Whistleing and Single Malts.

[amar]

By the way guys. I need help from people with a little more experience here. I need to buy a new bottle of single malt soon and I can't decide what to buy, not even what style of whisky I want. I'll do it like this, I'll write down all the single malts I can recall tasting and put a number between 1 and 5 after to indicate how much I liked it, 1 beeing the lowest and 5 beeing the highest score:

Speyside Malts:
The Glenlivet 12 y.o. (4.5)
The Macallans 10 y.o. (3.9)
Aberlour 10 y.o. (4)
Tamnavulin 10 (or was it 12?) y.o. (3.6)
Tormore 12 y.o. (2.8 )
Glenfiddich 15 y.o. (3)
The Balvenie 12 y.o. DW (4)

Other Highland Malts:
The Dalmore 12 y.o. (4)
Oban 10 (or 12?) y.o. (3)

Lowland Malts:
Auchentoshan 10 y.o. (3.8 )

Islay and other Isle Malts:
Laphroaig 10 y.o. (4.2)
Bowmore 12 y.o. (3.8 )

I'm sure there some more but can't remember it right now. Note that I might also like something that is not quite like anything I have tried before. I don't mind peatyness (see Laphroaig) but I also like smoothness like Auchentoshan. I dislike sweetness (Tormore), if it's too oily or chemical in taste (Glenfiddich 15, which is a nice dram appart from that) and I'm not a big fan of the haylike taste of Oban.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

go for a springbank. one of the very best. a class of its own.

[Henke]

And how would you describe The Springbank, amar? I haven't seen any tasting notes on it.

More advice please.

[amar]

And how would you describe The Springbank, amar? I haven't seen any tasting notes on it.

More advice please.

The Springbank distillery is situated in campbeltown, on the southern point of kintyre. It's one of two distilleries remaining (formerly there were 34distilleries) that represent that regional style of whisky 'campbeltown-region', the other one being glen scotia.
It's traditionally bottled at 46%, non chill-filtered nor artificially colored. Has a briny, slightly smokey taste. Rich in flavour, appetising and creamy. but trying to describe a personal taste is one of the hardest things to do, but, as others here will confirm, Springbank is one of the most luxurious and sought-after malts there are. In fact, I have a bottle from 1966, bottled in 2000, i tried it at a tasting and had to have it. It is the most amazing and i almost must say best whisky i have had in my life. Alas, the bottle remains closed..
check out their website:
http://www.springbankdistillers.com/
here are some tasting notes i found:
http://www.whiskymag.com/whisky/brand/s ... ky128.html
http://www.whisky-distilleries.info/Springbank_EN.shtml

Slainte!

[Henke]

Wow. Yeah, I managed to check it up a bit myself. That is definetely a whisky I'll try to get my hands on. I read that they've had the same equipment for ages, even coal or oil heated stills . Seems very cool. Also, I've never tried a Cambletown malt, have read that they are quite powerful and complex.

And that bottle you have . Man, how will you ever find the right occation to open it? How much did it cost you?

[amar]

Wow. Yeah, I managed to check it up a bit myself. That is definetely a whisky I'll try to get my hands on. I read that they've had the same equipment for ages, even coal or oil heated stills . Seems very cool. Also, I've never tried a Cambletown malt, have read that they are quite powerful and complex.

And that bottle you have . Man, how will you ever find the right occation to open it? How much did it cost you?

i really don't know when i'm gonna open that bottle...sigh...at the time, when i bought it, that was in 2000, it cost me about 350SFr, about 300$ (today's rate) or in swedish kronor: 2050.
A good price, considering that there were no more than 300 bottles.

[DCrom]

34 y.o. Springbank . . . wow.

Funny thing is that I find that for some Whiskys I like the midrange ones - though 10 y.o. Laphroig is very good, as is the 18 y.o. I had, I actually like the 15 y.o. more - and like the 12 y.o. the most.

But my preferred year range varies by whisky - depending on the distillery, my preferred age may be anywhere from 10 y.o. to 18 y.o. (can't quite justify the really, really old ones).

I'm almost at the end of my bottle of 15 y.o. Glenmorangie - should I replace that, or go for a Springbank. And if Springbank, should I start with the 10 y.o. or the 15 y.o.? Ahh, decisions, decisions . . .

[Henke]

And if Springbank, should I start with the 10 y.o. or the 15 y.o.? Ahh, decisions, decisions . . .

I'd say go for both and see for yourself, atleast I would, if I had the money.

[Caj]

Rod, go transcultural with your instruments, and have them develop a bass bagpipe and a tuba with drones. Would add a truly interesting flavor to oompah-oompah music.

Yeah, staccato.

Add drones to a tuba, you'd be running out of breath 10 times a second.

Caj

[Caj]

I'm particularly fond of Steven Brust's comment that Laphroig tastes like a bagpipe (GHB) sounds.

I actually classify trad music alcoholically, as either whiskey, wine or beer.

"Wine" is the music that is modern and produced, like Solas.

"Whiskey" is the energetic pure drop that really puts fire in your belly, but you can't listen to it for a very long time without taking a break or your brain exploding. Many of your non-trad friends don't understand what you like about it, and secretly wish you'd turn it off.

In contrast, the "beer" is less intense, more comforting, and I can listen to it for hours a day. My friends still secretly wish I'd turn it off.

I would categorize Noel Hill as whiskey, and Tony MacMahon as a superlative brown ale. Micheal O'Raghallaigh is a tough call, owing to his raw energy. Maybe he's a particularly deadly beer, like a quadrupel.

Caj
[BTW, I hear that Mr. O'Raghallaigh is a lefty. Rah!]

[Henke]

That's very interesting Caj. What would you classify Tequila as? Flogging Molly??

[Jens_Hoppe]

Speyside Malts:
The Glenlivet 12 y.o. (4.5)
The Macallans 10 y.o. (3.9)
Aberlour 10 y.o. (4)
Tamnavulin 10 (or was it 12?) y.o. (3.6)
Tormore 12 y.o. (2.8 )
Glenfiddich 15 y.o. (3)
The Balvenie 12 y.o. DW (4)

Other Highland Malts:
The Dalmore 12 y.o. (4)
Oban 10 (or 12?) y.o. (3)

Lowland Malts:
Auchentoshan 10 y.o. (3.8 )

Islay and other Isle Malts:
Laphroaig 10 y.o. (4.2)
Bowmore 12 y.o. (3.8 )

Heh, with your highest rated whiskies being Glenlivet and Laphroaig, it's hard to find a common denominator - those two are just about polar opposites in the whisky spectrum!

However, allow me to put my weight behind amar's suggestion that you try Springbank. It's a wonderful whisky with a delightful soft taste combined with a little bit of island smokiness.

Alternatively, I can heartily recommend Highland Park. One of only two distilleries on Orkney, the whisky is soft, slightly flowery and honey'ish, with a bit of island smoke as well. Brilliant!

The above reminds me that I am out of HP at the moment. If I hadn't just bought an expensive Talisker, I'd rush out and get a bottle of HP today.

Jens

[Phil Hardy]

I have just discovered Bowmore,a beautiful dram.
I would also like wish Tony Hinnigan a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY today.
The Ol' basmati is 50 and I'll be sharing a dram on monday with him.
What would we do without him.
Bowmore and more and more....


Phil.

[amar]

I have just discovered Bowmore,a beautiful dram.
I would also like wish Tony Hinnigan a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY today.
The Ol' basmati is 50 and I'll be sharing a dram on monday with him.
What would we do without him.
Bowmore and more and more....


Phil.

phil, you have entered a realm you will never be able to turn your back on again. welcome.

[Phil Hardy]

Tell me about it!.

Phil

[ChaoticGemini]

wow, 4 pages on whiskey. I had no clue there was so much to know about it. At the risk of looking like the noob I am to whiskey, the only one I have ever tried was the dimple pinch. After reading all your posts though, I may have to check out some of the others.

Tina