Single malt whisky

[Jake 4,019]

Haven't had one for years so I ventured into the new Dan Murphys today and came out with this. Chosen after carefully calculating the age vs dollar ratio (basically at random ).

I have to say, what a smokey drop! Very nice. It's a bit like lapsang souchong but with a hell of kick! I think I will have to limit myself to one a day

What else is good?

Cheers,

Jake

[Super Mustud 3,107]

Ooh. My favourite thread from now on!!!!

Next try an Ardbeg. A little less peaty and smoother however still with huge character. Or Lagavulin. Or...or...ah, so fun...

[Jake 4,019]

Well, Super Musty, I think this will be a looooong thread. It's going to take me ages to get through this first bottle!

[frankn 2,558]

very strong character that one. IMO not the smoothest out there however not one to forget though.

[samman 276]

Now this is one fine drop oooooooh so lovely....

[markjd101 0]

I'm going to play, even though I've brought a blended to the party... hic:

[Jake 4,019]

I'm going to play, even though I've brought a blended to the party... hic:

Shall I just ban him now?

/joke!

[kdoot 452]

Now we're talking. My bottle of Laphroaig has probably just one drink left in it. The smokiest of all the whiskies, they say - my definite favourite. I had the very good fortune to enjoy a generous portion of 25yo cask strength Laphroaig last year, an experience which I'll probably never forget.

[Jake 4,019]

So I guess I chose ok then?

I have to say I am not used to the concentration of alcohol. Man, that one little shot before dinner knocked me around.

[rath 2]

At the risk of letting out a best-kept whisky secret resulting in the price going up.... the enchantingly mellow whisky with virtually no unpleasant next-day effects regardless of how much is put away: Baillie Nichol Jarvie. No smoky flavour, I'm afraid, but no merciless kick; it's almost neutral/apathetic in its lack of effrontery.

It's a Protestant whisky (if the blarney on the label is anything to go by) which confilicts with my Jacobite sympathies, but it is a faithful and trustworthy companion.

My father is Irish; it was all about Bushmill's, Chivas Regal, etc. and I learnt to pour him a whiskey and water (Irish whiskey ASISYK is spelt with the added e) from a young age. Sad, I know. He's older now and he's paying for his years of excess. If I'd known about the Baillie all those years ago, I'd have told him.

[Guest guru]

you better enjoy your 15 plus years single malts while you can. after the success of the limited "the john walker" at $4500 a bottle, johnnie walker blending have been buying up any old barrels of whisky they can find and paying stupid money for them because the demand from the chinese market for limited release scotch is insatiable even at the same price or higher. i've been buying 21 plus year scotch's for a few years now as an investment and bottles i bought 2 years ago for $500 are now selling for $2000. there's gold in them there barrels.

[markjd101 0]

At the risk of letting out a best-kept whisky secret resulting in the price going up.... the enchantingly mellow whisky with virtually no unpleasant next-day effects regardless of how much is put away: Baillie Nichol Jarvie. No smoky flavour, I'm afraid, but no merciless kick; it's almost neutral/apathetic in its lack of effrontery.

It's a Protestant whisky (if the blarney on the label is anything to go by) which confilicts with my Jacobite sympathies, but it is a faithful and trustworthy companion.

My father is Irish; it was all about Bushmill's, Chivas Regal, etc. and I learnt to pour him a whiskey and water (Irish whiskey ASISYK is spelt with the added e) from a young age. Sad, I know. He's older now and he's paying for his years of excess. If I'd known about the Baillie all those years ago, I'd have told him.

Spotted this at Dan Murphy's earlier in the week:

Alas, all I have left in the cupboard is more Ballantines, JW Black and Glenfiddich

[Jake 4,019]

At the risk of letting out a best-kept whisky secret resulting in the price going up.... the enchantingly mellow whisky with virtually no unpleasant next-day effects regardless of how much is put away: Baillie Nichol Jarvie. No smoky flavour, I'm afraid, but no merciless kick; it's almost neutral/apathetic in its lack of effrontery.

It's a Protestant whisky (if the blarney on the label is anything to go by) which confilicts with my Jacobite sympathies, but it is a faithful and trustworthy companion.

My father is Irish; it was all about Bushmill's, Chivas Regal, etc. and I learnt to pour him a whiskey and water (Irish whiskey ASISYK is spelt with the added e) from a young age. Sad, I know. He's older now and he's paying for his years of excess. If I'd known about the Baillie all those years ago, I'd have told him.

Some lovely turns of phrase Rath.

Will keep an eye out for it.

[Catostylus 611]

I can recommend it. I've been given several bottles over the years as birthday/Christmas presents. Quite fine in a non-assertive kind of way.

[rath 2]

Oops, the whisky I spoke of is a blended, not a single malt. I must learn to read. Cheers, markjd101 and jake.

BTW the word Ballantine's scares me to sobriety. Same for Johnnie Walker and a lot of others. Make good floor polish. imho Age is immaterial, it's all about the mellow factor. Much like music. Ah, but opinion is subjective, is it not?

[Jake 4,019]

It would be a dull world if we all had the same tastes.

[Chill3 714]

Haaaa single malt

We have a lovely tradition my wife buys me single malt for special occasions, I buy her French bubbles

She often enquires what is the best single malt

My reply

"sweet heart , single malts are like BJ s there all good !"

Vinyl, single malt, my wife

And the job to pay for it all

PS read an article the other day about a high end single malt shop in London , some keen drinkers drop $10 k a month on the real good stuff

[markjd101 0]

I might also admit to being a fan of bourbon on occasion:

[A J 1,947]

Now your talking haha

As for Laphriag, my wife long ago surrendered to my addiction to this smokey number. At any one time I will have at last three bottles in my grog cabinet, cask strength of various vintages and plain old ordinary. This was my intro to single malt, and although I regularly drink a range of them, this one is the one I always relax to when I get a chance to hang out on my listening chair.

I've recently started buying high end rums as well, now that is something else

I'll remind myself to oganise a GTC when my Hautonga amp makes it over to Sydney

[rath 2]

Haaaa single malt

We have a lovely tradition my wife buys me single malt for special occasions, I buy her French bubbles

She often enquires what is the best single malt

My reply

"sweet heart , single malts are like BJ s there all good !"

Vinyl, single malt, my wife

And the job to pay for it all

This raised a chuckle. Amen to vinyl.

[Guest guru]

Haaaa single malt

We have a lovely tradition my wife buys me single malt for special occasions, I buy her French bubbles

She often enquires what is the best single malt

My reply

"sweet heart , single malts are like BJ s there all good !"

Vinyl, single malt, my wife

And the job to pay for it all

PS read an article the other day about a high end single malt shop in London , some keen drinkers drop $10 k a month on the real good stuff

the whisky exchange, the most expensive whisky they had in stock when i was last there was a springbank at 15000 pounds a bottle.

[brettk 5]

i've posted this before but i love whisky so it can't hurt to share again. i've gotten through most of this now and have replaced with a few more of the same and a highland park 18 which is sensational. there is two blends in there both japanese that have won big in the competitions over recent years and deservedly so. the hibiki 17 is a beautiful blend and the taketsuru 21 was one of the nicest blends i've had but difficult to get your hands on.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brettinjapan/4457137548/

the laphroaig cask streght is like a punch in the face the first time but a great drink to share with unsuspecting friends and watch them cough and splutter. the balvenie doublewood 12yr is my favourite cheaper whisky. could happily have a glass everyday.

also has anyone tried any of the tasmanian offerings? have read some good reports but haven't tasted. also i guess if you like whisky you'll know about maltmaniacs but just in case http://www.maltmadness.com/

Edited July 14, 2011 by brettk
added link

[Super Mustud 3,107]

Oops, the whisky I spoke of is a blended, not a single malt. I must learn to read. Cheers, markjd101 and jake.

BTW the word Ballantine's scares me to sobriety. Same for Johnnie Walker and a lot of others. Make good floor polish. imho Age is immaterial, it's all about the mellow factor. Much like music. Ah, but opinion is subjective, is it not?

As it turns out I am drinking the last of a bottle oh Johnnie Green at the moment. Will have to go into the garage and get another bottle tomorrow. I keep at least six malts open at any time to sip according to my mood, and while I have nothing nothing like guru, I always seem to have about 5 dozen of my favourite malts on hand as I buy when I see a good deal. Bought some of the last of Compass Box Peat Monster in Australia a few weeks ago.

Try Johnny Green. A very nice vatted malt - not a grain whisky.

[Jake 4,019]

Enjoying another glass of Laughfrog now. It tastes even better now.

[Super Mustud 3,107]

you better enjoy your 15 plus years single malts while you can. after the success of the limited "the john walker" at $4500 a bottle, johnnie walker blending have been buying up any old barrels of whisky they can find and paying stupid money for them because the demand from the chinese market for limited release scotch is insatiable even at the same price or higher. i've been buying 21 plus year scotch's for a few years now as an investment and bottles i bought 2 years ago for $500 are now selling for $2000. there's gold in them there barrels.

I buy my malts for drinking rather than investment, so keep under $130 a bottle even on my more expensive ones. One of my favourites is Glenfarclas 15. Due to the relatively small size of the distillery and it being one of the last family owned distilleries I have kept my eye on this, and have noticed a 30% price increase from my favourite discount supplier over the last 18 months. I have enough for a few years, however I think the high Australian dollars is not goiung to keep the price of Scotch malts down given how aspirational it has become in Asia. Some of the best private Scotch collections I have seen were in Hong Kong. Those guys know their whisky. No ignorant collecting there.