Globehopper
Member
It was 100 quid in the UK, $195 in BC (which is only a $30 markup which is pretty good for this part of Canada!) The allocation was pitiful here though, the whole province got something like 10 cases.
They've got some left though!
-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
single malt whisky thread
- Thread starter nitewulf
- Start date
- Status
It was 100 quid in the UK, $195 in BC (which is only a $30 markup which is pretty good for this part of Canada!) The allocation was pitiful here though, the whole province got something like 10 cases.
They've got some left though!
bloody hell. there's that dream dead. The LCBO doesn't have any in stock, and honestly ~$200 for what's basically blended whiskey is a bit much. It's kind of a really expensive novelty. Shame though, I did really want to try it.
ragemasher13
Banned
Anybody here ever tried to get their friends to taste some of their Scotch?
I've tried to get tons of my friends to drink Laphroaig with me. Invariably they ALWAYS say the exact same thing, to the point where I think they may be conspiring with each other. Every time they always say:
"It tastes like burning tires."
I've tried to get tons of my friends to drink Laphroaig with me. Invariably they ALWAYS say the exact same thing, to the point where I think they may be conspiring with each other. Every time they always say:
"It tastes like burning tires."
Globehopper
Member
Yeah it's definitely overpriced, though you pay for the packaging too... it comes in a giant wooden box filled with straw, with a little hessian bag with a spare cork, a booklet, a certificate etc. It really is pretty good too (and it's a blended malt as opposed to a blended whisky, ie. no grain whisky taking up space, and it has Glen Mhor 30-year-old as a component).
If it wasn't for the special story and the packaging it'd sell for $120 though I guarantee it
It's worth trying to find it at a show sometime, or see if you or a friend can pick one up duty-free when traveling.timetokill
Banned
Sometimes it's good to be known as the bourbon drinker in my group of friends.
I just got gifted a free bottle of The Macallan 18
I'll tap into it once I'm done with my Woodford Reserve.
I just got gifted a free bottle of The Macallan 18
I'll tap into it once I'm done with my Woodford Reserve.Pulling the trigger on the Glencairn glasses. If only I had any of my Hudson's Baby Bourbon or Manhattan Rye left. Alas, they can't be purchased in Ontario.
How is the Hudson Bay Bourbon? I've been looking to get my grubby hands on that for at least a year
Got my first Yamazaki, the 12 yr, last night after being accepted into graduate school. I've also had an unopened bottle of Corryvreckan for precisely this occasion for over a year (that's for this weekend).
My reaction to the Yamazaki. Nose was excellent, really superb. I thought it was one of the best noses I've experienced. I was expecting the sherry to be more prevalent and was a bit surprised at how "tame" the whisky, which isn't meant as a knock, as I thought it was extremely balanced.
But as I've professed on here on more than one occassion, I gravitate towards whiskies that really announce themselves. I would say, however, that among whiskies I've had that don't bowl me over with flavor, this is certainly up there. I also got the last bottle in my town, and knowing they are having trouble meeting demand, that makes it that much sweeter.
Come to think of it, it is about time to give it a second try
.
My reaction to the Yamazaki. Nose was excellent, really superb. I thought it was one of the best noses I've experienced. I was expecting the sherry to be more prevalent and was a bit surprised at how "tame" the whisky, which isn't meant as a knock, as I thought it was extremely balanced.
But as I've professed on here on more than one occassion, I gravitate towards whiskies that really announce themselves. I would say, however, that among whiskies I've had that don't bowl me over with flavor, this is certainly up there. I also got the last bottle in my town, and knowing they are having trouble meeting demand, that makes it that much sweeter.
Come to think of it, it is about time to give it a second try
.A girl tried Macallan 12 from me once, and commented it tasted like paint thinner. My wife on the other hand, sips single malt at corporate parties, Macallan 18 the other day, making everyone comment, "what a woman!"
