I took the plunge on the Balvenie Peated Cask. Yum.
Collection starting to get unwieldy. Need to find a way to better organize in a smallish apartment.

Malt Advocate's Top Ten New Whiskies

Bless PITTM’s soul for pimping Glenrothes 1985 throughout this thread, I tried it tonight as and count me in as a fan.

I also tried the A’bunadh tonight (still sipping) and straight it was too much for me but with a splash of water I am enjoying it very much. Yum.

I also sampled some Longrow 10 year, Springbank 12 year old cask strength and Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or tonight as well but as they were sandwiched between the Glenrothes and the A’bunadh they are now a somewhat distant, yet pleasant, memory. The Longrow had a nice punch of peat, the Springbank required a splash of water for me to enjoy (but I did) and the Glenmorangie will require another visit.

This thread is becoming costly, but quite enjoyable.

Floppy,

I haven't had the Longrow before, but I have everything else you list on my shelf and love them all. That's a great sampling you had right there.

Understatement of the thread.

Not enough love for the lowlands around these parts. I like the big speysides/islay as much as the next guy, but sometimes, you just gotta dig out the Auchentoshan.

Also big thumbs up to the cabinet proudly displaying Suntory Yamazaki 12, good stuff.

That came in handy txs. Remembered the list at Whisky Live yesterday and tried the Compass Box Flaming Heart (10th Anniversary bottling). Very nice though not quite persuded to spalsh out £70 (very close, could still happen).

Compass box were very hospitible as always. They were handing out a 38 year Hedonism celebration whisky that isn't for sale that was outstanding.

The other and outstanding highlight of the show was a VIP Glenlivet stand that they very kindly let me into for no good reason. Not sure exactly what I was drinking (best I dont know) but a £275 a bottle celler collection was stunning. We then want onto the 64 year old (@ ~£1000 way beyond anything I've ever tasted) which we actually struggled with - it was very intriging and different but not as obviously nice as the other, probably just way beyond my ability to appreciate.

Sorry I can't describe flavours its a skill I've never had but go to the shows if you get the chance they taste so good.

[finished off at the Lahore kebab house, if you're ever in London go there]

If i can get a bottle of glenfiddich snow pheonix should i? I saw it in south florida and i am here for 2 more days and know i wont find it back home in michigan

Haven't tried it but have read good things. If you can't get it at home, I vote yes.

If I ever see something that I know I'm not going to be able to get back home, and it's not readily available online then I usually just go for it.

Whisky Magazine's World Whiskies Awards 2011

I picked up 2. They were a little bit over $100 each. I drink a lot of the 15 year fiddich. Im going to open one tommrow and will post a review. Btw the tin they put it is is tits. Also the little booklet that comes with it is quite cool

just bought a bottle of the Balvenie Caribbean and disagree with some of the posts upthread. I find it to be a real light refreshing drink, different from other Balvenie's sure but there is a place for this.

Jameson 12 Year Old Special Reserve

Too much scotch, not enough bourbon. Playing in my once regular, now special occasion, home game tonight. Should I be drinking....

a) Van Winkle 23



b) Willett



c) Stagg



d) Weller

E. All of the above

Obv the correct choice. Unfortunately, I chose poorly and stuck with the Stagg, which I rode down $1500ish, and back up to +$50ish by 5 AM.

I was tired the next day, and out a half bottle of booze, but at least I got in a good night of talking **** with my friends. And, hey, that sweet $50 I won, invested wisely, will be almost enough to buy a new bottle of 2011 Stagg come October.

My buddy just got back from Chile, and has a bottle of Zacapa XO for me, weeeeee!!!

Stumbled across Rittenhouse Rye looking for a good manhattan, and have come to really like it on its own as well. It's 100 proof so it goes good with some water or ice. Great value at $16.

u can never go wrong w/ just GTS. on many nights i prefer it to anything else i own including PVW and WLW.

Speaking of.. I've got the RZ XO and the 23 year side by side right now. The difference is pretty minute and I can't say that I prefer one over the other. Although the XO is great, I think the 23 year is much better value at less then half the price.

Speaking of rum. Somebody recently posted their newfound love of Flor De Cana in this thread. I'm not a huge rum drinker, but I got hooked on this stuff while in Nicaragua: it has a completely different profile than any other rum I've ever had (admittedly though, I haven't had a ton of premium rum). The 12 and 18 year are great on rocks, and the 7 year is delicious w/ Coke and lime. Well worth checking out IMO.

It's been long enough El D, results!

I agree that the flavor profiles are very similar, but the XO is waaaay smoother, and a little leaner (not in a bad way). The sweetness comes through beautifully on the finish, whereas the 23 just kind of smacks you in the face with it as soon as it hits your palate. I agree with you that the 23 offers much better value, and I certainly won't be buying any of the XO for myself anytime soon.

Your palate must me much more refined then mine (not sarcastic, I'm a noob), since I didn't notice any of what you're talking about and thought they were really similar.

Both delicious though!

Great tread.

My GF worked at a whisky club a couple years ago, where you bought bottles and kept them in a locker.They trained her and taught her that one should start with blends and go from there... I had many blends as well as single malts there, nothing that I remember regarding flavour except for Caol Ola 12.

I want to start a collection and develop my palate, my GF says I should start with Famous Grouse 12 yo Malt, and not burn money in something I wont be able to fully appreciate (whiskys cost twice as much in Argentina), but I would like to skip that one and just buy a Glenfidich or Glenmorangie and start from there.

Any opinions on that?