What Wee Dram are you enjoying now?

[PAspirit1]

Here's a good, cheap blended Scotch: Ballantine'e Finest. I was impressed with this right away; the nose shows some nice fruit and gentle smoke. The flavour confirms that this is a balanced whisky. It's smooth and gives equal weight to the smoke, grain, and sherried malt. So far, one of my favourite entry-level blends.

I think my next purchase will be a cheap blend. I was considering Grants, Grouse or Dewars but maybe I'll take a look at this one.

[PAspirit1]

I'm having tonight Compass Box: The Peat Monster. This is really great stuff. I'm not going to try too hard with the tasting notes (or the sentence structure) but the nose is sweet, maybe mellons, maybe ginger ale and smokey with a hint of bacon. The pallet is pretty sweet like a good speysider then when you swallow - Big Smoke and a little bacon again and then, suprisingly, a super smooth finish. The sweet smokiness lingers on for quite a while. Excellent stuff.

Then I followed that with a little Bushmills 10.

[Megawatt]

I'm having tonight Compass Box: The Peat Monster. This is really great stuff. I'm not going to try too hard with the tasting notes (or the sentence structure) but the nose is sweet, maybe mellons, maybe ginger ale and smokey with a hint of bacon. The pallet is pretty sweet like a good speysider then when you swallow - Big Smoke and a little bacon again and then, suprisingly, a super smooth finish. The sweet smokiness lingers on for quite a while. Excellent stuff.

Then I followed that with a little Bushmills 10.

A lot of people diss that stuff but I really loved it. I thought it had great balance between smoke and sweetness. Excellent after dinner. Bushmills 10 is nice as well, though probably a little mild after the Monster.

I'm enjoying one of my last glasses of Longmorn 15. It's truly a shame that this fantastic whisky is no more. It seems like every glass offers something different; tonight, it's deep wood notes. I love the balance between sweet, salty, bitter, and sour flavours. it really has it all.

[Megawatt]

I think my next purchase will be a cheap blend. I was considering Grants, Grouse or Dewars but maybe I'll take a look at this one.

I'll take it over Grant's for sure. Haven't tried the standard Dewar's. I like the Grouse, but it's been a while so it's a tough call.

[boss302]

Right now, I'm taking YET ANOTHER crack at my Glenmorangie Original 10-year. I know, I'm starting to sound like a broken record...

But something is different this time...

THIS time, I'm drinking it out of my brand-spanking-new Glencairn Malt Whisky glasses!

Something with aromatic complexity was needed to see if these things really work.

They do. I've gotten more aromas that I have not previously identified in my MANY previous tastings-- white pepper, clove, and a dash of almonds. The vanilla was present before, but seems significantly-amplified now. And the alcohol vapors are much less cloying than they used to be.

[Megawatt]

Yeah, the Glencairn is a must-have. Perfect shape and size.

[PAspirit1]

Bushmills 10 is nice as well, though probably a little mild after the Monster. .

At about the half way point of the bottle of Bushmills 10, I began to tire of it and I let it sit around a couple of months. But now I'm loving it when thrown in with some scotches for some reason. I seem to like the flavors as a contrast but not as much on their own.

I think I've seen Longmorn somewhere around here. It sounds like it's worth picking up.

[Megawatt]

At about the half way point of the bottle of Bushmills 10, I began to tire of it and I let it sit around a couple of months. But now I'm loving it when thrown in with some scotches for some reason. I seem to like the flavors as a contrast but not as much on their own.

I think I've seen Longmorn somewhere around here. It sounds like it's worth picking up.

Better do it soon, because the distillery stopped making the 15-year-old. It has been replaced with a 16-year-old version, which is almost twice the price and reportedly not as good.

[Luna56]

Just cracked a Laphroaig 10. Truly one of the great whiskys of the world.

Cheers!

[OscarV]

Laphroaig 15yo.

I am finishing off my open one now that I got some more in today.

[JamesW]

Chivas 12, Ardberg 10, and now Lagavulin 16. The Ardberg is superb!

[Megawatt]

I'm having my first glass of Tullamore Dew. Not yet sure what to make of it. Like standard Jameson, it has very little flavour. I agree with their website about the hints of lemon and charred wood. It's not unpleasant, though. Good if you're in the mood for something ultra-mild. It would probably be very nice in coffee.

[boss302]

I'm having my first glass of Tullamore Dew. Not yet sure what to make of it. Like standard Jameson, it has very little flavour. I agree with their website about the hints of lemon and charred wood. It's not unpleasant, though. Good if you're in the mood for something ultra-mild. It would probably be very nice in coffee.

I like it with a splash of 7UP, myself. Also, it makes a good Dry Manhattan (splash of Dry Vermouth, garnish with a lemon twist).

