What whisk(e)y are we drinking? (Part 2)

the beer revolu

So I got a bottle of the Ardfallen 10yo for me and one for my neighbour.

Well worth the €30, no doubt, but I am left a little underwhelmed by it. It's not exactly exuding character but it is very drinkable. No regrets.

Hotblack Desiato

It's too bloody drinkable 😶

mrm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122928944#Comment_122928944

Yeah, this about sums it up for me too. It does have a delicious taste and is smooth but it is very short lived on the tongue. I drank it side by side with Johns Lane and Blackbarrel and I have had no impulse to seek a second bottle. Palate and nose are above 30euro value; finish is significantly below.

Lester_Burnham

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122930782#Comment_122930782

Well it's not even on the same planet as John's Lane. And for the same money I'd pick Black Barrel over it too.

I had a friend drop in a while ago and I gave him a glass. He's not really a whiskey drinker but he liked it. Smooth was the word he used. I won't be giving him John's Lane to compare :)

mrm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122930874#Comment_122930874

Oh do. Convert him to a full on whiskey drinker! Let him stay in his John Lane.

I agree, Black barrel for 26/ 28 this week is a better buy than the Ardfallen.

Buddy97mm

Really enjoying the Ardfallen tonight, whilst watching the Toy Show. Very, very , easy drinker, goes down so easily. Can see why maybe not the most complex, but would certainly buy again.

Hotblack Desiato

I'm really not sure based on some of the above posts what people expect from a 30 euro whiskey - it seems they're disappointed it's not as good as a 50 or 60 euro whiskey. Well duh.

Lester_Burnham

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122932435#Comment_122932435

It was compared to Redbreast, Brabazon and Barry Crockett here and people, you included, were talking about buying multiple bottles so pardon me for introducing a note of reality.

I suggested what I would consider better buys in the price range, as did others.

flended12

Dint pay much attention today but there's a green labelled and a black labelled ardfallen in aldi belgard tallght. Plenty of them aswell.

Edit priced at 21 and 24 so not the €30 being discussed above.

Buddy97mm

Really enjoying the Ardfallen 10yo. For me anyway, its a step above the Black Barrel, which I've never fully appreciated.

Went back today to get another bottle, there was none on shelves, but asked at till and they had quite a few bottles. Girl on till "explained" they had no boxes left to put out, hence why it was not on shelves. Anyway, for anyone interested, worth asking at till if no stock visible on shelf.

JMcL

Interview with Mark Reynier about what went wrong in Waterford. Bit of a perfect storm by the sounds of it.

https://www.waterford-news.ie/news/waterford-distillery-founder-talks-of-buy-back-hopes-and-what-went-wrong_arid-40954.html

lawrencesummers

it was inevitable that at least one of the distilleries started in the last few years would go wallop, i just never expected it to be Waterford but when you think of places like Dingle or Killowen or they have nothing near the overheads Waterford have (had)

It must be a very expensive operation down there and very easy to get the balance wrong on building stock versus cash flow.

I wonder who is going to be getting the financial “haircut” if he gets to buy the place back.

Bahanaman

Power's Three Swallow is €25 in SuperValu with their rewards card at the moment and Paddy's Share is Still €25.97. Which would be the better deal? Maybe buy one of each?!☺️

Justin10

Personally I just love three swallows.

Id probably buy it over any other whiskey, and pocket the change.

At 25 euro it's just a no brainer imo

Black Sheep

A cask strength (61.3%) Oloroso Cask from Boann is up on their webshop. 270 bottles, 120 euro, believe it's four years old.

Having enjoyed their core PX cask, I would trust them to have done a good job with this.

Would I spend 120 on it… It's a tough price point, I think you can get a very good PX or Oloroso whisky from other distillers for less. To splurge on this I think you've want to be particularly into Boann. Not crazy pricing, but it's a wee bit punchy for me. I think I'd feel better about it at 100 or 105. The 120 probably tracks, though, for a cask strength in comparison to what they're charging for their core range.

Lester_Burnham

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122948605#Comment_122948605

For that money and a sherry cask I'd see what I could get from the Dunville's lineup.

Black Sheep

I think that's one of the options around the price point, or lower indeed, that you'd have to consider.

In Boann's defence, the distillate in this is their own, versus being sourced from Cooley. I always give a bit of credit for that, especially where the spirit is actually objectively good as it stands, versus needing a qualification like "showing promise" or that it'll certainly be amazing in a few years.

Black Sheep

It sold out anyway!

Lester_Burnham

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122948723#Comment_122948723

I like what Boann are doing and have done. I also give extra credit for transparency. They've always been upfront and it's great to see their own spirit coming to market.

the beer revolu

It's absolutely ridiculous that we only know if a distillery has produced it's own spirit or not if they decide to tell us.

In affect, we have no idea what distillery produced the spirit in any bottle.

I don't understand why we can't have a system similar to Tequila's. Each distillery has a reference number which must be printed on the label. So simple and discreet. If you weren't interested in such things, you wouldn't even notice it. Some bottles would need two distillery numbers, or more, I guess.

Even distilleries with their own aged spirit - how do we know whether what's in the bottle is actually their own stock or a mix of their own and sourced product, or entirely sourced? The fact is, we don't. And there is no obligation to tell us.

I think we're going to see more "shop-front distilleries" where there's a working distillery producing some spirit and providing a visitor experience but where much of the spirit is sourced. There is a real distillery and they do produce their own liquid, so assumptions are made that they produce all their spirit.

There is no transparency.

Electric Nitwit

From the competition thread, a chance to win a fantastic Bushmills Christmas hamper with a selection of gorgeous whiskey-themed gifts...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122949275#Comment_122949275

Citizen Six

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122948514#Comment_122948514

I've never been that impressed with it. I find it's worth about €25, but not much more. Not a whiskey I enjoy neat to be honest.

Justin10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122950704#Comment_122950704

Thankfully we aren't short of choices.

Love the bang of banana off it.

Citizen Six

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122950782#Comment_122950782

You're making me pour one now. 😂

Justin10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122950823#Comment_122950823

Sure I'll do the same 😂

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122943850#Comment_122943850

Hubris

Under-capitalisation (in a business where the rewards take years to develop, duh)

"I hit the jackpot before, I can surely do it again"

I wouldn't lend this lad a tenner.

Black Sheep

The past few years have been a hostile operating environment for all businesses. His observation that the bigger boys were better placed to manage that is fair, but of the smaller operators not everyone has gone to the wall the way Waterford has. He still had agency around his business plan, and decisions made, that landed them where they are. He sort of 'owns it', in that interview, but not really…

Maybe it's kicking them when they're down, but I'll also be frank, and say that I continue to take the view that their distillate was just not good enough. I think that's part of why they are where they are. I know a lot of people who tried different releases early on, and never went back.

Yes, whisky is subjective, and I know people here liked particular releases. Just throwing my few cents in.

CardBordWindow

No mention of his failed rum distillery in Grenada in any of his interviews. Surely pumping 10s of millions into a new rum distillery didn't really help cash flow in Waterford.

Bahanaman

Well through a bottle of the Ardfallen 10 and while it's nice enough, it doesn't seem to suit my taste. I'd say my palate wouldn't be the best anyway! Have a bottle of the Power's Three Swallow ready to go though. Hoping it's as nice as most here seem to think.

2011abc

I’d prefer Paddys Share to Three Swallows even if it wasn’t 97 cents dearer :-) It’s 47% and normally €45 ish