What Wee Dram are you enjoying now?

[CaptainQ]

Deviated from bourbon tonight with friends. Started with Cardhu 12, moved on to Talisker 10, McCarthy's Single Malt, Yamazaki 12 and finished with Aberlour a'bunadh batch 29. A good time had by all.

[ebo]

Deviated from bourbon tonight with friends. Started with Cardhu 12, moved on to Talisker 10, McCarthy's Single Malt, Yamazaki 12 and finished with Aberlour a'bunadh batch 29. A good time had by all.

[CaptainQ]

What did you think of the Cardhu? I bought a bottle of it a while back, but I just don't seem to like it much. I've tried it on a few different evenings, but it just doesn't do anything for me.

[ebo]

The Cardhu is a bottle my brother gave me for my birthday years ago. I think of it as "starter" Scotch. Very soft, light peat smoke, drinkable, but not anything special. I started with it last night because we had some new Scotch drinkers and I didn't want to overwhelm them at the beginning. It would not be a bottle I would have purchased for myself.

That's pretty much my impression of it, also. I like Speyside expressions quite a bit (although, Islay is definitely my favorite region), but this one is more like liquid candy than whisky to me.:grin: I suppose since it's the predominant malt in JWB, that's why I find JWB so easy to drink, too.

[Tennessee Dave]

Really enjoying the Springbank 10 year old. Love that bit of saltiness on the finish.

[Brisko]

A lot of those "tame" speysiders (especially ones like Cardhu where most of the output is blend fill) can benefit greatly from careful vatting. I had a Tomintoul 16 (the so-called "gentle dram") which was not bad at all, just boring. About five drops of Laphroaig 10 cask strength turned it into a spicy firecracker along the lines of a Lagavulin or a sherry finished Talisker. I would almost buy it again just to do this vatting. I had a Old Pulteney 12 that was pretty good about 2:1 with the Lappy....

Back on topic, earlier tonight it was a touch of Talisker 10 as a digestive.

[ebo]

A lot of those "tame" speysiders (especially ones like Cardhu where most of the output is blend fill) can benefit greatly from careful vatting. I had a Tomintoul 16 (the so-called "gentle dram") which was not bad at all, just boring. About five drops of Laphroaig 10 cask strength turned it into a spicy firecracker along the lines of a Lagavulin or a sherry finished Talisker. I would almost buy it again just to do this vatting. I had a Old Pulteney 12 that was pretty good about 2:1 with the Lappy....

Back on topic, earlier tonight it was a touch of Talisker 10 as a digestive.

I'll try adding a little Laphroaig or Ardbeg to the Cardhu... it sure can't hurt it.

[Megawatt]

I'm liking this Forty Creek Confederation Oak more and more. The second half of the bottle has really opened up and it is far more interesting than it was at first. I always hesitate spending single malt bucks on Canadian whisky but it usually pays off, just in a different way.

[Brisko]

Started with GD12 but it just wasn't doing it. So I went to Laphroaig 18 followed by aCnoc 16. Just what the doctor ordered.

[Gillman]

Courtesy my friend G. Hodder, 25 year old Bowmore. A silky and rich malt if there ever was one with caramel, fine wood, peat and sherry influences. It has the kind of modulated, elegant palate I strive for in my vattings and blendings. Great experience.

Gary

[doubleblank]

I was out with a friend last night and he ordered me a pour and asked "what is it and what do you think?" He knows I'm a bourbon drinker (and the occasional drinker of other whiskies too). I nosed it and answered the easy part....scotch. Not too smokey/peaty. I then tasted it and said "scotch...but with either something added or finished in an unusual barrel". "Not port....not sherry....but something slightly sweet." He then revealed it as the Balvenie 14 Carribean Cask. Somewhat spicy with a fruity line giving it some appeal.

Randy

[cigarnv]

Last evening was Irish night... Bushmills 16yo and Tyrconnell 10YO sherry cask finished. Both were very good but the Bushmills landed on top...

[cds]

Balvenie Doublewood. Interesting but not great.

[cigarnv]

A few friends over an a few more Irish pours... Red Breast 12 and 15 plus a few others.... pretty good stuff....

[Megawatt]

I'm doing a head-to-head with Forty Creek Barrel Select and Confederation Oak Reserve. Barrel Select is nice and honied with a silky entry and toasted nut flavour, but Confederation Oak really blows it away in terms of fullness of flavour and complexity. Side-by-side, the oak influence of Confederation Oak is very apparent. The finish is also miles longer. Both good whiskies, though.

[The Boozer]

Pour of Ardbeg 10 yr, followed by Uigeadail, followed by Caol Ila 18 yr. It was a cold windy night in my next of the woods, perfect Islay weather.

[ebo]

Just finished the last pour of a bottle of Ardmore Traditional Cask. Moving on to Laphroaig 10.

[cigarnv]

A small pour of Tyrconnell 10YO madeira wood finished.... very easy drinker

[birdman1099]

Yesterday, I had a wonderfully peaty day...

Bowmore 30

Talisker DE 1992

Ardbeg Corryvrekken

:grin:

[cds]

Glenmorangie Original

I really like!

[Megawatt]

Just finished the last pour of a bottle of Ardmore Traditional Cask. Moving on to Laphroaig 10.

Ebo, how is that Ardmore? It just became available here.

[ebo]

Ebo, how is that Ardmore? It just became available here.

Ardmore is a little of everything. It's aged in bourbon barrels and is fully peated, non-chill filtered and no caramel added. It is one of my favorites... and very well priced for the quality.This review does it more justice than I can.

http://www.thewhiskywire.com/2010/10/ardmore-traditional-cask-sweetly-peaty.html

[timd]

Ebo, how is that Ardmore? It just became available here.

Here in TX it's down to about $30, which makes it a steal. Not as good as the review makes it out to be - it's decent, kind of like a peatier Highland Park 12, but not as rich & fullfilling. If it's priced under $40 it's a good deal. As you creep higher, I'd be more reluctant to buy another one. It's good, though, just not great.

[Megawatt]

Here in TX it's down to about $30, which makes it a steal. Not as good as the review makes it out to be - it's decent, kind of like a peatier Highland Park 12, but not as rich & fullfilling. If it's priced under $40 it's a good deal. As you creep higher, I'd be more reluctant to buy another one. It's good, though, just not great.

In Ontario it is $45, which puts it in the same bracket as Glenfiddich 12, Bowmore 12, Glenlivet 12, and a few others. You generally don't get single malts for less than that around here.

[The Boozer]

A small pour of Tyrconnell 10YO madeira wood finished.... very easy drinker

How do you like this compared to the standard Tyrconnell, which I enjoy alot?