Distillers Edition

Gosh, I never thought to ask the General! (sorry, couldn't resist)

I've had mixed reactions. In a very few I've thought the D.E. bettered it's standard counterpart (Oban 1996 and Caol Ila 2011), but I've had this question in my mind about whether Diageo was trying to cover up sub-par casks with the additional maturation. Overall the quality does not justify the price.

As a side note, all of Diageo's Special Releases I've tried have bettered the standard bottlings and the D.E.s. The additional abv, care, and rarity comes at a price though.

I reckon they're all decent.

The Cragganmore was my favourite whisky when I was starting out - I still have a soft spot for it these days, despite it having lost some of the intensity of older editions.

The Lagavulin DE is excellent, and I prefer it (sacrilegiously) to the 16, although it varies from year to year and, again, the older ones are generally better.

I also rather like the Clynelish - although I've yet to find a Clynelish I didn't like.

And as a final nod, the Dalwhinnie is the whisky that I've used to convert more people to drinking good whisky than any other. It's got enough complexity at the same time as being approachable and just very nice.

I'd say they're all worth a try and on occasion better than the standard releases.

Definitely mixed feelings here - you tend to expect that they will be like an extra topping on your familiar and beloved original. However, in my experience it can be pretty tough to find the original attributes under the sherry mask, and at least at first it feels more one-dimensional than the original in some cases.

That said I have the Talisker DE and really enjoy it, it's got pretty good balance and still some of the typical Talisker shines through. Planning to pick up the Caol Ila DE next.

I've only ever sampled the Talisker 1998/2010 DE and the Clynelish 1993/2010 DE. The Talisker DE was not nearly as good as the Talisker 10, and I have yet to compare the Clynelish to the regular 14. But I do wonder whether the extra year or two of maturation warrants the massive difference in price (although for a while the LCBO had the Glenkinchie DE priced lower than the Glenkinchie 12).

@cowfish If I may ask - was it the standard Dalwhinnie, or their DE that you really enjoy?

I myself have a soft spot for their standard 15 yr old whisky; perfect for any time of the year, but have always wondered how their DE stacked up to the original?

Just a short time ago - I had noticed both the Dalwhinnie, and Oban DE's at a reasonable price...I may have to make the trek back to that store.

@FMichael I rather like them both, but the DE has the edge for me and is a great whisky to entice people in to trying different malts, as well as a good dram in general.

@cowfish Ah - nice to hear that the Dalwhinnie DE is a good dram...How about the Oban DE?...Any experience with that one?

@FMichael No clue on any Oban - I've not tried a whisky from the distillery in years, way before I started trying to remember what things tasted like...

Anyone?

Thanks for all the input guys. I was going to order the Caol Ila DE for our store but the distributer ran out before we had a chance. I'm looking forward to trying the Talisker. Sounds like I need to get the Dalwhinnie for my wife.

@JJBoud: I recently finished a 1 litre of Caol Ila DE. via some smaller bottles (as I do); it was truly magnificent and I remember thinking that Caol Ila must be one of the least appreciated Whiskies - It is certainly a quiet achiever, with more flavor and less 'hype' than many so-called heavy weights!

@YakLord Its interesting because BCL prices most if not all the DE's often only a dollar or a few dollars above the standard bottling. Makes them seem like better deals. I find that the DE's can be interesting as another take on your favourite whisky, perhaps set for a different mood, but they are never a replacement for the originals.

@lostboyscout: These are hard to find now, but if you ever spot a Caol Ila DE. 1995 buy it - Mine was ex Duty Free in the litre and very good indeed! 'Had the '96 in a 700ml. it was good but not as good as...

Slainte!

@FMichael & @cowfish I'm by no stretch an Oban 14 fan, but I've tried two D.E.s: the 1993 and the 1996. I found the 1993 a half step better than the standard 14 year. The 1996 though is quite nice and bears no resemblance to the standard 14.

@cowfish trying the Dalwhinnie Distiller's Edition would be a great treat. I have a bottle of the Dalwhinnie 15 right now, only the second bottle I have ever purchased. I'm just starting the process of collecting a cabinet. Getting married two months from now, all my money is going to that! Maybe I'll get a few bottles as gifts. ;)

My 1996 Lagavulin DE is amazing. I like it more than the original, and It's very complex in my opinion. The finish isn't as long as my Ardbeg Uggi, but it's a tad sweeter and definitely smoother.

Personally enjoyed the Glenlivet Distillers Reserve and its a vast difference from their normal 12/15/18 line.

I find the Lagavulin DE better than the 16yo. But the Talisker DE and Caol Ila DE did nothing for me (too much sweet wine taste).

@A'bunadhman Thanks, there is a Caol Ila DE at my local store according to their website but not sure what year. Have you had other years too?

@lostboyscout: No, just those two, '95 & '96 but there are sure to be others, we have not seen them here but then this is a pretty backward state (Qld, Australia), booze-wise! It's only recently the std. 12yo has been readily available and as for the C.S., I've never seen one at the half dozen outlets I loiter at.

Cheers

Taking a slightly different tack to the original question, my issue with the Diageo DE's (if my knowledge/assumptions are correct) is the fact that we are being asked to pay more money, for a product that has not been significantly enhanced from the original bottling.

For example, the Lagavulin DE is not the Lagavulin 16 PLUS two more years in a sherry cask, it is Lagavulin 16 WITH the final two years spent in the sherry casking. For the extra $35 :o that the LCBO is asking for the DE, that bottle better damn well be an 18 yo whisky! Especially when, as a price comparable, the Lagavulin DE and the Highland Park 18 yo are both being sold for $150 in this jurisdiction.

@cowfish I'm glad you liked the Lagavulin D.E. and the Dalwhinnie D.E. I stumbled across one Laga and two Dalwwhinnie is my local sprit shop and bought all three. Know armed with your recommendation and vast knowledge that you bring to this site I'm less worried about trying them and not liking them. Thanks again. :)

I've had the Talisker DE and though I enjoyed it, I feel the regular 10 Yr is much better. I love Talisker 10.

I have the 2000 Talisker DE and it is not as good as the 1995 version I had before. A bit too heavy on the sherry. I agree, the standard 10 is the best value and always good. I also have the 1993 Lagavulin DE and it is very good and very different from the standard 16. I had a Caol Ila De a few years ago and a Clynlish DE that were both excellent. I'm tempted to try the Dalwhinnie and the Cragganmore DEs thanks to the always credible @cowfish's input.

Around here, the Lagavulin 1995 DE is $10 more than the 16 year. Personally, I'd probably make sure I had a bottle of 16 in my cabinet before I went for the DE, but I must admit I don't have much experience with DEs to begin with.

Any opinions in particular about the Lagavulin 1995? I have to admit to being curious, at least.

Serge on Whisky Fun has rated all the Lag DEs around the 90 point mark and he is a very credible blogger and whisky reviewer. I don't think Lagavulin is capable of putting out a bad whisky. Just be aware that the DE is a different animal from the 16. Both excellent IMHO.

@lostboyscout - the difference in price between the DE and the regular expression at the LCBO is quite large - Talisker DE is $30 more than the 10, the Lagavulin DE is $35 more than the 16; the Clynelish and Caol Ila DEs are $20 more than the 14 and 12, respectively, and the Glenkinchie DE is $15 more than the 12...the LCBO has stopped carrying the Dalwhinnie DE. Interestingly enough, at our St. Clynelish's Day Celebration, the majority preferred the 14 to the DE (they are both good, but...).