do you dislike any single malts that are highly rated?

by **Marvin** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 8:53 pm

I got some Bowmore miniatures recently, a 12, a 17 and a Darkest, and I wasnt that impressed with the 12 at all. The 17 was better, and the darkest I consider a cheat as it has so much sherry impurity.

by **Badmonkey** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 9:01 am

I never get very excited about The Macallan 12 or 18. I don't think they are bad products; they just aren't my style. That said, it's been so long since I tried one that I might come to a very different conclusion the next time I try one.

by **Deactivated Member** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 10:56 am

Hey ho. Here we go again :roll:

If you really wasn a bad sherry finish, head for Ledaig Sherry finish. I will comment no more. Mind you, in fairness, I don't think it was a highly rated whisky in the first place

by **Di Blasi** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 4:16 pm

Johnny Walker Blue Label didn't do much for me the few times I tasted it. Talisker 10 is so straightforward and doesn't have anything special about it, but tons out there love it. I do like the 18y, the 25y, and their 175th Anniversary bottlings though.

by **Lawrence** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 4:36 pm

Badmonkey wrote:I never get very excited about The Macallan 12 or 18. I don't think they are bad products; they just aren't my style.

I agree with this statement in principle, it's often a matter of personal taste. As for the Macallan I think they have endured a large amount of over exposure and this has hurt their image but I still like their whiskies. This is also true for a number of other distilleries.

by **Ardbeg311** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 9:40 pm

I actually have liked the Macallan's I have tried with only the 12 being so-so. The 18 and 25 sherrys were quite enjoyable. I just can't get by their prices on these bottles. I can buy 2 HP 18s for one Macallan.

by **Thesh** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:55 am

Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Highland Park, Balvenie to name a few.

by **pouranother** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 2:20 am

Thesh wrote:Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Highland Park, Balvenie to name a few.

Are you refering to all expression`s of the above distilleries or just a select few.

by **Thesh** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 4:18 am

pouranother wrote:
Thesh wrote:Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Highland Park, Balvenie to name a few.

Are you refering to all expression`s of the above distilleries or just a select few.

Their expressions in general.

<Someone smack this boy...

by **sgsoloplayer** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 6:04 am

Thesh wrote:Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Highland Park, Balvenie to name a few.

Jesus, didnt like any? I gotta say I dont know a single person who didnt like HP

by **Simplicio** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 6:17 am

While I like Laphroaig and Lagavulin, I find that I just don't like Ardbeg as much.

For me its too sweet, too sugar and fresh fruit sweet. I like dry, peaty whiskies, but sweet peat doesn't make any sense to me, especially the cocoa, sugar syrup and lemony flavours there. I've only had the TEN and a CC bottling (which was probably a pretty weak bottling) but I find the combination of tastes to be odd.

Something tells me I'm in a minority here!

by **Mr Fjeld** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 6:24 am

Simplicio wrote:
Something tells me I'm in a minority here!

Proves your integrity when you go against the stream.

I've never been very happy about the Glengoyne 12 Cask Strength myself. There's something about it that makes me think of it as "muddy" or not clean or something. They could have balanced the fragile and light distillery character better than drowning it in what appears as less than stellar sherry casks - not a marriage made in heaven if you ask me.

by **Lawrence** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 6:49 am

Mr Fjeld said: I've never been very happy about the Glengoyne 12 Cask Strength myself. There's something about it that makes me think of it as "muddy" or not clean or something. They could have balanced the fragile and light distillery character better than drowning it in what appears as less than stellar sherry casks - not a marriage made in heaven if you ask me.

Interesting comment.

by **Whiskana** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 6:52 am

I once had a dram of Lagavulin 16yo and some other PX finish and that was that for me from that distillery. I don't know why it's so awful (for me) while I like almost all the other Islay products (except most Bruichladdich's)...

by **Wave** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 7:34 am

Something tells me I'm in a minority here!

Not at all! I'm not a fan either of the Ardbeg TEN nor the young cask strengths (Very Young & Still Young), but the '77 is supurb! It seems my tastes go for the older Ardbegs.

Most of the Bowmore's I've tried in the last decade haven't been all that good either, though the newish 16yo cask strength OB is pretty good.

One whisky that's odd to me is the Clynelish, it's not so much the taste which isn't bad, it's the smell!!! A little story goes with this....
I visited the Clynelish distillery in Brora several years ago and bought several minutures of the 14yo. That night I had several drinks in my room including the Clynelish for a nightcap, but didn't finish it all and fell asleep. In the middle of the night I awoke to a godawful smell that seem to permeate the entire room and after searching for that elusive odeur for several fruitless minutes I finally realized it was emanating from that dram of Clynelish. A sickly perfume stench to the point of gagdome!

Cheers!

by **Thesh** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 7:39 am

sgsoloplayer wrote:
Thesh wrote:Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Highland Park, Balvenie to name a few.

Jesus, didnt like any? I gotta say I dont know a single person who didnt like HP

I misread the title the second time... Oops.

Dislike... Well, I have had Glenlivet 12 and 18, and was not at all impressed with either. Also, Bowmore Darkest is just odd...

by **Dubois** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 8:00 am

Caol Ila 18 & Bruichladdich 10

by **irishwhiskeychaser** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:38 am

Simplicio wrote:While I like Laphroaig and Lagavulin, I find that I just don't like Ardbeg as much.

Something tells me I'm in a minority here!

I'm in the same boat.... along with Macallan and The Glenlivet. Never caught on to any of them, however I've never had anything from them over 20years old but I'm not wasting good money on something I'm a bit iffy about in the first place. I don't buy into the theory that older is better if you don't like the younger expressions in the first place. I would need to taste before I buy but don't get an opertunity to taste these older versions in Ireland.

by **arnehd** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 2:45 pm

Even though I consider myself an Islay fan , the laphroaig 10 just wasn't my cup of tea , the same goes for the quarter cask. I find that there is something missing , though I can't put my finger on what it is exactly . I love the cask strength though . the HP 18 I didn't find to good in the beginning , but after getting back at it , almost a year after having opened it , I must say Iwas very pleased.

by **Deactivated Member** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 3:01 pm

Not a big fan of Macallan.

by **Drrich1965** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 4:22 pm

The Aberlour 10 does nothing for me.... Nor can I say that I am a huge fan of Dalwinnie 15, which some people enjoy very much..

by **Oliver** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 6:04 pm

The Dalwhinnie 15 is a nice smooth malt, but granted it is not too terribly challenging. Not one of my favorites by a long shot, but a nice smooth desert malt...
Highly rated malts that are not my cup of tea? It really depends on who does the rating (and no, do not worry, I won't talk of $JM$ here...).
The taster I most respect is in the end, MJ --by a mile (though boy oh boy the last edition of his Guide to SMS is full of typos --did anyone else notice that?).
I think MJ is the best taster out there, though I never for the life of me could understand his sycophantic take on the MAcallan Replicas and 20's 30's, bottling... The worst gimmickry to hit the market, bottling based on proven fakes and not withdrawn due to crass mercantilism --and MJ likes the stuff ? I was a bit dissapointed there... But the guy is not a straight out shill for Macallan to be sure --he quietly points to the lesser standards in his carefully worded presentation of the distillery (No more golden promise barley, 2 instead of 4 kinds of yeast, etc, etc...) And voiced -- discretly -- some concern over the introduction of fIne oAk in an interview somewhere...
I never got why the co-branded malts made by Glenmorrangie ("sauternes" malt, etc...) and Bowmores were so popular with the tasters, but hey....

by **Marvin** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 7:01 pm

Thesh wrote:Also, Bowmore Darkest is just odd...

Yeah, it's like someone's poured some red wine into it. I'm really against sherried malts.

by **aarkwilde** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 8:09 pm

Dubois wrote:Caol Ila 18 & Bruichladdich 10

I'll agree with you on the Bruichladdich 10. I disliked it both times I've tried it.

I haven't seen anyone on the forum say anything good about the Caol Ila 18, but I was given a bottle and love it. I'm not saying it's worth the price they're charging for it and can't imagine replacing it when I've finished it, but I think it's very drinkable and a happy change from Laphroaig (my usual pour).

I haven't tried a Bowmore I like yet. I'm willing to keep trying. The 12 and Legend didn't do anything for me at all.

by **Aidan** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 8:19 pm

most macallans, glenmorangie and glenlivet.

by **Marvin** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 8:36 pm

Aidan wrote:most macallans, glenmorangie and glenlivet.

I have a half bottle of Glenmorangie I bought 5 years ago. I've started using it for cooking...

by **Aidan** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 8:39 pm

As fuel, I hope.

Only joking, I'm sure this is a fine malt, but it's really not to my taste. The Artisan cask is good, though.

by **Reggaeblues** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 1:47 am

I AM a fan of Macallans, the 10 year old was one malt I cut my teeth on, and its sherried style was to me distinctive and enjoyable. I was given an '84, '85 , and 86 18 YO whch were all excellent "daren't finish 'cos they're so damn expensive" whiskies.

In fact the price went up around £30 from the 84 to the 85.

So, with great expectation, and seduced by the ravings of Jim Murray, I shelled out for a 15 YO Fine oak...and was hugely disappointed. It just didn't work for me! My neighbour agreed and called it "bland". not BAD, but just...not distinctive or exciting.

A few drams in it could start to be OK, but my favourite drams, from islay to Speyside, hit me in the first few sips...and they still do, even tho' most great distilleries go thru' so-so patches. Lag 16 used to be my no. 1, but it seems a bit subdued of late...

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 12:24 pm

I have tried to like An Cnoc but haven't yet succeeded.

by **Ardbeg311** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 3:10 pm

I guess the only whisky that I don't care for that could be considered "highly rated" (although I am not sure how true this is for the most recent editions of this bottle) would be the Talisker 10. I have liked very much every Talisker that I have had with the exception of this one.

by **bamber** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 3:49 pm

I really can't think of any that I don't like at all !! Aberlour maybe, but I still drink it. Mortlach can be sulphury, but I've had some nice ones. Strictly in terms of (personal preference) / (rating or reputation) ratio, I suppose I would say Laphraig too, as I don't really care for the 10yo and am ambivalent to the QC and 10yo CS. However I rate the 15yo and 30yo very highly and I've enjoyed all the SMWS ones I've tried and a couple of other IB's.

Not had any Ledaig or Littlemill yet - maybe I should

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 5:38 pm

I have only had two Ledaigs - the 15OB and a youngish Signatory bottling. Both were splendid - good balance of sweet peat and malt with underlying fruitiness. The Signatory one was lighter all round, but still well balanced.

by **bamber** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 5:57 pm

Nick Brown wrote:I have only had two Ledaigs - the 15OB and a youngish Signatory bottling. Both were splendid - good balance of sweet peat and malt with underlying fruitiness. The Signatory one was lighter all round, but still well balanced.

I better go for the NAS statement then

by **BubbaC** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 6:06 pm

The Laphroaig 10 year old did absolutely nothing for me. I have heard
that the older vintages are not as bad, but am very skeptical since I so
disliked the 10.

by **Marvin** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 6:09 pm

BubbaC wrote:The Laphroaig 10 year old did absolutely nothing for me. I have heard
that the older vintages are not as bad, but am very skeptical since I so
disliked the 10.

Try Talisker instead.