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So, what are you drinking now?

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By @Wodha @Wodha on 15th Jan 2010, show post

Replies: page 459/645

@BlueNote
BlueNote replied

@Nozinan Aaaargh, you're killing me with the Laimrig. Is envy a sin?

4 years ago 3Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote replied

@Nock Curious to see which of the Octomores you like best.

4 years ago 2Who liked this?

@Nozinan
Nozinan replied

@BlueNote I’ve often thought which is worse, jealousy or envy.

I know that some religions describe envy as a sin, but I always thought envy was an internal feeling that includes an empathy for the other person. You can be envious that another person has a coveted bottle and still wish them well.

My thoughts on jealousy is that it does not include happiness for the other person, and perhaps even negative thoughts.

In any event many people interchange the words without consideration.

And to think I wasn’t as pressed with it initially and wondered if I had made a mistake buying so many.

Good think I have third bottle of another batch too.

I know what I’ll be opening when you come to visit. Bring a sample bottle.

4 years ago 5Who liked this?

@TracerBullet
TracerBullet replied

Last night I popped open the Lagavulin 11 yo Offerman Edition to try with a buddy of mine. (I suck at this so keep that in mind) Nose - Definitely Lagavulin. I smell the peat, that medicinal aroma, seaweed and something sweet. Palate - Very smooth, more so than the Lagavulin 16. Sweeter at first than the 16 as well. But now the 16 emerges - salt, bandaids, seaweed, salt and a little peat (Where is my punch of peat? This is more subdued) There is also a sweetness, more so than in the 16. My buddy gets a grin on his face, says he is tasting something. The grin turns into a smile and he says he knows what it is. It's his aunt's peanut butter fudge she used to make during the holidays. Finish - Medium to long and here is my peat! A nice smokey lingering finish.

No mistaking this for anything other than Lagavulin but it is different (not in a bad way IMO) than the other offerings that I have tried. I was afraid this was a gimmick but I was pleasantly surprise. Not sure if I would pay the $90-$100 that some are charging for this but I was able to pick this up in the $60 range.

4 years ago 4Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote replied

@Nozinan Your reputation as the most generous of men precedes you. I'll change envy to pleasure. I'm pleased to think of you enjoying one of life's small pleasures.

4 years ago 1Who liked this?

@RianC
RianC replied

I still have a couple of samples from @wierdo to review and was planning to do so tonight but after being out in the sleet and rain all day I've opted for a double helping of Smith & Cross rum. This stuff is getting better and better. I may do a quick review on the 'Other Spirits' thread.

4 years ago 4Who liked this?

@Nozinan
Nozinan replied

@RianC Used to be you could walk into an LCBO and pick up a bottle of Smith and Cross anytime. Now, it hasn't been around for years. I like it as a sipper and also for Flambéed bananas. I have 1 bottle left. Come on LCBO, get your act together!

4 years ago 4Who liked this?

@OdysseusUnbound

Sipping the last bit of my Dalmore 12. I'm hoping this bottle wasn't an outlier, as I am planning to purchase another one, once I've pared down my collection a bit.

4 years ago 3Who liked this?

@Nock
Nock replied

Tonight I am sipping on some Ardbeg 10yo as I compose this overly long post of my notes from last nights (mostly) Octomore tasting. And incase you wondered . . . Ardbeg 10yo might be the most underrated 46% whisky currently readily available. It just hast batch issues. This is happens to be a good batch.

Port Charlotte 2007 CC:01 8yo 57.8% (40 ppm) – This bottle was easy to identify. It really had some interesting round notes, but then some strong Cognac influence. The peat was toned down. Over all it was sweet and funky with peat and some of those funky grape notes you can get in cognac. It was easily my least favorite of the night. Far too tame at 57.8%. It is curious, but not one I would ever buy again. = 86

Octomore 8.2 Masterclass 8yo 58.4% (167ppm) – This bottle was the outlier. It was easy to spot in my clear glasses. I had to work really hard to give it a fair evaluation. I really feel like I might need to invest in those blue glasses just to remove my ability to identify a sherry or wine matured whisky. This one was similar to how I described it the other night (last Saturday I think?). It is an interesting blend of sweet notes with sour wine notes. It all takes place on a foundation of peat. Extremely dense and interesting . . . but extremely restrained. A curiosity for sure. But not a favorite. It just barley makes an A- for me. = 90

Octomore 9.3 5yo 62.9% (133ppm) – This was another restrained whisky. It has peat, farm, and earth. All said it is a total Octomore experience. But far more balanced that most of the Octomores I have tried. The finish was not as big as I expected. I originally guessed it correctly, but then changed my mind at the last second thinking it could be the Pl4 at the lower ppm and lower ABV. I was wrong. Shocked by its balance and complexity. = 93

Port Charlotte Elements of Islay Pl4 61.2% (40 ppm) – this was extremely close with the 7.3. They were neck and neck in many places. Shocking similar. Big peat, big farm, big earthy notes with tons of animal body smells. Very funky and very peaty. I love it. This was not as big as the 7.3 on the nose or palate . . . but it seemed better constructed (even though it was only two casks). It really was well balanced. It was the smooth twin brother to the more boisterous 7.3 I really enjoyed this one a lot. Socked that it seemed bigger than the 9.3 at only 1/3rd of the peating level. = 94

Octomore 7.3 Islay Barley 5yo 64% (169ppm) – Shockingly bigger on the nose than the Pl4. This is just massive waves of dense peat, huge farm, almost sweaty socks (in a good way), deep earth, herbal, anis, liquorish, barn, farm, animal fur. Offensive in the way I like. Simply a massive wave of peat, spice, and farm. I love this stuff. I can't wait to see where this bottles transitions over the next few moths. I think it will only get better. = 95

Octomore 8.3 Islay Barley 5yo 61.2% (309ppm) – This whisky is currently sending me into an existential crisis. In every category I use to grade a whisky (nose, palate, finish, complexity, balance, and aesthetic experience) it is scoring near perfection. Is this the perfect whisky for me? It just might be. There are 2 or 3 other whiskies (an Ardbeg and a Brora or two) that might disagree . . . but I cannot deny the experience I am currently having with this bottle. It was NOT that way when I first opened it in May of 2018. It really had to go through a journey to arrive at its current state. So why do I like it so much? When I nose this I am instantly transported back to my Grandfather’s farm in Michigan. I find myself in a specific corner of one of his several barns next a feed trough standing in hay littered with old manure beside several goats and two peacocks. It is a shocking experience of memory. And for me I think that is what I value most in a whisky – the whisky needs to transport me somewhere. And this does that in spades. Not only am I transported somewhere, but it also hits a now lost moment of my personal and emotional history. And then a huge tsunami wave of peat crashes over me and envelops every fiber of my being. For a single euphoric moment I almost feel myself extinguished residing in only peat, pain, and memory. After the initial nuclear blast of peat on the finish you get wave upon wave of rich farm, peat, earth, smoke, and spice come slowly and elegantly rolling in. This finish of wave after wave seems to last forever . . . sexy and sublime. = 98

Ya, I know. Is this really a 98? For me . . . it just might be . . . perhaps a 99. Granted this is single snap shot of whisky on one night. And even if you have a bottle . . . I doubt it would taste like this one. I remember sharing this bottle with @Victor, @paddockjudge, and @Nozinan in May of 2018 . . . and it was nothing like it is today. I am sorry you guys didn’t get to try it at this stage.

My conclusion? I need many more bottles of 8.3 . . . this might be my favorite whisky ever. I doubt any of you reading this will like it as much as I do. This is not an objective score, but a personal score. It says far more about me than about the whisky. Part of it is my own personal story and history and how it reminds of all of that. So please don’t buy any. And let me know if you see it in the wild. Or if you have any to trade.

4 years ago 8Who liked this?

@bwmccoy
bwmccoy replied

Rated the last of my open bottles;

Auchentoshan 16 year (Jan. 2003) from a 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 55.9% ABV. Rating: 87

Clynelish 15 year (Feb. 2004) from a 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 54.4% ABV. Rating: 92.

Glenrothes 12 year (Jun. 2007) from a 1st-fill Spanish oak Sherry butt - 64.6% ABV. Rating: 93

Highland Park 17 year (Sep. 2002) After 15 years in an ex-bourbon barrel, finished in a Refill Jamaican rum barrel - 57.1% ABV. Rating: 84

Bowmore 15 year (Feb. 2004) from a 2nd-fill ex-bourbon hogshead - 57.1% ABV. Rating: 88

Finished the night with Croftengea (a peated dram from Loch Lomond distillery) SMWS 122.23 (7 year - Feb. 11th, 2011) "Highly a-musing" from a second-fill ex-bourbon hogshead - 57.7% ABV

4 years ago 4Who liked this?

@MadSingleMalt

@Nock, thanks for sharing all those reflections on your recent tasting, especially that Octomore 8.3. I'll look out for one of those for myself now, even though I'd kinda sworn off the (seemingly overpriced) Octomore line in its entirety.

P.S. I felt exactly the same about the Port Charlotte 2007 CC:01.

4 years ago 3Who liked this?

@Nozinan
Nozinan replied

Bowmore Tempest, batch 5. It’s been 3 weeks since I poured it with my uncle.

Tempest, Laimrig, these are examples of Bowmore’s potential. It’s a shame they don’t have releases like these regularly.

4 years ago 5Who liked this?

@MadSingleMalt

With Bowmore, it's all about the IBs.

4 years ago 4Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote replied

@bwmccoy I’m curious about the Croftengea. What was your impression. It seems to be a bit of a darling these days.

4 years ago 1Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote replied

@MadSingleMalt That seems to be where you find some good ones alright. Have to agree with @Nozinan though. Core range wise, they are not living up to their potential. The two he mentions are prime examples of what they could be including in their core range.

4 years ago 2Who liked this?

@Nock
Nock replied

@MadSingleMalt I am always happy to share my experience. However, I am also afraid that anyone would actually place much stock in my ratings. I feel like I am an extreme outlier in the whisky tasting world.

All that said, if my grades are accurate for me (and anyone else who identifies with my taste profile) then $200 is a good price for a 94, 95 or 98 score whisky.

I have sadly paid more for less.

4 years ago 3Who liked this?

@bwmccoy
bwmccoy replied

@BlueNote - I’ve now owned 3 different Society bottles from the Loch Lomond “distilleries”; Inchmurrin, Croftenga and Inchmoan. The Inchmurrin (non-peated) was my least favorite of the three. It was ok; I rated it medium-high (81-87). The Croftengea (peated) is excellent. I rated it a 92. The Inchmoan is even better. I haven’t rated it yet because my bottle is still unopened. However, I was able to try it because it was one of the whiskies that I poured at the last Society tasting that I presented earlier this month.

While typing this post, I’m having a dram of the Croftengea (SMWS 122.23 - 7 year, Feb. 11th, 2011, "Highly a-musing" from a second-fill ex-bourbon hogshead - 57.7% ABV)

Here’s some notes on it;

Nose: Sweet smoke (honey-cured bacon), red licorice, light medicinal rub.

Palate: Powerful smoke and burnt sage on pork with salt.

Finish: Long with a slightly bitter finish. All in all, very well-balanced and satisfying for its age.

Before the Croftengea, Penderyn SMWS 128.7 (5 year - Mar. 2013) "Down the old fruit mines" - First-fill barrique (shaved/toasted/re-charred) - 61.1% ABV

After the Croftengea, finishing the night with Laphroaig SMWS 29.226 (18 year - Mar. 1999) - "Seaside surprise" - Refill ex-Oloroso sherry butt - 56.8% ABV. To me, this is whisky perfection.

4 years ago 3Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote replied

@bwmccoy Many thanks. I seem to recall that my Society member friend had the Croftengea. I'll see if he wants to get another, if it is still available.

4 years ago 1Who liked this?

@bwmccoy
bwmccoy replied

@BlueNote - not sure about the Canadian Society offerings, but there aren’t any bottles of that Croftengea still available in the U.S. at the moment. There are a couple of different Inchmurrin casks and as of this morning, there were 16 bottles of the Inchmoan still available on the website. If your friend liked the Croftengea, I think he would love the Inchmoan. It is finished in a red wine Barrique cask, but the wine influence is very subdued; perfectly balanced in my opinion.

4 years ago 2Who liked this?

@bwmccoy
bwmccoy replied

Tonight, Balmenach SMWS 48.42 (10 year - Nov. 2002) "Grown-Up Ice Lollies" from a first-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 56.7% ABV

Followed by Glen Scotia SMWS 93.112 (14 year - Feb. 2004) "Sweet and grubby" - Refill ex-bourbon hogshead - 53.7% ABV

4 years ago 0

@bwmccoy
bwmccoy replied

Glen Ord SMWS 77.57 (9 year - Apr. 2009) "Down the old wax mines" - Refill ex-bourbon hogshead - 59.1% ABV. A classic example of this distillery.

And a heavily peated Highlander; Glenturret SMWS 16.33 (8 year - Dec. 2009) "Melville’s other monster" - Re-charred hogshead - 62.0% ABV. This rivals any Islay malts!

4 years ago 2Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote replied

@bwmccoy Just saw your reply. I'll pass along the info on the Inchmoan to my friend. I did see that the Croftengea, Highly A-Musing was available in Calgary. Low stock and probably gone by now. Thanks for the information.

4 years ago 1Who liked this?

@bwmccoy
bwmccoy replied

Tonight, Linkwood 15 Year Old from Gordon & Macphail - 43% ABV.

Nose: typical Sherry aromas and summer berries. Palate: Mixed spices (especially anise) and charred oak.

4 years ago 2Who liked this?

@RianC
RianC replied

Had a very small pour of Springbank 15 last night. It's been open nearly two months now and I've barely touched it. It's such a rich and complex dram that I need time to delve in - the quality is clear and there's lots of musty, salty, earthy notes that I like, but I'm finding the sherry notes are a little too sweet and unbalance it. Maybe just a personal taste thing? I'm in no rush though as I sense this one will get better with time and air - I may even decant it.

4 years ago 4Who liked this?

@Victor
Victor replied

@RianC I bet you'd prefer the Springbank 14 yo Bourbon Wood.

4 years ago 2Who liked this?

@Nozinan
Nozinan replied

@Victor That 14 YO bourbon wood was fantastic!

4 years ago 2Who liked this?

@OdysseusUnbound

@RianC I just finished my first bottle of Springbank 15. I’m glad I have a second bottle, but you’re right that it changes with time. It’s incredibly complex from start to finish.

4 years ago 5Who liked this?

@OdysseusUnbound

I'm sipping some Clynelish 14 as I try to work out some lesson plans that might not bore my students to death. I've been a bit underwhelmed by this whisky so far. It's not bad in any way, but just very... neutral. It reminds me a bit of Oban 14, not in taste so much, but rather in its gentle, approachable nature. I can see why Clynelish is the "base" or go-to starting point for John Glaser/Compass Box. There's a bit of peachy fruitiness, some honey, a touch of brine, a slight bit of waxiness, some oak, some vanilla, but nothing over the top that grabs you. I purchased this over a year ago for about $12 less than it sells for these days and for much less than the Oban 14's asking price. I mean, even by LCBO standards, $125 for Oban 14 is insane.

4 years ago 3Who liked this?

@Nock
Nock replied

Tonight I am sipping on some Ardbeg 10yo batch 04/06/2018

This is an "good" batch. I put it at least at 90 points . . . but possibly more. In Ardbeg 10yo you are always going to get peat, smoke, and ocean spray. For me a bottle of Ardbeg 10yo really hinges on the presence and integration of the lemon note. That citrus or lemon note is a noted component in the 10yo by the distillery. I am not a fan. There are some batches where it doesn't appear at all (those tend to be favorites of mine). I consider a bad batch one where the lemon note dominates the nose and/or palate. But a "good" batch has the lemon note integrated with the peat, earth, wood, and moss. In the "good" batches the lemon only acts to brighten some of the lower deeper register flavors. This is the case with this particular batch. The lemon appears at first and quickly fades into the background. It only serves to highlight the peat, the ocean spray and the seaweed. Nice integration of flavors. Not the deepest, nor the most complex of the 10yo that I have tried. But certainly one spend a Tuesday evening with.

4 years ago 4Who liked this?

@Hewie
Hewie replied

@Nock interesting that you mention the lemon note in Ardbeg 10. My previous bottle (sorry, no idea of the code) had a very prominent lemon-lime note. My current one doesn't and I think I agree that it is my preference too. Out of interest have you had any with the bottle code L66626 30/09/2016 ?

4 years ago 2Who liked this?

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@Nozinan@NamBeist@fiddich1980@Timp@RianC + 61 others

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