What Water of Life/Scotch are drinking or purchased 2024 ?

[Kepler]

Let's have a thread for Scotch, single malts or blended.  What are you drinking or purchasing?

 

 

 

 

Edited January 14, 2024 by Kepler

[Kepler]

My favorite cold weather pour at the moment. 

 

It tastes like a fireplace somehow, without tasting like an ashtray. 

 

That's key for me

 

Edited January 14, 2024 by Kepler

[Skinsfan1311]

This earlier...but switched to the 16...

[NDN98]

On 1/13/2024 at 10:17 PM, Kepler said:

My favorite cold weather pour at the moment. 

 

It tastes like a fireplace somehow, without tasting like an ashtray. 

 

That's key for me

 

That's a good one.  Also loved A Tale of Cake.   Still have one of each in reserve.

[Kepler]

I picked up a couple of backups of the winter for future cold snaps!

 

Sipping some right now as a matter of fact, while watching some NFL football.

[Kepler]

5 hours ago, NDN98 said:

That's a good one.  Also loved A Tale of Cake.   Still have one of each in reserve.

 

Good call.  I picked up a couple of backups of the winter for future cold snaps!
Sipping some right now as a matter of fact, while watching some NFL football.

[MadGoodPour]

snagged the "Whisky of the Year"  will pop soon, as i think itll be around stores for a bit

[chasking]

Last night we got together with some friends for a tasting of a variety of Islay malts. I picked up the Ardbeg variety pack (10yo, An Oa and Wee Beastie) and realized I had a few other peaty Islays that were not the usual suspects: Islay Storm and Kirkland’s, two mystery single malts; Kilchoman Machir Bay, and the real oddball: the Octomore “Futures Bottling”.  The tasting also included Laphroaig 10yo (not pictured) which a friend provided.

 

That Octomore expression is a pretty rare bird:  when Bruichladdich (not then known for peated whisky) decided to experiment with peat, they went all-in and set out to make the peatiest whisky possible.  Probably because nobody knew if it would actually be any good, they sold futures: people could buy it in advance in case lots; they distilled it and when the master distiller decided it was ready they would bottle it and futures buyers would get their whisky.  Some friends and I went in on a case and I got a couple bottles.  It was bottled at 5 years (distilled in October 2002; bottled in March 2006).  It actually turned out pretty well:  the peat is very strong but the whisky has a good flavor (Bruichladdich—what’s not to like?).  Since then they have made more Octomore and Port Charlotte (not quite as heavy on the peat) but this was the first peated Bruichladdich whisky in modern history.

 

The mystery malts held up well in the comparison.  I’m curious where they’re from.  Caol Ila seems the obvious suspect.  I don’t have a bottle of that for comparison—a situation I may have to rectify!  I do note that while the Kirkland’s unambiguously calls itself “Islay single malt Scotch whisky” the Islay Storm, while having “Islay” in its name, seems suspiciously careful to never use that phrase on the bottle—just “single malt Scotch whisky.”  So it might have been made elsewhere.  Anybody can get peated malt if they want it.  Some people on the interwebs have mentioned Talisker, which could fit.

 

Sorry, no detailed tasting notes.  But the thread is, What are you drinking?  And this is the answer.

Edited January 21, 2024 by chasking

[smokinjoe]

I have a pretty healthy assortment of nice bottles of Scotch on my bar.  And while I enjoy them for what they are individually, I still really enjoy Johnny Walker Black.  I always have it on my bar, and drink from it relatively regularly.  It remains my most purchased bottle of scotch.  Sipping on it out front by the fire this afternoon.  Wonderfully balanced, and easily sipped, while interesting enough to keep me engaged.  

 

Edited January 21, 2024 by smokinjoe

[smokinjoe]

Damn!  I had a lineup of Scotches to hit last night for Burns Night, but spaced on it.  So, I must have at least one for the occasion tonight.  Ardbeg 10.  Simplish Islay, but pleasing every time.

[PaulO]

I tried one recently that I really enjoyed - Smokey Joe Islay Blended Malt.

I gather "blended malt" means the contents are 100% single malt, but sourced from more than one distillery.

What attracted me was non chill filtered and bottled at 46%.

If you want the campfire on the beach experience, this stuff delivers.

[NDN98]

These are finally starting to hit my area, so I picked up one a couple weeks ago at MSRP.  Not sure how it won "whisky of the year", but it is tasty and quite drinkable.  Definitely a little lighter on the palate than most of the Scotch I typically drink, but it reminds me quite a bit of the Glenmorangie A Tale of Cake.  Definitely get the pineapple notes and a hint of spice.  Good finish too.  I would buy this again.   

[jvd99]

On 1/28/2024 at 9:01 AM, NDN98 said:

These are finally starting to hit my area, so I picked up one a couple weeks ago at MSRP.  Not sure how it won "whisky of the year", but it is tasty and quite drinkable.  Definitely a little lighter on the palate than most of the Scotch I typically drink, but it reminds me quite a bit of the Glenmorangie A Tale of Cake.  Definitely get the pineapple notes and a hint of spice.  Good finish too.  I would buy this again.   

