# All things whisk(e)y



## Timthebeaver (Jun 22, 2016)

It appears there are quite a few whisk(e)y enthusiasts and drinkers here on KKF, so I thought I'd create a unified thread for all things distilled fermented grain mash. Let's hear about the great, good and not so good, tastings, bottlings, opinions, etc.

I thought I'd start with an article that suggests the rapid rise in price of Scottish single malts is probably not ending any time soon.

https://scotchwhisky.com/magazine/latest-news/9690/single-malt-continues-its-stateside-march/

Also, I am going to a tasting this week (Japanese whiskies) and will report back with some thoughts on the world's most hyped spirit.


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## cheflivengood (Jun 22, 2016)

I like this idea, Ive recently started getting into whiskey and would like info from more knowledgeable folks.


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## boomchakabowwow (Jun 22, 2016)

i met a bourbon guy. cant remember where he works.

he said that not to over think it. just get what i like. he basically said all of whiskey start off with pretty much the same white booze. bourbon guys call it white dog.

i've been sipping local sonoma county stuff. very good rye.


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## Timthebeaver (Jun 22, 2016)

TTB's guide to "standard"* distillery bottlings (core range) of single malt Scotch Whisky (updated for 2016)

(*generally the youngest and/or most readily available/most inexpensive offering)

Glenmorangie 10 year old - Highland - Still one of _the_ starter single malts, in my opinion. A well balanced, lighter Highlander.

Benromach 10 year old - Speyside - One of the smallest distilleries in Scotland, aiming for a flavour profile found in Speyside whisky from times past with craft presentation (no chill filtering/colourant). An austere, robust Speysider. Highest recommendation, excellent value.

Old Pulteney 12 year old - Highland - Another lighter highlander with a brine edge. Consistently very good.

Talisker 10 year old - Island (Skye) - Has returned to form recently in my opinion, one of the best standard bottlings, and a must-try. A robust malt with smoke, a good hit of peat and brine. Peppery arrival is the calling card. You'll either love it or hate it.

Highland Park 12 year old - Island (Orkney)- Archetypal all-rounder. Perfect second malt. Highland Park on a whole is a victim of it's own success, but this standard bottling is still a reference.

Springbank 10 year old - Campbeltown - The best standard bottling imo, but certainly not the best starter malt. Far more complex than most core bottlings with a style all of its own. Highest recommendation.

Clynelish 14 year old - Highland - Also a very individual style, robust with a signature waxiness. Not a starter malt.

Lagavulin 16 year old - Islay - Another great standard bottling. Great balance of sweetness, sherry, peat, smoke and phenolic character. A must try.

Laphroaig 10 year old - Islay - Quality on the wane in my experience, but still a very singular character, and one of the most polarising out there. Peat, phenols, salt, medicinal. 

Bunnahabhain 12 year old - Islay - A lighter representative of the Islay style, craft presentation, affordable. A good all-rounder. Recommended.

Craigellachie 13 year old - Speyside - A new release single malt from a distillery where most of the whisky goes into Dewar's blends. A very unique malt, with unusual spirit sulphur and spicy notes.

Glenfarclas 10 year old - Highland - A sherried, sweet, thick malt for a standard bottling. Consistently good, a good introduction to sherry cask malts.

Glendronach 12 year old - Highland - Another heavily sherried entry-level malt. Slightly better than the Glenfarclas imo.

Ben Nevis 10 year old - Highland - A very singular style from the sparsely populated (in distillery terms) west highland region. Strong wood influence.

Ardbeg 10 year old - Islay - A very good standard bottling, quality remains high. Sweet peat, smoke and phenols in spades. Often overlooked given the crazy market for old/limited release Ardbegs. Highly recommended.

Longrow NAS - Campbeltown - Peated malt from Springbank. Very singular, oily style. Recommended.

Honourable mentions: Balvenie Doublewood, Ledaig 10 year old, AnCnoc 12 year old.

Yes, there are no Lowland whiskies in there. Mainly because I am not a fan of the standard bottlings. As an aside, the folk at the Auchentoshan distillery are really nice, and (as with any distillery) some of their single casks are gems.


