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Pappy 23, i know i'll never taste a better bourbon. That is a bummer.
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May 27, 2014 08:42
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| # ? May 9, 2024 12:02 |
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Not with that attitude you won't
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May 27, 2014 12:22
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I've made quite a few posts lately extolling the virtues of Wild Turkey 101 to those curious about bourbon, but I realized it's been over a year since I've had any myself. Still pretty much the best drat thing you can drink for $30. Y'all purists can laugh at my ice cubes. I've just always drank it that way.
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May 28, 2014 00:53
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Fenrir posted:I've made quite a few posts lately extolling the virtues of Wild Turkey 101 I don't see any problems /with any of these statements. WT 101? Good. >$30? Good. Ice in bourbon on a 90• day? Good. Enjoy!
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May 28, 2014 02:11
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DerekSmartymans posted:I don't see any problems /with any of these statements. WT 101? Good. >$30? Good. Ice in bourbon on a 90• day? Good. We can be purists all we want but the point is to drink what you like how you like it.
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May 28, 2014 02:15
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I got some Isle of Jura Prophecy today. It has a lot going on, and I'm undecided if I like it or not.
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May 28, 2014 02:26
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Shugojin posted:We can be purists all we want but the point is to drink what you like how you like it. Agreed! I generally put an ice cube or two in even when drinking Scotch. I don't really care if it is considered wrong, I simply don't like drinking room temperature liquids. Hot is good; cold is good. The only thing I ever drink according to what other people do is tequila shots :-).
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May 28, 2014 02:29
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Fenrir posted:I've made quite a few posts lately extolling the virtues of Wild Turkey 101 to those curious about bourbon, but I realized it's been over a year since I've had any myself. preach. My coworker gave me a bottle of the 101 Rye the other day, and that's some good stuff too. I think they weren't making it for a while, but now are, or something, I haven't seen it in any stores.
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May 28, 2014 02:29
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Glenfarclas tasting notes? Sure I got Glenfarclas tasting notes. The 30yo sample was given to me by a generous friend. I need more friends like that. The 25 and 30 are completely new to me, and 15 I've only had once in a bar setting during a party so I have no previous notes and no clear impression of what it was like. Colorwise the differences are minute with the older ones being only barely darker than the 20ish ones, but the 15 is a shade paler and more yellow than the others. 15 @ 46% Nose: The sherry here is lighter than I expected. More of that slightly filthy smoky/peaty note that can be found toned down in the 21. A little like bacon grease and marmalade mixed - slightly caramelish, burnt note - and fresh cooked or steamed corn. Coming back to this after a round of nosing it's obviously the most straightforward one and reminds me a bit of Macallan Gold but whereas I hated Gold's nose I rather like the tones in this one. There is a cleaner, brighter fruit note in this one that seems to get lost in the sherry sea in the older ones, but I find it hard to identify. Something pineappleish? Taste: Ok, the sherry was hiding here. Nice sweet notes, real sherry, not candied-tasting. Not much of a booze bite. Sufficiently full body for a whisky this age, very even and pleasing taste that's like eating a spoonful of plum jam and chasing it down with a glass of Pedro Ximenez and with a finish that just doesn't quit but keeps hanging around a long time after you'd expect it to have stopped. This one's a very good start to a session. I'm charmed and at £45 I think I'll get a bottle one of these days. This doesn't need any water, it's good as it is. A wee bit of salmiak or tar candy seeps in at the finish. 21 @ 43% Sweeter than the 15, the greasiness is softer, maybe the body absorbs it better when it ages a bit more? It's got a bit more peat in the nose than I remembered but the taste is just as good as I thought. Ginger. Christmas-y spices and something leathery. Not luggage or old chair but more like that chamois stuff they talk about in connection with Port Ellen. Gingerbready, darker sweetness, more full-bodier and feels a bit heavier as a whole than the 15. This bottle has benefited from having been open a few months which has put it together very well. Some pepper burn on the tongue but otherwise a very ever and friendly feel. Slight oiliness, less of the greasy notes of the 15. Good solid cookie dough and ginger aftertaste that sticks around for long enough. In mouthfeel I think the 21 takes the cake over the 15 but with their differences both are in the top class of the OBs in their age. Very satisfying and moreish, both. Considering the price difference the 15 may be a safer investment although the 21 isn't very expensive either and I've thought it good enough for repeat purchases. Water doesn't seem to be needed here either. 25 @ 43% Nose: Sophisticated first impression: like the 21 but with more aged wood and all in all just welcomingly classy, wooden sweetness without overt gummibeariness or sultanas/plums. This is already veering into the old furniture territory but not there yet, the wood smells unfinished instead of painted or varnished. The christmas smells (gingerbread & cake) are here a bit more dry and less oily, a whole spice rack of things. Some savoury nuttiness that's not found in the others. Taste: Very, very soft and without the slight oiliness would be almost ethereal. Sacher, raw cocoa powder, sweet fruits, like tinned cherries and some fudge to go with them. Sticks to the roof of the mouth and numbs it some as the aftertaste progresses. This is the most restrained one so far and requires a bit more attention than the big hitters that went before. Initially the mouthfeel made me feel as if maybe this was going to turn out lacking punch or too watery, but the total experience is impeccable. I'm starting to find here some traces of waxiness in the mouthfeel, an impression I will return to with the 40. On a 2nd go the sacher/cocoa thing is even more noticeable, a definite new tone that isn't at all available in the 15 or the 21. I'm starting to like this stuff quite a bit. Dryer mouthfeel than the younger ones but I can't fault this thing one bit. 30 @ 43% Nose: Wow, more surprises. Here there is some medicinality and something akin to juniper schnapps. What a surprise from Glenfarclas. Someone could have maybe passed this to me as port finished or matured in a blind tasting. Some match heads here too but very toned down, not at all overt or easy to find. The spiciness comes to the fore here as if the spice rack of the 25 had the jars on it all opened. Pepperier, slightly steak juice-like but not at all at Mortlach levels, very subtle. Taste: A little heavier than the 25, juicier. The tongue burn is back but in a restrained form. Pistacchio shells, sweet red wine, plum pastry, and then a bit of alcoholic bite. Not cutting young alcohol mind you, just a small reminder of ethanol at the tail. The aftertaste is a bit hollow though. It tickles the gums but the taste tends to a shy rootiness over time rather than the staying fullness of the previous ones. I'm giving it a ½ teaspoon of water on the 2nd go. Funny, the steak juice aroma comes up better now. Smelling the others through before tasting I think the juice is some development of the greasy, filthy tones of the youngest one because they do carry and evolve through the range. (If I'm not stating it clearly enough so far, each of these is recognizably different. I'm more having trouble finding proper adjectives to describe the difference than I'm having trying to tell them apart, as the mouthfeel and profile in each is appreciably unique.) Now it's very much woodier than on the first try. Coats the tongue and the teeth well. A wisp of that sacher/cocoa or mocha from the 25 but it's almost gone here. Some more waxiness has developed into the general mouthfeel. 40 @ 46% Old, old, old wood and so much sherry. The colour is a pretty golden orange, not quite copper. The wood just takes me away with its fragrance of furniture from beyond the time paints and varnish were branded products. 3 drops of water to open it up and some minutes under a glass cover later: plum juice, little bit of black pepper, more old oak - sweet but not syrupy or candied. I took some of this stuff before this lineup with an A'bunadh batch 47 next to it to see what's up. The A'bunadh is very vanillaish even at first nosing before adding water. After water the booziness in it is still much more punchy than in the 40 and its youth pushes through very clearly. Still, I have to congratulate Aberlour because for such a young whisky this nose is a real darling. There's lots of everything sherry from slight sulphur to cloves and vanilla and all of it presented with a refreshing boldness among OB bottlings. The color of these two isn't that far from each other but the Aberlour is definitely more heavily red-tinted. There is a world of difference between these two in nose and taste. Some minor smells are similar but mostly radically different and I'm really happy that I decided to contrast these two. A lot more spice in the Aberlour while the Glenfarclas appears very well settled and complex as the nose seems to offer up variable aromas even during a single sniff. The mouthfeel is perfect, sometimes burning my tongue a bit, then making way for softer tones. There is some peaty scratch (on the nose I can't find it at all) and a bit of tannic touch left here but man oh man is this good. It's very delicate, not at all cartoonish like young wood-enhaced stuff is, rather it just sits down slowly leaving