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So in a pub last night and I saw a few bottles that had pride of place. I thought, aye'll I'll give a wee half a go, must be good if they are showing it off.
I was correct, it was bloody lovely! Not even a hint of the usual cringe when I try whisky, and no need for even a touch of water to tame the flavour. First time I've ever actually enjoyed sipping a whisky from start to finish!
Was this stuff...
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Though, google suggests, at £125-150 a bottle, I think it'll be an occasional indulgence! 😆
Anyhow, what whisky's have made you think... hmmmm I could get into this caper! Curious to see what else, of a similar quality, I should keep an eye out for when if fancy a wee dram?
The "basic" Balvenie is absolutely lovely too, so I'd start there.
Dalwhinnie would probably appeal too.
You could step down from Portwood 21 yr old to a Doublewood 12 yr old at 1/4 the price .
Edit: and yes, a Dalwhinnie too. I'm currently enjoying the Winters Gold version
Aye, might do that for a wee bottle to keep in the house. Good shout that and the Dalwhinnie too.
If you like that try Glenlivet, but not glenmorangie
Though, google suggests, at £125-150 a bottle, I think it'll be an occasional indulgence!
How much were the pub charging a measure?
I'm currently enjoying the Winters Gold version
Very tasty stuff, finished a bottle myself the other week.
I like having a nice mellow bottle in the cupboard as well as an Islay.
Surpringly, only £6.50, which I thought expensive at the time. But now I know the price of a bottle, they won't be making much on a it. So now seems reasonably cheap with hindsight. Much would you expect it to be?suburbanreuben - Member
Though, google suggests, at £125-150 a bottle, I think it'll be an occasional indulgence!
How much were the pub charging a measure?
I'm guessing pub prices for a bottle will differ?
I've just poured myself an Ardbeg. #toogoodforthepoor
Half the fun is trying lots of different whiskies in the pub/merchant.
just cracked this, was bought it for xmas. it is a bit rough.
Dalwhinnie and Edradour are my own choices.
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Fairly new to whisky myself - bad experiences as a teen getting blootered on the cheap stuff had put me off 🙄
Tried Auchentoshan 12 a few weeks ago and found it too sharp, but went for Kilchoman Machir Bay the other week and loved it. Had to add a drop of water mind.
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Lovely stuff.
Nope. Can't do Ardbeg. Sorry.
It is an acquired taste. Keep trying - you'll get there!
If interested in Islay but wary of them being a bit fierce, Ardbeg would be a great way in.
This stuff, not so much...
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Yes, that's nearly 60% ABV - a friend brought a bottle to our Xmas bash. I could feel myself getting pissed as I drank it.
Had some Balvenie 12 and Glenlivet this christmas, both very nice!
Supping some Jura Origin here....
I'm a pleb, but, often I find the special editions to be less good than the standard, there's often an element of "the same only HARDER" or zany flavoured crisps to it.
PS, talisker, bogstandard, mmmm.
Somafunk and a bottle of balvenie portwood at sswc are to blame for my love.
Just away to pour a nip from the edradour cask strength 12 yo sherry cask finished the wife got me for Xmas 🙂
I can highly recommend the port cask 12 yo edradour as well lovely
I love Ardbeg, in fact I love any Islay, especially Bunnahabhain & Caol Isla. Even the one's that taste like Listerine!
I need to get another bottle of Edradour, just to see if it's as nice as I remember. Never see it in the shops though.
Many of the Spey side distilleries will have editions that use recycled casks sometimes called double wood or sherry cask.
Aberlour double cask is one which is often reduced at the larger shops.
I prefer an Islay personally but a lot of the spey sides are good. Just a bit more subtle!
Glenkinchie would be a pleasant wee drop. The aforementioned Dalwhinnie Winters Gold is lovely in fact I'm heading for one now.
Double wood means it's been aged in two casks
Sherry cask means one of those is a cask that previously held sherry.
It's worth catching up with the recent BBC documentary The Story of Whisky. Very interesting and David Hayman showed a huge passion for the subject
The cask its in makes a huge difference to it's taste.
