There is something wonderful about a glass of Laphroaig on a winters evening!

gandalf

Just sitting here relaxing with a Glencairn glass filled with one of my favourite tipples Laphroaig 10 year old peated malt whisky. What drink do you like to kick back and relax with during these dark cold nights?

irish_goat

Bought some ice trays today (not a big deal I know) but thought it was a good an excuse as any to have a wee baileys with the flatmates.

Mr Magnolia

A 15yo Laphroaig actually mainly at the moment.

twerg_85

Tasted the 18 yr old once and it was magnificent. Got the quarter cask at home.
I really like Powers 12 but Redbreast has to be one of the world's best - at least value wise?

Brockagh

I like Lagavulin 16 on these kind of nights, in front of a fire. One of the greatest single malts in the world.

emmet the rover

a large Glenmorainge orignail

the word is aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh

redlead

I'm a huge fan of Laphraoig. I currently have the quarter cask but have also had the 10, 15 & 18 yo's. I have to say, you can't beat the 10 yo. It just has the perfect peatiness for me and that medicinal quality no other Islay seems to have.

It's nice to mix it up though. You should give Ardbeg 10 and the Laguvulin 16 a go if you haven't tried them. I'm trying to build up the courage to get a Connamara Turf Mór but it is very expensive considering the Islays you can get for the same money. I can only testify for the standard Connamara which is a very nice whiskey.

gandalf

redlead wrote: »

I can only testify for the standard Connamara which is a very nice whiskey.

Try the cask strenght it is a very nice dram! Also have a bottle of Writers Tears here which is a nice pot still (although Red Breast is the king of Pot Stills!)

redlead

gandalf wrote: »

redlead wrote: »

I can only testify for the standard Connamara which is a very nice whiskey.

Try the cask strenght it is a very nice dram! Also have a bottle of Writers Tears here which is a nice pot still (although Red Breast is the king of Pot Stills!)

much to my detriment I just don't like pot stills. I get a taste of airfix glue from the redbreast 12 my dad drinks. That's just me though. I've always been an islay man but my tastes are developing all the time. I find I'm drinking non peated whiskeys more and more. Pot still is an acquired taste I would imagine though.

Brockagh

gandalf wrote: »

Try the cask strenght it is a very nice dram! Also have a bottle of Writers Tears here which is a nice pot still (although Red Breast is the king of Pot Stills!)

I think Writers' Tears is a blend, rather than a pot still, although it does contain pot still whiskey, along with malt. Unique these days, in that respect.

johnnyskeleton

Might throw in caol ila which is to my mind becoming more and more like lagavulin 16.

Or talisker if you want a peaty non islay

Brockagh

They're very expensive, mind, but if you ever get a chance to try an old Brora, they're fantastic.

The Bowmores are becoming great again, the younger ones, that is. You can get a Bowmore 25 in the Celtic Whiskey Shop for 165 euro, which is very good value. My favourite whisky ever was a 1964 Bowmore that I had at the distillery.

Or the Clynelish from the 1970s is superb.

The old Ardbeg 10, made pre-LVMH, is just brilliant.

And, of course, Highland Park is rarely bad. There was a 21 yr old make for duty free at cask strength that was superb.

Springbank produce a wonderful peated malt called Longrow. There are many different bottlings of it.

Bruichladdich do Octomore. Some really good ones. And Bunnahabhain are making some heavily peated stuff now too. I actually own a cask of it. Waiting for it to mature.

Connemara, in my opinion, is best at cask strength. Some great single cask versions.

Personally, I'm a huge fan of single pot still. My favourite whiskey. And the John's Lane, Barry Crockett and Redbreast cask strength are world-beaters.

There's also great Japanese whisky and American whiskey. Too much good whisky to mention them all.

Brockagh

Oh, and you can pick up a Talisker 25 for around 100 euro these days too.

redlead

Brockagh wrote: »

They're very expensive, mind, but if you ever get a chance to try an old Brora, they're fantastic.

The Bowmores are becoming great again, the younger ones, that is. You can get a Bowmore 25 in the Celtic Whiskey Shop for 165 euro, which is very good value. My favourite whisky ever was a 1964 Bowmore that I had at the distillery.

Or the Clynelish from the 1970s is superb.

The old Ardbeg 10, made pre-LVMH, is just brilliant.

And, of course, Highland Park is rarely bad. There was a 21 yr old make for duty free at cask strength that was superb.

Springbank produce a wonderful peated malt called Longrow. There are many different bottlings of it.

Bruichladdich do Octomore. Some really good ones. And Bunnahabhain are making some heavily peated stuff now too. I actually own a cask of it. Waiting for it to mature.

Connemara, in my opinion, is best at cask strength. Some great single cask versions.

Personally, I'm a huge fan of single pot still. My favourite whiskey. And the John's Lane, Barry Crockett and Redbreast cask strength are world-beaters.

There's also great Japanese whisky and American whiskey. Too much good whisky to mention them all.

well all I can say is I am extremely jealous of you haha. I'm not working off the same budget unfortunatly. Maybe in a few years hopefully :-)

gandalf

Brockagh wrote: »

I think Writers' Tears is a blend, rather than a pot still, although it does contain pot still whiskey, along with malt. Unique these days, in that respect.

Looking at the packaging here and it says Pot Still all over it and no mention of it being a blend or having any malt.

(in fact you have tempted me to take a glass before bed LOL!)

