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Glenlivet and best whisky


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3 hours ago, Mox said:

I just came looking for this thread as I got given a bottle of this as a gift, which believe it or not is my first ever bottle of whisky. Might have a dram every so often in the boozer but never bought a bottle in my life.

Page 1 of the whisky guide I suspect, but what's the best way to approach, with or without water?

Whichever way you enjoy it.

Taste it neat first.   I (just me) usually find that water wastes the flavour.   If you are lucky to have been gifted a cask strength bottle (>50%) then aye, maybe a we splash may take the burn down a bit if you are new to it.

The technical answer though is that with smokey Islays in particular, a tiny (repeat: TINY) amount or water will release some chemicals that are busting to get out after being concentrated in the alcohol all those years, though mainly again if cask strength.

However, some blends have been designed for ice and or soda like J&B or Cutty Sark.   These in a hot climate might work better?   Or, I'd just have a regular White & Mackay's with a glass of water on the side (my version of a hauf and a hauf).

Hope this is the start of a wonderful journey :lol:

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11 hours ago, Mox said:

I just came looking for this thread as I got given a bottle of this as a gift, which believe it or not is my first ever bottle of whisky. Might have a dram every so often in the boozer but never bought a bottle in my life.

Page 1 of the whisky guide I suspect, but what's the best way to approach, with or without water?

If you'll accept the intrusion of an Englishman on this matter, firstly I agree with Grim Jim that it's fundamentally down to you. One thing I'd add is that if you do distillery tours, many of them will give you tasting techniques (I think there's probably some YouTube videos but there's no substitute for being in the place it's made with the glass in your hand). How you taste it can affect your liking of it just as much as whether or not to put some drops of water in. You kind of need to get past the alcohol hit to get to the flavour (which is why some people dilute it a little).

Personally, I think water completely ruins whisky but I'm a long way from being any sort of connoisseur. Also, of course, there are loads of different types & your tastes may even change over time. Quite possibly the greatest contribution the TAMB ever made to my life was someone describing Ardbeg as a 'bonkers' (I think it was) whisky 'like chewing raw peat'. I'd always hated peaty/smoky whiskies but finding myself holed up one night on my lonesome in the Stein Inn on Skye, I spotted a bottle & thought 'go for it'...I've loved the stuff ever since.

To that long-forgotten poster...you changed my life & I thank you :D 🥃

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On ‎3‎/‎14‎/‎2020 at 8:23 PM, Mox said:

Page 1 of the whisky guide I suspect, but what's the best way to approach, with or without water?

It really does depend on the dram and the person. I tend to put 2/3 drops of water in a few of the higher hitting % wise ones, but will just drink the rest of them neat.

I know everyone says it is down to personal preference, but I'd probably still scowl at a guy putting ice in a really nice dram.

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On 3/14/2020 at 8:23 PM, Mox said:

I just came looking for this thread as I got given a bottle of this as a gift, which believe it or not is my first ever bottle of whisky. Might have a dram every so often in the boozer but never bought a bottle in my life.

Page 1 of the whisky guide I suspect, but what's the best way to approach, with or without water?

Like everyone else is saying it really is down to personal preference.  I do prefer most malts with a drop of water but I literally do mean a drop.  I've got one of those pipette things I got given as a gift and it's ideal for putting a suggestion of water in your dram.  It really is amazing the difference that one or two small drops can make to the taste and texture of a good malt.  There's nothing worse however than being somewhere and asking for a drop of water and being handed a dram that's 50% whisky and 50% water, completely ruins it.

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1 hour ago, Fairbairn said:

Like everyone else is saying it really is down to personal preference.  I do prefer most malts with a drop of water but I literally do mean a drop.  I've got one of those pipette things I got given as a gift and it's ideal for putting a suggestion of water in your dram.  It really is amazing the difference that one or two small drops can make to the taste and texture of a good malt.  There's nothing worse however than being somewhere and asking for a drop of water and being handed a dram that's 50% whisky and 50% water, completely ruins it.

Aye, places tend to treat malts the same as a fecking grouse or bells. Ask for a bit of water and you get a litre jug alongside your 25ml dram!

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  • 1 month later...

Seeing as how I'm not spending money on crap like petrol & Huddersfield Town, I decided to fork out on a couple of low priced single malts to while away the days. A Glen Grant 10-Year Old & a Glen Moray Port Cask Finish (no age statement) which arrived today. I have to say, I'm definitely fond of the Glen Moray for the price I paid for it.

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6 hours ago, Huddersfield said:

Seeing as how I'm not spending money on crap like petrol & Huddersfield Town, I decided to fork out on a couple of low priced single malts to while away the days. A Glen Grant 10-Year Old & a Glen Moray Port Cask Finish (no age statement) which arrived today. I have to say, I'm definitely fond of the Glen Moray for the price I paid for it.

If it's the Glen Grant Aged 10 years it is a fantastic. I liked it so much i bought a.box of it. One of the nicest easy drinkers I have ever had. Enjoy.

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15 hours ago, beardy said:

If it's the Glen Grant Aged 10 years it is a fantastic. I liked it so much i bought a.box of it. One of the nicest easy drinkers I have ever had. Enjoy.

Yes that’s the one. Just opened it tonight & yes it’s very nice. 

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6 minutes ago, Huddersfield said:

Yes that’s the one. Just opened it tonight & yes it’s very nice. 

Glen Grant was my 1st ever malt in The Silver Tassie in Hamilton.   Probably just a 5yo, but any age statement is much more expensive now than even just a couple of years ago.

Went down very easily, so it's to blame for my bad habit now.

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3 hours ago, Debian said:

I've enjoyed a Kilkerran, but not tried the 'heavily' one, and liked the Eradour 10 too, but again yours is new.   I canna keep up.

I just got a Bunnahabhain 12 that the recipe has been changed on.   Now un-chillfiltered too.   Seems to be a trend since folk went daft for the some-bastairt-drank-the-well-dry Glencaddam 15.   Lovely and all gone.

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That new Bunnahabhain btw, tastes sweeter and less smoky than I remember.

I also got my 2nd Tullibardine 225 (I think) - sauternes finish.   Nice.   Was my favourite sampled at the Glasgow whisky festival, though failed to access the posh room.

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11 minutes ago, Grim Jim said:

That new Bunnahabhain btw, tastes sweeter and less smoky than I remember.

I also got my 2nd Tullibardine 225 (I think) - sauternes finish.   Nice.   Was my favourite sampled at the Glasgow whisky festival, though failed to access the posh room.

I'm not a fan of Tullibardine at all.  Can't point my finger on it, the same with Dalwhinnie.

Tonight I am opening up a 16yr old Scapa (discontinued a few years back) that I found at the back of the Highlands and Islands shelf along with a Wolfburn 'Lest We Forget'

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3 minutes ago, Debian said:

I'm not a fan of Tullibardine at all.  Can't point my finger on it, the same with Dalwhinnie.

Tonight I am opening up a 16yr old Scapa (discontinued a few years back) that I found at the back of the Highlands and Islands shelf along with a Wolfburn 'Lest We Forget'

Sláinte :cheers3:

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26 minutes ago, Grim Jim said:

That new Bunnahabhain btw, tastes sweeter and less smoky than I remember.

I also got my 2nd Tullibardine 225 (I think) - sauternes finish.   Nice.   Was my favourite sampled at the Glasgow whisky festival, though failed to access the posh room.

I have a framed print of Bunnahabhain distillery on my wall that they were giving away free when I went there a few years back.

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20 minutes ago, Huddersfield said:

I have a framed print of Bunnahabhain distillery on my wall that they were giving away free when I went there a few years back.

Mind when you used to get free drams?   Now you have to pay for the tour first 😄

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18 minutes ago, Grim Jim said:

Mind when you used to get free drams?   Now you have to pay for the tour first 😄

We actually got lucky...I forget why but they weren't doing tours when we arrived & there was hardly anyone there, so we got a couple of drinks free & the woman said they were trying to get rid of the prints so to help ourselves. I still came away £50 or so lighter though.

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10 hours ago, Huddersfield said:

We actually got lucky...I forget why but they weren't doing tours when we arrived & there was hardly anyone there, so we got a couple of drinks free & the woman said they were trying to get rid of the prints so to help ourselves. I still came away £50 or so lighter though.

I picked up a bottle of their Ceòbanach last time I visited. One of the nicest drams I've had.

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  • 5 months later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 3 weeks later...

I got hold of a bottle of Benriach Smoky 10 just before Xmas by way of trying something a bit different & it's very good.

I've also been shopping around to find something that I haven't tried before, ideally smoky although I'm not totally locked into it having to be. I was going to go for the Kilkerran mentioned above but everywhere seems to have sold out. Has anyone tried any of the Smokehead brand? I can't make my mind up if it's worth forking out £50 or so or if it's just a bit gimmicky.

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  • 6 months later...
On 2/22/2020 at 4:39 PM, Debian said:

I managed to get 2x of the sherry release from Berry Bro Rudd and have the most recent summer and winter releases.  Owner Alex Cuthbert of Daftmill alps runs the FB group https://www.facebook.com/groups/373712386872/

did you see there is a Facebook bottling with guranteed bottle ? 

can still purchase the 2006 bottling in Chicago 

2007 seems thiiner on ground, and i been out of states 6 months when it was imported, 

Edited by euan2020
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On 7/14/2021 at 6:47 AM, euan2020 said:

did you see there is a Facebook bottling with guranteed bottle ? 

can still purchase the 2006 bottling in Chicago 

2007 seems thiiner on ground, and i been out of states 6 months when it was imported, 

Luckily me, the wife and my old man are all members of of group.  

A max of 1,400 bottles and at Cask Strength.  One will be going straight to auction.  

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