What did you drink last night?

by **hpulley** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 12:29 pm

OT for the thread (LOL) but in my experience you can certainly mix islays in a drinking session but you must use the rules of all tastings when doing so. The lighter ones must come first, which probably means the Bunnies and Laddies first but only if they're not cask strength. ABV first with 40-43% coming before 46-50% which comes before cask strength and then the light ones before the medium ones (Caol Ila and Bowmore) before the south shore shockers, where Laphroaig seems no longer to be a member...

Last night it was warm and humid so I had some dark spiced rum in coke with ice :wink:

Harry

by **Lawrence** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 6:54 pm

Last night was an Islay night, first was the Laphroaig Cask Strength, it is the closest to the older Laphroaig from 15-20 years ago before the heavy hand of chill filtration took over on the OB 10.
I really like the Cask Strength for its peat and nautical influences.

I then followed on with an OB Laphroaig 15 which is a more subtle dram (it's curious, a lot of people seem to buy the 15 with the expectation of in INCREASE in the Laphroaig attack), there's some sherry and sweetness while still maintaining the Laphroaig characteristics. I finished off the remains of the bottle, a single dram at most, it's curious as I found this bottle in a drugstore in Kauai of all places, it just go to prove the rule to always have a look as you might come up with a gem.

by **Jim** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 2:13 am

Sipping on Glenfarclas 12 as I type.

I immediately noticed dates and raisins on the nose, maybe heather as well.

What followed was an oaky, oily taste, not lasting all that long.

Its been a while since I have had Glenfarclas. I would say it is "OK". I just am not a fan of the dates and raisins. Is this my imagination, or have others nosed and tasted this as well?

by **Lawrence** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 8:00 pm

I tried my Glenfarclas 12 last night and the nose profile that I can best come up with is rich Christmas cake, ofcourse there's both dates and raisins in Christmas cake. I bought a bottle of the 15 and the 17 and they are much lighter as far as on the sherry nose. I also found that the 12 year benefits from a small brandy snifter as opposed to a copita or the traditional nosing glass.

by **islayjunkie** » Sat Sep 11, 2004 9:16 am

I'm finishing yet another Lagavulin 16 (Port Ellen). Smoke, peat, sherry with a sweet liquorice finish. Not as good as 10 years ago (more smoke/peat/seaweed/iodine/salt) but still my favorite along with Laphroaig 10 year Cask Stength (beautifull peat/vanilla/chocolate overtones).

Perhaps I need to explore Brora's soon. I've been reading a lot of positve feedback concerning Brora, an affordable classic Islay with hints of sea salt and iodine

http://www.gordonandmacphail.com/wg_Cly ... llery.html

I'm addicted to smoke/peat/liquorice/salt/iodine/oak/sherry/vanilla/chocolate... in that order ideally

by **hpulley** » Sat Sep 11, 2004 12:48 pm

Brora is of course islay-style, not islay, being made on the mainland but it is very good stuff if you find a peaty one. The less peated ones are also good, as is Clynelish.

Last night I had another strong highland (speyside actually!) a 20yo 1981 Craigellachie bottled by Signatory. The first dram was really good! It is peaty, some smoke, reminds me of something (perhaps a little like an Ardmore but not the same) but I was not drinking it seriously enough to pick apart individual tastes and smells. I'll do a better tasting of it soon but from just one dram I quite like it.

I've had more tastes of the Bowmore, Brora and Bladnoch I listed above and all are getting better. The Bowmore is still nowhere near as good as I expected and I think that Bladnoch will always be a lighter one but the Brora is opening up very well and now has a fiery nose and finish so I may need to add some water next time.

Harry

by **Lawrence** » Sat Sep 11, 2004 4:05 pm

Last night I had................a bourbon. This shocked everybody at the table, it was Makers Mark, prompted by the WM article in issue 41.

It was an enjoyable drink with a large flavor profile, I noticed a lot of rye and sweet notes. However there was also a blast of alcohol that seemed out of balance.

I soon retreated back across the Atlantic for an Aberlour 10.

by **Nibnub** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 1:08 am

Now I´m enjoying a Bowmore 12 y.o. It´s a fine whisky, but I´m curious of the 17 y.o. I´ve heard that it should at least be one of the best Bowmore there is.

Tried Oban and Balblair yesterday and I have to say that I liked them both. Balblair was a little bit "lighter" and a little more sweet than Oban. Does anybody have any comments of theese two fine whiskys?

by **Frodo** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 2:49 pm

Hi everyone: newbie here to say hello, and I loooove good whisky. Of course, good whisky is defined by individual tastes and pallets.

I have an open bottle of elmer T lee (single barrel) at home, and I had just bought a few new bottles of scotch so I wanted feedback from anyone who has had a few drams of them. :?:

Speyburn 10 yr old (OB)
Ardbeg 17 yr old (OB)
Springbank 10 yr old (OB)
Rosebank 12 yr old (Douglas McGibbins)
Green Spot

I've heard that the 17 yr old Ardbeg is not as powerful as the 10 yr old, but the one time I've tried it, it seemed well balanced. The Springbank and Green Spot are the only two I've never tried, the others I've had one or two shot to try, not enough to remember or to form an opinion. Any opinions and/or assistance in this regard would be most helpful. :!:

Respectfully:
Frodo

by **hpulley** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 3:01 pm

Welcome to the forum Frodo,

Ardbeg 17yo is a good whisky, that's for sure, at least it was the last time I had it. I've been toying with the idea of getting another bottle but I really prefer the added smokiness of the TEN year old. Balanced is a good way to describe the 17yo.

Springbank 10yo is decent stuff, nice spicy, peaty whisky but not a favorite of mine.

In general I quite like Rosebank but I've never tried that expression so you'll have to let us know what you think.

Harry

by **islayjunkie** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 7:20 am

Last evening I drank Lagavulin 12yo CS, Laphroaig 10yo, and Lagavulin 16 (Port Ellen).

Lagavulin 12yo CS is less sweet, has more salt and less sherry than the 16yo. I find it is more similar to Laphroaig in character... makes me wonder where this is going

Until I can get my hands on another bottle of Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength I'm not sure which I prefer... Lagavulin 12yo CS or Laphroaig 10yo CS.

Simply put Lagavulin 12yo CS tastes like Laphroaig! I need another bottle of Laphroaig 10yo CS to make a real comparison. both seem to have very similar qualities. I'm torn between the two and love them both.

Lagavulin 16yo is smoother, sweeter and smokier but lacks the peat, salt and lasting peat/liquorice/salty finish compared to Laphroaig 10 CS and Lagavulin 12 CS.

My recommendation is to stock up on Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength (currently 60.00US). Laphroaig 10 can be bought for under 30.00US.

by **Spirit of Islay** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 2:02 pm

Last night i was sat in Bladnoch distillery drinking the local brew while watching the excellent Robin Laing in concert . The Bladnoch (Pagoda) , Just thought i'd put the Pagoda in brackets cos it seems to be all the rage to distinguish whiskies this way and so so you don't get confused with the previous Bladnoch (Orchid ) Bottlings , Anyway the Bladnoch (Pagoda) "Sheep" bottling was up to the usual high standard and i even had the Bladnoch (Pagoda) "Beltie" as well , which on first tasting seems even better than the critically acclaimed Bladnoch (Pagoda)"Sheep" one .
A good if slightly drunken night was had by all .

by **bond** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 9:54 am

Sampled a Bushmills 10 YO last night. My first experience with the malt. Did not go down too well.

Quickly uncorked a new bottle of my favourite- Bowmore 12 YO. Super, as usual!

by **dusicyon** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 11:39 pm

last night i had a crown royal (canadian whisky), wich i found sweet and unchalleging, with a very very subtile oaky feeling, wich Im my opinion is a strong 5 from 1 to 10. and i had for compairosons purposes first and for delight afterwards, a glenfiddich single malt ancient reserve 18 years, with a much stronger feeling noticeable the minute you pour it and mildly present after you finish, wish i have to say is more challenging than the first or maybe it´s just me, and maybe , just maybe i´m more in the single malt area right now, rather than blended zone.... ok thats all... bye bye

by **brian12069** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 12:37 am

bond wrote:Sampled a Bushmills 10 YO last night. My first experience with the malt. Did not go down too well.

Quickly uncorked a new bottle of my favourite- Bowmore 12 YO. Super, as usual!

