The OCUK Whisky (and Whiskey) review thread

RastaManBob · 6 Dec 2011 at 10:59

Apologies if this has already been answered, however I can imagine many of your frequent other whisky forums, etc. Has the distillery for the 40yr Aldi bottle (£50) been discovered? Worth a punt (or at least battle the crowds) when it becomes available?

Cheers.

Stan_Lite · 6 Dec 2011 at 11:04

Ahleckz said:
http://www.thefinnieston.com/

"The Finnieston celebrates whisky's great heritage and your right to drink it how you please. Specially blended to benefit from mixing, The Finnieston has just the right balance of quality malt and grain to create a drink that is neither overpowering or weak-kneed when mixed with any number of other things."

They've created a whisky (through blending others I assume, as oppose to distilling their own) that is designed to be mixed with other drinks. On one hand, I can understand this. The cocktail market is booming (though perhaps not as much as 5 years ago) and whisky sales are consistently rising. Is this therefore of benefit to the market and is something that is worth looking at? Or instead, should we (and I'd say that most of us with an interest in this thread are probably more purists than not) ignore it and scoff at their foolish gimmicky ways?

I have no issue with whisky cocktails nor with adding mixers to cheap blends. I had some lovely whisky cocktails at Heathrow T5 a while back while waiting for a delayed flight - some of them were made with Laphroaig. The only thing I take issue with is adulterating good malt with mixers. If you're going to add coke to whisky, use a cheap blend, not a single malt. Having said that, I'm a great believer in tolerance so, if you want to drown the flavour of your £40 bottle of single malt, knock yourself out - just don't do it in front of me

Ahleckz · 6 Dec 2011 at 11:34

Stan_Lite said:
I have no issue with whisky cocktails nor with adding mixers to cheap blends. I had some lovely whisky cocktails at Heathrow T5 a while back while waiting for a delayed flight - some of them were made with Laphroaig. The only thing I take issue with is adulterating good malt with mixers. If you're going to add coke to whisky, use a cheap blend, not a single malt. Having said that, I'm a great believer in tolerance so, if you want to drown the flavour of your £40 bottle of single malt, knock yourself out - just don't do it in front of me

I'm of the same view really. I suspect that Finnieston will be rubbish, I mean why bother making something that is designed to be blended taste good?
I've had various whisky cocktails (and I'm a big fan of the Boston Sour (whisky sour with egg in it)) and I agree that a bottle of Grouse is best suited for it. However, I've been known to drink single malts (particularly Jura Superstition) with ginger ale. I would however only do this in a bar where I wanted a whisky but wasn't in the mood for a dram or if the bottle I had was particularly horrible.
I would kick anyone out my house for mixing certain whiskies, same goes for cooking with whisky. I used a Singleton as a base for a whisky sauce the other week, as it was the lesser of my three available whiskies (Macallan 10, Doublewood & Singleton) in my opinion.
If I see the whisky in any bars, I'll give it a go just to see what it's like!

IRLeetly · 6 Dec 2011 at 11:49

Does anyone remember the Famous Grouse and Irn Bru sets the used to sell called "The Hangover and the Cure"? I remember mixing them and still having the same result in the morning

fabkat · 6 Dec 2011 at 11:52

Had a bottle of Highland Park 25yo, very nice indeed, got the 21yo to follow...

Ahleckz · 6 Dec 2011 at 11:54

IRLeetly said:
Does anyone remember the Famous Grouse and Irn Bru sets the used to sell called "The Hangover and the Cure"? I remember mixing them and still having the same result in the morning

Haha, very apt! No hangover is worse than a Port hangover though.

jimmy321 · 6 Dec 2011 at 12:31

RastaManBob said:
Apologies if this has already been answered, however I can imagine many of your frequent other whisky forums, etc. Has the distillery for the 40yr Aldi bottle (£50) been discovered? Worth a punt (or at least battle the crowds) when it becomes available?

Cheers.

There is only speculation and wild guesses as far as I can see, could be whisky bottled in the nick of time before it drops below 40% and can no longer be sold as whisky.

There will be about 6 bottles per shop. I think the chances of it actually being for sale to the general public are pretty low, I guess the staff will either get it for themselves or friends & family. There are already 2 bottles on Ebay.

RastaManBob · 8 Dec 2011 at 09:27

Bah. Aldi is too far away from me so asked my Mum to pop down to her local store. Unfortunately, she arrived at 0750 and was the 7th person in line. With only six bottles available at the store she missed out (though according to the other six they had been there since just before 0700). Ah well!

Martynt74 · 8 Dec 2011 at 10:35

I think i'm going to pop into our local one and try to pick up the 24yr bottle they are selling for £30 sounds like it could be easier to buy one

Martynt74 · 8 Dec 2011 at 10:36

Scratch that, apparently that was released 2 weeks ago so probably sold out now!

RastaManBob · 8 Dec 2011 at 11:27

Marvt74 said:
Scratch that, apparently that was released 2 weeks ago so probably sold out now!

And is apparently pretty poor, too. From what I've read, 24yr = avoid at all costs, 40yr = good value for £50 but not £300.

So, these people on eBay bidding silly money are, well, silly... For that sort of cash they could get a bottle from a known distillery. Their choice.

nydryl · 8 Dec 2011 at 11:28

I wouldn't be willing to splash out £50 on the off-chance that I get a decent whisky. I could get a couple of bottles I know are going to be good for that price.

Martynt74 · 8 Dec 2011 at 11:31

Ah yeah, just read a review on the MasterofMalt site

IRLeetly · 8 Dec 2011 at 22:43

My Local ALDI had one in, decided against it, as I could get a couple of nifty bottles for the same price

Gribs · 9 Dec 2011 at 12:21

I got a nice offer through quidco the other day with a few spirits discounted at the whisky exchange. The one that caught my attention was the Coal Ila Collection for £30. I've not had the 18 year old for a few years as I couldn't justify the current cost as I remember it being nice but for the price it's now (£75ish) I'd rather have a good bottle of Ardbeg.

http://www.quidco.com/the-whisky-exchange/

FTM · 9 Dec 2011 at 13:05

was in asda the other day and noticed the are selling Ardmore reduced to 23 quid a bottle

if a small distillery so not that well known, but its lovely, smooth alsmost waxy/syrupy and not chill filtered and comes bottled at 46%

a bargain at that price

a03dugga · 9 Dec 2011 at 13:46

I have just purchased a 12 Y.O Single Malt Scotch Whiskey, by the name of Glenlivet for my dad, his birthday falls on the same week as Christmas. Hopefully he, by which I mean I, will enjoy it.

Got it at the Co-Op on a deal, plus I used my sisters membership card.

It would be great if any one of you lot could recommend some other similar Single Malts.

Martynt74 · 9 Dec 2011 at 13:56

Its a while since i had Glenlivet but Oban is a fantastic speyside malt for not too high money

Ahleckz · 9 Dec 2011 at 14:25

a03dugga, Macallan 10 is a fantastic whisky that far surpasses Glenlivet 12 for a similar price.

Martynt74 · 9 Dec 2011 at 14:36

Ahleckz said:
a03dugga, Macallan 10 is a fantastic whisky that far surpasses Glenlivet 12 for a similar price.

I vaguely recall not being much of a fan of Macallan when i had it, although it was quite a few years ago now and my tastes have since changed

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