Show us your whisky!
Discussion
marksx said:
A guide on a distillery tour tasting session suggested to us to upend our bottles once a month or so, to keep the corks moist. I didn't heed his advice, and had a cork break up when opening a bottle a while back.
Fortunately this is something I had been doing, and it was the upper part of the cork that had dried up and become brittle - the contents were all OK, as the moist cork had sealed the bottle. In the case of a bottle of Glen Grant, I'd forgotten just how good it was..The affected bottles ranged in bottling date between 1993 and 2005, and I seem to remember reading about a these being more likely to break than newer corks. It's probably a matter of time before we start to see more synthetic corks used in whisky bottling.
Also, to give Waitrose a mention, they are selling the standard bottling of Kavalan at £40 just now which compares pretty well with some of the Whisky specialists who are typically selling at £56 - just picked up another bottle.
Edited by hoegaardenruls on Monday 6th April 20:32
volks al said:
What do you make of the Tusail, have a bottle to try myself.
Vanilla was the biggest thing - despite the officia tasting notes. Long finish and quite "bright" - not much honey, unlike the Taghta.Bit of dried fruit, slightly biscuity and quite viscous.
A nice dram, but not their finest.
marksx said:
A guide on a distillery tour tasting session suggested to us to upend our bottles once a month or so, to keep the corks moist. I didn't heed his advice, and had a cork break up when opening a bottle a while back.
I am not really sure that this is good advice, as stated before, the high alcohol (ABV) of whisky will have an eroding effect on the cork. As long as you keep the bottle upright and in a cool dark place it should not be a problem. Though the issue could be to do with storage befor it reached you if it is an old bottling.hoegaardenruls said:
The affected bottles ranged in bottling date between 1993 and 2005, and I seem to remember reading about a these being more likely to break than newer corks. It's probably a matter of time before we start to see more synthetic corks used in whisky bottling.
I much prefer synthetic corks and good quality screwcaps to natural corks in whisky. The high quality screw caps of the japanese whiskies are fantastic and you never get broken corks or bits in your whisky from synthetic corks but you still get that satisfying pop as it opens.For me, the sooner the whole industry turns to these closure measures the better.
ClubSmed said:
I am not really sure that this is good advice, as stated before, the high alcohol (ABV) of whisky will have an eroding effect on the cork. As long as you keep the bottle upright and in a cool dark place it should not be a problem. Though the issue could be to do with storage befor it reached you if it is an old bottling.
I suspect it is a balancing act, as it is a natural material and degredation will be accelerated if the cork is in contact with the liquid, as opposed to solely being in contact with alcohol vapour present in the bottle.I have had a bottle go off in the past when I didn't do anything, and the cork shrunk enough so that it didn't seal properly. My recent experience with these suggest that some direct content may not be too bad, or at least better for the contents at the expense of the cork. All the bottles had been stored in cupboards since bought - only "one careful owner".
Now if I could find a source of replacement/spare corks (ideally synthetic)..the only other issue is there's no standard size!!
The purists will probably say it's traditional (just like wine), but it's probably just been a case of what material has been available, compressible, and provides an air tight seal without tainting the contents like other options, e.g. rubber.
And now, it's probably conditioning as much as anything as screw caps have an association with what's perceived as cheaper blend's, etc. while a single malt has a "proper" cork.
And now, it's probably conditioning as much as anything as screw caps have an association with what's perceived as cheaper blend's, etc. while a single malt has a "proper" cork.
hoegaardenruls said:
All the bottles had been stored in cupboards since bought - only "one careful owner".
hoegaardenruls said:
Now if I could find a source of replacement/spare corks (ideally synthetic)..the only other issue is there's no standard size!!
As you are storing them all upright you could use a standard wine bottle stop for the bottle you have to find a new cork for. Alternatively you could keep a whiksy bottle that has a synthetic cork once you have finished it and decant into this. The later makes more sense if you have the room as you will most likely have to filter the content out into another container anyway to remove any cork particles that got in it.I keep mine up right in a dark room temp cupboard. Every month I turn the bottle upside down for a few seconds and then turn it back up the right way and put it back. I've done this after seeing a few videos on YouTube where various people have posted the grand opening of some fancy whisky only to find that the cork breaks up and snaps or falls into the bottle. Keeping it moist should prevent that but on the other hand keeping it horizontal like a bottle of wine will eat the cork due to the volume of alcohol in the liquid. So I've read.
Ive just wont a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue 20cl in an Auction. Never tried it before
Ive just wont a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue 20cl in an Auction. Never tried it before
oldaudi said:
Ive just won a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue 20cl in an Auction. Never tried it before
I too have recently won a 20cl bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue label at auction. I have tried it in the past and thought it was nice but no-where near worth the retail price tag of ~£150. Luckily I only paid a little over £30 for 2x 20cl (one blue, one green) so at that price it does not matter 
hoegaardenruls said:
Something a bit different arrived at the door this morning...it was an impulse purchase over the long weekend, so no expectations good or bad, other than the use of new oak for the casks will make it interesting.
Sorry to say, but it's a "meh" from me. Huge fan of Adnams (especially the beer), and they do a nice vodka, and their fizz is good, but this really left me disappointed. The old man is even a shareholder...
Blown2CV said:
ClubSmed said:
Blown2CV said:
30 May - Ardbeg Day, 200th anniversary of both Ardbeg (and Laphroaig), although how you get hold of some is being withheld for now. I'd anticipate committee release first, and i'd be surprised if you can secure some via the Internet before it all goes. Infuriatingly, we were going to be there in Islay for Ardbeg Day and Feis Ile but Cally f
king Mac don't run on Sundays so we can't get home when we need to!!
CalMac do run on a Sunday, or do you mean that you did not plan ahead enough so when you tried to book a ticket all the ferries were already fully booked?king Mac don't run on Sundays so we can't get home when we need to!!h, my sailing tomorrow with CalMac has been cancelled as one of the ships has been docked due to "technical difficulties"! So insted of getting the 9am ferry, I have to get the 6pm 
Still, it might give me a chance to go down and see Springbank while I wait
hoegaardenruls said:
Something a bit different arrived at the door this morning...it was an impulse purchase over the long weekend, so no expectations good or bad, other than the use of new oak for the casks will make it interesting.
I have a bottle of number 2 at home. Its alright, I think its the price tag they put on these. Its way over priced for what it is.GarryDK said:
I have a bottle of number 2 at home. Its alright, I think its the price tag they put on these. Its way over priced for what it is.
The No2 is very drinkable and better than the No1 for me but they are expensive for what they are. Still, not a bad attempt for a new whisky.
ClassicMercs said:
Podie said:
Sorry to say, but it's a "meh" from me.
Me too.Trying to be too different to stand out in a busy market.
Excessive fresh wood - lets say its an English Malt Bourbon
Edited by hoegaardenruls on Friday 10th April 14:15
Gassing Station | Food, Drink & Restaurants | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff