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A bit of whisky advice?

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@Zach
Zach started a discussion

Hello whiskyconnosr, just last week i managed to stumble upon this fantastic social network and have been avidly viewing it ever since. I created this profile earlier today and am anxious to becoming a member of this intriguing community. I've recently discovered the vast world that is single malt scotch whisky and the enormous possibilities of which it contains. My whisky journey began with a small bottle of The Glenlivet 12 y.o. and i've since tried the Glenfiddich 12 y.o. and Highland Park 12 y.o. My favorite of the three is without a doubt the HP 12 y.o. due to my preference of it's richer quality.

With that being said, there are a few whiskies i have my eye on which i'd like your opinions on regarding quality and price while keeping in mind that i'm looking for a richer(chocolate, nut, spice, toffee, tobacco, smoke... etc.) whisky.

Here they are:

Auchentoshan 3 Wood - $59.99 CA Highland Park 12 y.o. - $59.99 Glenmorangie Lasanta - $61.88 The Balvenie Double Wood 12 y.o. - $62.95 Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban - $63.16

(All 750ml)

Any comment/advice is appreciated. ^-^

14 years ago

15 replies

@TheFitz
TheFitz replied

@Zach

I, like yourself, I am new to this beautiful social network! I have tried 4 of the single malts in which you are interested in, and I thought my I could refer you to a few others as well!

Out of the five that you have there, my favorite would have to be the Highland Park 12 year old. Like you say, it's a rich malt, full of flavor, with even a mint of smoke in there.

If you wanted to stick in that neck of the woods, I would recommend the Glenmorangie Original. I see you have the Lasanta (over-sherried, and not worth the money, try the new Sonnalta PX from Glenmorangie, worth the extra 15-20 dollars). The original Glenmorangie is a good example of Highland Malt. Good notes of vanilla, full flavor, long finish. Great price too, here in Michigan you can get it in the store for around $40. The Quinta Ruban from Glenmorangie is probably their best extra-matured variety, with the Nectar in close second. It depends on my palate, but both a very good.

The Balvenie Double Wood IMHO is not worth the money. But like I said, that is my opinion. Not much going on there, similar to a Glenfiddich.

If you enjoy the HP 12 so much, maybe try a Bunnahabhain 12 year old. It's an unpeated Islay whisky, but has some of the peat character from the water source. Good intro to the world of iodine, brine, sea salt, peat, smoke, wet leather, etc, etc, etc...

Hope some of this helps!

14 years ago 2Who liked this?

@Pierre
Pierre replied

@Zach Welcome to the community.

If you're looking for something rich you might consider Aberlour A'bunadh. Its not subtle but its gives real bang for buck and at cask strength should go a long way. Do try it neat though and then add water to taste. If you're looking for chocolate, spice and toffee their all here and then some. You'll find plenty of review of it on this site including my own here: connosr.com/reviews/aberlour/…

I reckon it'll be in the same price range as the whiskies you mention.

14 years ago 0

@TheFitz
TheFitz replied

I would have to agree about the Aberlour. Great bang for your buck. One thing that I really enjoy about the A'bunadh is that each bottle is labeled with the batch that it was bottled from. I've had three different bottles, from three different batches, and each one of them had their own unique character. It's interesting to try them side by side. Some are better than others.

14 years ago 0

@antihero
antihero replied

Bang on with the Highland Park. If/when you can afford it, the older Highland Park bottles are even better.

The Quinta Ruben is not my thing. Too much on the finish (port, that is). I'd say the Nectar D'Or is better. The Original is also great, as was mentioned.

Trust those below recommending the Aberlour a'bunadh. Bloody brilliant. A little more expensive, but well worth it. Bottled around 60% (depending on batch) doesn't hurt either.

Knowing the profile you're looking for, I'd also suggest:

Compass Box Spice Tree (Blended Malt) Strathisla 12 Glendronach 12 Springbank CV Amrut

If you want to branch out a bit...

Caol Ila 12

Good luck.

14 years ago 1Who liked this?

@Zach
Zach replied

Thank you all for the friendly welcome. ^-^ Some great advice here which is much appreciated.

Not exactly surprised to see the original Glenmorangie getting such high praise as i`ve read many great reviews about it, as well as an interesting note about it being the best selling single malt in Scotland(?) Anyway, i'll be sure to put it on my wishlist somewhere near the top.

I've also read many good things regarding the Aberlour A'Bunadh ... however i'm still a little cautious about pursing it. It's $85.99 here which is a bit of a jump in price compared to those i've mentioned and i know very little about which batches are the best, or if they're even available. Also ... the 60.2% ABV label is a bit daunting to a novice such as myself. Does a higher ABV represent richer more intensely packed flavour within the whisky?... becuz i believe i ran across that somewhere online one day or another.

