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[TheExodu5]

Mmmmm Oban is really quite delicious. It's unlike anything else I've tried. It's unlike a Speyside, and it's unlike an Islay whisky. I don't know how to best describe the taste/smell....salt water maybe? Maybe some kind of herb... Bit of smoke and sweetness to balance it all out. Really nice. Finish is very quick, but it's tasty.

I may have to pick up the Oban 14 and add it to my collection.

edit: oooh boy smelling the empty glass of Oban an hour later...it is pungent...not pleasant at all. I didn't really pick up on any of that while drinking it, but I can see how some that have wouldn't like it.

 

[Tea and Toast]

Right, I'm not a big drinker. Whisky, so far has all tasted the same to me with different degrees of burn. The only whisky I've got any slight enjoyment out

of was Penderyn Sherrywood. None the less, I want to find something that I really like, if that's even possible.

I've got a set from masters of malt which includes these. Where shall I start?

Auchentoshan Three Wood / Caol Ila 12 Year / Edradour 10 year old / Glenfarclas 40 year old / Springbank 15 year old

One thing I don't understand is where the all these apparent flavours come from. Vanilla, orange, caramel, toffee, coffee etc

If whisky tasted like that, I would drink it by the litre. Maybe my taste buds don't work properly.

 

[TheExodu5]

Sip it. Maybe put in a bit of water. Leave the whisky in your mouth for 3-5 seconds before you swallow...that will let you taste the flavors and greatly diminish the burn. I can't say I really pick up on all of the flavors people talk about...whisky has very unique flavors to me, and I enjoy it as it is. At best, I'd describe the flavors as: sweet, floral, smokey, peaty. Maybe in time I'll associate whiskies to other flavors.

And Glenfarclas 40 year old? WHAT!? That must be worth a fortune.

edit:
http://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/glenfarclas-40-year-old-whisky/

$30 for 30ml. Damn.

 

[Tea and Toast]

$30 for 30ml. Damn.

I didn't pay that. It's part of a set and I have a trade account with Masters of Malt so it's quite a bit cheaper.

 

[Gorechylde]

Right, I'm not a big drinker. Whisky, so far has all tasted the same to me with different degrees of burn. The only whisky I've got any slight enjoyment out

of was Penderyn Sherrywood. None the less, I want to find something that I really like, if that's even possible.

I've got a set from masters of malt which includes these. Where shall I start?

Auchentoshan Three Wood / Caol Ila 12 Year / Edradour 10 year old / Glenfarclas 40 year old / Springbank 15 year old

One thing I don't understand is where the all these apparent flavours come from. Vanilla, orange, caramel, toffee, coffee etc

If whisky tasted like that, I would drink it by the litre. Maybe my taste buds don't work properly.

Oak (and maple to some degree) has those tastes locked in the wood. Throw some Jack Daniels grilling oak chips in your oven and bake them at 375-400 for 1.5-2 hours and you'll really get a sense of the smell and flavors that it emparts to the alcohol(Smells like Potpourri). When you toast and/or char the wood it brings those flavors to the surface and allows the alcohol to penetrate the wood through the cracks in the char. The longer it's aged the more those notes come forth and the indesirable alcohols will evaporate over time. Thats why old whiskeys and such usually have a very smooth finish to them(less burn). I've had some home distilled, oak aged whiskey that had most of the methanol and other undesirable alcohols removed from the spirit during distillation and subsequent cutting and it was very, very good. Only aged for 7 weeks.

 

[TheExodu5]

I didn't pay that. It's part of a set and I have a trade account with Masters of Malt so it's quite a bit cheaper.

Nice. But yeah, a lot of it is just learning how to drink it properly. I hated whisky when I got my first bottle of Glennfiddich. I just put it in a big tumbler and all I could taste was the alcohol. I put in ice cubes but it just watered it down and muted the flavor. I now dilute it with some room temp filtered water, and drink it in a Glencairn or nosing glass which allows me to appreciate the smell (which, honestly, is like 75% of the enjoyment for me). There are a lot of different tasting whiskies out there, especially when you get to the peatier stuff.

That variety pack should at least be interesting in that you'll be able to pick up the differences between those whiskies.

 

[Doorman]

This thread may yet still be the death of me.

Just before the weekend I had an opportunity to stop by a store which claims to have the biggest liquor selection in the state, conveniently located near my sisters' house about 25 minutes away from here. Just like last year I wanted to get myself something nice as a birthday present, and wound up killing my budget. For the American spirit fans I picked up a bottle of Rittenhouse Rye 100-proof. They had some 50mL miniature bottles, lots of vodkas and such, in terms of whiskies there were the typical Glenfiddich and Glenlivet and, to my surprise, Ardbeg Uigeadail, which is one I've wanted to try without having to plunk down for a whole bottle anyway. Lastly the big buy, which I'm hoping will become the new jewel of my collection, Highland Park 18. I was going to get the 15 initially but went temporarily crazy and decided to shell out for the older brother instead. That one will be opened up on Monday!

Last night I tried out the Rittenhouse for the first time, and I have to say I'm very happy to have picked it up and added it to my cabinet. It doesn't have the evolution of a Scotch, but comes with a really lovely sweet nose and a little spice-kick for a finish (for 50%abv, I'd hope so). It's a welcome addition, awesome value for the price, and oddly enough the alcohol content really didn't seem to affect me at all despite drinking quite a bit of it. Definitely worth a try if you're into bourbons or some of the sweeter Scotches.

With this purchase, I feel like I finally have enough bottles around to be worth posting my collection thusfar. Here are the whiskies on my shelf at the moment:

For all of this, I think it's going to be a while before I buy anything new.

 

[chrisisawesome]

Haven't posted in a while and I have a couple of new bottles I recently tried.

So after giving the Macallan 10 numerous tries, I think it's a solid scotch. It's very light, not smoky, no peat. I guess "delicate" would describe it. Reminds me f the Glenmorangie original, but lacking the bite of the Glenmorangie. They're about the same price and either one is fine. The Macallan is just a little to "light". Not much depth to it.

Had the new Johnnie walker Gold label Reserve. I never tried the regular gold label, but this new bottling is really nice. Expensive so I wouldn't buy it again, especially since I find the Green label to be better. I need to find a bottle of that again since its discontinued...

The glenfiddich 12 is good. I think it's a good bang for your buck. Little peat little smoke. Enough going on to be enjoyable. Recommended.

Went back and tried my Oban14. Seeing how expensive it is, I don't drink it too often. It's still so damn good. Smooth, buttery texture. Full taste. Nice mouth full of smoke. Damn. Going to have to buy another bottle when this one inevitably finishes.

 

[Martian]

This thread may yet still be the death of me.

Just before the weekend I had an opportunity to stop by a store which claims to have the biggest liquor selection in the state, conveniently located near my sisters' house about 25 minutes away from here. Just like last year I wanted to get myself something nice as a birthday present, and wound up killing my budget. For the American spirit fans I picked up a bottle of Rittenhouse Rye 100-proof. They had some 50mL miniature bottles, lots of vodkas and such, in terms of whiskies there were the typical Glenfiddich and Glenlivet and, to my surprise, Ardbeg Uigeadail, which is one I've wanted to try without having to plunk down for a whole bottle anyway. Lastly the big buy, which I'm hoping will become the new jewel of my collection, Highland Park 18. I was going to get the 15 initially but went temporarily crazy and decided to shell out for the older brother instead. That one will be opened up on Monday!

Last night I tried out the Rittenhouse for the first time, and I have to say I'm very happy to have picked it up and added it to my cabinet. It doesn't have the evolution of a Scotch, but comes with a really lovely sweet nose and a little spice-kick for a finish (for 50%abv, I'd hope so). It's a welcome addition, awesome value for the price, and oddly enough the alcohol content really didn't seem to affect me at all despite drinking quite a bit of it. Definitely worth a try if you're into bourbons or some of the sweeter Scotches.

With this purchase, I feel like I finally have enough bottles around to be worth posting my collection thusfar. Here are the whiskies on my shelf at the moment:

For all of this, I think it's going to be a while before I buy anything new.

Mann, that Yamazaki and Aberlour look good!
I never had yamazaki, but it's high on my wishlist.

The Aberlour tastes amazing! I had my first bottle half a year ago, and I have been hooked since. So refined taste

 

[Doorman]

Mann, that Yamazaki and Aberlour look good!
I never had yamazaki, but it's high on my wishlist.

The Aberlour tastes amazing! I had my first bottle half a year ago, and I have been hooked since. So refined taste

For a long time, the A'bunadh has been the most expensive bottle on my shelf. That and the fact that it's so rich means that I haven't really tapped into it very often. Now that I have the HP18 as the new crown of my collection, I may be tempted to dip into it a bit more. I already know that once my Aberlour is toast, I want to follow it up with the GlenDronach 15-y Revival, another known rich sherry beast.

The Yamazaki I find to be very smooth and decently-balanced. That and the Glenmorangie Original tend to be my "whenever" scotches when I just want something to sip on without a particular occasion. The Rittenhouse will probably join that rotation on sheer value. The rest are more occasion-specific.

 

[chrisisawesome]

For a long time, the A'bunadh has been the most expensive bottle on my shelf. That and the fact that it's so rich means that I haven't really tapped into it very often. Now that I have the HP18 as the new crown of my collection, I may be tempted to dip into it a bit more. I already know that once my Aberlour is toast, I want to follow it up with the GlenDronach 15-y Revival, another known rich sherry beast.

The Yamazaki I find to be very smooth and decently-balanced. That and the Glenmorangie Original tend to be my "whenever" scotches when I just want something to sip on without a particular occasion. The Rittenhouse will probably join that rotation on sheer value. The rest are more occasion-specific.

I've heard good things of the A'bunadh, but have only tried the Aberlour 10 seeing as its a good value. Have you tried some of te other Aberlour offerings like the 12 year? I'm curious about it since its a bit less than the one you have.

 

[Doorman]

I've heard good things of the A'bunadh, but have only tried the Aberlour 10 seeing as its a good value. Have you tried some of te other Aberlour offerings like the 12 year? I'm curious about it since its a bit less than the one you have.

Sadly I haven't tried any other Aberlours. The only Scotch whiskies that I've tried that aren't currently on the shelf are some in-bar glasses of the Dalwhinnie 15 and Glenlivet 12, and a small bottle of Macallan 12 that was part of my initial buy a year ago. I'm not really sure what the price difference is between the more "normal" Aberlours and the A'bunadh, but I imagine that the overall character is the same, just with less heat and punch to it.

 

[macfoshizzle]

so over the weekend i tried some amazing scotch. first was the laphroaig 18 which was my first time and i have to say it was amazingly smooth. very different from any other scotch i had before.. very dusty and smoky.

the 2nd is the Bruichladdich Black Art 1989 which was also fantastic. very sweet but not overly powered. fruity and full bodied. almost like a macallan 18.. this shit is good!

 

[AngmarsKing701]

I wish I could get just a dram of that Laphroaig to try it out. I'm really concerned about not liking the peaty/smoky taste of it, but it's so highly rated that I feel I'm missing something. I just don't want to cough up $100 or so for something I might not like.

 

[macfoshizzle]

I wish I could get just a dram of that Laphroaig to try it out. I'm really concerned about not liking the peaty/smoky taste of it, but it's so highly rated that I feel I'm missing something. I just don't want to cough up $100 or so for something I might not like.

my friend didn't like it as much. he thought it had a "gasoline" taste to it which is the smoky and dusty taste i identified. it has no sweetness at all.

 

[dojokun]

I wish I could get just a dram of that Laphroaig to try it out. I'm really concerned about not liking the peaty/smoky taste of it, but it's so highly rated that I feel I'm missing something. I just don't want to cough up $100 or so for something I might not like.

Try the Laphroaig 10 year. It's $46 or so.

