Which Water of Life Did You Purchase Today?

[cigarnv]

A small pour of HP 12 ..... another solid whisky that never lets you down....

[birdman1099]

A small pour of HP 12 ..... another solid whisky that never lets you down....

I cant ever find HP 12 that comes in a "small pour bottle"....

[macdeffe]

6 bottles of Ardbeg Still Young

Foaf or be Foaf'ed

Steffen

[thezenone]

Hasn't happened yet but I plan on purchasing a bottle of 1997 Springbank K&L Exclusive 14 Year Single Madeira Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky tomorrow. My expectations are high since I love the 10 and 15 year standard bottlings.

[ThomasH]

had a special on Crown Royal at Windsor tunnel duty free. 4 1L bottles for 79.00, so I bought 4 for my wife!

Thomas

[sutton]

Been on a scotch buying binge lately ...

Douglas of Drumlanrig Rosebank 20 yo, cask strength (Douglas Laing) - $130
Lagavulin Distiller's Edition (1996) - $99
Old Malt Cask Glenlivet 13 yo, cask strength (Douglas Laing) - $57

[LostBottle]

Been on a scotch buying binge lately ...

Douglas of Drumlanrig Rosebank 20 yo, cask strength (Douglas Laing) - $130
Lagavulin Distiller's Edition (1996) - $99
Old Malt Cask Glenlivet 13 yo, cask strength (Douglas Laing) - $57

I love the Lagavulin Distillers. I usually do not care for sweet and sherried whiskys, but it really goes well with the peat. In general, I think Lagavulin is my favorite Scotch whisky distillery and I rue the day I passed on the 21...now I will never find it.

[bad_scientist]

I rue the day I passed on the 21...now I will never find it.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, oh wait, I'm not done yet !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!

Okay, got it out of my system. Have you had the latest release of the 12 year? What do you think in general of the 12 years? I didn't like the 2010 version all that much, but I think my tastes have changed since then. I bought a bottle of the 16 a few weeks ago and I think it's a bit too sherried for me, compared to my last one. Since the 12 is all ex-bourbon barrel, I might want to try it out again.

[sutton]

I love the Lagavulin Distillers. I usually do not care for sweet and sherried whiskys, but it really goes well with the peat. In general, I think Lagavulin is my favorite Scotch whisky distillery and I rue the day I passed on the 21...now I will never find it.

Agree with you on the sherry/peat combo - It's actually the '95 Lagavulin Distillers Ed., I'm not sure the '96 is out yet ... sorry for the typo.

I'm going the other way on the Islay whiskies right now since I'm still trying to develop a taste for the more phenolic versions - normally I'm not a fan of overtly sweet whiskies, but the sherry aging seems to bring more balance to the really peaty versions to my taste. That, and most are aged a bit longer and it tones down any medicinal/iodine phenolics a bit.

I did read somewhere that the peat phenolics act something like the capsaicin in chili peppers - triggering endorphine release in the brain. So just like jalapenos at one time seemed really hot, eventually you are on to seranos, habeneros, etc. Eventually, the peatier the better!

[LostBottle]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, oh wait, I'm not done yet !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!

Okay, got it out of my system. Have you had the latest release of the 12 year? What do you think in general of the 12 years? I didn't like the 2010 version all that much, but I think my tastes have changed since then. I bought a bottle of the 16 a few weeks ago and I think it's a bit too sherried for me, compared to my last one. Since the 12 is all ex-bourbon barrel, I might want to try it out again.

Haha, I know..feel free to backhand me for that move should we ever meet. I pass it by due to price, only to watch it be called the best Lagvulin ever and among the best whiskys many have ever tried. In regards to the 12, I like it just fine, but find I need to be in the mood to drink it. The 12 just does not have the complexity of the 16 and comes through as a bit one-note and brutish in comparison (even when taken down in proof). However, there are times when this is exactly what I am after - this is when I reach for the peat and smoke of the 12. As I go through a bottle of the 12 perhaps once every 24 months, I am not sure I can give you a good comparison on the variations between years.

I'm going the other way on the Islay whiskies right now since I'm still trying to develop a taste for the more phenolic versions - normally I'm not a fan of overtly sweet whiskies, but the sherry aging seems to bring more balance to the really peaty versions to my taste. That, and most are aged a bit longer and it tones down any medicinal/iodine phenolics a bit.

Sutton, I agree with you 100% here. On the Laga DE, the PX sherry does mellow out some of the peat and smoke without completely overtaking the nature of the whiskey. While you do lose some of the complexity you get out of the normal 16, the tradeoff is that the DE makes for a very easy drinker.