What Wee Dram are you enjoying now?

[Megawatt]

Scored an Aberlour 12 on sale at the bargain price of $30 today! That's down from the regular price of $43, so I was psyched. Will have to hold off on drinking it until tomorrow night because I've got the Irishman 70 on deck for tonight.

Nice, Aberlour is good stuff. Let us know what you think of the Irishman.

[ErichPryde]

Nice, Aberlour is good stuff. Let us know what you think of the Irishman.

I was actually having some Abunadh #23 earlier. good stuff.

[Lost Pollito]

Auchentoshan 12 is quite good, though I had it right after Longmorn 16 so my palate was not so receptive to its subtleties.

Lowlands are subtle thanks to triple distillation, but very good IMO. I love me some Longmorn. Try you're tasting in reverse, and I bet Longmorn 16 will be even more robust, and you'll get all of those subtle Auchentoshan treats before stepping up to a solid speysider. Cheers!

[Lost Pollito]

I was actually having some Abunadh #23 earlier. good stuff.

Gotta love the sherry, but a very nice dram. :cool:

[unclebunk]

Had a few pours of Clynelish 14 last night for the very first time. It's not overly complex but has a nice, semi-sweet, seaweedy nose and a long, mildly peppery finish. I plan on having more tonight in a side-by-side tasting with Clynelish's neighbor, Old Pulteney 12. These are whiskies that I enjoy for their subtleties, so those looking for heavy flavors and pronounced characteristics may find them less interesting than I do.

[ebo]

Just finishing off the last of my bottle of Highland Park 18. I probably won't be replacing it anytime soon. 35 hours a week kinda puts a dent in the whisk(e)y buying.

[The Boozer]

Finished off a bottle of Laphroaig 1/4 cask. Very tasty and the amount of sweetness suprised me. Now on the must buy list.

TJ

[unclebunk]

Finished off a bottle of Laphroaig 1/4 cask. Very tasty and the amount of sweetness suprised me. Now on the must buy list.

TJ

My wife bought me a bottle of Laphroaig Quarter Cask for my birthday last month and I found it head and shoulders better than the standard Laphroaig 10 which I also love. The Quarter Cask just seemed to have a bit more intensity all the way around, and to me was worth the extra $15-$20. I'll always have a bottle of both in the house from now on.

[Megawatt]

I've been enjoying my newly-purchased Talisker 1996 Distillers Edition. Fantastic marriage of smoke and sweetness, very rich in the mouth. Better than the 10 but not quite as good as the 18.

[JamesW]

Had a few pours of Clynelish 14 last night for the very first time. It's not overly complex but has a nice, semi-sweet, seaweedy nose and a long, mildly peppery finish. I plan on having more tonight in a side-by-side tasting with Clynelish's neighbor, Old Pulteney 12. These are whiskies that I enjoy for their subtleties, so those looking for heavy flavors and pronounced characteristics may find them less interesting than I do.

I'm a fan of both. I agree with your description of the Clynelish 14. I think I like the saltiness of the OP12 a bit more.

What was your comparison like?

[unclebunk]

I'm a fan of both. I agree with your description of the Clynelish 14. I think I like the saltiness of the OP12 a bit more.

What was your comparison like?

Honestly, James, I've grown to really love them both. I did my side-by-side the other night and leaned towards the OP12 for the same reason as you. That bit of saltiness adds a dimension that I really like. On the other hand, I also found the OP12 a bit more honey-ish than the Clynelish 14, so which one I reach for will depend upon my mood. Interestingly, my brother found the OP too sweet and therefore preferred the Clynelish, but I enjoy them both for different reasons.

I've been searching for a few inexpensive single malts to have around that don't break the budget but also don't sacrifice on quality. I think I've found two good ones in the Old Pulteney and Clynelish. Add the Highland Park 12 to the stable and you've got three affordable winners in my book.

[JamesW]

I've been searching for a few inexpensive single malts to have around that don't break the budget but also don't sacrifice on quality. I think I've found two good ones in the Old Pulteney and Clynelish. Add the Highland Park 12 to the stable and you've got three affordable winners in my book.

[unclebunk]

In that low price point range, I also like the Balvenie Doublewood but it has been creeping up in price lately (you can still find it though around $40). But once you're in that range I prefer the Ardberg 10 for about $42 ish. Two different beasts, I know, but there's not a lot to choose from in that range that I like. Move into the $50's and I'm liking Talisker 10 etc....

[JamesW]

The Laphroaig 10 is about $45 here these days. I paid around $55 for the Quarter Cask I bought a few months back.

How's the Yamazaki? I haven't had the pleasure yet.

[unclebunk]

The Laphroaig 10 is about $45 here these days. I paid around $55 for the Quarter Cask I bought a few months back.

How's the Yamazaki? I haven't had the pleasure yet.

Our Laphroaig 10 prices are generally about $45 as well, though on sale you can usually get it for $38 or so. I paid $57 for the Quarter Cask which was worth every penny. I only sampled the Yamazaki 12 once at a friend's house and was pleasantly surprised by how good it is, but opted not to buy it when the price jumped from $28 to $45 two weeks after I first spotted it. I'd say the Yamazaki is a very good pour, and actually was quite like the Sheep Dip I had last night, with a slightly longer finish.

[AVB]

I did a small review of the Yamazaki 12 here last year if you wish to read it.

[Megawatt]

It's funny about price differences from one area to another, and I'm not talking about just a few bucks. Our Balvenie Doublewood is generally around $40 and is a good choice in that price range. But our Ardbeg 10 prices are always in the neighborhood of $60 compared to your $42. Why nearly a $20 difference? That's insane! (Fortunately, I've found a few places that still have semi-dusty Ardbegs on the shelf with old prices in the $40-$45 range. They simply haven't bothered to re-price them because they're not selling even at the cheaper price.) Laphroaig 10 varies a great deal as well but can often be found on sale for under $40. And last night I cracked a bottle of Sheep Dip which is quite a nice pour but at $45 I wouldn't buy another when I can get HP12 for slightly less. I nearly pulled the trigger on a Yamazaki 12 recently because it was under $30 but when I went back to get it the price jumped to mid-$40's, so I didn't bother. I still have a small stash of $40 and under bottles but they're getting harder to find these days which is disappointing.

Come to Canada, where you will pay $70 for The Yamazaki 12 and $99 for Ardbeg 10.

To JamesW:

The Yamazaki 12 is wonderful, if you like sweet, floral malts. Smokeheads might find it cloying. I personally loved it. It reminded me, strangely, of Glenkinchie, but more estery.

[JamesW]

I did a small review of the Yamazaki 12 here last year if you wish to read it.

[unclebunk]

Scapa 14 went down nicely last night. For once, the tasting notes on the outer packaging actually matched the contents of the bottle: "sweet, silky smooth and heather-honeyed." The folks at Scapa pretty much nailed it right on the head, especially the part about the "heather-honeyed" aroma. I found the nose really nice for this reason. Again, not a pour for those seeking a bold whisky, but one that can be enjoyed thoroughly if you like to linger over the glass to seek out subtleties. By the way, I would highly recommend drinking this one out of a Glencairn glass or something similar that concentrates the aroma. Just remember, if you're seeking out something akin to Scapa's neighbor, Highland Park, you'll be disappointed. Others will no doubt find much to enjoy.

[ebo]

I picked up a bottle of Ardmore Traditional Cask the other day. It isn't the most expensive single malt at $40.00, but it is a vey good scotch. Fully peated with a semi sweet taste.... a very nice scotch for the price.

[unclebunk]

I picked up a bottle of Ardmore Traditional Cask the other day. It isn't the most expensive single malt at $40.00, but it is a vey good scotch. Fully peated with a semi sweet taste.... a very nice scotch for the price.

[Megawatt]

Enjoying a glass of The Arran Malt St. Emilion Grande Cru wine cask (9 years old, 100 proof). This is an interesting wkisky. Dark amber, almost copper-coloured in the glass. The nose is light but very fruity. I agree with the comments about grape jam. On the palate, a nice surpise: very weighty, with sweet fruits becoming slightly bitter and oaky. Very mouth-coating. A touch of saltiness. The finish is long with more sweet fruit.

Overall, a nice balance between toasted malt and rich fruit flavour. Some will probably find it too sweet and sappy, but so far I'm quite enjoying it. Much better than the Tokaji Aszu cask finish I had before.

[ILLfarmboy]

Last night I had a minie of Glenfiddich 15. Afterward I had a Small pour of Weller Antique. Stu was right, I sure can see how a scotch guy coming to bourbon can be turned off by wheaters. It was such a huge difference It took half of the pour for my taster to re-adjust.

[unclebunk]

I had a few pours of Ballantine's Finest while watching the Saints/Patriots game last night. I'll continue to tout blended Scotch whisky to anyone who'll listen. If you dismissively pass over Ballantine's, Teacher's, White Horse and Famous Grouse when walking down the Scotch aisle of your local liquor store, you're missing out on some really good (and inexpensive) whisky. I know Jim Murray is high on this year's Grant's as well, but I found it lacking compared to the others I mentioned.

[Megawatt]

I had a few pours of Ballantine's Finest while watching the Saints/Patriots game last night. I'll continue to tout blended Scotch whisky to anyone who'll listen. If you dismissively pass over Ballantine's, Teacher's, White Horse and Famous Grouse when walking down the Scotch aisle of your local liquor store, you're missing out on some really good (and inexpensive) whisky. I know Jim Murray is high on this year's Grant's as well, but I found it lacking compared to the others I mentioned.

I rather enjoyed Ballantine's Finest. A bit thin (most cheap blends are), but nicely honeyed with a touch of smoke.

Teacher's is okay though I've always thought it overrated. Decent smoky/salty flavours, though. The Famous Grouse is quite good; Black Grouse is even better.

Grant's is okay but like you I found it somewhat lacking. Their Ale Cask Reserve is interesting.

Another decent one is Catto's. I plan on trying Cutty Sark sometime soon.