ckn Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 6 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said: Interesting, I’m on one of their tours in half an hour and have a few questions to ask. Their tasting tours come in a few formats including a world whisky tour where they pit their finest against the best in the world. It’s a nice little setup although I can only really compare it to a speyside distillery tour I’ve once been on where we sampled some Royal Lochnagar (formerly the favourite tipple of Victoria and Albert). Maybe like English wine it is an area of expertise that English distilleries might get better at with time. I think water quality may be an issue as ckn has mentioned in the past. Do me a favour and ask how they cope with the really rubbish water in that area. I live in Suffolk and the Norfolk/Suffolk water is abysmally heavy with lots of calcium sediment, I can't see how they can match the pure water of the Scottish highlands and islands with the chewy water in East Anglia. "When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerrumonside ref Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 1 hour ago, ckn said: Do me a favour and ask how they cope with the really rubbish water in that area. I live in Suffolk and the Norfolk/Suffolk water is abysmally heavy with lots of calcium sediment, I can't see how they can match the pure water of the Scottish highlands and islands with the chewy water in East Anglia. They did address that point and in their view the harder water just brought different flavours, that’s all, not a deal breaker the Scots would have you believe. They did mention two interesting things which is that the warm climate compared to Scotland meant that more was lost due to evaporation during to maturation process and also that the malted barley that is used by a lot of the Scottish distilleries comes directly from East Anglia. To be honest I’m sold on what is a small family operation and wish them a lot of success in a non partisan type of a way. It seems like they’re wary of the competition from Adnans in Southwold who have successfully made gin as well as beer which shows they have potential to make whisky too. I think you’re right about your earlier point about reputational damage from early releases and they’re definitely rebranding and moving into a market whereby they’re selling based on easy recognition of taste by labelling products in a simple way. Anyway I enjoyed the tour and tried a good range from their special whisky and rye release which is almost like a bourbon through to their peaty smoke laden efforts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckn Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 1 minute ago, Gerrumonside ref said: They did address that point and in their view the harder water just brought different flavours, that’s all, not a deal breaker the Scots would have you believe. They did mention two interesting things which is that the warm climate compared to Scotland meant that more was lost due to evaporation during to maturation process and also that the malted barley that is used by a lot of the Scottish distilleries comes directly from East Anglia. To be honest I’m sold on what is a small family operation and wish them a lot of success in a non partisan type of a way. It seems like they’re wary of the competition from Adnans in Southwold who have successfully made gin as well as beer which shows they have potential to make whisky too. I think you’re right about your earlier point about reputational damage from early releases and they’re definitely rebranding and moving into a market whereby they’re selling based on easy recognition of taste by labelling products in a simple way. Anyway I enjoyed the tour and tried a good range from their special whisky and rye release which is almost like a bourbon through to their peaty smoke laden efforts. Paragraph by paragraph: 1. I don't buy that for a second. One thing you can notice in other whiskies throughout the world is the quality of water. That's why the Japanese whiskies are so good, their water quality/content is very close to the islands of Scotland. The water in this area is so hard that it killed a water softener we had fitted, it just smears everything and you can almost chew the hardness in the water. 2. The "angel's share" is always a problem, the Americans especially find it hard as the dry heat of many of their whiskEy making places are in dry, hot locations and they lose around twice that of the Scottish whisky places. 3. I agree, it's why I was so disappointed with the first tastes of it. I like the differences in taste you get from different areas and was looking forward to it. I do hope they can mature over the years and not fall into the unaged mass-market rubbish that has wrecked the reputations of previously good whiskies, such as Jura. 4. Their first branding was nationalism on a bottle essentially. They should take lessons from the Welsh whisky lot who make Penderyn as that's very subtly done, picking up a bit of national pride in their Welsh origins but not ramming it down the throats of the buyers. 5. Book yourself a Feis Ile tour for one year around the Scottish whisky isles, you'll certainly test your liver's recovery rates! It's their peaty one I'll try again if I can get one but it'll have to be good otherwise they'll subconsciously go into the "junk whiskies" pile like so many others these days. Cheers for the feedback! 1 "When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerrumonside ref Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 46 minutes ago, ckn said: Paragraph by paragraph: 1. I don't buy that for a second. One thing you can notice in other whiskies throughout the world is the quality of water. That's why the Japanese whiskies are so good, their water quality/content is very close to the islands of Scotland. The water in this area is so hard that it killed a water softener we had fitted, it just smears everything and you can almost chew the hardness in the water. 