Whisky

[Futtocks]

Given the price difference I'd say the Sainsbury's is definitely the best value for money - it would be interesting to find out what it actually is

The two names I've seen mentioned in online discussions are Fettercairn or Dalmore. Neither are very mainstream or easy to find under their own names, so it would be a job to confirm.

 

Sainbury's previous 'Taste the Difference' range had a Islay that I am 90% plus certain was Caol Ila. Sadly, they don't sell it any more.

[chuffer]

The two names I've seen mentioned in online discussions are Fettercairn or Dalmore. Neither are very mainstream or easy to find under their own names, so it would be a job to confirm.

 

Sainbury's previous 'Taste the Difference' range had a Islay that I am 90% plus certain was Caol Ila. Sadly, they don't sell it any more.

 

Just had a look online at Dalmore and the description says:

 

Dalmore 12 is aged for the first nine years in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, before half is transferred to ex-oloroso sherry casks for the final three years. The result is a whisky with a combination of sweetness and rich, sherried flavours.

 

This would tally with my description above, particularly the bourbon smell - colour looks similar to - i.e more tangerine than gold

[Tiny Tim]

The Co-op 3 year old blend ...

 

I've now just wasted a lot of time watching whisky reviews on YouTube....and now I fancy a wee dram but it's probably a bit early in the day...

[gingerjon]

I've now just wasted a lot of time watching whisky reviews on YouTube....and now I fancy a wee dram but it's probably a bit early in the day...

 

I like how some of them pretend not to be monumentally blasted.

[Tiny Tim]

I like how some of them pretend not to be monumentally blasted.

 

Hardly any slurring or near misses with falling off their chairs. This is what the internet was invented for.

[Bearman]

I went to a tasting session at the good food show a few years ago.

It was the "6 classic malts" that you some times see in a tantalus behind the bar in pubs.

Every place was set out with the 6 measures lined up. Each table had 10 places and there were only two of us on our table, so of course the two of us mineswept the spares! I remember falling off the seat of the taxi on my way home and swearing at the driver for his erratic driving, the next thing I remember is falling out of bed that night. I blamed the wine samples of which I had freely partaken before the whisky tasting.

[chuffer]

On reflection, I may have been a bit hasty on the judgement of the aldi black 8yr...granted I've had 3 glasses of merlot but I'm sat here with a double measure over ice and tbf it ain't too shabby

[Robin Evans]

I'm that full of cold, benalyn and Fettercairn is indistinguishable....

[Marauder]

3 years in a barrel is probably going to be more like meths rather than a developed whisky. I'll wait until they do at least 8 year old whisky.

I've just worked at Beith in Scotland building 5 x 3,000 sq metre storage sheds for Chivas Regal, they store the whisky for up to 25 years and each shed when full is insured for £100,000,000.00, after Christmas I start the next phase (5 more sheds 79, 80, 81, 82 & 83)

[Tiny Tim]

JW Double Black currently on offer at Amazon for £22.99 (for those who like the taste of Islay)

 

Other JW whisky available on offer too.

[Tiny Tim]

and for the true whisky connoisseur a special Christmas jumper...

 

http://www.laphroaig.com/shop/product.aspx?ShopItemID=101

 

Thank me later....

[Robin Evans]

Jesus H Arkwright ..... a weekend in Scotland and it all merges into a blur.....

[Ullman]

Happy to report I am rather pleased with my purchase, I might have a new favourite whisky.

It's good all right.

[Ullman]

Bought my son a bottle of duty free Bowmore Black Rock a couple of weeks back. I managed to have a glass before he and his mates polished it off. Not a bad drop at all.

[Robin Evans]

My brother in law has just bought me a bottle.... The label says.."single grain scotch whisky"!!!!

I reckon it should get that nasty stain out of the rug...

[Futtocks]

I'm back on the Sainsbury's 'Taste the Difference', as they were out of Highland Park last time I went for a bottle. I can't complain, though, because it really is a good dram.

[Bearman]

I called in at the Gloucester Service Station on the M5 today.

I think it's the same group that run the Lake land Farmers services on the M6.

I couldn't see any whisky but I was drawn to a bottle of "Chase" vodka.

What caught my eye was the wording " Islay cask".

It seems it has been matured for two years in Laphroaig whisky casks!

I'm not a fan of vodka and at £38 I decided to forego the pleasure, but I wouldn't have ever minded a taste.

[Bearman]

How did everyone do over Christmas?

I had a 3 bottles of cooking whisky (Grouse)

I also had a bottle of Islay. It was Smokehead the Rock edition. Very nice.

Edited December 26, 2015 by Bearman

[Robin Evans]

I have a Dalwhinnie, an Aberlour, a scapa and an asyla from compass box... and something in a box bottle to put in coffees for the memsahib.

I've had seasoned whisky drinkers over... All agree the asyla is wonderful....

[gingerjon]

Three miniatures. First to report is Highland Park 12. Smooth and silky as ever.

[tonyXIII]

You lot are getting as bad as the worst wine snobs. The stuff is for drinking, not waxing lyrical over. I can't find the wink emoticon on this bloody tablet!

[ckn]

You lot are getting as bad as the worst wine snobs. The stuff is for drinking, not waxing lyrical over. I can't find the wink emoticon on this bloody tablet!

Acknowledging your attempts at a wink icon... just semi-colon, close bracket

 

There's some pretty good cheap whisky been recommended on these pages but there's also some good priced whisky been panned.  I've got a bottle of the smoky Famous Grouse, a 18yo Laphroaig and a 10yo Jura on the go.  10 years ago, the Grouse would be kept for those heathens who wanted a mixer in their whisky but now I'm keeping the Jura for those people.  The black and smoky Grouse blends are actually quite nice on their own, more than good enough for a social tipple.

 

The whisky snobs I dislike are those who've seen a posh American ordering a large Macallan and think that that's the highlight of the whisky world before ordering it themselves and watering it down so much that it's almost at homeopathic strengths.  It's fine to tell someone who is a whisky drinker that you're a novice, the good guys will then set you up with an appropriate starter that won't put you off for life.

[Bearman]

You lot are getting as bad as the worst wine snobs. The stuff is for drinking, not waxing lyrical over. I can't find the wink emoticon on this bloody tablet!

This post and a conversation with my family last night ( with a quick tasting lesson with my two son in laws using a bottle of FG and the above mentioned Islay ) got me to thinking about how I got into whisky. Neither of the two lads have developed a liking for whisky yet.

In my experience Whisky, beer and cigarettes ( thank God I got over those as of 3 minutes past 3 am on December 28 1975) are not very pleasant on first trying them, but they do grow on you!

So here's my confession of how I got a taste for whisky.

It was the evening before my 16th Birthday which happens to fall on Jan 1.

In those days New Years Day was a normal working day in Coventry. However my family followed the tradition of celebrating it.

We either had a party in our house or at a Scots neighbour's. That particular year it was at ours. My Scottish neighbours son and another friend and myself.escaped from the party and went to the neighbours house where we started our own celebrations with a bottle of Teachers. At first it was horrible but we persevered and finished the bottle. So with a third of a bottle of whisky inside me we went back to the main party at my house. Everyone was so drunk that we were largely ignored and I probably had a few more drinks, I don't remember.

I do remember coming to the next morning with my Mother rounding up on me and shouting "Get up you ######, your going to work. Your not 18 till next year, your 17 today and your going to work you drunken sod"

Her Brother, my Uncle came to my defence, " leave him alone, he's going nowhere today.let him sleep. You go to work and I'll sort him out.

I went back to sleep and at lunch time he came and woke me up. You all know how I was feeling!!!!

"Come on Son let's get you sorted"

I went off with him to meet his Scots mates in the neighbourhood, where a glass of whisky was thrust upon me. " get it down, you'll feel better..... after 3 our 4 I did!

From then on I never looked back!

Edited December 27, 2015 by Bearman

[gingerjon]

a 10yo Jura on the go.

 

My anger has not subsided.

[Robin Evans]

It was early 1980 in a boozer called the 'outside inn' in Glasgow. The chap who was to become my best man and his mates were all from Maryhill and I was invited up for the rugby at Murrayfield.

In the boozer john morrison, a lecturer in food science at hamilton college and who remains a dear friend gave me 'an introductory' into single malt whisky after I'd ordered a haig at the bar....

He bought me a scapa, then after being encouraged to drink several more I was then press ganged into joining the partick thistle supporters club.... I'm still a member, still enjoy going to watch thistle, thankfully all the gang are still alive, still really good mates and still enjoy whisky.

England won the grand slam. Clive Woodward played in the centre.

Edited December 27, 2015 by Robin Evans