What Wee Dram are you enjoying now?

[JamesW]

If you are accustomed to cask-strength bourbon and Scotch you may well find all Canadian whisky underwhelming. That said, I find Crown Royal has a pleasant herbal/leafy aroma with some mild sweet bourbon notes, and oak. On the palate it is smooth and warming with butterscotch and hints of rye. That is from memory; I will give you some better notes when I'm not at work ;-).

Thanks! Much obliged.

[greenman]

Laphroiag 10 yr., ahhh the aroma

[Megawatt]

Johnnie Walker Black Label. :cool:

[rmallen]

Just finished a dram of Caol Ila 12yo. Next up, Ardbeg 10.

[JamesW]

Just finished a dram of Caol Ila 12yo. Next up, Ardbeg 10.

[rmallen]

Nothing like some good Islay whisky to help you unwind after a busy week.

[JamesW]

Started with a 1/2-1/2 Black Bottle and Laphroaig QC vatting. This method of mixing other Islays with Black Bottle works great! Now I'm enjoying a 1/2 - 1/2 of Uigedail with Black Bottle. Again, lots of flavor from the expensive pour with Black Bottle almost like an empty canvas. This trick really helps you stretch these expensive pours out.

[JamesW]

Started with Bunnahabhain 12. This was my first tasting. Very sweet and not characteristic of an Islay. My first impression was disappointment. It has grown on me slightly. It reminds me of Redbreast 12 for some reason. It's a fine whiskey if you're not expecting the peat and iodine of an Islay.

Next I had to have some Lap QC to get my peat fix.

[unclebunk]

Started with Bunnahabhain 12. This was my first tasting. Very sweet and not characteristic of an Islay. My first impression was disappointment. It has grown on me slightly. It reminds me of Redbreast 12 for some reason. It's a fine whiskey if you're not expecting the peat and iodine of an Islay.

Next I had to have some Lap QC to get my peat fix.

Give the Bunnhabhain some time, James. It's a quality whisky, for sure, but is quite unlike all the other Islays. I really enjoy it as a change of pace. And my wife and I really love the bottle shape and label. I use my empties as decanters because everyone likes the cool look.

[JamesW]

Give the Bunnhabhain some time, James. It's a quality whisky, for sure, but is quite unlike all the other Islays. I really enjoy it as a change of pace. And my wife and I really love the bottle shape and label. I use my empties as decanters because everyone likes the cool look.

Yes, I didn't mean to say it was a bad dram, I was just shocked by the lack of Islay character that I was expecting.

btw - I just had some of Ballantine's Finest (per your recommendation) and I am blown away at how decent it is. By my calculations, it cost me a mere $8.30 for a 750ml. That's a much better value than any bourbon I've had. I was very surprised.

Now I'm enjoying some Black Bottle, another great value but slightly more expensive ($15 for a 750ml.)

Cheers!!!

[OscarV]

I'm sipping on some Laphroaig 18yo.

Lots of flavors.

Imagine what wood from last night's campfire after being doused by water would taste like.

Yeah, it's a hideous thought but it taste so good.

[JamesW]

Started with Ballantine's Finest and now really starting to warm up to Bunnahabhain 12. Finished the night with some Black Bottle.

Cheers!

[unclebunk]

btw - I just had some of Ballantine's Finest (per your recommendation) and I am blown away at how decent it is. By my calculations, it cost me a mere $8.30 for a 750ml. That's a much better value than any bourbon I've had. I was very surprised.

Now I'm enjoying some Black Bottle, another great value but slightly more expensive ($15 for a 750ml.)

Glad to hear you're digging the Ballantine's Finest. It really is a great quality blend. Too bad so many folks pass it by because of the price tag which they interpret to be "cheap," as in low quality. We tend to forget that blends make up the vast majority of the whisky market, and that it wasn't all that long ago that single malts were virtually non-existent. Scotch whisky earned its worldwide reputation as the fine spirit that it is because of the work of master blenders who consistently produced interesting, and at times highly complex, products that appeal to a wide variety of tastes. I confess that I ignorantly snubbed blends for many years, believing that spending money on anything but a bottle of single malt was a waste of hard earned dollars. But it took a lengthy lecture and a few flights of blended scotch whisky with my elderly Scottish relatives to prove how wrong I was. And now my eyes have been opened to many fine products that I used to ignore.

