I put that idea in your head, didn't I? ;-)
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The Macallan 12 (sherry) with an 18 yo mini!
Dewars 12
Clan MacGregor 1.75l
I picked up a Tyrconnell nas recently.
Because it is a single malt without any ostentatious peat or barrel finishes, somehow I got it in my mind that it would be a good comparison to a watered Glenlivet Nadurra - basic Irish Malt versus basic Scotch flavors.
That idea didn't really hold up, as the Nadurra is really its own wonderful creature, but the Tyrconnell is quite good as its own malt: a little malty (duh!), a little sweet pear flavor, and a taste that starts sweet and finishes dry. It's quite good, but more than a bit faint and mild at its 40%abv. I'd love to have a taste of it not so heavily diluted.
When the EBSG met up last, one of us remarked on how much it has improved in the last several years. It was fresh and light compared to the Redbreast 12, which I also liked well.
Roger
Picked up a Ardbeg 10yo today.
I'm guessing it was on the shelf before the price bump 'cause I got it under $50.
Can't wait till this evening to sample it.
In my opinion, the MacAllan 18 is THE quintessential sherry-matured single malt. If you are only allowed to try 5 single malt whiskies in your life, this has to be one of them.
It definitely has more depth than the 12-year, but isn't as overbearingly-oaky as the 25-year. XO Cognac has nothing on this hearty, ultra-refined whisky.
We had an unseasonably warm and thus rolling-misty night, which reminded me somewhat of the image of a Scottish moor. I decided only one thing would fill the bill: Springbank.
I last had Springbank a decade ago, when they were selling more age-expressions than Glenfarclas does. They're just down to a 10YO and a 10YO 100 proof that I could find (the distillery itself is mothballed). so I grabbed the 100 proofer. Fresh, clean, EXACTLY what I wanted.
Also picked up Edradour (sweet, sherry-ish) and Balvenie 10YO Founder's Reserve, which was its usual pleasant self. Jim Murray's Whisky Bible laments that this expression is being killed off, but Binny's seems to have plenty of it. And at 43%, not the 40% in his book.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jpact
Was with the extended family this past week for Christmas and we finally popped the Penderyn. I found it to be soft, sweet and fruity, maybe best compared with a highland single malt. (??) Kind of like it was the younger sister of the bourbon that we moved on to next. I prefer an Islay style to this, but that's not to say that I didn't enjoy it. We poured the Penderyn as a starter 3 nights in a row. They definitely know how to make whisky.