The Single Malt thread!

2

Comments

  • crom7
    crom7 Posts: 83
    +1 for adding ice, just one cube though (apologies RDW)

    Some great, and incredibly expensive, looking whiskey here! Sticking with Laphroaig as my number one...might need to do some more tasting though.
  • VTech
    VTech Posts: 4,736
    I'm not into whiskey but a friend of mine sent me a bottle a few years ago from a small place in the highlands that was super. I'll find the name out and post here.
    Living MY dream.
  • Wheelspinner
    Wheelspinner Posts: 6,692
    In no particular order, favourites are:

    Ardbeg
    Balvenie
    Highland Park
    Glenfarclas
    Aberlour
    Cragganmore
    Talisker
    Oban

    Useful book for the whole subject here: http://www.amazon.com/Malt-Whisky-Companion-Michael-Jackson/dp/1405302348
    Open One+ BMC TE29 Seven 622SL On One Scandal Cervelo RS
  • peat
    peat Posts: 1,242
    I picked up a bottle of Highland Park this week. Don't think I've had it before.

    Peat's booze cabby currently stocking Laphroig, Jura (Origin & Superstition), Aberlour, Talisker, Ben Riach aaaaand some Famous Grouse, strictly for mixing. ;) Hoping today might add to it.
  • florerider
    florerider Posts: 1,112
    Loretta Damage wrote:
    RDW wrote:
    Loretta Damage wrote:
    Normally take with ice.

    You are hereby barred from the Cake Stop Malt Whisky Society. Please take your bottles and leave! Well, except the Glenlivet, especially if it's the 15 French Oak. Actually, you can leave the others too. OK, you can stay if you don't suggest mixing it with Coke.

    I only started having it with ice after a bloke who sells it for a living recommended it, especially the Speyside malts, as it enhances the flavours. Not sure if he was correct but I like



    You don't get given ice in the distillery visits on Strathspey, so can't be right. You do get a small jug of water. A single drop of spring water is the best to bring out the flavour, any more dilutes it.

    Any addition of tap water, especially if ice, is simply not on old chap.

    Ice is for blended stuff, and Americans.
  • florerider
    florerider Posts: 1,112
    Just got a bottle of Caol Ila for Christmas! tasting notes to follow....
  • TheCoo'sTail
    TheCoo'sTail Posts: 113
    florerider wrote:
    Loretta Damage wrote:
    RDW wrote:
    Loretta Damage wrote:
    Normally take with ice.

    You are hereby barred from the Cake Stop Malt Whisky Society. Please take your bottles and leave! Well, except the Glenlivet, especially if it's the 15 French Oak. Actually, you can leave the others too. OK, you can stay if you don't suggest mixing it with Coke.

    I only started having it with ice after a bloke who sells it for a living recommended it, especially the Speyside malts, as it enhances the flavours. Not sure if he was correct but I like



    You don't get given ice in the distillery visits on Strathspey, so can't be right. You do get a small jug of water. A single drop of spring water is the best to bring out the flavour, any more dilutes it.

    Any addition of tap water, especially if ice, is simply not on old chap.

    Ice is for blended stuff, and Americans.


    I have been to several tasting evenings and whisky clubs and they ALL recommend not to take ice as it prevents the whisky from 'opening up' and releasing its flavours and aromas. :?

    I say take it with anything you like, it's your drink and you can drink it the way you like it.

    For the record if you are ever in Edinburgh, the Whisky Experience on Castlehill (just before the castle entrance on the left) is a great day out. They show you how to taste it when you arrive, take you on a tour, let you pick one to try and identify and you can get an extra 4 drinks at the end if you wish, plus you keep the Glencairn glass used for the tasting, 6 drams and a tour for around £25 is great value IMO.

    They also have the largest, most expensive private whisky collection on display, oh and on a Sunday you can get in before the pubs open at 12:30 :wink:

    Cracking day out!
    At the erse end o' a coo!
  • Courage Monsieur
    Courage Monsieur Posts: 534
    Been through a few bottles this year.

    Liked the Balvenie doublewood 12 and Bushmills 10.

    Got a bottle of Knob Creek bourbon through work. Sweet of course but nice too.
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    florerider wrote:
    You don't get given ice in the distillery visits on Strathspey, so can't be right. You do get a small jug of water. A single drop of spring water is the best to bring out the flavour, any more dilutes it.
    This is what I have always heard is the way to do it. It always seems funny when, if you tour a distillery and hear the guide blathering on about the importance of the quality of the spring water from off the peat moors to the taste of the finished product, to then go and smother it all in Thames tap water!
    Faster than a tent.......
  • nweststeyn
    nweststeyn Posts: 1,574
    2 full pages and still no mention of Bunnahabhain 18yo?

    Also, never ice, always good water at room temp.
  • nweststeyn
    nweststeyn Posts: 1,574
    I'm also impressed that we've got to this far in the thread without anyone ridiculing another persons choice yet. Well done!
  • chrisaonabike
    chrisaonabike Posts: 1,914
    nweststeyn wrote:
    I'm also impressed that we've got to this far in the thread without anyone ridiculing another persons choice yet. Well done!
    I don't think it's all that surprising - there are no bad single malts, certainly none of the 50 or more Scottish ones I've tried. So it's all down to personal preference - it would be like ridiculing someone else's favourite colour.

    Personally I'm not overly keen on the Irish whiskeys, and the standard cheapish Glenfiddich is IMO less interesting than most, but I'd still rather drink any of them than any blended whisky.

