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What Whisky/Whiskey are we drinking this month?

artanevilla

I know there's a thread on recommending Whiskeys/Whiskys but there's none on general tasting as far as I can see.

Similar premise to the beer thread, but we'll say month instead of week as drinking a €50/60 bottle of Whiskey/Whisky a week is probably not a good idea...

I picked up a bottle of The Glenlivet Master Distillers Reserve on my travels recently. No age statement.

Not the most complex Whisky in the world. It's quite nice though, smooth and fruity, very strong taste of pears, and a tiny bit of spice. Drank with a splash of water.

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Cazale

I got 120 bottles of 2021. All going on auction sites and I'm gonna invest the profit in gamestop shares.

Hogzy

Cazale wrote: »

I got 120 bottles of 2021. All going on auction sites and I'm gonna invest the profit in gamestop shares.

Stocks only go up! Or so im told.

ZV Yoda

First thing I have to say is that I struggled to tell them apart on the nose. None were particularly special to me.

I really don’t understand where people get these nose tasting notes from.... fresh cut grass, toast, herring?

Taste-wise, there’s a clear similarity in styles. Oily, creamy, fruity & sweet. They were all smooth and easy to drink.

2015 didn’t really grab me. Quite bland really
2016 was my favourite. A strong, warm vanilla flavour.
2017 reminded me of cream soda.
2018 was similar to 2015. Nothing particularly remarkable about it. I have a bottle of 2018, and was disappointed when I first tasted it. I’ve had it for over an year and in that time I’ve probably only had 3 glasses. Which says it all really.

Interesting that there wasn’t much love for the 2015.

Overall, it was an informative tasting. No waffle or boring war stories. I really enjoyed learning about the history and the process of choosing specific casks, then whittling them down. Also good to understand how they tweak the split of pot still and single grain, and the use of first vs 2nd fill casks.

Midleton is aged in what he initially called “bourbon casks”, but then corrected that to “American whiskey casks” because Jack Daniels is one of the casks they use. Along with bourbon like Wild Turkey and Makers Mark

I hadn’t heard about whiskey legs / tears. It makes perfect sense really when you see how these oily whiskeys drip down the sides of the glass.

My overall takeaway is that, while it’s undoubtedly a nice whiskey, for me, the reality doesn’t live up to the myth.

For comparison purposes, I tasted them alongside Redbreast 21 and Bushmills 21. I’d have either of them over any of the Midletons, but the Bushmills was head and shoulders above them all.

When the recording finished, the next video that came up on YouTube was the Redbreast tasting from last week. Raging I missed that one!

newbie runner

Sipping a Yellow Spot again tonight.It's become my favourite Friday night dram of late.

mikeecho

ZV Yoda wrote: »

First thing I have to say is that I struggled to tell them apart on the nose. None were particularly special to me.

I really don’t understand where people get these nose tasting notes from.... fresh cut grass, toast, herring?

Taste-wise, there’s a clear similarity in styles. Oily, creamy, fruity & sweet. They were all smooth and easy to drink.

2015 didn’t really grab me. Quite bland really
2016 was my favourite. A strong, warm vanilla flavour.
2017 reminded me of cream soda.
2018 was similar to 2015. Nothing particularly remarkable about it. I have a bottle of 2018, and was disappointed when I first tasted it. I’ve had it for over an year and in that time I’ve probably only had 3 glasses. Which says it all really.

Interesting that there wasn’t much love for the 2015.

.......,

2016 was a particular favourite of mine.

Luckily I managed to nab a few MVR '21 's today.

I found it harder/more work, to get than the '20 or the last two dream casks.

Anyway, panic over, collection intact.

Edit:. I look forward to cracking open one of my MVR '21's

KnicksInSix

I work in DFAT attaché and we buy a good few MVR to dole out. Last year we had awful trouble sourcing any, one case was received in the end I think. No hassle this year, getting a delivery next week. Personally I wouldn't rate it at all but I'm a very mediocre whiskey aficionado

Knightofcydonia

Absolute whiskey novice here but was gifted a bottle of Blue spot. I've been gradually developing a taste for whiskey over the last few months... Trying to find what works for me, with or without ice, with or without water or just straight from the bottle. My whiskey tasting is very limited in scope but I do know the blue spot is the nicest I've tried so far. I'd welcome any recommendations for a novice to expand his whiskey journey!

Polar101

Knightofcydonia wrote: »

Absolute whiskey novice here but was gifted a bottle of Blue spot. I've been gradually developing a taste for whiskey over the last few months... Trying to find what works for me, with or without ice, with or without water or just straight from the bottle. My whiskey tasting is very limited in scope but I do know the blue spot is the nicest I've tried so far. I'd welcome any recommendations for a novice to expand his whiskey journey!

I'm quite ignorant when it comes to whiskey (except that I like to drink it), but what I've found is that when you find something you like, read a bit about it, and next time maybe try something similar. And something similar to that the next time. That way you'll get to "branch out" to different whiskeys, while enjoying the journey.

FileNotFound

Knightofcydonia wrote: »

Absolute whiskey novice here but was gifted a bottle of Blue spot. I've been gradually developing a taste for whiskey over the last few months... Trying to find what works for me, with or without ice, with or without water or just straight from the bottle. My whiskey tasting is very limited in scope but I do know the blue spot is the nicest I've tried so far. I'd welcome any recommendations for a novice to expand his whiskey journey!

Get a green spot and a red breast 12 and judge everything from there.

Best advice I can think of. Premium drinks at relatively decent prices.

Leave the more expensive stuff until you've worked on this for a bit.

Whiskey is all personal taste but I'd say most would agree the 2 above are a good base for any palate.

FileNotFound

I heard that there is plenty of mvr 2021 in Middleton, they plan a May and October release of it.

Missed out today but not overly fussed.

2016 was the best I've had by a long way and for cost RB 21 has been better than most.

If it shows I'll grab a bottle. Local off licences mentioned some dirty goujers in buying half the stock. Hope the resell market is a bust for them.

Might get a Bushmills 21 instead.

newbie runner

FileNotFound wrote: »

Get a green spot and a red breast 12 and judge everything from there.

Best advice I can think of. Premium drinks at relatively decent prices.

Leave the more expensive stuff until you've worked on this for a bit.

Whiskey is all personal taste but I'd say most would agree the 2 above are a good base for any palate.

Would agree totally regarding starting with the Green spot ,and other pot stills if that suits your palate now,but after a few weeks don't be put off pushing the boat out to an Islay Single Malt,or a Waterford Single Malt,or whatever you find at a goid price.I really enjoyed my whiskey journey which started about 2 years ago by buying various blends,single malts at reasonable prices and am taking it from there.

Sometimes, trying a far out whiskey can bring happiness (as I found with an Amrut and Kilkerran recently.

_CreeD_

My current favourites are Black Barrell and Green Spot. Trying some Knappogue Castle 16 now, not bad as it has a little bite but not enough to become a favourite I think, though enough distinction to make it memorable - A little smokey for an Irish but it's mild. That's in a Vaild glass that tends to take the bite off and add some sweetnes to everything in it.

Electric Nitwit

Knightofcydonia wrote: »

Absolute whiskey novice here but was gifted a bottle of Blue spot. I've been gradually developing a taste for whiskey over the last few months... Trying to find what works for me, with or without ice, with or without water or just straight from the bottle. My whiskey tasting is very limited in scope but I do know the blue spot is the nicest I've tried so far. I'd welcome any recommendations for a novice to expand his whiskey journey!

A great way to start is with samples. This set gets a lot of love here, Dunnes have had it cheaper but its about €40 delivered direct from Jameson (note that the Barry Crockett legacy is about €250 a bottle, so don't fall in love too quickly!)
SPS_fampack_1000x.png?v=1574831172

Or Drinks Hero sell a good few. They just open bottles and pour into sample sizes

Electric Nitwit

_CreeD_ wrote: »

That's in a Vaild glass that tends to take the bite off and add some sweetnes to everything in it.

Just on this last point - what's the general opinion on glasses? Do they make a big difference? If so, which are best?

I've never invested in proper ones but have been gifted a few whiskey tumblers (and acquired a couple from pubs) but I'm not sure I've ever noticed much of a difference. I've never paid much attention though. Should I invest in some good ones?

athlone573

Electric Nitwit wrote: »

Just on this last point - what's the general opinion on glasses? Do they make a big difference? If so, which are best?

I've never invested in proper ones but have been gifted a few whiskey tumblers (and acquired a couple from pubs) but I'm not sure I've ever noticed much of a difference. I've never paid much attention though. Should I invest in some good ones?

You can get specialist glasses e.g. [url] https://www.celticwhiskeyshop.com/Túath-Whiskey-Glass-Plain-Boxed[/url] which retain the vapours. But I think any traditional tumbler will be fine. Thick base to keep it cool after you add an ice cube or two.

Electric Nitwit

athlone573 wrote: »

...add an ice cube or two.

I had looked at those túath glasses before, and I like the story, but wondered if they actually make that much difference to the drinking experience

athlone573

Polar101 wrote: »

I'm quite ignorant when it comes to whiskey (except that I like to drink it), but what I've found is that when you find something you like, read a bit about it, and next time maybe try something similar. And something similar to that the next time. That way you'll get to "branch out" to different whiskeys, while enjoying the journey.

Wetherspoons mightnt be the best pub in terms of ambience but they do have a diverse range of whiskies including a few Scotch

Celtic Whiskey Shop also have tastings if you wander in off the street

Generally what you'll find with the main brands Jameson Powers etc is that they have a house style but as you move up through the years 7 12 16 etc they get more refined. So whatever comes after blue if you like blue spot.

BonnieSituation

_CreeD_ wrote: »

My current favourites are Black Barrell and Green Spot. Trying some Knappogue Castle 16 now, not bad as it has a little bite but not enough to become a favourite I think, though enough distinction to make it memorable - A little smokey for an Irish but it's mild. That's in a Vaild glass that tends to take the bite off and add some sweetnes to everything in it.

The Knappogue 14 was the best of that 12/14/16 selection.

They had a small sample boxset as well that's worth getting.

The Midleton pot still collection is a no-brainer though. Do not do them in one sitting. You'll learn nothing as they'll all overpower each other.

ZV Yoda

Electric Nitwit wrote: »

I had looked at those túath glasses before, and I like the story, but wondered if they actually make that much difference to the drinking experience

Same here, although the “inspired by the Skelligs” marketing guff put me off in the end.

I have a couple of similar shaped glasses that I got during a distillery visit in Scotland a while back. I’ve only used them a couple of times. I think they’re supposed to improve the “nosing” experience, but I’m not convinced. Also, they’re on the small side. I generally use a big tumbler. That way, my healthy measures don’t look quite so generous!

On the ice / no ice debate, it’s been trial & error for me. I always have it with Roe & Co, Caskmates, Johnnie Walker Black and bourbon. I’d rarely have ice in anything else, although the odd time, I’d pop in a cube with RB12.

Speaking of bourbon, I hadn’t really tried much up to last year. I got some suggestions in here. Since then, I’ve tried Buffalo Trace, Bulleit, and Makers Mark. The only of those I’d buy again is MM, which is actually very nice. I much prefer it to JD (I know it’s not technically bourbon).

Electric Nitwit

ZV Yoda wrote: »

I have a couple of similar shaped glasses that I got during a distillery visit in Scotland a while back. I’ve only used them a couple of times. I think they’re supposed to improve the “nosing” experience, but I’m not convinced. Also, they’re on the small side. I generally use a big tumbler. That way, my healthy measures don’t look quite so generous!

I gave up on those sample glasses for that exact reason

Shame, as they were a nice memento of a great Islay trip, but I felt like I was in lilliput!

athlone573

ZV Yoda wrote: »

...

Speaking of bourbon, I hadn’t really tried much up to last year. I got some suggestions in here. Since then, I’ve tried Buffalo Trace, Bulleit, and Makers Mark. The only of those I’d buy again is MM, which is actually very nice. I much prefer it to JD (I know it’s not technically bourbon).

