The OCUK Whisky (and Whiskey) review thread

The Longrow Red series is worth a go. Every year they release a limited edition whisky under the name - a peated Campbeltown finished in red wine casks (6 years in bourbon, 5 in a different red wine or thereabouts). Some of the early bottlings were excellent. Later ones still good but last couple of years haven't really stood out for me.

A few years ago Longrow CV was available in the £30-40 range. It was a no age statement whisky but actually contained a mixture in the 6-14 year old range. It's been replaced by 'Longrow Peated Whisky'. I've seen claims that it's basically the same thing rebranded. CV offered excellent bang for buck (I'd put it on par with Laphroaig Quarter Cast) but I've not got around to trying the replacement yet.

Longrow's peaty flavour is a little different from Islay whiskies. It's perhaps earthier (maybe even dirtier) and less medicinal, iodiney or smokey). Worth a try.

It has to be said - I'm a bit of a sucker for wine cask aging or finishing of whisky. The wine quite often comes through most strongly in the finish. Somewhere amid the peat smoke a hint of the fruitinesss of the wine comes in and, with good examples, the finish can develop into something resembling the wine and only a hint of the whisky flavour.
 
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Sample a few with a mate last week.

Auchentoshan (not sure which kind) which was horrible we thought.
Nikka Whisky 15 Year old Yoichi which was lovely (but £10 per measure!)

Also got a bottle of a limited edition Chivas Regal from my gf when she came back from Japan. It's aged in a Japanese Oak cask, and can only be bought over there, and is actually very nice for a blended.
 
Have a bottle of Mortlach Special Strength and Mortlach 16 year in the cupboard atm. Just finished a Mortlach 18 Year Old 1997 (casks 7179 + 7180), which is the best whisky I have ever tasted, and the nicest of the three (and cheapest). Being hogsheads I work that out to be 357 bottles and supply is clearly running low, as I couldn't find anymore anywhere. Until I did, and just bought 3 more from some Danish website (PayPal'd it so hopefully kosher!). Also used a very gratefully received birthday Amazon voucher on a bottle of the original Longmorn 15 Year Old, which I've heard is utterly fantastic and puts the current 16 year release to shame (which already love).

The trick is now to savour them rather than devour them!
 
I recently got a bottle of Yamazaki Distiller's Reserve (purple / maroon box) and found it to be weirdly light - like it evaporates on the finish. Has anyone else experienced this? I drink quite a bit of whisky but never had anything quite like it before :confused:
 
Up until now, I have never had a Bourbon that I would say I thought was exceptional and never had one I'd want to buy a bottle of. However, I've always maintained that there must be one out there I would like. At last, I've finally found it.

One of my local pubs - which previously had an unsavoury reputation - has been taken over by new owners and I was persuaded to go there as they have real ale on. The real ale is well kept and very good. I got into a conversation with the new owners (very nice couple, trying their best to rebuild the pub's reputation and willing to listen to their customers). We got on to the subject of whisky and I told them about my quest to find a Bourbon I would happily buy. Alex (the male partner) told me about his current favourite and I promised to give it a try. It wasn't until later when his fiancée, Steph, was serving that I decided to give it a try. What a revelation. I loved it right from the start. I decided I had to buy a bottle.

At first I could only find it for about £85 but Alex said he'd get me a bottle when he ordered next. I've since found it on Master of Malt for £62.23 - which is better but I got mine for £48.30.

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It's Booker's by Jim Beam. It is described thusly "Booker’s® Bourbon is a rare barrel-strength bourbon, bottled uncut and unfiltered". The bottle I bought is matured for 7 years, 2 months and 5 days (according to the label). It was bottled at 63.7% ABV.

On the nose when neat, it's difficult, at that ABV, to get anything more than spirit (maybe a hint of pepper at a stretch). With a bit of water, it opens up to reveal peppery, vanilla oak notes with a hint of liquorice.

Taste neat is surprisingly smooth and well rounded but without any distinct flavour profile. With water, it's gorgeous. Lots of vanilla oak with good spice and the liquorice again.

Finish is long with the same flavours as the palate but right at the end, I detect a bit of wood ash. This might sound not nice but it seems to round off the experience perfectly.

Is this the best whisky I've tasted? No.

Is this the best whiskey I've tasted? Yes - by a long way.

Buy some. It's lovely. Even at £62.23 (Hell, I'd even pay £85 for it at a push).
 
kefkef said:
Took delivery of my Glencairn Whisky glasses yesterday and sampled my Auchentoshan Heartwood. Made I bit more of an occasion than drinking from a normal tumbler.
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That's one thing I like about the Wee Dram Fest in Bakewell. £20-something entry (it's gradually creeping up year on year). You get a glencairn glass included in the price to take home with you.

And then there's the small matter of 5 hours and unlimited 1cl tasting samples of a huge selection of [mainly single malt] whisky included in the price...
 
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My latest addition to my collection, celebrating my 30th today so got this. First time trying a single grain whisky, except a sample of a 50 year old single grain which was incredibly good.
 
I don't want to create a thread for this seeing as we have a few already so I thought I'd ask here. I used to drink Whiskey a few years back but never developed a taste for anything specific...no, not JD!

I'm after some suggestions on some decent introductory Whiskeys....can you help? :)
 
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