Couple of new whiskies.

Stan_Lite · 22-05-2009, 21:04

Been a while since I did a whisky thread so I thought I'd do one now since I bought a couple of bottles I've not had before today.

First one I'm trying is Oban "Distiller's Edition" - distilled in 1993 and bottled in 2008.

Tasting notes:
The nose reveals a slight sweetness like honey and caramel with a slightly peaty background.
The palate confirms the sweetness and slight peat and adds sherry overtures from the Montilla casks where it completed it's second maturation. There is also a very slight hint of sharp sea spray there but barely noticeable.
The finish is disappointingly short and reveals little, finishing off with more sweetness and a little peat.

All in all, a decent whisky and pleasant enough but not enough to make me rush out and buy another bottle. It seems to be mostly a Highland malt with a hint of the Isles malts from the islands it faces.

Hang on a minute though. I'm just having some with some strong coffee and it's much better - the sweetness seems to marry well with the coffee and the heat of the coffee seems to lift the flavours a little.

In conclusion. A nice enough whisky - best kept as an after dinner whisky to have with coffee.

Next up will be Laproaig "Cairdeas". I'll let you know when I've tried that.

Stan_Lite · 22-05-2009, 22:26

OK. On to the Laphroaig.

Cairdeas is Gaelic for friends and this blend of various casks was developed by the master blender, Robert Hicks, specifically for members of the "Friends of Laphroaig" website. Apparently, it wasn't as popular as they hoped and some bottles appear to have found their way into general circulation. I never got a bottle when they first came out last year as I was skint at the time but I found a bottle in the Whisky Shop today so I bought one to try.
The mixture is of various different casks with a strong leaning towards a 17yo that the master blender was quite taken by.

Tasting notes:
The nose is pungent and very alcoholic due to the spirit being at 55% ABV

it smells almost like surgical spirit. Once a little water is added, the nose mellows somewhat and becomes disappointingly bland. There is a slightly grassy note with a little sea spray but not much else.
On the palate, it is quite mellow with the usual smoky peat (although more subdued than the likes of the cask strength or the Quarter Cask). There is also the usual salt spray and a hint of citrus. I'd say it's a bit drier and sharper than most Laphroaig expressions and refreshingly different.
The finish is quite long and seems to linger with a pleasant sweet peatiness.

In conclusion, I like this. Not as much as I like the 30yo or the quarter cask but it's nicer than the 10yo and the current 15yo. According to the guy in the Whisky Shop, they're going to do away with the 15yo and replace it with this. I say

I've never really seen the point of the 15yo - it's not really any nicer than the 10yo and it's not a patch on the quarter cask or the cask strength 10yo.

This is nice, try some if you get the chance

Jonny69 · 22-05-2009, 22:40

Great minds think alike eh, I just bought a new bottle too

15 year old Dalwhinnie on special offer in Waitrose. Was a bit disappointed at first, in fact I still am if I'm honest. It's quite flavourless as malts go, right down the middle with no smoke or peat and a really mild malt taste. Sweet with a tiny bit of salt at the end which might have been the glass, then afterwards lots of sweet wood. I thought of the Glenmorangie sherry cask, identical finish. It's ok. It's a starter's whiskey I think.

Kind of wish I'd got the smokey one that's 63% abv, but that won't be so appropriate in the hip flask at the wedding I bought it for...

Edit: and I'll read our reviews when I've sobered up Stan

Stan_Lite · 22-05-2009, 23:03

You're exactly right Jonny. I'd consider the Dalwhinnie as a 'safe' whisky and ideal for beginners. I still buy the odd bottle as I sometimes enjoy the simplicity of it. Ideal for the hip flask

Von Smallhausen · 23-05-2009, 19:40

I was talking to a lad I went to school with who works at the Alum Stan and he said the whisky bar was running behind schedule. That was about a month ago now but it should be opening soon.

He said one problem was what to stock it with ....... cue Stan.

What was that whusky you mentioned which was aged in an oak cask formerly used for sherry ? I recall you saying that was one of the best.

Stan_Lite · 23-05-2009, 19:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Von Smallhausen

I was talking to a lad I went to school with who works at the Alum Stan and he said the whisky bar was running behind schedule. That was about a month ago now but it should be opening soon.

He said one problem was what to stock it with ....... cue Stan.

What was that whusky you mentioned which was aged in an oak cask formerly used for sherry ? I recall you saying that was one of the best.

I'm a big fan of pretty much any whisky which has been aged in sherry casks but my favouritest ever is the 30yo Laphroaig but at £200 a pop, I'm not sure if they'll want to risk stocking anything that expensive until they're sure they can flog it. I'd be more than happy to help them taste any samples if required

Seriously though. If they want any input, I'd be happy to help and if any tasting was involved, I'd need my trusty assistant with me

I'll be home for at least another week by the way. If you're free at all, we need to have a beer

Von Smallhausen · 23-05-2009, 20:05

I am nights all next week but am thinking maybe Friday or Saturday night if you want a few beers down the dam and the Alum. It is a bit more lively on the weekend.

Stan_Lite · 23-05-2009, 20:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Von Smallhausen

I am nights all next week but am thinking maybe Friday or Saturday night if you want a few beers down the dam and the Alum. It is a bit more lively on the weekend.

Sounds like a plan to me. Whichever night suits you best dude

Stan_Lite · 23-05-2009, 21:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigstan

Hang on a minute though. I'm just having some with some strong coffee and it's much better - the sweetness seems to marry well with the coffee and the heat of the coffee seems to lift the flavours a little.

In conclusion. A nice enough whisky - best kept as an after dinner whisky to have with coffee.

Just to confirm this. I'm in the process of having this with some rich roast coffee and a pack of Brazil nuts and it's so much more enjoyable than drinking it on it's own.

I had the Laphroaig earlier with haggis, neeps and tatties and that worked perfectly as well - I always maintain that you need to drink Islay malt with H,N & T - Highland just doesn't cut through the fat enough and Speyside and Lowland malts haven't got the Cojones to cope with the spices.

All in all, a satisfactory evening. A pungent Islay malt with the balls (55% ABV) to cut through the fat and spices in my haggis; followed by a sweet, rounded Highland malt to complement my coffee and nibbles

22-05-2009, 21:04	#1
Stan_Lite Stan, Stan the FLASHER MAN! Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: In bed with your sister Posts: 5,483	Couple of new whiskies. Been a while since I did a whisky thread so I thought I'd do one now since I bought a couple of bottles I've not had before today. First one I'm trying is Oban "Distiller's Edition" - distilled in 1993 and bottled in 2008. Tasting notes: The nose reveals a slight sweetness like honey and caramel with a slightly peaty background. The palate confirms the sweetness and slight peat and adds sherry overtures from the Montilla casks where it completed it's second maturation. There is also a very slight hint of sharp sea spray there but barely noticeable. The finish is disappointingly short and reveals little, finishing off with more sweetness and a little peat. All in all, a decent whisky and pleasant enough but not enough to make me rush out and buy another bottle. It seems to be mostly a Highland malt with a hint of the Isles malts from the islands it faces. Hang on a minute though. I'm just having some with some strong coffee and it's much better - the sweetness seems to marry well with the coffee and the heat of the coffee seems to lift the flavours a little. In conclusion. A nice enough whisky - best kept as an after dinner whisky to have with coffee. Next up will be Laproaig "Cairdeas". I'll let you know when I've tried that. __________________ Just because I have a short attention span doesn't mean I...

22-05-2009, 22:26	#2
Stan_Lite Stan, Stan the FLASHER MAN! Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: In bed with your sister Posts: 5,483	OK. On to the Laphroaig. Cairdeas is Gaelic for friends and this blend of various casks was developed by the master blender, Robert Hicks, specifically for members of the "Friends of Laphroaig" website. Apparently, it wasn't as popular as they hoped and some bottles appear to have found their way into general circulation. I never got a bottle when they first came out last year as I was skint at the time but I found a bottle in the Whisky Shop today so I bought one to try. The mixture is of various different casks with a strong leaning towards a 17yo that the master blender was quite taken by. Tasting notes: The nose is pungent and very alcoholic due to the spirit being at 55% ABV it smells almost like surgical spirit. Once a little water is added, the nose mellows somewhat and becomes disappointingly bland. There is a slightly grassy note with a little sea spray but not much else. On the palate, it is quite mellow with the usual smoky peat (although more subdued than the likes of the cask strength or the Quarter Cask). There is also the usual salt spray and a hint of citrus. I'd say it's a bit drier and sharper than most Laphroaig expressions and refreshingly different. The finish is quite long and seems to linger with a pleasant sweet peatiness. In conclusion, I like this. Not as much as I like the 30yo or the quarter cask but it's nicer than the 10yo and the current 15yo. According to the guy in the Whisky Shop, they're going to do away with the 15yo and replace it with this. I say I've never really seen the point of the 15yo - it's not really any nicer than the 10yo and it's not a patch on the quarter cask or the cask strength 10yo. This is nice, try some if you get the chance __________________ Just because I have a short attention span doesn't mean I...

22-05-2009, 22:40	#3
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	Great minds think alike eh, I just bought a new bottle too 15 year old Dalwhinnie on special offer in Waitrose. Was a bit disappointed at first, in fact I still am if I'm honest. It's quite flavourless as malts go, right down the middle with no smoke or peat and a really mild malt taste. Sweet with a tiny bit of salt at the end which might have been the glass, then afterwards lots of sweet wood. I thought of the Glenmorangie sherry cask, identical finish. It's ok. It's a starter's whiskey I think. Kind of wish I'd got the smokey one that's 63% abv, but that won't be so appropriate in the hip flask at the wedding I bought it for... Edit: and I'll read our reviews when I've sobered up Stan __________________

22-05-2009, 23:03	#4
Stan_Lite Stan, Stan the FLASHER MAN! Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: In bed with your sister Posts: 5,483	You're exactly right Jonny. I'd consider the Dalwhinnie as a 'safe' whisky and ideal for beginners. I still buy the odd bottle as I sometimes enjoy the simplicity of it. Ideal for the hip flask __________________ Just because I have a short attention span doesn't mean I...

23-05-2009, 19:40	#5
Von Smallhausen I'm Free Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Tyneside Posts: 3,061	I was talking to a lad I went to school with who works at the Alum Stan and he said the whisky bar was running behind schedule. That was about a month ago now but it should be opening soon. He said one problem was what to stock it with ....... cue Stan. What was that whusky you mentioned which was aged in an oak cask formerly used for sherry ? I recall you saying that was one of the best. __________________ " Well, old bean, life is really so bloody awful that I feel it’s my absolute duty to be chirpy and try and make everybody else happy too." David Niven, 1910-1983.

23-05-2009, 20:05	#7
Von Smallhausen I'm Free Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Tyneside Posts: 3,061	I am nights all next week but am thinking maybe Friday or Saturday night if you want a few beers down the dam and the Alum. It is a bit more lively on the weekend. __________________ " Well, old bean, life is really so bloody awful that I feel it’s my absolute duty to be chirpy and try and make everybody else happy too." David Niven, 1910-1983.