Show us your whisky!

[dazco]

rsbmw said:

I've decided I'd like to get into, or at least be able to drink/appreciate to a certain extent, whisky. The only problem is, I fking hate whisky. I've not drunk much, admittedly, but most I have tried have been undrinkable, including some recommended "starter" whiskies such as Monkey Shoulder. The only whisky I have ever vaguely liked was a Laphroaig I shared with a couple of friends a few years ago, but I've not had it since. Mentioned wanting to get into whisky to a friend, and whilst not a big whisky man himself he told me he enjoyed Lagavulin, then promptly bought me a bottle for my birthday. Having tried it a couple of weeks ago I was instantly reminded of Laphroaig, which led to a bit of googling and education on the Islay malts. I find the Lagavulin quite drinkable, and can see how I could acquire the taste. Clearly, I seem to favour peated whisky.

I'm interested in picking up another bottle or two to help me on my quest to acquire the taste, from Google there is an obvious contender in Ardbeg, I could grab a bottle of Laphroaig 10, or something slightly different like a Caol Ila or Highland Park. I've also seen that Asda carry a £20 own brand Islay malt that gets some good write ups. What would people recommend?

I had exactly this notion when I bought a restaurant in Scotland. I stocked the bar with malts and must have drunk at least a third out of each bottle trying to acquire the taste, or at least appreciate the good ones, or the peaty ones , or even just understand what I was selling.

Later on in life we spent the night in a hotel in Oban that had quite a good range of whisky and I got on with the barman and he was doing me tasters for a quid a time. I must have tasted twenty and I don't know if I honestly enjoyed any of them although I was saying what I honestly thought, 'that's smooth' 'that has a strong peaty taste' etc etc and then I saw a bottle of brandy on the optics.

My drink of choice for over 30 years has been brandy and coke but I am not keen on brandy on it's own, I had a notion to compare the brandy with the whiskies. The barman poured me one, I took a sip and it was like drinking honey after drinking gravel. It was smooth and tasty and wonderful and I knew at that point I would never train myself to like whisky.

I still try them, one tip I can give is to literally take the smallest sip to enjoy them, but I know that I just cannot appreciate them anywhere nearly as much as I should do.

[hoegaardenruls]

rsbmw said:

I've decided I'd like to get into, or at least be able to drink/appreciate to a certain extent, whisky. The only problem is, I fking hate whisky. I've not drunk much, admittedly, but most I have tried have been undrinkable, including some recommended "starter" whiskies such as Monkey Shoulder. The only whisky I have ever vaguely liked was a Laphroaig I shared with a couple of friends a few years ago, but I've not had it since. Mentioned wanting to get into whisky to a friend, and whilst not a big whisky man himself he told me he enjoyed Lagavulin, then promptly bought me a bottle for my birthday. Having tried it a couple of weeks ago I was instantly reminded of Laphroaig, which led to a bit of googling and education on the Islay malts. I find the Lagavulin quite drinkable, and can see how I could acquire the taste. Clearly, I seem to favour peated whisky.

I'm interested in picking up another bottle or two to help me on my quest to acquire the taste, from Google there is an obvious contender in Ardbeg, I could grab a bottle of Laphroaig 10, or something slightly different like a Caol Ila or Highland Park. I've also seen that Asda carry a £20 own brand Islay malt that gets some good write ups. What would people recommend?

The options mentioned are good choices, considering you like Laphroig some others other choices might be

Kilchoman or any other Islay malt
Most island malts - Talisker, Jura, Arran, and Scapa
Clynelish

Those are probably the obvious peaty whiskies (and just the Scottish one at that), although you could consider some of the heavily sherry-influenced whiskies as well - even just to see how extreme your personal tastes are.

You could look at the likes of Master of Malt who supply tasting size samples, rather than having to commit to buying full bottles..

[rsbmw]

dazco said:

I had exactly this notion when I bought a restaurant in Scotland. I stocked the bar with malts and must have drunk at least a third out of each bottle trying to acquire the taste, or at least appreciate the good ones, or the peaty ones , or even just understand what I was selling.

Later on in life we spent the night in a hotel in Oban that had quite a good range of whisky and I got on with the barman and he was doing me tasters for a quid a time. I must have tasted twenty and I don't know if I honestly enjoyed any of them although I was saying what I honestly thought, 'that's smooth' 'that has a strong peaty taste' etc etc and then I saw a bottle of brandy on the optics.

