Oh yes, I think I'm going to sample some of my Springbank 10 tonight.

Has anyone tried The Peat Monster? It's a blend that I keep seeing in the liqour store around here but I never got it. Still curious about it though .

Tried some Knob Creek single barrel last night. Suprisingly good and smooth for 120 proof. Starts with standard caramel and vanilla bourbon sweetness, moves into wood and rye spice with spearmint, finishes with a lingering sweetness, bitter orange and wood. It's good whiskey, though I don't know if i'd buy it over the eagle rare 10 which has a similar profile for much less money, although with less sweetness. I have not had it with water however.

So, I always am wanting more peat heavy whiskies, and I have the Ardbeg oogy and laphroaig cask strength right now, and I'm looking for a straight up smoky peat monster with less of the characteristic iodine that you get with laphroaig but instead more of the earthy dark malty smoke that ardbeg has. How does the corryvreckan compare to the 10 year? Is it worth the jump in price?

I'm not much of a Scotch drinker, but I had some Glenfiddich 18 yr Old over Christmas and it was quite tasty. I was able to drink it straight at least, unlike most Scotch that I've tried.

well that is very rare. I have high respect for people who know when to drink and control it.

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^ say what?

My whiskey of choice is a bourbon. Get a decent one like Wild Turkey and its so smooth with a fantastic taste.

Also you can get excellent bourbons for the price at around $25-30 a bottle. Bulliet bourbon, eagle rare, elijah craig 12, knob creek, makers mark, woodford reserve, ridgemont reserve, and jefferson bourbon are all good. Has anyone had four roses single barrel?

Been off the bourbon for a while but I just recently tried St. George B&E and it was quite good, very smooth, with a growing spice subdued by a rounded sweetness on the finish. I'm keen to check out the Eagle Rare soon, as well as this intriguing customer, Willett:

Huh .. that's a curious bottle. Pretty much a decanter all it's own, eh?

Evangelion (re: Four Roses): Not yet, but it's on the menu at a new restaurant I was really pleased to find. Looking forward to ordering that first chance I get. Tried an appealing dark brown scotch ale called Old Chub (lol), but that's more for the Beer thread. I've had Four Roses before, but it's been years. I remember liking it, but a refresher is definitely necessary.

Had a round of three whiskies on Friday night:

- Highland Park 12 -
I'd tried this single malt once before and figured I needed to revisit it. I dunno...it's pretty good but not amazing. It's known for its all-around character, got different notes sort of across the scotch spectrum, but in that I think lies its weakness. It makes it very middle-of-the-road, not really strong in any one direction and not exactly providing a satisfying unification either, but more a simply dull one without much dynamic to it. Eh.. probably won't be focusing on this again one anytime soon, though if someone were to buy me a bottle I wouldn't complain . It's that sort of whisky.

- Russell's Reserve Six Year Rye -
This was a very nice rye indeed. Quite a fresh bouquet, with vanilla, rye, herbal notes... what you'd expect from a rye, I guess. Nothing spectacular or out of the ordinary but just a really solid choice as far as ryes go. Very well made and classy stuff, spicy and zesty, with a really nice nose to it.

- Eagle Rare 10 Year Bourbon -
This has one of the most delicious noses I've found in a bourbon, just super round, deep vanilla and sweetness that you can just sink into, almost like moist cake. Just wonderful. Palate and finish are pretty standard bourbon fare, round and robust and quite fiery though not sharp, if you get me, which is probably due to the longer aging on this. Really good shit. Definitely not breaking any bourbon boundaries, but if you want to drink some straightforward FUCKIN' BOURBON that's just simply delicious, robust and full-bodied, this is a great choice.

Funny you should mention, I just inherited a 3-foot tall Eagle Rare Bourbon bar mirror from my grandparents.

pics now

OP delivers

Please open a bar named "The Smoking Gnu".

Tony, get in this thread. Start drinking something.

Too broke for that, I'm afraid. Once I'm finished with school and I'll be able to get a job as a teacher, I'll discover the world of fine whiskies! For now, it's all about IPAs.

