whiskey recommendations please?

It's not exactly an example of a connoisseurs choice, but I find Bushmills Black Bush to be an exceptionally solid whiskey if you take it's price and availability into account. It costs half the price, at least, of many of the whiskies you'll read mention of here, and I don't really know if that means they are really twice as good as Black Bush . It's a good introduction to whiskey that you can sip relaxingly on and without breaking the bank.

I'd find myself agreeing with lot of the usual suspects that have been mentioned here. Redbreast - Solid. Powers John Lane - Quite nice. Yellow Spot - Complicated; I bought a bottle after reading about it constantly. It's nowhere near a bad whiskey, but I wasn't as blown away as I was expecting to be. I'd be slightly wary of this one. Like I said - Not bad, just perhaps slightly overrated, but you may love it, so who knows. I've also drank a few Jamesons of varying types, which I've always found to be underwhelming, but I live in hope. It's a bit odd because of all the mass market whiskey I think Jameson is the most easily drank.... After Black Bush of course.

The whiskey that's given me the most non extortionate pleasure overall is probably Bushmills 16 year old. I love that stuff. Smooth and choclately. Nice to sip; very easy to guzzle.

I think the OP said that the upper echelons of his budget was around the 100 quid mark. If you were willing to be ultra brave you could chance the extra fifty quid for a bottle of Middleton. Owing to the fact that I am not a multi-millionaire, it isn't something I drink a lot of, but whenever I can - Ah yeah.... Like velvet and the finish just lasts and lasts.


100 is a big psychological and financial barrier to break - I never have - but if you have bigger balls than me and you really want to push the boat out - Middleton.

I wouldn't have drank as much Scotch, but that something I'm looking to rectify as time goes on. I went all in initially and bought a Laphroaig 10. At first I couldn't get over the sheer peatyness of it. Very distinctive taste. It felt like I was drinking distilled turf. My mind decided it wasn't for me and it went into the press for a while to gather dust. But Laphroaig was the whisky that wouldn't die. Slowly, I found myself having a little bit here and there and it really does grow on you after a while. I actually now most enjoy the aspect of it that I found most repellent in the beginning. That might be some sort of definition of love I guess. I think if you get over the opening shock of -what's this crap? - then you're on your way.

syklops wrote: »

Who is charging 400 for it?

http://www.celticwhiskeyshop.com/jameson-rarest-vintage-reserve?filter_name=jameson%20rarest

Lagavulin 16 is a great whisky. not sure what is costs in Ireland these days.

I found Yellow Spot to be a little disappointing. Midleton similarly disappointing, although smoother than Yellow Spot.
Green Spot, Redbreast and Black Bush are very nice, with Green Spot having the edge, for me.
Bushmills 10 is one of the nicest whiskies on the market, considering the price.
Can't abide any of the Scotch stuff, especially the peaty island distilled varieties.
Each to his own.

Posts deleted. Let's start again. No more mention of poison. Thanks.

tHB

the beer revolu wrote: »

Arghus, do you think Middleton is twice as goodas Yellow Spot?.?

I find it odd that you talk about overrated whiskies and then recommend Middleton.
I think it's a very nice whiskey but way, way overpriced and overrated. And don'tget me started on Barry Crockett Legacy!

I didn't say anywhere in my post that I thought Middleton was twice as good as Yellow Spot.

I did say that I thought Black Bush wasn't, strictly speaking, half good as whiskeys that were twice it's price, but that was mainly to argue in favour of the relative strength of Black Bush. That doesn't mean that I think the comparison of - "this whiskey is twice as good as this other whiskey, because of the price" is valid on every occasion. It can be, sometimes.

I was a bit harsh on Yellow Spot, I think I said it was "not bad". I really should have said: it's a good whiskey. I would have no problem drinking it 90% of the time; but there are other whiskeys that I'd like to drink all the time. I just find that Yellow Spot is one of the whiskeys that you always read about in threads like this and it's the only one I've bought- out of any in the similar price range- that I found underwhelming, considering what I heard about it previously. And, in my honest, fallible and, totally subjective opinion makes me think it's a bit overrated.

As for Middleton -Is it overrated? Yeah, probably. It does cost an arm and a leg, but, honestly, I've always really enjoyed drinking it. I think it tastes great. And that's what I've taken away from it every time - That I really like it as a whiskey. Maybe it is overrated, it's definitely overpriced, but I do love it. I most definitely prefer it to Yellow Spot. Is it twice as good? Oh I don't know... maybe..... perhaps. I've enjoyed it more. I'll say that for sure.

I suppose really we just be thankful that there's such variety out there that we can argue about these matters of personal taste.

jackrussell007 wrote: »

so from what i can see from the diverse recommendations, whiskey like anything else i suppose, all down to personal preference.

anyway i went out to O briens offie at the weekend, I was tempted by Teelings single grain and also Redbreast and Greenspot but in the end I went all in and got a bottle of Yellow Spot.

having another sup here, it is lovely, undoubtedly, but so was the bushmills. I'm not sure yellow spot is twice or three times nicer . Maybe I'll get the bushmills 10 next seeing as many of ye recommend it..
anyway. cheers for all the recommendations. I learned a lot reading.
Sláinte

Glad you went with the Yellow Spot tbh. Maybe you might have to develop a palate to distinguish between and appreciate different flavours of various whiskey's. Everybody is different and the more whiskey's you try the more you'll notice the subtle differences. I've even heard from people that they prefer Green Spot to Yellow Spot even thought it's a cheaper whiskey.

It's not necessarily about the price attached to a particular whiskey but the flavours that compliment your individual palate. Speaking of Bushmills, I think Black Bush is a fantastic whiskey, equal in many respects to a lot of the more expensive niche whiskey's, and it's usually available for only €25 in Tesco, O'Brien's, etc.

Irish whiskey's have inflated in price in recent years as well, what with the increase in demand for Irish whiskey around the world so price isn't necessarily a measure of the quality.

I'm tempted to whet my whistle with a dram of Yellow Spot what with all this whiskey talk.

limnam wrote: »

or maybe for now don't open the bottle with any sort of expectations, just sit back and enjoy it. maybe buy a few cheap bottles in lidl and aldi and get a taste for it then move on to paddy/jameson etc find a cheaper way to the type of whiskeys you enjoy the most.

id disagree with this a little. Im in no way an expert, but even as a novice i can easily taste the difference between standard stuff in an optic in a bar, and a nice bottle like green spot or jameson black barrell.

Some of the cheaper stuff isnt even particularly nice and could stop someone sticking with it and really getting to know how to enjoy a nice whiskey.

fret_wimp2 wrote: »

id disagree with this a little. Im in no way an expert, but even as a novice i can easily taste the difference between standard stuff in an optic in a bar, and a nice bottle like green spot or jameson black barrell.

Some of the cheaper stuff isnt even particularly nice and could stop someone sticking with it and really getting to know how to enjoy a nice whiskey.

I don't know, plain Jameson is one of the nicest whiskeys I've ever tasted.
In fact I'm not sure i ever met a bottle of whiskey that didn't have something I liked in it.

It's a cheap way to build up some experience in tasting and builds reference points.

OmegaRed wrote: »

I've been to the Dingle Whisky bar a few times on Nassau St. The Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength is really good! Must pick up a bottle at some point!

Bought my mate a bottle for his 30th. It's nice, certainly nicer than the regular 12, but I'm not sure it's worth the money unless you can get it duty free. The 15 better value fur that kind PhD money in my opinion.

Next time you're going through Dublin airport, grab yourself a bottle of Irishman Founders reserve. About 19 duty free and think it was about 30 duty paid. Was delicious.