What are you drinking now?

by **islayjunkie** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 7:07 am

MGillespie wrote:Damn, that's a shame! Any way to get some relief from the sellers or the shipping company?

Mark

I doubt it. These were shipped from England. Just another risk. I've never had a corked bottle untill now.

I'm tempted to open them all and recork them with plastic corks after I add gas to displace the air. This will ruin the collector value but I most like will drink all of these so it doesn't matter.

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 5:21 am

The last dram of a bottle of Caol Ila 12. When I opened it, it seemed a worthy rival to the heavyweight Lagavulin, as indeed at the time we were discussing substitutes for that for those facing shortages and price hikes. Partway into the bottle it suddenly seemed lightweight and lacking in depth. Now, with lowered expectations, it seems to have found its niche as a middleweight or light heavy, a bridge from Kildalton to Loch Indaal. It'll do fine as long as you don't mismatch it.

Nice legs across the bottom of my upturned snifter--kind of a corduroy effect.

by **karlejnar** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 7:23 pm

Just enjoyed a Laphroaig Quarter Cask from a flask using one of the enclosed cups. A bit strange to sip from these metal cups, but it was a nice moment sitting on a bench in the nearby woods, and watching the sun go down behind the trees.

A perfect moment ending a perfect sunny springtime day. Just close your eyes and you could just as well sit outside Laphroaig distillery at one of the picnic tables.

by **Frodo** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 10:41 pm

Damm Karlejnar:

What you described sounds like a perfect moment. Something I can't do in the big city unless I want to be arrested. :cry:

Cheers to your "whisky moment".

Frodo

by **Paul A Jellis** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 11:02 pm

A rather large (whoops my hand slipped) Benriach - Heavily Peated a 10yr old at 46%, just time for another, maybe?

by **karlejnar** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 11:45 pm

Enjoying a Longrow 10yr 1993 46% - non-chillfiltered

Thank God the Springbank owners never bothered to install such equipment to remove significant flavours from the malt. They simply didn't want to spend their money on it, and they don't waste money on buying any E150 either.

Seems a bit strange that we have to pay extra money for bottlers omitting two extra processes - chillfiltering and colouring :roll:

And Frodo - there should be a law against any law preventing people to sit on a park bench and enjoy a malt whisky :wink:

We may be burdoned with a lot of strange laws here in little Denmark, but a law against public drinking luckily isn't one of them

by **andrewfenton** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 12:22 am

Ardbeg Uigedail. I'm just getting to know this bottle - it was never in stock when I went to my local whisky shop before (now I know why), and it's been about a year I've been meaning to get it. All I can say is: wow.

It has the "yeehaw"-intensity of Laphraoig10 CS, the deliciously integrated sweet peat of Lagavulin16, the cherryish notes of some Caol Ilas, the perfection of younger Ardbegs peaty finish, and more besides.

Absolutely stunning, and pretty good value for a cask-strength Islay - for example, it's the same price as the Caol Ila NAS, which is much less mature whisky (not really surprising, considering the Uigedail has some 30yr old in it).

ps if you get one, make sure it's the 2004 bottling. The 2003 was OK (I had a mini), but the 2004 is outrageously good.

by **Deactivated Member** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 2:10 am

Frodo wrote:Damm Karlejnar:

What you described sounds like a perfect moment. Something I can't do in the big city unless I want to be arrested. Cheers to your "whisky moment".

Frodo

Certainly you can sneak a discreet flask into a quiet corner of High Park...and there are parts of the Island where no one will find you.

Following a nice greasy cold chicken dinner, I had a Talisker 18...and it suddenly found its fiery life. Wow! It's amazing what a difference it makes, what you have just prior. Up until now I'd found this bottle a bit lifeless. Now I know it's a Talisker.

by **Crispy Critter** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 3:21 am

At the moment, I'm having a dram of my Ardbeg '77. Truly something to savor, slowly. Next up will be a dram of Knob Creek 9yo bourbon.

by **Frodo** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 6:50 am

karlejnar wrote:And Frodo - there should be a law against any law preventing people to sit on a park bench and enjoy a malt whisky

We may be burdoned with a lot of strange laws here in little Denmark, but a law against public drinking luckily isn't one of them

I know whatcha mean. If someone was drunk out of thier mind, walking down the street throwing rocks at windows I would agree they should be held in a drunk tank overnight to sleep it off. But someone sitting on a park bench looking out on the lake peaceably sharing a flask should not be bothered. Oh well, welcome to North America.

Frodo

by **hpulley** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 10:23 pm

Prohibition is still repealed so don't complain TOOOOO much

Right now I'm drinking the last dram of Caol Ila Cask Strength OB. A bit bitter near the end of the bottle even though its been open just 4-5 months. Not a bad malt but not a favorite so won't be replaced soon.

Harry

by **islayjunkie** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 7:29 am

I had a Macallan CS followed by a St Magdalene 19yo RM. I'm drinking a Lagavulin 16yo at the moment... the first I've had in several months! It is quite a treat.

I can't say how much I miss Laga 16yo. I was burned out on it for a year but it really lifted my spirits... no pun intended

Btw, I'm not posting as much due to the technical demands of internet development and business. I simply need a clear head to function in this environment... unless a business deal goes bad, then you'll find me here

by **Deactivated Member** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 5:21 am

Talisker 18 again. I've been avoiding this toward the end of the evening as I don't seem to be able to appreciate it after tasting other things. But I had a couple Glenrothes 1989 earlier, and the Talisker is tasting very good. Not so fiery as after cold chicken the other day, but not so bland as it often does when the tongue is already dulled. Kind of in Clynelish territory--very nice.

by **hpulley** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 5:26 am

"Clynelish territory -- very nice" That sums up the 14yo Clynelish very well, nice dram but not quite top tier.

Tonight I was drinking Port Ellen 24yo 3rd release and just finishing up Lagavulin 12yo 3rd release. A lovely pair of peaty south-shore islays at cask strength! Had to check to make sure they aren't showing any signs of oxidation and so far, so good... Caol Ila CS that I just finished got bitter at the end which had me worried.

Harry

by **islayjunkie** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 6:04 am

I'm in the process of killing the last 2 drams of a 19yo St. Magdalene. Luckily I have 6 bottles left :wink:

by **islayjunkie** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 7:48 am

I just killed my last bottle of Talisker 20yo '81... the empty bottle is to much to bear! I almost feel like a funeral is in order

Tomorrow I may as well kill an Ardbeg '75 27yo DL...

by **Frodo** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 8:38 am

Wow!! Sounds like a couple of what I would consider celebratory drams. Nice bottles!

Frodo

by **islayjunkie** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 5:42 am

I celebrated the end of a grueling server migration from one company to another. I transfered 5 gigs of data and all my clients web sites emails, etc. across the Internet to another location (server) without interrupting their business.

Ok, maybe that doesn't mean anything but I didn't have a drink for 3 days. I'll save the Ardbeg for later.

Tonight I'm having fruit juice and water again due to the fact I have to think Internet and computers again

by **Paul A Jellis** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 10:33 pm

Bells and Dry Ginger - I'm just a heathen at heart!

Cheers

Paul

by **Crispy Critter** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 6:21 am

First a 'Laddie 15, then a couple of drams of Campbeltown Loch 25. The bottle was looking pretty empty, so I decanted what I could into a rinsed-out glass 50 ml tequila bottle. I still had a wee bit left after decanting, so I enjoyed the last bit as well.

As for the tequila that formerly occupied the bottle, I found that it's best used for mixing. If I'm going to drink spirits neat, I'd prefer whisk(e)y or brandy.

by **Deactivated Member** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 2:42 am

I'm fighting a sore throat, and decided it was time to take extreme measures. So I have opened up my bottle of cask strength Talisker, purchased at the distillery a couple years ago....

Ya ha! Dat dere's good whisky, b'y! And it's bloody well Talisker, all right! The nose burnt off my nose hairs...and my ear hairs, too, I think. The palate has that amazing pepper we all so fondly remember, in spades. And the finish swells monstrously all over the mouth, like the proverbial lava of the Cuillins. Don't know if it will cure my throat, but who gives a $#!%!!! It's got a good beat and you can dance to it and I give it a 95!

My inventory shows this as a 10yo, but there's no age statement on the bottle. I'm not sure why I thought that. Astonishingly, Jackson gives this a 77--is he mad? Murray says that on the day he tasted this, he nearly died and missed nine months of work. Might be worth it. I'm already feeling sad that, in opening this bottle, I have doomed it....best thing I've had in ages. I'm sweating!

by **andrewfenton** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 2:57 am

Mrrrrm, you can only get this at the distillery? I'm completely out of Talisker, and feeling it :-)

As for MJ, pfffft. I always remember the grades he gives to the abysmal Macallan Travellers series - does he even taste them?

by **Oliver** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 3:19 am

andrewfenton wrote:
"As for MJ, pfffft. I always remember the grades he gives to the abysmal Macallan Travellers series - does he even taste them?"

Andrew, I would say no, he doesn't drink them...
The notion of a hiterto great taster (a pioneer even) gone corrupt or whatever, is a sad one, but what are you gonna do?

The travellers series was indeed abysmal and this cannot be obsured by the taster's blustery arguments about 'personal taste.' Who besides MJ, will deny that a Macallan 12, 18 or 25 is stratospherically richer and more complex than the travelers series.?

At least, I hope they pay him well.

by **Deactivated Member** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 3:44 am

andrewfenton wrote:Mrrrrm, you can only get this at the distillery? I'm completely out of Talisker, and feeling it

As for MJ, pfffft. I always remember the grades he gives to the abysmal Macallan Travellers series - does he even taste them?

You could only get it at the distillery--I bought it in 2002. Don't know if it's still available. The Classic Malts website is remarkably uninformative. I sure would like to see some there in October.

As for Jackson--I take all that stuff with a grain of salt, anyway. My scoring system is That's Terrible/That's Okay/That's Good/That's Really Good/That's Really Really Good. But it's such a peculiar aberration, because he rates every other Talisker between 90 and 93, and gives no indication why this one falls off the table. I wonder if it's a misprint--87 would at least be comprehensible. You don't have to pay any attention to him, but give the man his due--no one has done as much to popularize malts. He may well be overextended and overexposed at this point, but I think it's a bit much to suggest he's corrupt.

Think I'll have another wee nip...oh, this bottle's not going to last.... :cry:

by **Lord_Pfaffin** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 5:37 am

This Caol Ila 12yr old is my 1st from this distillery and i am very impressed indeed, wowed even. This stuff kicks ass ! I love it ! As i am holding up my 2nd glass reading about Tatties sweating , extolling an excellent dram and then lamenting that it won't last. I am propelled in the same direction by this quite wonderfull 12yo as i notice a certain and definate strength of effect (very buzzy), smoothness and character. Alas, it doesn't sound quite as noble as Tattie's Talisker, but the malt is calling and making me smile. Gonna get the pipes out now.
More whisky pleeeease, cheers

by **karlejnar** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 12:52 pm

You could only get it at the distillery--I bought it in 2002. Don't know if it's still available. The Classic Malts website is remarkably uninformative. I sure would like to see some there in October.

Hope you can still get it - it sure is a cracker. Bought one there in 2001 and had it open 3 years! Well what can I say - too many open bottles at one time :roll:

But even being open that long it still had the peppery punch to it right to the end of it.

I saw one at Dalwhinnie in 2003 - so the distillery only label is a bit misleading - oh well it's in the "family" I guess.

Maybe I should have bought one instead of the Dalwhinnie 15yo :oops:

Right now I'm not drinking a malt - but had a Laphroaig Quarter Cask last night. Tonight I will be having a few - when we're celebrating the 5th anniversary of the Spirit of Islay Group

by **hir0** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 3:20 pm

been sipping on laphroaig 10yr since after dinner. i'm pretty new to malts and this is my first islay. at first it was really strange to me as it is nothing like what i've been drinking, but i think it's starting to grow on me. how does it compare to say... talisker? any resemblance? i thought about giving the 10yr talisker a go.

by **andrewfenton** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 3:27 pm

Islays are pretty distinct, and Laphraoig is an extreme example.

Talisker is peated at about 20ppm, while Lahproaig is maybe 30 or 35 - there's also some slight sherry influence in Talisker, while afaik there's known in Laphraoig. The dominant characteristics are also different.

Having said all that, I have to guess anyone who likes Laphraoig is almost certain to like Talisker :-)

by **Mr Fjeld** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 6:04 pm

Right now I'm enjoying a high quality German Riesling from Nahe (Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling Spätlese 2002) .

It's been standing half full/empty in the fridge for one week and it's still marvelous. Last weekend I had a couple of glasses and then moved on to a couple of Laphroaig 10 CS and the transition was fantastic. Beer and whisky is very good but do try a good quality riesling and a whisky afterwards. Fantastic!

Skål!
Christian

Edit: The bottle have been standing for two weeks - not one as I earlier said.

by **Crispy Critter** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 2:50 am

Tonight, I opened my bottle of Clynelish 14 (46% OB). Nice stuff! Sweet, with a hint of sherry, and some of that coastal character. Well, it kind of reminded me of something else... so I followed up with a dram of Bruichladdich 15. Yup - it seems very similar in character to the Clynelish. Sometime I'll have to do this head-to-head again and take careful notes. Now it's time to decide what my last drink of the night is going to be... maybe that dram of Campbeltown Loch 25 that I saved in the 5cl bottle last week. Yup, that'll be the one. :mrgreen:

by **hir0** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 3:20 pm

tonight i had a little of everything. i had a few drams of laphroaig 10yr. after dinner i decided to revisit JW gold since i hadn't touched the bottle for a long time. after being a little dissapointed (wasn't as decent as i remembered -.-), i had a dram of balvenie 12yr dw. i had to try the aberlour abunadh i just purchased so i cracked the bottle, and WOW it was quite delicious. and my last was a dalwhinnie 15yr and now i must sleep.

by **hpulley** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 1:07 am

Having a Glenfarclas evening again. Finished a 15yo earlier and just poured a glass of 105 which I'm enjoying now, hot finish and all. Lovely stuff.

Harry

by **Deactivated Member** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 4:58 am

Back from my weekend in T.O.--much more work than play. Consoling myself with the Talisker CS again. Using the Bruichladdich glass (it's clean). Enjoying that same attack, but am finding more and more in the body--very hard to isolate what's there under all that pepper, but I like it. Unctuous and sweet, not at all weak but certainly deeply shrouded by the fire. My nose is running.

by **Lord_Pfaffin** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 7:07 am

Tattie:
Go easy with that stuff. I rescently tried some Tali at 46% and that's some fine sippin whisky to be sure.The CS must be lethal.
Myself, on the other hand finding a desire to invoke some depth of thought whilst losing some sense of feeling needed a heavy belt or 4 followed by a few bolts and several bashes; something light and (cough)drinkable. Had a bottle of JMR's "The Rich Spicy One" that might fit the bill. I had opened, tasted and found a big watery spirity hole surrounded by a little spiciness and not particularly impressed had abandoned. It was that or the Green Spot witch i rather enjoy but one the wife likes, so i opted to give the JMR another go.This time it was indeed rich, spicy and enjoyable. I can't get over how fickle my taste-buds are sometimes. I was wrong. This bottle is not going to last. Oh well....................
Ardaíonn ár ngrá muid féin níos airde i gcónaí!

by **hpulley** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 12:02 pm

Is the Talisker 46% now or was that just a typo? Even the classic malt version was always 49% here.

Harry