Black Bottle 10 Year Old

[Virginia Gentleman]

I normally only like to buy single malts but I have been reading some very good reviews of Black Bottle 10yr. I am interested in what others think of this blend.

Scott

[Paul A Jellis]

I think it is superb, not a word I use very often, and worth every penny!

Cheers

Paul

[Virginia Gentleman]

I think it is superb, not a word I use very often, and worth every penny!

Cheers

Paul

Thanks Paul. I am buying a bottle tomorrow.

Scott

[Bob & Jill]

Scott, You mentioned you only buy single malts but you are interested in Black Bottle 10, well Black Bottle actually is a single malt. It’s a blend of Islay single malts. If you like Islay malts you should like this one. It is well balanced and very nice.

We tried it on tasting that included Ardbeg 10 and Laphroaig 10 and it stood right up there with them. It was actually a 3-week tasting while we were on a wilderness canoe trip. Our goal, by the end of the trip, was to determine which was the best. We concluded it was Black Bottle because it was so smooth. (Ardbeg 10 was a little too hot for me, but few drops of water cut the fire). Since then we have jumped up a notch in price and quality and now Lagavulin 16 is at the top of the list.
Jill
Bob & Jill, Colorado

[parvus]

...Black Bottle actually is a single malt. It’s a blend of Islay single malts.

It's still a blend, regardless of where the components come from. I've read great things about Black Bottle also (http://www.whiskymag.com/whisky/brand/b ... ky814.html) especially given its price.

[misa]

I always thought that Black Bottle contained a porportion of grain whisky as well.

[kallaskander]

Hi there,

as the Black Bottle home page is not yet operational please try this.

http://www.whisky.com/blends/blackbottle.html

There is no grain in the blended malt.

Greetings
kallaskander

[The Fachan]

Folks,

I can assure that Black Bottle 10yo is a blend. The malt content is only from the Islay distilleries but there is also grain present .

Regards

Ian

[Iain]

The website's claim that "It only contains malt from the seven active Islay distilleries." is certainly misleading.

It states clearly elsewhere that BB10 is a blended Scotch, and as such it should contain a mixture of single malt and grain whiskies.

[parvus]

If it was just a combo of malts, then it'd surely be marketed as a vatted malt, rather than a blend, yes?

WM, my local shop and other sources lead me to believe it is a blend, and the "It only contains malt from the seven active Islay distilleries" to me means that its malt section is made up purely from those seven distilleries, not 'soley' made from those seven distilleries.

[kallaskander]

Hi there,

the most obvious thing at last, like always.

On the bottle it says at the top of the label "Distilled, Blended and Bottled in Scotland".
On the back label "Black Bottle 10 Years Old challenges the rules of deluxe whiskies - its heart is made entirely of Islay malts from each of the island´s seven distilleries, blended with the finest grain whiskies. ..."

Sorry for the misleading post above.

Greetings
kallaskander

[corbuso]

The black bottle is a blend and does contain a high proportion of grain, but all the malt content is 100% from Islay.

When you drink it, you feel immediately the presence of the grain and the nice islay flavours. It is peaty, but light and smooth at the same time. Different from malts, but enjoyable.

Corbuso




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http://www.whisky-news.com

[Bob & Jill]

Scott, As you can see from the number of posts I have made, I am relatively new to Whisky. I know just enough about whisky terminology to be dangerous. This is what happens when I write late at night and don’t get to consult Bob (who reads M. Jackson’s Whiskey book).

I knew there was a term for what I wanted to say, namely a vatted malt, not single malt. However, Bob informed me that Black Bottle may not even be a vatted malt (single malt from more than one distillery). He asked his whisky consultant at the liquor shop and was told the BB formulation is secret. Anyway, it sure tastes like a blend of Islay distilleries’ single malts.

Question for those that know, do bottlers list the words “vatted malt” on the label when it actually is one?
Jill
Bob & Jill, Colorado

[Deactivated Member]

Usually, because it's a selling point. In the past, "vatted malt", "all malt", "pure Malt", and who knows what else has been used. The Scotch Whisky Association, to which most Scottish distillers belong, is pushing the term "blended malt whisky", which a great many of us think is utterly, totally, and egregiously bogus. I'll bet it confuses you just to think about it.

[Frodo]

I think it is superb, not a word I use very often, and worth every penny!

Cheers

Paul

Bingo!

[BruceCrichton]

I normally only like to buy single malts but I have been reading some very good reviews of Black Bottle 10yr. I am interested in what others think of this blend.