I'd go with the Famous Grouse next and give that one a shot. And I suspect you'll really like Teacher's Highland Cream and White Horse too when you get around to them. Those are about the only four blends I regularly buy, though I would stock Bell's as well if it were available here. I know that Jim Murray is high on Grant's but I find it a bit too subtle to get excited about. I know you like the Black Bottle, but have you tried Islay Mist 8 Year Old yet? That's another good Islay-style blend.

[JamesW]

Glad to hear you're digging the Ballantine's Finest. It really is a great quality blend. Too bad so many folks pass it by because of the price tag which they interpret to be "cheap," as in low quality. We tend to forget that blends make up the vast majority of the whisky market, and that it wasn't all that long ago that single malts were virtually non-existent. Scotch whisky earned its worldwide reputation as the fine spirit that it is because of the work of master blenders who consistently produced interesting, and at times highly complex, products that appeal to a wide variety of tastes. I confess that I ignorantly snubbed blends for many years, believing that spending money on anything but a bottle of single malt was a waste of hard earned dollars. But it took a lengthy lecture and a few flights of blended scotch whisky with my elderly Scottish relatives to prove how wrong I was. And now my eyes have been opened to many fine products that I used to ignore.

I'd go with the Famous Grouse next and give that one a shot. And I suspect you'll really like Teacher's Highland Cream and White Horse too when you get around to them. Those are about the only four blends I regularly buy, though I would stock Bell's as well if it were available here. I know that Jim Murray is high on Grant's but I find it a bit too subtle to get excited about. I know you like the Black Bottle, but have you tried Islay Mist 8 Year Old yet? That's another good Islay-style blend.

I agree with respect to having my eyes opened to the blends. I think I was really missing out on some very good quality that won't break the bank. I will give those others a try as well. I can't find Islay mist at the moment but will keep looking. Have you tried and like Bowmore Legend? That's another cheap pour I've shunned and probably should give a try if you recommend it.

Thanks for all the advice.

James

[Megawatt]

My favourite cheap blends are probably Black Grouse and Whyte and Mackay Special. I'm not a huge fan of Teacher's; I find it a bit thin and uninteresting. Islay Mist 8 is also very good. The best blends I've had overall are Johnnie Walker Black, Dewar's Special Reserve and Whyte and Mackay The Thirteen.

I tend to be ambivalent toward blends. On the one hand I agree that it is foolish and ignorant to dismiss them as being inferior by definition. On the other, I do agree with the argument that blends tend toward a sort of homogenized flavour, "a bit of everything" thrown in there: some peat, some sherry, some honey, some grain. Many of them seem to try to achieve a similar profile whereas you get greater variation with sinle malts. Also, cheap blends lack the fullness of body and texture that you get with single malts.

But in any case it's not a fair comparison. These entry-level blends occupy a lower market segment and don't aspire to be sophisticated sipping whiskies. You have to take them for what they're worth, enjoy them for what they are. That said, if I were rich I doubt I would drink Ballantine's Finest. I might spring for some Ballantine's 30 year old, though . I hear that's a different story altogether...

[JamesW]

My favourite cheap blends are probably Black Grouse and Whyte and Mackay Special. I'm not a huge fan of Teacher's; I find it a bit thin and uninteresting. Islay Mist 8 is also very good. The best blends I've had overall are Johnnie Walker Black, Dewar's Special Reserve and Whyte and Mackay The Thirteen.

I tend to be ambivalent toward blends. On the one hand I agree that it is foolish and ignorant to dismiss them as being inferior by definition. On the other, I do agree with the argument that blends tend toward a sort of homogenized flavour, "a bit of everything" thrown in there: some peat, some sherry, some honey, some grain. Many of them seem to try to achieve a similar profile whereas you get greater variation with sinle malts. Also, cheap blends lack the fullness of body and texture that you get with single malts.

But in any case it's not a fair comparison. These entry-level blends occupy a lower market segment and don't aspire to be sophisticated sipping whiskies. You have to take them for what they're worth, enjoy them for what they are. That said, if I were rich I doubt I would drink Ballantine's Finest. I might spring for some Ballantine's 30 year old, though . I hear that's a different story altogether...

