Nobody drinks Ballantines Scotch anymore???????? It's subtle, but wonderfully balanced. From the nose to the finish it develops, adding a little something at each step. Forget the modest price tag; this is an example of fantastic blending. Adding water tones down the fruit, detracts from the creamy mouthfeel and makes the peat feel a bit ashy. Nose: Soft, elegant, heather honey aromas with a hint of spice. Taste: A balance of subtle, sweet flavours like milk chocolate, red apple and vanilla. Finish: Fresh and floral after-taste that creates a rounded glow.
Could you review and or expain the Octomore line in its entirety? I am a bit confused by their numbering system... Also Black Art whiskey review would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I'm sure cognac distillates were added to it. There is a clear young cognac nose (not virgin oak, but grape distillate) right after pouring and the aftertaste of cheap young cognac finally convinced me.
A'bunadh was the second "proper" whisky I ever tried (excluding the commercial brands such as Johnnie Walker, etc), while the first one was Deanston 12. A'bunadh is still my favorite whisky
I could really use a dram of A'bunadh right about now. I've been traveling too much (@findingGinaMarie) and haven't had a chance to buy a bottle of whisky for fun - gotta focus on reviews when I can make them happen. Cheers!
This was my first peated whisky experience about 10 years ago, and I've since expanded my appreciation and knowledge of single malts, like Lagavulin 16 and Ardbeg 10. Whilst the Talisker is a less complex malt, with a shorter finish, it is still really enjoyable and good value for money when on special. I bought a bottle recently for $92AUD, marked down from $135AUD. I hope that the prices of these lovely malts remain accessible to the average punter. I'm enjoying your reviews, you deliver them with such a positive relaxed vibe, and some good tunes too. Keep it up. Dan from Down Under.
Thank you so much, Dan from Down Under! You're kind words are appreciated. Talisker 10 is an easy dram to enjoy. It's part of the Diageo family, like Lagavulin, which makes me a bit less excited about it now than I was when I first bought it. But it's all about the taste, right? We drink what we like and maybe have to decide on one bottle over another because of price. This is the golden age of whisky, which means we have a lot of variety and also rising costs. Cheers!
My wife just bought me a bottle of the 1884. Very nice and drinkable. Jack was my go to back in the day but this has a different flavor profile. I prefer it.
I live in England UK. I have tasted lots of whiskies over the years but I am not a person who will drink a glass or two, I am not a person who drinks rarely. I drink whisky usually once a week and I have to say that I love the Welsh Whisky: Penderyn Single Malt Welsh Whisky - Madeira Finish. 46% ABV, 70 cl. My 2nd favoorite is: Bunnahabhain Stiuireadair Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70cl, ABV 46.3%. I also enjoymy 3rd favourite whisky: Dalwhinnie Winter's Gold Single Malt Scotch Whisky | 43% vol | 70cl | Rich- Textured Highland Whisky | Honeyed with Notes of Heather & Peat. Those three are my top whiskies. I have tried another which was ABV 52% and that was just not for me, it was too strong both in flavour and ABV so I stick to the Penderyn Single Malt Welsh Whisky. I think they have 5 flavours. I prefer the Madeira one. This is the description: MADEIRA: Distilled in our unique copper pot still, matured in bourbon barrels and finished in rich Madeira wine casks to create the perfect balance of oaky vanilla tones and dry sweetness ON THE NOSE: It begins with a classic freshness with aromas of cream toffee, rich fruit and raisins that introduce a creamy sweetness THE TASTE: The palette is Crisp and finely rounded, with the sweetness to balance an appetising dryness. Notes of tropical fruit, raisins and vanilla persist on the finish AWARD WINNING: 2022 Spirits Business World Whisky Masters - Gold, 2022 San Francisco World Spirit Awards - Gold, 2021 Spirits Business World Whisky Masters - Gold, 2020 Spirits Business World Whisky Masters - Gold CRAFTED: This 70 cl whisky is the original Penderyn ‘house style’, aged in ex-bourbon barrels uses in specially selected casks to bring out its full gold character, it is bottled at 46% ABV. Anyway, it's good to see whiskies in other countries.
You're in the right place for whisky. There were times in San Francisco when I could only dream of access to UK-specific expressions. While on a distillery tour, I was able to try the Dalwhinnie Winter's Gold (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0vgmmLMHXV0.html). They served it chilled, which limited my ability to taste any nuance, but it was good. I'm a fan of Madeira cask finished whisky and I'd love to taste the Penderyn, you're notes make it sound great. Thanks for sharing, Lynda! My wife and I are full-time travelers now (@findingGinaMarie) and I've had access to some expressions that I can't find in the U.S. Unfortunately, I'm also in many countries with little or no access to Scotch, so I haven't posted as often. I'll keep an eye out for the Penderyn though. Cheers!
I believe the SF one has passed already, but here's a link to more information: whiskyadvocate.com/whiskyfest?lid=nofreeniaoej. There are also Whiskies of the World events you can check out: www.whiskiesoftheworld.com.
JW Black was not my favorite blended Scotch, but all tastes are personal. Monkey Shoulder is definitely designed as a mixer and it also can be a soft landing for people who haven't experienced Scotch before. Cheers!
This was just made two years ago and all these bottles are at least 40% more expensive now than he said in the video. I got into whisky at the wrong time.
This is a new golden era of whisky and that has caused prices to go up, but it's a great time to explore whisky. These were San Francisco prices and not all expressions are up that much, but many have higher prices in certain areas of the world. Cheers!
Loved your view on Whiskeys, I am a scotch enthusiast, very informative yet very simplistic, I like your tastes in whiskey and also in the Music. Only thing missing was a glass of whisky in my hand, loved it. Cheers!!
I wish a lot of expressions were less expensive, but that's a hard ask today. We do have a ton of variety in our whisky choices, which is a glorious thing. 🥃
I don't think Red Label is a good place to start for someone new to whisky. It is inexpensive, but the lack of depth of flavor might misinform someone who doesn't know what higher quality whisky expressions can offer them.
Tastes of a whisky can vary from day to day. After not having Ardbeg 10 for some time, I tried a small dram and found it to taste surprisingly sharp. (Several weeks earlier, it had a pleasant sweetness.) The very next day after having tasted the surprising sharpness, I poured another small dram to see if there was a difference. There was. I again tasted the remembered pleasant sweetness. The variable was the drinker (me), not the whisky!
@@WhiskyRiffs I just bought a bottle of Lagavulin 16, and I love it! I will keep my eye out for a later expression of Caol Ila. Port Charlotte is on my list, too!
I just bought my second Talisker last week. The first one was the Wilder Seas, and now the 10. But again Talisker delivers a great whisky for this budget. Everybody should have a Talisker 10 in their cabinet!!! Nice review, Slaìnte!
Thank you for your interesting and very straightforward Islay reviews. There's not a lot of laughing and sidebars and time wasting. Excellent presentation.
I wanted to add a Campbelltown scotch to my collection. Could not find Springbank for months! Live in CA. Found this at Totalwine and enjoying it. I get what you mean about the dryness in the finish. But glad to have it on my shelf!
Wow, Springbank was hard to find in California? That's weird. I used Total Wine as one of my main stores and also K & L Wine when necessary. The Whisky Shop is a great Scottish shop in SF that sells a lot of whisky and many other items. I miss that place. Cheers!
It is my original March 1984 Macintosh 128K - and last I checked, it still works (but it's been a couple of years). You're quite welcome and thank you for watching. Cheers!
@@WhiskyRiffs i have only tried one solist ex bourbon. Liked it and i am now thinking of ordering on of each solist and sample away half of the bottles etc to cover some of the cost..
Greetings! I just came back from Scotland after a fun 2 weeks road trip. One of our stops was at Cardhu. I got this same whisky, but mine is Batch 2. I simply love it. We alsongot the 200 years anniversary. I would say the the 200 years one is very smooth and I like to say it is a "daily" kind of whisky while the distillery exclusive, we both got, is more for a special occasion.
Congrats on your time in Scotland, you seem to have had fun. That 200th anniversary edition sounds like a treat. I'm not sure when I'll get back there, but I have been lucky enough to have several distillery tours around Scotland. Cheers!
Thanks so much for this fine recommendation video!!! It makes me want to try the Glenmorangie 14 now! I just started to enjoy whisky my first whisky I fell in love with is the Talisker Wilder Seas.
Sorry I’m finding this rather belatedly. I don’t find Laphroaigs particularly well balanced, but your other recommendations are good places to start. As a U.S. expat living in Europe, I have the wonders of easy access to full ranges of everything. Lagavulin 16 is a great basic, but there are a great variety of Distiller’s Editions out there. Similarly, Arbeg 10 is a rather pale tease of the glorious remainder of the line. I was so pleased to see you pull out Arbeg Corryvrecken at the end - that’s my basic Islay. And in addition to Arbeg’s many other expressions, you can still find the last few bottles of Arbeg’s legendary Airigh Nam Beist, if you know where to look. I so hope you’ve had the pleasure!
Thank you for finding my video at all and for taking time to leave a comment! Laphroaig is not an Islay Scotch that I'd deem well-balanced either. I have a fondness for 10 year because of how it introduced me to smoky whisky, but it's not my go-to bottle anymore. Ardbeg 10 is simply an affordable expression in their lineup that shows off the campfire-influenced peat smoke for me. Lagavulin 16 still has its place, but it's not the shining star it was years ago. I stand by this list for the time it was compiled, but I'd make some changes if I were to record an updated version today. If you watch some of my newer videos, and I hope you do, you'll see that I lean more towards Port Charlotte expressions. Bruichladdich still seems more focused on flavor than marketing. I have not had the pleasure of tasting the Airigh Nam Beist, but I did enjoy their Traigh Bhan 19 Batch 2. I'll keep looking! My wife and I are also no longer living in the US, instead, we travel full time (@findingGinaMarie). This has led me to discover some new expressions, but my time (and money) is more limited and I don't invest in whisky as much as I did when I was in San Francisco. Cheers!
A bit late to this, but… I don’t really like this either - especially for the price. The taste just doesn’t live up to to what it should be. I told myself I would not buy this again. You can get one and a half bottles of cheaper whiskey with a lot better nose and pallets. I prefer the regular 10 year Glenmorangie over this and is almost half the price. Or… your could spend another $20 and get any number of great single malts that will make you think, “that was money well spent “ This was not great - it was a disappointment. However, if you have already bought it ( like me) then I highly recommend adding a little water. For a regular gram of whiskey, I am only adding 1/2 to 1/4 a teaspoon of water. ( I do take few sips straight to see if I can get any more out of it). Those few drops of water will change the experience. Wait 3 to five minutes and the nose is quite different; wait another 5 minutes on top of that, and the spice notes subside and the sweeter, sherry, vanilla, marzipan notes really come out. The nosing is WAY better. And the taste is a lot nicer. I was just trying to finish it and put the bad experience behind me, but adding a few drops of water - slowing down again and enjoying it a lot more. Summary- don’t buy it. But if you have, add a few drops of water and give it a breath ( don’t swish it all around - just roll it and settle) Don’t add ice - doesn’t do anything for it in my opinion.
I think I tried water in it… it's been so long and my brain cells have diminished so much. 😅 Thanks for watching and commenting. It's good to know what others think of these expressions that don't always hit me right. It's always possible that I'm simply holding the bottle wrong (Apple iPhone 4 joke) or my palate is simply misaligned with the flavors. The latter is always possible. Cheers!
Thank you for this tip! I haven't investigated Amrut until just now, but they look like they have a great selection of single malt expressions: www.amrutdistilleries.com/single-malts.php. Cheers!
Hi Kevin. Nice review. I’ve tasted all of these except for the Corryvreckan. My favourites are the Port Charlotte 10 and the Lagavulin 16. They are the ”easiest” for a new whisky enthusiast like me. I’ve just finished my Ardbeg 10, which was my very first Ardbeg ever, and I still have the Uigeadail and the An Oa, which in my opinion are excellent whiskiws and easier for a beginner. The Laphroaig 10 is really something different but very enjoyable!
Thank you for your kind words! The Corryvreckan is a beast (not to be confused with the Wee Beastie 5 year) compared to the Ardbeg Uigeadail, but it may be my favorite expression. You're doing an amazing job of enjoying the Islay peated expressions. Well done!
I'm hearing my Telecaster with just a touch of tremolo thru my 15 watt tube amp in the background (in my head) playing minor chords in the background. Also enjoying a dram of the 18 too. Outstanding single malt in my opinion..... 🥃🎸 Edited to add; I also have been watching Ralphy for years too.....😁
Ralfy is a whisky hero! I don't know how he's done all those detailed reviews over the years. Thanks for watching and enjoying the minor chords. ;) Cheers!
Caol Ila is woefully under-represented in the USA compared to Ardbeg. luckily CI is IB rich and many cask strength variants are available. Currently my favorites are young & sherry casked. BBQ in a bottle!
I've noticed more of the Caol Ila expressions after my wife and I started traveling full time (@findingGinaMarie). I'll have to try the BBQ in a bottle one you've mentioned. Cheers!
Repeat of my earlier reply: Well, that's going to come down to personal preference. I've never tasted that Glenfiddich expression, but I know that the Glenfiddich/Glenlivet/Glenmorangie mass-market expressions are all decent; even though none are exceptional. They're designed to be easy on the palate and the wallet.
Well, that's going to come down to personal preference. I've never tasted that Glenfiddich expression, but I know that the Glenfiddich/Glenlivet/Glenmorangie mass-market expressions are all decent; even though none are exceptional. They're designed to be easy on the palate and the wallet.
Glenfarclas has a very nice distillery and visitor area, but I didn't find any tour offerings - only tastings. It was great to see all the history of their expressions. Maybe if I had more time, I could have scheduled a proper tour.
