Thread: Scotch/whiskey of the day

Gentlemen. It is time for Johnnie.

Johnnie Walker Double Black that is.
It is not often that I can enjoy a preprandial libation on my deck this late in September.
Have a nice weekend.

Long overdue, I'm sitting with a small glass of aultmore 12 year old. Bottled at 46% and non-chill filtered.
I added water before I thought to write this, so these are my thoughts with about a teaspoon of water, not neat.

The nose is full of fresh fruit; apples, grapes, melon, something almost like under-ripe banana. Also a soft heathery note.
The palate is fresh and light but it's got a fair amount of bite from the alcohol. More apples and other unspecific fruit. Perhaps a touch of something aniseed in the development and a soft but long, grassy finish.

I think this is a surprisingly complex whisky and there's much more underneath that I can't quite identify but it's very pleasant and well worth the time and money.

I'll probably be back later with the bowmore 9 year old, too...

Right, bowmore 9 year old. Aged in sherry casks, bottled at 40%, chill filtered and undoubtedly coloured with caramel.

Neat, the nose is very smokey. Wood smoke, charcoal and also toffee pennies.
The palate is earthy and smokey; black liquorice and salty sea spray mellowed by the sherry sweetness with a peat smoke finish that seems abrupt but does leave a faint liquorice-like taste for a good while. Fairly young, it's appropriately punchy but the raw spirit is definitely toned down by the sherry cask maturation.

With a teaspoon of water, the nose remains relatively unchanged. Burnt wood and incense. Demerara sugar and something faintly of damp cardboard. Peat on the palate, like you've wiped your mouth on your gardening gloves after potting some plants. Wood smoke and ash from the end of a bonfire but sweet, like marshmallows burnt over a fire and you've eaten it straight from the pointy stick. Still a hint of spray like salted caramel.
Again the finish is short at the front of the tongue but leaves that liquorice aftertaste around the sides of the mouth.

Overall, this is great for the low price and it's a nice whisky. I think that not chill filtering it and not colouring it would improve it and it's a shame that they chose to add that. Cask, or at least higher strength may be better too, but I think the 40% abv works nicely. Room for improvement, yeah but worth it if you're interested.


Token picture...excuse the rubbish backdrop!

Long story short, I'm exchanging a gifted bottle and need input. Aberlour A'bunadh and Glenfarclas 15 year old have been on my wish list for awhile and it's time to act. I have read reviews that the later batches of A'bunadh are not as good as previous editions. A distant third option is Ardbeg Uigeadail, if my local store can't source the first two.

A round of drinks for all my friends!

Been meaning to try that...

It's my go to favorite.

Please Excuse Me for being 'Off Topic' a bit

Back in 1971 When I was in Navel Basic Training in San Diego one of the guys in my company was Michael Clements and he was from Hazard Kentucky. He was a great guy and he often talked about his dad making some 'Fine Shine'. Well the 'city boys' called him a lair saying that that only happened in movies.

Well Mike wrote home and his dad sent Polaroid Pictures of the Propane Powered Still in their basement. I can still hear Mike saying something to the effect of: "Don't you boys ever call me a liar"!!

Later my friends!

Scout hiker, Knob Creek single barrel is my fav and has been for a bit, but I,m with you nothing wrong with Makers Mark, it a fine whiskey without a bunch of added fluff. Tc

Originally Posted by Leatherstockiings

Long story short, I'm exchanging a gifted bottle and need input. Aberlour A'bunadh and Glenfarclas 15 year old have been on my wish list for awhile and it's time to act. I have read reviews that the later batches of A'bunadh are not as good as previous editions. A distant third option is Ardbeg Uigeadail, if my local store can't source the first two.

I tried the A'bunadh at the Aberlour Distillery as part of their tasting tour back in June. It's a delicious sherried dram-I have no idea about its batch # compared to earlier versions. The Glenfarclas is also on my list.

The Ardbeg Uigedail would be by far the most distinctive or "strongest" of those three choices. I made my way through a bottle very quickly over the summer. It's a delicious peat-monster that I would like to try again (after I get another bottle of Laphroiag Quarter Cask-mmmmm).