Show us your whisky! Vol 2

Author
Discussion

jammy-git

29,775 posts

211 months

Monday 16th July 2018
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Ardbeg being NAS had never put me off. I love several of their line up. But I'm less about the sea salt and more about the fruity/sweet disputes than you by the sounds of it.

Maybe a Port Charlotte?

Blown2CV

28,695 posts

202 months

Monday 16th July 2018
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Ardbeg fan here and don't care that a lot of it is NAS. I think people get obsessed with age statements and maybe even use it as a bit of a status symbol. I am more interested in how it tastes than its 'shelf appeal'.

On the taste side, I am not 100% convinced that strong peat plus sherry sweet really works as a combo; not as equals anyway. The whiskies i have favoured have been strong on either one, but never both. I have tasted some that try, but they are often weird and occasionally horrendous.

NRS

22,078 posts

200 months

Monday 16th July 2018
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As mentioned NAS is not a bad thing in itself. Big peat flavours works a lot better when young anyway as you lose the peat/smoke flavours over time. Older peat casks can be fantastic, but are more subtle.

In the same way if you enjoy the taste of Laphroaig or Lagavulin best then who cares if it is chill filtered or coloured? No point in having something you like less just so you can say to people it is more natural.

Gribs

469 posts

135 months

Monday 16th July 2018
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InductionRoar said:
I want to try a sherry (PX) cask-aged Islay malt - Christmas pudding flavours mixed with tar and TCP is a strangely alluring prospect - but I cannot come to a decision.

I had set my sights on Lagavuilin Distiller's Select, however, having researched further I have discovered that they use both caramel colouring and chill-filtering, which has put me off somewhat. My favourite Islay malt out of "the big three" is Laphroaig 10, however, after research they too use caramel colouring in their malts. This leaves Ardbeg out of the well known distilleries - specifically Uigeadail - however, I find Ardbeg's standard offering less palatable than the other two (less coastal sea spray and more smoke).

Uigeadail appeals on the basis that they say it does not chill-filter or use colourings, but more importantly it is bottled at cask strength. The reason I haven't bought a bottle (rightly or wrongly) is that it is a NAS, which leads me to believe it is newer than the standard offering, and the marketing spiel on their bottles is very off putting.

Can anybody recommend a sherry cask Islay malt that ticks all boxes? Ideally around the £100 mark.
Uigeadail used to be brilliant but there's a lot less sherry effect than there used to be now. I tried a direct comparison between a mates 6-8 year old and my recent bottle and you wouldn't know it was sold as the same whisky. I'm a fan of the Lagavulin distillers edition and quality seems to have stayed fairly consistent over the years I've had starting with the 1995. Laphroaig px cask is ok but once it's finished I won't buy another bottle. My preference at the moment is to pour the wife a measure of px sherry and then use the same measure to pour myself an Ardbeg 10.

hoegaardenruls

1,218 posts

131 months

Monday 16th July 2018
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I've great intentions to pick up another bottle of the Laphroaig PX cask, which is excellent for the price.

It's a Travel Exclusive, so normally Duty Free only, but Master of Malt have it in stock at the moment

InductionRoar

2,001 posts

131 months

Monday 16th July 2018
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Thanks for the replies chaps - I agree largely with most that has been said.

With regards to NAS - it's not so much the potential for a younger whisky (some prefer Lagavulin 8 to 16) that puts me off, it's simply the fact that I like to know what I am buying. Ardbeg are keen to advertise their 10 year offering, so the fact they conceal the age (I don't buy that they do not know) suggests they think it wouldn't be perceived as such a premium product as they would like and no amount of marketing spiel makes up for knowing what is in the bottle.

NRS said:
In the same way if you enjoy the taste of Laphroaig or Lagavulin best then who cares if it is chill filtered or coloured? No point in having something you like less just so you can say to people it is more natural.
Rightly or wrongly chill-filtering and artificial colouring are both against my principles. Whisky shouldn't be mixed with ice and there is only one reason colouring is added. Clearly I don't profess to be the most discerning whisky drinker, given that I prefer both Lagavulin and Laphroaig's entry level products over Ardbeg's counterpart, but I would rather have the purer version if available.

As an aside has anybody tried any of the various cask finished Caol Ilas?

InductionRoar

2,001 posts

131 months

Monday 16th July 2018
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Gribs said:
Uigeadail used to be brilliant but there's a lot less sherry effect than there used to be now. I tried a direct comparison between a mates 6-8 year old and my recent bottle and you wouldn't know it was sold as the same whisky. I'm a fan of the Lagavulin distillers edition and quality seems to have stayed fairly consistent over the years I've had starting with the 1995. Laphroaig px cask is ok but once it's finished I won't buy another bottle. My preference at the moment is to pour the wife a measure of px sherry and then use the same measure to pour myself an Ardbeg 10.
Thanks for the detailed response. Looks like I'm back on the Lagavulin train and will just have to put my prejudices to one side.

Edited to add: Your wife is hardcore is she drinks PX neat.