My drink of choice for over 30 years has been brandy and coke but I am not keen on brandy on it's own, I had a notion to compare the brandy with the whiskies. The barman poured me one, I took a sip and it was like drinking honey after drinking gravel. It was smooth and tasty and wonderful and I knew at that point I would never train myself to like whisky.

I still try them, one tip I can give is to literally take the smallest sip to enjoy them, but I know that I just cannot appreciate them anywhere nearly as much as I should do.

I had a similar thought about Brandy, and had an Armangac after a meal before Xmas which was noticably better than most whisky I've tried. However this is not so much about finding a vice to fill the hours at home, but to enjoy with people when offered or when out. Somehow "No thanks, have you got any Cinzano Bianco" doesn't seem to cut it.

[rsbmw]

Mr Trophy said:

Grab yourself a dalmore 12. That was my first bottle and now I'm a raving alcoholic just kidding.

Glenfarclas 15 also!

The Dalmore doesn't seem to have the peaty/smoky thing going, or am I just missing it (on tasting notes?)

hoegaardenruls said:

Kilchoman or any other Islay malt
Most island malts - Talisker, Jura, Arran, and Scapa
Clynelish

Those are probably the obvious peaty whiskies (and just the Scottish one at that), although you could consider some of the heavily sherry-influenced whiskies as well - even just to see how extreme your personal tastes are.

You could look at the likes of Master of Malt who supply tasting size samples, rather than having to commit to buying full bottles..

Thanks for the recommendations. I tried a Talisker 10 on Saturday night and it wasn't too bad, but a bit light on the flavours I'm looking for. Jura superstition seems like a good shout at around £25, but they describe that as lightly peated, so may be similarly underwhelming?

What would a sherry influenced whisky offer? I would say I have a relatively refined palate, I like oaky reds, deep/rich foods, and good beers (I share your thoughts on Belgian wit!).

I have looked at the by the dram stuff, but am loathed to pay £5-£10 + postage for a shot when I could grab a bottle or two at seemingly £20-£30 (Laphroaig is in Asda at £30) and take it upwards from there if I can get into it at all. Certainly buying bottles at £50 when I may get no further than a sip into them seems a bit of a dumb starting point.

Does anyone have any specific experience of the Asda own brand Islay? I've seen it mused that it's a young Laphroaig. Certainly Asda don't own a distillery on Islay, so it must be one of the established names, and as a single malt it clearly won't be a random blend.

[NRS]

I think the Dalmore might be similar in terms of perhaps not being your thing if you like big peated whisky. The same with Arran, Scapa and Clynelish if you think Talisker is a bit light.

Ardbeg and Kilchoman would be the ones to go for from here, plus Laphroaig as you mentioned previously. Bruichladdich Port Charlotte (and Octomore in theory, but too expensive for your budget, particularly if you might not like it) would also be good options by the sounds of things.

https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/bruichladdic...

https://www.masterofmalt.com/search/#search=kilcho...

[dazco]

rsbmw said:

dazco said:

I had exactly this notion when I bought a restaurant in Scotland. I stocked the bar with malts and must have drunk at least a third out of each bottle trying to acquire the taste, or at least appreciate the good ones, or the peaty ones , or even just understand what I was selling.

Later on in life we spent the night in a hotel in Oban that had quite a good range of whisky and I got on with the barman and he was doing me tasters for a quid a time. I must have tasted twenty and I don't know if I honestly enjoyed any of them although I was saying what I honestly thought, 'that's smooth' 'that has a strong peaty taste' etc etc and then I saw a bottle of brandy on the optics.

My drink of choice for over 30 years has been brandy and coke but I am not keen on brandy on it's own, I had a notion to compare the brandy with the whiskies. The barman poured me one, I took a sip and it was like drinking honey after drinking gravel. It was smooth and tasty and wonderful and I knew at that point I would never train myself to like whisky.

I still try them, one tip I can give is to literally take the smallest sip to enjoy them, but I know that I just cannot appreciate them anywhere nearly as much as I should do.

I had a similar thought about Brandy, and had an Armangac after a meal before Xmas which was noticably better than most whisky I've tried. However this is not so much about finding a vice to fill the hours at home, but to enjoy with people when offered or when out. Somehow "No thanks, have you got any Cinzano Bianco" doesn't seem to cut it.

Then allow me to tell you about three that I enjoyed the most.
Bowmore 'the darkest' 15 year old.
Bruiladdich (spelling) 6;3 octomore

These two stood head and shoulders above all the rest for me, and finally , a nice 'bar room' dram, Jura superstition

[rsbmw]

Too much choice. Perhaps I'll just pick up a half bottle of Bells for £9 and see how I go!

[jammy_basturd]

Oooo, the Port Charlotte is good.

As for Jura Superstition - I've always found it to be more peaty than the label suggests.

[dazco]

jammy_basturd said:

Oooo, the Port Charlotte is good.

As for Jura Superstition - I've always found it to be more peaty than the label suggests.

Same here and I always chose the normal Jura, but the other day I tasted the two side by side and there really was no competition

I have a 21 year old Jura in this years collection that I am looking forward to stealing a nip out of

Edited by dazco on Monday 18th January 11:29

[jammy_basturd]

I actually prefer Superstition to Prophecy (which is supposed to be the peaty one of the range), I find it just as peaty but smoother too.

[hoegaardenruls]

rsbmw said:

hoegaardenruls said:

Kilchoman or any other Islay malt
Most island malts - Talisker, Jura, Arran, and Scapa
Clynelish

Those are probably the obvious peaty whiskies (and just the Scottish one at that), although you could consider some of the heavily sherry-influenced whiskies as well - even just to see how extreme your personal tastes are.

You could look at the likes of Master of Malt who supply tasting size samples, rather than having to commit to buying full bottles..

Thanks for the recommendations. I tried a Talisker 10 on Saturday night and it wasn't too bad, but a bit light on the flavours I'm looking for. Jura superstition seems like a good shout at around £25, but they describe that as lightly peated, so may be similarly underwhelming?

What would a sherry influenced whisky offer? I would say I have a relatively refined palate, I like oaky reds, deep/rich foods, and good beers (I share your thoughts on Belgian wit!).

I have looked at the by the dram stuff, but am loathed to pay £5-£10 + postage for a shot when I could grab a bottle or two at seemingly £20-£30 (Laphroaig is in Asda at £30) and take it upwards from there if I can get into it at all. Certainly buying bottles at £50 when I may get no further than a sip into them seems a bit of a dumb starting point.

Does anyone have any specific experience of the Asda own brand Islay? I've seen it mused that it's a young Laphroaig. Certainly Asda don't own a distillery on Islay, so it must be one of the established names, and as a single malt it clearly won't be a random blend.

The Asda own brand might be a reasonably safe bet at £20 - I'm tempted to pick up a bottle myself. Independent bottlings can often be a bit cheaper than distillery's own. Other options, depending on where you are based might be finding a bar/pub that carries a good range of whisky..

The sherry suggestion, was partly based on my own experience and liking for distinct flavours. My first proper introduction to single malt was through Talisker and Laphroig, but I moved onto some heavily sherry influence whiskies probably due to the intense, rich flavours that they contain if they are ex-Oloroso or PX casks - Benriach's are often good examples of these, and the Laphroig PX cask has the best of both.. More extremely peated/smoky whisky isn't limited to Scotland either, Säntis Dreifaltigkeit (peated), and Balcones Brimstone (smoked) being other examples..

I think my liking for more distinctive flavours also carries into beers as well, especially when Brewdog did a limited run of Paradox Islay last year.

Edited by hoegaardenruls on Monday 18th January 16:56

[rsbmw]

Interesting, I'll have to try some of the Sherry influenced variants.

Just grabbed a Laphroaig Quarter Cask from Waitrose, on offer for £33 - seems a bargain. Will have a wee nip tonight... then I'll try some of the Whisky.

[NRS]

rsbmw said:

Interesting, I'll have to try some of the Sherry influenced variants.

Just grabbed a Laphroaig Quarter Cask from Waitrose, on offer for £33 - seems a bargain. Will have a wee nip tonight... then I'll try some of the Whisky.

Glendronach is a good big sherry bomb to try. Generally I would say the 15yo is the one with the best reviews, but they're all generally very good.

The only problem with the Asda Islay whisky is that you wouldn't get it when out with people and you said one of the reasons to get into whisky was to be cut it when out as it were!

rsbmw said:

I had a similar thought about Brandy, and had an Armangac after a meal before Xmas which was noticably better than most whisky I've tried. However this is not so much about finding a vice to fill the hours at home, but to enjoy with people when offered or when out. Somehow "No thanks, have you got any Cinzano Bianco" doesn't seem to cut it.

[rsbmw]

Well, this quarter cask is really quite good. On the nose I get what I remember to be classic Laphroaig smoky peatyness, with a deep oak that as a Rioja man I really love. Tasting was a little harsh for me as a newbie to spirits, a splash of water has mellowed that somewhat and allowed me to get the flavours, again Laphroaig plus oak. Perfect whisky for me, at least at this stage, and I prefer it to the Lagavulin.

Oh well, could do with another vice anyway, I guess.

[krallicious]

Just have finished off a bottle of this

https://www.whiskyshop.com/blair-athol-18-year-old...

Was very nice especially as it was a gift from my brother.

[DuncanM]

Was anyone tempted to try the Lidl offerings?

https://scotchwhisky.com/magazine/tastings/new-whi...

Great reviews for the 25 year old, very tempted to pick up a bottle

[sheepsplitter]

DuncanM said:

Was anyone tempted to try the Lidl offerings?

https://scotchwhisky.com/magazine/tastings/new-whi...

Great reviews for the 25 year old, very tempted to pick up a bottle

I've tried the 22 year old, and I have to say I was very impressed.
I read some reviews saying the 22 was the best of the bunch, hence that's the bottle I chose.
It's so good I popped back for a second bottle.

If you are looking for a complete bargain though, get a bottle of Co-Op 12 year old single malt. It's £22.99 and it's rebadged Dalmore 12.
I got a bottle at the weekend, and was very impressed. Best sub £30 bottle I've bought in a long time.
The following day I went to get another couple of bottles (different shop) and they had them priced wrong at £17.00, but the guy behind the counter said he would honour the price, so I was very impressed to get a Dalmore 12 for £17 :-)

If you need an excuse remember it's Burns night tonight!!

Edited by sheepsplitter on Monday 25th January 09:17

[DuncanM]

sheepsplitter said:

DuncanM said:

Was anyone tempted to try the Lidl offerings?

https://scotchwhisky.com/magazine/tastings/new-whi...

Great reviews for the 25 year old, very tempted to pick up a bottle

I've tried the 22 year old, and I have to say I was very impressed.
I read some reviews saying the 22 was the best of the bunch, hence that's the bottle I chose.
It's so good I popped back for a second bottle.

If you are looking for a complete bargain though, get a bottle of Co-Op 12 year old single malt. It's £22.99 and it's rebadged Dalmore 12.
I got a bottle at the weekend, and was very impressed. Best sub £30 bottle I've bought in a long time.
The following day I went to get another couple of bottles (different shop) and they had them priced wrong at £17.00, but the guy behind the counter said he would honour the price, so I was very impressed to get a Dalmore 12 for £17 :-)

If you need an excuse remember it's Burns night tonight!!

Edited by sheepsplitter on Monday 25th January 09:17

Thanks for the review, and the recommendation

I picked up the last 25 based on the reviews I linked, I'll update once I've tried it.

[sheepsplitter]

DuncanM said:

sheepsplitter said:

DuncanM said:

Was anyone tempted to try the Lidl offerings?

https://scotchwhisky.com/magazine/tastings/new-whi...

Great reviews for the 25 year old, very tempted to pick up a bottle

I've tried the 22 year old, and I have to say I was very impressed.
I read some reviews saying the 22 was the best of the bunch, hence that's the bottle I chose.
It's so good I popped back for a second bottle.

If you are looking for a complete bargain though, get a bottle of Co-Op 12 year old single malt. It's £22.99 and it's rebadged Dalmore 12.
I got a bottle at the weekend, and was very impressed. Best sub £30 bottle I've bought in a long time.
The following day I went to get another couple of bottles (different shop) and they had them priced wrong at £17.00, but the guy behind the counter said he would honour the price, so I was very impressed to get a Dalmore 12 for £17 :-)

If you need an excuse remember it's Burns night tonight!!

Edited by sheepsplitter on Monday 25th January 09:17

Thanks for the review, and the recommendation

I picked up the last 25 based on the reviews I linked, I'll update once I've tried it.

Please do, if it's any good I will pop out and get a bottle or two. I saw tons of stock in Crowthorne Lidl yesterday.

[Blown2CV]

Dunno if any of you had a burns night whisky last night but here's mine

Edited by Blown2CV on Tuesday 26th January 22:37