Vatting your own - a success story

Your vatting seems interesting. I've done 2 parts Laphroaig Quarter Cask and 5 parts Lagavulin 16 to make an intensely smoky but deliciously sweet expression. One that really worked for me.

There is actually quite a huge connosr discussion forum dedicated to vattings. I think you should look for that. Some brilliant ideas in there.

@NVGeo, I posted a few in the "Getting Creative: Vattings" discussion.

My # 1 vatting tip is that adding 5% wood-aged rum (eg 8 yo rum) will greatly restore to near original condition old soured-out bourbons, ryes, and bourbon-barrel malt whiskies. It doesn't work as well with sherried malts, though.

I had an A'Bunadh batch 38 that probably had too much air, a similarly opened Aberlour 18, a Dalwhinnie 15 and a part of a glenlivet 12 sa maple bottle. Put it all together and it was better than the sum of its parts. I forget the ratios, but it was quite drinkable.

I must try that with the bottle I have. I'm also not impressed with the AC and it being a gift it's hard to pour it down the drain. I'm thinking of doing a small mason jars worth with 4oz AC with 1oz A'bunadh (44) and 2oz Uigeadail. Thanks!

Thanks again for the inspiration. I just mixed it up, I ran out of room so only 1oz Uigeadail. We shall see. How long did you let it sit?

@Bigtuna I let it marry for 24 hours before pouring. 24 hours later it was still the same and excellent.

@Bigtuna Let us know how that combo works. My A'bunadh is the 40.

I have often used a peaty one to repair a weak whisky, but have never previously used these two to save a third in this way. I could probably make the peat a tiny bit stronger, but it is so balanced right now I don't want to throw it off by changing it.

I'm glad I have more Auchentoshan left so I can do it again! First time I've been glad I have that one. May earn a permanent place on the shelf at this rate.

I let mine marry for 2 weeks and there was no air in the bottle. Seemed to work well.

Finished a Glenmorangie Cask, an old bottling at 'Proof'(57.2%) 13yo.I expected more than it delivered, however, when combined with the remains of a good but light BNJ. the mix was a triumph: About 50/50 and quite a transformation.

Usually, my attempts at blending / mixing are unmitigated disasters; this time for the first time I've actually created an interesting mix, albeit a fluke - 'Wish I'd thought of it earlier!...All gone!

Slainte

Half and half, Yamazaki 12yo and Yoichi 15yo (both bottles were almost empty, one dram left in each). Very very nice.

@olivier that sounds very nice. Can you offer some more info on how it came out?

Well the 4oz AC with 1oz A'bunadh (44) and 1oz Uigeadail was also another success story. After 4 days of letting it sit in a mason jar I had a taste last night and I could not believe it. The Uigeadail gave a once un-aromatic whisky a smokey nose and a mellow peatiness. The A'bunadh gave it color and depth, toning down the overly sweet AC; even bringing out the vanilla that the AC was suppose to have. However, the sherry was layered and hiding in the back of the palette. My vatting was much better than some blends I've had and I can see why a blender would like the AC. The AC makes a great filler and takes other malts well. On its own I would rate the AC in the mid to high 50s, this blend I would score low 80s; maybe slightly lower. For the next vatting I will tone back the AC to 2oz, even though I'm trying to get ride of it. Overall I'm glad I tried it and I have no regrets. I'll try it again in another week to see if it improves and once that's gone try the other vatting.

@Bigtuna Great! Glad it worked. I think it's something about three distinctly different flavor axes building on each other.

Congrats on your vatting. That's a nice success story.

My favorite vatting in recent memory was 20% PC6, 30% Springbank Claret, and 50% Isle of Skye 12. I filled up about half a bottle with all of it. The Claret was rather flat and the Skye was only $19 for a bottle. I had three of them sitting around unopened, so I opened one of them to try a vatting. In fact, I purchased them with vattings in mind.. The PC6 was new. It all came together nicely. I let most of it sit for about three weeks before starting in on it.

I vat fairly often, sometimes just out of boredom. It's fun to experiment. I usually do it in small quantities first, and then go for a big bottle filled up about 3/4. I always leave plenty of air in the bottle to speed oxidation. That isn't always the best thing though. A few times it has ruined a perfectly great vatting. Air isn't always our friend in vattings.

I've also mixed "mystery vattings" in which I couldn't even recall half of the whiskies involved. This kind of komakazee technique isn't usually successful, but it's fun when bottles are running low anyhow. A few times, these mystery vattings have been phenomenal but I've had no idea why. The last time I did it, the vatting just blew me away. I drank a bit off of it for a week or so, and then didn't let well enough alone. I was surprised how four or five ounces of the wrong whisky completely ruined it. I seem to recall it was ruined by Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength 003.

@rigmorole

I'm surprised about the Springbank Claret Wood. I've had my bottle open almost 3 years (I did decant into a smaller bottle a year ago, and it seemed to get better with time. One day soon I plan to have my last dram of it. I was extremely happy to find a bottle last year, and then another this December to save for the future. I don't think they make it anymore...

@rigmorole What's PC6?

@Nozinan it was still pretty good but a bit flat. not sure why. I regret not buying another bottle when I could have. I have a bottle of Springbank Fino open now. It's delicious but a bit bombastic by comparison. the claret is elegant, the fino 14 is sumptuously flawed in nice ways

@NVGeo port charlotte six, bruiichladdich. really goods stuff. I still have half a bottle of it. whisky bible gave it a 97.5 I think. ah, that jim murray. what a horn dog and a bit of a ham, as well. very entertaining speaker, i'm told. these days, you have to wonder if he's tasted it or one of his staff. I'd like to work part time in that job!

About 2 and half weeks in and I'm trying it again. I'm picking up a lemony aroma in the nose. First time I've ever picked up on that. I've detected citrus in rye whiskies, and can smell orange marmalade in the Strathisla 12, but never lemon. Actually lemon bars.

The mouth feel has gotten a little drier. It started out full and a little oily. The biggest difference is a lot more heat. One of the hottest whiskies I've ever had, and that has become a bit much, so it was better earlier from that standpoint.

I can still pick out the faint oakiness of the AC, and the smokiness of the Hogshead - the smokiness is about on the level of Highland Park 12 or perhaps a little less. Despite the heat it has so much in the flavor department I hold it in my mouth longer than any other whisky I've ever had. When the heat begins to fall off the smokiness gently rises, especially in the back of the throat, but it is with warmth and gentle sweetness.

The finish is long, long, long, with sweetness, warmth, and a maltiness I hadn't noticed before, and the finish stays in balance the whole time. Its a good two or three solid minutes of finish, which is wonderful.

Still love it. It has changed, and I could do without so much heat, but the flavor and finish more than make up for that.

Someone could make money on this stuff.

Isle of Skye 12 (60%), Caol Ila (20%), Longrow 11 Shiraz Cask Strength (20%).

Tried my recent vatting again the other night and it has lost some of it's nose and the sharpness of the AC really stood out. Maybe it would score something like 75 or 77 this time around.

I have recreated my Vatting of 50:50 Amrut single cask (Bourbon) and Booker's 2015-01. Letting it "marry" for a while. This may very well be a match made in heaven!