Favorite single malt

[ChrisTaylor]

A Hart Brothers bottling of Coal Ila. It was bottled at eleven years, making it a year younger than the entry-level official bottling. Had this bottle for ages but only just got around to opening it.

 

Nose: Harsh. Closed. Almost ... chemical. Like you'd be using this stuff to fuel a vehicle. Adding water brings out classic Islay.

 

Entry is a bit harsh, sharp. Some sweetness in the background. Prickly. Hint of citrus. Iodine. Salt. Caramel on the tail. Lingers for a few seconds then disappears.

[Hassouni]

If you didn't care for Storm (I didn't either, would rather drink the regular 10yo) then probably shouldn't bother with Dark Storm! I found it even more disappointing especially given it is harder to get. It came out originally as travel retail only. Don't know if it is more available now.

 

Heh, yesterday I discovered one of my local boozerias is now offering Storm for a cool $29.99. Guess nobody is buying!

 

A Hart Brothers bottling of Coal Ila. It was bottled at eleven years, making it a year younger than the entry-level official bottling. Had this bottle for ages but only just got around to opening it.

 

Nose: Harsh. Closed. Almost ... chemical. Like you'd be using this stuff to fuel a vehicle. Adding water brings out classic Islay.

 

Entry is a bit harsh, sharp. Some sweetness in the background. Prickly. Hint of citrus. Iodine. Salt. Caramel on the tail. Lingers for a few seconds then disappears.

 

Haven't heard of Hart Brothers, but that sounds disappointing. One of Ralfy's more recent review was an indie Caol Ila and he gave it stellar marks. The official Caol Ila 12 is one of my all-time favorite branded whiskies, and I'd love to try a proper indie bottling, with higher ABV, no caramel, no chill filtration...(though that said, standard Caol Ila does not seem overly colored if at all)

[tanstaafl2]

 

Heh, yesterday I discovered one of my local boozerias is now offering Storm for a cool $29.99. Guess nobody is buying!

Would have been a lot less disappointing at that price! Probably nearly double that here last I looked.

[ChrisTaylor]

I think here--not that I've had it--it's slightly more expensive than the 10 year old classic. Now, I haven't purchased the classic in three years or so--although I'll probably replace my distiller's edition with it--but I reckon it's one of the best entry-level malts on the market. Hard to beat. 

[Hassouni]

Well it was normally $65 or so at the place offering it now at $30. My usual source has the 10 for about $50, and I agree, it's hard to beat. 

[ChrisTaylor]

Revisit time.

 

Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or. Sweet. Caramel. Stone fruit. Soft fruit. Syrupy texture. Like something that could be served with ice cream. 

[ChrisTaylor]

Revisit time.

 

Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or. Sweet. Caramel. Stone fruit. Soft fruit. Syrupy texture. Like something that could be served with ice cream. 

[ChrisTaylor]

Revisiting Ardbeg Uigeadail. Intense heat. Sweetness under all that: sherry. Apricot. Cooked apple. Dry smoke that lingers. A magnificent whisky. 

[Hassouni]

Yep, pretty good. How old is your bottle? Apparently the more recent bottlings have suffered.

[ChrisTaylor]

Yep, pretty good. How old is your bottle? Apparently the more recent bottlings have suffered.

 

This was a mini. I have no idea how old the bottle was. 

[Hassouni]

damn, you can get minis of Uigeadail? I need to move to Melbourne already...

[ChrisTaylor]

They're not widely avaliable. My go-to bottle-o tends to pick up a few oddities, tho'. 

[Hassouni]

bottle-o? Of course the Oz word has an o   I would call it a boozeria, but nobody else I know does that.

 

Back to topic...the boozerias here only sell minis of really bog-standard stuff, except Total Wine, which has loads of minis of Barbadian rums I've never heard of. But no single malts at all.

[ChrisTaylor]

bottle-o? Of course the Oz word has an o   I would call it a boozeria, but nobody else I know does that.

 

Back to topic...the boozerias here only sell minis of really bog-standard stuff, except Total Wine, which has loads of minis of Barbadian rums I've never heard of. But no single malts at all.

 

Most bottle-os, including large chains, carry a very limited range of minis. Whisk(e)y-wise, barring sample or gift packs, you might get Glenfiddich 12, Chivas, Johnnie Walker (only the Red and Black variants), Jack (standard) and Jim (standard). If you're lucky you might find stores that have brought in a few different ones--and I think this is the case with the Ardbeg--as some kind of promotional thing through their suppliers or as a result of breaking up some gift packs. Nick's is happy to break up gift packs in that way as I guess there's enough people that'll pick up a $5-7 bottle of this-or-that to justify it.

 

EDIT

Anyway. A new addition to my collection: Springbank 12 cask strength. My first Springbank purchase, excluding a Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling (which was, incidentally, my first taste of Springbank). It's not as complex as the SMWS bottling, obviously, but it was approximately half the price! Despite its reputation I think it's an approachable dram. It's just so ... balanced. Salt. Smoke. Bitterness, almost of the sort you'd associate with salad vegetables like radicchio. A bit of sweetness lurking back there. Prickly mouthfeel. A bit of oiliness that then surprises you by ending cleanly, almost crisply. I'm led to believe Springbank's various expressions can vary hugely from batch to batch and even bottle to bottle but this is just ... friendly.

EDIT 2

Laphroaig Quarter Cask. Much more restrained than the classic. Dry smoke and iodine and salt without the hospital-on-fire.

[Hassouni]

Springbank is great. I have their 10 and have tried their 15, as well as a couple of their Hazelburn and Longrow bottlings. They're all quite different, but consistently very high quality. And they stick to the no-coloring, no chill-filtration ethos. And they're one of the last remaining truly independent distilleries. (Like, who is else there? Kilchoman? No longer Bruichladdich, and?) 

[tanstaafl2]

Springbank is great. I have their 10 and have tried their 15, as well as a couple of their Hazelburn and Longrow bottlings. They're all quite different, but consistently very high quality. And they stick to the no-coloring, no chill-filtration ethos. And they're one of the last remaining truly independent distilleries. (Like, who is else there? Kilchoman? No longer Bruichladdich, and?) 

 

Genfarclas always comes to mind for me when talking about the last of the independent dinosaurs.

[Hassouni]

Genfarclas always comes to mind for me when talking about the last of the independent dinosaurs.

 

This is a very good resource on the matter:

http://www.whisky-emporium.com/UK/Features/WhoOwnsWhat.htm

 

(I still haven't tried Glenfarclas, I suspect I'd love it)

[ChrisTaylor]

This is a very good resource on the matter:

http://www.whisky-emporium.com/UK/Features/WhoOwnsWhat.htm

 

(I still haven't tried Glenfarclas, I suspect I'd love it)

 

I've enjoyed most Glenfarclas expressions I've tried. Not so much the entry-level one but the 15, 21 and 25 are very good. Every so often I contemplate picking up a bottle of the 30 or 40 year old expression as they're reasonably priced, so far as whisky of that age goes.

[Rafa]

I suspect you would, Hassouni. One of the most consistent and delicious of the heavily sherried malts. 

[tanstaafl2]

This is a very good resource on the matter:

http://www.whisky-emporium.com/UK/Features/WhoOwnsWhat.htm

 

(I still haven't tried Glenfarclas, I suspect I'd love it)

 

Excellent. Should have thought of Springbank as well.

[ChrisTaylor]

Updated thoughts on the Laphroaig Quarter Cask. Honey. Smoke. Iodine. Salt. A certain oiliness. 

[ChrisTaylor]

Revisit.

 

Auchentoshan Triple Wood (2011). Sherry. A bite to it, even with a bit of water. Big on the sherry. Glace cherry. Rich.

[brinza]

This had me laughing.  I was just drinking Quarter Cask a few nights ago.  It is somewhat more restrained, but I do so love the hospital-on-fire.

 

 

Laphroaig Quarter Cask. Much more restrained than the classic. Dry smoke and iodine and salt without the hospital-on-fire.

 

 

 

Edited August 7, 2014 by brinza (log)

[ChrisTaylor]

Glenkichnie 12. Nose of alcohol, stone fruits. Honey. Palate: fruity, floral. Pepper. Finish: licking an oak barrel.