I was just getting ready to leave the office when I saw your post. It's cold and rainy here and I think you're on to something.
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Anyone into Single Malt Scotch Whisky?
- Thread starter brukuns
- Start date
Tasted some gems last night...
Balvenie 12 Single Barrel (ex-bourbon)
Balvenie 15 Madeira cask
Balvenie 15 Single Barrel (ex sherry... absolutely insane!)
Ardbeg 10
Aberlour a'bunadh (The cask strength felt a bit overkill for me, those 62% burn, I'm not there yet)
Lagavulin 16... Insanely good.
My favorite was probably the Balvenie 15 Single Barrel... but the Lagavulin 16... man... I gotta get my hands on these 2 eventually.
Balvenie 12 Single Barrel (ex-bourbon)
Balvenie 15 Madeira cask
Balvenie 15 Single Barrel (ex sherry... absolutely insane!)
Ardbeg 10
Aberlour a'bunadh (The cask strength felt a bit overkill for me, those 62% burn, I'm not there yet)
Lagavulin 16... Insanely good.
My favorite was probably the Balvenie 15 Single Barrel... but the Lagavulin 16... man... I gotta get my hands on these 2 eventually.
It's been a busy year.
all of these done and dusted (and yes, that's a wrapped cutting board I forgot was there). I can't let go! hahaha
What's on the shelf now... Aberlour is on its last leg but ordered another one yesterday at a sweet price.
the Balvenie Doublewood deserves to be there but it's so pricey right now... I'll get a replacement when I find the price is right. Too bad cos' it's one of my favorites.
Should travel to the US later this year, prices over there are so much better... maybe I'll come back with a Balvenie 15 Single Barrel and a Lagavulin 16... tried these a few days ago, fucking delicious both of them... top notch stuff. but ridiculously expensive.
(Also tried the Aberlour A'bunadh, but 62% was just too much for my palate)
all of these done and dusted (and yes, that's a wrapped cutting board I forgot was there). I can't let go! hahaha
What's on the shelf now... Aberlour is on its last leg but ordered another one yesterday at a sweet price.
the Balvenie Doublewood deserves to be there but it's so pricey right now... I'll get a replacement when I find the price is right. Too bad cos' it's one of my favorites.
Should travel to the US later this year, prices over there are so much better... maybe I'll come back with a Balvenie 15 Single Barrel and a Lagavulin 16... tried these a few days ago, fucking delicious both of them... top notch stuff. but ridiculously expensive.
(Also tried the Aberlour A'bunadh, but 62% was just too much for my palate)
Haven't tried one yet. Next time I go to my inlaw's I'm gonna have to. I believe their peated versions are all named Port Charlotte, right? I hear the 10 is just yum. Haven been enjoying some peat after getting my Laphroaig 10... too bad Port Charlotte 10 is a bit on the expensive side, would love to own a bottle.
Octomore is Bruichladdich, and also heavily peated, might be their highest PPM. IIRC it's a single farm expression, the farm being called Octomore. It's very expensive but bottled at close to 60% abv, so there's that.
I think it's the highest PPM of any peated scotch, ever. lol. I only smelled it last time I was in my inlaw's, it's like sticking your face on a fireplace that was just put out. hahaha... He said "let's try it another day" though.
Visiting him is like going to Disneyland, seriously. He even has a 40 year old something in there which he hasn't opened (and probably won't for a very long time).
Next time I'm there he said we would go for the Glendronachs 15, 18 and 21. Maybe a Balvenie Single Barrel 21 might be in order too. The only downside is coming back to my 12 year olds after having been blown the fuck away.
Port Charlotte is also Bruichladdich, but if it's in the label it's very small. I think every bottle with a big Bruichladdich logo is unpeated.
Curiously I also tried an Ardmore 10 and I think Laphroaig kinda kicks it out of the water. Good, because Ardmore 10 costs almost twice as much as a Laphroaig 10 here. Lagavulin 16 kicks them both though.
Going through my second bottle of the GlenAllachie 12... This has really grown on me, might have taken the top as my current favorite.
Bottle clearly needs some oxidation to really bring out the flavors though, this is too clear now that I'm on the second bottle. The neck pour doesn't even come close to what you get after it opened up, even after just a coupe weeks. I might pick up the 15yr before price skyrockets like what happened to GlenDronach after Billy Walker took over.
Me thinks we need to organize an erBB to Islay surf/scotch expedition.
Scotch: A Golden Dream - Saw this this weekend - great documentary - learned a lot about Scotch and how they brought the Bruichladdich distillery on the island of Islay back to life around 2000. They don't pronounce Islay the way its spelled at all. I learned that you should always taste before adding any water and then taste again after as some don't benefit from water and also that you can add quite a bit of water, looked like 25% - 30% to some and that they make a little Whiskey Water Pitcher to do that. Maybe Mrs. PJ can get me one for my birthday this month!
Gonna watch it later. I do that with water some times, I give it a couple sips neat than add a few drops. I only do it with higher proof ones. at least 48% which isn't much at all to be honest after having tasted the A'bunadh at 61.5%. lol.
Today saw some excellent prices and pulled the trigger on a couple simple ones but potentially great... been missing something to start off before moving to my favorites (and also so my favorites can last longer)...
Arran 10 and Glenfarclas 12 (the latter a 1 liter bottle, score)
Visited the Hebrides in August. Bought a 15 year old Dalmore for £95 that I’m still nursing. Not much going on although the Shetland ponies were ‘cute. Memory is many of the locals consider themselves Scandinavian rather than Scott/Brits. The Hebrides Union Jack flags are different than the flags flown around the Empire. The Vikings used the islands to ‘hop scotch’ down to the British Isles (Never knew the Vikings founded Dublin)!
GlenFarclas 12... meh. Good for the price being a 1 liter bottle. Will use mostly to warm up my palate before pouring something good. It's not bad, it just pales in comparison to my other ex-bourbon+ex-sherry 12yr olds. A bit of of a metallic taste... some bitterness... and a bit of spice which is good.
I bought it knowing it would probably be meh... Nothing similar at this price point so all in all, worth it.
Arran 10 - Now this is muuuuch better. So complex for the age... you definitely taste the bourbon influence with honey, but there's also some floral, kinda grassy notes, a tiny bit of sherry, nuts.... It is nuts.
Now I'm looking for something less winey, fruity and floral, more ex-bourbon heavy (I have too much sherry already... sherry everywhere!). Thinking Deanston 12... seems to fit the bill...
I know I just said I want something less fruity, but I'm also really considering getting another GlenLivet 15... I miss having a good, "refreshing" 40% light dram...problem is it goes way too fast. My only 40% now is the Macallan sherry oak which is too expensive for a daily and it also feels a lot higher than 40% because it's so spicy.
Decisions, decisions...
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