The OCUK Whisky (and Whiskey) review thread

The company buys a barrel or 2, gets it bottled, job done.

As the barrel affects the taste, each one will be different. Some are amazing and better than the distillery's own version.
 
Scam said:
I bought it with the Bruichladdich Classic Laddie which honestly is a bit disappointing. Although quite smooth for 50%.
Click to expand...

I thought the same with that one. Nothing memorable, just average. I've still got a bit left as I find myself always choosing others over finishing that bottle!
 
Bickaxe said:
The company buys a barrel or 2, gets it bottled, job done.

As the barrel affects the taste, each one will be different. Some are amazing and better than the distillery's own version.
Click to expand...
Yeah I was doing some research. Looks like they'd be good to buy for 'interest' but would it be a mistake to buy one based on the distillery that I like? Sounds like they can be totally different most of the time. I love Bunnah' that's the only reason I was drawn to that bottling. That and some birthday money burning a whole in my pocket :)
 
Hmn, going against slightly what I was interested in above.. I now have £50 to spend due to getting some vouchers from work. Woops.

For someone that likes Bunnahabhain 12, Longrow Peated, Old Pulteney and Springbank do you have any suggestions along those lines? :)
 
Scam said:
Hmn, going against slightly what I was interested in above.. I now have £50 to spend due to getting some vouchers from work. Woops.

For someone that likes Bunnahabhain 12, Longrow Peated, Old Pulteney and Springbank do you have any suggestions along those lines? :)
Click to expand...

I'll always recommend Ben Nevis 10. It's not really similar but I'd be very surprised if someone who liked Springbank didn't appreciate it. Clynelish 14 is also one you should try.
 
so i got these a few wks back:

Glen Keith - really nice actually for a cheaper whisky, similar in strength to the glencairn in tesco. easy to drink, no peat and smooth.
Eigashima as i love the light jap stuff - have to say a love this. it is weak as has been noted above, but really mellow and easy to drink. my taste buds are not as good so im not really good at detecting suttle flavours but really good.
redbreast 12 yr old. wow, love this stuff. opened it for a friends teams pub night 2 wks ago and almost done the bottle! definately going to re-order this. so smooth and not harsh.

so, anyone got anymore recommendations along those lines?
 
Gribs said:
I'll always recommend Ben Nevis 10. It's not really similar but I'd be very surprised if someone who liked Springbank didn't appreciate it. Clynelish 14 is also one you should try.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I actually already had the Clynelish on my wishlist so thanks for reminding me. My friend has recommended Port Charlotte 10 from Bruichladdich but I was so underwhelmed by the Classic Laddie I'm kinda put off.

I definitely think it's the coastal, salty flavours I like. That and however the heck you'd describe Springbank 10 :confused:
 
Scam said:
Hmn, going against slightly what I was interested in above.. I now have £50 to spend due to getting some vouchers from work. Woops.

For someone that likes Bunnahabhain 12, Longrow Peated, Old Pulteney and Springbank do you have any suggestions along those lines? :)
Click to expand...
If you haven't already tried it Kilkerran 12 would be the next logical step from Springbank/Longrow, but it seems to be hard to get a hold of at the moment. Maybe Arran 10, or Oban 14 if you like the coastal vibe. (And apologies for starting you down that dark path which is Bunnahabhain addiction!)
 
Lupis said:
If you haven't already tried it Kilkerran 12 would be the next logical step from Springbank/Longrow, but it seems to be hard to get a hold of at the moment. Maybe Arran 10, or Oban 14 if you like the coastal vibe. (And apologies for starting you down that dark path which is Bunnahabhain addiction!)
Click to expand...
Thanks. I had the Kilkerran a while ago and did like it. I think my palate has improved a lot since so perhaps it's worth another go when I can find it. I'll check out the others. This voucher is burning a hole in my pocket but I'm started to feel pressure by spending that much on a bottle :o
 
Scam said:
Thanks. I had the Kilkerran a while ago and did like it. I think my palate has improved a lot since so perhaps it's worth another go when I can find it. I'll check out the others. This voucher is burning a hole in my pocket but I'm started to feel pressure by spending that much on a bottle :o
Click to expand...
How much do you have to spend? And, depending if you have tried any of them already, have you considered getting the classic malts coastal collection? It's 3 20cl bottles and you can usually pick it up for around £40 or less. Clynelish 14 (excellent), Coal Ila 12 (very good) and talisker 10 (not my favourite, but it's been a while since I last had it and some people have been saying it has improved a lot of late).