Martian, you should try Cragganmore 12, not pricey, very tasty, has that slight sweet taste of Speyside whiskeys, lot of flavors, and thick. In fact I am kinda shocked at how good it is for the price.
Not that great IMO. Its costly because its small batch I guess. If you are a bourbon fan you will like it. I cant stand the usual sweetness of bourbon, or the oakey overpowering flavor of rye. But at this local bar, the bartender gave me a rye last week that tasted very good. I might have to find out what it was...
My advice is to always find a bar that has it, try one drink, then decide. Hudson Baby is too expensive to buy on a whim, and I really wanted to like it, as I'm from NY.
I think I prefer rye over bourbon.
Their Baby Bourbon is great. My favourite bourbon, but obviously not something I can drink all the time. It's definitely sweeter than the typical, but it's also got the most character.
Got my first Yamazaki, the 12 yr, last night after being accepted into graduate school. I've also had an unopened bottle of Corryvreckan for precisely this occasion for over a year (that's for this weekend).
My reaction to the Yamazaki. Nose was excellent, really superb. I thought it was one of the best noses I've experienced. I was expecting the sherry to be more prevalent and was a bit surprised at how "tame" the whisky, which isn't meant as a knock, as I thought it was extremely balanced.
But as I've professed on here on more than one occassion, I gravitate towards whiskies that really announce themselves. I would say, however, that among whiskies I've had that don't bowl me over with flavor, this is certainly up there. I also got the last bottle in my town, and knowing they are having trouble meeting demand, that makes it that much sweeter.
Come to think of it, it is about time to give it a second try
that's because the yamazaki 12 (and 10yo for that matter) doesn't use any sherry casks.
the 18yo has lots of sherry casks in it thou
Got my first Yamazaki, the 12 yr, last night after being accepted into graduate school. I've also had an unopened bottle of Corryvreckan for precisely this occasion for over a year (that's for this weekend).
My reaction to the Yamazaki. Nose was excellent, really superb. I thought it was one of the best noses I've experienced. I was expecting the sherry to be more prevalent and was a bit surprised at how "tame" the whisky, which isn't meant as a knock, as I thought it was extremely balanced.
But as I've professed on here on more than one occassion, I gravitate towards whiskies that really announce themselves. I would say, however, that among whiskies I've had that don't bowl me over with flavor, this is certainly up there. I also got the last bottle in my town, and knowing they are having trouble meeting demand, that makes it that much sweeter.
Come to think of it, it is about time to give it a second try
I like the Yamazaki 12yo; it's a very drinkable whiskey. I've heard it said this way, so I'll just repeat it: The difference between Scotch whiskey and Japanese whiskey is how they're made. Yes, they follow the same process. What you get in the bottle with Japanese whiskey is very much by design. It tastes that way because that is exactly what they wanted. They engineered the whiskey to be that way.
Scotch whiskey, on the other hand, is by default. They use the ingredients that they have, and let them speak for themselves.
[edit] It was Ralfy in his Yoichi review
chrisisawesome
Member
I second the Cragganmore 12, its an excellent scotch! Really nothing bad to say about it. It reminds me a little bit of the Talisker but less harsh - very smooth actually.
Another you may want to look into is the Glenmorangie 10. I freaking love it; fruity and smooth, with smoke. Hint of vanilla. Just great!
I just bought a bottle of the Glenmorangie Astar today and can't wait to try it out. I've heard great things
walbertsmith
Member
Are you referring to the stemless tumblers in your cabinet? Those are absolutely fine for most purposes, but being stemless it means that you're warming the whiskey with your hand, which may be undesirable.
And like TheCHENRY states, I would say they're worth the investment especially since they're rather cheap. I got mine as part of an Old Pulteney gift package, in fact.
