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Discussion
George 500 said:
Wadeski said:
what do the PH whiskey drinkers think of Monkey Shoulder? Its the "non-traditional" whiskey from the W.Grant. I got a bottle today, I am a speyside drinker (Glenrothes and Benriach) but I thought I would give it ago tonight. I'd like to hear what others who have tried it think 
Did you like it then? I have abottle at home for when I want something soft, simple and easy to drink. It is only aged in Bourbon Casks and is designed as a bit of a first step on the whisky ladder and is a Scotch that mixes well.Wadeski said:
George 500 said:
Wadeski said:
what do the PH whiskey drinkers think of Monkey Shoulder? Its the "non-traditional" whiskey from the W.Grant. I got a bottle today, I am a speyside drinker (Glenrothes and Benriach) but I thought I would give it ago tonight. I'd like to hear what others who have tried it think
Did you like it then? I have abottle at home for when I want something soft, simple and easy to drink. It is only aged in Bourbon Casks and is designed as a bit of a first step on the whisky ladder and is a Scotch that mixes well.Bourbon characteristics are no coincidence since it is designed to be a Scotch twist on a JD.
Glad you enjoyed it
The Glen Moray is superb by the way. Sweet but not too sweet, deep and yet fresh with a bit of citrus and some vanilla on the finish. Absolutely incredible value at about £17 in Tesco. Seriously, anyone who wants to get into whisky should try this. Anyone who already enjoys a dram but doesn't have this - it's well worth it if you're looking for a complex Speysider.
Today I was given a 10yo Macallan from a client which I've just opened (and not really enjoying) and I bought a Benromach organic malt which I've never tried before. It's next.
Slainte!
p.s. The blended malt/pure malt/vatted malt (call it what you will) "Serendipity" is 8/10 Ardbeg, 2/10 Glen Moray. It's fascinating stuff.
Today I was given a 10yo Macallan from a client which I've just opened (and not really enjoying) and I bought a Benromach organic malt which I've never tried before. It's next.
Slainte!
p.s. The blended malt/pure malt/vatted malt (call it what you will) "Serendipity" is 8/10 Ardbeg, 2/10 Glen Moray. It's fascinating stuff.
I was a bit tickled by the whereabouts of Glenrothes distillery, I thought it came from Fife but it is logical that Rothes being on speyside there would be a Glenrothes, just shows how you live and learn.
PS lefty, I see a few Highland Parks on the shelf but no Scapa, have you tried their new 16 year old?
PS lefty, I see a few Highland Parks on the shelf but no Scapa, have you tried their new 16 year old?
Watch out the 16 is £50+ -because the distillery was mothballed for about 7 years they have a shortage of whisky and they say they are 'moving-up' amongst the elite malts, truth is, if they sold the 16 at 'normal' prices they would soon run out of stocks like Glendromach with their 15
Patrico said:
Hi Lefty. I think I may have asked you before, have you tried Peat Monster by Compass Box? Most commonly found in Waitrose. I'm not an expert by any means but was very impressed.
I have a bottle of that, so you've given me a damn good excuse to sample it again (in the middle of the day too, disgracefull )Its nowhere near as peaty as lagavulin or laphroig imho, but it's certainly tasty. I guess they are trying to get the smoothness of the highland and the peat taste into it without the iodine/salt that you usually get with the stronger islays.
Worth a try for the price I would say, but since it's a mix of mostly caol ila and ardmore I think you might be better with a bottle Caol Ila 12 which is similarly priced. If you dislike the iodine/salt notes of the stronger islays, then its definatly worth a shot - although then I would say try bunnahabhain instead.
MickC said:
Patrico said:
Hi Lefty. I think I may have asked you before, have you tried Peat Monster by Compass Box? Most commonly found in Waitrose. I'm not an expert by any means but was very impressed.
I have a bottle of that, so you've given me a damn good excuse to sample it again (in the middle of the day too, disgracefull )Its nowhere near as peaty as lagavulin or laphroig imho, but it's certainly tasty. I guess they are trying to get the smoothness of the highland and the peat taste into it without the iodine/salt that you usually get with the stronger islays.
Worth a try for the price I would say, but since it's a mix of mostly caol ila and ardmore I think you might be better with a bottle Caol Ila 12 which is similarly priced. If you dislike the iodine/salt notes of the stronger islays, then its definatly worth a shot - although then I would say try bunnahabhain instead.
Caol Ila's good stuff but, for me, the best Islay is Ardbeg. As Mick said, if you're not so keen on the huge phenolic stuff Then Bunnahabhain is a good call. There's a 16yo sherry finish Bowmore that's beautifully sweet too with less peat than usual.
I bought a bottle of Ardmore last week and have been having a tot on an evening. I prefer it to the Ardbeg as it's less powerful and sweeter. I've been playing with concentration of water from nothing to 10 drops or so but I think I prefer it neat.
It's especially good straight from the bottle but I close the blinds if I'm doing that.
What do you think of it?
It's especially good straight from the bottle but I close the blinds if I'm doing that.
What do you think of it?
