, to suit mood/guests. So far I've enjoyed: Laphroig QC (like chewing on a delicious campfire) Talisker 10 (even more than the Laphroig, in my opinion) Balvenie Doublewood (got FOUR bottles for Christmas) Redbreast 12 (it's so sweet!) Delta gives away Glenlivet 12 in first-class, so frequent flier upgrades mean decent free scotch. I was disappointed in Bulleit Bourbon, though it is definitely a man's whiskey, the finish was a let down. The Van Winkle I tried was a wash. Any suggestions to broaden the spectrum?
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2013 20:14
|
|
|
I have not had the Laphroaig QC but I can't say that the characteristics I've seen as more prominent in the Talisker 10 than in any Laphroaig I've had are the "campfire" type. Perhaps I'm misreading and you're just saying you liked the T10 more. Higher budget recs: Talisker just gets better as the ages go up, IMO, the 18 and the distiller's edition are pretty awesome. Anyone who likes Laphroaig I think probably should take a chance on a higher end Ardbeg expression sometime. MidRange: Glenmorangie's equivalent to the Doublewood is called the Lasanta, but I prefer their other double matured expressions, especially the Quinta Ruban.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2013 16:11
|
|
|
Put an order in today for the following: 1 Compass Box Great King Street Artist's Blend 50cl € 22,95 € 22,95 1 Sheep Dip Malt Whiskey 70cl € 23,50 € 23,50 1 Ben Nevis 10years Single Malt 70cl € 35,95 € 35,95 1 Green Spot Pot Still Whiskey 70cl € 29,95 € 29,95 1 Glendronach 15years Revival 70cl € 37,95 € 37,95 1 Rittenhouse Rye 70cl € 22,95 € 22,95 Nothing too fancy, wanted to try to stay under 30 for the most part, the only 2 above that are single malts so eh. The Compass Box being 50cl is slightly disappointing but it's still good value I think.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2013 16:24
|
|
|
spankmeister posted:Put an order in today for the following: LOVE the green spot. wish I could find it stateside. Nice Get on the Ben Nevis -- I had a signatory ben nevis 17 a few years ago and not sure if I've ever had a highland I liked better, and and a while ago I bought 6 bottles of a ben nevis 11 that's ludicrously smooth and unsmoky. I guess what I'm saying is I'm basically going to be following your lead now cause everything on this list that I've had I've liked/loved.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2013 17:16
|
|
|
I know the Glendronach is a beauty. It's one of my favourites right now.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2013 20:18
|
|
|
KhyrosFinalCut posted:LOVE the green spot. wish I could find it stateside.   Stuff should arrive tomorrow. The Rittenhouse is a last-minute addition btw but for the money I couldn't pass it up. I wonder how it compares to my current bottle of Overholt. It's interesting how these seemingly cheap-rear end looking offerings are actually pretty drat good, especially for the money. biglads posted:I know the Glendronach is a beauty. It's one of my favourites right now. Haven't tried it and honestly I went by Ralfy's recommendation on this one. It seems like a real good bang for the buck malt. A well-presented (non-chillfiltered, non-coloured, 46%) whisky that is classically sherried and is 15YO, for the price of many other chillfiltered coloured 10 or 12YO 40%-ers. Yeah good stuff. I'm also wondering how Green Spot is these days. I'm getting the new fancy bottle. Last bottle I had was the old style with screwcap. On the subject of that I'm interested in trying the Yellow spot but have not been successful in finding it here in Clogistan. spankmeister fucked around with this message at 20:26 on Apr 3, 2013 |
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2013 20:23
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 00:29 |
|
|
gently caress I just found some Yellow Spot for €60, and they have the best price for Glencairn glasses too (I need a couple, I have just one left). So. Tempting... e: gently caress it, ordered. Poor impulse control wahey. e2: Oh god why did I just pay €60 for a 12YO whiskey. spankmeister fucked around with this message at 23:33 on Apr 3, 2013 |
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2013 20:42
|
|