    If I absolutely had to whittle it down to one, it would probably be one of the Caol Ilas from the western isles, and maybe the A'bunadh (a cask strength one from the Aberlour distillery on Speyside).

    Yes, I know that's technically two, but I can't choose between them, it depends how I'm feeling at the time.
    Is the gorilla tired yet?
  • chrisaonabike
    chrisaonabike Posts: 1,914
    nweststeyn wrote:
    Also, never ice, always good water at room temp.
    Not even that for me :)

    As it comes.
    Is the gorilla tired yet?
  • schweiz
    schweiz Posts: 1,644
    Caol Ila 12
    Lagavulin 16
    Scapa 12/14
    Aberlour 12/15
    Balvenie Doublewood 12
    Jura Superstition

    Also in my collection:

    Ledaig
    Jura Origin 10
    Jura Turas Mara
    Laphroaig 10
    Glenfiddich 12
    Talisker Storm
    Talisker Distillers Edition 11
    Cardhu Special Cask Reserve
    VN BMC Cube SS
    http://app.strava.com/athletes/30000
  • rollemynot
    rollemynot Posts: 436
    nweststeyn wrote:
    2 full pages and still no mention of Bunnahabhain 18yo?

    Also, never ice, always good water at room temp.

    +1

    Got one in my stocking

    Also enjoy Glenrothes select reserve, and I am cracking open my 2013 Easter Elchies cask edition for Hogmanay. Not for sharing though....... Only joking tripled my cash already she's a keeper in my Macallan collection. :D
  • rollemynot
    rollemynot Posts: 436
    Check this out in the great ice debate

    http://shop.themacallan.com/ice-ball-maker
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,320
    Rollemynot wrote:
    Check this out in the great ice debate

    http://shop.themacallan.com/ice-ball-maker
    The above is a perfect example of how to fleece people too stupid to know better.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • rollemynot
    rollemynot Posts: 436
    Some exceptional keepers on here for auction, and some good value drinkers on the later pages.....

    http://www.whisky-onlineauctions.com/Ja ... w&limit=15
  • nedmoran
    nedmoran Posts: 53
    It would be interesting to see if there were any single malts people didn't like.
    Out of the ones i've tasted i'd say Oban and Old Pulteney. Now after reading all this i'm going to have to have one.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,320
    nedmoran wrote:
    It would be interesting to see if there were any single malts people didn't like.
    Out of the ones i've tasted i'd say Oban and Old Pulteney. Now after reading all this i'm going to have to have one.
    Well that will kick off a debate!
    As it is all down to personal preference then one's opinions will be varied and polarised.

    My dislikes purely from the ones listed in the thread that I have tried are:-

    Laphroig
    Penderyn
    Auchentoshan
    Ardbeg
    Tallisker
    Lagavullin
    Jura.

    And funnily enough, Highland Park which I used to enjoy.

    As I said, it is a personal choice and I am in no way inferring that they are bad.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • rollemynot
    rollemynot Posts: 436
    I can take a single dram or two of anything just to appreciate the regional complexity of the aqua vitae......... Gees how whanky does that sound but I am sure it makes sense... However if I am getting bladdered it's a Spey malt for me :D
  • corona
    corona Posts: 116
    As any whisky costs a fortune here I only keep one bottle at a time, supply is limited but I have tried a few. So far fav is Glenfiddich 15 yr old. One I couldn't drink? Easy, the bottle of Laphroig I bought I had to give away, really didn't enjoy it. I usually dilute with equal parts whisky and water. Tonight however I am so full of cold and feeling crap that I have made a lovely hot toddy with Fiddich 15 year old and am settling down to watch the darts.
  • mouth
    mouth Posts: 1,195
    Truth be told I'm not a whisky man since what we'll refer to as an 'incident' involving myself and 2 friends (all aged 13) along with a bottle of something from North of the border. Sometimes the smell just turns my stomach. If I ever do have a whisky it's usually diluted with water, Jura being a favourite.

    If this were a vodka thread on the other hand.......
    The only disability in life is a poor attitude.
  • RDW
    RDW Posts: 1,900
    PBlakeney wrote:
    The above is a perfect example of how to fleece people too stupid to know better.

    Well, it is marketed at the sort of people who like to put ice in whisky :D
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,320
    RDW wrote:
    PBlakeney wrote:
    The above is a perfect example of how to fleece people too stupid to know better.

    Well, it is marketed at the sort of people who like to put ice in whisky :D
    That was my point exactly! :P
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • florerider
    florerider Posts: 1,112
    Burns night coming up

    Who will be drinking what?
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    hp_drakkarbs.jpg
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    nweststeyn wrote:
    2 full pages and still no mention of Bunnahabhain 18yo?

    Also, never ice, always good water at room temp.

    Meh! Water in a separate glass. That's the way!
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    Slightly offtopic, but what's the big deal with Johnnie Walker? Why's it held in such high esteem, expeciall in China and Japan?
  • chrisaonabike
    chrisaonabike Posts: 1,914
    Garry H wrote:
    Slightly offtopic, but what's the big deal with Johnnie Walker? Why's it held in such high esteem, expeciall in China and Japan?
    It's good for mixing with things like honey, coke, lemon etc (in fact, anything that disguises its taste), and it's relatively cheap.

    Whoever made a hot toddy with single malt above should be burned at the stake, or at least made to forfeit their entire stock of single malt to me.
    Is the gorilla tired yet?

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