Ech, IPAs are the one kind of beer I've never taken a liking to. My friends introduced me to good beer in 2012 (porters, stouts, ales, etc as opposed to the light/cheap beer I had only been drinking), but I just cannot stomach anything with an IPA-level hoppy flavor. And I'd certainly like to since it'd open a whole branch of beers to try, and there's a brewery specialized in IPAs not too far from me.

And I may jump on that bar idea yet, since I have a Canadian Mist bar mirror from the same grandparents. Great mirror, terrible whiskey. That I drank it warm and straight out of the bottle as a university freshman should tell you enough.

If you're gonna drink like a hobo, you could at least have done it in style.

Friday night is kinda turning into my weekly whisk(e)y tasting moment. Helps when you have a nice whisky bar right down the street from the office...

Two more from last night:

- Balcones Brimstone Smoked Corn Whisky -



This had come highly recommended through word of mouth and online, so I had significant expectations. Distilled entirely from blue corn and possibly the first whisky from Texas I've ever sampled, this dram is made even more unique by its smoked character - possibly unparalleled in the American whisky industry - infused by fires of Texas scrub oak. I'm happy to say that this whiskey did not disappoint, and I'll be picking up a bottle of my own quite soon. Incredibly unique nose to this - earthy, damp scents of masa cornmeal and a wallop of sweet, woody campfire smoke softly billowing. It doesn't evolve a whole lot, but it's so enjoyable and singular as it is that it hardly matters. Palate is very much along the bourbon line, round, robust sweetness with an edge of char, while the finish leaves a lingering oily smokiness for the senses. Again, not the most complex experience, but so memorable and its execution so confidently presented that you can't help but love this stuff. Lovely bottle design, as well.
Balcones seems to be quite a distillery to watch; they've got several other (non-smoked) blue corn whiskies to offer, a Texas single malt, and a completely unique dram they call the Rumble, crafted from figs, sugar, and honey that sounds like some sort of complex rum-like distillation. Will be following their output for sure!


- Whistle Pig 10 Year Rye -

I'd gradually gathered that this was supposed to be one of the more revered standard expression ryes on the market, so it was about time I gave it a try. Made from 100% rye and aged longer than a good many other ryes, I'd guess. Not too keen on the bottle design, but it's what's inside that matters, so I can forgive.



While this wasn't too distinct in quality from other fine ryes I've had (and thus I can't regard it as anything particularly outstanding) it was damn good nonetheless. Aromas of keen rye, vanilla, pine and faint herbs, a floral edge (orange blossom?), then evolving to include a lovely, strong banana note. Palate was light, sweet/spicy and fiery - almost a bit too spirit-y - and the finish much like other ryes. The finished glass bore a distinct aroma of unburnt cigarette tobacco. This was quite nice, though its somewhat higher price point would discourage me from ever picking up a bottle over other very good and quite more affordable ryes.

Definitely agree about the Whistle Pig. It's good, smooth, decently yummy. Would I buy a whole bottle of it? .. eyah, maybe on sale.

After this recommendation about the Balcones, I'll make a point of going and finding some on Monday. Going to an arts panel talk right across the street from the whiskey bar.

Tried the Balcones Brimstone yesterday. Holy smoke. I mean that. I've nothing to add to Starmere's review of this uniquely spicy and flavorful whiskey, so just read his. I'll definitely be buying a bottle for the liquor cubby.

- Booker's Bourbon -

Wooowwwzzz!! Wunder-tastefull bourbon draamm! BOOOOMMM!!! This is some insanely good bourbon, easily the best bourbon I've had possibly ever. It's bottled at cask strength (about 126 proof), so expectedly it's got a raging kick to it if you don't approach carefully. With that high proof also comes an excited, tingling heat that simmers along the palate atop an intense fusion of bright to deep flavor notes. Nose is all kinds of deep vanilla, fresh baked bread, cocoa, caramelized sugar and spice. It's surprisingly not quite as sharp/spirity as you might expect from a 63% whisky, possibly due to its seven-year aging. Will definitely be planning to pick up a bottle of this in the future. Highest recommending liquor suggestion!!!

I've noticed this whisky improves a little after sitting in the glass for 45 minutes or so. The more obvious aromas fade a bit and begin to allow a bit of room for some subtler fruity notes to appear.

Anyone here a fan of Rowan's Creek? Been reading/hearing really good things about it and will most definitely make it my next American whisky purchase.

- Willett Pot Still Reserve -

Having just come up on an unexpected gig over the weekend, I used part of the money to purchase my first Willett whisky, the Pot Still Reserve. This distillery is renowned for its reputedly amazing single barrel releases, but being on a budget I'm content to settle for their lower-tier offering, as it's still damn good stuff. It's a bit on the lighter/complex side for a bourbon, offering more than just the standard vanilla/rye notes with additional layers of cedar-like wood, spice, pine/mint, and a distinct aftertaste of butter and freshly baked bread with light rye. This is a subtler bourbon and, owing to its special bottle design, should develop pretty nicely with extended oxygen contact. I expect this will be a mighty fine dram by the time I get about 2/3 of the way through the bottle. Great stuff!

Booker's is an absolute gem. It's as if they found how how to distill an entire bakery into one deliciously smooth package. Love your description Fish-man, bread, sugar and spices is exactly what I got from it when I picked up a bottle about a month ago. Simply a delight and quite possibly the best bourbon I've ever had. I say quite possibly....because I may have had a better one, but I can't recall if I have...

Glad to hear you're enjoying it, Brother Webfoot!

Say, do any of the experienced maltmen here have any suggestions for light, crisp, fruity and/or grassy single malts well suited to spring/summer drinking? I've only got a few off the top of my head, selected from my still relatively limited experience: Hakushu 12, anCnoc 12, and Glenmorangie 10. Maybe the Kilkerran, as well, or perhaps the Clynelish 14. Looking for that sort of white wine, fruity/refreshing feeling. Whiskies like Springbank and Old Pulteney would be too salty for what I'm musing on. Any recommendations?

Good to hear that Booker's is good since I've yet to hear back from my brother-in-law about how he's enjoying his bottle I gave him. No news is good news, I guess?

- Clynelish 14 -

This was my third taste of this whisky, but the first time I'd sampled it with anything like appropriate glassware, so it was almost a first impression all over again. Though it didn't impress me as much as I'd hoped it would, I do think it's quite a nice Highlander. The nose on this is very pleasant, if almost frustratingly subdued; a very well balanced fusion of sweet and savory/grassy elements happening here. Apples, deep grass, vanilla, a bit of citrus (light orange and bergamot?), something a bit floral (marigold?), and a dominant, sweet savoriness (Ralfy suggested curry) that's difficult to put one's finger on because the layers of aroma are so thoroughly entwined. Very pretty, unified nose that excites one's curiosity. The palate is a very clear expansion/progression on the nose, turning up the volume on all those same notes while bringing that savory grassiness to the fore. The spicy aspect of the whisky grows here, revealing a sort of lemongrass edge. If left on the palate for a bit the grass/woodiness becomes dominant, but never plunges into bitterness or unpleasantness. This overall experience is a bit like a far better rendition of the Glenmorangie 10, which is very sweet and fruity/floral to the nose but shifts abruptly to a grassy/oaky palate. Clynelish is a much better orchestrated dram in that the nose and the palate follow more of a logical relationship, progressing in a marvelously congruous fashion. Very good stuff thus far, but unfortunately the finish left me a bit wanting. A rather short dropoff, dry and leaving traces of nuttiness, barley(?), and an aftertaste reminiscent of light floral soap.

