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

odyssey06 · 28-04-2025 03:36PM

Documentary on BBC2 tonight at 9pm… Hunting The Whisky Bandits:

Reporter Sam Poling investigates the fraudsters lurking in the shadows of Scotland's £7billion whisky industry, going undercover to learn more about crime's latest money-spinner - cask whisky investment.

odyssey06 · 29-04-2025 03:31PM

The documentary was tough viewing, seeing people done for their life savings as conmen take advantage of the lack of documented ownership of casks. Hopefully justice catches up with them.

Back to the whisky, watching the documentary I had a sample dram of this:

Longrow – Peated Campbeltown Single Malt 46%

Just the right amount of peat for me, though seems like it is hard to come by now.

https://www.celticwhiskeyshop.com/longrow-peated-single-malt

JMcL · 29-04-2025 04:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123386057#Comment_123386057

It's good value for what it is and an easy sipper, I saw it in Carrefour last week for around €38, but I still have a third of a bottle left over from last year so didn't indulge. I did buy a bottle of Fondaudège peated which I'm looking forward to trying. I had a bottle of their regular unpeated offering last year which went down very easily on the camping trip.

DARK-KNIGHT · 29-04-2025 09:41PM

For health reasons I have decided to give up whiskey drinking folks

Have some bottles I would like to do a share of have a rb27 batch 4 and some other nice bottles to share

Is there a site to share these?

Electric Nitwit · 29-04-2025 10:15PM

Sorry to hear that DK, enjoyed your input here, but fair play to you for doing it. Best of luck

(No idea on the shares, I'm afraid)

DARK-KNIGHT · 29-04-2025 10:19PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123402683#Comment_123402683

I was diagnosed type 2 diabetes and put on meds

Whiskey doesn't taste the same since and tbh I have decided to put health first for the moment

I may return to having a few whiskeys in the future but at the moment I'm prioritising health

CardBordWindow · 02-05-2025 10:52AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123402496#Comment_123402496

There is a facebook page IWS 3.0 for Irish Whiskey Samples. Payment through Revolut. I've gotten some samples from there with no hassle.

Citizen Six · 05-05-2025 05:09PM

Fercullen Single Malt in O’Briens for €45 at the moment.

Muppet Man · 05-05-2025 05:15PM

I cracked open a bottle of yellow spot at the weekend. I had forgotten how smooth and drinkable it was. I’m no whiskey expert… what other equivalent smooth whiskeys would ye recommend?

Citizen Six · 05-05-2025 06:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123420218#Comment_123420218

Fercullen Single Malt. 😀

Electric Nitwit · 05-05-2025 07:28PM

I'd describe Redbreast at very smooth.

That said, I once drank it straight after MVR and it tasted rough in comparison 🤣

I don't think MVR is worth the price at all, but it's undeniably an incredibly nice, smooth drop

odyssey06 · 05-05-2025 07:43PM

If smoothness is key might be time to try some cognacs.

Black Sheep · 07-05-2025 02:06PM

I take 'smooth' as shorthand for someone liking a whisky, but not having a way of articulating specifically what it is they like.

Because people will describe such a huge variety of whiskies as 'smooth'. Bourbon finishes, sherry finishes, pot still, malt, double distilled, triple distilled… There'll be someone in the audience to call it 'smooth', if they liked it. Some of the recommendations above kind of bear out this point, because you've got at least one suggestion that is not very similar to Yellow Spot at all..

Yellow Spot is a pot still whisky with a bourbon, sherry and ex-Malaga wine cask finish. To me, it's got a bourbony, tropical finish. Quite a lot going on there! So, potentially you could recommend a pot still follow-on… Or go deeper into a sherry or wine finish… Or even recommend a sweet bourbon or US whisky.

I guess I suspect that you'd need to drill down past 'smooth' to obtain a useful sense of what the person actually liked about the whisky.

Anyway, my suggestion for Muppet Man might be to explore the rest of the Spot family, if you haven't already.

cloudatlas · 20-05-2025 02:34PM

I live in the uk now but I like to check in now and again. What whiskies are good staples or blowing your mind right now?

mik_da_man · 20-05-2025 05:10PM

Staples in my house are Green Spot and Redbreast 12 Cask strength.

New ones I am enjoying are the Celtic Whiskey Shop Exclusive Teeling Pot Still and Barts blend from Lough Ree

Lester_Burnham · 20-05-2025 05:33PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123467868#Comment_123467868

Staples for me are John's Lane, Bunnahabhainn 12 and Ardbeg 10. I don't drink a lot so quality over quantity.

Off the wall discovery lately was Two Stacks Fruit Drops - it shouldn't work but it probably does.

kuang1 · 21-05-2025 02:34AM

Dingle single malt for me. Unreal what they're doing with the solera system there.

When you compare that with the fercullen single malt for instance, same price,... It's different league.

Also am unashamed to admit: tried "flatley" (5 year old) recently... Very, very enjoyable!

Hodors Appletart · 21-05-2025 08:55AM

I'm meeting up with a couple of lads on Saturday, about twice a year we get together and bring a couple of bottles of Whisk(e)y, usually scotch.

These lads are Dutch, and I don't think have had much Irish. I'm going to bring my bottle of Green Spot and my Nikka From The Barrel. Can't wait to see what they bring.

In anticipation, I had a small dram of the Nikka the other night. It's such a nice whisky, has shades of a funky Jamaican Rum, and really reminded me of the bottle Appleton's 12 I have in the press.

Tech_Head · 21-05-2025 09:49AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123469785#Comment_123469785

There’s just something about Nikka from the Barrel. I don’t drink it often but always have a bottle on hand.

EagererBeaver · 21-05-2025 09:53AM

Same. It's a lovely whiskey that's great to have on hand. Pity about the 500ml bottle!

Black Sheep · 21-05-2025 11:34AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123467868#Comment_123467868

All the Boann range

Ferncullen Single Malt

All the Shortcross range

Killowen rum and raisin is a bit of a modern classic, imo

The Silkie blends continue to impress

Black Sheep · 21-05-2025 02:30PM

Continuing on from the above…

In Irish I would possibly also add JJ Corry, I think The Gael is a near perfect upper-end 'blended Irish'.

There's a huge world of European whiskies that I've been impressed with in recent years, but if I limit it to one country that I've drank a decent amount of product from.. I'll mention Kyro and Teerenpeli whisky from Finland, both gorgeous and 'different' to Scottish, Irish and American whisky outputs.

Not drinking any US bourbon or whisky at the moment, I feel like I just need to support Irish and EU producers as much as I can. If I were drinking US stuff it would probably be Buffalo Trace as a high street bourbon. Maybe Elijah Craig and Eagle Rare. Any higher ABV bourbon can satisfy that chewiness they do particularly well and that is hard to imitate.

In Scottish, I am of the firm view that the best value out there right now is from independent bottlers. After that its a matter of preference, such a rich landscape.

odyssey06 · 21-05-2025 02:34PM

I really enjoyed this, might appeal to fans of JJ Corry The Gael, citrus flavours to the fore.

Lough Ree "The Bridge" - Portanure
9 Y.O. Single Malt distilled in Bushmills, 46% ABV Limited Edition 288 Bottles

https://www.celticwhiskeyshop.com/the-bridge-portanure

Citizen Six · 21-05-2025 02:35PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123469581#Comment_123469581

It's been a while since I've tried Dingle's stand single malt. Is it really that much better than the Fercullen? I tried to get it in O'Briens this week, but the sale had ended. €45 is a great price for the Fercullen one.

Had a ten year old single malt from Dingle last weekend, that was really superb.

odyssey06 · 21-05-2025 02:37PM

And also from Dingle, I really enjoyed the Wheel of the Year concept and bottlings.

The last one was one of the best:
Matured in former Bourbon casks with a Muscatel cask finish, Dingle Lá an Dreoilín Single Pot Still

https://shop.dingledistillery.ie/dingle-whiskey/dingle-la-an-dreoilin-single-pot-still/

Citizen Six · 21-05-2025 02:42PM

I had the Earraigh as well, but didn't want to try them all. First Whiskey Live where I was able to control my impulse to try everything. 🤣

Black Sheep · 21-05-2025 03:13PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123470954#Comment_123470954

I think the Dingle Single Malt and Ferncullen Single Malt is an awkward comparison to make…

I understand the urge, as they're both young core releases, and similar ABV, but aside from that, they're not very similar whiskies.

The Ferncullen is just matured in ex Bourbon barrels, whereas the Dingle is a 61% / 39% split between ex PX and ex Bourbon.

In terms of comparison, the difference plays out as you would expect — the Ferncullen is a bit simpler and more savoury. You get what you'd expect - orchard fruits, a bit of brown sugar and a grassiness that is partly the youth of the spirit (but not into metallic, unpleasant territory).

Which is "better"? Totally subjective, but for what it's worth I've gone off drinking PX influenced whiskies except when I really feel like it. Most of the time, I actually feel like something relatively plain, and the Ferncullen single malt ticks that box for me at the moment.

Lester_Burnham · 21-05-2025 05:38PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123470938#Comment_123470938

I've had the Kyro quite a few times and really like it. Very different.

EagererBeaver · 21-05-2025 09:23PM

A friend worked for a whiskey cask investment firm that has gone to the wall/been run into the ground and very kindly got me a bottle of Teaninich 7yo on her way out the door. Lovely drop.

odyssey06 · 23-05-2025 06:19PM

Lambay to launch a micro distillery on the island. Previously they had just been aging sourced product there.

https://www.thetaste.ie/lambay-whiskey-opens-first-of-its-kind-off-grid-island-micro-distillery

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

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