At least there is a greater chance of there being something you like than just going for a single bottle.
 
Whiskey gurus of OCUk, I came to ask how a gift stacks up in your opinion.
I won a bottle of Pendryon Welsh Whiskey, Media Cask single malt
DSC_0019.JPG


How does this rate?
 
Ignoring your terrible spelling of Penderyn (and presumably Madeira) :p I polished off a bottle of that last night. It's nice, very drinkable. Very sweet for me, nice mouthfeel though, very full flavoured. It was a Christmas present, so make of that what you like when it was alongside 3-4 other bottles on the go :)

Edit: It's always nice when people buy whiskey presents that are slightly different. I gave up keeping a list of my most wanted and told people to go to a shop and get recommendations heh.

Edit2: I got bored going round and round with all the recommendations and looked a bit more into that Bunnah' 10yr G&M edition. Went with my gut and bought the last bottle of that from MoM, plus the Hazelburn 10 to scratch that Springbank itch (hopefully). Will report back.

The Clynelish, Oban, Arran are all on my to-try list :)
 
Last edited:
Well I opened the litre bottle of Haig Club Clubman I bought for someone as a thankyou for doing me a favour that they never did... I'm not a massive whiskey fan but its quite alright. I do have to mix it though because I'm a poofter. :p
 
Acme said:
Well I opened the litre bottle of Haig Club Clubman I bought for someone as a thankyou for doing me a favour that they never did... I'm not a massive whiskey fan but its quite alright. I do have to mix it though because I'm a poofter. :p
Click to expand...
You might as well leave this thread then ;)

I opened my G&M Bunnah' 10. Wow. Really nice, very pleased. It makes me think toffee apples, with a very 'full' mouthfeel but at the same time quite light and lemony with a lot of top-ends. Finishes with a bit of sea salt and light smoke; the perfect amount for me. Really, really enjoyable.

The Hazelburn got a taste as well, it's very smooth (being triple-distilled), very drinkeable but I'm not sure my palate is good enough to taste all the subtleties! It's definitely a Springbank-light but has just a dash of the oily mouthfeel/taste. Enjoyable, but not sure it's rich enough for me.
 
Recent purchases, JB was on offer, had it before its not bad. Never tried the other, but see it reviewed well on Master of Malt so got a bottle, it's a "celebrity" bottling from the band Slipknot and Cedar Ridge distillery. Hope it's nice as it was pricey at over £50 a bottle.

IMG-1032.jpg
 
What is the proper way one should drink cask strength whisky? I was given a bottle of Ardbeg Uigeadail as a gift. But it's 54%, not sure if I should be adding a little water, or what is the way to do it.
 
MentalSharps said:
What is the proper way one should drink cask strength whisky? I was given a bottle of Ardbeg Uigeadail as a gift. But it's 54%, not sure if I should be adding a little water, or what is the way to do it.
Click to expand...
Def add some water. Anything from a single pipette drop to a teaspoon maybe? I stumbled across this article the other day which was an interesting point of view: https://scotchwhisky.com/magazine/o...-it/12917/why-i-dislike-cask-strength-whisky/

I'm about to finish my Ancnoc 12 :(
 
Scam said:
Def add some water. Anything from a single pipette drop to a teaspoon maybe? I stumbled across this article the other day which was an interesting point of view: https://scotchwhisky.com/magazine/o...-it/12917/why-i-dislike-cask-strength-whisky/

I'm about to finish my Ancnoc 12 :(
Click to expand...

Great article thanks. That sums it up perfectly I think. The experience for me is so inconsistent, because I'm just adding random amounts of water until I think it should taste right. And using tap water, oh dear :eek:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom