Wedding suggestion!

Why only Highland and speyside? Why not add lowland? Bladnoch has a few awesome bottles in circulation in the 30-40 £ range. And when you say each bottle must be different, does that mean you want 10 different highland and 10 different speyside? Are you going to match guests to the whiskies?

You can probably get Aberlour A'Bunadh for that price. I'd recommend a Glendronach 15 YO revival (I like it better than the 18 year Allardice but both are less than 50 £). The cask strength is just over 50.

Others to consider are Dalwhinnie 15, not my favourite but solid for some. Glenfarclas 15 year old or 105 (60%) are within the price limit, though I have not tried them yet.

If you're willing to go to campbeltown Springbank 12 year old cask strength is great, the claret wood version superb!

I don't think I can come up with 20 off hand but if I think of anything else I'll let you know.

Why only highland and speyside?

heres a few i have that i recommend:

Balvenie 14 Year Rum Cask Clynelish 14 Year Cragganmore 12 Year Glenlivet 18 Year (or the 12 if the 18 is too costly) Highland Park 12 Year Knockando 12 Year Oban 14 Year Tomintoul 16 Year

@Nozinan

My guess is he just doesnt want anything smoky/peaty.

My thoughts: (the first two are pretty mainstream, the others not so much)

Glenfarclas 15

Highland Park 18

Longmorn 16 (despite the cheesy packaging)

Old Pulteney 17

anCnoc 22 (over budget, but offset by Strathisla)

Balblair 1997

Strathisla 12 (below budget, but see anCnoc 22)

Glencadam 15

Benriach 15 Year Old / PX Sherry Wood Finish

Tullibardine 225 / Sauternes Finish

My suggestions?

Ancnoc 12 yr, or Glenmorangie Nectar D'or for the Highlands.

Balvenie 14 yr Caribbean Cask (if available in the UK), or Aberlour 16 yr for a Speyside.

I find those 4 mentioned above to be of exceptional quality/consistency, and won't be too over powering for those who aren't whisky fans, but would like to try one on such a special occasion.

For tables with gentleman and ladies reaching for scotch, along with food, wine, and beer, I recommend the following: Longmorn 15 (NOT 16), Glenfarclas 17, Auchentoshan Three Wood, Glen Elgin 17 (K&L), Mortlach 18, Springbank Claret 12, Scapa 16, Yoichi 15, Balvenie Carribbean, Amrut Portonova.

These whiskies will appeal to a broad range of palates, both male and female. If the guests must use ice, have extra large square cubes available for the waiters (upon request only) so as not to destroy these quality scotches in the glass nearly as rapidly as small cubes.

You might get a fairly significant discount for two small cases (six bottles in each) rather than individual bottles. Two crowd pleasers for such a scenario: Springbank Claret 12; Balvenie Carribbbean. Generally speaking, put the Springbank at tables with older guests and the Balvenie at tables with younger guests.

Nice idea. I don't think every table is going to finish an entire bottle though. If I were at that wedding I would hop by every table for a small talk and a small dram. Just to get a taste of everything.

Based on my cabinet, history and wish list, I would select these 10 bottles:

Aberlour A'Bunadh.

Ardmore Traditional Cask

Glenfarclass 15y

Glendronach 12y (Springbank 10y / Talisker 10y)

Glenlivet 16y Nadurra

Macallan 12y Sherrie / Macallan 15y Fine Oak

Clynelish 14y

Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or

Old Pultany 12y (Laphroaigh 10y / Lagavulin 16y)

Glengoyne 17y

Maybe basic stuff to some, but all good Whisky, that is widely available. I also added some other Whisky regions, why limit yourself?

Stronchie 18 and Tomintoul 21are great and not to demanding. If you can still pick up a Glengoyne 17 at a reasonable price go for that (if not the 15). Auchentoshan three wood (I know it is a lowland), Macallan Sienna or the Glendronach 2002 might also be worth thinking about.

If you haven't already picked up the Mortlach F&F do it quick as stocks are getting low and the price is creeping up.

@rigmorole where are you finding the Claret Wood? It's been gone for at least two years.

@Onlyhalfmad

hmm, glengoyne 17 was discontinued? i can still get it here for a reasonable price, think its worth picking up a few bottles to resell later on? how recently was it discontinued?

@cpstecroix

It may be gone, but not forgotten. Actually I really liked it only a year after I opened it. Then, of course, it was sold out at the LCBO. But I saw it in Calgary (quite a few) in December and got one there. So it's either been re-released or there are some places it may be available.

I'm enjoying Springbank more...palate maturity? Does anyone else get mild brine? I would really like to replenish my regular cask strength but it's 25 dollars more here than in Calgary. Darn LCBO.....

@cpstecroix "rig" must be getting the Claret at the same place he's getting the Longmorn 15 -- it's been gone for about four years (and I agree with him the 15 was far better and about half the price of the 16).