I feel I'd have to have several more drams of this to really form a definitive opinion on it. It's a scotch full of subtlety and unique charm, though perhaps not without certain shortcomings. It's a difficult whisky to analyze and describe, which in way speaks to its strengths. I get the impression its more unusual/unique character might come from the way they ferment the barley for this whisky, or perhaps some aspect of the yeasting. Really hard to say, but there's something interesting going on with either their recipe or their aging methods. In any case, a very classy whisky that certainly fits the "summery" profile that I was looking for, light yet bold.



Next up on the summer scotch list: the Glengoyne 10. Now I just have to find a bar that stocks it...

Ardbeg Corryvreckan and Laphraoig 18 reviews inbound.

Starmere, if you're not opposed to a cask strength, you might want to try the glenlivet nadurra. It's aged exclusively in american white oak, so there's no heavy handed port or sherry aging. Taste is of anise, ginger, the glenlivet house green apple flavor, peaches, cookie dough, nutty barley, a slight grassiness and a bunch of green fruit that I can't put my finger on. It runs like $65 around where I am.

Interested to hear about the Corryvreckan, which I have yet to try. Despite the reviews, I didn't think the Uigeadal at least was worth the $78 I paid for it.

Uigeadail is really fucking good but definitely hard to find at a reasonable price.

@Evangelion: Not at all opposed to cask strength! I just don't normally tread the cask strength waters because they tend to be a bit more pricey than I'd like. I believe my current go-to whisky bar stocks the Nadurra so I'll make a point of giving it a shot (or rather a half hour-long pretension session) soon.

Yeah, I don't know, at least the current version of uigeadail I had wasn't really sherried enough to provide a contrast to the smoke bomb. I mean, it basically tastes like the ten to me with some sherry notes just barely fighting to be heard. I'd rather just have the standard ardbeg 10 or laphraoig cask strength at the same pirce; Lagavulin 16 probably does the same thing better. I got it for like $80 with tax. I figured I wouldn't mention any of the mainline 'glen' whiskys cause that's a little too obvious i think.

Hm, that's interesting, the one glass of Uigeadail I had several months back didn't seem too heavy on the smoke, in a relative sense. It was more a well-blended harmony of sherry and peat, the smoke being more of a mellow but deep background layer. Could be a batch difference, could be an oxidation thing, could also be just a difference in personal taste perception, or it could be a mere first impression thing on my part. But yeah, since the 10 is way cheaper I'd always be apt to just go with that. Still have yet to try the Laphroaig Quarter Cask and Cask Strength. Always hear great things about the QC.

Keep it real and do $12 shots, dude. prshsfff..

I'll be glad when I start work and have some income so I can get another bottle of Laphraoig. That stuff is so delicious. For now, my limit for whisk(e)y is about $20 a bottle. I picked up some Jim Beam Black today since I heard it was good, and I'm pretty unversed in bourbon. I took a swig of it earlier... whew, this is going to take some getting used to. Not saying it's bad, but I'm definitely more of a scotch man, apparently. Has anyone else tried this whiskey? Thoughts?

@Thiestru If you can find it, I've heard the Bank Note is a great blend and can be had for about $20.

@Wyrm It's just I've identified as a girlyman for so long... .... .......

It's never too late to make the right decision. "LINE EM UP, BITCH!! I'M A MAN! ... SEE!?"

Thanks, Starmere! I'll look for it at the store today.

I recently picked up Speyburn 10 year as it was on sale for a very reasonable 25 dollars (its normally about 30 to 35). It is extremely tasty, quite light, almost no burnt aftertaste. Its more fruity than anything else, with slight notes of woodiness, no peat or smoke. I have it with a few drops of water. Ralfy gave it a 86/100 and I say he was spot on.



Also picked up a Balvenie 15 year that was bottled in 2011, have yet to open that. I may save that for a while.

As a newbie to scotch, I decided to pick up a bottle of Glenfiddich 12 Year. Not too bad and pretty smooth. I've never been a whiskey fan but am trying to broaden my taste in liquors.

Not a bad way to start. If you want to try something notably different, check out Islay scotches, which tend to have strong smokey and peaty flavors. Laphroiag 10-year is a good starting point.