What Wee Dram Are You Enjoying Now - Fall 2013/Winter 2014

[AaronWF]

A bottle of Strathisla 12 was emptied last night. This is a superior product much over-looked. Nicely sherried Speysider with an old-school malt profile. I love having a bottle like this in the cabinet for when I'm too tired to delve into the enlightening complexity of a more expensive bottle. In the malt world, I don't believe it gets any better than this for < $50.

[Parkersback]

After hearing it described as smelling like a "sacristy", I bought a bottle of Clynelish 14. I'm liking it so far, but finding that it needs a decent amount of air (and even a little water) to open up. It comes on a little tight and almost bitter in the finish otherwise.

[AaronWF]

A bottle of Strathisla 12 was emptied last night. This is a superior product much over-looked. Nicely sherried Speysider with an old-school malt profile. I love having a bottle like this in the cabinet for when I'm too tired to delve into the enlightening complexity of a more expensive bottle. In the malt world, I don't believe it gets any better than this for < $50.

[Brisko]

After hearing it described as smelling like a "sacristy", I bought a bottle of Clynelish 14. I'm liking it so far, but finding that it needs a decent amount of air (and even a little water) to open up. It comes on a little tight and almost bitter in the finish otherwise.

[Old Lamplighter]

To start the Friday evening festivities I finally opened a bottle of Glengoyne 10 picked up the fall...pretty good stuff. Now moved on to Talisker DE '13....excellent!

[Memphis]

Springbank 12 yr CS, excellent traditional and a bit challenging if you're a newcomer. Great stuff.

[MtnDew]

Springbank 12 yr CS, excellent traditional and a bit challenging if you're a newcomer. Great stuff.

I still have no Springbank bottles... ugh, gotta remedy that.

I started the night off with a pour of Glenfiddich 12... on the rocks!!!!! I know!!!

Then followed up with Glendronach 12, not on the rocks. These heavily sherried malts are really starting to grow on me...

[Memphis]

I still have no Springbank bottles... ugh, gotta remedy that.

I started the night off with a pour of Glenfiddich 12... on the rocks!!!!! I know!!!

Then followed up with Glendronach 12, not on the rocks. These heavily sherried malts are really starting to grow on me...

If you like sherried malts, Springbank brought a few 14yr bottlings to the U.S. Great stuff, the Manzanilla is vey nice, not too sweet and adds a smoky character without being peaty. Quite different for a SMS.

Edited January 12, 2014 by Memphis

[MtnDew]

If you like sherried malts, Springbank brought a few 14yr bottlings to the U.S. Great stuff, the Manzanilla is vey nice, not too sweet and adds a smoky character without being peaty. Quite different for a SMS.

Dang you! That sounds quite good so I go to search for it and I can't find it in stock anywhere that will ship to WA!!! Ugh, so lame. Now I have to keep digging...

[garbanzobean]

Went to a new restaurant close by our house last night. I was excited to see they had Eagle Rare 17 for a relatively reasonable (for Maryland) $12 a pour . . . turns out they were out of stock. They had "Lot B" for the market price of $17, so I obviously did not order that.

Ended up drinking Talisker 10. Great dram and it went really well with my seared Ahi, but drinking it last night reaffirmed my feeling that the 10 just doesn't hold a candle to the 18 for me. I can still get the 18 for under $100, and consequently almost always have a bottle around. I guess I should try the Storm soon, too.

After getting home and waiting an appropriate amount of time to cleanse my palate from the Talisker, I tried to have a bit of Greenore 8. I've been struggling to make up my mind on this dram for almost 6 months now. I tried it at a whisky bar in DC and loved it, so I bought a bottle and have been working on it ever since. I get the tropical fruit notes that it's famous for, a nice oily mouthfeel, and even a little bit of bourbon-y cinnamon here and there, but I also get a weird metallic off flavor unless I water it down to the point of losing the notes that I like. At any rate, I gave up after about 20 minutes and dumped the last bit of my glass. Sadly, Greenore 8 has lost its place in my whisky cabinet, and is now relegated to our bar for mixing. I think I might be able to do some interesting substitutions with it in rum drinks.

After I gave up on the Greenore, I ended the night with a dram that never disappoints: Ardbeg Uigeadail. It's probably my least favorite of the 3 regular Ardbeg expressions, but it's still an outstanding pour.

[tanstaafl2]

After getting home and waiting an appropriate amount of time to cleanse my palate from the Talisker, I tried to have a bit of Greenore 8. I've been struggling to make up my mind on this dram for almost 6 months now. I tried it at a whisky bar in DC and loved it, so I bought a bottle and have been working on it ever since. I get the tropical fruit notes that it's famous for, a nice oily mouthfeel, and even a little bit of bourbon-y cinnamon here and there, but I also get a weird metallic off flavor unless I water it down to the point of losing the notes that I like. At any rate, I gave up after about 20 minutes and dumped the last bit of my glass. Sadly, Greenore 8 has lost its place in my whisky cabinet, and is now relegated to our bar for mixing. I think I might be able to do some interesting substitutions with it in rum drinks.

If you ever get the chance take a crack at the Greenore 15. I still see it around now and again. I don't get any metalic notes from the 8 but the 15 is everything that the 8 is and a whole lot more with the bourbon barrel influence coming through and playing nicely with those now more ripened fruit notes and a wonderful mouthfeel.

If you are going to the sampler you never know but it might just wind up there!

[Wall Eye]

After hearing it described as smelling like a "sacristy", I bought a bottle of Clynelish 14. I'm liking it so far, but finding that it needs a decent amount of air (and even a little water) to open up. It comes on a little tight and almost bitter in the finish otherwise.

I almost gave up on this one for this exact reason but now very glad that I didn't. I found that it continued to improve as time went on - and subsequent bottles (which there have been a few of) have not had the same issue.. I would recommend you stay patient with this one.

[Old Lamplighter]

Talisker DE 2013....getting over sinus infection and this one breaks through the fog quite nicely.

[sob0728]

Had the newly imported Green Spot last night. Good but not great. $50 is a little steep for what it is. Reminds me of Knappogue with a very malt forward profile. Cereal flavors.

Edited January 17, 2014 by sob0728

[MyOldKyDram]

I'm all over it at $50 if we ever get it here.

[tanstaafl2]

I'm all over it at $50 if we ever get it here.

Would just be happy to see it as an option if and when it gets to Georgia. But with the Powers Signature Release now available generally at less than $50 it is not as critical as it once was. Of the two I think the Powers would be my first choice anyway and a better price just seals the deal.

[MtnDew]

Had some interesting pours last night at our community group.

Glenlivet Nadurra

Aberlour A'Bunadh batch 46 (I think)

Berrys Bunnahabhain 24 year CS

All were great, though I remember the Nadurra being smoother. There was a lot of heat, especially on the tongue, even with some water added. The A'Bunadh was somewhat bland but smooth, I assume the blandness was due to just having had a sherry bomb the previous night (that tomatin 12 aged in first fill sherry hogshead) so I need to revisit. The Bunnahabhain was stellar, though I got pretty much 0 peat, just a little brine, that I assume came through because of the advanced age. All together it was a very satisfying tasting.

[Auracom]

^ Having some A'Bunadh B46 right now myself. I think it's a good pour for the price.

[Max Power]

I've never heard A'Bunadh be called bland. I know plenty that don't love it, but I've always thought it at least had a definite profile.

[MtnDew]

I've never heard A'Bunadh be called bland. I know plenty that don't love it, but I've always thought it at least had a definite profile.

[Old Lamplighter]

Just opened a Bruichladdich PC Peat Project NAS that I've had for a while now. It's a floral, citrusy slap on the front with peat arriving late and smoke in the background. All in all, I find it kind of refreshing...youth shows through for sure...but, not so bad as some reviews have painted.

[Max Power]

With the drams I have had around it I think it hardly got a fair chance. And bland may be too strong a word, boring or uneventful might be better. Like I said, it was just more a matter of what was tasted around it. I will be trying this batch again and I have a bottle of batch 33 I have not opened yet that I will give a fair shake at some point.

I will admit that I go hot and cold on it. Cask strength with that much sherry is generally flavorful. The amount of sulfur is the variable. A'Bunadh is one that I generally think is better with an ice cube.