Lefty Guns said:
(Nice piccies deleted)
Speyside continued with various stuff at the end like blends/vatted malts and some lowland
Is there just me that found that quote slightly ammusing - a bit subliminal maybe but I do agree with you on the sentiment. Got to say I am quite keen on some VATed malts (JW Green is nice) but as for the lowland, chuck it in the sideboard with the blends Speyside continued with various stuff at the end like blends/vatted malts and some lowland
(and 
to the lowland drinkers, each to their own etc 
)Pferdestarke said:
I bought a bottle of Ardmore last week and have been having a tot on an evening. I prefer it to the Ardbeg as it's less powerful and sweeter. I've been playing with concentration of water from nothing to 10 drops or so but I think I prefer it neat.
It's especially good straight from the bottle but I close the blinds if I'm doing that.
What do you think of it?
Good man, I love the stuff!It's especially good straight from the bottle but I close the blinds if I'm doing that.
What do you think of it?
MickC said:
Lefty Guns said:
(Nice piccies deleted)
Speyside continued with various stuff at the end like blends/vatted malts and some lowland
Is there just me that found that quote slightly ammusing - a bit subliminal maybe but I do agree with you on the sentiment. Got to say I am quite keen on some VATed malts (JW Green is nice) but as for the lowland, chuck it in the sideboard with the blends Speyside continued with various stuff at the end like blends/vatted malts and some lowland
(and to the lowland drinkers, each to their own etc )
This is where I differ from many whisky experts - I can't really get a taste for lowland. It's OK, I don't hate it, but it's just not my thing.
Lots of blends and vatted malts that I love, I'm not a whisky snob
Johnny Walker Black is a great blend, blue and green are both great vatted malts.
If you can find them, I urge you to try the Jon, Mark & Robbo vatted malts, they're superb.
Pferdestarke said:
I bought a bottle of Ardmore last week and have been having a tot on an evening. I prefer it to the Ardbeg as it's less powerful and sweeter. I've been playing with concentration of water from nothing to 10 drops or so but I think I prefer it neat.
It's especially good straight from the bottle but I close the blinds if I'm doing that.
What do you think of it?
Well tonight has been one of these nights where I'm very pleased to live out in the country.It's especially good straight from the bottle but I close the blinds if I'm doing that.
What do you think of it?
Just spent half an hour running around my field with the dog then another half hour sitting in the dusk, sipping an Ardmore quarter-cask
And it's warm enough up here to be outside in short sleeves! Amazingly... And not a breath of wind or cloud in sky.
Anyway, back to the Ardmore.
It's sweeter than I remember and with strong oak. Some peat, really rich toffee, light spicing and a waft of woodsmoke on the (disapointingly a bit short) finish along with MORE toffee. Bloody great, almost too sweet but the peat saves it.
Quarter cask means it's been finished off in a cask a quarter of the usual size which is probably the cause of the extreme oakiness (and maybe the sweetness too?)
My final thought is that it could probably stand to be bottled a bit stronger than 46%...
It's a shame they don't do tours, I've been lucky enough to go around the place with a guy I met on the farm next door who used to work there and knows a few folk.
Edited by Lefty Guns on Wednesday 1st April 20:49
Edited by Lefty Guns on Tuesday 7th April 14:08
Right then, since I'm in an Ardmore mood.
I just tried my other Ardmore, it's a 1990 single malt, bottled at 43%. Look in my pics for the empty bottle with the white label with black oval. (The whisky's in my decanter - don't ask, I broke the cork so had to decant it...)
Anyway, completely different beast to the Quarter Cask.
Much more peat and less toffee but this time with some vanilla sweetness and a bit of fresh green apple. Much longer finish, strong barley and less oak than the QC. Beautiful oils but again, I feel it could stand being a bit stronger.
Water brings out some citrus fruit unexpectedly.
No idea how old it is, maybe around 12 years, I'm sure no more than 15 or 16 at absolute most.
I prefer this to the QC (tonight at least!)
Looks like this:
But like I said, mine is 1990.
The 1991 is £34 from my local shop and I think I probably paid around the same for my bottle. Amazing value, it's superb.
EDITED TO FIX PICTURE (HOPEFULLY)
Feck, the picture link won't work. Here's the link:
http://www.singlemaltsdirect.com/shop.php?action=f...
I just tried my other Ardmore, it's a 1990 single malt, bottled at 43%. Look in my pics for the empty bottle with the white label with black oval. (The whisky's in my decanter - don't ask, I broke the cork so had to decant it...)
Anyway, completely different beast to the Quarter Cask.
Much more peat and less toffee but this time with some vanilla sweetness and a bit of fresh green apple. Much longer finish, strong barley and less oak than the QC. Beautiful oils but again, I feel it could stand being a bit stronger.
Water brings out some citrus fruit unexpectedly.
No idea how old it is, maybe around 12 years, I'm sure no more than 15 or 16 at absolute most.
I prefer this to the QC (tonight at least!)
Looks like this:
But like I said, mine is 1990.
The 1991 is £34 from my local shop and I think I probably paid around the same for my bottle. Amazing value, it's superb.
EDITED TO FIX PICTURE (HOPEFULLY)
Edited by Lefty Guns on Wednesday 1st April 21:20
Feck, the picture link won't work. Here's the link:
http://www.singlemaltsdirect.com/shop.php?action=f...
Edited by Lefty Guns on Wednesday 1st April 21:22
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