The OCUK Whisky (and Whiskey) review thread

bsoltan · 30 Aug 2018 at 12:27

dl8860 said:
Just went into the Tesco express over the road to check, no such luck. How much was retail price? Will you keep any do you think?

I'm going to be keeping an eye out at other Tescos for sure! I paid £52.50 each, they are 50cl bottles. Having done some searching online I'm still not convinced if 50cl is the only size as some websites say 70cl or 75cl. Can't imagine they'd do 200-250ml difference on bottles though.

I'll keep one to drink, I'm actually sharing the haul with my cousin 50/50. I might wait a while and try and sell one of the bottles which would re-coup any cost. Then hang onto the other for the future.

Never mind your cypto, whisky is the new investment (just don't drink it!).

Scam said:
lol drinking whisky at any hotel is a mistake. I've done it on expenses and still cringed when the bill came!

I'm off to a place in the Lake District next month and they have a fairly reasonable whisky menu, some decent options as well!
https://www.lakesapplegarth.co.uk/villa-restaurant/whisky-menu

Bickaxe · 17 Oct 2018 at 11:17

bsoltan said:
At the weekend I popped into a Tesco Express and wasn't sure but thought I'd seen Hibiki 12 on the shelf.. in a Tesco Express..
Not wanting to miss-out on a bottle discontinued in 2015 I went all the way back across town today to the same shop.
Sure enough Hibiki 12 was there on the shelf, at normal retail price! So I do what any self respecting whisky fan does and buy all their bottles.

Just seen a review of these.

https://www.thedramble.com/tastings/suntory-(blended)/hibiki-12-year-old/

dl8860 · 17 Oct 2018 at 14:25

Bickaxe said:
Just seen a review of these.

https://www.thedramble.com/tastings/suntory-(blended)/hibiki-12-year-old/

Whisky reviews do make me laugh

"...its strength is perhaps its weakness"

FTM · 18 Oct 2018 at 08:42

just back from my annual trip to Oban

came back with
Benriach 12 year old sherried
Glenglassaugh Torfa
Glenallachie 12
Ardmore 15 madeira finish
Talisker 18

the Glenglassaugh and the Glenallachie are both old distilleries that had previously been putting their production into blends (Chivas I think owned them) but they are now privately owned and putting out their own distillery bottlings so its always nice to try something new!

Scam · 19 Oct 2018 at 13:30

Anyone a fan of Deanstons? Got my eye on their 12yo. Trying to replicate the Dalwhinnie 15. I love vanilla-y, oaky flavours rather than anything too sweet or smokey. (I hate peated)

Lupis · 19 Oct 2018 at 15:55

Scam said:
Anyone a fan of Deanstons? Got my eye on their 12yo. Trying to replicate the Dalwhinnie 15. I love vanilla-y, oaky flavours rather than anything too sweet or smokey. (I hate peated)

I haven't but thanks for the warning, I had been thinking about getting a bottle to try but if it is anything like Dalwhinnie 15 I'll pass as that is the most insipid whisky I have ever tried, and that includes quite a few NAS whiskies. I was shocked how poor it was for a 15 year old, I ended up using it in hot toddies.

Looks like it is between Edradour and Glen Garioch for my next bottle.

Scam · 19 Oct 2018 at 16:56

Ha, well each to their own. I thought the Dalwhinnie was buttery smooth. The Glen Garioch sounds like a good alternative, but the Edradour sounds... odd. Maybe I'll pop in the Whiskey Exchange on my way home and see which they recommend.