[garbanzobean]

Just opened a Bruichladdich PC Peat Project NAS that I've had for a while now. It's a floral, citrusy slap on the front with peat arriving late and smoke in the background. All in all, I find it kind of refreshing...youth shows through for sure...but, not so bad as some reviews have painted.

[tanstaafl2]

Carried over from another thread of a brief summary of a fun little whisky tasting we did earlier this week to share with those who enjoy the dark side! Don't usually focus just on Scotch at these tasting but this one did.

January 15 led us across the pond for a bit of whisky. I say a bit but this afternoon featured ten different bottles!

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Usually I bring most of the bottles to try but today included a couple of lovely contributions from the owner. First up was a 31 and a half year old Balvenie single cask! I would say that was quite the contribution!

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Distilled and barreled in April 1966, this was one of 240 bottles that had "limited chill filtering" and was bottled at 45.5% ABV. We decided this needed to go first of course. Not much point in blowing out the palate and then trying it!

Remarkably sweet with nice fruit and vanilla flavors, a deep oily mouthfeel and remarkably very little wood influence. As far as I know this was all done in a single refill bourbon barrel. A delightful experience to start the afternoon.

A second contribution from the owner was an original Compass Box Spice Tree to be compared to the current bottling. While consensus was split I found the original to be spicier and more in your face, which I liked, while the newer version was more rounded and had a bit less spice. Not to say both weren't excellent. But if you like it a bit on the wild side the original was the way to go.

We followed that with the Caol Ila Stitchell Reserve which I got thanks to a heads up from a fellow SBer and the kind delivery to me by another (Isn't this group a thing of beauty??? :cool:). This was a NAS vatting of unpeated Caol Ila single malt at cask strength from refill American Oak, rejuvenated American Oak and ex-bodega European Oak casks intended to honor the retiring Master Distiller. A beautiful whisky with a hint of apples and citrus and that lovely hint of smoke in the background that must permeate the water and everything else in Islay. This was compared to the standard 12yo which as always has lots of peaty smoke and a hint of iodine that makes it one of my favorite readily available Islay malts. While I love the 12 it is a drink for when I am in a smokey frame of mind. The Stichell Reserve is just way to easy to drink. A bit spendy but a nice splurge to try the rare unpeated version of Caol Ila.

Next it was on to the Talisker 10, Storm and Dark Storm. I must confess here I liked the 10 best of all. All the typical pepper, brine and wisps of smoke that make it so enjoyable. The Storm, while inoffensive, didn't really add anything noteworthy and wasn't that much smokier while the Dark Storm was perhaps the biggest disappointment of the afternoon. It seemed almost astringent. All were newly opened so perhaps time will help it. It is currently a travel retail only bottle and not one I will need to look for again.

Last but by no means least were a NAS Longrow and a recently acquired CS Springbank 12. The Longrow was good although not all that peaty/smokey. But the Sprinbank may well have been the find of the day. A beautiful honeyed dram with rich fruit that really came to life with a splash of water. This one was enjoyed by all and goes to the top of my buy again list!

[MacinJosh]

The dram that needs no introduction.....

Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch #3 50.3% ABV

Color: Light amber.

Nose: A sudden burst of ripe apples and freshly sliced pears right off the top. Sweet, red raspberries begin to emerge along with juicy strawberries and watermelon. Whiffs of honeydew melon lift from the glass. Just a symphony of fruit! Is that papaya?

Palate: A sweet, sticky, delicious, strawberry jam entry with gummy black mission figs. Fresh picked blackberries roll in replaced with a jammy, tart note that begins to unfold. That strawberry, jammy, fig note just clings to the palate and hangs on for what seems like an eternity. The mouthfeel and texture is incredible with a supple, velvety, oily like viscosity.

Finish: Quite possibly the longest finishing dram I've ever had. Rich and chewy with, again, lingering strawberry jam. Yum!

Rating: What can I say that hasn’t already been said? Just a fantastic, excellent, exquisite dram that is so unique and intriguing. An outstanding marriage of 10 different whiskies that all come together in near-perfect harmony. I see the allure and mystery behind this malt now and understand why it’s so highly sought after. Just a delicious pour full of complexity and layers that leaves you yearning for more. Score is a resounding 95!