Whisky II

[Finnegan]

The latter being financially too challenging.

Yeah that’s precisely the thing with Macallan. It’s not a bad whisky. In fact, it’s a very good whisky. Just overpriced for what it is, with equally as good being available elsewhere for less.

 

[stevec67]

That might be doing a little bit of a disservice to Speyside whiskies. They range from the light and fresh end of the spectrum (Glenlivet 12, Glenfiddich 12) to the rich, complex sherry bombs from Glendronach, Benrinnes, Mortlach or Macallan.

None of them are as challenging as a Laphroaig 18YO, either way. They are still accessible to people who only know blended stuff, even the sherry bombs. Compare and contrast your Ardbeg, Laph, Laga, Oban offerings, even at modest age they can have people pulling a face. I've never seen anyone do that for macallan.

 

[Weekender]

None of them are as challenging as a Laphroaig 18YO, either way. They are still accessible to people who only know blended stuff, even the sherry bombs. Compare and contrast your Ardbeg, Laph, Laga, Oban offerings, even at modest age they can have people pulling a face. I've never seen anyone do that for macallan.

I regularly pull my face at Macallan's chutzpah.

 

[SteveG]

I've got a few Speyside whiskies (some of them peated) that can challenge in the same way the peated islands malts do - a good example being the SMWS 1.247 "Enigmatic and Disputatious" bottling. It's an 8-year old Glenfarclas, bottled at a hearty 64.3% ABV and described as "Yes, there is cream soda, toffee, apple strudel and ice-cream, but also smoking hickory chips, aniseed, leather and tobacco". Definitely some peat to it - unusual for a Glenfarclas.

Or how about one from the Glenrothes distillery, bottled at 7 years old and 66.9% ABV (which might be the strongest whisky I have, although I think I may have a Braeval somewhere that's over 67%) described as "We collected shiny chestnuts before being transported to a Manhattan street. Water added tonka bean panna cotta with roasted rhubarb".

I don't have a Laphroaig 18YO (although I do have a 16-year old) and these (and other) speyside bottlings are just as interesting. Based on experiences with other Laphroaig's then I'm sure the 18 will be great - but then it should be as it appears to be about a £300+ bottle these days, if you can find one (the SMWS bottles I mentioned above were maybe £50 each)! There are lots of great & interesting Speyside bottles - especially if you're willing to spend £300+ on a bottle.

 

[jimbob75]

In terms of 'challenging', the phenols break down over the years in cask, so an older Laphroaig should actually be mellower.

 

[SteveG]

In terms of 'challenging', the phenols break down over the years in cask, so an older Laphroaig should actually be mellower.

It's definitely the case that the most peaty whisky I own is a young one (5-year old), the Octomore 09.3.

 

[Elephantears]

One of the Arran Machrie Moor bottles should fit the bill.

If you like the Deanston then the Arran 10 is an easy recommend.
What @Cambs12 said if you want Arran peat.
Arran's new Peated distillery which will replace Machrie Moor:
https://www.laggwhisky.com/

I have an Arran Quarter Cask on the go at the moment - it is good, but the 10 beats it for VFM. It is strong on Vanilla and sips a treat without the need to add water. Everything I have tried from Arran has been great - but the 10 is a steal for me

We seem to value similar flavours and approach so, if you want to dive straight in, The Bothy at c. £50 is slightly ahead of their range and I doubt will disappoint even if it doesn’t tick all your boxes.

Thanks for all these suggestions. Machrie Moor is getting a lot of love here, but so is the 10. The Bothy, with its vanilla/pepper thing, does sound quite close to what I was asking for. Another one that I really fancy is this Fingal's Cut version of Machrie Moor:

https://www.arranwhisky.com/shop-whiskies/limited-editions/46-machrie-moor-fingals-cut-quarter-cask

Palate notes are...'lemon zest coupled with salted caramel & smooth and creamy butterscotch, resulting from increased contact between spirit and wood. An overall sweet smoke.'

That sounds exactly what I was asking for! If I were flush I'd buy the 10, the Bothy, and the two versions of Machrie Moore! But I'm not. I'll ponder on it for a bit then order one.

 

[Weekender]

More Springbank Goss: re the It's All About the Springbank FB group banning Members for expressing opinions about Cadenheads staffing and their withdrawal from Europe.
"It’s because something bigger is brewing and they’re sh*tting themselves about it coming out, thus criticism or comments of any nature are removed and threats are made. They’ll come a time shortly where they’ve threatened that many people that their words and actions will be meaningless, it’s 2022 not the 1980s."
"Totally agree, something is coming, can’t see how it’s anything but! having worked for them until recently I am worried for the staff, it’s not fair on the majority, it’s 2 people who have pushed the buttons so to speak."

 

[Finnegan]

More Springbank Goss: re the It's All About the Springbank FB group banning Members for expressing opinions about Cadenheads staffing and their withdrawal from Europe.
"It’s because something bigger is brewing and they’re sh*tting themselves about it coming out, thus criticism or comments of any nature are removed and threats are made. They’ll come a time shortly where they’ve threatened that many people that their words and actions will be meaningless, it’s 2022 not the 1980s."
"Totally agree, something is coming, can’t see how it’s anything but! having worked for them until recently I am worried for the staff, it’s not fair on the majority, it’s 2 people who have pushed the buttons so to speak."

When I toured Springbank several years ago, the then distillery manager made a point of boasting how many people he’d dispensed with since taking up the post, adding “there’s still too many.”

 

[clivem2]

Side by side with Glenallachie 15 YO and Springbank 15 YO with my brother & Dad last night...

The Glenallachie won!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07X5M4GMJ/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

I wilted and placed my order. Now Amazon tells me they are sending a refund and it's "undeliverable". Looking at the tracking the bottle reach a local distribution centre (NW England) but it then went to Exeter. It could be broken but I reckon it was pinched locally and the empty box sent elsewhere to cover the perpetrator's tracks....barstewards.

 

[Weekender]

I wilted and placed my order. Now Amazon tells me they are sending a refund and it's "undeliverable". Looking at the tracking the bottle reach a local distribution centre (NW England) but it then went to Exeter. It could be broken but I reckon it was pinched locally and the empty box sent elsewhere to cover the perpetrator's tracks....barstewards.

That's annoying.
I have used these two Retailers before without incident (I always use Paypal):
https://www.houseofmalt.co.uk/produ...PeuInonXP-7-9m5tWNoXE6rLAb6IKNzxoC_F8QAvD_BwE
https://www.jpha.co.uk/products/gle...ew7F19sqHcq-QsthusT8mxofoZu4N0LRoCPgwQAvD_BwE
House of Malt does Topcashback of about 4%.

 

[hifilover1979]

I wilted and placed my order. Now Amazon tells me they are sending a refund and it's "undeliverable". Looking at the tracking the bottle reach a local distribution centre (NW England) but it then went to Exeter. It could be broken but I reckon it was pinched locally and the empty box sent elsewhere to cover the perpetrator's tracks....barstewards.

That's a bugger

Never had that issue or any issue with Amazon and whisky deliveries before!

 

[Weekender]

That's a bugger

Never had that issue or any issue with Amazon and whisky deliveries before!

Yeah tbf they are usually very good. The only issues I've had are inadequate packaging which seems to have been resolved in 2022 and non-fulfilment of discounted orders i.e. I had a couple of bottles of Uigeadail bought on offer that they had not delivered after going out of stock.

 

[Weekender]

Oh and they often say they'll deliver on a particular day and then delivery earlier with very little foreward notice!

 

[jimbob75]

Oh sweet Jesus…just poured what must have been a very decent treble (two dry days, don’t judge me), then knocked the lot over the kitchen worktop. The whole room now smells like an Islay dunnage warehouse. Which is…quite nice actually. Nerves are being slowly restored by a (careful) re-pour and Gram Parsons on the gramophone

 

[Weekender]

I regularly pull my face at Macallan's chutzpah.

And right on cue they release their latest "collaboration" which consists of six identical no age statement whiskies with slightly differing labels in "unique" cardboard tubes.
https://www.themacallan.com/en/single-malts/limited-releases/james-bond-60th-anniversary-release
"The whisky is consistent within all six bottles."
Ballot via website and Travel Retail.
£600 each.
And they'll sell out immediately.

 

[Weekender]

And Diageo continue to take the p1ss:
https://www.houseofmalt.co.uk/product-category/diageo-special-releases-2022/

 

[SteveG]

I really don't get the £600 for those Macallan James Bond releases, especially as it appears to be the same whisky in each edition (and without there appearing to be anything particularly special about it) - just the box and labelling being different. If that was a similar NAS without the James Bond connection then you'd expect that to be maybe £40 tops, perhaps £80 from Macallan.

 

[SteveG]

And Diageo continue to take the p1ss:
https://www.houseofmalt.co.uk/product-category/diageo-special-releases-2022/

I'm likely to visit Talisker in a couple of weeks and from the website the 2011 Distillers Edition looks like the one I'd go for, but will need to see what they have in stock. I've got a couple of other Diageo distillers editions (Oban and Lagavulin) and both of those have been very good and seemed reasonable value.

Also planning to visit Raasay on that trip.

 

[Finnegan]

I really don't get the £600 for those Macallan James Bond releases, especially as it appears to be the same whisky in each edition (and without there appearing to be anything particularly special about it) - just the box and labelling being different. If that was a similar NAS without the James Bond connection then you'd expect that to be maybe £40 tops, perhaps £80 from Macallan.

Aimed squarely at wealthy collectors who want a nice feature for their display cabinet. No other reason to it whatsoever.