Whiskey recommendation please!

sullivk · 18-08-2015 10:11am #1

I need to choose a whiskey for my husband. It is our first wedding anniversary next month so would like to get him something a bit special.

I gave him a Bushmills 21 year single malt on the morning of our wedding (which went down very well!)
He has a Bowmore 12 year single malt, Tullamore dew 10 year, Jameson 18 year, Ardbeg (can't remember details) & Johnny Walker gold label.

I was thinking of getting him the Teeling 21year vintage reserve, however my whiskey knowledge is pretty much non-existent!!

Does anyone have any recommendations? Thanks

Speedwell · 18-08-2015 10:17am

You can't go wrong with anything with "The Dalmore" on it. If you want to spend a little less, Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban is quite special. A male friend (I'm a woman) quite likes the Talisker range, and if your husband's favorite is the Ardbeg (it would be mine), he will love any of them.

In Irish whiskies, I quite liked "Writer's Tears" from the Walsh distillery. Oddly I did not like the Connemara peated offering; I suppose I'm really a Scotch drinker to be honest.

the beer revolu · 18-08-2015 10:24am

I think a bottle of Tryconnel Maderia cask would sit very nicely in that collection.

I haven't tried the Teeling 21 but wouldn't turn my nose up at a gift of a bottle.

dos29 · 18-08-2015 11:11am

I tried the Teeling 21 on Friday night and have to say I thought it was absolutely beautiful.
I've tried Bushmills 21 and loved it too but can't justify the price difference from Bushmills 16, which is a fantastic alternative for you maybe?
It could be my favourite!
In saying that, I would LOVE to get a bottle of Teeling 21 as a gift. It's a beautiful bottle on a presentation level too.

Brockagh · 18-08-2015 1:45pm

The Teeling 21 is very nice. It would be a perfect gift. And, apparently, if you get one of the more recent bottles of it, you'll have a 23 year old whiskey...

The Jameson 18 is also very good, as is the Gold. Redbreast 21 or Redbreast 15 are other alternatives.

This is an expensive option, but Laphroaig have a 21 year old for the FOL available at the moment. It's only a half bottle (35cl) and is nearly £100... It's very good though and a one-off. It's peaty like Ardbeg, but much more earthy.

There are so many options. As a gift, a nice option would be the Tomatin Contrasts. It's two half bottles made up from whisky from the 1970s, 80s, 90s and 2000s... One bottled was sourced from sherry casks and the other from bourbon casks. You can get that here... http://www.whiskysite.nl/en/tomatin-contrast.html

sullivk · 18-08-2015 3:25pm

Thank so much to you all for your suggestions, definitely given me food for thought!
Cheers

symbolic · 18-08-2015 3:48pm

Brockagh wrote: »

The Teeling 21 is very nice.

I always though Teeling were a relatively new distillery? Can't see on their website. When were they founded?

irish_goat · 18-08-2015 4:08pm

symbolic wrote: »

I always though Teeling were a relatively new distillery? Can't see on their website. When were they founded?

Opened this year, despite their bottle having 1782 on it. :rolleyes:

They would have bought whiskey from other distilleries to sell before their own spirit is ready though.

symbolic · 18-08-2015 4:32pm

irish_goat wrote: »

Opened this year, despite their bottle having 1782 on it. :rolleyes:

They would have bought whiskey from other distilleries to sell before their own spirit is ready though.

Ah I see... And would it say where they bought it from. Or you generally don't know with whiskey?

You know the way you'd see like Oban whiskey, and I would have presumed it was from Oban, not necessarily the case tho?

I don't whiskey yet.. But someday I must get started on it!

Brockagh · 18-08-2015 4:38pm

symbolic wrote: »

Ah I see... And would it say where they bought it from. Or you generally don't know with whiskey?

You know the way you'd see like Oban whiskey, and I would have presumed it was from Oban, not necessarily the case tho?

I don't whiskey yet.. But someday I must get started on it!

Their father owned the Cooley distillery before Beam bought it, so they had access to some of their stocks. they also worked at Cooley.

And they would have purchased whiskey from Bushmills too. They also have some very interesting old stocks of Powers, Jameson... if they kept it after selling the distillery, that is.

fret_wimp2 · 19-08-2015 10:57am

Something special. Cannot beat Green Spot Chateaux Leoville Barton edition.
One of the best pot stills available, this greenspot is also finished in Bordeux wine casks and it makes all the difference.

It has a lot of depth that you expect with a pot still but without sacrificing a lot of the delicate floral notes and actually comes across as a lot lighter and fresher than any other pot still ive drank.

70 quid and its quite limited. If its a little to expensive, regular green spot is 50 quid and is outstanding also.

symbolic · 19-08-2015 11:21am

Heading to the Scottish Highlands soon actually. Any recommendations on THE must go distillery in the region.. Cheers.

L1011 · 19-08-2015 12:23pm

Dalmore is meant to have an excellent tour - you can't just walk up though (officially, anyway).

Brockagh · 19-08-2015 9:03pm

The Highlands is a huge area ... and Speyside is in the Highlands. Where abouts are you going?

symbolic · 20-08-2015 4:36pm

Brockagh wrote: »

The Highlands is a huge area ... and Speyside is in the Highlands. Where abouts are you going?

