Which Water of Life Did You Purchase Today?

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Originally Posted by The Boozer

I don't want to talk you out of anything but you may want to pass if you thought the CI 12 was "thin". I found the flavors in CI 18 to be more subtle than in the 12 yr. For lack of better vocabulary, I would say that the 18 yr is a "gentler" Islay. BTW Laga 16 is $87 + 6% tax in MI while Laph and Ard 10 are both $49.99. Guess what's not in my liquor cabinet. TJ

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If you scroll back in time, you'll see posts in which I bashed Ardbeg 10 for being "thin," though chock full of flavor. I remember the first time I poured some in a Glencairn glass and thinking that it looked like diluted pee. My immediate reaction was, "I hope this has way more body than it appears to have." Sadly, it didn't. It seemed totally lacking and I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. Don't get me wrong, I've grown to love the intensity of the flavor and aroma, and it has an amazingly long finish, but I've always thought it would be among the top three or four affordable SMS's if they'd just up the malt quotient. I didn't have the same feeling with the CI 12, which I find has a nice mouth-feel (I hate that term but it works).

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Originally Posted by JamesW

Ouch! I can get Laga 16 regularly for $60 and sometimes even low 50's. Ardberg 10 regularly goes for low $40's near me as well.

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Want to cry! Lagavulin 16 is $90-$95 everywhere around here (just check Binny's site) and Ardbeg 10 is generally $60, though I can still score semi-dusties of each for much less if I really hunt. I'm going to definitely check out the Caol Ila 18 after reading "Caol Ila 12 and 18 are like chocolate covered salty pretzels, sweetness and salty working together on the palate. I would say that CI 12 tends to be more towards briny/salt in taste whereas CI 18 tends to be more cocoa/sweetness." Who could resist?:grin:

I went gift set hunting today. Boy, pickin's are slim. I know I was a little late hitting all the stores, but damn! Everyone I talked to said the same thing, the holiday gift sets have been trimed back this year. The economy perhaps? I saw only one bourbon set, the WT101 with a flask, that was it.

Anyhow, at the last store I picked up a Glenfiddich 12 set with a Glencairn type Glass and a Glenfidich 15 mini.

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Originally Posted by ILLfarmboy

I went gift set hunting today. Boy, pickin's are slim. I know I was a little late hitting all the stores, but damn! Everyone I talked to said the same thing, the holiday gift sets have been trimed back this year. The economy perhaps? I saw only one bourbon set, the WT101 with a flask, that was it.

Anyhow, at the last store I picked up a Glenfiddich 12 set with a Glencairn type Glass and a Glenfidich 15 mini.

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Tons in Chicago. Maybe to many gift sets for my liking.

Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey. This is the first Irish whiskey I've tried that I like, although the only other one I've had was regular Bushmills.

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Originally Posted by emr454

Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey. This is the first Irish whiskey I've tried that I like, although the only other one I've had was regular Bushmills.

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I really like Powers Gold Label and Bushmills too. Try Tullamore Dew, which is in the same price range, and see what you think.

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Originally Posted by emr454

Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey. This is the first Irish whiskey I've tried that I like, although the only other one I've had was regular Bushmills.

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I don't like Bushmill's White. It is thin on taste and spirty. In that way it reminds me of JWR. Powers gold is a good blend. For more taste step up to Jameson 12, Bushmill's 10 or the gold standard, Redbreast

I think Jameson will be my next Irish whiskey. I found it on sale in a gift pack at the newest liquor store in town. For the same price as a 750, I can get a 750 and 2 rocks glasses. Not a huge deal, but 2 free glasses are nice!

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Originally Posted by ILLfarmboy

I don't like Bushmill's White. It is thin on taste and spirty. In that way it reminds me of JWR. Powers gold is a good blend. For more taste step up to Jameson 12, Bushmill's 10 or the gold standard, Redbreast

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Bushmills is a bit thin but for the novice Irish whiskey drinker or someone on a budget it's a good place to start. It's certainly not anywhere near as good as Black Bush but when you're out on the town throwing back pints of Guinness and shots of Irish whiskey, it hits the spot without killing the wallet. All the others you mentioned are fantastic in my book, especially the Redbreast, but emr454 said that the Powers Gold was the first Irish whiskey he's tried that he actually liked, so I didn't think he'd want to risk going double the price on the really good stuff. Farmboy, have you tried the Irishman 70 recommended by Gillman in another thread? Great flavor and aroma with a beautiful balance of malt and pot still.

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Originally Posted by unclebunk

Bushmills is a bit thin but for the novice Irish whiskey drinker or someone on a budget it's a good place to start. It's certainly not anywhere near as good as Black Bush but when you're out on the town throwing back pints of Guinness and shots of Irish whiskey, it hits the spot without killing the wallet. All the others you mentioned are fantastic in my book, especially the Redbreast, but emr454 said that the Powers Gold was the first Irish whiskey he's tried that he actually liked, so I didn't think he'd want to risk going double the price on the really good stuff. Farmboy, have you tried the Irishman 70 recommended by Gillman in another thread? Great flavor and aroma with a beautiful balance of malt and pot still.

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Yeah, you're probably right.

The standard Jamesons in my opinion is way better than Busmills standard offering. I probably should have went with that as a recommendation.

No, I haven't tried the Irishman 70 yet. I'll get around to it one of these days. I think I may have seen some down in Peoria at a Friar Tucks.

An early Christmas present: Aberlour a'bunadh batch 23. Never tried this stuff before, so I'm quite excited.