What whisk(e)y are we drinking? (Part 2)

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118931871#Comment_118931871

Pour a drop of water into your cask strengths, the 40s will sing better, then. 😉

(I'm only half joking)

Black Sheep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118931871#Comment_118931871

I tend to want something heftier alright, but doesn’t have to be cask strength necessarily.

2011abc

Cask strength is no guarantee of a superior product or certainly ‘finesse’ .Glenfarclas 105 has a rather rough edge and even ( it’s fellow 60% sherrybomb) Aberlour A’bunadh (if not one of the ‘good bottlings’) is a poor second to a Teeling Brabazon 1 at a mere 46/48%

come to think of it West Cork was doing CS at start of lockdown at forty something on irishmalts and it was crude enough ( though better than their stock Sherry finish )

1901Rory

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118931609#Comment_118931609

Agree with on the flavour range of scotch and comparative value at the higher end. Thanks for the steer. I will keep the Lagavulin 8 in mind particularly, as I don’t know much about Glen Grant. The Lag8 seems to go for €80ish when it can be found, so the price here seems to represent a good discount.

DARK-KNIGHT

Tried the legendary Silkie cask strength

64.1%

Really enjoyed it

Slightly peated but tbh I enjoyed it

Any recommendations for a peated whiskey that doesn't taste like an ashtray

Black Sheep

In Irish or Scotch?

DARK-KNIGHT

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118946423#Comment_118946423

Either or tbh. just want to be able to pick it up easily no hard to get stuff

Black Sheep

Connemara gets very little love but is a very approachable peated Irish whisky.

In Scotch, there are so many options in varying degrees of peatiness but a place to start could be some of the more approachable Islay whiskies from the likes of Bruichladdich, Bowmore etc. Also quite a lot of Taliskers are well-balanced in terms of their peatiness.

1901Rory

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118930804#Comment_118930804

Decided to plump for the Arran 10 and the Port Charlotte 12 in the end

Beanstalk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118926366#Comment_118926366

Islay was wonderful. I'm still recovering!

Getting there was difficult. My friend organised it and really struggled. Kintrye express fell thorugh (rising diesel costs) and we ended up going with Aquaholics in Ballycastle, who chartered a boat especially. Becuase there was 16 of us we couldn't all fit in one boat, and then had to buy extra "ghost" spots on the second boat, just to make it viable for the company. To be honest, it ended up being very expensive, working aout about £195 pp, which is about twice the price of the Kintyre express pre Covid! Anyway, the skipper of the boat was wile craic, the journey was wile craic, and nobody minded in the end once we got there.

We arrived in Port Ellen on the Friday and stayed in the glamping pods in Lagavulin Bay. After running a trad session in the local pub on the Friday night, we headed straight for Ardbeg on Saturday morning, for a tasting at 11. The guy there, Ron and all the staff, were brilliant and very generous. Kicked off with Batch 3 of the 19 year old Traigh Bhan, which immediately filled my heart with joy, the weekend was just going swimmingly already. Pure liquorice, smoke and pepper, with a toffee, sherry and then lemon finish. Absolutely icredible. Followed that with a rum casked 'Drum' and then generous drams of their 'Auriverdes' which just topped it all off. Then we landed into the shop and because i'm gong to be a dad soon for the first time, and I was completely and wilfully taken by the experience, i expressed interest in buying the 19 year old to hide in the attic and share with my firstborn in 19 years time! 'Would you like another taste sure first' they said? 'Sure!' said I. Four big drams for me and the lads with me then again, and then a big dram of Corryvreckan afterwards, which i had for the first time. Ended up buying both, absolutely no regrets!

Then, 7 or 8 eight drams in, we had food in the wee truck outside, and walked to Laphroaig, with a bottle of 10 year old to share in our free 'Ardbeg 2020' glasses (they got 15,000 and couldn't give them away because of COVID). Once at Laphroaig, we had a tasting of all their 10 year old range, including the original, the sherry cask and the cask strength. Then we had some Quarter Cask out by the bay just out the front door. Absolutely lovely stuff. They do amazing cokctails too. The rest of the evening in port ellen and back at the pods was merry enough but with an understandably early night.

The last day was at Lagavulin, right around the courner from where we were staying. Again, lovely setting, lots of great staff. The flights there were excellent, and I had the Caol isla 12 and the Lagavulin 8 for the first time, and then the unpeated caold islay 15 year old cask strength as well which was incredible. Everyone was asleep on the boat on the way back that evening, but a good time was had by all and I brought back a great haul!

Black Sheep

Post of the year so far, well done.

That's useful to know about the Kintyre Express... It's the 'obvious' way to get there from Ireland, even if it means travelling up into NI. But no use if it's not running!

Sounds like chartering 1 boat might be an option if I could rope in a small group. If it was expensive it might still be worth it to avoid the hassle of flying to Scotland and then having to head from there to Islay.

With regard to your visit, the write-up of Arbeg has me salivating. Nothing better than "generous" hosts at a tasting.

Although depending on who I went with I could imagine having difficulty keeping them between the ditches for a second post-lunch tasting, and then the following day!

Beanstalk

all i can say is I'm glad they have an off road path connecting all three distilleries!

you'll need 8-12 for the boat btw

Effects

Great description of your trip. Makes me want to go even more now!

Black Sheep

Bought an Ardmore Legacy and Highland Park 10 when passing through NI. Both a gamble to an extent, but cheap and no great expectations.

Electric Nitwit

So jealous @Beanstalk!

Brought back great memories of when I went a few years ago. Really want to go back, hopefully they get the Kintyre Express running again

Electric Nitwit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118947042#Comment_118947042

I agree that Connemara is a very decent drinker

Johnnie Walker Double Black is my go to cheap/light peat, it's a lovely drink. It's a duty free one normally though, always on offer there but rarely see it cheap in Ireland. I got some this week in Liverpool Duty Free for £27 for a litre, for example.

Once you get a taste for peat then Lagavulin Distiller's Edition is my favourite, but it's a pricey one

ZV Yoda

@Beanstalk Thanks for the write-up. Sounds like it was a great trip. It's definitely going on my to do list. I love Islays. I had no idea those distilleries were so close together.

the beer revolu

I was in Islay 15 or 20 years ago and I remember flying there. I don't recall where in the UK we flew from, though.

Are there no more flights to Islay?

Effects

Seems you can fly there via Glasgow anyway.

Black Sheep

You can fly there for sure, but if Ireland based I’d rather hop on a boat.

The flights can be cancelled / delayed on the island due to inclement weather a fair bit too.

padre78

Have to hit over to London during the week and just realised I can avail of duty free😜.

Any advice as to where the best deals are? Am I as well doing a click and collect in Dublin or getting something on the way back in Stansted?

Thanks in advance

Effects

You can't do click and collect with duty free from Dublin as it has to leave the country.

Have a look at the Stansted duty free website. They were doing 10% off for click and collect last week.

DeniG2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118926925#Comment_118926925

Has anyone received delivery or any further info? thanks

padre78

Cheers, thanks for that.

9320

Mine has just arrived at reception where I work

Black Sheep

Don’t think I mentioned it, but the Highland Park 10 is surprisingly good. Big flavours, they didn’t restrain it even though it’s 40% abv so there’s a natural ceiling. Might be one for those asking for peaty but not too peaty.

Going for a 10 year old statement IMO builds confidence versus putting out a NAS at the price point.

interlocked

Well, the Fercullen arrived, left at the door,. haven't opened the bottle, but everything was well packed, loads of bubble wrap. The straw in the box is a complete nuisance though, gets everywhere.

Electric Nitwit

Anyone got 10k burning a hole in their pocket, that they'd like to spend on a MVR tasting 🤣

On November 29th, Midleton Very Rare along with our partners in the world-renowned Adare Manor, are offering a once in a lifetime opportunity to taste the third chapter of Ireland’s oldest and rarest whiskey collection.

As part of the evening, guests will enjoy a five-course dinner in Adare’s sumptuous Gallery, then Midleton Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman will lead attendees through the most exclusive Irish whiskey tasting ever held. After the guided tasting, guests will be invited to conclude the evening in the cosy Tack Room. This is truly a once in a lifetime experience.

A ticket to the event and an overnight in a Deluxe room including breakfast the following morning can be purchased for €10,000 per person.

The Nal

Angels Envy bourbon. Still my go to. Brought some back from the US.

limnam

Glendalough 7 Year Old Single Malt Mizunara Cask

Tough going, couldn't bring myself to have a second one.

Glupy burnt rotten wood. Not my cup of tea at all.