Speyside looks good actually. Glenfiddich looks nice. Cheers for that.

threebagsfull · 20-08-2015 4:43pm

symbolic wrote: »

Heading to the Scottish Highlands soon actually. Any recommendations on THE must go distillery in the region.. Cheers.

I went to Talisker on the Isle of Skye, but the tour guide was useless. He really wasn't into it.

They did give us a journal at the end which grants you free tours at all the 12 "Classic Malt" distilleries. http://www.malts.com/index.php/en_row/Visiting-our-distilleries/Planning-your-visit
So I think you can apply online also. But I don't know much about those other whiskies listed.

Lots of pubs do a "Malt of the Month" and they're like £3 a measure for really good whiskies, Glenmorangie, Auchentoshan and the like.

sullivk · 21-08-2015 11:24am

In the end, I've decided on the 'Tomatin Contrast' set. Interesting duo, one matured in bourbon casks, the other in sherry.
I think (hope... ) he'll really enjoy them!

Thanks so much for all of your suggestions

threebagsfull · 21-08-2015 4:43pm

That sounds like a good idea. I've had Tomatin before, can't remember exactly what it was, but was nice.

Samsquanch · 21-08-2015 8:36pm

I tried a peat whiskey for the first time last week and really enjoyed it. I think it was a Connemara one. I was looking for recomndations of other peat whiskeys and are they Irish in general ?

L1011 · 21-08-2015 8:47pm

Samsquanch wrote: »

I tried a peat whiskey for the first time last week and really enjoyed it. I think it was a Connemara one. I was looking for recomndations of other peat whiskeys and are they Irish in general ?

No, its a Scottish thing usually and Connemara is basically the only Irish peated product. I believe the Japanese have taken to doing it a lot though.

Most Scotch whiskys are peated to some extent but the Islay ones in particular are usually heavily so.

Ardbeg and Laphroig are the two most popular heavily peated whiskys I'd guess. Most scotches have a "ppm" figure (parts per million) of phenol declared somewhere online which indicates how peaty they are.

L1011 · 21-08-2015 9:03pm

Should add, my personal all-time favourite and relatively easy to get your hands on (many pubs, most good off licences, any decent size Tesco), Talisker, is fairly peaty too, allegedly more than Connemara* but not as much as the Islay peat-heads.

*Connemara Turf Mor is vastly more peated than the normal.

él statutorio · 21-08-2015 9:07pm

fret_wimp2 wrote: »

Something special. Cannot beat Green Spot Chateaux Leoville Barton edition.
One of the best pot stills available, this greenspot is also finished in Bordeux wine casks and it makes all the difference.

It has a lot of depth that you expect with a pot still but without sacrificing a lot of the delicate floral notes and actually comes across as a lot lighter and fresher than any other pot still ive drank.

70 quid and its quite limited. If its a little to expensive, regular green spot is 50 quid and is outstanding also.

This. SO much of this.

It's an outstanding whiskey, probably the best I've had this year.

Samsquanch · 21-08-2015 9:15pm

Any fans of Redbreast whiskey ? Only had the Redbreast 12 , I think its my favorite. But I am fairly inexperienced on whiskey. Never really got a taste for the usual Jameson, Powers etc.

Brockagh · 22-08-2015 1:52pm

Samsquanch wrote: »

I tried a peat whiskey for the first time last week and really enjoyed it. I think it was a Connemara one. I was looking for recomndations of other peat whiskeys and are they Irish in general ?

Connemara and Lockes are peated from the Cooley range. There was an Inishowen was their blended peaty whiskey. I think Kilbeggan will have some peated whiskey too.

Teeling also have peated stock, but it's not very peaty.

The only IDL peated whiskey was the old version of Hewitts.

There are lots and lots of peated Scotch whiskies, to various degrees. As mentioned, some of the Islay ones are known for their peat levels... Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila, Kilchoman... Bruichladdich do the Port Charlotte and Octamore, while Bunnahabhain also do peated versions.

Ledaig is a very good peaty one away from Islay. Then there's Talisker and Highland Park... and lots more too. There are very few bad Highland Parks. Longrow from Springbank is pretty great too.

Samsquanch · 22-08-2015 2:52pm

Would O'Briens stock most of these Whiskeys, like the islay peats for example ?

Not G.R · 22-08-2015 3:10pm

Samsquanch wrote: »

Would O'Briens stock most of these Whiskeys, like the islay peats for example ?

The Islay whiskeys are an acquired taste. I'd go and have a dram in a pub before buying a full bottle. Most of the 'standard' Islay's are in the €60-90 range. Expensive mistake if you dont like it.

If youre in Dublin there's a whiskey bar beside Porterhouse central that will stock almost everything mentioned here.

L1011 · 22-08-2015 8:24pm

Samsquanch wrote: »

Would O'Briens stock most of these Whiskeys, like the islay peats for example ?

They would have a decent selection of them albeit maybe not all in every store.

Even more specialist offlicences and the Celtic Whiskey Shop would have more to all of them.

Trond · 15-10-2015 6:19pm

Not sure if its the right thread but was wondering what the consensus is on The Palace Bar's 14 year old single malt?

Apparently its blended with a 21 year old single malt. Its around €85 a bottle. Was considering adding it to my collection. Anyone know what it compares to? Thanks...

Whiskey recommendation please!

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