[ebo]

My favourite cheap blends are probably Black Grouse and Whyte and Mackay Special. I'm not a huge fan of Teacher's; I find it a bit thin and uninteresting. Islay Mist 8 is also very good. The best blends I've had overall are Johnnie Walker Black, Dewar's Special Reserve and Whyte and Mackay The Thirteen.

I tend to be ambivalent toward blends. On the one hand I agree that it is foolish and ignorant to dismiss them as being inferior by definition. On the other, I do agree with the argument that blends tend toward a sort of homogenized flavour, "a bit of everything" thrown in there: some peat, some sherry, some honey, some grain. Many of them seem to try to achieve a similar profile whereas you get greater variation with sinle malts. Also, cheap blends lack the fullness of body and texture that you get with single malts.

But in any case it's not a fair comparison. These entry-level blends occupy a lower market segment and don't aspire to be sophisticated sipping whiskies. You have to take them for what they're worth, enjoy them for what they are. That said, if I were rich I doubt I would drink Ballantine's Finest. I might spring for some Ballantine's 30 year old, though . I hear that's a different story altogether...

I agree. I have a bottle of Ballantine's Finest that I've had for 3 years. It doesn't taste horrible, but it just isn't anything I want to drink... very boring and uninteresting. I usually opt for JW Black for an affordable pour, and I have to be out of single malt to drink it...lol.

I much prefer single malt over any blends that I've had... and I've had quite a few. You're right, most blends taste similar. I call them the kitchen sink whisky... some of everything. Unfortunately, for the most part, I find them all to be very boring.

Having said that, I haven't tried the higher end blends like JW Blue or Gold, Chivas 25 year old or Dewar's Signature. I would hope those would be very good whiskies, for the price.

[JamesW]

I agree. I have a bottle of Ballantine's Finest that I've had for 3 years. It doesn't taste horrible, but it just isn't anything I want to drink... very boring and uninteresting. I usually opt for JW Black for an affordable pour, and I have to be out of single malt to drink it...lol.

I much prefer single malt over any blends that I've had... and I've had quite a few. You're right, most blends taste similar. I call them the kitchen sink whisky... some of everything. Unfortunately, for the most part, I find them all to be very boring.

Having said that, I haven't tried the higher end blends like JW Blue or Gold, Chivas 25 year old or Dewar's Signature. I would hope those would be very good whiskies, for the price.

I entirely agree that Ballantines Finest isn't "thrilling" but when I compare that a pour (1.5 oz) of it only costs me $0.50 vs $4.00 for the Laphroaig QC, I start getting a little bit excited about the value. I can sip the Ballantine's and be content. I'm not thinking "wow" this is a complex, thinking man's dram, but I'm not nearly cringeing either. I'm thinking to myself, "damn this is good stuff for half a buck!"

That said, I'm far from giving up my single malts, I'm just giving them a bit of breathing room so my nightly average burn rate isn't over $10 anymore.

Cheers.

[ebo]

I entirely agree that Ballantines Finest isn't "thrilling" but when I compare that a pour (1.5 oz) of it only costs me $0.50 vs $4.00 for the Laphroaig QC, I start getting a little bit excited about the value. I can sip the Ballantine's and be content. I'm not thinking "wow" this is a complex, thinking man's dram, but I'm not nearly cringeing either. I'm thinking to myself, "damn this is good stuff for half a buck!"

That said, I'm far from giving up my single malts, I'm just giving them a bit of breathing room so my nightly average burn rate isn't over $10 anymore.

Cheers.

[JamesW]

I can certainly understand that. The reason I got into bourbon was because scotch is too expensive....lol.

I'm with you. But I'll say this, the cheapest blended scotch (right now for me that's Ballantine's Finest at $19 for a 1.75L) is easier drinking than the cheapest bourbon for me and less expensive to boot!

...and while I love to drink Van Winkles all night long, sometimes you need throw an Old Fitz or Weller Antique in there to lessen the load on your wallet.

[JamesW]

Starting the night off with Bunnahabhain 12. This pour has really started growing on me. At first I was put off by the expectation of peat and iodine. Now that the initial shock has subsided, I'm enjoying the this lighter side of Islay much more. Reminds me somehow of a slightly richer and fuller Old Pultney 12 but I don't have any at the moment to do a comparison so I may be off).

