Give me zip!

@OlJas, I'm sorry but I haven't a clue what you're talking about! That being said, welcome to connosr and good luck finding your 'zippy' whiskies ; )

@OlJas...based on the references you give, my interpretation is that you are referring to whiskies with unusual notes, which jump out as a singular experience on the nose or palate, that you either do not find in whisky profiles in general, or within a general profile associated with whiskies common to the region/style of the 'zippy' bottle. In general, notes that jump out at you on their own, while serving to provide a heightened experience to the overall profile of the bottle.

A couple examples coming to mind from my tasting experiences:

• Some Irish whiskies (Jameson Gold) and Hazelburn 8 (a Campbeltowner) have a cotton candy like note that is very unusual.
• McCarthy's Oregon Single Malt has a bbq sauce note
• Ledaig 10 (as 'aboutchoice' sums up rather nicely in his review) has a particularly strong and distinctive tar note that, while sounding quite odd/potentially disgusting, really works well with the heavy peat profile.
• Old Grand Dad 114 produced a sensation of 'wood tentacles' grabbing hold of my tongue when I sampled it with several Connosr members just over a year ago at an epic tasting!!

@OlJas Dude, you and me are like whisky brothers! I hear you all the way. I live for the zip! I don't have much to add because it looks like you've already discovered what I have. Most Springbanks are great and Glenlivet Nadurra has it in spades, even beyond many other cask-strengthers I've had. Some obvious ones like Laphroaig cask-strength and Ardbeg Corryvreckan have it. This one might not be very helpful, but one of my favorite whiskies ever was the Mackinlay's Shackleton replica, and it had great zip (maybe from the higher ABV and some youngish 8-yr old in the mix). Hope this helps. I highly recommend Nadurra though (no water!).

@OlJas/YoungJas, Think I know what you mean..."zip" I would define as "having flavours which are vivid, pointed, well-defined, and strong." The meaning also seems to be not too far from "bite", except that you are apparently not applying it to alcohol per se, and a lot of connosrs use 'bite' almost exclusively to pertain to tasting alcohol. (I don't use 'bite' that way)

I almost always like 'zip', except for a few flavours I don't like in whiskey, like anise/black licorice or grapefruit, but I also like most whiskies without 'zip'.

One of the 'zippier' blended Scotches is Baillie Nicol Jarvie, but you aren't ever likely to see it in the US. I also agree with @Pudge72 that Old Grand-Dad 114 has 'zip'. Thomas Handy Rye, George T. Stagg, and William Larue Weller have tons of zip.

"Zip" is also a bit like getting an immediate electric taste shock when you put the whisky in your mouth.

@OlJas Hi and welcome.

I'm somewhere between CanadianNinja and Victor in my understanding of your question. Your saying Tobermory offers your "zip" threw me off.

I think I'd better grasp your overall definition of "zip" if I knew specifically which whiskies you've tried that have it. Some peated and some cask strength whiskies are so subtle that I don't think they'd fit your mold. So please help us out and give us some examples of whisky with zip.

I believe I know what you mean. I basically agree with @Victor. While lower alcohol levels and sherried whiskies can get "soft" on the palate or smooth, and sherried whiskies can even be thick and syrupy… you prefer that slightly in your face "zip" or "zing" that one gets with high levels of phenols and/or higher ABV. Even some of the "saltier" whiskies, like Tobermory may have what you're talking about.

Sometimes I want that too, but sometimes I'm also in the mood for a more delicate, softer experience.

You may want to try some barrel proof (cask strength) Rye whiskies. Victor mentioned the Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye, and I am working on a bottle of that right now. Definitely has a zip to it!

Yeah, sounds like you like young whiskies, and higher ABV. Fair enough, don't blame you. Laph QC has what you describe as far as I know - a good punch followed by plenty of peat.

I'm curious is of the sherried whiskies you've had, if you've had cask strength ones like A'Bunadh?

I have to say I'm even more perplexed by what this 'zip' is now than when the thread began! If I take what @Victor seems to be referring to as 'zip' than essentially we are talking about whiskies with higher ABV? In which case this 'zip' is the strength of the whisky?

If however I consider what @Pudge72 posted, we're talking about unusual or unique notes? But in that case couldn't anything be considered 'zip'? For example the mouthful of cotton candy I get from a Bushmills 10 yo, the motor oil from Grant's Family Reserve or the leather armchair I get from a Suntory Royal 15 yo. All of those, what I would consider, unique notes are 'zip'?

If this is so than wouldn't it be fair to say that almost all whiskies have their own 'zip'?

Thanks all for your thoughtful replies! I was wondering how well the vocabulary would translate.

Victor's eloquent definition is good: "vivid, pointed, well-defined, and strong." You can’t go wrong with “electric taste shock” either. I also liked OCeallaigh's "zing." Really, you could use many words that splash across the old Batman TV show: BAM! BANG! RIP! POWIE! THWAP! ZOWIE! Maybe not THWAP.

To my whisky bro valuewhisky: Thanks for the recommendation of the Glenlivet Nadurra. I've eyed that one on occasion, but it's hard to buy that over (say) Ardbeg Ten or PC An Turas Mor at a similar price, especially knowing how boring the Glenlivet 12 is. Maybe the Nadurra should be my non-peaty summertime request for Father's Day (June in the US). Around here, it's the same price as Redbreast CS (~$59 USD). Have you had both? Which delivers more zip?

Victor: Thanks for the BNJ recommendation. I made good friends with Ol’ Ballie during a long trip around Scotland a few years ago. (I picked up the bottle during Week One and drained the last dram somewhere around Week Three, between Fife and Skye.) I don’t remember thinking it zippy, but I was just discovering my tastes back then. Regardless, I’d rebuy it in a heartbeat just for sentimentality and give it another whirl with my zip detectors deployed.

Two-bit cowboy: I probably should have emphasized that it’s the NEW Tobermory (46.3%) that I’ve found zippy. I heard the old one was a dud, but I never had it. SMC describes it well: connosr.com/reviews/tobermory/… Anyway, you flatteringly requested a few more specific examples. The zippiest whiskies I’ve had lately are Ardbeg 10 and Springbank CS. Mid-grades include Caol Ila 12, Glen Scotia 12, HP 12, and JW Black. Insufficient zipsters include Knappogue Castle, Black Bush, and some dimly remembered Mortlach that passed my lips at a tasting.

lostboyscout: You got it! Laphroaig QC is a great example of zip. I’ve had few sherried whiskies: some standard Aberlour, few Macallans at bars with nothing better. Except for the Macallan CS, I’ve found very little to get excited about. I do really want to try the a’bunadh, though! I suspect & hope that it would deliver zip and maybe open some sherried doors for my taste buds. I’d ask if you’d recommend it, but I’m sure the answer is yes. :) It’s clearly a favorite for many.

CanadianNinja: Sorry to confuse you with my lingo. I hope the overall discussion has clarified the point – if you care to keep following it!

About ryes: Do those of you who love peated whisky and saltier whisky typically like ryes? Do you like them “in the same way” (if that makes sense)? I last tried to like rye with a bottle of Russell’s Reserve and it didn’t do anything for me. It just tasted too much like your typical sweet American whiskey. I resorted to ice and mixers and finish it off. I wonder if I need to get a better bottle – like those recommended here – or if I should just accept that ryes don’t do it for me. $20 is easy to blow for a Russell’s, but I can’t stomach the thought of choosing a high end bottle at the expense of (say) an Ardbeg Oogie and then finding the same disappointing experience of a generic American whiskey taste.

All that said, if I list a few bottles that I’m eying, maybe ya’ll wouldn’t mind commenting on whether you think they’d hit the “zip mark.” And are any other bottles missing from this conversation?

• Ardmore TC: This sounds like an economic mid-zipper, good for setting off the big boys. I just wonder if it has enough of this elusive quality to be worthwhile.

• Balcones Brimstone: It sounds like it might be awesome and different than the usual peaty suspects, but I worry it might be overly thick, sweet, and/or BBQ-sauce-ish.

• Clynelish 14: This always sounds interesting, but I worry that its taste mix is on the subtle side.

• Glenlivet Nadurra: valuewhisky recommends!

• Redbreast CS: It’s only $12 more than the stand bottling, so this choice is a no-brainer among the Redbreast family. I’ve never tasted any of their stuff though.

• (The “gimmies” -- safe bets like Longrow and Laphroaig -- probably don’t need any backing.)

~~~ Thanks everyone. After months of lurking here and reading the old discussions, it’s fun to get replies from this board’s famous names. Cheers!

Ol’ Jas

A bottle that hasn't been mentioned here (and rarely is) which I would recommend is Bunnahabhain 18 yo. I suggest this however, still not really sure what this 'zip' is. But one thing I can promise is that it has a rather unique flavor profile.

It may contain your 'zip' ; )

@OldJas I truly wasn't trying to flatter you. I was searching for a reference point, and I don't seem to have found it. I thought the Tobermory 46.3% to be one of the most dull and unfocused whiskies I've tried in the last few years. A clear example of the phrase "to each his own", ya?

I can't, based on what I've read so far, make a recommendation. I might suggest, however, that you try every whisky that comes into your view. Spend some time with each one, slowly, patiently, and let the whisky tell you its story. Then, zip or no zip, you'll have a better feel for what it is you like. It's as important to know what you don't like as it is to know what you do, and time is the key.

Happy sipping!

Bob

I don't like Glenlivet 12 either - but I love Nadurra. And yes I've had both - Redbreast 12 CS is weak and boring even at cask strength, I like Nadurra much better.