Soldato
Thanks for the feedback there, I dont usually mind spicy, It's the peaty Island one's I cant stand (personal preference I suppose) I'll post a review after its finished
The OCUK Whisky (and Whiskey) review thread
- Thread starter Uriel
- Start date
Thanks for the feedback there, I dont usually mind spicy, It's the peaty Island one's I cant stand (personal preference I suppose) I'll post a review after its finished
Some more tasting notes for you:
Glenturret Aged 10 Years Single Highland Malt 40%
n. Everything rather gentle. Malt, maple syrup and a hint of ginger. Some wood resin, becoming dominant as you sniff it for longer. 19
t. Again gentle. The tiniest sips practically disappear. Slightly earthy. Perhaps porridge? If you take a bigger sip it gains a peppery heat at the back of your mouth. 21
f. Long and powerful for such an initially gentle whisky. Peppery heat and oak. 22
b. One of the subtlest single malts I've tried at first. Starts slowly then hits the gas. Adding water enhances the nose but dulls the finish. 21.
Overall 83
Glenturret Aged 10 Years Single Highland Malt 40%
n. Everything rather gentle. Malt, maple syrup and a hint of ginger. Some wood resin, becoming dominant as you sniff it for longer. 19
t. Again gentle. The tiniest sips practically disappear. Slightly earthy. Perhaps porridge? If you take a bigger sip it gains a peppery heat at the back of your mouth. 21
f. Long and powerful for such an initially gentle whisky. Peppery heat and oak. 22
b. One of the subtlest single malts I've tried at first. Starts slowly then hits the gas. Adding water enhances the nose but dulls the finish. 21.
Overall 83
Soldato
Can people add the price of the bottles maybe? And how hard they are to get, i.e. supermarket or specialised offlicence/online etc?
Would be nice for the people who would like to get into Whiskeys no?
Just a thought.
Would be nice for the people who would like to get into Whiskeys no?
Just a thought.
OK, I will do when I can. Have had some of my whiskies a good while though. I added a price on the Monkey Shoulder, as I'd just bought it. I've also amended the original post, to ask reviewers to include it where possible.
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I tried this odd stuff the other night laphroaig
I won a bottle of some stuff called laphroaig or something spelled like it the other night in a poker game with some mates. the guy who put it up received it as a gift, but abhors the taste of whisky.
Came in a nice bottle with a circular container.
Taste: Dire.
Maybe it was just me, but I found the taste absolutely appaling like it was a chemical.
:|
Ill stick with paddys lol.
I won a bottle of some stuff called laphroaig or something spelled like it the other night in a poker game with some mates. the guy who put it up received it as a gift, but abhors the taste of whisky.
Came in a nice bottle with a circular container.
Taste: Dire.
Maybe it was just me, but I found the taste absolutely appaling like it was a chemical.
:|
Ill stick with paddys lol.
I like Laphroaig, quite a lot. Then again, peaty, smoky whisky is pretty much my favourite type. Stuff that's a bit like chewing a burned table leg. Yum! Certainly not to everybody's taste. I'm sure I would have hated it in my teens.
I'm pretty sure you won't like Lagavulin or Ardbeg much either.
In other news, I found out that the Ardbeg Uigeadail I tried got Jim Murray's 2009 award for World Whisky of the Year (the Ardbeg 10 got it in 2008). Definitely was good stuff - about £40 a bottle though.
Ardbeg was closed from the 80s until 1997. That means a lot of recent Ardbed 10 yo (mine cost £28) bottlings have actually been considerably older (age rated Scotch Wisky refers to the guarenteed youngest stuff in there). We'll have to see if the quality stays up there when they're back to really using 10 year old whisky, which should start happening about now. I wonder if my bottle is really mutton dressed as lamb? Need to get my Lagavulin 16 yo drank before I start it.
I'm pretty sure you won't like Lagavulin or Ardbeg much either.
In other news, I found out that the Ardbeg Uigeadail I tried got Jim Murray's 2009 award for World Whisky of the Year (the Ardbeg 10 got it in 2008). Definitely was good stuff - about £40 a bottle though.
Ardbeg was closed from the 80s until 1997. That means a lot of recent Ardbed 10 yo (mine cost £28) bottlings have actually been considerably older (age rated Scotch Wisky refers to the guarenteed youngest stuff in there). We'll have to see if the quality stays up there when they're back to really using 10 year old whisky, which should start happening about now. I wonder if my bottle is really mutton dressed as lamb? Need to get my Lagavulin 16 yo drank before I start it.
To lower the tone further, I've dragged out a bottle of standard run of the mill famous grouse that had been sitting in my cupboard for a few years. I've become a bit of a malt snob. Even the monkey shoulder I posted notes on was a pure blended malt with no grain to speak of. I hear Famous Grouse has improved in recent years so this might not be quite what you'd be able to buy down the shops right now.
So here we go...
Famous Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky 40%
n. Delicate, sweet honey and toffee notes. Sniff harder and you get to some grain harshness. Not very strong. 21
t. I'm having trouble placing the flavours. A little creamy malty sweetness on the tip of the tongue. Strongish oak and even a little hint of peat. There's an overall tanginess to it, perhaps from the grain spirit. Maybe a bad sherry cask or two made it into the blend: I can detect just the slightest hint of sulphur that hits me half way between the nose and the taste. 21
f. An initial peppery bite. A little oak. I think there might be a bit of caramel in there and it spoils the effect. Tonge becomes sligtly deadened after a while. 18
b. Complex, particularly the taste. There's no spark for me, however. Slightly spoiled by tiny hints of sulphur and caramel that it would be better without. 20.
