That's interesting, because iirc the opposite is true for whisky (the yo statement is actually the youngest barrel in the blend)

Anyone here done any in depth exploration of japanese whiskies? I tasted a bunch recently and was pretty blown away across the board. They are definitely much more scotch-like than bourbon like for the most part and are generally on the delicate and floral end of the spectrum. Unfortunately I was pretty hammered when this tasting took place and my phone was dead so no notes......Picked up a Nikka 12 yr and a Nikka Coffey Grain. Will report back when I open them. Also, apparently yamazaki ages their whiskies in douglas fir casks so I need to revisit those when I get the chance.

I like the Yamazaki and always get a glass or two if the sushi restaurant has it. When I go to the store though and am buying bottles, I can't convince myself that it's worth the price compared to the other scotches on the shelf. I look at it occasionally but always seem to choose something else.

I'm sipping Johnnie Walker red label. In fact not bad: ++. Tomorrow I'm starting my extensive tasting journey. Ordered an aroma kit too, maybe that will raise the quality of my notes with time.

Never heard of the aroma kits but they seem interesting. Quite pricey, though. Do you have a link for the one you got?

http://www.whisky-academy.com/nosing_kit/index.htm

I'm getting the one with 12 different aromas. Don't want to overdo it

aroma kits have never helped me out all too much with wine, beer, or spirits. What I would more suggest you do is read tasting notes and then go to the grocery and get some of the consistent notes you see.

The only way to write better notes is to just write them. I sometimes cringe at the notes I wrote when I was starting out, but you have to start somewhere.

It will be fun to see if I can identify the aromas. Currently I think I'm having a bit too holistic experience for my taste. A little more differentiation and maybe science would fit.

Amazing stuff: http://www.mahorobi.com/e/cd/cdmain.htm

i´m either super geeky or really old
i had whiskies from 7 lost distilleries(not counting new whiskies that use the names of those old distilleries)
wow i got a nosing kit for wine some years back from my ex.
i didn´t know she spend so much

Port Ellen is a must at some point.

I'm naturally talking one dram. I'm no millionaire.

I had a half pour of a 35yo statement in Vegas a year ago I think. It was either oxidized as **** or watered down

had 4 different Port Ellen so far and used to own a bottle,
but sadly i never had 1 that would be really mind blowing.
in the case of the bottle i owned not even good whisky

Here are my tastings:

• Robert Burns Single Malt (Arran): ++
• Glengoyne 15: ++
• Glengoyne 10: ++(+)
• Glenlivet 18: +. Surprised this old whisky gets this
• Longrow Peated 46%: +++
• Macallan Gold: ++
• Miltonduff 10: +(+)
• Tomintoul 12: ++(+)
• Monkey Shoulder: +
• Poit Dhubh 8: +
• Sheep Dip Blended Malt: ++
• Penderyn Madeira 46%: +++

My scale is something like:
+: drinkable, but will probably not return to
+(+): not totally discarding for the future
++: normal, enjoyable whisky
++(+): clearly something yet to discover
+++: completely blowing me away

I will get more deeply into some of the higher rankings and be back

Longrow has been on my wishlist for a while, looking forward to your review.

I will include it in my next miniatures order, the 50ml I had is gone! Planning to dilute it gradually with water for getting better hold on the different aromas.

Did you open the aroma kit too?

Yes. Having it on my desk, sniffing now and then. Partly blindly, trying to recognize the different scents without looking. Amazing how much I have to learn. In the beginning I couldn't tell which was which with any form of accuracy.

Do you think it's worth the price?

Absolutely. Would be lost without it

Play,

A) love your approach to tasting and learning!
B) surprised you enjoyed red label so much. I find it kinda harsh.
C) have you considered changing your rating scale to + through +++++?

Wow, a diablo sighting...

Anybody have any luck with american whiskey hunting this fall? I have some bottles saved for me at stores where I'm a regular and only made one half assed attempt at "hunting". Had a Friday off and drove to 7 stores that are nearby looking for BTAC the day after it was released locally. Here's what i found:

-6 stores had nothing
-1 store had 1 bottle of handy for $175 (retail $69 or $79)...I passed.

The following stories:
-the county I live in (just outside of DC) sells all the liquor. Their total btac allocation was 300ish bottles, and they have over 1000 names on an interest list (I'm on the list and got a bottle of stagg, so that's nice)
-1 store told me they had over 600 calls in the last week looking for btac. Even if they're exaggerating... Wow.
-3 stores told me they had somebody literally follow the delivery guy in and buy it all.
-1 store told me they held for their regs and sold it all.
-1 store told me they had a lottery and it was all gone.
-1 store told me didn't get any bottles

Which leads me to the following:
Trying to get any "limited release/hyped" whiskey by just looking, at least in my neck of the woods, is a waste of time for the next few years, or until whenever the current bourbon hysteria subsides - I'm done with it. I'll just keep being a good customer to a few stores and pick up a few bottles a year and enjoy my easy-to-find go-tos for the time being.

All was not lost though, did find a few bottles of the high west midwinters night dram, which I'm looking forward to cracking open.

I am staring at 31 samples in my Master of Malt shopping cart. A little gun shy today, though.

A) Nice! Must be a wonderful journey

B) Actually had another yesterday. Didn't feel that much. Still think it's enjoyable, a solid ++, which leads us to:

C) When I started my rating system earlier itt, I felt three different ratings is enough. + for being polite, ++ for good whisky, +++ for excellence. Those (+)s have kind of sneaked in. Spontanely I don't like those long rows of plusses.

Placed a little samples order on Master of Malt.

The bounty:

anCnoc 16 Year Old
Balblair 1990 - 2nd Release
Balblair 1999 - 2nd Release
Balvenie 21 Year Old PortWood Finish
Ben Nevis 10 Year Old
BenRiach 12 Year Old Horizons
BenRiach 17 Year Old Septendecim
Benrinnes 15 Year Old - Flora and Fauna
Campbeltown Loch 21 Year Old 46%
Dailuaine 16 Year Old - Flora and Fauna
Glen Elgin 12 Year Old
Glencadam 10 Year Old
Glenglassaugh Revival
Highland Park 28 Year Old 1985 - Authentic Collection (WM Cadenhead)
Imperial 17 Year Old 1995 (cask 50131) - Cask Strength Collection (Signatory)
Kilkerran Work In Progress 6th Release - Bourbon Wood
Linkwood 12 Year Old - Flora and Fauna
Mortlach 14 Year Old 1997 - Dimensions (Duncan Taylor)
Old Pulteney 17 Year Old
Old Pulteney 21 Year Old
Speyburn 10 Year Old
Strathmill 12 Year Old - Flora and Fauna
Teaninich 10 Year Old - Flora and Fauna
Tobermory 10 Year Old
Whisky Aroma Kit - Aroma Academy