OT: Scotch thread

[8893]

I had a stout finished Irish whiskey from Glendalough that I rather liked. It had a certain creamy element that made it interesting.

Yeah, I was going to suggest the peated Bruichladdich, which I quite like. I'm not usually a Laphroaig man, but the Triple Wood was pretty decent (and is cheap).

Yes, this one definitely has a creamy mouthfeel and a little bit of smoke to it.

 

[storrsroars]

@HuskyHawk - I get a Liquor.com email every night and tonight's was 11 Scotches to try, basically covering a number of brand extensions/new releases.

5 New Blended Scotches You’ll Want to Try

Blenders are drawing on a range of whisky trends, from barrel finishing to high-rye blends, to offer a diverse array of bottles.

www.liquor.com

Was wondering if you were familiar with any and whether you'd recommend.

For calibration purposes, Laga is my "special occasion" bottle while Famous Grouse is my everyday, although at the moment I've also got a $25 bottle of Loch Lomond Original, which while not in my wheelhouse for single malts is actually pretty good, especially for the price.

 

[HuskyHawk]

@HuskyHawk - I get a Liquor.com email every night and tonight's was 11 Scotches to try, basically covering a number of brand extensions/new releases.

5 New Blended Scotches You’ll Want to Try

Blenders are drawing on a range of whisky trends, from barrel finishing to high-rye blends, to offer a diverse array of bottles.

www.liquor.com

Was wondering if you were familiar with any and whether you'd recommend.

For calibration purposes, Laga is my "special occasion" bottle while Famous Grouse is my everyday, although at the moment I've also got a $25 bottle of Loch Lomond Original, which while not in my wheelhouse for single malts is actually pretty good, especially for the price.

Wee Beastie is a lot of fun if you can get it at $55 or less. Its younger Ardbeg, but with some sherry cask. I have a near finished bottle and I plan to replace it. This is probably the winner on this list for you. Lagavulin 8 is also worth buying if under $50. Some places are putting the GOT Lagavulin 9 on sale now.

Skip that Compass Box. There are others cheaper CB you would enjoy. if you like peat then Flaming Heart is excellent.

The Glenlivet Caribbean is rum cask unpeated and not very old. A little sweet and different. Better value than the Balvenie Caribbean cask, which costs twice as much. Better still try Glenlivet Fire & Cane, young rum cask but also partially peated.

Skip Johnie Walker. Kilchoman is younger peated stuff from Islay, very good, very well made but always overpriced in my mind. Think of it as “craft” Scotch.

The Macallan is excellent but not at those prices. You want to spend that much I can point you to way better options.

Since you are in PA you might consider looking at finedrams.com. It’s an online retailer out of Denmark, and I know the owner Jonas. They won’t charge VAT and they will ship anywhere in the US. There are shipping charges but if you get say, 3 bottles, you can easily come out ahead over paying PA prices, and have a broader selection.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Yes, this one definitely has a creamy mouthfeel and a little bit of smoke to it.

I just got a bottle of Laphroaig Cairdeas Triple Wood, which was the 2019 edition. It was under $70 which is a steal. As an alternative to Lagavulin 16 it’s a really nice bottle. Doesn’t have the Laphroaig medicinal notes I usually get. It is a powerful dram Though at cask strength.

As with my suggestion to Storrsroars, for any peated Scotch fans Ardbeg Wee Beastie is a winner (in a way the more expensive An Oa is not), and Lagavulin 8 is a bargain near me at $40. About 3/4 as good as the 16. The GOT 9 year was initially sought after, then massive stocks of GOT bottles showed up and stores are trying to get them off their shelves. Diageo played that very badly.

 

[HuskyHawk]

And seriously people, this stuff will blow your mind. The only peated scotch I’ve had that is as good is from the Longrow Red series.

Ballechin 11 Year Old 2007 Cask Strength (Cask #172) - The Ultimate Whisky Company

Balllechin is the name given to Edradour’s heavy peated spirit. This particular offering has been bottled by Dutch bottlers, the Ultimate Whisky...

www.finedrams.com

 

[8893]

Killed my Clonakilty/Stout Trooper bootle last week and killed my last Lagavulin 16 bottle tonight, finishing as I type.

I’ll be looking to find any more of the Clonakilty/Stout Trooper I can in the area before I look for anything else. I won’t restock the Lagavulin 16 until I can find it in the $70s or lower again.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Killed my Clonakilty/Stout Trooper bootle last week and killed my last Lagavulin 16 bottle tonight, finishing as I type.

I’ll be looking to find any more of the Clonakilty/Stout Trooper I can in the area before I look for anything else. I won’t restock the Lagavulin 16 until I can find it in the $70s or lower again.