Lupis · 19 Oct 2018 at 17:05

Maybe it was just a bottle from a bad batch I had, but I'm not kidding when I say it was tasteless. It wasn't unpleasant in any way, there was just nothing of note there at all other than the alcohol. If I had got it from anywhere dodgy I might even have thought it was possibly a knock off. I haven't been in any rush to try again to see if it was a one off though.

semi-pro waster · 20 Oct 2018 at 11:53

Scam said:
Anyone a fan of Deanstons? Got my eye on their 12yo. Trying to replicate the Dalwhinnie 15. I love vanilla-y, oaky flavours rather than anything too sweet or smokey. (I hate peated)

I haven't tried the 12yo that I know of but I do have the remnants of a bottle of 19yo bottled by Cadenheads which isn't peaty or smoky. Not having tried the 12yo I can't say how different it gets as it matures but for what it's worth the tasting notes for this one mention waxy fruits and green apple skins along with some cold meats on the nose, spiced apples, green bananas, whole limes and coconut milk as well as fresh cut grass and fragrant herbs on the palate, the finish is described as white wine, watermelon, cloves and a little oily. Frankly I couldn't have discerned most of them on a tasting but it's a nice whisky, I don't find it too sweet either so I'd consider the younger version as worth a punt.

FTM · 21 Oct 2018 at 18:16

Lupis said:
I haven't but thanks for the warning, I had been thinking about getting a bottle to try but if it is anything like Dalwhinnie 15 I'll pass as that is the most insipid whisky I have ever tried, and that includes quite a few NAS whiskies. I was shocked how poor it was for a 15 year old, I ended up using it in hot toddies.

Looks like it is between Edradour and Glen Garioch for my next bottle.

the Glen Garioch 12 year old is a fantastic drop for the money well worth getting if you have never tried it

Lupis · 21 Oct 2018 at 18:39

FTM said:
the Glen Garioch 12 year old is a fantastic drop for the money well worth getting if you have never tried it

It was a toss up between that and the GlenDronach last time and I went for the GlenDronach. Can't complain with my choice as that is very nice indeed. I think it will be the Glen Garioch next though.

bsoltan · 27 Oct 2018 at 23:36

Having some whisky tonight. An opportunity to get my collection out from the cupboard.

ajf · 28 Oct 2018 at 21:37

Want to get myself a nice Bourbon for Christmas.
Previously enjoyed Buffalo Trace and Makers Mark but like trying new things.
Is Wil Turkey Rare Breed worth the price?
I go bery much on reviews and general comments, but it seems a good one?

bsoltan · 28 Oct 2018 at 23:58

ajf said:
Want to get myself a nice Bourbon for Christmas.
Previously enjoyed Buffalo Trace and Makers Mark but like trying new things.
Is Wil Turkey Rare Breed worth the price?
I go bery much on reviews and general comments, but it seems a good one?

There is a bourbon thread here: https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/threads/bourbon.18819295/
Might give you some good ideas.

ajf · 29 Oct 2018 at 15:55

Ah, missed that!
Did wonder why there wasn't much about Bourbon in this thread

Maundie · 31 Oct 2018 at 11:56

So visited the Penderyn Distillery at the weekend, tour was good but if you've done one tour you've virtually done them all, I did get chance to try Portwood, Sherrywood and the new Aged Oak, they're all nice but still prefer the original Maderia cask one (Got myself another bottle of this while there).

They do have a 'watered down' Dragon range which has Legend, Celt and Myth but I didn't try those as I wanted to try the main range.

One word of advice though is if you are wanting to do the tour on a weekend then book as it was fully booked on Saturday and there was only 6 places available all day on Sunday (Good job we were staying overnight and could get back Sunday morning).

aMb · 31 Oct 2018 at 21:48

Here's my current collection, a fan of anything from a sherry cask!

bsoltan · 1 Nov 2018 at 00:34

That is an awesome selection aMb! I really want to get a Glenfarclas.
A Hibiki 21. :eek:

funguST · 1 Nov 2018 at 22:36

Looking for a christmas/thankyou gift for a mainly Wine but also a whisky drinker. Something nice (i'm not a whisky fan) that they are less likely to have. Not looking to spend more than lets say £100 for a bottle. Any thoughts?

monkentage · 1 Nov 2018 at 23:30

funguST said:
Looking for a christmas/thankyou gift for a mainly Wine but also a whisky drinker. Something nice (i'm not a whisky fan) that they are less likely to have. Not looking to spend more than lets say £100 for a bottle. Any thoughts?

The Arran Amarone cask. You can get yourself one too for that budget.