[Lost Pollito]

Lagavulin 16 at a beer nerd bar last night. I gott some funny looks, but I didn't mind. My pour was about 3 times to big. Not sure how that happened, but I aint gonna complain. :cool:

[ACDetroit]

Well, it has not been poured as of yet, but I plan on doing a side by side tonight. Seems we ended up with a stay hound in the parking lot at work today. While leaving I found Bourbon and SM scotch hanging off my car...Thanks Big Dog!

Tonight I'm going to try 2 Laphroaig bottlings, the 15 vs 18 releases! I'll report back with my findings. Hope the 18 is wonderful as I just grabbed a case today.

Cheers

[rmallen]

Bowmore was on the menu tonight...Bowmore Darkest followed by Bowmore Legend. I really enjoy the Darkest's combination of peat, brine, pepper and sherry. While the Legend admittedly isn't one of my favorites, it is still an enjoyable dram and for under $30 a great value Islay single malt whisky.

[unclebunk]

I have a bottle of Ballantine's Finest that I've had for 3 years. It doesn't taste horrible, but it just isn't anything I want to drink... very boring and uninteresting. I usually opt for JW Black for an affordable pour, and I have to be out of single malt to drink it...lol.

I much prefer single malt over any blends that I've had... and I've had quite a few. You're right, most blends taste similar. I call them the kitchen sink whisky... some of everything. Unfortunately, for the most part, I find them all to be very boring.

I see it in a completely different way. Although I greatly prefer single malts, as a rule, there are lots of wonderful inexpensive blends out there, and I don't buy them just because they're cheap (though it does help my whisky budget when I'm burning through expensive bottles of single malt). As Megawatt Mike said, comparing SMS to blended scotch is like comparing apples to oranges, though I must say that I am far less ambivalent about them than he seems to be. To each his own. While blends may seem a bit homogenous at times, careful consideration can tease out loads of incredible flavors, especially when you're drinking the better blends (Famous Grouse, Ballantine's Finest, etc.). I also don't find them particularly thin, they only come off thin if my frame of reference is a hearty single malt. (For that matter, I love the flavor of Ardbeg 10 but find it thin as hell, which I've ranted about many times before). If one were to make a comparison, Irish whiskeys are much closer in flavor, body and texture to blended scotch than single malts, yet people tend not to look down on them in the same way. I've never quite understood that.

I love Johnnie Walker Black and always have a bottle on hand, but it costs $25 which gets me a 1.75L bottle of Ballantine's Finest with change to spare. And when I'm drinking it, I don't feel as though I'm "settling" for something boring or uninteresting. When in the mood I can find plenty to enjoy, even if Ballantine's (or any other blend's) charms are more subtle. I have to be drinking Passport or Clan MacGregor to feel as if I'm really wasting my time, but those blends are light years more bland than the ones we've been discussing.

I've mentioned this before but it's worth repeating that Jim Murray wrote a terrific short essay on the virtues of blended scotch whisky in the 2009 Whisky Bible. It can be found in the section of the book that precedes his reviews of the various blends, and far better articulates what I'm trying to say here on the matter. And here's something else worth reading:

"Ballantine’s, the world’s No. 2 range of blended Scotch whiskies, is raising a celebratory dram to the news that whisky connoisseur Jim Murray has named Ballantine’s Finest as the Scotch Standard Blended Whisky of the Year. The awards have been published in Jim Murray’s 2009 Whisky Bible, an annual publication that is regarded as the world’s most influential book on whiskies from around the world.

Ballantine’s Finest, the leading Scotch whisky brand in Europe with the No 1 position in 12 countries, contains more than 40 different malts from the four renowned whisky regions of Scotland – Islay, Highlands, Speyside and Lowlands. Its elegant signature style is a balance of soft and sweet, due to the key malts Glenburgie and Miltonduff.

As a standard blend Murray describes Ballantine’s Finest as “a major work of art†and adds that only by taking a mouthful can you “experience the work of a blender very much at the top of his gameâ€. He goes on to describe the blend as “a playful balance and counter-balance between grains, lighter malts and a gentle smokinessâ€.