scotch suggestion

Darth, when you get a moment, can you please provide directions to your liquor cabinet... Fabulous whisky from amongst the wide variety of Islay brands. Bob H

 

Costco S.F!
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Costco?!? Seriously?!? Nice catch!!!

 

Costco rules.

 

Taking a break from worrying about world events this evening...

Poured a double dram of the Aberlour 16 pictured back in June, and then paired it with a Castillo 60-day aged Blue Cheese. The cheese is very sharp and creamy, and the Scotch cuts through it quite well. A great change from the traditional wine and cheese. It actually enhances the flavor of both, and would also go well with fruit (except for citrus, which contrasts with it).

The Aberlour is also good on its own- drink it neat, no water needed to open up the oak and sherry tastes. About $60-65 at Total Wine for a bottle, nice addition to the cabinet. I have, though, almost consumed all of the Hibiki bought at the same time. The plum notes are unique, and the drink is smooth from nose to finish.

Bob H

 

Kerim, how much does Çostco want for a bottle of the Balvenie 30? It's usually a pretty pricy bottle on the open market, so I might mug someone for their membership card in Costoco's parking lot to get one... Bob H

 

good price at $400, but you have to go all the way to s.f. ! I didn't see any here locally..

 

On the road tonight; sitting watching TV while drinking a healthy glass of Glenfarclas 25. This whisky is a Speyside creation, with sherry casking and notes of dried fruit, hazelnut and chocolate (not heavy, just a hint). If you decline to pay the price for a Macallan 25 (like me - I just won't pay $700 a bottle), this is a very suitable alternative. You can get it for about $130-140 for a bottle and share it with good friends. It is silky smooth & a pleasure to drink.

Certainly makes the time pass more quickly (or slowly...). It never ceases to amaze me how much better a day gets when I take some time for a dram. Bob H

 

Bob, you don't need to be a Costco member to purchase items in their liquor store

 

The wifey is out of town for a few days so I went on a shopping spree today

I'm still trying to figure out what I like best so I was all over the map with my purchases...


Ardmore Peated Traditional Cask

Benromach 10

Jura Superstition

Signatory Vintage 13 Distilled at Craigellachie (I just polished off a bottle a few days ago that was distilled by Cragenmore and loved it!)

Talisker 10

I'm looking forward to this evening!

 

Bob . . . Between you and Darth, I think I am going to school when I read your posts. They are much appreciated. You two guys know so much about scotch that it amazes me. You guys must have spent a lot of time "learning."

I am pretty good at wine, but I am nowhere as good at wine as you are at scotch.

I am a big fan of bourbons, and I love the small batch stuff--EH Taylor is great, Blanton's is great. Booker's is wonderful, but strong. So, the Gnengoyne 10 that you mentioned above is interesting to me.

I am going to give it a try. Are there others which have a bourbon note?

 

Thanks! I always told Mom I'd be an expert at something (she probably didn't consider knowing hard liquor this well would be it...).

I lived in the UK for awhile, and traveled from distillery to distillery in Scotland while there. I loved the artisan's touch they put to their craft, and came to love Scotch as a result of some long evenings sampling drams with folks who talked about what it meant to them, the heritage, and the way different whiskies tasted. My Mom also said I was an "explainer" personality, so apologies for anyone reading who might get too much info...

If you want a bourbon-note Scotch with sherry overtones (not too much, but an interesting taste) you could try the Aberlour 16 I mentioned on the previous page. It spends about ten years in bourbon, and then the last two in sherry casks.

Laphroaig exclusively uses old Maker's Mark barrels for all their lines, although it and the other Islay Scotches are quite strong unless you're used to them. If you want a sincere "man's drink" I'd recommend their Quarter Cask ($60-65 a bottle). Their 18 year old is one of the most highly rated whiskies around, and at $110-130 a bottle (prices vary on this one, so shop around) it is a bargain IMO. Another Islay I always recommend is Ardbeg's Uigeadail, another one that uses bourbon & sherry barrels, and then blends the barrels to get their final product. That said, these two are not alone in their use of bourbon barrels.

The barrel issue is one that is pretty confusing to a lot of people. Although sherry casks were used predominantly for Scotch early on, many distilleries use bourbon casks predominantly these days. If you read a label and it says "traditional oak" or just plain "oak" they mean it is a bourbon cask. If it is a sherry cask, they will generally be very specific (same with Madeira, Port and other variants of casks used). There are a couple significant differences in the casks that are good to know:

Sherry casks are not burned on the inside. They can be reused several times (and are then reused by the Scots several more), and will impart a pinkish tone to the liquor. Most sherry (and Port and Madeira) casks are of European oak, which imparts more of the oak flavor (the wood and vanilla notes some will describe). Almost all Highland distilleries use Sherry barrels, most notably, Highland Park (very good 18) and The Macallan (perhaps the most popular top-shelf whisky in the world, which means their prices have gotten ridiculous). Glenmorangie, another Highland Scotch, uses both bourbon & sherry - they have also made great strides in recent years and are worth a shot (so to speak).

Bourbon barrels are burned on the inside, usually for about a minute. Some burn for a lot longer, looking for that char taste to the spirit. They are American oak, which imparts the woody, vanilla and also a coconut flavor (bourbon drinkers will report those flavors pretty commonly). They impart less flavor than European oak, but the charring does give that smoky hint. Any of the peat-heavy brands (all the Islay Scotches) have both smoke flavor from the peat as well as the barrel. Many others use them, although the bourbon notes are not very prominent in most of them.

Last barrel category is the new oak (most often the American oak). The Scotch will be pretty clear, with a light yellowish color. Macallan has a line of fine oak bottles, which are amongst their most highly rated. Very clean drink.

The fun in gathering these bottle for my home collection is that I can match mood, setting and food to one of the lighter or heavier varieties. I don't figure I'll be drinking much after I'm gone, so I have to get it in while it counts. I'm hoping this helps; let me know how the results turn out. Bob H

 

Amazingly, I forgot to mention one of my all-time favorites. Lagavulin uses predominantly bourbon casks for its main production. Their flagship, the Lagavulin 16, is a great bottle of Whisky, and is pretty affordable. It used to run arounf $80, but is now in BevMo and elsewhere for $60-65. They occasionally also release a 12 year old that is a cask-strength. They released one of these in 2012 to rave reviews. It is more expensive at around $110/bottle. They also do some Distiller's releases- those usually use sherry casks for finishing.

For the cask strength bottles (and for almost all of Laphroaig), you'll want to strongly consider adding cool branch water (lacking a stream, use purified drinking water chilled). If you're a Bourbon guy, I'd be kicked out of the Single Malt drinker's club, but you can also use ice instead of the water. The cask strength varieties usually run 53-55% alcohol content, and can really set you back if you're not hanging onto something when you drink it.

Later this week, I'll post my random thoughts about how to turn your Christmas socks and sweaters into Scotch (really).

 

Well explain away Bob, your insights are encouraged and appreciated.

Just added a Glenfiddich 18 to my collection this past week. First taste was quite nice so I will be looking forward to trying it out again.

EDIT: My next purchase I am aiming for will be a Lagavulin 16 OR a Laphroaig Quarter Century/18 yr old. I am at the bottom of my Laphroaig 10.

 

OK, quote literally, you can improve the outcomes of your holiday season by helping others find you gifts that are useful, useable and what you really what (besides their love).

As all guys know, the last great Christmas gifts you usually get are when you were about 15 years old. Once you get married, and especially when you have kids, you tend to start on the treadmill of getting socks, sweaters, ties and other "man" things. This is usually because you buy what you really need for yourself, and also because you're spending a boatload on other people (e.g., wife and kids) and want to limit the damage to your wallet. I have really appreciated my wife's effort to find a nice sweater over the years, but I also knew Christmas morning would be far less exciting for me than for others opening their surprises.

About ten years ago, I realized I could change the equation & always get at least one thing I wanted...Scotch Single Malt Whisky. I discussed it with my wife, who was actually relieved I was mentioning something I wanted. She admitted I was tough to shop for (raise your hand if you're the same) and she just bought the things she felt I'd look good in. That first year, I gave her a list of 3-4 brands of Single Malt I liked, and asked her to pick one.

Over the years, she has grown to enjoy doing the research and finding bottles she knows I like. I still give her a list (now 10-12 bottles listed), but she is now so versed she isn't restricted to that list. She spends time at the purveyor's shop (he enjoys this gift giving idea more than me, I think) and has him set aside bottles she knows I will enjoy.

Whether it is Scotch, Irish Whisky, Bourbon or another spirit, this can work for you, too. I'll still get sweaters and shirts (she needs to dress me to avoid the problem of my clothing choices) but I always know I'll have one gift I'll love. For Xmas 2013, here's my list:

Laphroaig 18 (exceptionally highly rated in its latest release)

Lagavulin 16 (less expensive option, my current bottle is at the danger point, so I need a replacement)

Lagavulin 12 (2012) (see the post above)

Old Pulteney 21 (rated best whisky in the world 2012, lighter and more medicinal than my normal range, but the perfect gift)

Balvenie Single Barrel 12 (less expensive option, lighter Scotch perfect for before-dinner consumption)

Talisker 18 (highly rated, more medicinal)

Glenmorangie Signet (I have a bottle of their 18 Extremely Rare, and the Signet is a step up- pricy, though)

Hibiki 17 (the Japanese whiskies are really improving; they cask in old plum wine or sake barrels, imparting a different but great taste)

Ardbeg Corryvreken (replacing a bottle that also has the red light blinking as it nears empty)

Of course, others have their favorites, so no slight intended if something you love isn't on the list. My wife will now sit and enjoy (a very small amount of) Scotch with me, and has fun shopping for something she can surprise me with. Win-win for all involved.

Last thought - I just bought a bottle of Macallan Cask Strength, or it also would have been on the list. It is a star, and a real bargain at around $75 if you can find it. They are cutting production of it, I believe, so you want to track one down to have. Strong, but quite smooth.

 

Sometimes we hear "less is more." But, I enjoy the education so in this case "more is more."

GREAT POSTS. This ^^ and the following ones.

From now on, you are Professor Bob.

Keep posting. And thanks for the information.

 

Great posts Bob. I raise a dram of 21yo Knockdhu in your honor.

 

Dude does know his spirits. And, if you go back a few pages, Darth is pretty good at this stuff, too.

 

Great thread! Starting work on a whisky right now. It's a long process but a fun one. We have a new 600 gallon still coming that will be used for our vodka line and as such will free up our smaller test stills to run different recipes over the coming weeks, months, years......For those curious our 600 gallon still will look similar to this.....
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Ryan, feel free to FedEx samples to me so I can ensure the tasting is done in an objective and scientific manner, too. I'm sure we can come to an equitable arrangement for my services (and since you have whisky, and I drink whisky, it seems a match made in heaven).

Seriously, though, good luck with the expansion of your ventures. St George Spirits in CA has built a strong following, and the demand for their Hanger One Vodka, Gin, Absinthe & Single Malt has increased significantly in recent years. They are a small shop, proof it can be done even in these days where Diageo and a couple others have captured much of the market.

As you get things completed, feel free to post a shot of the full production floor. Being a budding lush, I'm starting to be able to actually identify much of what I'm seeing now (which should bother me more than it does, most likely).

 

Great picture, Ryan!

For what it's worth, I recently tried the 12-year-old Yamazaki and liked it.

Now I want to try the 18 year-old stuff.

Matt

 

Ryan, a lot of extra floor space there, you could really up production.

 

Also, Edradour has only 3 full-time employees and makes very desirable whiskey. The little guy can certainly be a giant killer.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

I've enjoyed Cardhu for years. Over the last 7-8 years it was nearly impossible to find any, as I believe most of it is sold to Johnny Walker for their blends.
I had a local store finally get me some (some meaning 5 bottles).
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+1 on the Lagavulin 16...Costco sometimes puts it on special at $54 a bottle...had to send my dad a case in Texas the price was so good...and the drink.