The OCUK Whisky (and Whiskey) review thread

[hughtrimble]

Anyone else get in on the Octomore 11.X releases today? The website was overloaded for most of the afternoon, and you couldn't physically buy anything for five hours after release due to a website issue, but finally got mine in!

 

[ik9000]

Anyone else get in on the Octomore 11.X releases today? The website was overloaded for most of the afternoon, and you couldn't physically buy anything for five hours after release due to a website issue, but finally got mine in!

nice! Looking forward to hearing what you think of them. I am banned from buying any bottles of anything for the time being. (and it does make sense, things being so up in the air atm).

 

[hughtrimble]

nice! Looking forward to hearing what you think of them. I am banned from buying any bottles of anything for the time being. (and it does make sense, things being so up in the air atm).

I've only tried the 9.1 before, and that was not at all what I expected - yes peaty, but nothing like the 156 PPM might suggest (I think Ardbegs are mostly 45?). Now of course, PPMs will only reduce with time, but that's a young one too, so I expected it to be much more 'challenging'! That being said, I assume there's a good deal of rapid olfactory fatigue when you get confronted with certain phenol levels, so maybe after a certain point you just get through the peat even more quickly than when its at lower levels? No idea. [Reading in to it, phenol detection by us is non linear, so the PPM being more than triple that of Ardbeg 10 does not at all mean it'll taste or smell three times as phenolic].

It was fresh, honestly quite sweet, nice cut grass hints, nutty, and only became more sweet and more nutty with a few drops of water. The peat way my kind of thing with the bonfire rather than medicinal hints.

That was only from 30 mL, so I'm looking forward to seeing what these recent releases are like when I can have more time and more sessions with them.

 

[Illgresi]

Hi all, hoping for a recommendation. My taste buds have slowly developed where I am starting to appreciate whisky (that's not a dig at anyone but 3 years ago I wouldn't touch the stuff) I'm looking for something around £30 ish mark to get me into it. Hopefully a subtle oakey/ smokey taste maybe?

You'll get Ledaig 10 for under £40 at the moment. Utterly fantastic value. Non-chill filtered, 46.3%, natural colour.

 

[hughtrimble]

Anyone else get in on the Octomore 11.X releases today? The website was overloaded for most of the afternoon, and you couldn't physically buy anything for five hours after release due to a website issue, but finally got mine in!

And they've arrived. Starting with the 11.3.

 

[ik9000]

a new one tonight: Ginger snaps, galaxy chocolate and Glenfiddich 18yo. Makes a lovely combo and was getting hints of amaretto flavours coming through at times.

 

[Illgresi]

I am looking forward to this. I'm lucky enough to have worked with this distillery, and the distillery manager and I have a shared passion for Aberdeen FC. I've been waiting for this for years.

Slàinte

 

[hughtrimble]

I'm getting increasingly lost with the nomenclature used by distilleries. First there's Octomore with it's X.X releases (plus the separate 10 years), then there's Waterford with it's vast array of somewhat perplexing names, and now there's that that looks like a bible chapter and verse plus an AD date!

Pray tell what that AD/09.20:01 means? 1st release of theirs bottled in AD2020 in September?

 

[Illgresi]

I'm getting increasingly lost with the nomenclature used by distilleries. First there's Octomore with it's X.X releases (plus the separate 10 years), then there's Waterford with it's vast array of somewhat perplexing names, and now there's that that looks like a bible chapter and verse plus an AD date!

Pray tell what that AD/09.20:01 means? 1st release of theirs bottled in AD2020 in September?

Precisely

 

[hughtrimble]

Precisely

Great, at least theirs is quite self explanatory in a way.

Do all the 1st releases have something in common like age, finish?

 

[Illgresi]

Great, at least theirs is quite self explanatory in a way.

Do all the 1st releases have something in common like age, finish?

The distillery was only created in 2013, and so could only have produced whisky from 2016 onward. They have been releasing "Spirit" since 2016 with the naming convention AD/2016, AD/2017 etc...This is a mixture of new make plus a proportion of reserved "whisky" placed in casks from the first year of operation.