I just bought two bottles of the Longmorn 15 a few months ago. Bought the Claret a fortnight ago! They are both fairly new to me. I tasted them at the Highland Stillhouse in 2013, so you had me beat four years ago, Cowboy. You have good taste! This said, the 15 is not cheap any longer. It's not super expensive, but not cheap. I just love the stuff. Smooth, flavorful and delicious.

@rigmorole where did you find the 15? i have a bottle of it but its getting low... just whats the difference from the 16? i know ive heard the 16 isnt as good, but how much worse is it?

@RetFor about four months ago, I wouldn't like to guess what it will do in the future at auction. But the whisky exchange has it priced at £99 if that means anything.

You would need to buddy me for that info

It's a wash on the Longmorn 15. No longer avail. It's unobtainium now. As for the Spring Claret, thanks for the tip. I just scored the last bottle that I could find. It's now unobtanium as far as I can tell.

@RetFor The 16 is very good, but it's just never been what the 15 was. A year older, a little higher abv, a heck of a lot more money (than the 15 at retail in its day), and really cheesy packaging.

I would love to try the Longmorn 19 First Editions bottling. When Longmorn is good, it's really good!

As for the 16, it's okay in my book. A very nice pub dram to be sure, especially alongside a creamy imperial sized pint of Old Speckled Hen on nitro.

@two-bit-cowboy the packaging, etc i know about, im curious the difference in taste.

@RetFor I haven't tried the 16 since it was first released, and I didn't make notes. I still had a little 15 left at the time and thought it the better of the two. Very Speysidey as I recall. Floral, fruits. Very easy to drink too, which is why I listed it in answer to the wedding question. I don't think anyone would be offended by it.

To replace hard to find bottles: Tomatin 18; Glendronach 15; Hibiki 12. The Hibiki is easy to drink with a sweet caramely plum flavor and a beautiful decanter bottle worth saving after the wedding as a keepsake

@Nozinan Springbank is my fav distillery, and the claret was their best modern release IMHO. I did bunker one bottle. Wher in Calgary did you find it?

@cpstecroix

I believe it was the flagship location of Crowfoot Liquor. I wanted to buy several but how many bottles can I fit into a suitcase?

Hi folks!

I am posting here, because I am searching a bottle for a wedding too. Not for the guests though but for the groom. I am searching in a similar price range, up to 50-60€ approx. It has to be something special, so I don't want to present a well-known standard like Glenmorangie or Glenfiddich. So I am searching somehow an insider, something special. I am also thinking of IB's like Signatory. The packaging is also a little important, so I like Signatory because of the nice info on the bottles or even the decanter style bottles. I am having a closed Hibiki 12yo in my cabinet which was my first idea, but I would prefer to give him a scotch tbh. He is not a malthead (yet!), so I would stick to kinda mellow/soft (no very woody or spicy or peaty drams and not lots of an alcoholic bite). Some peat/sherry/... is OK, but not an overdose. My ideas so far are:

• Benriach PX (I like Benriach as a distillery and especially the mellow sherry, but never had the PX)
• Springbank 15yo
• Arran Amarone Cask
• Signatory Glenlivet 16yo (the 2013 is supposed to be very less sherried, any opinions?)
• Clynelish Decanter
• any medium peated/sherried Signatory...

Sorry for the wall-of-text but I am somehow lost atm and need your help :)

Next interesting spots on my list:

• Signatory Ben Nevis 1992-2002
• G&MP Aberfeldy 1996-2013
• G&MP Aberfeldy 1991-2012
• Glendronach Revival (one I actually have tasted from the list and which I like - maybe this kind of expression is more interesting for an newcomer than the IBs ?!)

I want to impress him not only by the taste, because there are lots and lots of great tasting drams in this price range. So I was speaking about a little rareness/uniqueness and intriguing appearance (infos on bottle and so on...).

Well, reading the review of Sergie, the Ben Nevis (in the review its the 2013 expression) might not be what I am searching as a present... this seems to be a dram which I like though :D

whiskyfun.com/archivemarch13-1.html/

@Wills in this discussion and in some other discussions @Nozinan was pushing/suggesting Bladnoch. Then I saw a 22y Bladnoch for €65,- at one of my favorite shops and it really got my interest now. I'm way over my Whisky budget and still want to purchase one or two bottles during my Holliday in France, so I won't be buying this one very soon. But maybe, just maybe the temptation will be to much one after all.

Here is a link to the review on WhiskyFun whiskyfun.com/2013/… It's the 22y OB 1990/2013 cask #5070

And since you're a neighbor, here is the link to the Dutch Whiskyshop I found it. They might deliver in Germany. whiskyvanzuylen.nl/whisky/product/…

I haven't tasted it, but I think it could be the present you're looking for. Not to big in flavour, not a standard distiller, and good quality according to Serge Valentin. It's no decanter bottle though. But then again, taste should be most important I think.