Scotch Single Malts for Beginners



Standard bottlings are generally pretty consistent products, vatted to produce a standard/reference flavour profile. If you buy an independent bottling/single cask, it may (and probably will) be a very different animal.

Non-chill filtered, no colour added, higher strength (usually comes hand in hand with the first two) = better. Often stated, generally true imo.

Remember that all distilleries can (and will) produce gems and pigs, some produce more of one type than others.

Older does not equal better, but certainly equals (exponentially) more expensive (although there is growing feeling unscrupulous distilleries are using no-age-statement (NAS) bottlings as vehicles for young, immature malts with inflated price tags).

NAS malts can be very good.

Some vatted (blended) malts are fantastic.




Disclaimer: All of above are the opinions of one man

TTB


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## panda (Jun 22, 2016)

Don't care about scotch. But would love to know more about rye's, especially Canadian. Last one I tried was Alberta dark, has depth but way too sweet.


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## Timthebeaver (Jun 22, 2016)

boomchakabowwow said:


> i met a bourbon guy. cant remember where he works.
> 
> he said that not to over think it. just get what i like. he basically said all of whiskey start off with pretty much the same white booze. bourbon guys call it *white dog.*
> 
> i've been sipping local sonoma county stuff. very good rye.



There are a number of complex processes which result in the production of new make spirit (or what some whisky producers term "white dog"). Distillery new makes vary markedly in character due to differences in the grain used/mashbill, type of yeast used, fermentation time and temperature, distillation regime (to name a few contributing factors).

Drink what you like is very solid advice however...


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## boomchakabowwow (Jun 22, 2016)

Timthebeaver said:


> There are a number of complex processes which result in the production of new make spirit (or what some whisky producers term "white dog"). Distillery new makes vary markedly in character due to differences in the grain used/mashbill, type of yeast used, fermentation time and temperature, distillation regime (to name a few contributing factors).
> 
> Drink what you like is very solid advice however...



yes..i get it.
but if you distill it down..(pun) the simple act of distilling is to clean up the alcohol to its most basic and cleanest form..and then you do what you do in barrels.

i'm not sure if i lined up a bunch of white dog varieties, i could taste any difference. my palatte is not that sophisticated.


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## boomchakabowwow (Jun 22, 2016)

and i gotten away from Scotch.

i just like american bourbons. if i could i would road trip to kentucky.


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## boomchakabowwow (Jun 22, 2016)

panda said:


> Don't care about scotch. But would love to know more about rye's, especially Canadian. Last one I tried was Alberta dark, has depth but way too sweet.




i was told most canadian whiskey were rye.


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## Mucho Bocho (Jun 22, 2016)

There really is only one true pot stilled Irish Whisky "Red Breast"

https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/2906/redbreast-12-year-old


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## ecchef (Jun 22, 2016)

I concur with Tim's appraisal of Ardbeg 10. It was actually my first foray into single malts and it's still a 'go to'. I'd like to give their Dark Cove a try, if my guy can get it.
From what I've read, Bowmore's standard bottlings have been in decline, but I do like their Enigma.


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## Timthebeaver (Jun 23, 2016)

I thought that Dark Cove (standard release) was a notch below my latest (2015) bottle of Uigeadail, which remains my favourite core Ardbeg, and a reference price/quality dram.

Factor in that DC is almost double the price and I won't be picking up the Dark Cove personally. Ymmv.


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## ecchef (Jun 23, 2016)

Thanks Tim. I think I'll give the Uigeadail a try first.


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## cheflivengood (Jun 29, 2016)

Picked up a bottle of Ardbeg Uigeadail and Nikka Coffey Malt. 

Ardbeg - Very peaty and smokey, medium smoothness, I preferred it with a couple ice cubes, It made the complexities more identifiable for my amateur palate. 

Nikka - WOW. So smooth and toffee/carmel like, easily my favorite whiskey to date. I will be buying more different Nikkas soon for sure.


