The OCUK Whisky (and Whiskey) review thread

Gribs said:
He didn't at all like a 18 year old Laphroig or a 17 year old Ardbeg.
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I wouldn't offer any of the Island or malty whiskies to anyone who isn't used to their whiskies as it can be quite off putting due to their strength. Best to start off with the Speyside smooth malts like I did - only difference is I stayed at that point. :p

Gribs said:
If anyone is near a Booths they seem to have a few good offers on until the 31st. I might have to pop in and pick up a Quarter cask and 12 year old Highland park or 2.

http://www.booths.co.uk/offer-group/wines-spirits/
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Thanks also for the link - that's a good price for the Glenrothes btw ;)
 
Sonea Fifer said:
I wouldn't offer any of the Island or malty whiskies to anyone who isn't used to their whiskies as it can be quite off putting due to their strength. Best to start off with the Speyside smooth malts like I did - only difference is I stayed at that point. :p
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I may be slightly odd in that the first whisky I actually liked was an Arbeg after hating cheap blends. I was in my late 20's and hadn't had any whisky for years though. Olives were similar.

Sonea Fifer said:
Thanks also for the link - that's a good price for the Glenrothes btw ;)
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It's the Glenlivet that really caught my eye, I haven't seen it that cheap for a while and it's very easy to drink.
 
Sonea Fifer said:
Agreed - Glenlivet is another nice Speyside malt :)

If you do have £30.00 spare though the Glenrothes is one I'd recommend as well ;)
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haha, i coincidentally ended up getting some over christmas as it was the only one i could find in Marks that was in this thread, and i had a voucher;

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Literally just trying my first glass of it, prefer it to the Balvenie Signature for sure.

EDIT actually its actually a very good whisky to drink back to back, makes you appreciate the differences nicely....the balvenie is quite harsh for the first drink of the day but it goes down nicely after a glass of Glenlivet
 
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Sonea Fifer said:
Agreed - Glenlivet is another nice Speyside malt :)

If you do have £30.00 spare though the Glenrothes is one I'd recommend as well ;)
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I picked one up on your recommendation and it's quite nice. Drinking them alone the standard Speysides all seem to taste very similar to me, I definitely couldn't pick them out blind, it's only the really old ones that seem to have a more interesting flavour (25 year old Glenlivet tastes like Christmas pudding) but I do tend to prefer more peaty malts.
 
Gribs said:
I picked one up on your recommendation and it's quite nice.
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Glad you liked - I couldn't differentiate between the Speyside malts either as there's just so many with different tastes. You'll find "liquid Christmas pudding" is quite a commonly used to describe some of the older malts. ;)

Gribs said:
but I do tend to prefer more peaty malts.
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Not for me - each to their own though :)




Sonea Fifer said:
Had an unexpected payout on my dividends on my shares so it's time to invest it. . . . . .

In a bottle of whisky - I'm thinking I might treat myself to another Royal Lochnigar Select Reserve or something else for a change?
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Well I made my choice :D:

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However over the new year period we've mostly been drinking this:

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Which I'd never heard of before - it is a lovely smooth malt (Speyside) which I found to be ever so slightly peated and quite sweet to taste but very enjoyable. :D
 
Ahleckz said:
Oh, let me know what their blend is like. I was in today buying beer, vodka and cigars.
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This will be the worst whisky review ever; the blend was enjoyable.

I have no recollection of tastes (for the obvious reasons) but I do remember the consensus was that we liked it! If I had a gun to my head I would say it was neither smoky or peaty. Maybe quite flowery and spicy, but in all honesty the last couple of weeks have been such a blur I could be way off. I'll be buying it in the future when they add a new whisky so that's not a bad indicator.
 
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Sipping an Aberlour 10 yr which has a great smoothness. I tend to stay with the Speysides for now as I'm still new to the Whisky world, but hope to try a lot more in the coming year.
 
After a little advice please, im looking to try some nice whisky/whiskey. I have only ever had jim beam or jack daniels and there ok, jack has some nice coconut notes to it but they seem unrefined from what i have gathered and after bringing a period of near sobriety to an end would like a nice sensible sip.

Not having a clue about whisky or what i like or they offer id like some recommendations, i love smoky food, the smokier the better so does this translate across to whisky am i more inclined to favor a smokey drink.

What does a petey whisky exactly translate to too?

Im looking to spend around £30-35 and would preferably like to walk into a local supermarket and pick up a bottle, im unsure of any shops that offer varied selections in my area so local sup's would be easier.

Any thoughts?
 
There might be some recommendations in this ten page thread. :p

But really, I always recommend the laddie 10 by Bruichladdich and any balvenie is good. For a smokey try Laphroaig as a starter but it's a beast for a newbie!
 
As fus says, Laphroaig is a lovely smoky whisky but sometimes a little pungent for a beginner. You should be able to find a bottle of Talisker in a supermarket, that's smoky but not quite as pungent as Laphroaig. Nice whisky :)
There are some nice Bruichladdich expressions but the cheaper ones you tend to find in the supermarket aren't as good as others. Might be worth a punt but I think the Talisker and Laphroaig would be better in your budget.
 
I have jumped on to tesco's web page and had a gander through and notice they have the Laphroaig quarter cask a touch cheaper than the standard 10 is it worth jumping straight in to that or is that maybe one to save until i acquire the taste?

Also is it worth picking up a black bottle, seems to come very highly rated for what it costs?
 
The best smokey whiskey i have had is Lagavulin. However Laphroaig 10 year or quarter cask is excellent. Talisker is a good compromise as it is less smokey. I love smokey food and smokey whisky. I think it is a taste that steers you towards both.
 
Kanifee said:
I have jumped on to tesco's web page and had a gander through and notice they have the Laphroaig quarter cask a touch cheaper than the standard 10 is it worth jumping straight in to that or is that maybe one to save until i acquire the taste?

Also is it worth picking up a black bottle, seems to come very highly rated for what it costs?
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If you're set on getting Laphroaig the quarter cask is absolutely the one to buy; it's better than the 10 so if you can get it cheaper go for it.

I wouldn't recommend Black Bottle. The last couple of bottles I've bought have been very average, with the most recent sitting in the cupboard for over a year now. It'll end up as coke fodder at a party. For me the best cheap blend is Bailie Nicol Jarvie. It's better than plenty malts I've tried and you can pick up a bottle for ~£15.

e: Noticed you're after smoke. BNJ isn't smoky but still worth trying at the price. Black Grouse is even a good bit better than Black Bottle if you want to stay smoky.
 
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Really just wanting a extra bottle cheap for a little variety, I'll give them a look, Laphroaig seems to be recommended as a good example of a smoky tipple so I may get the bnj to give another taste a try.
 
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