behind a very long, slowly sinking aftertaste. In the mouth drops of various berry juices in water, red wine. After swallowing on the tongue a very vivid lick of couch leather (hard red leather armchair grampa style) then plums and some other thing from the tropical fruit register, a bit dark but tasty and sweet. No citrus tones here, no smoke or charcoal, no vanilla, no heavy cloves or cinnamon. More drying tannins after swallowing but the taste of this is very juicy, not at all dry or resinous. Even after all the others the 40 impresses. In the mouth it's vicious, burning at first. Then when you let it sit there a bit a silky, full and fat mouthfeel starts to sink in, as if someone dropped a letter seal in the batch. It covers every available surface with this heavy waxed red apples and brown sugar and rum note that's unlike any other whisky's mouthfeel I remember. This wax is very unique, encrusting feeling and just wonderful all in all, like the paraffin component sometimes found in Clynelish bottles' nose but in the mouthfeel instead. This has to be serious stuff to be able to hold its own and make me want to pour more even after the previous ones. This proved to be a difficult tasting since it gets a bit stupid when everything is so good I find it hard to generate critique. Glenfarclas has my utmost respect for getting me into this condition. In retrospect I think I might pass on the 30yo. It's no worse than the rest of the lineup really, but the 25 and the 40 I think both shone through a little better in the end, as the 25's chocolate/mocha type notes are unique in the lineup, but for those wanting to stay on the safe side and not spend too much the 15 and the 21 offer solid experiences. If I wasn't curious about whisky to an unhealthy level I might pass on the 40yo as well, but then again it is practically the cheapest OB or IB 40 years or over apart from some unusual releases, and in taste I rank this as highly as the (admittedly more limited) Bunnahabhain 40 which costs about €2250 more than this one, so in a (very mad) sense the 40 is value for money, and after it has been open for a while it seems to just get better. Last night I served the 40 to a friend after a set of 5 other preceeding whiskys (elements of islay br3, balvenie 12 single barrel, balvenie 15 single barrel, dailuaine 16 f&f, bunnahabhain 18), and he still praised it, which is consistent with my own experiences that even at the tail end of a tasting session it is able to stand out. Deleuzionist fucked around with this message at 14:07 on Jun 4, 2014 |
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May 29, 2014 17:03
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Family friend bought me a bottle of Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or for my birthday  it's nice to have a lighter scotch once in a while I think.Haven't opened it though, feels more like a beer day to me. 
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May 31, 2014 00:16
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My friend is graduating medical school tomorrow, so I decided to get him a bottle of Oban 14. Did I do good?
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May 31, 2014 01:09
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Laminator posted:My friend is graduating medical school tomorrow, so I decided to get him a bottle of Oban 14. Did I do good? Hell yes.
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May 31, 2014 01:36
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Oban is a good dram with lots of things to taste in it. A bit high priced but that's the entire Diageo product line for you.
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May 31, 2014 01:38
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Laminator posted:My friend is graduating medical school tomorrow, so I decided to get him a bottle of Oban 14. Did I do good? Yes, yes you did. Good bottle, there.
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May 31, 2014 05:41
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Fenrir posted:I've made quite a few posts lately extolling the virtues of Wild Turkey 101 to those curious about bourbon, but I realized it's been over a year since I've had any myself. Here in CA, Wild Turkey is around $20, but can usually be found on sale for $18. Its not priced much higher than Jack Daniels. Has anyone in here tried the Trader Joes house brand bourbon? The cashier told me its just re-branded Buffalo Trace. Now I am not sure if that is true, or if perhaps he just meant its made in the same distillery, but its some drat fine whiskey for $15.
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May 31, 2014 06:44
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Wadjamaloo posted:Where are you located and what do other bottles cost? I'm in upstate NY. Wild Turkey 81 is several dollars cheaper and so is Jack, but WT101 costs right around $30 at my local store. It's a little cheaper if I go to one of the big stores in Albany but I'd lose that extra money in bus fare.
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May 31, 2014 12:33
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Weird, here 81 and 101 are the same price, guess I am lucky.
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May 31, 2014 17:28
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I have been updating my bourbon midrange home selection recently and have the following bottles Bulleit Bulleit rye Woodford reserve(regular) Makers mark Makers 46 Knob creek (regular) Blantons Basil Hayden's Eagle Rare What else can I add? I don't mind spending 30-60 per bottle but I'm not ready to move up in price from there yet.
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Jun 2, 2014 04:50
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There are quite a few good bourbons and ryes in that price range. A few that I really like are: Old Grand Dad 114 Sazerac Rye Rittenhouse Bonded Rye Breckenridge WL Weller 10 year
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Jun 2, 2014 05:46
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Finish most of that collection off, then look to Noah's Mill, Black Maple Hill, St. George's Breaking & Entering, etc.
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Jun 3, 2014 02:01
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I just came into a little bit of inheritance from a grandfather who loved his booze, so in honor of his memory I want to buy something nice to remember him by. I normally buy in the $40-$60 range and love Islay scotches and any bourbon that isn't too sweet. I'm willing to go up to $150-$200 a piece for a couple bottles and am curious what you guys would recommend. I can't imagine there are many bourbons worth spending on in this price range so I'd appreciate any recommendations at any price point on that end, but for scotch I just want something nice and peaty. I also really enjoyed a bottle of Oban 14, so anything like that would be nice as well.
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Jun 3, 2014 10:23
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For a good peaty scotch, you won't need to spend that much money. Ardbeg Uigeadail is the best of them and you can generally find it for like $85 or less. Might be significantly cheaper elsewhere for all I know, I live in New York.
Fenrir fucked around with this message at 11:17 on Jun 3, 2014 |
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Jun 3, 2014 11:09
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Good Peaty Scotches where you're going up a bit in price, Bunnahabain 18 is delicious, Keep an eye out for special Ardbeg bottlings like Galileo or Alligator. I cannot personally vouch for the Lagavulin Distiller's edition but I hear good things.
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Jun 3, 2014 14:45
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I bought some cask strength single barrel Kilchoman online from K&L and I enjoy it more than any of my Ardbeg, Laphroaig or Lagavulin. They also have the Uigeadail for $55.
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Jun 3, 2014 20:37
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Chuck Biscuits posted:I bought some cask strength single barrel Kilchoman online from K&L and I enjoy it more than any of my Ardbeg, Laphroaig or Lagavulin. They also have the Uigeadail for $55. How far are they on Kilchoman? I've heard most of the previous releases have all tasted very young.
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Jun 3, 2014 21:03
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Yeah I guess I should have said I'm willing to go as high as $150-$200 for something memorable, not that that's my desired price range. Don't want to spend money just to spend money. I'll definitely keep an eye out for the different Ardbeg offerings since I really like their 10yr. Selection really sucks at most of my local liquor stores but I believe I've seen the Uigeadail around before.
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Jun 3, 2014 22:50
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I'd also vote for the Ardbeg releases, Auriverdes just got released and I've read mostly over-hyped reviews but generally good stuff. Peat Monster limited release should maybe still be available somewhere, too, if you're not opposed to blends.KhyrosFinalCut posted:Good Peaty Scotches where you're going up a bit in price, Bunnahabain 18 is delicious The Bunna 18 is phenomenal but peaty it is not. There's peat in it, sure, but very lightly.
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Jun 4, 2014 00:46
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Chuck Biscuits posted:I bought some cask strength single barrel Kilchoman online from K&L and I enjoy it more than any of my Ardbeg, Laphroaig or Lagavulin. They also have the Uigeadail for $55. 55? Holy loving poo poo.
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Jun 4, 2014 00:59
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Deleuzionist posted:Sure I got Glenfarclas tasting notes. Thank you for this. Really interesting look at the whole line up. I'm definitely going to seek out the 15 and put the 25 on my wish list based on these notes. Congratulations on the permanent gig and having the right idea in how to celebrate it.
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Jun 4, 2014 01:08
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esquilax posted:How far are they on Kilchoman? I've heard most of the previous releases have all tasted very young. The two single barrel bottles I have tasted are 5 years old but you would never guess it based on how smooth they are. I haven't tasted their other expressions so I can't offer a comparison, but the harshness that you would expect from something so young and high proof is nowhere to be found.
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Jun 4, 2014 01:23
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Glenfiddich 50 at 1919 the other day. The bartender let us smell the cork and get the nose from the bottle but at 1500 a glass and 26k a bottle that's as close as we came.
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Jun 4, 2014 06:14
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Errant Gin Monks posted:Glenfiddich 50 at 1919 the other day. The bartender let us smell the cork and get the nose from the bottle but at 1500 a glass and 26k a bottle that's as close as we came. Holy poo poo. I wouldn't spend $1500 on a glass of any spirit, let alone something that might be really hideously over-oaked.
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Jun 4, 2014 12:49
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I just ordered the new Balvenie 15 Single Barrel Sherry. Let's see what that one's all about. I have high expectations after the regular SB 12 and 15.Inspector 34 posted:Yeah I guess I should have said I'm willing to go as high as $150-$200 for something memorable, not that that's my desired price range. Don't want to spend money just to spend money. Outside Islay I'd advise Old Pulteney 21 or Glenfarclas 21 (if you're at all into sherry). Errant Gin Monks posted:Glenfiddich 50 at 1919 the other day. The bartender let us smell the cork and get the nose from the bottle but at 1500 a glass and 26k a bottle that's as close as we came. Chuck Biscuits posted:The two single barrel bottles I have tasted are 5 years old but you would never guess it based on how smooth they are. I haven't tasted their other expressions so I can't offer a comparison, but the harshness that you would expect from something so young and high proof is nowhere to be found. KWC posted:Thank you for this. Really interesting look at the whole line up. I'm definitely going to seek out the 15 and put the 25 on my wish list based on these notes. Congratulations on the permanent gig and having the right idea in how to celebrate it.
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Jun 4, 2014 13:48
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Errant Gin Monks posted:I have been updating my bourbon midrange home selection recently and have the following bottles High West Double Rye
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Jun 4, 2014 19:40
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good electric posted:High West Double Rye Is High West distilling their own stuff yet or still just blending other peoples spirits?
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Jun 4, 2014 20:15
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Errant Gin Monks posted:Is High West distilling their own stuff yet or still just blending other peoples spirits? They have a 'white dog' rye, but nothing out of barrels yet afaik
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Jun 5, 2014 01:02
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Costco Small Batch 7 year Bourbon (51%) tastes like something you'd put into an airplane but I'm drinking it as a Manhattan anyways as an experiment. Need more 4 Roses Small Batch, Elmer T Lee, Rittenhouse, and Black Maple Hill to make up for this.
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Jun 6, 2014 04:23
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Imported the Bruichladdich Black Art 4, not nearly as good as the #3. plus it cost me $200 more than the #3. definite pass
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Jun 6, 2014 04:37
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Arione posted:Imported the Bruichladdich Black Art 4, not nearly as good as the #3. plus it cost me $200 more than the #3. definite pass I'm also a victim of marketing in a way. The Whisky Exchange released a 50cl NAS Ardbeg just as I was browsing the site, and as soon as they sent an email about it a day later sure enough it was sold out within a day. I'm sure it's not going to be anything super but since some of my friends promised to deliver samples of Ten, Uigeadail and Corryvreckan it'll probably be fun to compare them. Fun enough to repay the price of the bottle? Maybe, but remains to be seen. I've been on a bit of a cabinet clearing binge this weekend in anticipation of new bottles and I have to say that among all the other stuff I tried these last few nights I'm starting to get a bit tired of the woodshop smells I'm catching in the Compass Box Hedonism I'm going through right now. A friend who tasted it from the same bottle a week or so ago thought better of it than I do now, so sadly I think this is one of those things in life the more you get of the less you appreciate. Sure it was in a tough company tonight but still I'm underwhelmed. If there were more grain associated aromas to it I think I'd love it but as it is, no sale on a 2nd bottle.
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Jun 7, 2014 21:52
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| # ? May 9, 2024 12:02 |
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I'm not saying its bad by any means, I'm saying its not worth $300 ($400 with shipping and import) as opposed to $180 for the #3
Arione fucked around with this message at 19:17 on Jun 8, 2014 |
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Jun 7, 2014 22:07
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