2. The "angel's share" is always a problem, the Americans especially find it hard as the dry heat of many of their whiskEy making places are in dry, hot locations and they lose around twice that of the Scottish whisky places. 3. I agree, it's why I was so disappointed with the first tastes of it. I like the differences in taste you get from different areas and was looking forward to it. I do hope they can mature over the years and not fall into the unaged mass-market rubbish that has wrecked the reputations of previously good whiskies, such as Jura. 4. Their first branding was nationalism on a bottle essentially. They should take lessons from the Welsh whisky lot who make Penderyn as that's very subtly done, picking up a bit of national pride in their Welsh origins but not ramming it down the throats of the buyers. 5. Book yourself a Feis Ile tour for one year around the Scottish whisky isles, you'll certainly test your liver's recovery rates! It's their peaty one I'll try again if I can get one but it'll have to be good otherwise they'll subconsciously go into the "junk whiskies" pile like so many others these days. Cheers for the feedback! They do a set of three miniatures including the smoky one, a sherry cask one and their ‘original’ for £14.99 if you fancy sampling without going all in. Two of those have picked up awards apparently. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marauder Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 On 7/5/2018 at 11:49 AM, timtum said: I was given a bottle of Chivas Regal 18 by some nice Hong Kong people that I helped out in Paris a couple of years ago. In a fit of charitable benevolence I donated it to the local SPA dogs home event near Carcassonne the other week. They ran a no lose tombola and some bloke walked up, paid 2 euros for his ticket, and swiftly headed off with fifty odd quids of hooch. The Whisky Gods being as they are, my big brother appeared the following week with a bottle of Quarter Cask Laphroaig. Sod the dogs, this is going tummywards. I've also worked on building 12 new storage sheds for Chivas Regal at a little village called Beith just West of Glasgow in the last two years. Carlsberg don't do Soldiers, but if they did, they would probably be Brits. http://www.pitchero....hornemarauders/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuffer Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 Shared a half size bottle (only got two wee drams each out of it mind) of glenfiddich 15 .... Had forgotten how nice this stuff is....much better than the 12 and personally preferable to the 18...a nice, sweet fruity flavour to it....think my next purchase will have to be the full size bottle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckn Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 My birthday gifts so far today: - 1 x Laphroaig 15yo - 2 x Bunnahabhain 12yo - 1 x Lagavulin 15yo - 1 x Ardbeg 10yo and 1 x Smirnoff black label vodka. This stuff is fantastic for a vodka, very smooth and perfect for drinking neat when slightly chilled. I think I've been pigeon-holed by my family and friends just that little bit... "When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 2 minutes ago, ckn said: My birthday gifts so far today: - 1 x Laphroaig 15yo - 2 x Bunnahabhain 12yo - 1 x Lagavulin 15yo - 1 x Ardbeg 10yo and 1 x Smirnoff black label vodka. This stuff is fantastic for a vodka, very smooth and perfect for drinking neat when slightly chilled. I think I've been pigeon-holed by my family and friends just that little bit... You'll be needing a lot of ginger ale to mix with that lot 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeordieSaint Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Currently supping a bottle of Tirril from the Lakeland Brewery; a Cumbrian Single Malt. Quite like it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Copa Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 On 6/29/2018 at 5:31 PM, Copa said: I’ve only ever had whiskey twice in my life. The second time was a few weeks ago. I really enjoyed it and might have to give it another try I asked my friend about the whiskey he gave me that I enjoyed. He has a few and didn’t know which one I had. So for Father’s Day last weekend I asked my partner for either a bottle of whiskey or a bottle of spiced rum..... she bought me a bottle of Spicebox spiced whiskey instead as she thought it’d cover both of my gift suggestions. It’s nice for what it is but didn’t quite scratch my itch. To scratch that itch I bought some Bowmore small batch single malt whiskey. I have not tried it yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Evans Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 (edited) Copa... I'm really not succeeding in avoiding being an ar se here..... drop the 'e' from the Scottish variety of whisky!! Ok... bog standard supermarket.... but out tesco local has Glenmorrangie on at £21!!!!! Edited September 7, 2018 by Robin Evans 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanC Posted September 29, 2018 Share Posted September 29, 2018 Laphroaig 10 on at my local Tesco for £28. Happy days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiltshire Warrior Dragon Posted September 30, 2018 Share Posted September 30, 2018 (edited) On 8/9/2018 at 8:00 PM, ckn said: My birthday gifts so far today: - 1 x Laphroaig 15yo - 2 x Bunnahabhain 12yo - 1 x Lagavulin 15yo - 1 x Ardbeg 10yo Slainte mhath, ckn, agus Alba gu brath! Edited September 30, 2018 by Wiltshire Warrior Dragon spelling mistake 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuffer Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 A little something i tried tonight which i recommend...i have a 15yr old glenfiddich which is lovely and sherry sweet....for some daft reason i opted to squeeze the juice of a couple of tangerine segments into the glass...the result is all the original flavour but the sharp alcohol edge taken off which results in a smooth flavour....this whisky is sweet and fruity anyway but not sure how it would go with the smokier, peatier drams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckn Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 Here in Sorrento, Italy, I got a rather hard to find and very nice cask strength Finlaggan from a booze shop called The Corner Shop. They have a damn nice collection of really good whisky at decent prices, I may stretch my suitcase weight allowances. Have to do it this year as next I may have to pay duty... "When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerrumonside ref Posted November 5, 2018 Share Posted November 5, 2018 Went to the Lakes Distillery at the weekend situated just outside Keswick and very near a stretch of the River Derwent. Did the tour and tasted samples of their young whisky, vodka and gin. It’s a beautiful part of the world and their main focus is whisky, but they have diversified into vodka and gin to help things ticking over while the whisky ages. They believe in terms of water source, they have the potential to match the quality of the more traditional whisky producing areas in Scotland in the future. I bought a blend they were selling of English and Scottish whisky which is smooth and a little smokey called Steel Bonnets. Be interesting to see how this distillery gets on. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeF Posted November 5, 2018 Share Posted November 5, 2018 Has anyone tried the Glenfiddich IPA ? I like the "normal" Gelenfiddich but was wondering about the IPA version Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerrumonside ref Posted November 5, 2018 Share Posted November 5, 2018 (edited) 13 minutes ago, LeeF said: Has anyone tried the Glenfiddich IPA ? I like the "normal" Gelenfiddich but was wondering about the IPA version I tried some whisky beer at a distillery in Norfolk earlier in the year which was interesting. If you like hoppy beer then this whisky might be up your street as it has been aged in IPA beer casks. Edited November 5, 2018 by Gerrumonside ref 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattSantos Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 I fancy buying a posh whiskey soon i have some reading to do Running the Rob Burrow marathon to raise money for the My Name'5 Doddie foundation: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ben-dyas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tallow Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 On 05/11/2018 at 20:41, Gerrumonside ref said: Went to the Lakes Distillery at the weekend situated just outside Keswick and very near a stretch of the River Derwent. Did the tour and tasted samples of their young whisky, vodka and gin. It’s a beautiful part of the world and their main focus is whisky, but they have diversified into vodka and gin to help things ticking over while the whisky ages. They believe in terms of water source, they have the potential to match the quality of the more traditional whisky producing areas in Scotland in the future. I bought a blend they were selling of English and Scottish whisky which is smooth and a little smokey called Steel Bonnets. Be interesting to see how this distillery gets on. Steel Bonnets. 0.0005% Lakes whiskey, 99.995% scotch whiskey. Absolute cheek calling it a blend if you ask me. Cardhu Gold reserve, excellent whisky, only £25.00 in some supermarkets. Normally £42.00 so a real bargain for a quality whisky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckn Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 The Laphroaig distillery has released its latest cask strength 10yo today, if you buy it from them directly and get the excellent Cairdeas cask strength as well in the bundle then you get freebies thrown in. You may have to register as a “Friend” first to get the deal though, not sure as the website can be a bit fussy at times. Be quick with it though as the 10yo cask strength usually sells out damnably quickly. "When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattSantos Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 I bought a whisky. Its Japanese. Thats all i know. My friend has 11 bottles of Hibiki 17 year old.. its worth roughly a grand a bottle. He knew they were due to stop making it apprently so stocked up. Wonder if he will give me one. Running the Rob Burrow marathon to raise money for the My Name'5 Doddie foundation: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ben-dyas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Evans Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 (edited) I bought what might have been the last bottle of compass box Asyla available in the UK from a gaff in Derbyshire yesterday..... its one of my fav blends.... quite remarkable considering its 50% grain whisky...... i love it. Its now discontinued with no plans to blend more due to supply issues. Edited August 14, 2019 by Robin Evans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Evans Posted September 4, 2019 Share Posted September 4, 2019 Just been to the Mavela distillery at Alèria, Corsica. Lovely day out. Very good whisky (and other regional products) at very reasonable prices..... Blend €25. Single malt ,€55. The charcuterie there was world class.... Charcuterie + single malt = happy ginger bloke. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckn Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 This year’s two cask strength Laphroaig variants. I opened the 10yo CS and it’s bloody lovely, even better than usual. Good job I got two bottles of each. 2 "When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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