Be glad you aren’t in PA. I just checked his prices and Laga 16 is $115. Insane. The Distiller’s Edition is cheaper.

Wine Store

Wine Store - Harry's Wine & Liquor Market. Search our inventory to find the best wine store at the best prices.

www.harryswine.com

 

[8893]

Wine Store

Wine Store - Harry's Wine & Liquor Market. Search our inventory to find the best wine store at the best prices.

www.harryswine.com

Thanks. I saw it there and at a place in North Haven. Gonna try and grab it from the North Haven place because it‘s closer but I will buy up as many as I can find that are reasonably priced. I will give at least one as a Christmas gift this year. It is really in my sweet spot.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Thanks. I saw it there and at a place in North Haven. Gonna try and grab it from the North Haven place because it‘s closer but I will buy up as many as I can find that are reasonably priced. I will give at least one as a Christmas gift this year. It is really in my sweet spot.

I don’t think we get it here in MA. Would love to try it. Copper & Kings brandy does a really interesting line finished in beer casks. This one in Jacks Abby Barleywine casks was awesome.

Jack’s Abby - Baby Maker - Copper And Kings American Brandy Company

111 PROOF | 55.5% Alc. By Vol. | 750ml Pure Pot-Distilled American Brandy Finished In American Craft Beer Barrels We are inspired by the imagination & fearlessness of America’s Craft Brewers. We share their passion for their craft. We are proud to share our American Brandy barrels & share the...

www.copperandkings.com

 

[storrsroars]

Be glad you aren’t in PA. I just checked his prices and Laga 16 is $115. Insane. The Distiller’s Edition is cheaper.

Dang. I didn't realize it got that high. I've still got 1/3 bottle left from the two I got for my birthday in April. Back then it was $92, but my brother in CT got in on the sale at Total Wine. Anyway, looks like I'm gonna need a new peat monster.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Dang. I didn't realize it got that high. I've still got 1/3 bottle left from the two I got for my birthday in April. Back then it was $92, but my brother in CT got in on the sale at Total Wine. Anyway, looks like I'm gonna need a new peat monster.

You have the Laphroaig Cairdeas Triple Wood and the Fino Cask Cairdeas at $80. Both are very good.

But I’m serious about Fine Drams. Lagavulin 16 Whisky - Scotch Single Malt

 

[storrsroars]

You have the Laphroaig Cairdeas Triple Wood and the Fino Cask Cairdeas at $80. Both are very good.

But I’m serious about Fine Drams. Lagavulin 16 Whisky - Scotch Single Malt

Given that it appears the only scotch mentioned in this thread that's available through the PLCB is the Glenlivet Carribean Cask ($45), I'll be taking a look at that site next time I scrape together $250 that my wife doesn't know about ;-)

 

[Fishy]

The Glenlivet Caribbean is rum cask unpeated and not very old. A little sweet and different. Better value than the Balvenie Caribbean cask, which costs twice as much. Better still try Glenlivet Fire & Cane, young rum cask but also partially peated.

Best option is to leave both of them in the store.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Best option is to leave both of them in the store.

Yes, agreed. But Fire & Cane is decent. His selection is so much worse than yours or mine.

 

[Fishy]

Yes, agreed. But Fire & Cane is decent. His selection is so much worse than yours or mine.

If he has to buy one to see what the rum cask is about, the Glenlivet is probably the call. It’s in my ‘deck Scotch‘ collection with a few others. They’re the throw-aways you use when you’re sitting on the deck and just want to drink something. Pour it over an ice cube and then get the ice cube the hell out of there before the whole thing turns to a muddle.

The Fire & Cane....doesn’t matter wha they did with it before the smoke went in because that overwhelms everything. I can’t give it away.

 

[Fishy]

@HuskyHawk - I get a Liquor.com email every night and tonight's was 11 Scotches to try, basically covering a number of brand extensions/new releases.

5 New Blended Scotches You’ll Want to Try

Blenders are drawing on a range of whisky trends, from barrel finishing to high-rye blends, to offer a diverse array of bottles.

www.liquor.com

Was wondering if you were familiar with any and whether you'd recommend.

For calibration purposes, Laga is my "special occasion" bottle while Famous Grouse is my everyday, although at the moment I've also got a $25 bottle of Loch Lomond Original, which while not in my wheelhouse for single malts is actually pretty good, especially for the price.

If you look at the article under that one about the Japanese whiskey....I really like the Nikka Coffey Grain. (And the Nikka Coffey Malt.))

 

[HuskyHawk]

If he has to buy one to see what the rum cask is about, the Glenlivet is probably the call. It’s in my ‘deck Scotch‘ collection with a few others. They’re the throw-aways you use when you’re sitting on the deck and just want to drink something. Pour it over an ice cube and then get the ice cube the hell out of there before the whole thing turns to a muddle.

The Fire & Cane....doesn’t matter wha they did with it before the smoke went in because that overwhelms everything. I can’t give it away.

I'm not rebuying either of those for sure. Both are too sweet for me. Regular Glenlivet or Glenfiddich 12 is better as a deck Scotch. If you want rum taste, just buy rum. Loads of amazing rum out there and it is cheaper than Scotch.

 

[storrsroars]

I made one of worst impulse purchases this week. I went out to the PLCB store to get a handle of Grouse but they were out. While I was perusing the shelves I saw a bottle of Kavalan for $45. Being unfamiliar with Taiwanese whisky, I googled it and learned that the distiller was considered a master of the craft and won many awards. OK, sold, I'll give it a whirl. However, there was only the one expression on the shelf and I didn't drill down for a review on that bottle. Big mistake.

I bring it home, pour a finger, relax on the couch and take a sip. It was a full out assault on my senses. Lots of heat, some hard medicinal Laphroaig-ish notes, and some leather and tar were competing with the butterscotch and fruit. It was not an easy sip nor one I think I could get used to.

So I googled again, this time for "Kavalan select". I learned that there are now 2 kinds of "select" but my bottle pre-dates that fork in the road and my bottle was made not to be sipped, but to be mixed in cocktails.

I am not one to spend $45 on a mixing booze. Not to mention I found myself out of Drambuie and low on essentials for Rob Roys and Robby Burnses. So I had to go back to the store for stuff to make this scotch palatable. But I did make one hella Robt Burns last night, and the Kavalan did well with the absinthe and bitters.

That bottle is going to mock me for months.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I made one of worst impulse purchases this week. I went out to the PLCB store to get a handle of Grouse but they were out. While I was perusing the shelves I saw a bottle of Kavalan for $45. Being unfamiliar with Taiwanese whisky, I googled it and learned that the distiller was considered a master of the craft and won many awards. OK, sold, I'll give it a whirl. However, there was only the one expression on the shelf and I didn't drill down for a review on that bottle. Big mistake.

I bring it home, pour a finger, relax on the couch and take a sip. It was a full out assault on my senses. Lots of heat, some hard medicinal Laphroaig-ish notes, and some leather and tar were competing with the butterscotch and fruit. It was not an easy sip nor one I think I could get used to.

So I googled again, this time for "Kavalan select". I learned that there are now 2 kinds of "select" but my bottle pre-dates that fork in the road and my bottle was made not to be sipped, but to be mixed in cocktails.

I am not one to spend $45 on a mixing booze. Not to mention I found myself out of Drambuie and low on essentials for Rob Roys and Robby Burnses. So I had to go back to the store for stuff to make this scotch palatable. But I did make one hella Robt Burns last night, and the Kavalan did well with the absinthe and bitters.

That bottle is going to mock me for months.

The Kavalan I've had has been good, but it wasn't "select", which I've never seen. Even the good bottles of it is an assault on your senses. It is designed to be. Amrut is much better made stuff, and would be closer to what most Scotch drinkers would appreciate.

 

[storrsroars]

The Kavalan I've had has been good, but it wasn't "select", which I've never seen. Even the good bottles of it is an assault on your senses. It is designed to be. Amrut is much better made stuff, and would be closer to what most Scotch drinkers would appreciate.

Amrut is special order only here in PA. So that $70 bottle of the 92 proof would end up costing me more than Lagavulin.

The heat of the Kavalan Select straight up is disturbing. Like a cheap brandy heat.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Amrut is special order only here in PA. So that $70 bottle of the 92 proof would end up costing me more than Lagavulin.

The heat of the Kavalan Select straight up is disturbing. Like a cheap brandy heat.

That's strange at 40%. I've had the cask strength solist stuff and it wasn't all that hot. It could be that it is just really young. Even the expensive Kavalan is young because it ages so rapidly there.

 

[CL82]

and the Kavalan did well with the absinthe

Well absinthe makes the heart grow fonder...

 

[storrsroars]

Well absinthe makes the heart grow fonder...

I never pour out the little bit of extra absinthe from coating my Sazerac glass.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I never pour out the little bit of extra absinthe from coating my Sazerac glass.

We do need to get you some Scotch to get through the covid winter in Pittsburgh.

 

[billybud]

Not a scotch guy at all...I'm a bourbon drinker...but..

A friend gave me a bottle of Tomatin 18 year old...I take a sip, with ice, every now and again....I like it better than my Laphroaig kept for company.