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## DamageInc (Jun 29, 2016)

I find adding ice to a whisky will mute the flavors rather than open them up. I go for a little cool water if I want to explore flavor.


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## cheflivengood (Jun 29, 2016)

DamageInc said:


> I find adding ice to a whisky will mute the flavors rather than open them up. I go for a little cool water if I want to explore flavor.



Ya, when I say a couple ice cubes I mean literally 2 small ones, Id say a 10:1 whiskey to ice


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## Mucho Bocho (Jun 29, 2016)

May sound pedantically but even one drop of water in a 1 OZ shot will change the flavor profile. Here is what me ole Chap Ralphy has to say about it:

[video=youtube;1C7O3DC_NxA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C7O3DC_NxA[/video]


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## cheflivengood (Jun 29, 2016)

Mucho Bocho said:


> May sound pedantically but even one drop of water in a 1 OZ shot will change the flavor profile. Here is what me ole Chap Ralphy has to say about it:
> 
> [video=youtube;1C7O3DC_NxA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C7O3DC_NxA[/video]



I now love this man thank you.


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## DamageInc (Jun 29, 2016)

He is a treasure. I've been watching his videos since 2011.


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## Timthebeaver (Jun 30, 2016)

Ralfy is the best whisky pundit, even if his science is occasionally a bit off.


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## Timthebeaver (Jun 30, 2016)

Am opening the new Springbank 12 Burgundy tonite, will report back.


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## skewed (Jun 30, 2016)

I rarely drink hard alcohol but I do enjoy a few sips of scotch now and then. Bottles tend to last me a year or longer. Lagavulin 16y ran out recently, which I really enjoyed, replaced a couple weeks ago with Laphroaig 10y CS. These two seem like the extremes of Islay whisky; smooth sweet and tempered vs wild sharp slap in the face. I have to admit sometimes I really need a good slap in the face.


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## apicius9 (Jul 1, 2016)

I have been out of the whisky thing for quite some time, it had gotten too expensive when I was at the point of buying bottles in the range of Shigefusa knives... But Tim's list brings back memories and the comments look spot-on to me. I liked almost every Islay whisky I ever had, Ardbegs and Caol Ilas being my favorites. Springbangs took me a while to understand but I like them. And I remember a 30 year old Auchentoshan at a tasting that blew me away - unexpected for a Lowland malt. 

Right now I am slowly stocking up a bit after moving. Started with some whites (Bombay Sapphire and Tito's vodka), Wild Turkey 101 which I think of as a good value but I drink it iced and more for the buzz. Ardbeg 10 and Springbank 10 are top of my shopping list for malts. Wish I had some Ardbeg 1975 left... And I remember, when I started getting into single malts, I had an offer for a few bottles of Black Bowmore for about equivalent to about $300 (in Germany), but I declined because I was a poor student...

Stefan


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## ecchef (Jul 1, 2016)

:jawdrop: Black Bowmore...$11k. Damn Stefan, you do have good taste Sir!

When you run out of Sapphire, try The Botanist. Islay _gin_. :wink:


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## Timthebeaver (Jul 1, 2016)

Friday night dramming: Malts revisited.

Glendronach 15 Revival

Malt fans will know this expression was a bit of a revelation when Glendronach got "rebooted" a few years ago. Gaining almost universal acclaim from whisky pundits, followed by murmurs of batch variation, this malt was discontinued in 2015. My bottle is from 2014 (hence contains at least 18 y/o whisky) and has been open for just over a year.

This is an excellent dram which gets much better with exposure to air (was underwhelmed when I first opened it). Very complex at 46% abv, with a fantastic depth of flavour. Archetype sherried whisky which treads the line between dry and sweet perfectly. Increasingly hard to find, so grab it if you see it. Rumoured to be re-released in 2017 when the first "new" Glendronach distillate matures.

90 points.