So i just tried the comus, on of the peatiest whiskies in the world (167ppm). 3-4x more peat than the laphroaig 10yo
Nose: vanilla, Creme Brulee, peat, cream, slightly mineralic
Mouth: peat, dry-ish, a bit vanilla cream
Finish: massive peat, medical - then mild, cream, creme brulee
Well this is excellent, in concept it sounds rather gimmicky but it is really good. At first you have this massive wall of peat but underneath it is reeeeaally creamy with vanilla creme brulee, mild and lovely.
The Creme brulee comparison is really striking, it's like a drinkable peated creme brulee
And for the glass discussion above, if you don't have whisky nosing glasses i recommend using wine glasses. They work rather well and are much better for nosing than tumblers.
AngmarsKing701
Member
So I've been pretty much a Glenfiddich man, and mostly just the 12 year. I don't drink it a lot, mostly during the holidays, so it's never been a huge part of my drinking habits.
However, Friday night gaming has sort of become a staple and rather than slinging beers I've taken to popping open the Glenfiddich 12 for a glass or two. Now I'm considering what to move up to. I saw some sort of whisky drinking chart on malts.com that showed the various flavors and whatnot. I think I'm more interested in the lighter end of the spectrum. I don't think I'd like a real heavy peaty flavor, so that rules out the Laphroaig and the Tallisker.
The Glenfiddich 18 looks intriguing with the apples/cinnamon flavor. Has anyone tried it? How does it differ from the 12? Any other recommendations in the maybe slightly more robust category but not all the way at the peaty side of things? Glenmorangie? Macallan?
However, Friday night gaming has sort of become a staple and rather than slinging beers I've taken to popping open the Glenfiddich 12 for a glass or two. Now I'm considering what to move up to. I saw some sort of whisky drinking chart on malts.com that showed the various flavors and whatnot. I think I'm more interested in the lighter end of the spectrum. I don't think I'd like a real heavy peaty flavor, so that rules out the Laphroaig and the Tallisker.
The Glenfiddich 18 looks intriguing with the apples/cinnamon flavor. Has anyone tried it? How does it differ from the 12? Any other recommendations in the maybe slightly more robust category but not all the way at the peaty side of things? Glenmorangie? Macallan?
Pristine_Condition
Member
Too sweet for my taste. If you like sweet bourbon, IMO, save your time and money and buy a Wild Turkey 12 to satisfy that need.
Chuckie
Member
I haven't tried the 18 but I have tried the 21. It was very nice. A bit rum/raisin kind of taste.
You should try the Glenlivet. It is non-peaty and I prefer it to Glenfiddich. Another awesome one is the Highland Park 12.
AngmarsKing701
Member
Local ABC store had several options. I picked The Glenlivet 15 over the Highland Park 12. The nose is definitely milder than the Glenfiddich 12, but the palate is stronger. Given this is probably the first scotch other than Glenfiddich than I've had in almost 20 years, I like it. Might need to grow on me a bit. Told the wife to put Glenfiddich 18 on the short list of birthday/Father's Day/Christmas items for me.
archnemesis
Member
Nice one! My Yamazaki is empty and I was thinking of getting something else from Suntory. Have you tried Hakushu or Yamazaki Puncheon?
archnemesis
Member
I agree that the 18yo is superior to the 12yo, but it's also quite pricey here ($175 for 700 ml). I'll probably try the Hakushu 12yo for now and then pick up the fancier variants when I'm travelling. Thanks!
Augemitbutter
Member
Hakushu 12 is one of my favorites, good choice!
Glenfiddich Single Malt bottle sells for record $94,000
An extremely rare bottle of Glenfiddich has sold at auction for a record-breaking $94,000.
The bottle of 55 year old Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve, one of only 11 bottles in the world, shattered the record for the most expensive bottle of whiskey ever sold at auction. More + Source
Glenfiddich Single Malt bottle sells for record $94,000
An extremely rare bottle of Glenfiddich has sold at auction for a record-breaking $94,000.
The bottle of 55 year old Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve, one of only 11 bottles in the world, shattered the record for the most expensive bottle of whiskey ever sold at auction. More + Source
Hopefully he pours it over around 4 ice cubes and really enjoys it
:>
Another Japanese whisky - lil review of the Nikka Yoichi 15yo from the Yoichi distillery on the island of Hokkaido.
Bottled at 45% vol it is one of the four main standard bottlings of Yoichi at
10, 12, 15 and 20 years
Nose
eat, salami, medical, cedar wood
Mouth: peat, oak, walnut
Finish: malt, peat, smoky, peat sweetness, spices, wood, drying towards the end
Comments: Excellent! Elegant but also thik and heavy. Costs aroun 90.
Bottled at 45% vol it is one of the four main standard bottlings of Yoichi at
10, 12, 15 and 20 years
Nose
eat, salami, medical, cedar woodMouth: peat, oak, walnut
Finish: malt, peat, smoky, peat sweetness, spices, wood, drying towards the end
Comments: Excellent! Elegant but also thik and heavy. Costs aroun 90.
chrisisawesome
Member
So I finally got my bottle of yamazaki 12 and wow I'm impressed. Great taste; flowery scent with a bit of cinnamon. Goes down smooth yet dry. A little smoke. Reminds me of a cragganmore 12 but lighter (in a good way; less peat).
I know it's not a single malt... but I got this for my bro-in-law:
Anyone familiar with it or have any comments/opinions on it?
I've never had it, but I'm hoping it's a good drink.
I've had it before. It is better than the original black, much smoother. I'm sure you and your brother in law will enjoy it. I like it on ice.
walbertsmith
Member
Double Black is good, not great. I don't believe it'll change your current opinion of Black Label though.. in other words, if you like Black Label, you'll like Double Black... if you're meh about Black Label, then you'll be meh about this.
I do detect a stronger hint of smoke and peat and maybe it could be more if it didn't follow the annoying JW standard of bottling at 40% ABV... but the last bottle of Black Label I bought was a few years ago (recent bottles were gifts because while people know I love scotch, they aren't familiar with anything but JW) and I've bought my last bottle of Double Black.
Like Black Label, Double Black ended up being my go-to when I didn't care about taste and just wanted to sip something on the rocks.
With that said, my buddy who only drinks JW LOVES Double Black. So there's that.
I do detect a stronger hint of smoke and peat and maybe it could be more if it didn't follow the annoying JW standard of bottling at 40% ABV... but the last bottle of Black Label I bought was a few years ago (recent bottles were gifts because while people know I love scotch, they aren't familiar with anything but JW) and I've bought my last bottle of Double Black.
Like Black Label, Double Black ended up being my go-to when I didn't care about taste and just wanted to sip something on the rocks.
With that said, my buddy who only drinks JW LOVES Double Black. So there's that.
POWERSPHERE
Member
I like JW Black as a basic on the rocks sipper, but that JW taste... It's there with all of them, what is that?
chrisisawesome
Member
Johnnie Black is solid! The double black is a little too much; had a glass and it just felt a little more intense than I'd usually like. Very rough tasting. I'm a fan of regular black and the Green (really like the green).
I think i know what you mean about that "taste" but cant quite put my finger on it. It's a specific peat taste... Not bad though.
walbertsmith
Member
The Double Black bottle is *extremely* sexy, haha.
Globehopper
Member
Some friends and I went out for Whisky Day yesterday (Michael Jackson's birthday - the whisky writer, not the singer!) and we spent a good amount of time drinking Nikka 21. I just love it.
You're in Canada aren't you? I've read that whisky is very expensive in Japan. You can get the Nikka 21 in BC ($180) or Alberta ($140), not sure if that's any cheaper than getting it from Japan. More authentic getting it from the source anyway I suppose
Some friends and I went out for Whisky Day yesterday (Michael Jackson's birthday - the whisky writer, not the singer!) and we spent a good amount of time drinking Nikka 21. I just love it.
You're in Canada aren't you? I've read that whisky is very expensive in Japan. You can get the Nikka 21 in BC ($180) or Alberta ($140), not sure if that's any cheaper than getting it from Japan. More authentic getting it from the source anyway I suppose
prices should be in the same ballpark, the times that japanese whisky was cheaper outside of japan are more or less over.
single cask japanese whiskies can be a good chunk cheaper in Japan thou.
My latest get was a Dalmore 15. It's not bad, but it doesn't really excite me all that much. To the point where I wouldn't get it again. I think it's a Highlands thing, it's the third Highlands that I'm aware I've had and I've only really liked one of them (a Glenmorangie).
I've never had Johnny Walker Green before but I'm told that it's really the best Johnny Walker for its price point, and I just found out that my Dad can get them on base for $40, $35 when they're on sale. The cheapest I've seen one at a normal liquor store was $65. So, I'll have that for this weekend.
I've never had Johnny Walker Green before but I'm told that it's really the best Johnny Walker for its price point, and I just found out that my Dad can get them on base for $40, $35 when they're on sale. The cheapest I've seen one at a normal liquor store was $65. So, I'll have that for this weekend.
AngmarsKing701
Member
I started my single malt drinking with the Glenfiddich 12, and there's still a bottle of that in my cabinet. I've had the Glenfiddich 15 as well, which is good.
Recently I was convinced by Whisky-GAF to pick up The Glenlivet 15, which I find incredibly smooth and has become my preference.
I did a little online review searching recently and I'm looking at these 4 as my next choices:
Dalwhinnie 15
Glenmorangie 12
The Balvenie 12
Glenfiddich 18
Any advice from GAF on these choices? I'm not big into really peaty whisky (or at least I don't believe I would like it based on my tastes).
Recently I was convinced by Whisky-GAF to pick up The Glenlivet 15, which I find incredibly smooth and has become my preference.
I did a little online review searching recently and I'm looking at these 4 as my next choices:
Dalwhinnie 15
Glenmorangie 12
The Balvenie 12
Glenfiddich 18
Any advice from GAF on these choices? I'm not big into really peaty whisky (or at least I don't believe I would like it based on my tastes).
chrisisawesome
Member
I love the glenmorangie line of scotches. The Original 10 is probably my default "go to" since its not nearly as expensive as others.
I honestly was not a huge fan of the Balvenie 12; i thought it was very harsh and had too much sherry for my liking.
Dalwhinnie 15 was ok. can't really remember it but it was slightly better than the Balvenie 12.
I tried the Glenfiddich 15 and thought it wasn't that great. No idea on the 18.
So overall I'd recommend going for a Glenmorangie; really smooth, fruity, light, a little smoke. Quite a bit different than the Glenlivet 15 and Glenfiddich 15!
[KoRp]Jazzman
Member
All 4 good choices, make sure you get the Balv Doublewood though instead of the signature. That is probably my favourite "everyday" scotch. The Fiddich 18 is good, but not a huge difference from the 15 I found (though it is my favourite for the 12-21 range). Dal and Morgaine are both good as well, you really cant go wrong with any of your choices.
My parents just brought me back 2 bottles of Oban and it nearly brought tears to my eyes. $55 a bottle instead of $120 here in Saskatchewan.... God you Americans are lucky lol.
AngmarsKing701
Member
[KoRp]Jazzman;36631946 said:
I saw a review of the Oban 14 that definitely had me considering it, but the guy was suggesting that it's more of a "dessert" whisky.
[KoRp]Jazzman
Member
Dessert = Face Melting Awesomeness then.
I havent had it in about a year, but I remember being blown away with it. I shall crack a bottle tomorrow and tell you about it if I can remember good sir!
I havent had it in about a year, but I remember being blown away with it. I shall crack a bottle tomorrow and tell you about it if I can remember good sir!
- Status