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Neco posted:Last week I bought a bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label. I have to say I am pleasantly surprised! The taste is in the same ballpark as the HP12 I think, especially due to the light smoke and honey sweetness. Whatever floats your boat. JWB gets the smoke from Caol Ila so maybe grab a bottle of that at some point.
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May 19, 2020 16:47
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| # ? May 9, 2024 17:53 |
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Neco posted:Last week I bought a bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label. I have to say I am pleasantly surprised! The taste is in the same ballpark as the HP12 I think, especially due to the light smoke and honey sweetness. In general, Johnnie Walker (except Red Label which is like paint thinner) scotch is not bad but there are always better options for the price.
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May 19, 2020 16:58
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Black label is a perfectly serviceable whisky at a reasonable price point.
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May 19, 2020 20:02
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I kinda miss Black Grouse in the “cheap but serviceable blend” category
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May 19, 2020 20:44
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biglads posted:Whatever floats your boat. JWB gets the smoke from Caol Ila so maybe grab a bottle of that at some point. I already have a sample of Caol Ila 12yo waiting for me. :-) Stultus Maximus posted:In general, Johnnie Walker (except Red Label which is like paint thinner) scotch is not bad but there are always better options for the price. Can you give some examples? In Europe the 20-25€ for 0,7l of Black Label is pretty competitive I think!
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May 19, 2020 21:00
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Neco posted:Can you give some examples? In Europe the 20-25€ for 0,7l of Black Label is pretty competitive I think! It's certainly competitive, if not a blazing deal. You can get similar stuff like Black Bottle and Compass Box's Glasgow Blend in that range (personally I'm a big fan of the latter, which includes sherried character on top of some reasonably robust peat). There are a bunch of other "Islay blends" in that range as well, though I haven't tried too many of them. Or you can bump the price point up to ~$40 and just grab Laphroaig 10. Vox Nihili fucked around with this message at 00:21 on May 20, 2020 |
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May 20, 2020 00:16
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nwin posted:That Woodford is loving smooth. I don’t know if I’ll buy another bottle but it’s good. That Woodford is loving smooth. I don’t know if I’ll buy another bottle but it’s good. The larceny is an easy drinker-sweet and not what I was expecting in a bourbon, but good.
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May 20, 2020 01:01
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Neco posted:Last week I bought a bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label. I have to say I am pleasantly surprised! The taste is in the same ballpark as the HP12 I think, especially due to the light smoke and honey sweetness. Green Label was really good a decade ago, but now it tastes more in line with Black Label. That's kind of the thing with blended malts moreso than single malts and midrange blended whiskies. They rely on some malt whiskies that may eventually disappear, and then the notes change. Blue Label also suffers from this because some of the very old malt whiskies in previous bottlings are just...gone. I don't think Black Label and Highland Park taste similar at all, but everyone's palate is different. Highland Park has a very coal-like smoke to it whereas Johnny Walker Black Label's peatiness is distinctly Islay, albeit in low concentration. TobinHatesYou fucked around with this message at 09:25 on May 20, 2020 |
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May 20, 2020 06:33
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Vox Nihili posted:It's certainly competitive, if not a blazing deal. It's worth noting that Compass Box Great King Street bottlings are 500 ml, so you're only getting 2/3 or 5/7 as much for the money. It's still worth picking up because it's a great blend, much better than Black Label in my opinion, but it's definitely more expensive. Black Label really is a good deal.
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May 20, 2020 09:01
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Vox Nihili posted:It's certainly competitive, if not a blazing deal. Thanks! I also love sherried whiskies, I have the Glenfarclas 105 in my sights, too. In the shops where I can find it, Glasgow blend isn‘t much cheaper than the Laphroaig 10 or QC, all are around 30€. I am still debating which Laphi I will buy first, but some samples of both will help me decide!
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May 20, 2020 15:56
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Neco posted:Thanks! I also love sherried whiskies, I have the Glenfarclas 105 in my sights, too. The farclas 105 is MUCH cheaper in the UK market, a 750 here n the US is about $100, but I ordered a liter of it for like $45 from finedrams. I think I prefer my batch of A’bunadh to the 105, but at like half the price the 105 definitely satisfies the ‘cask strength sherry’ itch.
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May 20, 2020 20:04
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DoctaFun posted:The farclas 105 is MUCH cheaper in the UK market, a 750 here n the US is about $100, but I ordered a liter of it for like $45 from finedrams. Oh for sure. If you combine sherry, cask strength and travel retail size, the ~ 30€ I see on some shops here are a steal. 
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May 20, 2020 20:44
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Neco posted:Really looking forward to trying some Green Label now. For me Green is legit good whisky. The Black is okay but here it's $43 and there are really good bourbons, tequilas and gin in that price range, or less.
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May 21, 2020 05:11
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I think I've ever posted about it here before, but I enjoy Green label a fair bit, and think I like the reformulated version more.
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May 21, 2020 09:01
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I have an original bottle kicking around from like 10 years ago. I should compare it with the modern version some day.
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May 21, 2020 09:09
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wormil posted:For me Green is legit good whisky. The Black is okay but here it's $43 and there are really good bourbons, tequilas and gin in that price range, or less. That's insanity. I mean, I enjoy black but not $43 of enjoyment.
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May 21, 2020 12:46
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 Whiskey. And while we're at it, defense is spelled with an S. Dammit...there I go again. fever fucked around with this message at 15:03 on May 23, 2020 |
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May 23, 2020 14:57
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Picked up a bottle of Ardbeg's new Wee Beastie and I love it. It's priced similarly to Ardbeg 10 (which is my go-to scotch when I am not celebrating with some Uigeadail). Wee Beastie is a 5-year scotch, and it is a little brash, and smokey as all hell. Highly recommend.
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May 25, 2020 01:51
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Been meaning to try that one out, but it was sold out most places when I tried to get it. Hopefully it'll be in stock soon because it sounds good!
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May 25, 2020 07:33
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Yeah I guess they were surprised by the interest in such a young expression? I really like the clear message of stating a young age. Works for Octomore too I guess? They don’t write it on the label as far as I know, but it’s not something they hide. They still sell at (imo) insane prices.
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May 25, 2020 12:03
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It is supposed to be a core offering so I expect it will turn up on shelves eventually. I'm shocked by the price being what it is. In my opinion the peat really comes across more potently, I'm guessing due to the youth. I actually reflexively coughed with my first sip because it was smokier than I expected. It's brazen putting a bit red 5 on the bottle when usually bigger number = more $$$, but they back it up by making a good whiskey.
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May 25, 2020 16:41
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There was a Benromach 5YO which also proudly states the age on the label and it was excellent. Too bad they don't make it anymore. I much rather prefer to have the age stated clearly and not some stupid marketing name.
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May 25, 2020 18:39
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spankmeister posted:It's worth noting that Compass Box Great King Street bottlings are 500 ml, so you're only getting 2/3 or 5/7 as much for the money. I've never seen these 500 ml bottles. My local stores only carry 750 ml bottles of Great King Street bottlings. 750 ml bottles of Glasgow Blend are $35 at K&L, for example.
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May 26, 2020 23:33
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Neco posted:Yeah I guess they were surprised by the interest in such a young expression? Young peated whiskey can be super good in general. The peat covers up imperfections in the malt, and the peat also comes through with remarkable volume and clarity that you don't get in older bottles. It can be one-dimensional, but if you're looking for big peat you'll find it in spades. I've had a 3-year peated expression that blows away many 10+ year bottles.
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May 26, 2020 23:38
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Vox Nihili posted:I've never seen these 500 ml bottles. My local stores only carry 750 ml bottles of Great King Street bottlings. 750 ml bottles of Glasgow Blend are $35 at K&L, for example. Wow, lucky. Europe is getting shafted.
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May 26, 2020 23:42
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spankmeister posted:Wow, lucky. Europe is getting shafted. Ah, yeah, distribution and pricing are all over the place. We get some decent Scotch deals here in the Bay Area, surprisingly.
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May 27, 2020 04:31
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Vox Nihili posted:Young peated whiskey can be super good in general. The peat covers up imperfections in the malt, and the peat also comes through with remarkable volume and clarity that you don't get in older bottles. It can be one-dimensional, but if you're looking for big peat you'll find it in spades. I experienced something similar when I bought some cheap samples from Lidl for shits and giggles - it‘s called Ben Bracken and they buy their stuff from unnamed distilleries. I guess it‘s mostly rejected barrels if it‘s from reputable ones. Like the „16yo Islay“ one, of course everyone says it’s probably Lagavulin.  They also offer 28yo single malts for 70€ (currently on discount for 60€). Supposed to have pretty okay taste, too! Anyway what I had was a three mini bottle sample and the Speyside and Lowlands ones were really uninteresting and just thin. The Islay one was nearly okay, mostly due to the peat.
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May 28, 2020 07:09
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Neco posted:Yeah I guess they were surprised by the interest in such a young expression? I, rarely, watch Scotch Test Dummies(that intro of the guy yelling TEST IIIIIIITTTT!! Makes my drat skin crawl). And a comment they had on their favorite NAS bottlings was that Islay has it pretty easy vs other regions in terms of young and/or NAS Whisky. A lot of people, or at least a vocal passionate base, really enjoy peat and smoke. A younger bottling will be more upfront and people tend to go crazy for it. Ardbeg has a done a great job beating that drum Personally I find Ardbeg is "okay" and Laphroaig has the god awful iodine/medicinal taste. Lagavulin is phenomenal but I am not someone who a lot of those younger bottles will appeal to
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May 28, 2020 15:08
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I never drink whiskey cocktails but decided to try a Ward 8, rye (Woodford), lemon (I used lime), OJ, grenadine.. close enough for my crowd. Not unpleasant but probably not something I will ever make again. Next I want to try a Mint Julep.
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May 29, 2020 03:38
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Mint juleps are the best hot weather drink.
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May 29, 2020 03:45
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Drinking the julep now, delicious but I should have used more ice. My wife planted mint along the fence and it took off like crazy and now we have tons of it.
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May 29, 2020 04:37
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wormil posted:Drinking the julep now, delicious but I should have used more ice. My wife planted mint along the fence and it took off like crazy and now we have tons of it. Mint takes over a garden - my wife has been picking an infestation in one of our garden beds and we still probably have enough for 100 juleps (and she's sick of me joking about it)
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May 29, 2020 16:07
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Yet I keep killing my potted mint.
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May 29, 2020 16:52
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Continuing from my wheaters blind tasting at the beginning of the month, I've been trying out weekly quarantine whiskey blind tastings every Saturday. Today was a Beam-off between the new Knob Creek 9 and Knob Creek 12, alongside a slightly diluted Knob Creek 25th anniversary and a Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse Select bottle I picked up at the Louisviille location last year. Except for the 25th which is cask strength, they were all 100 proof Results were predictable - with the 25th easily taking the lead and I probably should have diluted it a bit more, followed by the 12, then Urban Stillhouse, and the 9 in last Looking back, I think the Urban stillhouse (4 year, 100 ncf) had a bit more character, while the 9 was smooth and boring, which is why I rated them the way I did. I guessed the 25th and 12 easily here. The Knob Creek 12 year definitely justified its price point in this, let's hope it's able to actually hit the shelf once it becomes more widespread. Last week was "cask strength" ryes: THH 2015, Michters Cask Strength, a Russells' Reserve Rye barrel pick (not quite BP but close), and High West Double Rye barrel pick- surprisingly the Michter's beat out the Handy for me but the proof difference on the handy is significant over the others which was probably a factor. (M, THH, RR, HW). All of my guesses here were correct. 2 weeks ago I did a store pick, low proof bourbon tasting: Blanton's, Eagle Rare, Old Forester SB90, and 1792 Small Batch (Single Barrel) - all barrely picks from the same store. I was way off on my guesses for this. Winner: Old Forester; 2: Eagle Rare, 3: Blantons, 4: 1792 - also I totally thought the 1792 was the Blantons, and the Old Forester was the Eagle Rare. Before that was 60%+ cask strength bourbons - Bookers 2016-5, Four Roses OESF store pick, Larceny Barrel Proof a120, and Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B517: in that order. I was genuinely surprised that the Bookers won here, it's a drat shame that this bottle went from $60 to $85. The bottle of OESF was one of, if not my favorite bottle of Four Roses that was not a LE bottle so a random Beam bottle beating it was strange. I'm also a bit thrown off that the Larceny beat the ECBP, but I can't complain since Heaven Hill's allocated bottles are way more accessible here than BT poo poo like Weller, ETL, Blantons, Stagg JR, and Taylor
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May 30, 2020 23:53
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Just had a dram of Glenfarclas 30 year arrive in the post. When there's a good reason to drink that one, I'm going to enjoy it immensely.
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Jun 3, 2020 12:44
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I have a Midleton Very Rare which I'll open up the day Trump leaves office.
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Jun 4, 2020 00:23
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spankmeister posted:I have a Midleton Very Rare which I'll open up the day Trump leaves office. I think my Booker's rye is for that occasion
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Jun 4, 2020 02:14
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oh poo poo now I need a fuckoff trump bourbon of my own
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Jun 4, 2020 05:24
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Odd Mutant posted:oh poo poo now I need a fuckoff trump bourbon of my own 
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Jun 4, 2020 05:42
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I just ordered some Glendronach 18 bottles and an edradour 12 year cask strength from finedrams. If Trump gets voted out and actually leaves the office, well, I’ll open every drat one of them.
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Jun 4, 2020 15:08
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