I had a Chardonnay edradour when I was at the tasting room. It was soooooooo dry it had me sucking in my cheeks. Where as port and sherry are sweet
I'm a heathen turncoat bourbon lover. Knob Creek, Makers Mark or at a pinch JD. I always 'wanted' to like whisky but now happily accept that in reality it ain't all that
Try Macallan Gold - enjoyed it that much I named my dog after it (Mac!!)
Auchentoshan do a nice 12 year old as well as their American Oak, which was on offer at £20 from Assad before Xmas - an absolute steal!
+1 for BBC's Story of Whisky.
My favourite at the moment. I bought this 20 years ago from Cadenhead for £30. I do wish i had got more looking at the price it now fetches (we are talking £'000s 😯 ). I don't drink much at all and this now comes out on very special occasions.
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Auchentoshan do a nice 12 year old as well as their American Oak, which was on offer at £20 from Assad before Xmas
Presumably an auto correct of Asda, rather than the Syrian despot?
Can someone enlighten me why speyside or Islay is a style please? I thought you could get all flavours from all over?
Edit
Presumably an auto correct of Asda, rather than the Syrian despot?
Islay is also corrected to Islam... makes you think!
The Abelour 12 yr is nice as an everyday (well not everyday!) drinker, or the Balvenie 12 is very nice (I prefer the single cask stuff to the Doublewood)
Try Macallan Gold - enjoyed it that much I named my dog after it (Mac!!)
Got a bottle in the cupboard and I concur, lovely stuff. I do like the Dalwhinnie Winters Gold mentioned above as well. And the Balvenie that the OP mentioned, difficult to go wrong with one of them. 🙂
had a little tasting set for my birthday, it had a jura in it which I enjoyed, can't remember the others two, but I did have all three in short order so I could tast the difference.
Currently sipping a whisky mac made with cheapo highland earl from aldi. It's not bad at all.
Balvenie Caribbean cask is really nice. A wee drop of water in it and its lovely.
Can someone enlighten me why speyside or Islay is a style please? I thought you could get all flavours from all over?
Speyside is a famous tourist area. Whisky distilling became a large scale legitimate business about the same time as railways were being built all over place. This meant tourists could be taken in to Speyside and whisky out. It also meant coal could be brought in to fire the malting process. Coal does not have the same aromatic qualities as peat so Speyside whiskies are softer and less smokey. Islay, on the other hand, is an island covered in peat bogs so the fuel for malting is all round and shipping coal in by boat is expensive. Burning peat imparts the smokey, peaty aroma to the malt which then finds it's way into the final product. So, although one Speyside is different to another (yeast, still shape, type of barrels etc) the general style of a Speyside is different to that of an Islay.
BTW - if you liked that port wood finish you should try this, Glenmorangie with a port finish
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BigButSlimmerBloke
Cheers for that wee explaination. Explains alot in particular to the islay stuff. Sounds like I'm be more predisposed to the coal made stuff rather than the peaty stuff, definiately would place myself more of the smoother/sweeter side of the spectrum. The likes of laphroig is very harsh, can't see me ever choosing to drink that, saying that, I have tried caol ila before mind, I liked that.
Just sipping a Laphroaig just now. But have to admit to liking the Famous Grouse Smoky Black edition on special at £14 just as much.
just filled my hipflask with jura superstition.
out on a social ride tomorrow with a few off here.....will be a nice mid ride tipple.
+1 for Glenmorangie, standard 10yo or port finish are both lovely.
The 10yo is one of the best-balanced whiskies out there IMO, always a good option for whisky sceptics.
Thanks bigbutslimmer- that makes a lot of sense in general style terms.
Ps - feeling slightly hungover due to finishing off a Dalwinnie 15 last night - luckily I have another bottle - as well as some lovely Nika Cask (Japanese), a bottle of the English smokey (Norfolk) as well as a decent selection of Areberg, Abblour, Talisker, etc - in fact, I'll post up a picture later of tonight's Whiskython challenge!
Edit: and yes, a Dalwhinnie too. I'm currently enjoying the Winters Gold version
That Winter's Gold is amazing! Have you been chilling it like it recommends? I haven't been bothering to lol 🙂
Oh yes. It pours like a thin honey.