You know...I have always wanted to try Bushmills but I'm just afraid I won't like it...

by **Lawrence** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 12:59 pm

I've just returned from a walking vacation in Scotland, from Fort William to Inverness along the Great Glen Way, finishing at the sea locks. Naturally I took the opportunity to sample some great whiskies but the two that remain foremost in my mind are the 1949 Strathisla (G&M) I had in Invermoriston and the SMWS Rosebank finished in a port cask that I tried in Drumnadrochit. The Srathisla was not woody as you would expect but very well balaned and smooth. I took my time with that one

. The Rosebank was very very light and the port really complimented it and such a light lowland was not overpowered by the port.

All in all a great trip and I even managed to return with some wonderful treasures

.

by **Frodo** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 3:33 pm

Lawrence:

Damm!! Some people are just born lucky {doff the cap}. Sounds like an experiance to remember!

Me, I had a shot of 10 yr old Bushmills at a pub last night. Not as bad as I remember it being, but nothing I would recommend either. Very "honeyed" taste, but overall, just bland. I think next time I'll just go for the Black Bush.

Regards
Frodo

by **justin** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 3:22 am

my first reply to this topic. . . .

tonite i bought a bottle of redbreast. pretty good stuff, but quite a bit different. had a very strong apple finish. almost tast like an apple candy.

followed that up with highland park 18. the 18 is quite a bit different than the 12. i'm still not good at puting what i taste into words, but it's a sharper sweetness that i taste. don't know if that makes any sense??

and i know this has been discussed on here at length, but i have been amazed at how much a bottle changes after it's half empty. the oxidation brings out the characteristics of the whisky so much more than when the bottle is new. wow!! the bottles of ardbeg 10 and laphroiag 10 i have open have become quite the monsters. i enjoyed them both very much initially, but they are much more pronounced now than before. WOW!

after the many new whiskies that i have added to my collection, lagavulin still remains at the top of my list.

justin

by **brian12069** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 1:37 pm

Last night...I had a pour of Green Label Jack Daniels. Tough to find and it's not even available in NY State. I'm not even sure what the Difference is between the black label and green...most people have never even seen the green...was good though

by **bamber** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 6:53 pm

The green label is apparently stuff rejected by the master blender for the no 7 black label. I think its always been 80 proof, whereas the vlack label used to be 90 proof. It tastes pretty similar but a bit thinner some people say.

Costs double the price of black label here !! Nearly $60 at the whisky exchange.

by **Lawrence** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 9:38 pm

Last night was Glenfarclas 17 and Glenmorangie 10, I like both of these malts but they leave me a little uninspired. I know the house styles are different and I'm always surprised that the Glenfarclas 12 is so much more sherried than the 17.

by **brian12069** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:32 pm

bamber wrote:The green label is apparently stuff rejected by the master blender for the no 7 black label. I think its always been 80 proof, whereas the vlack label used to be 90 proof. It tastes pretty similar but a bit thinner some people say.

Costs double the price of black label here !! Nearly $60 at the whisky exchange.

wow...thats a lot...only$15.00 for 750 ml here

by **bamber** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 10:34 am

I heard that - and American's complain about the price of JD !! Don't know how lucky you are !!

by **brian12069** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 12:43 pm

You won't hear me complain. In my opinion bourbon is cheap here. You can buy a lot of good bourbons for under $20.00!!! :lol:

Some are more, but it's probably just marketing.

by **brian12069** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 12:45 pm

by the way...last night...green label Jack again!!!

by **Frodo** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 4:16 pm

Last night: Green Spot. Quite an experiance :!:

Just like Aidan said it would be... porrage, and methonol (I didn't taste chocolate, but something...). What I wasn't ready for was the 3D effect, that the taste buds in my mouth were really worked over. Quite a change from Redbrest, Jameson12 and Black Bush. I was initially not sure about the value of Irish whisky above a certain price point. But this one, WWOOWW

.

Happy Frodo

by **Frodo** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 4:19 pm

And this morning (sunday morning): W.L.Weller's 12yr old. Not a great whisky but a REALLY good bargan at it's current price point at the LCBO. Rather smooth initially, with a bump in the back of the throat, and a medium-strong aftertaste.