I found it to be good, but not a whisky of the year for me

[Kepler]

I was quite surprised to see this guy sitting on a sleepy shelf at a small store.  Had to come home with me.

 

 

 

[MadGoodPour]

On 1/21/2024 at 10:50 AM, chasking said:

Last night we got together with some friends for a tasting of a variety of Islay malts. I picked up the Ardbeg variety pack (10yo, An Oa and Wee Beastie) and realized I had a few other peaty Islays that were not the usual suspects: Islay Storm and Kirkland’s, two mystery single malts; Kilchoman Machir Bay, and the real oddball: the Octomore “Futures Bottling”.  The tasting also included Laphroaig 10yo (not pictured) which a friend provided.

 

That Octomore expression is a pretty rare bird:  when Bruichladdich (not then known for peated whisky) decided to experiment with peat, they went all-in and set out to make the peatiest whisky possible.  Probably because nobody knew if it would actually be any good, they sold futures: people could buy it in advance in case lots; they distilled it and when the master distiller decided it was ready they would bottle it and futures buyers would get their whisky.  Some friends and I went in on a case and I got a couple bottles.  It was bottled at 5 years (distilled in October 2002; bottled in March 2006).  It actually turned out pretty well:  the peat is very strong but the whisky has a good flavor (Bruichladdich—what’s not to like?).  Since then they have made more Octomore and Port Charlotte (not quite as heavy on the peat) but this was the first peated Bruichladdich whisky in modern history.

 

The mystery malts held up well in the comparison.  I’m curious where they’re from.  Caol Ila seems the obvious suspect.  I don’t have a bottle of that for comparison—a situation I may have to rectify!  I do note that while the Kirkland’s unambiguously calls itself “Islay single malt Scotch whisky” the Islay Storm, while having “Islay” in its name, seems suspiciously careful to never use that phrase on the bottle—just “single malt Scotch whisky.”  So it might have been made elsewhere.  Anybody can get peated malt if they want it.  Some people on the interwebs have mentioned Talisker, which could fit.

 

Sorry, no detailed tasting notes.  But the thread is, What are you drinking?  And this is the answer.

 i got the ardbeg Monster set too, too cool to resist.  that octomore is a sick tick, had many old bruichladdich never seen that one

[jvd99]

Mrs jvd99 knows what’s up. She made a secret trip to Binnys for me….

 

 

[Anwalt]

Got Rare Perfection 14 from KL at 1/2 price, recommended by geclbxf. 

 

I like it, quite a bit. Really hits the sippy sweet nice finish spot.

[GaryT]

Picked up at auction a Cutty Sark Tam O'Shanter; not inexpensive after the hammer price/shipping but the lot was $130 less than the last one that was sold as it was missing the box (which I didn't give a shit about since I bought it for drinking).  Never would have guessed that a Cutty Sark would be in my top 10 favs, and glad to have been able to sample Big Rich's!  

[Skinsfan1311]

 

Mrs. Skinsfan gifted me this one for Christmas.

Whew! This is a serious peat bomb! 

 

 

[Kepler]

Glendronach 15 year.  

It just sounded good tonight, and I was right.

 

[NDN98]

On 2/29/2024 at 10:09 PM, Kepler said:

Glendronach 15 year.  

It just sounded good tonight, and I was right.

 

This one hits the spot for me more often than not.  I am a big fan of the entire Glendronach line, but from a value perspective, I really like the 15 and the Cask Strength.

[Bourbon Boiler]

Found an inherited bottle from the 60s or 70s that was a bit plain - perhaps oxidized.

 

Pic

[Skinsfan1311]

The Caps are driving me to drink!

It's a little cool out, so this is a perfect pour....

[Kepler]

Saturday night at a whiskey sharing event I had my first sample of Highland Park, probably ever if I remember correctly.  It was the regular 12  year and I liked it.  Granted, it was the last pour of the night after trying many many small samples of various bourbons and ryes, so my palate was basically burned out.  I am a Scotch newbie and I've steered clear of peated smoky scotches because some that I've tried at bars turned me off (Islays with medicinal iodine and band-aid notes).

 

I think I should try the Highland Park 12 again at a bar in a normal setting (without palate fatigue) before buying a bottle.  I guess I'm a little "peat curious" and somewhat interested in at least dipping my toe into that world gradually (very gradually) to see what it's about... but looking for trusted SB. com advice on that.  Question:  is the HP 12 Year or the Cask Strength the one to get?  The CS gets some outstanding reviews, so just wondering what the advice is. 

Or are there any other "lightly peated" scotches you would recommend instead for someone like me that enjoys sherried unpeated single malts?

 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2024 by Kepler

[jvd99]

Opened a dusty from the bunker - Balvenie 17 year sherry cask - of course the cork broke - a perfect opportunity to try Mrs.jvd99's X-Mas present, a broken cork remover which I saw someone use on SB - welp, it didn't work, just pushed the cork in - so I  I went manual and got one of my old Weller 107 bottles, a small funnel and a strainer and decanted into the Weller bottle, then back into the original bottle - found an old Balvenie cork (thanks again SB for advice to collect corks for this specific situation) but it didn't fit, but found a Springbank cork that fit - all good. This is a spectacular dram after all said and done!