Bobberoo99

38,362 posts

97 months

Tuesday 17th July 2018
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InductionRoar said:
Gribs said:
Uigeadail used to be brilliant but there's a lot less sherry effect than there used to be now. I tried a direct comparison between a mates 6-8 year old and my recent bottle and you wouldn't know it was sold as the same whisky. I'm a fan of the Lagavulin distillers edition and quality seems to have stayed fairly consistent over the years I've had starting with the 1995. Laphroaig px cask is ok but once it's finished I won't buy another bottle. My preference at the moment is to pour the wife a measure of px sherry and then use the same measure to pour myself an Ardbeg 10.
Thanks for the detailed response. Looks like I'm back on the Lagavulin train and will just have to put my prejudices to one side.

Edited to add: Your wife is hardcore is she drinks PX neat.
Mrs Bobbers has just bought me a bottle of the new Bunnahabhain toiteach a dha which professes to be everything you're looking for, I've not opened it yet as it's my birthday present, which isn't until next month!!! grumpy

InductionRoar

2,001 posts

131 months

Tuesday 17th July 2018
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Bobberoo99 said:
Mrs Bobbers has just bought me a bottle of the new Bunnahabhain toiteach a dha which professes to be everything you're looking for, I've not opened it yet as it's my birthday present, which isn't until next month!!! grumpy
Just googled it. Sounds excellent and at a very competitive price.

NRS

22,078 posts

200 months

Wednesday 18th July 2018
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Just ordered this today. Seems to be available in a few places in the UK but at at quite a lot higher price, plus I already have a full quote for a few trips when travelling back from the UK, biggrin A work colleague/friend is on holiday to Germany so they will pick it up.

Reason for ordering it (apart from it being a very good sherried whisky) was it was the winner of the SoS festival tasting panel for the 2002 Family Cask I was on last year, so have a fun personal connection. With the slight issue I voted for another one as my choice, biggrin

https://www.whisky.de/shop/Aktuell/Neue-Artikel/Gl...

Joat

300 posts

264 months

Saturday 21st July 2018
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NRS said:
Just ordered this today. Seems to be available in a few places in the UK but at at quite a lot higher price, plus I already have a full quote for a few trips when travelling back from the UK, biggrin A work colleague/friend is on holiday to Germany so they will pick it up.

Reason for ordering it (apart from it being a very good sherried whisky) was it was the winner of the SoS festival tasting panel for the 2002 Family Cask I was on last year, so have a fun personal connection. With the slight issue I voted for another one as my choice, biggrin

https://www.whisky.de/shop/Aktuell/Neue-Artikel/Gl...
Love Glenfarclas i've got the 17 and 21yr old, do tell what you think of it.

Joat

300 posts

264 months

Saturday 21st July 2018
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Having had the Toiteach and loving it, I was looking forward to having a go at this especially with that added sherry influence
and mmmmm yes, very nice!!.

Bobberoo99 you will love it!!!!




Bobberoo99

38,362 posts

97 months

Saturday 21st July 2018
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Joat said:


Having had the Toiteach and loving it, I was looking forward to having a go at this especially with that added sherry influence
and mmmmm yes, very nice!!.

Bobberoo99 you will love it!!!!
smile thanks Joat!!! Just have to wait until 1st August till I can try it!!!
ION I grabbed a bottle of the Ballantines 17yr old when it was on offer on Thursday on Amazon for a very reasonable £34.80, I had a bottle in 2015 and it was lovely!!!

Bobberoo99

38,362 posts

97 months

Sunday 22nd July 2018
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This arrived today, mmmmmm smile

sheepsplitter

252 posts

117 months

Wednesday 25th July 2018
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Ardbeg An Oa is down to £40 a bottle in Waitrose, if anyone is interested.(Normally £47+)
I got a bottle and it's pretty good, especially at that price.
I know it's NAS, but it's still a quality dram.

majordad

3,600 posts

196 months

Wednesday 25th July 2018
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What's NAS ?

Todd Bonzalez

2,552 posts

161 months

Wednesday 25th July 2018
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Presumably no age statement.

sheepsplitter

252 posts

117 months

Wednesday 25th July 2018
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majordad said:
What's NAS ?
NAS = No Age Statement

i.e it's definitely 3 years old or more(to qualify as Scotch Whisky), but the distiller won't say how old, usually this is because it's less than 10 years old, but not always.
The problem is that the age specified has to be the youngest whisky used, so if you had a bottle that was 40% 15 year old, 30% 18 year old and 30% 5 year old, it could only be labelled as 5 years old.

pmanson

13,374 posts

252 months

Friday 27th July 2018
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Tonight's tipple is my personal favourite


LeighW

4,360 posts

187 months

Wednesday 1st August 2018
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pmanson said:
Tonight's tipple is my personal favourite

Such a great dram, and unavailable anywhere as far as I can tell. I have three unopened bottles in my stash, which I'm saving for a rainy day...

One other which I'm enjoying more and more is the Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 12. My sweet tooth again, but it's lovely stuff. lick