Frodo

by **Lawrence** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 1:21 am

Last night was the scotch club monthly meeting so we tasted the Aberlour Millenium from a single cask. This was the scheme that Aberlour was offering in 1989, you could purchase one of 345 casks in 1989 and wait until 2000, Aberlour would then bottle it for you with your name on a special label etc. This cask was very similar to the current 10 year old except at 43%. However the current 10 year really is better than the bottling we tried last night. The color was deep gold, the nosed was a little closed but when you worked at it you found a hint of sap and some orange. The body was typical of a Speyside with some pepper. The palate was sweet with a hint of a maritime influence, some said salt. The finish was sweet and not too long, the whisky in general benefited from the addition of some water.

The second whisky was the Midleton Very rare 2003 from Ireland, the color was dark gold, the nose was very powerful and smelt of rye, the body again felt like pepper and it tasted of sherbet, it was quite sweet. The finish reminded me of Makers Mark.

(both Aberlour & Midleton are owned by Pernod Ricard)

by **bond** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 5:30 am

White Horse it was, last night.
One of the more complex blends that I have had, though I must confess I was hard-pressed to detect Lagavulin or any significant traces of peat in the whisky.

by **islayjunkie** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 6:08 pm

In an effort to cut my spending and consumption (less taste = less drinking) I tried my first bottle of Suntory Yamazaki 12yo at $39.99USD and Bowmore Legend at $21.99USD. Japanese Whisky is actually quite drinkable

I most likely will never buy another bottle of Bowmore Legend again while I can get Laphroaig 10yo for $29.99USD but for the price of $22.00USD I was not "terribly" disappointed. Better than Speyburn 10yo.

The Bowmore was to sweet for my tastes and rather flat. There's a funny after taste like soap, rose water and Jolly Rancher candy. I got a trace of peat but I failed to taste any substantial amounts of marine qualities like salt and seaweed. I think I'll try a bottle of Darkest next.

I prefer the Suntory Yamazaki 12yo over the Bowmore Legend. More complex/depth, a little less sweet (maybe) and slightly heavier on the peat and organics with a longer finish. I did enjoy the dry cedar like wood finish. You can definitely taste wood. There are also hints of mint.

The Suntory had a much better nose but not as smooth when compared to Bowmore. Like the Bowmore the Suntory had a hint of soap or something artificial that I didn't like. To make sure I wasn't inheriting this soapy after taste between the Bowmore to the Suntory I used Talisker 10yo and Laphroaig 10 cask strength to cleanse my pallet in between tastings.

Tonight I'll have a match between Talisker 10yo at $51.99USD and Laphroaig 10 cask strength at $49.99USD

by **hpulley** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 6:27 pm

First I enjoyed a comparison between 24yo Cadenheads Ardmore and 20yo '81 Signatory Craigellachie. They are quite different with the Ardmore much peatier, real boggy undertones but the Craig is still a great whisky. Too interesting speysiders not of the usual spey valley style, that's for sure.

Next I had a 10yo Hedges & Butler '89 Clynelish, a wonderful bottling. So far I love the '89s I've had.

I followed that up with a 23yo Dun Bheagan '80 Brora. Still good but not great stuff.

Day before I had a couple drams of Bowmore Darkest. The bottle has opened up nicely. It is out of the disappointing category for me but still not up into being great.

Harry

by **islayjunkie** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 6:33 pm

I'm going to have to make a trip and visit Canada. Our single malt selection here in the USA is very poor compared to Canada

The best selection we have here is http://www.bevmo.com

Of course there is http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com but you have to order a minimum of 6 bottles to bring shipping costs down to a reasonable price.

by **hpulley** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 6:35 pm

Our selection isn't that great but it is better than some places. Still, being able to privately import a case would be nice! We can't do that. We have to do so through the state liquor board which means high fees and long waits, above and beyond the usual high shipping costs, etc.

I think we should all move to Scotland!

Harry

by **islayjunkie** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 6:44 pm

hpulley wrote:
I think we should all move to Scotland!

Harry

Yeah!

I'm planning for a vacation next year for one of the whisky festivals. I wonder what the custom restrictions are on quantity we bring back... or maybe we could ship to ourselves in the USA?

by **Lawrence** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 1:42 am

Harry, are you a member of the Companions of the Quaich, based in Ontario? I know they import cases all the time. In BC you can import a case of whatever you like however the BCLCB does add on it's mark up...........

What did you drink last night?

i had ....