Scott

I like it but I prefer the standard bottling which I find to be smoother and richer. If you can lay your hands on Islay Mist, then that is another one to get.

I am a big Islay whisky fan, just to give an idea of my tastes.

[Deactivated Member]

I second my Jethro Tull quoting colleague - why go for the 10yo when the NAS is so good?

[BruceCrichton]

I wondered how long it would be before someone recognised Jethro Tull.

I heard you were kissed by a witch, one night in the wood.

[lexvo]

Black Bottle 10yo is a fine whisky, especially considering its price.

[Deactivated Member]

And where the hell was Biggles when you needed him last Saturday?

[Ardbeg311]

Although I initially thought this was a good, affordable "Islay" whisky based upon one tasting, after drinking a bottle of the 10yo I would advise someone to save their money and buy the "real thing": Laphroaig Quarter Cask, Ardbeg 10, Lagavulin 16 (and all their variants).

[Di Blasi]

I tasted the Black Bottle in March in an exciting and diverse blind tasting with Jim Murray, and really loved it. Now recently I've tasted it again, but not sure if it's the same as I tasted then, cause here in Norway our government shop says 5yo, and it's not as good as I remember it, not as smoky either.

[randall fairbrook]

my tasting notes:

black bottle fine old scotch whisky - a blend of all the islays - 40%

color: light straw

nose: peppery, tequila-like

mouthfeel: decent alcohol burn....long after...keeps in the gums..back of mouth

taste: peat top notes, earth must, wintergreen

nose with water: buttery, starch,

taste with water: woodsy, pine, menthol

best neat

[Thomas H.]

A shop a few kilometers away from sells the 10y/o for 21 euros. Damn fine whisky for such a price.

It'll never make my top 10, that's for sure, but at 21 euros, it's just great.

[Spirit of Islay]

how does black bottle compare to compass box- the peaty one? or john, mark, and robbo's the smoky,peaty one?

Haven't had the new peaty one but the original was better than the BB (bit of an unfair comparison) but it's way better than the smoky peaty one ( on another planet in a little space ship....) .

[K-Mile]

john, mark, and robbo's the smoky,peaty one

This is a whisky?
The names kids come up with these days

[Di Blasi]

john, mark, and robbo's the smoky,peaty one

This is a whisky?
The names kids come up with these days

That company no longer exists, has gone to the Angels I guess, things didn't work out unfortunately.

[Di Blasi]

I heard it from someone the company dissolved, never read it anywhere but an email. It was a branch off from The Edrington Group. Again, too bad it didn't work out, perhaps just too ahead of it's time for the new whisky generation?

[captainfudgie]

I saw a bottle of Black Bottle in a liquor store the other day for less than $30. I had it in my hand but didn't pull the trigger on the purchase.Now I am going to have to go back and grab it. I think there was only 1 left. I hope it is still there.

[tenglish61]

RIP BB 10 yr old.. It is no longer produced. If you see it, BUY IT! I have 4 bottles on the shelf that will have to last me the rest of my life! Now the regular BB is a wonderful scotch that can, in my opinion, hold it 's own with any blend you may put on the table. Try it, you just might like it.

[LagaDrinker]

I tried the NAS the other night and have to say that I really like it.

[Charlie]

I've never had the 10yo, but I love the standard BB. It has to be one of the best value for money whiskies around. Tesco often have it in at just over a tenner.

[UUNetBill]

I was at a tasting a few months back that featured Bunnahabhain, and they tossed in some NAS BB, which I liked very much, especially for the price. Really enjoyed it; I'll be sure to keep a bottle around for quick nips during the week!

[Spirit of Islay]

Where does it say 10yo Black Bottle is produced no more tenglish61 ?
Can't find anywhere that says it's discontinued (RMW , LFW) .
Shame if it is.......

[triguy42]

They still sell BB 10yr here in Florida, and you can buy the Jon, Mark and Robbo editions at the local supermarkets for about $28. BB is a decent bottling, but recent editions haven't been nearly as nice. Too much grain and not enough peat, smoke or oak character to mask the bite. Since BB 10yr actually costs $1 more than a bottle of Laphroaig 10yr around here, it's an easy choice for me to buy the 'frog.

The "Smokey Peaty One" is highly variable, one bottle was absolutely amazing and very much like the Talisker 1992 DE...the next bottle was kind of bland...until I tossed in a few drams of Laphroaig 10yr into the bottle! They are also selling this at Total Wine & Spirits, so possibly they are producing it mostly for a couple of big retailers and no longer targeting the mom-n-pop stores.