HighInTheMtns Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 My fist scotch was gifted to me and it was Highland Park 12, as well. All I could think was, "Wow, this tastes like great mezcal."Scotch came before mezcal for me, but this is about the direct analog of how I felt when I tried some good mezcal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootlegger1929 Posted August 25, 2013 Author Share Posted August 25, 2013 Wait there's such a thing a "good mescal"?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Yes, apparently, something to do with the used Bourbon barrels it's aged in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighInTheMtns Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Nothing to do with any kind of barrels for the ones I like to drink. Try some Del Maguey Chichicapa if you have a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Nothing to do with any kind of barrels for the ones I like to drink. Try some Del Maguey Chichicapa if you have a chance.Chichicapa is indeed very nice. I also recommend the Del Maguey Tobala. A bit harder to find and a bit more expensive but very good. I would also recommend the Del Maguey San Luis del Rio Azul but it was a limited offering and may be hard to find now. Blue Weber Agave grown in Oaxaca (some was sent there years ago during the late 90's and early 2000's when the Blue Agave was affected by a disease in the Jalisco region to try to preserve the species) and produced like a mezcal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootlegger1929 Posted August 29, 2013 Author Share Posted August 29, 2013 Ok. So I bought the HP12 last Friday and its pretty much gone now. Love it. Sweetness is wonderful and I actually really enjoy the smokiness of it. Been reading tons and tons of reviews and for some reason I'm really really intrigued by Islays. Like I originally said I have tried Lagavulin 16. Which I kind of liked. And now I'm feeling more adventurous and my mouth is kind of watering as I read reviews of Ardbeg whiskys. And then I come to find out that I can get a hold of Ardbeg 10 with samples of two other cask strength bottles for a decent price. Am I crazy for thinking of going for this? Should I explore more in the shallow end of the peat pool before diving in like this? If so then what should I try next before moving on to the peat monsters of Islay? Any help is appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChainWhip Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Talisker (this month's BOTM) is a good transition to Islay - not as honeyed as HP but a step towards the Islay peathammers.Ardbeg & Talisker are the malts that imprinted the love of whisky on me and they always feel like my whisky homecoming.The Ardbeg explorer pack is a good way to go - if you already like the Lag16, I'd say you're ready to take the plunge. Maybe revisit Lag16 again before heading off to Ardbegeddon ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronWF Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 And now I'm feeling more adventurous and my mouth is kind of watering as I read reviews of Ardbeg whiskys. And then I come to find out that I can get a hold of Ardbeg 10 with samples of two other cask strength bottles for a decent price. Am I crazy for thinking of going for this? Should I explore more in the shallow end of the peat pool before diving in like this? If so then what should I try next before moving on to the peat monsters of Islay? Any help is appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeti Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 I drank plenty of Speyside scotch for years before someone gifted me a bottle of Lagavulin. I knew I liked the idea of peat from a chance encounter with Connemara a few years back, but Lagavulin 16 is benchmark, life changing stuff (at least for me). To this day it is probably the answer to the (never asked) question of "if you could only nose one whisky?" It's the quintessential smell of scotch in my mind.If it's only "okay" to you then perhaps you might not care for the rowdier, rough and tumble Ardbeg and Laphroaigs, but you'll never know until you try them. Ardbeg 10, Uigedail, and Corryvreckan, as well as Laphroiag 10 and 10 CS are all staples of my scotch bar and are all excellent IMO.I will say that for me, it's very easy to love these whiskies once the leaves go and temperature drops. There's something about the warm embrace of Islay during the winter months. If it doesn't please you immediately, or even if it does, be sure to pour a healthy dram during the first snow fall of the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootlegger1929 Posted August 29, 2013 Author Share Posted August 29, 2013 So I think what I'll do is pick up a Talisker and the Ardbeg pack and go through the Talisker for a bit before tryin. The Ardbeg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 I think Caol Ila sometimes gets a bit forgotten in the Islay world but it generally strikes a nice balance as a step up into the world of peat, band aids and sea foam without getting head over the head with any of it. And the Caol Ila 12 is still relatively inexpensive compared to some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeti Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Caol Ila is my favorite for "heavily peated, extra aged independent bottles at a great value". I wonder how much longer that may last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGarrison Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Not being a peat fan at all, my first bottle of scotch was Dalmore 12. I still think it holds up to any other $60 range Scotch, and in fact I bought another bottle today. I try to always keep some on hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootlegger1929 Posted August 31, 2013 Author Share Posted August 31, 2013 So they were out of theTalisker 12. Too many taking part in foreign whisky of the month maybe? I ended up taking home Glenlivet Nadurra and Ardbeg exploration pack. Had a dram of the Glenlivet and its great. What I expected pretty much. Now enjoying the Ardbeg. And I mean really enjoying it. I guess I like pleated stuff now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 So they were out of theTalisker 12. Too many taking part in foreign whisky of the month maybe? I ended up taking home Glenlivet Nadurra and Ardbeg exploration pack. Had a dram of the Glenlivet and its great. What I expected pretty much. Now enjoying the Ardbeg. And I mean really enjoying it. I guess I like pleated stuff now...Talisker 12? There was a special bottling of that a while back but probably not easy to find. Do you mean the standard Talisker 10? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChainWhip Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 Sometimes the DE is passed off as 12 - maybe that's it?I only go for pleated stuff if it's on a skirt attached to a pretty lady.=]b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootlegger1929 Posted August 31, 2013 Author Share Posted August 31, 2013 Oh. Wow. Yeah. 10. Not 12. Sorry. That's what I get for posting while drinking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compliance Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 Caol Ila is my favorite for "heavily peated, extra aged independent bottles at a great value". I wonder how much longer that may last.I second this. The older bottling I've had was amazing and relatively cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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