I would presume there will be numerous releases over the coming years for example (purely made-up) AD/04.21:02 etc. I'm sure they will release core range stuff some time in the future. Whether that will be an age statement release or NAS or combination of the two I couldn't say.

Have a dram out at the moment, and it's sublime. You would never tell it's only 5/6 years old. Fairly subtle peat with an effervesence like sherbet. Bags of potential.

 

[hughtrimble]

The distillery was only created in 2013, and so could only have produced whisky from 2016 onward. They have been releasing "Spirit" since 2016 with the naming convention AD/2016, AD/2017 etc...This is a mixture of new make plus a proportion of reserved "whisky" placed in casks from the first year of operation.

I would presume there will be numerous releases over the coming years for example (purely made-up) AD/04.21:02 etc. I'm sure they will release core range stuff some time in the future. Whether that will be an age statement release or NAS or combination of the two I couldn't say.

Have a dram out at the moment, and it's sublime. You would never tell it's only 5/6 years old. Fairly subtle peat with an effervesence like sherbet. Bags of potential.

That does sound very promising indeed, I'm a fan of that sort of thing.

Currently on Laphroaig 10 after a few too many days of Octomore's latest releases. I used to hate Laphroaig, of any description, due to its medicinal peat, but it's become rather bright and fruity and the antiseptic phenol notes fall by the wayside now; they actually work quite well to contrast the other flavours.

I may fall back to Lagavulin's PX sherry finished 16 in a few moments though.

 

[ik9000]

Glenfiddich 18yo and lindt dark chocolate = cherry kirsch tones. Really quite something. If you need a new slant grab a bottle you've already got and are a bit bored of and try experimenting with food pairings. Some don't work but others really jump out at you and just zing.

 

[Roadrunner_668]

there is even a whiskey thread ha

this forum could be my home from home !

i am slowly working my way through a bottle of Jura 21 which was a gift from work for a promotion !

it is far more expensive than i would normally buy myself but it is very good lightly fruity and peaty !

 

[Roadrunner_668]

I do need to buy a less pricey bottle which is still enjoyable though so i can save this one for special

something nice and smokey for 40 pounds ?

 

[Illgresi]

I do need to buy a less pricey bottle which is still enjoyable though so i can save this one for special

something nice and smokey for 40 pounds ?

Second time I've recommended this in a week; Ledaig 10. You'll get it for under £40, non-chill filtered, no colour added, and 46.3% ABV. Fantastic value malt.

If you want a heavy-hitter in the peatiness department, then Ardbeg 10 is a good start. Also Talisker 10 can be had for very reasonable prices.

 

[Roadrunner_668]

thanks for the recommendations i will have a look !

 

[ik9000]

a very good one used to be the Ardmore 12yo port finish which had a lovely balanace of peat, and just enough port to make it interesting without over sweetening it. Not seen them recently - but worth a try with the whisky merchants to see if they're still around.

 

[NickK]

Mrs bought me Kasei blended for my birthday. Will be trying tonight

 

[wildman]

expanding my whisky collection and have the following on the way.

Caol Ila 12
Clynelish 14
Highland Park 12
Glenkinche 12
Glenfiddich 15
Tomintoul 16

tried to get at least on example from each region, Ilay, Speyside, Highland, Lowland, Island. Doubled up on speyside because I know i like that style so at least I know I will have 2 that I will finish. They are only 20cl or half bottles, so worst case scenario I offload the ones I don't like to my mate who is also a whisky nut.

Over the last few years I have mainly only had redbreast 12 / 15, Glenlivet 12 (tried the founder edition and it wasn't good, like it needed a few more years in the cask), JW Green label and double black, Greenspot. Tried to move on to more peaty islay types, but I made the mistake of going straight for Laphroaig and it put me off islay, but going to try another one which is why i got a half bottle of Caol Ila 12. I seem to remember liking Lagavulin as I know at Uni (a long time ago) me and a few mates used to have whisky and cigar nights and the whisky was always a lagavulin 16, but can't remember if that was another mental islay TCP in your face style while licking burning tyres and washing it down with roofing bitumen whisky like Laphroaig.