The Whisky Wall (Beta) Whisky Forum

It is a great blend. Purists may prefer to drink it without the addition of water but my personal preference is to add a splash or two. A little water really does bring out some great flavours.

In preparation of a whisky book I'm writing, I'll be visiting Scotland end of this month for (only) 4 days. Unfortunately I'm limited to Glasgow and Elgin (and surroundings). I will be visiting Auchentoshan (obviously), Edradour, Dalwhinnie, Benromach en Glenlivet. Any tips you can give me?

@nikkaman I stand corrected. i just checked the website myself...

Never tried the Jura Superstition, but I have almost finished my bottle of Jura Prophecy (supposed to be similar), and I find it to be all I like in the Caol Ila 12 yo (oilyness, smoke), just bigger and bolder.

According to the Nikka website it consists of Miyagi and Yoichi malts blended with grain whisky and then re-barreled, hence the 'from the barrel' moniker@CaptinTom

Anybody was at the Whisky on the Hudson organized by the Whisky Guild last Thursday? I was there. Very cool. I tasted a lot of great stuff. Here is some examples of my favorites of the evening Port Ellen 27yo from Douglas Laing Laphroaig 25 yo Ardberg Supernova 2010, Corryvrenken and all the others ! Ardberg rules ! Ardmore 30 yo Bowmore 18yo from Douglas Laing Laphroaig 14yo from Douglas Laing Yamazaki 18yo And many many others !

Let me also add that the little known Fighting Cock (103 proof) Bourbon made by Heaven Hill provides very good value for the price ($20-$24 per liter in the U.S.). A short review of it is at: http://alcoholreviews.com/wp/?p=885

Yes but we're talking about open bottles. OBE occurs in closed bottles, due to interaction with the glass / air / sunlight.

A glass of TWE 10th Glenglassaugh 1978....ok so not quite as beautiful as the Linkwood or Clynelish in the same series but still lovely.

I recently tasted a Tomatin 5 Year Old, that was bottled in the 70's of the previous century. It was my first encounter with the so-called OBE - Old Bottle Effect. In this case, I got a whiff of new gymshoes and mushrooms on the nose that only disappeared after a good ten minutes. But the whisky still tasted very good, so I guess the effect was minimal.

Once it has dropped below a certain level, it will still take several months (sometimes years) before it starts to oxidize. It will never go bad, by the way, only does the flavour composition change slightly. Glenfarclas 30yo is too good to worry about this, it will be empty before you need to worry.

@WmRamsey thanks for the advice much appreciated.

@AboutChoice That's a nice description for the Superstition , although I would not recommend it to Islay peat lovers. I think it's a bit too sweet-smoked in a way you won't find in an Islay ( I suppose). It is a nice dram however and it can broaden your horizon. But if you're looking for Islay peat ...Nah!

As long as the bottle is at least half full, it shouldn't oxidize too quickly. Some single malts don't change that much as they sit with air in the bottle, others do. Some mellow out in a beneficial way or a new part of their character is revealed. Usually, when my bottles get below half full, I will decant a good portion of the rest into two sample bottles filled full. Should, I think, stop any oxidization as long as they're not opened a lot.

I can't recall the first one , but I remember finding the smell of scotch nauseating ... but that was before I discovered single Malts. My friend had bought me a bottle of Glenlivet French Oak finish and I was amazed by how smooth it was and how much I enjoyed nosing it !. After that experience, I was on my way to discover all the other Single malt scotches out there. I've still got a long way to go though and loving the journey.

For quite some time I have had several dusty bottles of cognac sitting around, and I would taste them now and then, seeming to enjoy them a little more each time. Then one day I discovered a store selling a brandy that I had been passively trying to find for over 25 years. Hartleys Brandy was special because way back when I would visit a certain client, we would sometimes go cross-country skiing, and take along provisions of brandy and specially roasted and seasoned almonds. This was a wonderful combination, especially with such a flavorful drink, which I hadn't been able to duplicate until recently. I now know, after trying many others, that this flavor profile is typical of many good Mexican brandies. I have always enjoyed sampling and comparing things, and so my brandy exploration easily expanded into acquiring small bottles of vodkas and bourbons for more comparisons. Then the ubiquitous internet brought me to the BlueKitchen website, which among other spirits, offered comparisons and ratings of many of the popular bourbons. One of the first highly-rated bourbons I tried was Woodford Reserve, which because was so good, expanded my exploration to many more bottles. http://www.bluekitchen.net/bourbonselect.html Later, after accidently discovering the Scoth Chix website, I again expanded my spirit horizon into single malts ... my first malt, due to the Chix recommendation, being Glenmorangie Original. The flavors were so amazing, that as usual, I had to try many more (affordable) malts. After a while I discovered Springbank 10 and Ardmore Traditional Cask, both of which provided an exciting and enticing introduction to peat and smokiness. One thing just leads to another ... and sometimes it is not as easy to go back to bourbon after having discovered single malts. Now, having tried nearly all of the available and affordable malts, what will be the next adventure .... ?

Elijah Craig 12 is an incredible bargain. So is Jim Beam Black. Pappy Van Winkle 12-year-old is probably the best value; stunningly good, but not inexpensive. Jefferson's Reserve 17-year-old is probably my overall favorite. It runs $69 in New Hampshire, much more elsewhere.

can anyone help? ive recently bought myself a 30yo glenfarclas and ive been told ,once i open the bottle because it is fairly old ill need to drink it pretty soon or it will oxidize. is this true?

yeah Talisker is one of my favourites! i just want to update my "smoke experience" :)

As a teenager probably the first whisky I tried was Johnnie Walker Red Label (surely mixed with coke). Then in my twenties, the first single malt I ever had was Glefiddich 12. However I got hooked up with Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban a couple of years ago.

Jura Superstition boasts a good deal of complexity and smokiness, and it might be a welcome diversion for some Islay fans. Jura Supersti is unique, and is one of my favorite malts, with a lovely nutty, creamy, sweet and tingly experience up front, followed by a long warm, sweet smokiness. Talisker 10, a wonderful malt with more smoke, seems, however, to be more one dimensional in comparison. Be sure to hold the ank (on the bottle) toward the palm of your hand while pouring.

Noah's Mill is excellent. I recommend it if you can find it. Another that's good but not cheap is Bowmans made by Virginia Gentleman family.

Thanks for the answer @CaptinTom, let me know what you think about it!

@drinix It’s a pure malt blend. I got a bottle at the weekend but haven’t opened it yet, however its got some mighty reviews..

What about Nikka form the Barrel? Is it a pure malt blend or does it contain also grains? I saw it today in a whisky-shop and am considering buying it, as it's not so expensive besides being more than 50% ABV.

Actually I don't have the slightest idea. I have been about 5 years old, my dad had been drinking a glass of whisky with some friends. I've woken up and went to see what they've been doing and asked my dad what it is they've been drinking. My dad gave me a sip and I haven't been drinking any alcohol for the next 15 years to come :D Sadly I can't ask my dad what brand it had been, since he is no more... Much later, in my late twenties, my uncle has bought for the wedding of his daughter a bottle of Johnny Walker blue label. On the day before the actual wedding, the groom, my uncle, a few friends and myself have then drank this bottle (has been in India, so no big booze-up before the wedding :D). That had been the first fine whisky I have tasted. At that occasion my uncle gave me a bottle of Johnny Walker gold label (still a bit in it :) ). Only a short time later back in Germany, I take part in a whisky tasting organised by some friends, and from then on I bought the occasional bottle or received them as presents. From then on I think of myself as interested in whisky :)

I've read some nice reviews about that, do you think it can work well for an Islay peated lover? I mean, different way of peat to broaden my tasting experience?

two bottles of Kilchoman spring release 2010!

Just picked up something for the weekend... Nikka from the Barrel. What's taking your fancy?

Just in time for the weekend. A happy ending!