Try John Power's Gold Label, Michael Collins, Feckin', or Kilbeggan. They all have more pot still character-- more barley, more body.

[Mamba]

Another Scotch night.

HP 12, then HP 18, then Talisker 18. Not sure about my favorite, although the first and last one both made a strong impression. HP 18 is good as well, but lacks the punch of the other two.

[Megawatt]

I like it with a splash of 7UP, myself. Also, it makes a good Dry Manhattan (splash of Dry Vermouth, garnish with a lemon twist).

Try John Power's Gold Label, Michael Collins, Feckin', or Kilbeggan. They all have more pot still character-- more barley, more body.

[Gillman]

I agree Tullamore Dew has a restrained flavour but I don't find this with Jameson. The oily minty pot still element needs some taming I think (unless maybe sold in a luxury package like Jameson 15 years old) and the blenders got it right I think with the regular Jameson. I guess too though it is relative and if you are used to single malts and pure pot still the blended article will always taste lesser but to me they are as good or better if well-blended. I've added occasionally some Green Spot to Jameson to try to make it "better" but I find usually the balance is best as it is.

Gary

[JamesW]

Another Scotch night.

HP 12, then HP 18, then Talisker 18. Not sure about my favorite, although the first and last one both made a strong impression. HP 18 is good as well, but lacks the punch of the other two.

[boss302]

I agree Tullamore Dew has a restrained flavour but I don't find this with Jameson. The oily minty pot still element needs some taming I think (unless maybe sold in a luxury package like Jameson 15 years old) and the blenders got it right I think with the regular Jameson. I guess too though it is relative and if you are used to single malts and pure pot still the blended article will always taste lesser but to me they are as good or better if well-blended. I've added occasionally some Green Spot to Jameson to try to make it "better" but I find usually the balance is best as it is.

I know what you mean, Gary, though I will admit to being the exact opposite-- I discovered Irish whiskey AFTER I had already been a single malt scotch drinker for several years. To me, the regular Jameson was thin, bland, and watery, although, as you pointed out, more pot still spirit has been added to the blend in more recent years...

Tullamore has yet to do anything of the sort, so I still don't really go for it.

If you can find it, Gary, the Cooley distillery makes a blended Irish whiskey called "Millar's", which has more of the "classic" Jameson taste you seem to enjoy. If you can't find it, then Tullamore is probably your best option.

[Gillman]

Thanks, I like Powers too by the way. It's got the right anount of pot still character but balanced and "brought out" with grain whiskies.

A similar result, on an alternate whiskey wavelength, is Seagram 7 Crown. It offers an evident straight rye taste but softened and blended to perfection. Despite the blending it offers real whiskey character.

First time I think I heard of 7 Crown, or rather thought about it, was in William Least-Heat Moon's great travel book, Blue Highways. He visited a farmer in the Finger Lakes area who pulled it out for his guest. It was an evocative scene and not long after that I bought it to try it. It really is quite different to Canadian whisky and the Jameson and Powers of the U.S. whiskey world in my view - and that's a compliment.

Gary

[boss302]

It really is quite different to Canadian whisky and the Jameson and Powers of the U.S. whiskey world in my view - and that's a compliment.

Gary

[Gillman]

Well, there is an analogy too with the Canadians since they, like Powers, Jameson and Seagram 7 Crown, contain a measure of batch-distilled whiskies. But the influence of the batch (low-distilled) element seems less pronounced in the Canadians, Forty Creek excepted, than in these others. The common element with the blends of the Irish Republic, Cooley's apart, is that the batch whiskies are made using a greater or lesser amount of raw grains.

Gary

[Megawatt]

I've only had one bottle of Jameson but found it less flavourful than practically every Canadian whisky I've tried. I'm sure I'll give it another try, though.

[boss302]

Went to a bar recently and enjoyed a dram of Dalwhinnie 15. In short, it is under-rated. VERY under-rated. Despite its lighter color, the sherry is absolutely unmistakable, but doesn't cloy the bourbon oak. Very finely-balanced, IMHO.

[AVB]

The standard Dalwhinnie 15 is all bourbon casked. Now the Distiller's Edition Double Matured and most of the Distiller's Editions of Dalwhinnie are finished in Olorosso sherry casks.

[Megawatt]

Went to a bar recently and enjoyed a dram of Dalwhinnie 15. In short, it is under-rated. VERY under-rated. Despite its lighter color, the sherry is absolutely unmistakable, but doesn't cloy the bourbon oak. Very finely-balanced, IMHO.

I love that stuff. Get this; the 15-year-old sold for $68 in Ontario. Kind of pricey, but still affordable. As of about two weeks ago, the price got jacked up to about $95! Can you believe it?

I know it gets old hearing me whine about prices, but come on! That's almost $20 a bottle!