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## Timthebeaver (Jul 1, 2016)

apicius9 said:


> I have been out of the whisky thing for quite some time, it had gotten too expensive when I was at the point of buying bottles in the range of Shigefusa knives... But Tim's list brings back memories and the comments look spot-on to me. I liked almost every Islay whisky I ever had, Ardbegs and Caol Ilas being my favorites. Springbangs took me a while to understand but I like them. And I remember a 30 year old Auchentoshan at a tasting that blew me away - unexpected for a Lowland malt.
> 
> Right now I am slowly stocking up a bit after moving. Started with some whites (Bombay Sapphire and Tito's vodka), Wild Turkey 101 which I think of as a good value but I drink it iced and more for the buzz. Ardbeg 10 and Springbank 10 are top of my shopping list for malts. Wish I had some Ardbeg 1975 left... And I remember, when I started getting into single malts, I had an offer for a few bottles of Black Bowmore for about equivalent to about $300 (in Germany), but I declined because I was a poor student...
> 
> Stefan



That's quite a tale re: Bowmore Stefan. Thanks for the kind words too.

Since you are clearly a man who knows his Islay malts, may I suggest that Bowmore produced 2000- is a great distillate, currently coming into its own.

The Springbank 10 just gets better every time i try a new bottling. I think you will be pleasantly surprised when you pick it up.


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## cheflivengood (Jul 1, 2016)

tim, 

could you recommend a low peat single malt scotch to compare to an ardbeg uigeadail i picked up recently.


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## Timthebeaver (Jul 1, 2016)

Chef, 

Uigeadail is a bit of a monster, i would argue probably the "biggest" of the readily available, affordable malts.

What kind of flavours do you like in your whisky? Light or rich? Sweet or dry? 

If you are looking for a balanced all rounder with very little peat influence I might suggest Bunnahabhain 12 year old or Glenmorangie 10 year old.


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## cheflivengood (Jul 1, 2016)

I like sweet and rich, but could appreciate a dry lighter option


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## Timthebeaver (Jul 1, 2016)

Sweeter: Balvenie 12 year old Double Wood
Richer: Glenfiddich 15 year old Solera Reserve

All rounders as above.

Lighter: Dalwhinnie 15 year old, AnCnoc 12 year old.


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## DSChief (Jul 1, 2016)

Sweet/rich i would add

Benriach 12 yo. Horizons or Tobermory 15


for dryer/lighter = un-peated

Aultmore 12
Hazelburn 12 or even better Hazelburn Rundlets & Kilderkins if you can find it.


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## JohnnyChance (Jul 2, 2016)

panda said:


> Don't care about scotch. But would love to know more about rye's, especially Canadian. Last one I tried was Alberta dark, has depth but way too sweet.



Alberta Dark is a blend and has a lot of influence from the sherry they use, so that is where a lot of the sweetness is coming from. Finding a Canadian rye that is not a blend is more limiting, Whistle Pig is probably the easiest. There were some Jefferson's releases that were from Alberta Distillery (the distillery WP sources from) as well but those probably aren't on shelves anymore. There are some 100% rye that Alberta releases but those are in Canada only.


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## JohnnyChance (Jul 2, 2016)

Malts I generally prefer the heavily peated ones but I am a sucker for Springbank as well. Heavily sherried preferred but the old 10/100 and the new Local Barley are both quite nice.


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## JohnnyChance (Jul 2, 2016)

Some malts at a friend's house this past Monday.


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## Timthebeaver (Jul 2, 2016)

Some great malts there Johnny. Laphroaig in refill sherry is usually a good combination in my experience. 

I have to say that I thought the new Local Barley didn't match the hype, and I say that as a Springbank fan. That 10 y/o 100 proof Beige label was a gem - as I mentioned above I think the newer bottlings of 10 y/o are getting close to this. What was your opinion of the 15? I've had mixed experiences with this one.


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## panda (Jul 2, 2016)

johnny any rye recommendations i should look out for?


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## Timthebeaver (Jul 6, 2016)

Wales semi-final dramming:

Bunnahabhain 1996 (Douglas Laing, OMC) 12 years old, refill hogshead. The Islay outlier.


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## JohnnyChance (Jul 6, 2016)

panda said:


> johnny any rye recommendations i should look out for?



