Drams we love to love... and love to hate...

I think the best example of this for me is Lagavulin 16. I don't like the bottle I had at all and people think there is something wrong with me when I say that.

@RikS, I take nothing whatsoever for granted any more with respect to expectations for consistency in whisk(e)y. I've seen enormous variation among bottles of the same-named whisky, including bottles from the same batch, and even from the same bottling date.

I would love for every single bottle I taste or buy to bring me extreme joy and gustatory and olfactory ecstasy. When that does not occur I have learned that even memory of the bad experiences cannot give me any sort of cognitive security that a future taste of the same-named whisky will taste the same or as unsatisfyingly unpleasant. Each bottle of whisky is its own little universe, and that universe also changes greatly with air exposure of the bottle in question. Really the only thing we can speak about with conviction and certainty are the perceptions we have of the whisky in front of us at the exact time we are experiencing it.

So, @RikS, like pretty much everyone else, I would like to be able to say "this whisk(e)y is great; this one is good; and this one is no good." but experience has shown me that the real world of whisk(e)y does not allow that sort of generalisation to be honestly made.

All of that said, what would most shock me would be to encounter:

1) on the negative side: to find a truly horrible bottle of Lagavulin 12 yo or William Larue Weller, and,

2) on the positive side: to find a truly fabulous bottle of Gentleman Jack, Early Times Whiskey, Lambertus 10 yo Single Grain Whisky, or anything from Speyburn.

No doubt there are others which would shock, but those come most quickly to mind.

@Victor The molten core of the earth will likely freeze over and crack in two before you find an excellent bottle of Lambertus 10...

@Nozinan I really need to try this Lambertus!

As much as I extol the virtues of Laphroaig and Lagavulin (which I admit are a mixed bag for other, more objective drinkers), I’ve actually never had a bad bottle or dram of Talisker. Whatever they are doing over there on Skye, it seems to be working for my taste buds. Maybe I should forget waiting on Cairdeas Quarter Cask CS, and just get myself a Talisker DE...

I went back and read the reviews on this Lambertus. @Nozinan your medical description and @markjedi "aqua vitae horribilis"...hilarious! I will revisit these reviews when I need a laugh.

@OdysseusUnbound it will put you off whisky for a week. Much like the affectation on the human brain after trying LSD - flash backs and not nice ones. The sample swap was based on bad whisky. @Nozinan gives me his worst whisky for my worst whisky. After tasting it i conceded that it was the worst whisky I've tasted. It's Paska whisky from start to finish and after. @Nozinan you can get rid of the Lambertus 10 as samples to those who want to try it. What a waste of a sample bottle!

@fiddich1980 I think Lambertus has a place in my cabinet for those special people who want to try an awful whisky in order to appreciate the good stuff better. I consider it a public service, but I am not so altruistic that I would buy another bottle. I'd love to put this H2H vs Loch Dhu.

@OdysseusUnbound Not such a bad idea. That Cairdeis is QC with a higher abv. It's nice, but not as memorable as the Carideis they did with Port, for example. I don't regret the purchase, but it tasted, well, like QC with a higher abv.....Tali DE has the sherry finish--sweet peat and then all of complexity of Talisker 10.If the prices were close, I'd go for the Talisker DE. I'll be interested to hear what call you make and what you make of the chosen expression.

It’s not a whisky, but a person...Jim Murray. He is lauded by the mainstream media but seems to be reviled by most whisky enthusiasts. Maybe it’s a natural consequence of his success. I’m not sure. I know I don’t always agree with him, but I don’t begrudge him his preferences. In fact, I just ordered his 2018 Whisky Bible, just as a reference book and out of curiosity.

@OdysseusUnbound, I find Murray to be obfuscating. After reading one of his critiques I often need a drink.

@paddockjudge I kind of feel that way about the Scotch Noob. I really like his blog, but I rarely agree with his assessments.

@OdysseusUnbound @paddockjudge - Funny, I have similar feelings towards Murray. I don't mind his style but it's quite clear that our tastes are very far apart. That seems to be the knack with finding reviews(ers) helpful - how well aligned are their tastes to yours and are they consistent? Ralfy, on the other hand, I find I'm more often than not in agreement with.

Re the OP: @RikS - 'love to love' has to include Ardbeg 10, and probably Oogie (and Corry?). Talisker is another that seems to always get positive reviews. A'bunadh and Lagavulin 16 also spring to mind - Macallan 18? I'm speaking in a general sense here not so much as an individual - my encounters with Laga 16, for example, haven't been as non-eventful as @casualtorture but they haven't thrilled either.

Love to hate - I'm eagerly awaiting a chance to try this famed Lambertus ! JW Red label seems to get universally panned these days and going off my last experiences - Tullamore Dew and Jim Beam White Label would be on my ones to avoid list.

@RianC I'll add four roses and Jack Daniels "7". Don't know if I'll say that I love to hate'em... but I tried sips of old bottles the other day and to Me, it tasted like pee coloured nail varnish killed by over-infusion of sweet vanilla. But... they were old bottles, so that was probably the reason... ;-)