Buffalo Trace is nice but not special
Knob Creek is worth trying if you can find it

I'm partial to JD and Coke occasionally, sometimes rough is what's needed.

ZV Yoda

Electric Nitwit wrote: »

I gave up on those sample glasses for that exact reason
Shame, as they were a nice memento of a great Islay trip, but I felt like I was in lilliput!

Lilliput - he he he.

Post of the day!

the beer revolu

Electric Nitwit wrote: »

Just on this last point - what's the general opinion on glasses? Do they make a big difference? If so, which are best?

I've never invested in proper ones but have been gifted a few whiskey tumblers (and acquired a couple from pubs) but I'm not sure I've ever noticed much of a difference. I've never paid much attention though. Should I invest in some good ones?

Huge difference, in my experience.
I'm sure you have wine glasses at home. Try one next to a tumbler. Do you have a cognac glass? Try that.

Try what different shaped glasses you have and see if you notice a difference.

I find tumblers do absolutely nothing for a whisky. I hate them and never use them for spirits.
In a bar, I'll usually ask for a cognac glass - if that shape works for brandy, why not whiskey?

At home, I'll usually use a stemmed malt tasting glass, a cognac balloon (small) or a glencairn.

Those tuah glasses are OK but I think they are a bit overdesigned and silly.

I, typically, use the same glasses for any spirits drunk neat or with a drop of water. Why wouldn't I?

Once in my local, a few of us did a test of a few different glass shapes and everyone was amazing at how differently each glass effected the experience.

Tumblers suck, did I mention that?

FileNotFound

Have a couple of the tasting glasses (glencairn) - Waterford crystal yokes - missus got me a few years back.

I prefer drinking from them to a tumbler, in my head at least it has an impact, must sit down and really test it some day.

Don't like ice in whiskey, a few drops of water in certain ones, but most drank neat. Wouldn't really be able to use ice in the glasses I got.

They do look good though haha.

odyssey06

Electric Nitwit wrote: »

I gave up on those sample glasses for that exact reason
Shame, as they were a nice memento of a great Islay trip, but I felt like I was in lilliput!

I use them for the tasting nights with L Mulligans etc with the small samples.
Otherwise the samples are lost in a tumbler!

Cazale

I have 40+ glasses that I've acquired over the years from various sources. The glencairn is the standard but my two favourites for tasting are the dartington and the teeling nosing glass.

https://www.johnlewis.com/dartington-crystal-just-the-one-whisky-experience-glass-tumbler-260ml-clear/p3645185

https://teelingdistillery.com/product/nosing-glass/

Aesthetically my favourite in the collection are the redbreast glasses below.

https://whiskyauctioneer.com/lot/172210/redbreast-32-year-old-dream-cask-50cl-including-3-x-glass

killbillvol2

I like that Teeling nosing glass too but I also use an old favourite Waterford crystal tumbler. I always warm the glass a little too so ice is sacrilege!

Some Highland Park 12 last night, it really is a beauty. Followed by its older brother, the 18, a real treat. I'd much prefer to spend the money on that than the MVR. It might make sense to a collector but it's impossible to justify value wise given the alternatives.

Cazale

FileNotFound wrote:

Might get a Bushmills 21 instead.

Great shout. One of my favourites and it doesn't get as much love our coverage as it deserves. The cask strength version is stunning. I'd love a bottle of that!

BonnieSituation

Speaking of Tuath glasses:

That's the reward for clearing the shed.

It's a gorgeous drop. Lovely caramel nose. Very short and crisp on the tongue. Might have a new winner in the 50quid range.

Deagol

BonnieSituation wrote: »

Speaking of Tuath glasses:

That's the reward for clearing the shed.

It's a gorgeous drop. Lovely caramel nose. Very short and crisp on the tongue. Might have a new winner in the 50quid range.

Got to agree, mother bought me one for my birthday on recommendation of a shop guy - was very pleasantly surprised - been sipping it as I don't want to run out