Whistle Pig is the only readily available Alberta distillate in the US that I am aware. I really like Legacy Canadian as well. Much better than Crown or other blends yet still affordable.


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## Chef Doom (Jul 7, 2016)

I'm not a Whisky drinker myself, but I met a couple of guys recently that have been sharing a bottle between them at least once a month. They told me they don't buy anything below 25 years. They will go 15 if they are at a bar and that's the best they could do. They gave me a sample and I sort of understood where they were coming from.


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## panda (Jul 7, 2016)

i am perfectly happy with whistlepig but it's a bit pricey. have you tried the old world yet? it's even more $$$ but i'm itching to pick one up.

i'll keep an eye out for legacy.


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## Timthebeaver (Jul 7, 2016)

Chef Doom said:


> I'm not a Whisky drinker myself, but I met a couple of guys recently that have been sharing a bottle between them at least once a month. They told me they don't buy anything below 25 years. They will go 15 if they are at a bar and that's the best they could do. They gave me a sample and I sort of understood where they were coming from.



Very simplistic and rudimentary thinking, no doubt grounded in snobbery.

Age is just a number, there are so many other factors in play. 

Have drank dozens of mediocre 25+ whiskies, also dozens of sub 12 stunners. Ymmv.


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## DSChief (Jul 7, 2016)

Rye options:
http://whiskyreviews.blogspot.com/search?q=RYE

http://hudsonwhiskey.com/whiskeys/manhattan-rye/


Hudson also does a Maple Cask Rye, which I've tried. worth checking out

http://sonomacountydistilling.com/#section-1


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## panda (Jul 7, 2016)

Cool, I've had Hudson bourbon and thought highly of it.


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## boomchakabowwow (Jul 7, 2016)

Timthebeaver said:


> Very simplistic and rudimentary thinking, no doubt grounded in snobbery.
> 
> Age is just a number, there are so many other factors in play.
> 
> Have drank dozens of mediocre 25+ whiskies, also dozens of sub 12 stunners. Ymmv.



i had an interview playing in the background. they were talking to that Pappy's guy. i think i heard him say, 15 years was his favorite age. that was when it was at the peak for him. i might go and replay that interview.


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## Chef Doom (Jul 7, 2016)

Timthebeaver said:


> Very simplistic and rudimentary thinking, no doubt grounded in snobbery.
> 
> Age is just a number, there are so many other factors in play.
> 
> Have drank dozens of mediocre 25+ whiskies, also dozens of sub 12 stunners. Ymmv.



I figured as much, but at the same time, I'm not one to judge what factors people use to pick alcohol. There are so many possibilities to choose from, you have to have some sort of factor to eliminate some options. I recently picked a vodka because the bottle was shaped into a skull. 

Also, they said something about less hangovers or less intense hangovers, but this was obviously without anecdotal evidence.


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## JohnnyChance (Jul 8, 2016)

panda said:


> i am perfectly happy with whistlepig but it's a bit pricey. have you tried the old world yet? it's even more $$$ but i'm itching to pick one up.
> 
> i'll keep an eye out for legacy.



Yeah, I had one of the Old World releases, I can't remember which one. They have three different cask finishes available separately and then one that is all three blended together. It was nice but not my thing for the price tag. I am not a fan of wine cask finished american whiskey as whole though.



DSChief said:


> Rye options:
> http://whiskyreviews.blogspot.com/search?q=RYE
> 
> http://hudsonwhiskey.com/whiskeys/manhattan-rye/
> ...





panda said:


> Cool, I've had Hudson bourbon and thought highly of it.



I have a hard time with American craft/micro whiskey, especially bourbon. Unlike beer, small scale whiskey producers are the ones who have to take shortcuts. It is usually under aged and over priced. Some of them are good or interesting, but even then they have a hard time matching the traditional bourbon profile.


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## cheflivengood (Jul 16, 2016)




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## LucasFur (Jul 18, 2016)

Don't have time now to read the whole thread, but if anybody has questions 
I am a Sommelier, got the diploma a few years ago and specialized in Scotch. 
My diploma consisted of 150 tastings/reviews, and got examined both written and tasting examinations. 
Not to mention my 40+ open bottle collection.


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## Mucho Bocho (Jul 18, 2016)

LucasFur said:


> Don't have time now to read the whole thread, but if anybody has questions
> I am a Sommelier, got the diploma a few years ago and specialized in Scotch.
> My diploma consisted of 150 tastings/reviews, and got examined both written and tasting examinations.
> Not to mention my 40+ open bottle collection.



And where do you live? Curious if you needed another best friend?


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## panda (Jul 18, 2016)

My bottles never stay full long enough to be part of a collection.


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## LucasFur (Jul 18, 2016)

Mucho Bocho said:


> And where do you live? Curious if you needed another best friend?


Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 

I am actually diving into cognac, and even more so armagnac now. Fantastic stuff at fantastic prices.


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## Mucho Bocho (Jul 18, 2016)

Hey least we're on the same continent. Seriously keep up informed of recommendations. What's your most favorite Islay dram for >$75 USD?


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## rami_m (Jul 18, 2016)

What would you recommend for a beginner under 75?


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## panda (Jul 19, 2016)

macallan 12, so good


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## DSChief (Jul 20, 2016)

rami_m said:


> What would you recommend for a beginner under 75?



for a beginner I'd say don't jump into the heavy peated stuff too soon. work your way into the dark Side.

Old Puteney 12
Highland Park 12
craigellachie 13

a bit fuller
Balvenie 15 yo.
bunnahabhain 12
Aberlour A'bunadh

Light Peat
Springbank 12
Talisker distillers Ed.

Total Peat
Ledaig 10
Ardbeg Uigeadail

anything in Australia is going to be crazy expensive

check out Ralfystuff on youtube he has tons of good info.
[video=youtube;lCXkAy5XvcU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCXkAy5XvcU[/video]


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## rami_m (Jul 20, 2016)

DSChief said:


> for a beginner I'd say don't jump into the heavy peated stuff too soon. work your way into the dark Side.
> 
> Old Puteney 12
> Highland Park 12
> ...



Thank you. I will be travelling overseas later this year so will pick up something from duty free.


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## LucasFur (Jul 21, 2016)

My personal favorites 
Islands: Highland park - sticking to more sherry'd versions - 12YO and 18Yo - i have tasted up to 30 
Notable Mention - Scapa is pretty fantastic with beautiful floral notes 

Speyside: Balvenie - any year any blend - its my go to dram with special mention to the 21YO port wood 
notable mention : Aberlour - same flavor profile as macallan, but alot cheaper and argueably a parallel wood program 

Lowlands: - dont care about but if had to choose Glenkinchie, Owned by Diagio, so i have problems with them but I liked always messing with Diagio representatives asking for it
Noteable mention: Bladnoch - i really have no intrest in lowlands 

Highlands - Tullibardine is my favourite. they have a really nice head distiller 
noteable mention - Clynelish - what i always recommend to Johnny walker drinkers 

Cambletown: Sringbank - fantastic **** - its essentially a fresh highland park 

islay: Arbeg - just fantastic - -even the 10yo is light but full bodied. I have had around 5 expressions and they hit the nail on the head with each. though i will admit the 10 is still my favourite. 
Noteable mention: Bruichladdich - in the last 5 years they really polished up their game and deserve a mention. 

of these highland park / balvenie/ springbank/ ardbeg are always in my collection.


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## drawman623 (Jul 24, 2016)

I've been sampling Japanese Whisky lately. Toki (Suntory's latest) was a disappointment. It seemed to improve over ice but that was beyong the limits of my whisky snobbery. If I cannot enjoy it neat...it goes to that dark and lonely place on the bottom shelf. An earlier post referenced some fellows who share bottles and choose 25 year aged offerings only. While I lack the budget to savor only elite spirits, I agree with the premace that life is too short for cheap (poor) whisky. That said, I enjoy blind taste testing. The "top shelf" is indeed a fine and welcoming place.


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## malexthekid (Jul 24, 2016)

drawman623 said:


> I've been sampling Japanese Whisky lately. Toki (Suntory's latest) was a disappointment. It seemed to improve over ice but that was beyong the limits of my whisky snobbery. If I cannot enjoy it neat...it goes to that dark and lonely place on the bottom shelf. An earlier post referenced some fellows who share bottles and choose 25 year aged offerings only. While I lack the budget to savor only elite spirits, I agree with the premace that life is too short for cheap (poor) whisky. That said, I enjoy blind taste testing. The "top shelf" is indeed a fine and welcoming place.



I find it interesting you agree that life is too short for bad whiskey but find the idea of having to add some water to open it up a bit to snobby. Its just a thing with whiskey. Some opens up with a dash or two of water.


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## panda (Jul 24, 2016)

i only drink with ice, dont like warm liquids. as long as there isnt some pretentious reasoning behind why you do things, it's not snobbery.


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## JohnnyChance (Jul 25, 2016)

drawman623 said:


> I've been sampling Japanese Whisky lately. Toki (Suntory's latest) was a disappointment. It seemed to improve over ice but that was beyong the limits of my whisky snobbery. If I cannot enjoy it neat...it goes to that dark and lonely place on the bottom shelf. An earlier post referenced some fellows who share bottles and choose 25 year aged offerings only. While I lack the budget to savor only elite spirits, I agree with the premace that life is too short for cheap (poor) whisky. That said, I enjoy blind taste testing. The "top shelf" is indeed a fine and welcoming place.



Toki is a blend designed to be used in a highball. It's not going to be comparable to Hibiki 17/21. So it makes sense it's better over ice. It's summer, try it over ice with sparkling water and a lemon twist next time you are in the mood for something refreshing.

I don't drink a lot of my whiskey with water or ice. But I do sometimes. Depends on the situation and the whiskey I am drinking. Even for fancier/expensive/limited pours, adding water can be beneficial. I use water more than ice, ice will continue to dilute but you can add a few drops of water and continue to enjoy it as you would a neat pour.


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## drawman623 (Jul 26, 2016)

Thanks for the insight. I have read that the highball is quite popular in Japan. I'm reminded of the vastness of whisky appeal and of the fact that I have no more than a thumbnail of experience in that world...still, I have found a few joys and whisky figures prominently in my entertaining. I have a Macallan tasting tomorrow with a few friends. 

As for experimentation with water, I agree that even a drop or two can make a profound impact on the spirit. In tasting the Toki, I used a couple ice chips. If I were at home the eyedropper would have been used first. I'm sure I won't be trying to judge whisky when used in a mixed drink but next time I'll pay a bit more attention to the maker's intent when crafting the blend.


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## Ydj32 (Aug 20, 2016)

If anybody here is Canadian, try 40 Creek. It's excellent and relatively cheap since it's domestic.


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## Ydj32 (Aug 20, 2016)

oh, and the best whiskey I've ever had to is Hibiki 21 year old. Hard to find outside Japan, but excellent.


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## DeepCSweede (Aug 20, 2016)

Hitting the Elijah Craig Private Reserve to start off the evening tonight


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## drawman623 (Aug 21, 2016)

Vysis said:


> oh, and the best whiskey I've ever had to is Hibiki 21 year old. Hard to find outside Japan, but excellent.



I found a local source for Hibiki 21. Send a PM if you need me to locate bottle for you


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## panda (Aug 22, 2016)

mucho already mentioned this, but i finally tried a glass of redbreast 12yr (the cask strength one) a month ago and it was top notch. i enjoyed it nearly as much as i like macallan 12. and that's saying something because i don't even like scotch.


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## Timthebeaver (Nov 18, 2016)

The new batch of Redbreast 12 CS is very good.

Other "standard" bottlings I have been enjoying recently:

Springbank 18 (2016 release)
Caol Ila 18
Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength (008, 2016)
Benromach 15
Glen Garioch 1999 (Sherry Cask)


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## Wens (Nov 19, 2016)

Man I wish I could track down a bottle of the redbreast cask strength. Maybe I'll have to resort to getting one shipped to me.


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