Brockagh

It's a blend of Midleton pot still whiskey and Bushmills malt. At least I'm pretty sure it's Bushmills malt. Very nice it is too. I don't believe there's any grain whiskey in it, though.

There's a cask strength version too, which is supposed to be very nice.

gandalf

Brockagh wrote: »

It's a blend of Midleton pot still whiskey and Bushmills malt. At least I'm pretty sure it's Bushmills malt. Very nice it is too. I don't believe there's any grain whiskey in it, though.

Yep it is a blend alright. The Whisky Bible says so as well

There's a cask strength version too, which is supposed to be very nice.

Its another to add to the ever expanding list of ones to try!!

johnnyskeleton

Oh, and you can pick up a Talisker 25 for around 100 euro these days too.

Where would one do that?

gandalf wrote: »

Brockage wrote:

There's a cask strength version too, which is supposed to be very nice.

Its another to add to the ever expanding list of ones to try!!

I found the cask strength to be dissappointing relative to the standard bottling, not quite sure why but the flavour was fairly weak and even with little water it didn't taste quite like a cask strength.

Didn't stop me buying a bottle for keeping though, if only for the two Writers Tears Glencairns.

Apparently a much nicer cask strength is the Irishman cask strength. Slightly cheaper, but without the glasses:

http://www.celticwhiskeyshop.com/Irishman_Cask_Strength_Irish_Whsikey-z-product-product-127-context-search_results-page-1.htm

Brockagh

You can get it on www.whiskysite.nl for about 100 euro. I think it may have gone back up slightly to 110, but still a good price. Obviously there's shipping too. I bought the 2006, which was really nice.

Some of the best value for older whiskies is the Gordon & MacPhail Strathislas and Longmorns...

Brockagh

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Where would one do that?

http://www.whiskysite.nl/vmchk/Talisker/Talisker-25-years-old-2005
€100 now.

Sarky

<3 Laphraoig! That or Bowmore cask strength or a Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban would be my favourite choices for keeping warm and cosy on a cold winter night.

checkyabadself

Im new enough to whisk(e)y drinking but am learning collecting and tasting for about 2 years now. I'm a big fan of pot still and some of the smoother whiskies but last Friday I was at my other halves Christmas party and amongst the few new whiskies i tried Laphroaig 10 was one of them.
I found it to be really like nothing I'd ever tried and really had a deep peat smoke smell. I enjoyed it though and am keen to explore Islay malts some more.

Personally Redbreast 12 or Bushmills 16 would be my 'ol reliables at the moment, though I'm sure that'll change as I make my way through Jim Murrays bible.

Sarky

I was in a London pub over the weekend, I paid for one glass of Laphraoig and the really lovely owners refilled it for free all night, until about 3 hours after they kicked everyone else out.

Awesome night.

BeerNut

Sarky wrote: »

the really lovely owners refilled it for free all night

Best-before date was probably up.

Sarky

There were a fair few free pints and packs of hula hoops too. You're just jealous :pac:

pog it

Brockagh wrote: »

http://www.whiskysite.nl/vmchk/Talisker/Talisker-25-years-old-2005
€100 now.

Tried a Talisker last week for the first time and it was just a perfect experience.

It says it's a release from 2005? What's the significance of that?

Brockagh

pog it wrote: »

Tried a Talisker last week for the first time and it was just a perfect experience.

It says it's a release from 2005? What's the significance of that?

The release batches every year, so each batch will be different. I have never tasted the 2005 batch, but they're all generally good. I've had the 2006 after it was recommended to me as a good batch and it's one of my favourite whiskies.

Morf

I've just bought my father a bottle of Bunnahabhain Toiteach for Christmas. As a non-drinker I have to enjoy whiskeys vicariously through him.

Any thoughts on it? I'd thought about the Lagavulin 16 but I'd been recommended to get a bottle of Bunnahabhain for him.

It'll go nicely with his Glenfiddich 12, 18 and Highland Park 15 i hope.

Brockagh

Morf wrote: »

I've just bought my father a bottle of Bunnahabhain Toiteach for Christmas. As a non-drinker I have to enjoy whiskeys vicariously through him.

Any thoughts on it? I'd thought about the Lagavulin 16 but I'd been recommended to get a bottle of Bunnahabhain for him.

It'll go nicely with his Glenfiddich 12, 18 and Highland Park 15 i hope.

Bunnahabhain is one of my favourite distilleries. This one is a smokey Bunnahabhain. The distillery usually produces whiskies at the lower end of the smoke scale, unlike some of the others on Islay, but in recent years have been experimenting with more peaty stuff.

I've actually never tasted this one, although I own shares in a cask of their peaty stuff. I think it's well regarded.

gandalf

You know what is better than a glass of Laphroaig, its a glass of 18yr old Laphroaig that missus brought back from France last week. She picked it up in a Supermarket (probably Carrefour or Cora) for €55. I have trained her well

johnnyskeleton

gandalf wrote: »

You know what is better than a glass of Laphroaig, its a glass of 18yr old Laphroaig that missus brought back from France last week. She picked it up in a Supermarket (probably Carrefour or Cora) for €55. I have trained her well

How about 2 glasses of it?

_blank_

Mmmm, stuck a large one in a glass after sticking up the tree yesterday.

johnnyskeleton

Des wrote: »

Mmmm, stuck a large one in a glass after sticking up the tree yesterday.

I read that wrongly!