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Had these whiskys at a recent tasting: http://www.scotchstl.com/34ritz2014.html 1975 balblair Glen Ord 28y Eradour 19yo Sauternes Cask Glen Grant 5 decades Knockando 25 year old My number 1 was Knockando followed closely by Balblair and glen ord. The Glen Grant reminded me too much of JW blue which is not a bad thing but also not quite as interesting as I'd like. If I ever see any of the brands Knockando, Balblair, or Glen Ord on the shelf for a reasonable price I will buy regardless of the year as Balblair and Glen Ord are distilleries that don't regularly release single malts, only when they think they have something special, and Knockando isn't regularly available in the US.
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Jun 26, 2014 20:02
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Glen Ord is released under the Singleton brand in Asia. Independents like Signatory often bottle it because it's good stuff. Balblair is not big in the US, but it isn't rare. They follow the same vintage concept as Glenrothes. This means they might batch release a 1989 at some point, then batch release another a few years down with a completely different vatting, selection of casks. TobinHatesYou fucked around with this message at 01:08 on Jun 27, 2014 |
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Jun 26, 2014 22:46
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Glen Ord is great stuff. I used to get the square OB bottles but you can't get those anymore. 
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Jun 26, 2014 22:49
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New Ardbeg called "Auriverdes". Normally on Ardbeg I pull the trigger and ask questions later/post notes myself but I was wondering if anyone had opinions on this so far?
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Jul 8, 2014 20:07
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Also, if anyone has a chance to sample the new Mortlach releases (rare old, 18yo, 25yo) please post. Saw the rare old (most basic) bottling for $124 at local shop and can't bring myself to buy blind when there is so much other stuff in that price range I know is good. http://whiskyadvocate.com/whisky/2014/03/04/mortlach-more-news-and-the-price/
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Jul 8, 2014 22:18
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KhyrosFinalCut posted:New Ardbeg called "Auriverdes". Normally on Ardbeg I pull the trigger and ask questions later/post notes myself but I was wondering if anyone had opinions on this so far? I don't have the best whiskey palate, but I got to try this a few weeks ago. It had hints of wet dog, which really threw me off, as it's not the most appealing smell. The bottle also says it can have hints of smoked salmon, although I didn't get any of that, which I'm kind of thankful for. Overall, I'd probably rather drink Uigedail or Corryvreckan. Auriverdes is probably my least favorite of all the Ardbegs I've ever tried.
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Jul 9, 2014 07:52
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Ardbeg Arrivederci?
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Jul 9, 2014 07:56
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Allantois posted:Also, if anyone has a chance to sample the new Mortlach releases (rare old, 18yo, 25yo) please post. Yeah, for a $124 NAS bottling you definitely want to taste before buying. That price is pretty ridiculous unless you know for a fact that it's good.
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Jul 9, 2014 12:40
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Dunno about the new Mortlachs, but I'm sad to see the old Flora & Fauna bottle disappearing, I've got 1 1/2 bottles left still though. From memory, the F&F 16 year old retailed at around £50 - £60, so it's hard to see the new stuff being better enough to justify that level of price-gouging.
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Jul 9, 2014 17:15
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I recently got a bonus from work in the form of one of those prepaid debit cards so I decided to head to the liquor store to replenish some stuff I've run dry on. Normally I go to the giant liquor warehouse store up near Wegmans but I went to a smaller place that mostly advertises itself as a wine shop so I wasn't expecting much but I went in I found they had a pretty good sized selection of Bourbons and Scotches and I got talking to the assistant manager and he told/showed me some cool stuff, they have single barrel collections that they buy right from the distillers and have customized bottles/labels for. While I was there he also made a couple of recommendations, I normally drink Elijah Craig 12yr and occasionally Buffalo Trace or Makers Mark but he recommended W.L. Weller and said it would be a good branch out and that I would like it. So I picked that up along with a couple of other things. Anyone have any experience with it? It was pretty cheap but I've run across a few cheaper bourbons that have been great values like Craig or Evan Single Barrel.
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Jul 10, 2014 23:53
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What's a good price for Lagavulin these days? I swear I saw it in the $80s last year but just today I saw it for $65.
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Jul 11, 2014 01:15
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If you saw it for 65 that's pretty good, it's up to about $90 in PA.
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Jul 11, 2014 01:35
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That's a good price, it's around $70 here in Minneapolis.
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Jul 11, 2014 03:36
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Stultus Maximus posted:What's a good price for Lagavulin these days? I swear I saw it in the $80s last year but just today I saw it for $65. K&L consistently has it for $65 and that's just about the lowest price you'll see for Lagavulin 16 outside of Costco who a couple years ago priced it down to $55. K&L also has Ardbeg Uigeadail for $55 and a few other popular whiskies cheapers than practically anywhere else. These are basically 'doorbusters' for them to get you browsing in store. drat you K&L, and drat you Micro Center too.
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Jul 11, 2014 04:05
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Sticky posted:but he recommended W.L. Weller and said it would be a good branch out and that I would like it. So I picked that up along with a couple of other things. Anyone have any experience with it? Weller is a quality bourbon. It is essentially a younger version of the much more expensive Pappy Van Winkel.
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Jul 11, 2014 05:49
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Sticky posted:I recently got a bonus from work in the form of one of those prepaid debit cards so I decided to head to the liquor store to replenish some stuff I've run dry on. Normally I go to the giant liquor warehouse store up near Wegmans but I went to a smaller place that mostly advertises itself as a wine shop so I wasn't expecting much but I went in I found they had a pretty good sized selection of Bourbons and Scotches and I got talking to the assistant manager and he told/showed me some cool stuff, they have single barrel collections that they buy right from the distillers and have customized bottles/labels for. While I was there he also made a couple of recommendations, I normally drink Elijah Craig 12yr and occasionally Buffalo Trace or Makers Mark but he recommended W.L. Weller and said it would be a good branch out and that I would like it. So I picked that up along with a couple of other things. Anyone have any experience with it? It was pretty cheap but I've run across a few cheaper bourbons that have been great values like Craig or Evan Single Barrel. Weller always has a place in my liquor cabinet. It's like the "grown-up" version of Makers, and generally cheaper to boot.
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Jul 11, 2014 12:40
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I picked up a bottle of Redbreast 12 the other day, and noticed another 12 y.o. single malt Irish whiskey next to it, called (I think I'm spelling it correctly) Knappogue Castle. It was also about $15 cheaper, and I considered taking that instead of the Redbreast but wound up taking a pass. Can anybody here vouch for it?
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Jul 12, 2014 06:14
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Have a Ralfy review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=492qciS-i3w
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Jul 12, 2014 10:40
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spankmeister posted:Have a Ralfy review: So, a single malt that goes into Bushmills, unexpectedly bitter for an Irish, somewhat of an acquired taste, but definitely worth picking up at some point. Sounds interesting. Not that Redbreast isn't worth buying. 
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Jul 12, 2014 17:50
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Meaty Ore posted:Not that Redbreast isn't worth buying. My absolute favorite Irish Whiskey. What do you guys usually see it for? I usually see it around $50-$55. However, the other day I walked by a liquor store that was in the process of being renovated and had really stepped up its game with regards to selection. They are literally painting the trim while I'm looking. The prices had all been bumped noticeably high. Redbreast was $75. Laphroaig 10 was $75. Laphroaig Caidreas (sp?) was $100. There were a few others that I can't remember that were all way overpriced. Walked right out.
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Jul 13, 2014 00:01
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The Redbreast was a little over $60, up about five dollars over what it was when I last bought it a couple years ago. That's for the standard 12-year; the cask strength-12 and 15-year-old naturally cost more.
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Jul 13, 2014 00:31
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Meaty Ore posted:The Redbreast was a little over $60, up about five dollars over what it was when I last bought it a couple years ago. That's for the standard 12-year; the cask strength-12 and 15-year-old naturally cost more. I have been having the damnedest time trying to find the 12 year cask strength. What does a bottle run state-side?
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Jul 13, 2014 00:46
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Lrigwoc posted:I have been having the damnedest time trying to find the 12 year cask strength. What does a bottle run state-side? I'd have to go look again (I live in NE Indiana, if that means anything), but I think the cask strength ran about $72-$75 where I was looking, and another $10 above that for the 15.
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Jul 13, 2014 01:32
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Two stores within 20 minutes of each other here in north Texas sell the 12y for $45 to $60. Sadly only the more expensive shop sells the cask strength at $72.
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Jul 13, 2014 02:02
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Just popping in to say that my mom's boyfriend sent me a bottle of Laphroaig 10 as a gift and now I can't get the taste of burnt swampland out of my mouth. It's glorious 
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Jul 13, 2014 17:08
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Lrigwoc posted:I have been having the damnedest time trying to find the 12 year cask strength. What does a bottle run state-side? $65 plus sales tax in AL because ABC. Less addled states probably do better.
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Jul 14, 2014 20:09
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zgrowler2 posted:$65 plus sales tax in AL because ABC. Less addled states probably do better. That's an okay price I reckon, it's pretty expensive stuff. e: regular 12 is 36 euro here and the CS is 58. So 65 $ seems like a good deal. spankmeister fucked around with this message at 22:30 on Jul 14, 2014 |
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Jul 14, 2014 22:28
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spankmeister posted:That's an okay price I reckon, it's pretty expensive stuff. It comes out to 48€ by exchange rate, a flat 25% over what you pay there - it's not exorbitant by Alabama standards, but the standards are pretty egregious. Alabama's liquor taxes [of significance] include a flat 30% markup for ABC board control and a tax of $18.23 per gallon (or $3.61/750ml, for a more usable number). Those additions, when applied, bring the cost you pay per bottle within about $2 of our cost. Gotta love sin taxes.
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Jul 15, 2014 22:43
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Annath posted:Just popping in to say that my mom's boyfriend sent me a bottle of Laphroaig 10 as a gift and now I can't get the taste of burnt swampland out of my mouth. He sounds like a decent bloke
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Jul 16, 2014 16:51
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biglads posted:He sounds like a decent bloke Thanks! I knew you'd like it! Get it? I am your mom's boyfriend! J/k, I bet your mom is a nice lady :-)
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Jul 16, 2014 17:56
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DerekSmartymans posted:Thanks! I knew you'd like it! She's wonderful, and the guy is really nice too, from what I've seen of him. The Scotch certainly didn't hurt 
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Jul 16, 2014 18:22
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Is the Kilchoman 8 year out yet or did I try the 6 year?
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Jul 17, 2014 07:50
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I tried the new Black Maple Hill release the other day (purple label, short bottle), and it is really not good, especially at the ridiculous $80 they're asking for it. The guy at my local shop put it up against Belle Meade (which goes for about $40) in a blind test, and apparently everyone he's tried has vastly preferred the Belle Meade. I don't have the palate for real tasting notes, but the BMH had a lot of alcohol burn and seemed very simple, compared to Belle Meade's roundness. Granted, I'm still probably not going to pay $40 for MGP juice, but I enjoyed it.
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Jul 22, 2014 00:42
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Just picked up a bottle of laphroaig 10 for only 39.99 in a bay area trader joes. Also, when I was in seattle recently I had the chance to tour westland distillery and taste some of their bomb-rear end whiskies. They're single malt, but aged in charred new oak barrels and made with a blend of pale, peated, and specialty malts of various levels of roastedness. If you see a bottle somewhere (I think they're still only in the seattle metro area atm) you should definitely pick it up.
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Jul 26, 2014 19:21
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Not a shock, but K&L has been stocking Westland for a couple of weeks.
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Jul 27, 2014 02:39
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I've checked out their website and I like what they're doing. I wonder how rough their stuff is because all their whiskies have an aging time of "minimum of 24 months", which is really not a whole lot. The law doesn't seem to specify a minimal aging period for American whiskey like for example Scotch, which is 3 years. I like their use of different malts like in beer production and I wonder how the different malts affect the flavour of the end product. What's the price like?
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Jul 27, 2014 08:32
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~US$70 for a 750mL bottle so it's more than most other US forays into malt whiskey. Stranahan's, Lost Spirits, McCarthy's are all usually around $50. TobinHatesYou fucked around with this message at 09:22 on Jul 27, 2014 |
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Jul 27, 2014 09:16
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kidsafe posted:~US$70 for a 750mL bottle so it's more than most other US forays into malt whiskey. Yeah that seems very steep for the age tbh.
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Jul 27, 2014 09:25
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They were not rough or harsh at all. The way they explained it was that because they're using charred new oak barrels and not ex-whatever casks, the wood needs less time to impart its flavors and mellow out the whiskey. The whiskey also uses a belgian beer yeast instead of regular distiller's yeast and so there is an ever so slight banana-spice note on the finish. 70 bucks is fairly steep and I definitely would not have bought a bottle without being able to try it first. So I guess try and find it at a bar or go in on a bottle with a few friends. The distillery also just bought a peat bog somewhere on the washington coast so I hope good things are in their future.
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Jul 27, 2014 16:39
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door Door door posted:They were not rough or harsh at all. The way they explained it was that because they're using charred new oak barrels and not ex-whatever casks, the wood needs less time to impart its flavors and mellow out the whiskey. I would say they are overstating a good bit. Most American Whiskey is aged in new oak barrels. Two years is not very long but I'm sure they want a return on their investment while waiting for their product to mature.
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Jul 27, 2014 21:23
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