Regarding the Glenmorangie Lasanta & Quinta Ruban ... after reading a bit more about them i believe i'm leaning more toward the Quinta Ruban as of late. It kind of seems to fit the profile i'm looking for more then the lasanta does. Is the finish really overemphasized to the point that i may find it unpleasant? being a novice and all.

I'm glad to see that the Highland Park 12 y.o. is thought well of ... as i have really enjoyed it thus far. I checked to see if Spice Tree by Compass Box was available in my area, but unfortunately only the Oak Cross is.

Thanks again for the comments. I’ll keep pondering my options.

14 years ago 0

@markjedi1
markjedi1 replied

@Zach, I'm a bit of a Toshan nut, so I simply cannot resist the urge to say you need to try that Auchentoshan Three Wood, sir. It's chocalate, nut, toffee and a tad of tobacco, you'll like it. Don't be fooled by the fact that it is a Lowland whisky. It's a rough babe.

14 years ago 0

@Carlito
Carlito replied

Hi Zach, I'm a bit of a newbie at this too... My preferences right now are definitely towards the richer whiskys. I have the Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban and really like it. Although it might be a bit pricier than what you're looking for, The Macallan Cask Strength 10 y.o. could be really interesting for you. Let me know what you ended up getting!

14 years ago 1Who liked this?

@Zach
Zach replied

@Carlito

Hey Carlito, it's nice to see another novice such as myself with a similar taste in whisky. I've read a bit about The Macallan Cask Strength 10 y.o. and it does sound quite appealing ... however it does come out to be a whopping $90.00. I think for the time being i'll try to stay relatively within the $60-$70 max range.

I've recently read a few reviews of the Glenfarclas 15 y.o. and it sounds pretty amazing to say the least. It also happens to be available in my area ... & for only $10 more then the whiskies i've previously mentioned. The additional supposed quality of this whisky seems to outweigh the extra $10 on the price tag.

14 years ago 0

@antihero
antihero replied

@Zach Yes...it does. When you take into account that you will most likely add water to a whisky at 60% (Glenfarclas 105), you'll aboviously be stretching your dollar further.

Think 'Dazed And Confused': "It's quality, not qantity". Better to sip something stunning than chug something only palatable.

I'm curious to see what you'd think of something peated (Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Ardbeg, Caol Ila, etc).

Just a note too...we're ALL novices. There will always be new things to try, changes to whiskies and the industry and your nose/palate will continue to develop.

14 years ago 1Who liked this?

@Carlito
Carlito replied

@antihero @zach Just tried last week Lagavulin 16 and the Caol Ila 12y.o Special Edition both definitely different than what i'm used to. Lagavulin 16 was very smoky with such a long finish. I will get either a Talisker 10 or a Laphroaig 10 next week to get as wide of a spectrum as I can.

Any ideas what I should do or other suggestions?

14 years ago 0

@antihero
antihero replied

@Carlito Talisker has a more peppery edge to it. I have yet to try the Laphroaig 10, though the Laphroaig Quarter Cask is exceptional.

Lag 16 has a more medicinal edge (iodine) than many Islay whiskies, but is bold and beautiful.

If you are looking for suggestions...Ardbeg 10 is a great gateway into the wonderful world of peat.

14 years ago 0

@Hogshead
Hogshead replied

@antihero funny how subjective tasting is because for me Ardbeg is quite medicinal whereas Lag 16 has a pleasing sweetness. But @carlito if you are looking for a spectrum it seems to me that all the whiskies you mention are Islays. Why not go for something from Speyside, the Highlands or even Japan? The Islays are all varied on their own terms but have more in common with each other than bottles you'll get from other Scottish regions or other parts of the world.

14 years ago 0

@AboutChoice
AboutChoice replied

Here are a few bottles that I will likely always have on hand. They are "all-rounders" and I like them because they are lively, they offer character and complexity, and they have just enough smokiness to complete the experience (lower smoke first): Clynelish 14, Oban 14, Bruichladdich Rocks, Isle of Jura Superstitution, Springbank 10, and Ardmore Traditional Cask.

14 years ago 0

@Carlito
Carlito replied

@Hogshead @antihero : I already have some Highlands and Speyside and I was searching for something different and very peaty. I ended up picking up a Talisker 10 since Laphroaig 10 has been sold out for a while in my area (Montreal, Canada) and the next arrival will be in fall unfortunately.

14 years ago 0

@antihero
antihero replied

@AboutChoice

Tried the Clynelish 14 yesterday for the first time. I have had some indie Clynelish, but not this one. Nice nose, but nothing on the finish. Felt like it was gone seconds after sipping. Never has a whisky disappear that fast. Pleasant enough...just waaaaaay too short for me.

14 years ago 0

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@Carlito@jeanluc