Overall 80
Edit: This is your standard £10-15 Famous Grouse. Interestingly I think I rate it above standard Glenfiddich 12yo...
So here we go...
Famous Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky 40%
n. Delicate, sweet honey and toffee notes. Sniff harder and you get to some grain harshness. Not very strong. 21
t. I'm having trouble placing the flavours. A little creamy malty sweetness on the tip of the tongue. Strongish oak and even a little hint of peat. There's an overall tanginess to it, perhaps from the grain spirit. Maybe a bad sherry cask or two made it into the blend: I can detect just the slightest hint of sulphur that hits me half way between the nose and the taste. 21
f. An initial peppery bite. A little oak. I think there might be a bit of caramel in there and it spoils the effect. Tonge becomes sligtly deadened after a while. 18
b. Complex, particularly the taste. There's no spark for me, however. Slightly spoiled by tiny hints of sulphur and caramel that it would be better without. 20.
Overall 80
Edit: This is your standard £10-15 Famous Grouse. Interestingly I think I rate it above standard Glenfiddich 12yo...
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Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Feb 2008
- Posts
- 11,108
Is this thread only devoted to malt whiskies, or can anyone give opinions on Bourbons?
Bourbon whisky is my favourite alcoholic tipple, but really don't like malts (can get away with blends, occasionally).
Bourbon whisky is my favourite alcoholic tipple, but really don't like malts (can get away with blends, occasionally).
From the first paragraph on the first page:
Fire away. I've not had chance to try any seriously good bourbons yet but I'm keen to learn.
Soldato
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Feb 2008
- Posts
- 11,108
The clue is in the title
Bourbon is a whiskey, so fire away.
I'm not ready to start giving reviews at the mo (broke so I'm relegated to ASDA own-brand "Kentucky Bourbon" - nobody needs a review of that) - more looking for some opinions on Bourbons I should get stuck into.
Just noticed that pretty much every review here is for a scotch/malt/blend.
Dunno - It's worth reviewing the bad stuff as well as the good. Even supermarket own brand stuff can throw up a surprise or two. I hear the Tesco value blend isn't too bad but I can never bring myself to buy it.
I have a particularly nasty single malt from Netto that I'll have to review at some point. It's not bad for cooking I suppose.
I have a particularly nasty single malt from Netto that I'll have to review at some point. It's not bad for cooking I suppose.
No it's both. But you are correct in that Bushmills is whiskey.
Caporegime
Bushmills is pretty bad, even black bush. The best irish whiskey is jamesons, i worked in the bushmills distillery for 6 years, jamesons was distilled in dublin but bottled in bushmills. The only bushmills i liked was the 16 year single malt, discount helped as well while i worked there.
I like the Bushmills single malts I've tried. Never had the standard stuff. I agree that Jamesons is pretty pleasant stuff, based on a shot I had a few weeks ago
Soldato
I need to get me some decent Whiskey, not had a lot since the incident involving a bottle of Asda cheapo stuff, a breadknife and my mate's girlfriend's kitchen
Fun times, she came in and bollocked us both, apparently in her own words "The door is not a dartboard!"
We were due to replace said door as part of the decorating though
Fun times, she came in and bollocked us both, apparently in her own words "The door is not a dartboard!"
We were due to replace said door as part of the decorating though
Well for some affordable (just over £20) bourbons, Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2009 (I based the scoring system on the 2008 version) seems to recommend Knob Creek 9 year old and Jim Beam Black 8 year old. Might be worth a try. If anyone fancies getting a bottle please post your tasting notes when you have time
So...
I grabbed that bottle of Netto's own this evening. Down to the dregs really. It's taken me by surprise. Not nearly as bad as I thought.
McCaulay's Single Highland Malt Whisky (Netto own brand. £9.99) 40%
n. Sweet malt, toffee and a hint of alcohol fumes. A bit boring but not unpleasant. 18
t. A little peat smoke when you sip it. Bigger mouthfuls give priority to other flavours. A little saltiness eventually leads to a peppery bite at the back of the mouth. 20.
f. Warm and slightly smoky. Deep heat slightly deadened by caramel. Can go on a while but the more you drink the less powerful it gets. 20.
b. Is this really what I thought I remembered? Not too shabby to be honest. I was expecting something woeful. 19
Overall 77.
I grabbed that bottle of Netto's own this evening. Down to the dregs really. It's taken me by surprise. Not nearly as bad as I thought.
McCaulay's Single Highland Malt Whisky (Netto own brand. £9.99) 40%
n. Sweet malt, toffee and a hint of alcohol fumes. A bit boring but not unpleasant. 18
t. A little peat smoke when you sip it. Bigger mouthfuls give priority to other flavours. A little saltiness eventually leads to a peppery bite at the back of the mouth. 20.
f. Warm and slightly smoky. Deep heat slightly deadened by caramel. Can go on a while but the more you drink the less powerful it gets. 20.
b. Is this really what I thought I remembered? Not too shabby to be honest. I was expecting something woeful. 19
Overall 77.
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More on the Netto bargain trail. Just picked up a gift pack with 70cl bottle of Jura 10yo single malt with free hip flask for £16.99 . Not had chance to taste it yet but it strikes me as pretty good value.
IIRC the whisky itself isn't outstanding but is pleasant enough.
IIRC the whisky itself isn't outstanding but is pleasant enough.