Bought some new whiskies today

[Stan_Lite]

I ordered and received some new whiskies so I thought I'd post a few tasting notes as most of them, I haven't tried before.

http://public.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pJKGfvxzDtQ7zOBibcklT6a8ECJRa8B6FUjiEAcBToMiAQa2 E19AT_zgNQhbNlMsi5SWFncPWX6hNFQqNu4V31Q/whisky%20(2).jpg?psid=1

[Burble]

That Bladnoch looks more pale than I'd expect, I'm sure the bottle I had was a bit deeper in colour.

We must do a whisky tasting at some point, Stan :)

[Belmit]

Awesome! I've recently been enjoying Penderyn - the only single malt distillery in Wales. You can get the madeira variety in Tesco for a little over £30 and it's delicious. :) Would love to give some of those a go...

[volospian]

Aberlour 15 yo is my favourite whiskey ever... although it's getting rare and expensive now. The 16 yo that I can get now is still damn fine though, but not quite the same. The 10 is nice, but not as good as the 16.... or indeed the 15 yo...

[Burble]

Awesome! I've recently been enjoying Penderyn - the only single malt distillery in Wales. You can get the madeira variety in Tesco for a little over £30 and it's delicious. :) Would love to give some of those a go...

There's a medeira version? I may treat myself. I know Stan wasn't keen on Pendryn at a Swansea meet but I thought it was OK.

I'm working my way through a bottle of Auchentoshan three wood at present, very nice.

[Stan_Lite]

Doing some tasting notes. They're in the style of the whisky thread on OcUK so I can copy and paste.

First up, Aberlour 10yo. I placed an online groceries order with Tesco the other day and ordered a bottle of Talisker. they didn't have any and some genius decided this was a suitable replacement :confused: I accepted it as I've had it before and it's a passable whisky.

Aberlour 10yo Highland malt. 40%
Nose: Slight spice, citrus, sweet toffee. 18
Taste: As above with a bit of oaky vanilla. 16
Finish: Longish - fairly smooth and slightly sweet. 20
Balance: Decent enough whisky if a little plain and unremarkable. 18
Overall 72.

[Stan_Lite]

That Bladnoch looks more pale than I'd expect, I'm sure the bottle I had was a bit deeper in colour.

We must do a whisky tasting at some point, Stan :)

Never had Bladnoch before - I'm looking forward to it. it's actually cloudy in the bottle (unchillfiltered). And yes, we should get together with a few tasty whiskies sometime.

Awesome! I've recently been enjoying Penderyn - the only single malt distillery in Wales. You can get the madeira variety in Tesco for a little over £30 and it's delicious. :) Would love to give some of those a go...

Not a fan of Penderyn as Paul says. I tried it again recently but still didn't enjoy it.

There's a medeira version? I may treat myself. I know Stan wasn't keen on Pendryn at a Swansea meet but I thought it was OK.

I'm working my way through a bottle of Auchentoshan three wood at present, very nice.

Lovely whisky the three wood - a regular purchase of mine.

[Burble]

And yes, we should get together with a few tasty whiskies sometime.

We'll have to get something arranged. It'd be good to catch up with you and your former house mate.

[Mark]

Madeira version sounds intriguing - I'm slowly developing a taste for Madeira wine though quite what Wales is having to do with that I'm not sure. :)

[Burble]

I got given a bottle of 12 yo Hazelburn last week by a colleague and then forgot to bring it home with me so it's sitting in my office in Guildford. It'll be the first Campbeltown malt I've tried.

[volospian]

Madeira version sounds intriguing - I'm slowly developing a taste for Madeira wine though quite what Wales is having to do with that I'm not sure. :)

Very few small distilleries can afford to commission brand new oak casks nowadays. Instead they buy them off wineries that have already used them, hence the relatively new concept of "wine finish" whiskys... at least that's what I was told in SA last year...

[Stan_Lite]

Bladnoch 20yo Lowland malt. 40%
Nose: Slight spice, grass, floral - very fresh. 22
Taste: Spice, chocolate limes (the sweeties) and something familiar I can't quite put a name to at the moment. 22
Finish:Medium and tingly with a hint of bitter chocolate. 18
Balance: Nice fresh tasting whisky. Typical lowland with floral, citrussy notes. 20
Overall 82.

[Stan_Lite]

Knockando 18yo Speyside malt. 43%
Nose: Chocolate, slight vanilla. 18
Taste: Slight spice, chocolate, sherry. 20
Finish:Medium mostly chocolate with a hint of fruit. 18
Balance: Slightly disappointing. Was hoping for a bit better from this. Still a decent whisky but not as good as I thought it would be. 18
Overall 74.

[volospian]

Can I just ask about the reasoning behind your tasting? You have compared a couple of Speysides against a Lowland so far... not really the same thing, tbf. A bit like comparing a Rhone against a Beaujolais...

[Stan_Lite]

Talisker 1999 distiller's edition Skye malt. 45.8%
Nose: Sea spray, slightly smoky, peat, slightly antiseptic. 22
Taste: Sweetish sherry, slight vanilla, peat smoke. 20
Finish: Medium - vanilla fudge. 19
Balance: Nose showed promise but fell down slightly on taste and finish. Still a jolly nice whisky though. 21
Overall 82.

[Stan_Lite]

Can I just ask about the reasoning behind your tasting? You have compared a couple of Speysides against a Lowland so far... not really the same thing, tbf. A bit like comparing a Rhone against a Beaujolais...

Actually, the Aberlour is a Highland, that was a typo (now corrected) so it's 3 different types (now 4).

I'm not really comparing the whiskies to each other, I'm judging each one individually on its own merits. I just happen to be using the same scoring system (similar to that used by Jim Murray in his "Whisky Bible"). At the end of the day, the overall score for each whisky is how I rate that particular whisky on its own. For example, I've rated the Bladnoch at 82 and the Knockando at 74. All this means is that I think the Bladnoch is a better Lowland whisky than the Knockando is a Speyside whisky.

I hope that makes sense - it does to me :confused:

[Stan_Lite]

Was saving what I thought would be the best until last and I wasn't wrong.

Lagavulin special release 1994 distiller's edition Islay malt. 43%
Nose: Peat smoke, raisins, antiseptic. 23
Taste: Dry sherry, slight spice, peat smoke, Christmas cake. 23
Finish: Long. Antiseptic, peat, slightly sweet and slightly woody. 22
Balance: I have a weakness for Islay malts matured in sherry casks and this one didn't disappoint. A well balanced, complex whisky. Not the best I've tasted but well up there. 23
Overall 91.

[Stan_Lite]

Well, that was a most enjoyable way to spend an evening :cool:

[volospian]

Actually, the Aberlour is a Highland, that was a typo (now corrected) so it's 3 different types (now 4).

No, it is a Speyside.

[Stan_Lite]

No, it is a Speyside.

You're right - I was right the first time. Damned label says Highland in large letters and then Speyside in small letters elsewhere. For some reason they've decided to call it Highland when it isn't :confused:

[Von Smallhausen]

What's the name of that bloke from Scotland again that converted me from hating whisky to rather enjoying a single malt in a fairly short space of time ?

[volospian]

I hope that makes sense - it does to me :confused:

By the way, yes, it does make sense when you put it like that. I just know that tasting whisky is very much a matter of preference. For example, I do not like heavy smoke, so that rules most of the Islay whiskies out for me, so if I were tasting them, and comparing them to each other, I would "score" the Isley lower than, say, a Speyside. If you see what I mean...

[Stan_Lite]

By the way, yes, it does make sense when you put it like that. I just know that tasting whisky is very much a matter of preference. For example, I do not like heavy smoke, so that rules most of the Islay whiskies out for me, so if I were tasting them, and comparing them to each other, I would "score" the Isley lower than, say, a Speyside. If you see what I mean...

I know exactly what you mean. For example I would give something like the 1972 Glengoyne I had recently a rating of about 96 as it is as close to perfect a Highland malt as I have tasted. I would give the 30yo Laphroaig I had a few years ago the same score as it is as close to perfect an Islay malt as I have tasted. Unlike you, I'm a huge fan of smoky, peaty whiskies and would rate the Laphroaig far higher than the Glengoyne if I was comparing the two.

It's difficult to be objective when you have a strong preference for a particular type of whisky. Out of my top 5 whiskies I've tasted, the aforementioned Glengoyne is the only one which isn't an Islay malt.

[vix]

Count me in on the whisky tasting! If only for the comedy value :p

[volospian]

It's difficult to be objective when you have a strong preference for a particular type of whisky. Out of my top 5 whiskies I've tasted, the aforementioned Glengoyne is the only one which isn't an Islay malt.

Yeah, it's OK if you can make an objective appraisal. I just know that I'd be inclined to say "I don't like this" and mark it down, instead of saying "well, it's not to my taste, but as an example of an Islay whisky... it's pretty good" :D

[Stan_Lite]

What's the name of that bloke from Scotland again that converted me from hating whisky to rather enjoying a single malt in a fairly short space of time ?

Can't think who that might have been :angel: