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Let's talk about blends.

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By @BlueNote @BlueNote on 25th Aug 2012, show post

Replies: page 2/2

Taco replied

You might want to try JW Swing. Less expensive than Green but I find it better. It hardly seems a blend as it is quite good. More of a Spey-Highland blend with floral, spice and honey notes. Even better, but more expensive, is Buchanan's 18 yo Special Reserve. Similar to Swing, but definitely tastes like very old whiskey blend. I will have these in my cabinet for sure.

12 years ago 1Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote replied

@Taco. I passed up the Buchanan's at a duty free last year in favour of the JW Double Black. I think that was a mistake as the Double Black is a bit of a letdown and not as good as the regular Black for my money. Next time I see it I will grab the Buchanan's.

12 years ago 0

@JoeVelo
JoeVelo replied

I usually have a blend in my cabinet. I like to have a drink of it sometimes to soften the palate and enjoy.

12 years ago 0

Taco replied

@BlueNote Ome thing with the SR18 is that the palate can disappear some as the level drops. One should not let it sit half full or less, but go ahead and drink it up. As good as it is, that shouldn't be a problem. Enjoy it and let me know when you get a bottle. PS - Serge gave it a 90, so I'm not alone in liking this blend.

12 years ago 0

@BlueNote
BlueNote replied

@Taco. I'll keep that in mind, if I'm lucky enough to find a bottle. I think my Ballantine's 17 has lost some of it's original flavour profile. It's half full right now and I've had it for about 8 months. I tried very small drams of all my blends last night and didn't like any of them (Famous Grouse, Black Grouse, JW Double Black, Teachers, Ballantine's 17 and Grant's Family Reserve). So I tried a couple of my favourite single malts and didn't enjoy them either. I'm putting it down to just a bad taste bud day because right now I am just loving my dram of Ardbeg 10.

@JoeVelo. Have you found any particularly good blends?

12 years ago 0

Taco replied

@BlueNote OK. That's kinda scary. I'm finishing the last dram of Ardbeg 10 I have at home! And, yes, it is a very good bottle (L11 321). I just got a bottle of Corryvrecken yesterday to fill it's slot in the cabinet. As my wife and daughter are out spending money, I'll probably pour a dram of Corry too!

12 years ago 0

@Lex
Lex replied

First off, new to this place. Nice to meet you all. I will say, that I really do love blends. It's a different experience all together than a single malt. I would never try and savor a blend or process what I'm tasting. That's what a single malt is for. A blend to me is almost like an escape from the rigidities of the single malt world. You can't close your eyes and pretend that the complexities of a single malt don't exist. There is no way to mindlessly sip one. That's where a blend comes in, (I should clarify that I'm speaking about the $20-25 dollar stuff) you get to step out of the complex, throw a few ice cubes in a tumbler and enjoy a refreshing, consistent and most of the time delicious glass of whisky. Black Bottle is a good one, JWB is tasty but overpriced, Pig's Nose is rich and intense but is trying too hard to taste like a single malt and you end up with this confusing and all over the place scotch that while having virtues, is far too young and rough to to be going for that single malt thickness. White Horse is gross (though it lures you in with the first smokey sip before going south. The Famous Grouse is clean and refreshing and maybe a bit boring. Never had Clan MacGegor and am kind of scared. DeWars White and JW Red are so far my least favorite. There is a store near my house that sells Scottish Leader for $18 and I plan on buying that next.

12 years ago 0

@JoeVelo
JoeVelo replied

I tasted the Compass Box Great King Street recently and it is very good. I like JW Red and Black and also Ballantines. @BlueNote

12 years ago 0

@BlueNote
BlueNote replied

@JoeVelo. I would love to get hold of some more of the Compass Box blends. The only one available in BC is Oak Cross. The Peat Monster was around for a while and I managed to get one. Very nice. Any idea what the Oak Cross is like?

12 years ago 0

@talexander
talexander replied

Though I have a lot of big issues with Jim Murray, I agree 100% with his assessment of Ballantine's 17 Year Old (@Victor, you must remember my enthusiasm when I got the chance to pour it for you!) I think blends have the opportunity to be incredibly complex, evolving and endlessly fascinating. What a single malt can explore in terms of terroir, a great blend can explore in terms of what spirits can bring to the nose and palate. My favourites are Grant's Family Reserve, Ballantine's (Limited and 17 Years Old), Black Bull 12 (I have a bottle of 40 but haven't cracked it yet), Johnnie Walker Black and - if this one doesn't convince the single malt snob, nothing will - both Hibiki 12 and 17 - they are incredible! Of course, there are blends I dislike or think are substandard (JW Red), overrated (Chivas Regal 18, for example), and it will take a lot to get me to try a Whyte & Mackay just because Richard Paterson is such a blowhard twat (despite his skills). And I have a soft spot for J&B Rare just because it was the first Scotch I started drinking regularly - a perfect introduction. And let's not forget Irish blends - Jameson's Rarest Vintage Reserve, Tullamore Dew 12, Black Bush - all are fantastic.

12 years ago 0

@Wills
Wills replied

I am really wondering that lots of you like the Grant's Family Reserve so much. I guess I am biased thinking that can't be as good as a single malt and therefore don't care enough when tasting it, but for me it has not that much to offer except the big alcoholic kick. I am quite sure that there are excellent Blends out and I would love to taste them. For my part I just had some cheap Blends which put the measuring stick quite low.

That beeing said, is it possible that you notice the alcoholic burn more explicitly when u swallow faster? I would guess so because of the lower dilution. Just have to try this with some of my single malts, because usually I keep them in my mouth for some time for obv reasons ;)

12 years ago 0

@BlueNote
BlueNote replied

@Wills. I find the opposite. If I roll a good single malt around my mouth I get much more of a lasting sensation of burn and flavour on the tongue when I swallow. Standard blends, however, go down with very little residual taste or burn and generally have a very short finish. I still like many standard issue blends, like J & B, Cutty Sark, Teacher's, Famous Grouse etc. for that very reason. Just a good, uncomplicated enjoyable drink. I would not lump high end blends like Ballantines 17, JW Gold, Royal Salute 21 etc. into that category. For me, they offer something different yet comparable to the single malt experience. For quite a long time after I discovered single malts, I had an irrational anti blend attitude. I'm now very much over that and a lot more open minded.

So many whiskies, so little time. Cheers.

12 years ago 0

@JoeVelo
JoeVelo replied

Got a bottle of The Black Grouse last weekend. It is very good and I would rate it higher than JW Black.

12 years ago 0

@YakLord
YakLord replied

@BlueNote - The Compass Box blends that I've tried were both extremely good (Spice Tree, Peat Monster). I've got a bottle of Oak Cross in my storage room, but I haven't opened it yet, so I can't comment.

@JoeVelo - I wasn't that impressed with the Black Grouse, as it seemed to be an unsubtle brick of peat on top of the existing Famous Grouse flavour profile. In terms of JW Black, I find that the Green is better (too bad it has been discontinued...).

Of the other blends that I've tried, Te Bheag was enjoyable (very heavy Talisker influence), and the Famous Grouse was ok, but I've been consistently disappointed by Chivas Regal and Ballantines (even the 17 year). I've yet to try Teacher's or Grant's.

12 years ago 0

@Lex
Lex replied

Has anyone tried Scottish Leader?

12 years ago 0

Sroberts86 replied

I wouldn't. Its usually the cheapest nastiest thing on offer in rubbish bars. My girlfriends gran drank it and the smell was enough. Probably strip wall paper with it @Lex

12 years ago 1Who liked this?

@GotOak91
GotOak91 replied

It sounds like Im going to have to acquire Black Grouse thanks @JoeVelo.

12 years ago 0

@Styles
Styles replied

I have loved reading the comments in this thread. The wonderful thing about whisk(e)y, no matter whether it is a single malt, a blend, a blended malt or grain, it all comes down to our own individual taste. Hearing the comments from those who have contributed to this thread has been great to see where their individual taste had lead them.

For me personally, I enjoy blends but not a lot of the introductory levels. Bottles like Bells, Teachers, JW red and Grants reserve aren't really for me. I have enjoyed and buy black bottle, islay mist, antiquary and compass box. I must say I do particularly love what compass box has produced both in the blends and blended malts. Japanese blends I love as well like Hibiki which I can't get enough of!

I do prefer single malts generally but blends can be just as good. Sometimes I like to think of whisky being like the various friends we have in life. If we want to have fun and let our hair down we have friends we turn to. If on the other hand we want to talk something over more seriously we might turn to someone else. Depending on our mood we might turn to a good blend or to a single malt. Right now I have been moved to go and get my 12 year old Hibiki and enjoy the friendship of a japanese blend!

12 years ago 4Who liked this?

@Wills
Wills replied

@Styles True words. And I would love to try this Hibiki 12yo! Slainte my friend

12 years ago 0

@MacBaker62
MacBaker62 replied

I also agree with Styles. The Suntory blend, Hibiki 12 year old, is a very balanced, great tasting blend. We just finished off a bottle, and plan to replace it soon! It tastes great, and if that's not enough, the bottle looks stunning on any bar or shelf!

12 years ago 0

Sroberts86 replied

nikka from the barrell is great too

12 years ago 0