Whisky

[Millennium]

Laphraoig, quarter cask if I can afford it. Sheer bliss, BUT not for everyone, very smoky, peaty, with a heavy TCP afterglow.

Or, Jura, Talisker, Aberlour, Ceol Isla, Jura, or Jura (I like Jura).

Comments as above,m find a club, a tasting session, or a good shop. If you are ever up Elgin way, there is (was ??) a superb shop up there, cannot remember the name but they used to buy up stock of distilleries that were closing down, they kept em in bond and slowly release em as specials.

Im rather happy that there is a VERY small English distillery very local to me that are slowly releasing "English Malt Spirit", its 3 yr old right now and is already stunning, gawd only knows how stunning it will be as a 12 yr old ! A great Speyside feel to it, but the malt finish lasts for ages. Tove Mill - a name to look out for in future.

http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Northam...sh-malt-spirit

This is roughly where I am at, though anything I buy doesn't last 4 days lol.

[neonplanet40]

Currently looking at 3cl bottles of these as a starter:

Glenfarclas 15 Year Old
Kilchoman Machir Bay
Talisker 10 Year Old
Dalwhinnie 15 Year Old
Auchentoshan 12 Year Old

Decent start?
I will maybe take a trip to a whisky shop etc over the holidays too.

[scaryjim]

... Decent start? ...

Start? Definitely

Just as an afterthought - don't be afraid to pick up cheap-ish offers in supermarkets - I'm currently sipping a lovely single grain which is the end of a Christmas present - from Aldi's Christmas special buys I reckon it'll just see me through to easter, when I'll have to think about the next bottle I'll be getting in!

Which is the other thing - while it's good to know what your favourites are, it's always worth having a selection around (after all, just because you like a whisky doesn't mean your friends will) - and supermarket special offers are a great way to have a couple of bottles of "good" whisky in without spending a fortune...

[MrJim]

Often if you go to a good independent wine shop they'll have a decent selection of whiskies that you can sample.

Personally I'm a fan of rich, sweet whiskies - Aberlour 12yo is my go-to

I'll second Aberlour too - it's my personal favourite. If you can afford it, any Macallan is wonderful stuff too, but the prices of even the most basic one have become really inflated in the past few years. Aberlour offers a similar taste experience, at a much more reasonable price.

[spacein_vader]

I'll second Aberlour too - it's my personal favourite. If you can afford it, any Macallan is wonderful stuff too, but the prices of even the most basic one have become really inflated in the past few years. Aberlour offers a similar taste experience, at a much more reasonable price.

This might get me cast out as a heathen but I'd add an Irish to your selection as well. Very different flavours but they might be more to your taste.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

This might get me cast out as a heathen but I'd add an Irish to your selection as well. Very different flavours but they might be more to your taste.

Also,Japanese too.

[MaddAussie]

Aye the Teelings Small Batch is a lovely drop of Irish

[neonplanet40]

Bah I dunno now!

Im on here: https://www.masterofmalt.com/samples...isky/rating-d/

Lets you build your own small 5 dram set. No idea what to get lol

[neonplanet40]

Currently looking at samples of the following 5:

Balvenie Caribbean Cask 3cl
Cardhu Gold Reserve 3cl
Lagavulin 16 Year Old 3cl
Glenfiddich 18 3cl
Talisker 18 Year Old 3cl

[Millennium]

That looks pretty solid. Are you in a position to order another 5 maybe (no idea the price) or is this it? I don't claim to be an expert.

[neonplanet40]

I could order another 5 yes. These five were £36 delivered

[Millennium]

Is that £36 for 150ml? Ouchies!

[neonplanet40]

Yea not many places have a wide range of sample sizes unfortunately.

[Phage]

Yea not many places have a wide range of sample sizes unfortunately.

Which is why a whisky bar or good pub is the way to start. Obviously in walking/staggering distance.

Actually I'm after a recommendation too.

Can anyone recommend a Speyside, sherry-cask job ?
I've just finished my Balblair 99, and need a replacement

[Millennium]

Your paying £6 a shot delivered I would head to a decent whisky bar and pay the same and drink in the ambience.

[Zak33]

be aware... Laphraoig is similar to following a tarmac lorry, stopping the driver.. climbing in the back, finding the machine that melts the soft black stuff they they pour into the joints on the road.. climbing into it... and licking the sides of the barrel

it is utterly revolting, the point of being so smoky, you might as well light a fire badly, get it semi hot... add a load of unseasoned wood to it.. let it utterly fail to burn.. then pee on it to put it out, then rub some TCP into it...... and lick the partially charred logs.

thats what I wanted to say