 

[chrisisawesome]

Sadly I haven't tried any other Aberlours. The only Scotch whiskies that I've tried that aren't currently on the shelf are some in-bar glasses of the Dalwhinnie 15 and Glenlivet 12, and a small bottle of Macallan 12 that was part of my initial buy a year ago. I'm not really sure what the price difference is between the more "normal" Aberlours and the A'bunadh, but I imagine that the overall character is the same, just with less heat and punch to it.

Sounds good!

Those are the prices for aberlour where I am. The only bottle I've actually bought was the Aberlour 10, which is really good for the price. Maybe if I find the a'bunadh while on vacation somewhere for a better price ill jump on it.

 

[n3ss]

Damn this thread... Here's my current collection

[left to right] Lagavulin 16, Compass Box Great King St, Hibiki 12, Nikka Pure Malt Black, and Nikka From The Barrel

 

[nomis]

got a new/old cabinet
and loaded it with my collection (◕◡&#9685

 

[TheExodu5]

Sorry, not a single malt...not even close...but it's still quite delicious:

Last time I tried Crown Royal, I commented that it had a really nice smell, but felt really young...the woody flavors were overshadowed by the ethanol. Well here's their maple finished whisky. It still has the nice Crown Royal nose, but with a strong maple smell to go along with it. The maple is a bit more subdued in the taste, which is good as it really just complements the whole package. It doesn't feel overly sweet. Somehow the ethanol taste is completely absent here compared to their base offering. The finish on it is also really interesting. It has a really long finish for such a young whisky. Having tried starfruit for the first time this week, I'd say the finish is actually reminiscent of starfruit...very strange.

Really good stuff. I'd totally keep buying this if they keep producing it.

Sounds good!

Those are the prices for aberlour where I am. The only bottle I've actually bought was the Aberlour 10, which is really good for the price. Maybe if I find the a'bunadh while on vacation somewhere for a better price ill jump on it.

Quebecois, eh? You should check out the Dalmore 12 or Bunnahabhain 12. They're both great whiskies at half decent prices at the SAQ. I plan on picking them up next time I'm in Hull.

 

[chrisisawesome]

I had the Isle of Jura 10 year at a buddys last night. Wow great taste, smooth and not harsh at all, very easy to drink. Love it. Not that expensive either!

 

[TheExodu5]

Update to the Crown Royal Maple...I guess my tastebuds were different yesterday. The maple definitely feels artificial, and it is maybe a tad sweet. Still nice though.

Picked up a small bottle of Oban 14 and Johnny Walker Black...this will be my first time buying an American whisky. I hear Black Label is pretty good.

 

[Doorman]

Update to the Crown Royal Maple...I guess my tastebuds were different yesterday. The maple definitely feels artificial, and it is maybe a tad sweet. Still nice though.

Picked up a small bottle of Oban 14 and Johnny Walker Black...this will be my first time buying an American whisky. I hear Black Label is pretty good.

No, it won't be...Johnnie Walker is blended scotch.

 

[TheExodu5]

No, it won't be...Johnnie Walker is blended scotch.

I've never bought Johnnie Walker.

 

[adamsappel]

I've never bought Johnnie Walker.

He means, JW is not American. It's made in Scotland.


I heard today that Maker's Mark is going to water down their bourbon because they don't have enough supply to meet demand, so if you want some of the standard 90-proof hit your liquor store soon. I have a full bottle of that and their 46, so I'm good. JW is also not making the Green Label scotch, so it will also become rare.

 

[TheExodu5]

He means, JW is not American. It's made in Scotland.


I heard today that Maker's Mark is going to water down their bourbon because they don't have enough supply to meet demand, so if you want some of the standard 90-proof hit your liquor store soon. I have a full bottle of that and their 46, so I'm good. JW is also not making the Green Label scotch, so it will also become rare.

Ahah, I always assumed it was American.

 

[chrisisawesome]

He means, JW is not American. It's made in Scotland.


I heard today that Maker's Mark is going to water down their bourbon because they don't have enough supply to meet demand, so if you want some of the standard 90-proof hit your liquor store soon. I have a full bottle of that and their 46, so I'm good. JW is also not making the Green Label scotch, so it will also become rare.

Green Label being discontinued is a bummer. It is so good for the price. I never bothered buying another bottle since it's been discontinued for a while and my stores had them, that is, until very recently. Oh well, next time i'm in the US i'll be on the lookout.

 

[Mascot]

I'll be doing some work at the Talisker distillery on the Isle of Skye next month. Hoping to sample some of their rarer stuff if they'll let me.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

I'll be doing some work at the Talisker distillery on the Isle of Skye next month. Hoping to sample some of their rarer stuff if they'll let me.

Enjoy!

 

[TheExodu5]

On more of a maple whisky kick...tried Sortilege and Tap 357. Sortilege doesn't have a great nose, but the maple taste and mouthfeel are incredible. It's like drinking maple syrup. Tap 357 has a bit of a raw rye whisky taste to it, and the maple is pretty mild...not bad though. If you really want a treat, take yourself a good, mellow whisky and add in 1 part Canadian maple syrup for 3 parts whisky. Absolutely delicious. Sacrilege to single malt, I know, but give it a shot with some cheaper stuff. Delicious.

edit: just tried it with a single malt, the Yamazaki 12 (don't really care for the Yamazaki 12, so I figured why not). Probably not worth it, as the single malt really overpowers the maple flavor. Still, I have to say, while I can't explicitly taste maple, it's pretty delicious. I'll probably use up the rest of my Yamazaki 12 this way. Definitely a bit heavy handed, but the maple really gives the Yamazaki 12 some real body. /blasphemy

edit2: I just mixed maple syrup with Ardbeg 10. I'm going straight to hell. My god this is good, though. I feel so bad doing this, but a bit of maple syrup gives the Arbeg 10 the touch of sweetness and body I always wish it had.

 

[jon bones]

beautiful girlfriend got me delicious scotch for valentine's day.... mmmm love the islay

 

[TheExodu5]

Whoa...Johnny Walker Black is really good. My taste buds are a bit overloaded today as I had some durian, so I'll do a proper tasting another day. Still, really surprised by this one. I love that it has a touch of peat. Seems like a really balanced whisky.

 

[Telosfortelos]

Any thoughts on unaged silver whiskeys?

I know it's a bit of an oxymoron, as a requirement to call something whiskey is that it's barrel aged, but there are a few distilleries that drop it in a barrel and immediately remove it. Other companies are just calling it moonshine, which I find a bit obnoxious and dishonest for other reasons.

I'm drinking High West Silver Western Oat at the moment, and it's surprisingly delicious and complex. There are a lot of notes coming through that I had previously assumed came from barrels. Oat itself is really atypical, so I guess I'm not getting as much of a "pure" unaged experience as I might get with something else. It's delicious though! Smooth (cut down to 80 proof) and a little sweet with a nice vanilla note. It seems like it'd make a nice cocktail whiskey, and I'll likely make Old Fashioneds later in the week.

So anyone else have experiences with "white" whiskeys? Any favorites?

 

[bremon]

Well this seems as good a place as any to ask this question. My favorite rye that I've ran into so far is Wiser's Reserve, and it's been discontinued for a while now. I've switched to just mostly drinking Wiser's Deluxe, or occasionally Small Batch. Any recommendations that are fairly similar to Reserve, if you have some experience with it?

I realize there are plenty of options listed in this thread, but I'm not particularly great with all the terminology, for the most part I just know what I like, and what I don't.

 

[Telosfortelos]

Well this seems as good a place as any to ask this question. My favorite rye that I've ran into so far is Wiser's Reserve, and it's been discontinued for a while now. I've switched to just mostly drinking Wiser's Deluxe, or occasionally Small Batch. Any recommendations that are fairly similar to Reserve, if you have some experience with it?

I realize there are plenty of options listed in this thread, but I'm not particularly great with all the terminology, for the most part I just know what I like, and what I don't.

I'm a big fan of Willett Rye.

 

[Doorman]

While I'm hardly a rye expert, the one I do currently have in my collection is the Rittenhouse 100-proof rye. It doesn't go through the same sort of complex flavor-evolution that some scotches do, but I love the nose on it, it's very tasty and smooth considering its strength. I haven't gone through a whole ton of the bottle yet, but I really enjoyed what I did have and the fairly low price charged for the quality of what you're getting makes for a great value. With so many scotch whiskies out there in the world I haven't given much consideration to re-buying a whisky I've had already, but this is definitely one I could see keeping restocked for all occasions.

 

[Divius]

Got a bottle of Laphroaig 10 for my birthday the other day. So peaty, so delicious.
Just bought a bottle of Dahlwinnie 15. So smooth, so delicious.

Also just found out my local store is having another tasting, this time we'll be exploring the Glenlivet. Maybe not the most exciting brand (especially considering it was Glenfiddich last time) but it's quite informative and a lot of fun anyway.

 

[Monroeski]

He means, JW is not American. It's made in Scotland.


I heard today that Maker's Mark is going to water down their bourbon because they don't have enough supply to meet demand, so if you want some of the standard 90-proof hit your liquor store soon. I have a full bottle of that and their 46, so I'm good. JW is also not making the Green Label scotch, so it will also become rare.

Maker's has actually reneged since this post and aren't changing their proof.

Ironically, sales of the lower proof version that they were making have gone through the roof as people want bottles of the "collector's" 84 proof.

 

[TCRS]

I bought my first scotch today. Glengannon, a blended scotch, aged for 5 years. Please don't shoot me but I didn't want to spend €30 without knowing what I am getting into (this one cost me €10). But I really like it, I am intrigued. Very flowery, fruity taste. Almost too much but I am guessing the single malts won't be as flowery and fruity.

 

[AnkitT]

So, after nearly 2 years of relative dryness, im thinking of jumping back on the wagon after being gifted a glencairn glass. Always wanted to try the japanese malts, but they're so damn expensive! I'm open to suggestions!

PS - Reading back through my posts in this thread is such a time warp for me. So many things have changed.

 

[S. L.]

meh, ordered a 2012 Yamazaki Puncheon from TWE but they delivered a old one without year

 

[AngmarsKing701]

My wife picked me up an Aberlour 16. It's definitely got honey on the tongue that reminds me of the Glenlivet but then it packs that barley whollop with a toasty finish (not quite a burn) that makes it distinct.

Me likey.

 

[Badgerst3]

Still a novice but so far oban 14 and balvenie 12 year double wood have my favs.

Wish I could find Yamazaki 12 in a SoCal bevmo.

 

[devildog820]

Going to try the Abelour. Too many good things about it not to.

I also tried Hibiki, it rocked. Almost sweeter, but not harsh.

 

[Kwixotik]

I'm already drunk but I want to get drunker. The only alcohol I have left is the last bit of my Highland Park 12. Should I do it?

 

[foomfoom415]

Nah, save it for when you aren't drunk. It's good for getting from 0 to 60. Don't waste it on 60 to 100.

 

[XenoRaven]

Hello thread. I have recently started drinking scotch. Actually I have recent started drinking alcohol in general but have found most drinks pretty boring until I tried scotch. I'm looking for some suggestions of stuff to try. Here's what I've had so far in order of how much I liked it.

I've tried a few others but I couldn't find pics. I ended up trying scotch because this thread described it as "drinking a campfire." It turns out that that is a very apt description in regards to the Lagavulin. The complexity and subtlety to the flavor really interests me. The Balvenie 14 is my go to so far because I really enjoy the flavor but it's in a reasonable price range for me. I'd be interested to see what Scotch GAF thinks of my choices so far.

 

[archnemesis]

Maybe you could try Ardbeg and Yamazaki. Those are also popular with the same people who like Lagavulin.

 

[Jay Sosa]

What would you guys say is the best cheap brand? With cheap I mean Jack, Johnny Walker Chivas, stuff that is well known and easy to get your hands on. Thanks in advance.

Co worker said Jameson and Dimple, you guys agree?

 

[AngmarsKing701]

What would you guys say is the best cheap brand? With cheap I mean Jack, Johnny Walker Chivas, stuff that is well known and easy to get your hands on. Thanks in advance.

Co worker said Jameson and Dimple, you guys agree?

I don't think those are single malts.