That time of the year is coming again and every year I get asked for ideas (which i’ll end up buying myself), so time to replenish the cabinet a bit.

Got plenty of Jura/Jura Superstition, Glenkinchie, Balvenie.

So I’m thinking Ardbeg or Bruichladdich (but not sure what one) so I pass it over to the hive mind for ideas.

The 18 year old Highland Park is very good

Bruichladdich is my next purchase if that helps

Im not an ardbeg fan though.

I ‘love’ Laphroaig; every-other bottle is usually Laphroaig.

I’ve got some Balvenie Double Wood on the go at the moment and I also enjoy a Glenlivet or Lagavulin.

Can’t really go wrong with any single Malt 😆

Glenlivet is in my top 3 and this is a special one, first tasted it when i visited the distillery last year.

http://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/the-glenlivet/the-glenlivet-16-year-old-nadurra-batch-0911p-whisky/?srh=1

Got any Whisky tasting evenings near you.

I’ve found Whisky to be a very personal thing when it comes to taste, hard to recommend really!

I’ve taken to getting to a decent purveyor of fine Whisky and just picking one I’ve not had before, just finished a bottle of Scapa which was thoroughly enjoyable.

Made 2 half litre kilners of bramble whisky, 1 half litre of bramble vodka, and a half litre of raspberry vodka this week. Will be ready for Christmas. The bramble whisky is nectar.

Caol Ila
Nose: smokey, peaty, citrus, barn owls on a summer’s day
Palate: smokey, peaty, sweet, sweet & sour cabbage and Auntie Joan’s Mardis Gras bra

no really, it’s just awesome smokey soft loveliness.

Ardbeg is great – not cheap and not for the feint hearted but if you like the proper malts, this is a proper malt 🙂

although Laphroaig is a real marmite whisky, it has a very specific aftertaste and you either like it or you don’t

Highland Park is good, can’t go wrong with Talisker either

[edit#] yes brakes – Caol Ila

AncNoc, Ledaig, Bunnahabain all winners

Laphroaig & Lagavulin both peaty nice but I don’t drink to much.

I normally recommend Highland Park slight hint of smoke but light and easy drinking, 18 year is to expensive for me normally drink 12.

I have a great bottle of The Laddie Ten, an unpeated Bruichladdich. Very nice, goes for about 30 notes.

If you can find it, the Benromach Organic is the best ‘bang for your buck’ whisky I’ve ever had. It knocks spots off stuff twice the price.

The cabinet has to have an Ardbeg. Even if it’s quite a small collection, it’s just such a strong point of reference.
Highland park also a mainstay – great for guests.

Something a bit off the beaten track that’s not too expensive would be a single grain whisky. Very different taste to the malts (far lighter IME) but worth a dram now and again. Something different.

I’ve got a bottle of this on the go at the moment:
http://www.englishwhisky.co.uk/whisky-shop/english-whisky-co-drinks/10/chapter-6

Sacrilege? Perhaps, lovely though!

Scapa.

I was lucky enough to try two beauties last night; a cask-strength Lagavulin, bottled in 1987, and a cask-strength Talisker, bottled in 1982. Wow!

Sorry for the slight hijack…

I only recently became a whisky fan, and after a tasting jumped in at the deep end with an Ardbeg Uigeadail, followed by a Corryvreckan (both supreb). I then decided to stretch my wings a little and went for a Talisker 10yo (bit dull), and I’m now on a Lagavulin 16yo (better than the Talisker, but not as good/intense as the Ardbegs.
Any suggestions on where to go from here for similar money? Or is it just a case of buy more Ardbeg?

Laphroig always comes in handy if you need to soak some field dressings. As for drinking it 😉

Caol Ila + 1 Always my go to recommendation.

Bramble whisky is new one on me. You soak brambles in the whisky – right? That really has to be an acquired taste…

If you can find it, the Benromach Organic is the best ‘bang for your buck’ whisky I’ve ever had. It knocks spots off stuff twice the price.

I’ve now agreed with Couger twice in as many minutes on as many threads.

I’m currently enjoying Auchentoshan.

Twice in one lifetime? When you’re hot, you’re hot.

Any suggestions on where to go from here for similar money?

If you like Argbeg, you’ll like Laphroig. Guaranteed.

Red Breast?

Talisker 18 yo for me.

If you like Argbeg, you’ll like Laphroig. Guaranteed.

Actually no! I love Ardbeg 10yo for being both smoky, spirity and complex. But never liked 10yo Laphroigs or Bowmores – I find the “cardboard” back-tones distracting. Reminds me of when we distilled and tasted alcohol in Chemistry.

you’ve probably screwed your taste buds drinking ‘lab-grown’ ethanol.

I find the “cardboard” back-tones distracting

is that like when you drink milk from the corner shop from a cardboard carton and it tastes like the packaging?

Actually no!

Guarantee not legally binding. Prices may go up as well as down. Your home may be at risk if it gets really stormy.

A lifetime of cheap booze has ruined me perhaps!

it tastes like the packaging?

Kinda yeah. I don’t notice it in Lagavhulin or Ardbeg (or Port Ellen) but do in Bowmore and Laphroig. It’s very odd as they are on each other’s doorstep and using very similar processes to produce, what are widely regarded as, the same style of whisky.

Explanations on a postcard please.

maybe it’s to do with the casks they are aged in.

I once had a cider that was ‘matured’ in whisky casks and it was the single most potent and vile, but intriguing drink I’ve ever had – the after taste was peaty single malt.

Caol Ila +2

I really like Singleton as another nicely rounded easy drinker

Quinta ruban
’tis a Glenmorangie that spent some time maturing in port barrels and is luvverly

How about something a little bit different? Hibik1 12 is a blended Japanese whisky from Suntory; it has a lovely, delicate floral aroma and taste to match. Its also the nicest packaged whisky I’ve seen, which makes it a great gift too.

Also available in 17, 21 & 30y if you’re feeling flush.

Really enjoying my 14 yr Clynelish that I bought from the clynelish distillery when on my holiday up in Scotland in August.

Took hubby to the Speyside Malt Whiskey festival for his bday earlier in the year and after trying 20 whiskies in 3 days his faves were

Glenfiddich 15 or 21
Mortlack 16
Arbelour Sherry Cask
Ardbeg 10
Ardbeg Supernova 2009
Lagavulin 16

Quite a mixed list price wise and some easier to find than others. Out of 5 all of these were at least a 4.5 and some gained a 5* for him. He has always hated Glenfiddich 12, and was quite surprised by the difference a few years makes! Surprisingly the most expensive whiskies of the weekend were not liked as much as others.

the Islays do something a bit special with age. I tried a 29 year old Caol Ila and it was mind blowing. but you can cheat a bit with a higher surface area to volume ratio:
http://www.laphroaig.com/qc/

CountZero – i hope you mean distilled not bottled. they don’t improve in the bottle like a wine sadly

Dear Santa…

you can cheat a bit with a higher surface area to volume ratio:

Cosmic.

WTF are you on about?

Penderyn. Lovely stuff. Smooth as you like.

Haven’t read the whole thread, but just a PSA to say that Tesco currently have Old Pulteney going for under £24 a bottle. If you like the “salt spray” character of the island malts but aren’t so keen on the heavy peat then OP could be right up your street. They also had Talisker for a couple of quid more (I’ve already got a bottle of that though as it’s ace).

wtf?

Essel, quarter cask laphroaig is finished in smaller casks. Per given volume, you have more surface in contact with the wood which sort of emulates a longer aging process.

Arbelour Sherry Cask

++1
Also, you might want to think about this for some research