What Wee Dram are you enjoying now?

[JamesW]

This has just become available in Ontario. The price is prohibitive (aroud $165) but my brother is thinking of picking it up as a birthday malt.

At $165 in Ontario, I'd buy 2-3 Laphroaig QC (at $64 ea) or 1 Lap QC and a Laga 16. That said, it would be a nice B-Day present nonetheless.

Started the evening with Clynelish 14 and eyeing some Bunnahabain 12 or Caol Ila 12 next.

[Dramiel McHinson]

Tonight I decided to go back to a long rested bottle of Aberlour 16 year old double cask matured whisky. The sherry cask finishing comes through very well giving it a fruits-n-nuts taste with just the right amount of oak and tannins to add spice and to keep it from being too sweet. This bottle has rested at 2/3 full for over a year but it appears the room in the bottle has mellowed this whisky very well. Smooth and full mouth feel with just the right amount of spiciness on the finish.

Here's to ya'll :toast:

[boss302]

Bought another bottle of Bladnoch 15-year, Single Cask, Cask Strength.

Great warm weather dram, though I have to be careful-- it hit me a little harder than I anticipated last night.

[Megawatt]

Tonight I decided to go back to a long rested bottle of Aberlour 16 year old double cask matured whisky. The sherry cask finishing comes through very well giving it a fruits-n-nuts taste with just the right amount of oak and tannins to add spice and to keep it from being too sweet. This bottle has rested at 2/3 full for over a year but it appears the room in the bottle has mellowed this whisky very well. Smooth and full mouth feel with just the right amount of spiciness on the finish.

Here's to ya'll :toast:

How would you compare this to Aberlour's other bottlings, particularly a'bunadh (alcoholic strength aside)? I like a'bunadh but sometimes I find it lacking the balance I desire in a good Scotch.

[JamesW]

How would you compare this to Aberlour's other bottlings, particularly a'bunadh (alcoholic strength aside)? I like a'bunadh but sometimes I find it lacking the balance I desire in a good Scotch.

I agree. The a'bunadh is very nice but the sherry overpowers a bit too much for my taste.

[JamesW]

Bunnahabain 12, Caol Ila 12, and now some Laga 16.

[JamesW]

Starting with Talisker 10 tonight. It's tasting a bit strange after the Thai food I just ate (Note to self: drink beer after Thai).

[Megawatt]

I recently had a Bushmills 10 y.o. single malt triple distilled Irish whiskey (green label) and damn it was very close to the best Irish I've ever had- maybe it was the best. Golden silky, little oily, but not cloying at all. I doubt it's pot stilled, but reminded me a lot of Green Spot. A whole lot. About 2/3 the price tho'. Followed it with a pour of Jameson 12 y.o. which just didn't stand up to the Bushmills.

Had Bushmills 10 recently and it came across a whole lot better than I recalled. Of course it's pot-distilled; it's a single malt whiskey, after all. Not to be confused with Pure Pot Still (Green Spot, Redbreast), which is different from single malt in that unmalted barley is used in the mash bill in addition to malt. Anyway, I agree that Jameson 12 is lacklustre after Bushmills 10.

[Megawatt]

Enjoying some Century Reserve 15 year old rye. This stuff is exceedingly subtle (some might say tasteless) but water brings out creamy vanilla notes.

[ggilbertva]

I primarily like HSM and today I received a little gift in the mail; 12 year Tomatin from the Whiskey Shop. Loads of fruit on the nose and very flavorful, light and refreshing. Gotta get me more of that!

[Dramiel McHinson]

How would you compare this to Aberlour's other bottlings, particularly a'bunadh (alcoholic strength aside)? I like a'bunadh but sometimes I find it lacking the balance I desire in a good Scotch.

