McClelland's Islay

@goldfilm, you evoke the wrath of the gods on Connosr by even mentioning McClelland's Islay single malt Scotch whisky. Personally I like McClelland's Islay Malt fine, particularly if the bottle is fresh. You will find others who like it too, but they will mostly not be willing to admit it publicly. (Several have admitted it to me.)

There are many McClelland's Islay haters in these woods. Be prepared!

@goldfilm I agree with @Victor McClelland's Islay is a great young single malt for the price range. It is a generally not well received considering it's pedigree. My research all points to it being a five year young Bowmore roots. I also say that if a friend brings whisky as a gift then you should enjoy it and be glad for someone taking the time to share even if they are not knowledgeable about whisky, they took the time to think of you and that is special. As a person who enjoys McClelland in all is expressions hope this was helpful for you. @Victor is right about some McClelland haters in these woods, I am not one of them and don't care for those who are. (:

@Victor, for some reason I thought you would be the first to answer! And believe it or not I knew your answer.

@PMessinger, the funny thing is, the friend that brought it home is a peat expert, but a nice Islay bottle would be too $$$ for a dinner, so as an admirable gesture decided to get the cheapest Islay instead of a good wine :)

How would you compare it to Bowmore Legend or Ardmore? Not sure if there is another Islay in the $20-40 range. Lately I tried to buy in the $40-$60 range.

I must admit my taste has evolved towards Islay (five years ago couldn't tolerate it), but not towards monsters. I still enjoy sherry and/or balanced peat (Springbank, Highland Park)... I guess the next one could be the BenRiach Curiositas.

@goldfilm, in my limited experience there are many who won't bother with anything that hides details to capture a market position at a lower price point. These individuals like to know about the whisky they are buying and the distillery is a rather large part of that. I haven't tried any McClelland's but I have got a bottle of Finlaggan Old Reserve which is probably a similar price. I really enjoy it and the price is more about the sales strategy than the quality of the product, what better way to move excess stocks?

@goldfilm, I suspect you have read some of my old posts! There is a lot of recorded whisky conversation on Connosr 6 years on...and a lot of useful information in the older discussions.

Bowmore Legend is a lot like McClelland's Islay. I think that you can accurately say that a progression from McClelland's Islay to Bowmore Legend to Bowmore 12 to Bowmore 18 is mostly a matter of taking some of the rowdier, more intense, Bowmore elements out through greater wood mellowing in the aging process. Bowmore is to me a very identifiable distillery. People recognise it, and its leathery style separates people out quickly who either like it or dislike/HATE it.

Ardmore Traditional Cask does not taste like any Bowmore, and I suspect it has more fans than the younger Bowmores. I like the old Ardmore Trad at 46%. I don't think I'd buy a bottle at 40% abv.

Bowmore is a style I have always enjoyed drinking, but the only Bowmores I could get especially excited about are the 10 yo Tempest and the 10 yo Devil's Cask. I did like my own bottle of McClelland's Islay very much at first too, but I found that unfortunately air time seemed to greatly damage its appeal. If I ever guy another bottle of it I will be sure to decant it if it is not drunk within 3 months.

If you want good inexpensive lighter Islay whisky, I suggest the Islay Mist 8 yo blended Scotch, which is Laphroaig based. I think of this one as "Laphroaig Light". It is quite good and very reasonably priced. White Horse Blended Scotch is a "Lagavulin Light", but I don't think it is nearly as appealing as Islay Mist 8 yo.

Are you already a Caol Ila 12 fan? That would seem to be another logical place for you to go, given your taste preferences. Yes, I know, it is not inexpensive like McClelland's Islay or Bowmore Legend. It is worth observing, though, that lots of people that love stuff like Ardbeg Corryvreckan and Laphroaig Cask Strength cringe at the McClelland's Islay which you enjoy.

@goldfish I can only second the awesome words of @Victor. I have had both Bowmore Legend and Ardmore Traditional. Both are good but different. Your friend bringing the McClelland to dinner is part of the experience of my whisky journey I enjoy the most. I hate to sound like a cheerleader for less expensive bottles, but if the whisky is good & a friend gives it to me as a gift. That is great. If the whisky is not so good, that is also great because the person thought of me and brought me whisky to share and enjoy. My very first bottle of McClelland Islay was a gift from someone who is a pensioner years ago, it has been in my cabinet & my admiral / wife's cabinet ever since. Another great inexpensive blend and one of my favorites is Isle of Skye in both 8yr and 12yr expressions. These are in my cabinet right next to the McClellands. (:

I'll put it out there. I'll likely never buy it, and if someone gives it to me a s a gift I will likely never open it. If they ask me to open it I will, but once they leave I will likely not drink it. I would probably, if pressed, have a half dram in the giver's presence.

This is because it does not fit the profile of what I would like. I prefer cask strength, bold flavour. I really enjoy good mouthfeel. Everything I have read about this suggests it is not what I would want.

Outside of a tasting where you try to experience small amounts of many whiskies, I drink 1-2 drams a week on a good week. I want something GOOD, and by that, I mean really good. I have so many excellent spirits in my cabinet I won't "waste" my opportunity on something that at best will be so-so.

I don't think that makes me a snob. I think it makes me pragmatic. It's not that I want expensive stuff. I'm waiting with baited breath for my friend to bring over some OGD 114 which cost $20US. It's that there are so many things on the "to do" list, and so many newer ones at higher priority, I'll never get to it.

Do I hate McCLelland's? No, of course not. I've never tried it.

Do I look down on people who like it? No, everyone is entitled to their preferences.

