Perfect.
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I’m quite partial to a Lagavulin 16.
I recently got this one to try:
I also bought a bottle of Don Julio Añejo tequila so that I could compare the flavour of the tequila with the flavour its barrels impart to the whisky.
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I have a couple of special edition Lagavulins stashed away myself.
Cheers! 
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Slàinte mhath!
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Anyone try Askaig 110 proof which I believe is really a Caol Ila?
Anyone know if it is aged at all there is nothing on the bottle.
From what I’ve read, It’s definitely a Caol Ila. It’s NAS (non-age stated) however it has to be at least 3 years and one day old to be legally deemed whisky in Scotland.
A 3 year and a day old whisky matured in Scotland will usually be very “rough”. Bonding warehouses in Scotland are quite cold, so maturation is slow. Decent whiskies usually start at 8 years and upwards (although Ardbeg “Wee Beastie” is only 5 yo and is eminently approachable). The age statement refers to the youngest whisky in the blend. Single malts are very often blends of different casks from the same distillery.
Single grains are even more complicated as the “blend” from a single distillery may contain grain (unmalted) whiskies from different grains, e.g. wheat, barley, rye, or corn.
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Thank you that is what I thought and found your aging description interesting. This single malt was smooth on sipping and quite a tasty bite on swallowing unfortunately since my covid in 2022 then again in 2023 and 2024 I can’t smell the peat in any Islay scotches all this despite being full vaccinated!!
bobbmd
Been pretty quiet here. I swore I was done buying for a while and concentrating on sipping. Saw this on the shelf behind the checkout and couldn’t resist. The lady said she just put it out… didn’t last 10 minutes. Glad I was out early.
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that’s some lovely schiit.
Yes, goes well with my Schiit Kara F.
It seems the old “whisky loving objectivist’s corner” thread has been closed. Maybe the title wasn’t quite inclusive enough?
For me, it’s important to keep whisky (and other spirits) discussion alive - I lost my dear Dad earlier this year. He was a whisky lover and a key player in establishing a number of very successful whisky festivals in Scotland over the last few years. Festivals which have grown significantly year on year and have raised awareness of whisky and its history and have also raised significant charitable sums for worthy causes.
I’ve also taken a liking to well-aged single grain whiskies this year - the oft-maligned poor cousin of the single malt (according to its aficionados) and viewed as the necessary evil in blended whiskies. Oh, if only they knew what they were missing!
I have two bottles of Carsebridge single grain in my possession; a 48 yo and a 45 yo, which were distilled by my great uncle, John McMillan who was the master distiller.
Both spectacular drams in their own right.
I also have a number of other single grains and some spectacular single and blended malts from independent bottlers; to me, this is where the really good l stuff is at. The small independent bottlers take parcels of whisky from some of the major distilleries and release them as is, or further mature them in different casks to produce truly unique whiskies. E.g. a peated Ardmore highland malt finished in fresh mezcal barrels. OMG, this is the stuff of legends!
It’s not just about whisky though. I love rum, and gin too. Mrs Mad Scientist and I made our own gin at Henley Gin Distillery a few weeks ago - a great experience and we both took home bottles of eminently drinkable hand-crafted gin.
Hopefully we can resurrect some proper discussion around the spirits we enjoy whilst relaxing and listening to our favourite tunes.
Best, Graeme
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I’ve looked in to this and could see that topic had been archived (in error) I’ve reverted that and merged posts.
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What with my new interest in Scotch Whisky I really enjoyed reading through this thread. I spent a week in Edinburgh this summer singing evening services at St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral. We would usually walk back to the hotel by way of Morrison Street and stop in at Thompson’s Bar. Nice place - it skewed towards older patrons and quiet conversation. We asked the bartender to walk us through some of the Scotches he had. I remember liking the Old Pultney very much. We took home a bottle of the Bruichladdich Classic Laddie because it was very easy to spot in the duty-free shop in that blue bottle. Also very tasty.
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Yes indeed. Old Pultney is often enjoyed in this household as well (not just me).
In your first photo, immediately to the left of the Old Pultney, is an Oban 14year old. This is also, to my taste, well worth trying - although, unfortunately it is not often seen for sale around here 
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I recently visited Scotland for the first time, and as part of the itinerary we enjoyed a few distillery tours and visits. We started off on Islay and visited Kilchoman, Bowmore, Bruidladdich, and Bunnahabhain; then a short visit to Edinburgh for a lovely tasting at SMWS on Queen street; and then drove north to Speyside to do tastings at Gordon & MacPhail and Benromach. I can’t say enough about all of the people that we interacted with – just an amazingly rewarding experience. We are already planning a return trip!
Some sample whisky photos:
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i second the Oban recommendation, although it’s been some years since i tried it. also in your picture, The Singleton used to be quite a bargain, but like many things, has become more expensive. i preferred it in the old bottle. I had a bottle of the Shackleton, which i liked, but may have been a wee bit of a gimmick.
these days, for style and price, we usually have Abelour on hand, and The Shieldaig Speyside, which is quite a bargain at your local Total Wine.
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A few of my recent single grain acquisitions, all from the now silent Cambus distillery site. 3 Cambus whiskies and 1 North of Scotland which was a separate distillery owned by George Christie with 3 patent stills and (briefly) 2 pot stills between 1958 and 1959 producing “Strathmore” single malt.
The Fragrant Drops 40 year old is a most unusual dram - fully matured in an old sherry butt, it’s well beyond “sherried” and has a full-on Oloroso sherry taste to it. Quite out there, but very enjoyable nonetheless.
The Cooper’s Choice is a more traditional single grain having spent over 32 years in an ex-bourbon cask. Sweet, and subtly complex. This is where single grains really shine over single malts in my opinion. I’ve never really liked purely ex-bourbon matured single malts, regardless of age or price. I find them flat and uninteresting. I even had the opportunity to taste a 40 yo Aberfeldy bourbon matured single malt at the Clackmannanshire whisky festival in April this year. Despite it’s whopping £3000/bottle price tag, I found it decidedly lacklustre.
The James Eadie 31 is a more typical sherry butt matured whisky. It’s dark and sweet and has all those wonderful Christmas cake notes to it that you expect in a heavily sherried whisky.
The 1963 North of Scotland (bottled in 1998) is also a very nice dram indeed. “Matured in oak casks”, it has the flavour profile of a primarily bourbon cask matured whisky with some sherry butt finishing. Despite a lower bottled ABV than most of the others (46.8%), this one is actually the hottest on the palate.
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