The Aberlour 16 tasted to me like a milder first cousin to the a'bunadh. The 16 is a bit drier and there is more oak and less pronounced sherry than the a'bunadh. The bourbon oak also adds more depth. This bottling of the 16 was well balanced and had some nice depth of flavors. When first opened it was very tannic but after a long rest it seem to mellow out to a real nice dram. The 16 also was smoother than the 10 year old I had previously and also more pronounced oak. The 16 is also bottled in the same apothecary bottle as the a'bunadh. I do like the a'bunadh but the 16 turned out to be an overall richer whisky. (to my taste anyway)

[Megawatt]

The Aberlour 16 tasted to me like a milder first cousin to the a'bunadh. The 16 is a bit drier and there is more oak and less pronounced sherry than the a'bunadh. The bourbon oak also adds more depth. This bottling of the 16 was well balanced and had some nice depth of flavors. When first opened it was very tannic but after a long rest it seem to mellow out to a real nice dram. The 16 also was smoother than the 10 year old I had previously and also more pronounced oak. The 16 is also bottled in the same apothecary bottle as the a'bunadh. I do like the a'bunadh but the 16 turned out to be an overall richer whisky. (to my taste anyway)

[unclebunk]

I suspected this would be the case. Aberlour 10 is highly underrated in my opinion and a great value.

I've always loved Aberlour 10 as well but it's getting harder to find around here. Like Balvenie 10 before it, many of my favorite 10 year olds are gradually disappearing in favor of slightly older expressions, and now one can only readily find the Aberlour and Balvenie as 12 year olds (at a heftier price) at places like Binny's which is the reason I now have a small bunker of each. Sadly, "age-ism" may someday knock some of our other favorites on the head to be replaced by older siblings that are not necessarily any better. Imagine a world without Laphroaig 10.:cry: I know it seems impossible but if the trend continues, it could happen someday.

[unclebunk]

Had Bushmills 10 recently and it came across a whole lot better than I recalled. Of course it's pot-distilled; it's a single malt whiskey, after all. Not to be confused with Pure Pot Still (Green Spot, Redbreast), which is different from single malt in that unmalted barley is used in the mash bill in addition to malt. Anyway, I agree that Jameson 12 is lacklustre after Bushmills 10.

I've never had Bushmills 10 but always enjoyed Jameson 12, so it looks like I'll have to get a bottle of the Bushmills the next time Binny's runs one of their special sales. Can't wait to try it. I'm still eyeing the Connemara Peated Single Malt (not the Cask Strength which I can't afford) too to see what that's like. So many things to try, so little money to afford them.

[Gillman]

2:1 Jameson 12 years to Green Spot. I find the Green Spot a little oaky, this bottling anyway, and the Jameson not so much, so the melding works well.

Gary

[Dramiel McHinson]

I've always loved Aberlour 10 as well but it's getting harder to find around here. Like Balvenie 10 before it, many of my favorite 10 year olds are gradually disappearing in favor of slightly older expressions, and now one can only readily find the Aberlour and Balvenie as 12 year olds (at a heftier price) at places like Binny's which is the reason I now have a small bunker of each. Sadly, "age-ism" may someday knock some of our other favorites on the head to be replaced by older siblings that are not necessarily any better. Imagine a world without Laphroaig 10.:cry: I know it seems impossible but if the trend continues, it could happen someday.

That's a BINGO!

A lot of the first great single malts I tried (Aberlour, Balvenie, Laphroaig being favorites) were 10 years old or slightly younger. Great whisky and much more affordable. The last year or so I have had to all but stop buying scotch because the prices are so high I just can't buy the grand old stuff and then tell my daughter I don't have the money to pay for her college. Talk about your kid giving you the stink eye....:skep:

[Megawatt]

I've never had Bushmills 10 but always enjoyed Jameson 12, so it looks like I'll have to get a bottle of the Bushmills the next time Binny's runs one of their special sales. Can't wait to try it. I'm still eyeing the Connemara Peated Single Malt (not the Cask Strength which I can't afford) too to see what that's like. So many things to try, so little money to afford them.

[dean_martin]

Had Bushmills 10 recently and it came across a whole lot better than I recalled. Of course it's pot-distilled; it's a single malt whiskey, after all. Not to be confused with Pure Pot Still (Green Spot, Redbreast), which is different from single malt in that unmalted barley is used in the mash bill in addition to malt. Anyway, I agree that Jameson 12 is lacklustre after Bushmills 10.

Do you guys recommend starting with Bushmills 10 or Black Bush for someone who hasn't tried Irish?

[Dramiel McHinson]

Do you guys recommend starting with Bushmills 10 or Black Bush for someone who hasn't tried Irish?

Both are great in a tasting string. I suggest the Bushmills 10 first. It is a light hearted dram that won't blow out your palate. When you go to the Black Bush it will be smoother, fruit-n-nuts. You will notice the similarities but the Black Bush is IMHO the next step up from the 10.

[Megawatt]

Both are great in a tasting string. I suggest the Bushmills 10 first. It is a light hearted dram that won't blow out your palate. When you go to the Black Bush it will be smoother, fruit-n-nuts. You will notice the similarities but the Black Bush is IMHO the next step up from the 10.

I used to think that but when I did a head-to-head on St. Patrick's Day Bushmills 10 came out on top out of five whiskies, for me anyway. Of course it is a different style of whiskey, with more of a pure malt flavour with little to no sherry influence and of course no grains. Heck, they are both great, can't go wrong with either one.

[JamesW]

Bowmore 17. Almost finished the bottle. It has been a very different Islay whiskey this one. It has the smoke and peat but also a very pleasant dried fruitiness about it.

[unclebunk]

Just a small pour of Highland Park 18 to sip while reading in bed. Great stuff, for sure. I just wish I could afford it on a more regular basis.

[unclebunk]

I used to think that but when I did a head-to-head on St. Patrick's Day Bushmills 10 came out on top out of five whiskies, for me anyway. Of course it is a different style of whiskey, with more of a pure malt flavour with little to no sherry influence and of course no grains. Heck, they are both great, can't go wrong with either one.

Not that price is an indicator of quality, but around here at least, Bushmills 10 consistently costs approximately $10-$12 more per bottle than Black Bush, which some might interpret to mean that it is considered to be further up the "premium" scale than Black Bush. But as you said, they are quite different in style and both are well-regarded by Irish whiskey fans, so you really can't miss with either one. There's a large liquor store near me that is having a whiskey tasting next week where the entire line of Bushmills products will be on offer including the 14 YO, 16 YO, 21 YO and the 1608, so I plan on bellying up and sampling the lot.

[dean_martin]

Not that price is an indicator of quality, but around here at least, Bushmills 10 consistently costs approximately $10-$12 more per bottle than Black Bush, which some might interpret to mean that it is considered to be further up the "premium" scale than Black Bush. But as you said, they are quite different in style and both are well-regarded by Irish whiskey fans, so you really can't miss with either one. There's a large liquor store near me that is having a whiskey tasting next week where the entire line of Bushmills products will be on offer including the 14 YO, 16 YO, 21 YO and the 1608, so I plan on bellying up and sampling the lot.

Checked prices in one of my favorite FL "discount" stores over the weekend - Black Bush $30 and Bushmills 10 $32. I'm inferring that those prices are reasonable considering the $10 difference you're seeing.

[unclebunk]

Checked prices in one of my favorite FL "discount" stores over the weekend - Black Bush $30 and Bushmills 10 $32. I'm inferring that those prices are reasonable considering the $10 difference you're seeing.

Wow. Those are great prices! Black Bush here in Chicagoland tends to be in $28-$32 range, though I did buy a few gift packs at Christmas time that were on sale for $25 which was extraordinarily good. Bushmills 10 is currently selling at Binny's for $46, while my neighborhood store has it for $43. I don't ever recall seeing it sell for much less and certainly never under $40, at least at the stores I routinely visit. Have you had them both? If not, it would be nice to pick them up at those prices and do a little head-to-head taste testing.