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single malt whisky thread

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Danoss said:
I've been thinking about getting into the single malts for a while, but had no idea where to start. Thanks to you guys and all the excellent info, I've taken the first step today.

Came home with this a little earlier.

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Excellent first step! It acclimatised me to the burn and has a nice flavour, but now i've tasted the Lagavulin I understand the draw of Peat fiends... I'm sure I have a path of a few 'peaty' whiskys before I get used to the novelty, but damn Lagavulin is the most satisfying liquor i've ever tasted. i'm going to enjoy this year of wandering through the Islay malts, knowing it's something i'm going to enjoy forever. The rush of finding something that is new and exciting and a life long investment is like when I got my first Commodore 64. Good times.

Goatboy said:
It's great for us "common folk" on a budget who like it a bit smokey.
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I do love the Black, its what showed me I might like nicer whiskys, thinking of picking up a bottle as i'm wondering how it tastes now i've had a tiny bit of a wander into the world of single malts.
 
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Bought a Suntory Yamazaki 12 Year Old Single Malt today. Haven't opened it yet. Anyone tried this one?
 
taku said:
Bought a Suntory Yamazaki 12 Year Old Single Malt today. Haven't opened it yet. Anyone tried this one?
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I was just about to ask my friend coming home from japan to pick me up a bottle.

Why don't you open it and let us know?
 
POWERSPHERE said:
I was just about to ask my friend coming home from japan to pick me up a bottle.

Why don't you open it and let us know?
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Ah man, I was actually going to save this one for later. I might give it a taste tonight if I feel like it though..
 
taku said:
Ah man, I was actually going to save this one for later. I might give it a taste tonight if I feel like it though..
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For sure. Selfishly, i'd love to hear your thoughts though..

Man, this Lagavulin is nearly just as good to smell as to drink. I hold a glass for 10 minutes or so before my first sip just to let the scent fill the room. Lovely.
 
Jasup said:
It took me few years during which I couldn't even look at the stuff. But gradually I got back to it. I did drink blended whiskys before the harsh leap to the world of single malts and they got cut almost completely from my diet.

From the ones I've tasted so far (properly) I'd say Ardbeg 10 y.o. is my favourite. I don't know why, but it always draws me back to it. Stuff like Glenlivet is easier to enjoy yes, but still. Anyways, because of the way I started with the stuff I've never been able to get myself to the "single malt" connoisseur mind set: I drink it, I like it but it'll always be the stuff from my teenage years.
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:lol

I really want to try that Ardberg too btw. So far my two favorites are Laphroaig 10 yo and 10 yo Cask Strenght. I really don't know what to buy next. On my list are: Laphroaig 15 yo, quarter cask and Ardberg 10 yo.
 
taku said:
Bought a Suntory Yamazaki 12 Year Old Single Malt today. Haven't opened it yet. Anyone tried this one?
Click to expand...
I finished one of those last month. The 18 year old Yamazaki is one of my favorites and I was honestly a little disappointed with the 12 year old. At first I was going to replace it with the 25 year old, but then I realized how insanely expensive it is. Picked up a Lagavulin and a Mackmyra instead.
 
taku said:
4481179715_fcfa539c3d_o.jpg


Bought a Suntory Yamazaki 12 Year Old Single Malt today. Haven't opened it yet. Anyone tried this one?
Click to expand...

I am currently drinking the 10 year old and that one is quite nice, it's one of the 'softer' whisky or something. Nice springlike aftertaste.
 
This thread is very useful. I've been drinking my way through a Glenlivet & have been looking for recommendations for my next bottle. Cheers!
 
I took the plunge and invested in a Highland Park 12. I'm sitting down with my first taste right now...amazing. I didn't know whiskey could have such complex flavours. I may have just graduated from a beer boy to a whiskey man. :lol

I still <3 you beer

edit: I can't believe the number of smells you can get out of this stuff! I realize I'm not saying anything you guys don't already know...I just find this very exciting! :D
 
Duke Togo said:
I took the plunge and invested in a Highland Park 12. I'm sitting down with my first taste right now...amazing. I didn't know whiskey could have such complex flavours. I may have just graduated from a beer boy to a whiskey man. :lol

I still <3 you beer

edit: I can't believe the number of smells you can get out of this stuff! I realize I'm not saying anything you guys don't already know...I just find this very exciting! :D
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Just don't get into wine. Fine Burgundy makes rare single malt scotches look reasonably priced.
 
I keep hearing good things about Highland Park. I still have not replaced my now empty bottle of Glenlivet 15. It's Friday though and I'm thirsty for Scotch. It is ritualistic for me to have a nice Scotch on the rocks after work.

I need to decide on a bottle for tonight. I'm stuck between a Highland Park 12 and a Macallen 12. I've had the Macallen and enjoyed the minimalistic but somewhat unique flavor. However, reading about the complexities of Highland Park I'm really tempted to give it a shot.

I can't believe I'm thinking about whiskey at 8am.. :lol
 
Well, just finished with the Talisker, and it got better with subsequent sips. I just cant seem to handle the spicy residue at first, but the subtle flavours opened up later. Now to finish up the glenlivet later this evening! :D
 
i hope you guys are drinking your scotches responsibly, remember, this is a case of less is more. don't plan to finish a bottle every week or something. enjoy your single malts, and stay healthy.

as for highland park 12, i like it absolutely neat, but a drop of water will completely open up the bouquet, make it very smoky and light bodied. whatever you preffer, i personally like it full bodied and reserved.

now, highland park 18, i keep mentioning, is on a different level altogether, if you can, get this above everything else. used to be a well kept secret at $65 a bottle, now its already at $85...and perhaps will jump much higher sooner than later.
 
Got this one as a gift:

p1000872.jpg


Not too heavy, not too simple, hint of salt, little bit peaty and somewhat fruity. Amazingly long finish, very nice ... especially for free :D
 
I got some new whiskies, so a new post.

First of all I bought the Ardbeg 10 yo. A very nice peaty whisky. Pretty different from Laphroaig (which to be honest I still prefer)

As a gift my wife gave me Ardbeg Supernova, which is something else entirely. It was like an explosion of taste. Its very peaty (100 ppm) which gives it a very smokey taste, yet it does not have a tar and medicinal taste. I would say it's actually rather sweet.

I've only tasted it once, so there is no final judgment... but it might be my favorite whisky so far!

supernova-with-box-2-lo1.jpg
 
I need a fixing of single malt, can't decide on what to get, usually its Macallan 12 for me but Lagaluvin 16 sounds like the calling. Maybe Lagaluvin and some Makers Mark for some bourbon sippin as well.
 
I bought some Glenlivet 18 Year Old scotch because of this thread
and Mad Men
and I will never drink scotch again due to the burn and overall bad taste.
 
Spy said:
I bought some Glenlivet 18 Year Old scotch because of this thread
and Mad Men
and I will never drink scotch again due to the burn and overall bad taste.
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you'll probably learn to enjoy it before you reach the end of that bottle.
 
Picked up a bottle of Lagavulin 16 at Total Wine today, they suggested I give Oban a try next time. I noticed a brand called Battleaxe which I guess uses surplus whisky from various distillers, I noticed they had Macallen as one of their sources. Anyone try it?
 
For some reason I've been very curious about trying whiskey for the past week, and reading through this thread has convinced me. Gonna pick up a bottle of Glenlivet in the near future; would that be a good beginner's whiskey? I've been drinking beer and wine for a few years now, but I don't have much experience with stronger stuff. Wish me luck!
 
Yonn said:
For some reason I've been very curious about trying whiskey for the past week, and reading through this thread has convinced me. Gonna pick up a bottle of Glenlivet in the near future; would that be a good beginner's whiskey? I've been drinking beer and wine for a few years now, but I don't have much experience with stronger stuff. Wish me luck!
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i'd go islay region to start, namely laphroaig 10 yr
 
Laphroaig is actually very tempting since it's gotten so many recommendations in the thread, but it seems to be one of the more "advanced" ones, dunno.

Oh yeah, my flatmate has some Jack Daniels (not scotch and not supposed to be very good, I know) so I'm currently sipping a glass. Nothing special, but I have no problem drinking it and I find the burn quite pleasant, which bodes well I guess. A bit sweeter than I expected, but not smoky at all.
 
Yonn said:
Laphroaig is actually very tempting since it's gotten so many recommendations in the thread, but it seems to be one of the more "advanced" ones, dunno.
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Nah, anyone who tells you that doesn't have a clue, or more likely, just doesn't like Islay. Go ahead and try a Laphroaig, even if it's your first. Plenty of people's (myself included) first whisky love was Laphroaig. It's not advanced, just very distinct. If you happen to hate it, don't give up on whisky, try something else. As far as single malts go, the Laphroaig 10 year is very affordable, whether you get it from a bar or dive in and buy a bottle. I'd recommend the former as tastes vary wildly and you don't want to be out $20-60 for a bottle of something you don't like.

You shouldn't need to try too hard to develop a taste for a whisky. When you find something you like, you should like it right away. If you're unsure how you feel after a dram, it might be worth giving it another shot sometime. But if you hate something, leave it be and try something else.
 
Picked up a bottle of Talisker 10 today, came across a 1991/2008 Lagavulin 16 Distiller's Edition, I did not have the funds to buy the Lagavulin :(
 
Yonn said:
Laphroaig is actually very tempting since it's gotten so many recommendations in the thread, but it seems to be one of the more "advanced" ones, dunno.

Oh yeah, my flatmate has some Jack Daniels (not scotch and not supposed to be very good, I know) so I'm currently sipping a glass. Nothing special, but I have no problem drinking it and I find the burn quite pleasant, which bodes well I guess. A bit sweeter than I expected, but not smoky at all.
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I'm drinking some laphroaig right now and am enjoying it a lot. It's the first whiskey bottle I bought for myself. I highly recommend it for coming from a new whiskey drinker myself.
 
Yonn said:
Seems like laphroiag then. :lol I'll report back when I've given it a good try, hopefully tomorrow.
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I'm curious what you'll think of it. I'm a huge fan of it (as you might have guessed from earlier posts)
 
Tence said:
I got some new whiskies, so a new post.

First of all I bought the Ardbeg 10 yo. A very nice peaty whisky. Pretty different from Laphroaig (which to be honest I still prefer)

As a gift my wife gave me Ardbeg Supernova, which is something else entirely. It was like an explosion of taste. Its very peaty (100 ppm) which gives it a very smokey taste, yet it does not have a tar and medicinal taste. I would say it's actually rather sweet.

I've only tasted it once, so there is no final judgment... but it might be my favorite whisky so far!

*Supernova.jpg*
Click to expand...

The Supernova is great, yes. Personally I love many of the Ardbegs. The Corryvreckan, for example, was a really nice addition.
 
So I found a bottle of laphroaig (quarter cask – is this different from the 10 year old?) on sale for £25 in town today and couldn't resist. After my first sip I was a believer. This is some tasty shit. I've never really tasted anything like it: very strong, salty and what I guess must be peaty. I absolutely love it.

Can't wait to start exploring other whiskys now. :D Thanks for the great recommendation guys!
 
I think the quarter cask is replacing the 10 year in a few markets. In others both are available side by side. They are similar but still distinct. Most reviews tend to favor the quarter cask, but they are both excellent and I find myself going back and forth between them, with the occasional venture into the 10 year cask strength.
 
Yonn said:
So I found a bottle of laphroaig (quarter cask – is this different from the 10 year old?) on sale for £25 in town today and couldn't resist. After my first sip I was a believer. This is some tasty shit. I've never really tasted anything like it: very strong, salty and what I guess must be peaty. I absolutely love it.

Can't wait to start exploring other whiskys now. :D Thanks for the great recommendation guys!
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Ah nice. The quarter cask is next on my list (I have the regular one and the hardcore Cask strenght).

I also want to try the Ardbeg Blasda, a not very peaty fruity Ardbeg.
 
I've had Ardbeg on my todo list for quite some time now, so I pulled the trigger:

p1010301.jpg


To be honest, it kicked my teeths in. I wasn't prepared at all, the nose sort of low profile: mild sting, salt, burned wood, but more sweet than bitter. The cask strength of ~54% delivered full impact, so warm, overwhelming assault on the taste buds. Took a breath and coughed like a little bitch. Got used to it after a couple three sips. Heavy weight body: peaty, oily, hints of smoked fish, spices, grassy, fruity and sweet. Super warm finish, numbing, very smooth and pleasant. What a monster, I'll be back for more.
 
Augemitbutter said:
very nice, why not add a lil bit of water?
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Never added any water to my single malts. I take my time, the first impact is as much part of the fun as the sips when it opened up all by itself after a few minutes.
 
Adding a couple of drops of water to a single malt releases a whole bunch of different oils and flavors in them. Much more than a couple drops and you risk diluting it though.
 
You're not really supposed to do anything other than drink it how you want it. Be that straight, on the rocks, or mixed with diet Coke, it doesn't really matter.

I like my cask strength straight, with a couple drops of water.
 
adamsappel said:
You're supposed to dilute cask-strength whisky. It's up to you to decide by how little.
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Yeah but by adding a couple of drops of water you release all nice kind of new flavours. If you put a lot of water in it, it doesn't add flavours, it just gets really "watery''. Ik think that's what foomfoom means. (But correct me if I'm wrong ;) )
 
Yeah, I just meant if you put in too much water you're essentially turning the cask strength into the standard 43/40/whatever.

Personally when I reach for cask strength I'm seeking the burn.
 
wiyb34.png

Ignore the wines. Can anyone review Jura? I just blindly picked it up.
edit: Hmmm. The nose seems a bit too peaty to me. Will post a full review later.
 
Ok, so the nose is pretty fruity with "woody" residues, and floral hints with a faint phenolic smell. The flavour is majorly toffey, very smooth, fresh with grain and fruit hint. The finish is very dry, a bit oily/creamy at first, but ends up oak wood dry . On the whole, very delicious, and very easy on the burn. :D A side note though, the cork was majorly fucked up on my bottle.
 
Tence said:
I got some new whiskies, so a new post.

First of all I bought the Ardbeg 10 yo. A very nice peaty whisky. Pretty different from Laphroaig (which to be honest I still prefer)

As a gift my wife gave me Ardbeg Supernova, which is something else entirely. It was like an explosion of taste. Its very peaty (100 ppm) which gives it a very smokey taste, yet it does not have a tar and medicinal taste. I would say it's actually rather sweet.

I've only tasted it once, so there is no final judgment... but it might be my favorite whisky so far!

supernova-with-box-2-lo1.jpg
Click to expand...

Goddamn that's a fine whisky :)

Just had a bowmore 12yo from a friend and I liked it :) Glenfiddich 18yo was also freaking awesome...tasted like sweet raisins..a hint of rum flavor in my opinion.

Next bottle will either be a Glenlivet Nadurra or the Glenlivet - Duncan Taylor - Rare Adult - Cask Strength...or maybe a highland park ooooooooor a bowmore...too many whisky's and not enough money ;)

I think i'll go for the Nadurra.
 
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