Official PCF Whisk(e)y Thread (68 Viewers)

pour #2

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I have a feeling after Caol Ila, Ardbeg is the second largest component of Big Peat.
Hmm, maybe I should experiment a little...
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Lately I've been on a bourbon/rye kick, so many of the single malts haven't been getting the attention they should.

That changed earlier this week when I dusted off the Lagavulin 16. It nearly knocked me on my butt, but in a great way.

Tonight, thanks to this thread, I'm having an Ardbeg 10. I'm really trying to distinguish the nose/taste characteristics (other than the obvious boatload of smoke) that are cited in the Master of Malt review:

Nose - Under the smoke, I do get "sea spray," like a faint whiff of air at the beach. No vanilla or citrus.
Palate - Sweet vanilla up front, then smoke and boozy burn. Again, no citrus that I detect.
Finish - Very long, mostly smoke to me.

When I first bought this bottle some time ago, I didn't like it, so it sat at the back of my bar for a long time. In the last couple of years, though, I have really warmed up to it, and after tonight's dram, it's almost time to go shopping for another bottle.

It's powerful and not what I would consider a daily drinker - but I've grown to really enjoy it, and I'm glad I chose it tonight.
 
I was just gifted a bottle of Wellers Special Reserve. Looking forward to trying it for the first time tomorrow.

Any reviews already written on it?
 
I was just gifted a bottle of Wellers Special Reserve. Looking forward to trying it for the first time tomorrow.

Any reviews already written on it?

No formal review, but it is a nice easy going wheater. You are definitely in for a treat.
 
That's why with older bottles, a "French Waiter" pronged cork remover and a supply of silicone corks are essential things to keep handy!
 
That's why with older bottles, a "French Waiter" pronged cork remover and a supply of silicone corks are essential things to keep handy!
I'd definitely have those on hand if I had a collection like yours, but this is a brand new bottle, purchased in October and opened for the first time tonight. I can't imagine it was bottled more then a year or two ago.

Luckily I've got some unused wine corks on hand that fit. I was able to pry out the remainder using a knife without getting cork crumbs in the bottle. However, there's some residue in the neck that I'll have to clean up.

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It’s soo delicious!! I'm a novice to smelling and tasting whisky, but this has a great nose. It's fruity and briny and doesn't burn the nose at all. The taste is sweet, bright fruits, clean and finishes very smooth. Just a tad of smoke/peat. It tastes like how my favorite cologne smells, Creed Erolfa. It actually taste like you're sitting on a little bay.

This will likely become my a regular for me. I need to stock up because it's been discontinued.

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Had a glass of Laphroaig with a steak tonight and my 4 year old son said that stinks! He asked if he could move away from sitting next to me as it smelled like "BBQ." I laughed and said go ahead buddy.
 
Had a glass of Laphroaig with a steak tonight and my 4 year old son said that stinks! He asked if he could move away from sitting next to me as it smelled like "BBQ." I laughed and said go ahead buddy.

Laphroig 10? I opened a bottle and i thought my smoke detector was going to go off.
 
I can't understand hard liquor going with food; it's probably a much more northern thing.
In my (southern European) book, hard liquor is either an appetiser and/or a digestive, so you think you 're still hungry and can eat more :D
With (cooked) food, it's wine.
 
I can't understand hard liquor going with food; it's probably a much more northern thing.
In my (southern European) book, hard liquor is either an appetiser and/or a digestive, so you think you 're still hungry and can eat more :D
With (cooked) food, it's wine.

I'm pretty much the same way except for beer which goes with anything, Scotch/steak, and margaritas/Mexican food. Beyond that, give me a good glass of wine with dinner and the hard stuff after.
 
I can't understand hard liquor going with food; it's probably a much more northern thing.
In my (southern European) book, hard liquor is either an appetiser and/or a digestive, so you think you 're still hungry and can eat more :D
With (cooked) food, it's wine.

I can only drink beer at a meal if its a seafood boil. otherwise i do not like any alcohol at a meal.

BUT...

a dram of whisky at the end of the meal with a slice of pie, cheesecake, creme brulee will pretty much make the meal for me
 
I can only drink beer at a meal if its a seafood boil. otherwise i do not like any alcohol at a meal.

BUT...

a dram of whisky at the end of the meal with a slice of pie, cheesecake, creme brulee will pretty much make the meal for me
If it's seafood and/or fish, the only way to go is the Assyrtiko grape variety from the volcanic vineyards of Santorini. Could get really expensive outside Greece, but what the hell, give it a try on a special occasion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyrtiko
https://www.houseofwine.gr/how/intl/santorini-assyrtiko-argyros.html
 
If it's seafood and/or fish, the only way to go is the Assyrtiko grape variety from the volcanic vineyards of Santorini. Could get really expensive outside Greece, but what the hell, give it a try on a special occasion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyrtiko
https://www.houseofwine.gr/how/intl/santorini-assyrtiko-argyros.html

I'll suggest this to my wife. I'm not much of a wine drinker. When I do a clam bake or crab boil..i usually grab beer...some pale ales, ipas, or sours
 
I can't understand hard liquor going with food; it's probably a much more northern thing.
....With (cooked) food, it's wine.

Us too, in general. But one of the most delicious meals I've ever prepared was a roasted leg of lamb, studded with rosemary sprigs and garlic, and basted liberally and often throughout its roasting with single malt Scotch. Incredible!

And of course, the meal was accompanied by Scotches. For once, no wine...
 
Regarding my cork problem with a bottle of Highland Park 12 that I just opened:
this is a brand new bottle, purchased in October and opened for the first time tonight. I can't imagine it was bottled more then a year or two ago.

I just found out tonight that they stopped bottling Highland Park 12 in 2017, and now they call it "Highland Park Viking Honor." It seems to be the same whisky, just renamed and bottled differently.

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So apparently my "new" bottle of HP 12 was bottled no later than 2017, though I could swear that I've seen the old bottles in my local liquor store very recently.
 
Regarding my cork problem with a bottle of Highland Park 12 that I just opened:


I just found out tonight that they stopped bottling Highland Park 12 in 2017, and now they call it "Highland Park Viking Honor." It seems to be the same whisky, just renamed and bottled differently.



So apparently my "new" bottle of HP 12 was bottled no later than 2017, though I could swear that I've seen the old bottles in my local liquor store very recently.

Yeah Chris, Highland Park changed the bottle on the 12 and on the 18 and discontinued the 15. They have been saying it is the same whisky on both cases however, I've read some reports the older bottles are a bit better than the new ones. Kinda the same with the Bunnahabhain 12 and 18 (changed the labels) in 2017 as well. If you are a fan of the HP 12 and the 18, I would suggest getting an extra of the older bottle. at worse it is not a lesser whisky and at best, it's a better version of it.
 
It’s soo delicious!! I'm a novice to smelling and tasting whisky, but this has a great nose. It's fruity and briny and doesn't burn the nose at all. The taste is sweet, bright fruits, clean and finishes very smooth. Just a tad of smoke/peat. It tastes like how my favorite cologne smells, Creed Erolfa. It actually taste like you're sitting on a little bay.

This will likely become my a regular for me. I need to stock up because it's been discontinued.

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The Little Bay is a great whisky, although I favor the 14 myself. If you like Oban, and if you find the Oban Distiller's Edition, that's worth a try for sure. My favorite of the three, actually. Yes, it's a bit more expensive than the 14.

For some reason, prices for the Little Bay are all over the place. If you're buying a couple of bottles of it, it's worth looking around online. I've seen prices from $30 to $70 for that bottle in the past, just weird...
 

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