For a reasonably-priced peated malt from outside Islay, I enjoyed the BenRiach Curiositas, from Speyside.  It's not outrageously take-my-pants-off good, but it's far better than it ought to be given its price.

Bruichladdich is on special this week at Bottleshop. Thoughts on whether I should go for the Port Charlotte or the Scottish Barley?

Edited February 6, 201412 yr by Hopstretch

Depends on the expressions.  Are you talking about the Port Charlotte 10 year Heavily Peated vs. Bruichladdich Scottish Barley?  I would guess that they're probably in the same ballpark.  PC heavily peated will be a good smoky dram and the scottish barley should be very mild and floral.  If you can find Port Charlotte PC5,6,7,8,9, or 10, I'd highly recommend those.  If you haven't tried the Laddie Ten, I'd recommend that over all of the above.  It should be more mature and therefore flavorful and complex than the Scottish Barley and a good starting ground for exploring Bruichladdich.

Laddie 10 is on my shortlist for easier-to-find bottles that I need to get, along with Bunnahabhain 12.

 

Shelly - just curious if you have any opinion on Bunnie 18 compared to Bunnie 12?

Edited February 6, 201412 yr by Aura

Unfortunately, I've never tried the Bunnie 12.   I would definitely recommend the Laddie 10 though.  I just bought my 2nd bottle of it. 

Well I enjoyed Mike Sr.'s Ardbeg 10 so much that I had to get one myself. Need some Oogie fairly soon too.

^^^ Approved.

 

Potent little bugger.  Sort of $55-ish.  Debating whether to replace it when I work my way to the bottom, but there are so many more to try.

Edited February 13, 201412 yr by Wmcmanus

There are so many choices in the scotch world that I rarely replace a bottle unless it's something that I know I won't be able to get it again.  Try something new.

There are so many choices in the scotch world that I rarely replace a bottle unless it's something that I know I won't be able to get it again.  Try something new.

 

My thinking exactly.

Unfortunately, I've never tried the Bunnie 12.   I would definitely recommend the Laddie 10 though.  I just bought my 2nd bottle of it. 

 

I like the Bunnahabhain 12, but the Macphail's Collection Bunnahabhain 8 is a steal...

Ordered some samples today:

• Bunnahabhain 24 Year Old 1988 (cask 4111) (Berry Bros. & Rudd)
• GlenDronach Cask Strength - Batch 3
• Glenfarclas 1988 Family Cask
• Lagavulin 12 Year Old (2013 Special Release)
• Lagavulin 1996 Pedro Ximénez Finish - Distillers Edition
• Lagavulin 1997 Pedro Ximénez Finish - Distillers Edition
• Longrow 18 Year Old
• Springbank 18 Year Old Second Edition

The Bunny and Glenfarclas are birth-year drams and will be saved. Everything else is to sample before I make any further decisions on buying full bottles.

Edited February 17, 201412 yr by Aura

^ where do you acquire samples from?

https://www.masterofmalt.com/

This is somewhat expensive, but definitely less risk than buying full bottles that you haven't tried. I think the real value samples are for the $3-400 bottles where each dram is like $15-20. There is no bar anywhere I know of that would come close to this selection and if there was, similar pours would cost more.

shop.whiskeybase.com is another good one that comes Mikey-recommended. I've been interested in a few from there but they have a smaller selection.

This is more of a general whisk(e)y question than a scotch question.  I have a 6-bottle wine holder.  As it should for wine, the bottles are stored such that their tops (the cork end) are lower than the rest of the bottle.  Is there a problem with keeping bottles of whisky?  Or is it really important to store whisky bottles up right?

Do not store any bottle of any kind of whiskey on its side. The alcohol content is high enough that it will destroy your cork, cause a high loss of liquid volume in the bottle (due to the cork breaking down), and might ruin the flavor of the liquor. If you ever hear the term "corked", this is what that refers to.

 

Ordered some samples today:

• Bunnahabhain 24 Year Old 1988 (cask 4111) (Berry Bros. & Rudd)
• GlenDronach Cask Strength - Batch 3
• Glenfarclas 1988 Family Cask
• Lagavulin 12 Year Old (2013 Special Release)
• Lagavulin 1996 Pedro Ximénez Finish - Distillers Edition
• Lagavulin 1997 Pedro Ximénez Finish - Distillers Edition
• Longrow 18 Year Old
• Springbank 18 Year Old Second Edition

The Bunny and Glenfarclas are birth-year drams and will be saved. Everything else is to sample before I make any further decisions on buying full bottles.

 

 

Good stuff.  I have a birth year 23 year old Highland Park from Signatory that I'm saving.

Started on some Talisker 10. Seems to be quite polarizing, but suits me.

Started on some Talisker 10. Seems to be quite polarizing, but suits me.

 

That's probably the next bottle for me.  I've tried the 10, DE, and 18 from Talisker, and I like them all a lot.

A local guy on straightbourbon.com gave me a head's up on where I "might" be able to find some Macallan Cask Strength. Would love to bunker that one so I might make a little trip tonight to suburbia, usa.

The Macallan Cask Strength is very nice, buy if you can find.

^Go back and get em!

Thanks for the encouragement Shelly. Weather is horrible tonight so I'll have to look for them another time.

I got the samples today. 3 days from the UK?! I knew the shipping was expensive but damn.

Can we re-name this thread to Whisk(e)y-Case?

That was fuckin' fast, Admin-Man!  Thanks.  

 

To justify the expansion, has anyone tried either of these elderly whiskeys: