Whisky / Whiskey / Bourbon

Thanks all! Looks like first step is off to local Tesco's!

Arbelour 12 is £29 in Sainsburys right now. I cannot think of a better whisky for £30, its a steal at full price.

£28 in Tesco!

A little more expensive but one to keep in mind for the future is the Bunnahabhain 12
https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/12827/bunnahabhain-12-year-old

It's an Islay but really not peaty and it's top of my list, everything I taste is now compared to that.

Going to get me to tescos. At that price ill stock up a couple of bottles. Its nearly winter, Ill need the stocks for second lock down.

I can't remember if I flagged this one but Mortlach is a cracking malt! Worth trying if you see it

Yep, the flora and fauna release is especially good but it's double the price it was a couple of years ago.

Texas single malt?! What is the flavour like?

Assuming it's Balcones - amazing. Not cheap though.

Got to chat with their ops director when they did a tour over here. Really interesting group of people with some radical but logical ideas on distillation and maturation.

Yep. https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/balcones/balcones-texas-single-malt-whisky/#

10 year anniversary present from my wife, I'll be having a wee dram this evening.

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This is truly incredible, first taste with no water, I can only describe it as a smoke bomb going off in your mouth. It almost evaporates on the tongue to fill your mouth with smoke, only thing I can compare it to is the thick chewy smoke of a full bodied cigar.

A couple of teaspoons of water tames the smoke and brings out the peat, lots of dry fruit and spice. There is a hell of a lot going on. Really intrigued how this will open up in the next month.

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Oh nice, I'll have to try it if I see it.

Had a Port Charlotte, heavily peated, in the hotel bar last night.
Pretty decent, my Islay experience is pretty much Laphroaig, so was expecting similar.
It's a little heavy on the smoke, but almost zero TCP/ medicinal taste.

Will pick up a bottle one day

Yeah I really like Port Charlotte. Had a bottle last Christmas. Very tasty.

just ordered a bottle of aerolite lyndsay - 10yr old single malt from an undisclosed islay distillery.
hopefully it lives up to the reviews and not just clever marketing!

port charlotte is very tasty indeed!

Nothing is really that similar to the Laphroaig TCP/medicinal character, Ardbeg has it a bit but more muted. You can't really go wrong with anything from Bruichladdich.

Thursday: ran out of Old Forester

Saturday: gifted a bottle of Makers Mark

Ideal.

I really liked the Aerolite Lyndsey. Have nearly finished a bottle and will be ordering again.

Had a tasting round at a pal's house in the garden last night, sat around the fire. Really enjoyed the Aerolite, we also had a bottle of 'dark bargain' - another undisclosed distillery Islay single malt which was very pleasant and well worth a try if you're into smoke.

Ooh. Thanks for the tip. That’s on offer on Master of Malt - £29.

Talk to me about mellow corn. I'm intrigued.

Did not know this was a thing, and will probably never get to try/buy one, but getting bottles of bourbon from a barrel you’ve brought excites me.
Is this done with scotch/Irish whisky?
Would it be possible for a group to purchase a single barrel?

https://www.gearpatrol.com/food/drinks/amp34205875/private-barrel-selections-rare-bourbon-whiskey/

Very much a thing
https://www.arranwhisky.com/our-distillery/buy-a-whisky-cask

My uncle and cousin bought a barrel from some new Islay distillery. Wasn't cheap, but they reckon they can sell enough of it to make a healthy profit and also have plenty of bottles left from themselves. Have to wait 10+ years though.