If someone buys it for me because they think I'll like it, they probably don't know the whisky side of me well. but if the gift is with pure intent, it will be received with gratitude, just like all the soaps and mugs my mother got from her students....

I'm a McClelland's Islay hater. Either it's wildly inconsistent, or my tastes matured rapidly over the past few years. (Or both, of course.) Either way, when I was new to whisky it was fine. Peat was new and this was peat. Exciting! A few years and many good peated malts later, I tried another bottle of McClelland's Islay because it was $13. And it was god-awful.

It's so cheap, that you can't feel too bad about taking a spin on one. It might be fine. It might be gross.

Ardmore Traditional Cask at 46% is totally solid and a much better choice, in my opinion, if the prices are anywhere near each other.

I hear the Islay Storm at Trader Joe's is decent. I'll try one next time I'm near my local TJ's. It's $20!

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Nozinan, I think your attitude toward a bottle like this is exactly right given your drinking style.

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For a point of comparison, these are the worst whiskies I've ever had, in order of increasing disgustitude:

• Charbay R5

• Brenne

• Loch Lomond NAS

• McClelland's Islay 2013

• McClelland's Speyside ~2011

• Lost Spirits Leviathan III

@goldfilm , about the BenRiach Curiositas: If your definition of "peat monster" is the likes of Laphroaig 10 43%, then you might not like the Curiositas either. It's pretty ashy, with no much else to offset the ashy peat. It's almost literally smoky. I know some people describe it as something like "peaty but with sweet Speyside elements to balance that peat," but I think they're tasting what they expect based on knowing its from Speyside. When I had my last bottle, I included it in my self-administered Russion Roulette of blind tastings mixed with Islay standbys, it and never stood out as the mild sweet one when its identity was hidden.

I like it quite a bit, but I can see how many wouldn't.

@goldfish I totally agree with OlJas about Curiositas wich is for me the only peated Benriach that I don't really like.

@OlJas I woulod still be curious to taste that Lost Spirits Leviathan III just to check if I'm among those 10% that put it in the 90+ category. Maybe it's like a Dare!

@Victor, I just came across a bottle of Islay Mist 17y Blended Scotch at a local store. Have you ever had this one and if so how was it?

@Benancio, I haven't tasted Islay Mist 17 yo, but I would like to.

@Victor Me too, this one has a nice little price tag to go with it. Guess you can't buy them all.

@Robert99 , I dumped out almost all of the Leviathan III, but I kept one small sample bottle—strictly for daring purposes.

Thanks for all the opinions, one thing I like to clarify is that I wasn't and I'm not looking for an affordable Islay. I simply wanted to find out about what others have experienced with affordable Islay bottles.

@Victor I do like Caol Ila, that's why I recently got the Moch. Thanks for your suggestions about Bowmore and Ardmore.

@PMessinger, please I need to hear more about having two whisky cabinets, one for you and one for your wife. Is that virtual or you got two separated pieces of furniture. That sounds amazing :)

@Nozinan, that's exactly how I drink. No more than 2 drams a week. I only want to have bottles I really enjoy, I'm excited when it's time to get a new one, always different, and that makes it even more interesting to share my bottles with any friend or relative, otherwise it takes a long time... so I guess the McClelland's will be an option for guests... unless I feel I want a quick dram to wind down after a long day — but actually with our drink philosophy that would be a perfect moment for a great whisky.

@OIJas, you made me remember the worst experience I had: Douglas Laing Glen Spey 9 — tastes and smells like pure mezcal, also two different friends agreed on that. I even emailed the distillery and as a token of appreciation they sent me a set of glasses, and suggested I try, according to my Islay taste, their "Big Peat" blend. We'll see...

@OlJas I can understand dumping something like fiddich, but a rare bad whisky is as special as a good premium whisky. There are only a limited number of bottles so bad you HAVE to keep them to make available for others.

Loch Dhu is a good Scotch example. I understand Collingwood 21 may be Canada's entry. Maybe Leviathan is the US offer.

I recently took a Belgian bottle off my friend's hands. He's barely touched it in a year and a half. It is a grain whisky. I will review it (it has 2 reviews on Connosr) and will offer it once to anyone who wants to try the worst whisky I have ever tried.

Yeah, I can't even pretend here. This is not good whisky. At all. One of the worst 5-10% I've ever tried, if I'm being honest. Edgy, sharp, feinty. Full of off notes. Aggressive in all the wrong ways.

There is such delicious irony here in this being an entry level malt, but being the very type of Scotch that would scare most newcomers away.

But...to each his own. The less I drink of it, the more for others!

I think the small (100 ml?) bottle I saved off will be plenty of Leviathan to inflict on my loved ones for many years to come. If I run out, well, I guess I'll cross that disgusting bridge when I come to it.

I don't think I'm usually a shameless self-promoter, but my review of Leviathan III is here on Connosr:

connosr.com/reviews/lost-spirits/…

And the chatter pane there elicited some other nominations from other Connosrpudlians for Worst Whisky Ever.

@goldfilm thanks for asking the answer to your question about the cabinets is, yes they are both real furniture. My profile pic is my actual cabinet. Not bragging but it is custom built by Amish cabinet makers, the material is oak, and the count of bottles on my profile page is also current and all in the cabinet. Admiral has her cabinet next to mine and has more selection of ice wines, liquors and other beverages that she likes to drink. She has McClelland's Islay and about three Caol Ila 12yr olds in there. We also have two standard poodles named after whisky. Niki and Bunny, sort for Bunnahabhain. Thanks again for your interest. (: