conwyrod
Advisory Board
Autumn on the Conwy
Posts: 4,659
|
Post by conwyrod on Nov 9, 2012 20:01:52 GMT
The festive season seems to result in a few bargain prices for nice malts at the big supermarkets. I'm currently slurping a nice Macallan 10 Year Old / Sherry Oak and thinking about my next purchase. So what do you Scottish experts enjoy and would recommend? This is a list from a newspaper article last year, I'm sure you will think there are some important omissions! The 10 Best Malt whiskies 1. Ardbeg 10 year old £38.80, thewhiskyexchange.com Ardbeg shows exactly what an Islay malt can offer. An elegant texture delivers flavours of cooked apples, orange marmalade, clove and cinnamon, set against smoke and vanilla. 2. Glenrothes Select Reserve £32.24, sainsburys.co.uk Glenrothes is renowned for limited-edition vintages, but this malt is great, too. The palate evolves with gingerbread, toffee, apples and oranges, followed by chocolate and oak. 3. Talisker 10 year old £35, royalmilewhiskies.com Talisker's offering has aromas of smoke that part to reveal a honey and citrus ripeness. On the palate citrus reappears along with crème caramel, dark chocolate and honey. 4. Lagavulin 12 year old £63, thewhiskyexchange.com One of this year's special releases of limited-edition malts from Diageo. The palate opens with vanilla sweetness balanced by lemon freshness, followed by toasty notes and honey. 5. Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban £35.79, morrisons.co.uk This Glenmorangie whisky benefits from a spell in port casks and has a sophisticated but full-bodied character with lots of cherry and dark chocolate flavours. 6. Old Pulteney 17 year old £44.99, fortnumandmason.com This malt hails from Scotland's north-east coast and the sea air notes take you there. The palate follows up with lemon, custard and cooked apples, followed by cream and lemons. 7. Benromach Organic £35.99, booths.co.uk One of the few organic malts to have appeared so far. A fruity, lemon-meringue-pie sweetness leads the palate, while a subtle dryness underlines the flavour. 8. The Macallan Fine Oak 10 year old £32, asda.com An alternative to the Sherry Oak range. Rich, ripe aromas provide a wonderful hors d'oeuvre before a strong, rich fruitiness. 9. Highland Park 12 year old £30, tesco.com This hails from an Orkney distillery established in 1798, so there's a wealth of history behind every bottle. The aromas are a combination of burnt embers with sea air notes. 10. Laphroaig Quarter Cask £32.86, waitrose.com A royal warrant is just one of Laphroaig's many distinctions. Each flavour has its moment in the spotlight here: coconut, stewed fruits, crème brûlée and toasted notes.
|
|
|
Post by stincharlad on Nov 9, 2012 20:21:18 GMT
Conwyrod the best recommendation I have, is for you to book a couple of days at the Dam in Pitlochry in the spring and while there, visit a little shop called Robertson's where you will find a vast array of malts at very keen prices. I take a couple home each time but don't ask me about malts,I much prefer White & Mckay or Grouse, But I use the malts for pressies when asked to shoot or fish
|
|
|
Post by howfordst on Nov 9, 2012 20:49:57 GMT
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2012 21:03:32 GMT
How about to hell with next months mortgage and buy the lot? You know it makes sense.
Sometimes I even amaze myself with good strong rapier sharp financial advice kinda interwoven with a strong sense of 'all over to North Wales for John's Christmas Party'
|
|
conwyrod
Advisory Board
Autumn on the Conwy
Posts: 4,659
|
Post by conwyrod on Nov 9, 2012 21:06:32 GMT
Sounds like a plan! ;D
|
|
|
Post by tweedbunnet on Nov 9, 2012 21:26:46 GMT
conwyrod This is what I am currently drinking www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/product_range/product_range_22884.htmIt is pretty damned fine stuff. Middle of the road taste and quite palatable. Having confessed my cheapskate tendencies, I have to say that Talisker, McCallan, Highland Park and Bowmore are my other favourites. All are even better with a can of McEwan's Export to wash it down or a half and a half as we say in Scotland tb
|
|
dunkeld
Active Member
Tay Springer April 2010
Posts: 2,946
|
Post by dunkeld on Nov 9, 2012 22:06:27 GMT
|
|
conwyrod
Advisory Board
Autumn on the Conwy
Posts: 4,659
|
Post by conwyrod on Nov 9, 2012 22:41:10 GMT
|
|
|
Post by tweedbunnet on Nov 10, 2012 6:40:03 GMT
Good shout. I had a Glenmorangie Port Finish many years ago - quite a nice type of drink indeed. Find the bog standard Glenmorangie not as much to my taste these days. Anyone tried Tesco's own brand single malt? Sometimes, Oddbins do some Whisky of the Month promo's which bring up some interesting brands. This one looks good - my dear old Dad likes it also. And he has some experience in such matters! www.oddbins.com/wine/All_Malts.htmltb
|
|
|
Post by tweedbunnet on Nov 10, 2012 6:42:26 GMT
dunkeld, Got to agree with you on that one. Had a sample last year at a party and very drinkable. tb
|
|
conwyrod
Advisory Board
Autumn on the Conwy
Posts: 4,659
|
Post by conwyrod on Nov 10, 2012 9:17:18 GMT
This is a good site for checking which supermarket has the best offers on..........................put a whisky name (e.g. Macallan) into the search and then click on the particular bottle you want.........................the current prices at the main supermarkets (apart from morrisons) will come up. www.mysupermarket.co.uk/#/Shopping/FindProducts.aspx?Query=laphroaig(This link is set for Tesco, click 'change store' under the Tesco logo to try Asda or another store.
|
|
burnie
Active Member
Posts: 1,181
|
Post by burnie on Nov 10, 2012 9:45:51 GMT
I think I've become a whisky geek, I go into some shops I frequent and the staff send customers to me for advice! It's all a matter of taste,but a good whisky book helps you through the mine field. Advice for malt virgins is to buy miniatures,so there's no waste if you don't like it(get it down you man,puts hairs on your chest,there is an alternative statement for the ladies) Best start with a lowland like Glenkinchie,easily found and excellent taste.Then try a speyside,lots to choose from and Aberlour is on offer at the moment. Highland comes next,fewer around and they come from some very low places for "highlanders"Dalwhinnie is one of my favourites,but Glenmorangie(rhymes with "orangey") is popular. Islands come next with Ledaig from Mull one of the cheapest malts you can buy and not bad either,Talisker and Highland Park for the braver ones amongst you. Cambletown sort of sits between the Islands and Highlands in taste sort of salty, but not too feirce and theres even a peaty one. Finally(although these days there are non peated ones about and peated mainlanders) you get to Islay,described as phenolic,mouthwash and quite a few other unkind descriptions,they are an aquired taste. You can find un peated Islay malts,but I like the peat. I spent a week in most of the Islay distilleries last year,highly recommended, and have to say they are quite superb.Bruichladdich is probably the tamer one to start with before moving to the south of the island where you hit the beasts,quite literally(appologies for spelling)but Ari- nam-bheist really is worth trying to find if you are a peat monster,as is Uigeadail, both from Ardbeg ,though the readily available Laphroiag is my favourite.If you won the lottery last night you might want to try the one I was offered by email from the friends of the classic malts, 32 year old Port Ellen,latest release a snip at £599 a bottle,numbers are limited mind so you can't buy them by the dozen!!
|
|
conwyrod
Advisory Board
Autumn on the Conwy
Posts: 4,659
|
Post by conwyrod on Nov 10, 2012 9:56:29 GMT
Well it's another interest for the winter months Burnie ;D, good tip about the minatures. I've tried Talisker and a Bruichladdich in the past, both very nice and smooth I thought, and a Laphroaig is also on my list for sometime soon. On the hunt for one of these sometime, must admit to liking Jameson: www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/red-breast-12-year-old-whiskey/
|
|
ibm59
Active Member
Posts: 314
|
Post by ibm59 on Nov 10, 2012 10:35:23 GMT
|
|
conwyrod
Advisory Board
Autumn on the Conwy
Posts: 4,659
|
Post by conwyrod on Nov 10, 2012 10:55:53 GMT
I'll keep an eye out for that, looks interesting!
So which malts do you favour Brian?
|
|
ibm59
Active Member
Posts: 314
|
Post by ibm59 on Nov 10, 2012 11:37:14 GMT
I'll keep an eye out for that, looks interesting! So which malts do you favour Brian? I havn't seen the Botanist in any shops locally , but it's available online. I'm lucky in that I do 2 week stints working in the Islay / Jura area every so often though. Malts ? Lighter stuff. Speyside , Old Pulteney , Scapa
|
|
|
Post by builnacraig on Nov 10, 2012 13:37:32 GMT
|
|
|
Post by devronmac on Nov 10, 2012 14:25:35 GMT
My own favourites are perhaps slightly less well known but nevertheless really good drams worth a try.
Glendronach 15 yr old Mortlach 16 year old Daluaine 16 year old
If you like a chunky sherry type dark coloured malt try these. I get mine at the Whisky Shop in Dufftown or at Gordon & Macphail in Elgin.
|
|
fredo
Active Member
Posts: 1,095
|
Post by fredo on Nov 11, 2012 13:00:16 GMT
I think I've become a whisky geek, I go into some shops I frequent and the staff send customers to me for advice! It's all a matter of taste,but a good whisky book helps you through the mine field. Advice for malt virgins is to buy miniatures,so there's no waste if you don't like it(get it down you man,puts hairs on your chest,there is an alternative statement for the ladies) Best start with a lowland like Glenkinchie,easily found and excellent taste.Then try a speyside,lots to choose from and Aberlour is on offer at the moment. Highland comes next,fewer around and they come from some very low places for "highlanders"Dalwhinnie is one of my favourites,but Glenmorangie(rhymes with "orangey") is popular. Islands come next with Ledaig from Mull one of the cheapest malts you can buy and not bad either,Talisker and Highland Park for the braver ones amongst you. Cambletown sort of sits between the Islands and Highlands in taste sort of salty, but not too feirce and theres even a peaty one. Finally(although these days there are non peated ones about and peated mainlanders) you get to Islay,described as phenolic,mouthwash and quite a few other unkind descriptions,they are an aquired taste. You can find un peated Islay malts,but I like the peat. I spent a week in most of the Islay distilleries last year,highly recommended, and have to say they are quite superb.Bruichladdich is probably the tamer one to start with before moving to the south of the island where you hit the beasts,quite literally(appologies for spelling)but Ari- nam-bheist really is worth trying to find if you are a peat monster,as is Uigeadail, both from Ardbeg ,though the readily available Laphroiag is my favourite.If you won the lottery last night you might want to try the one I was offered by email from the friends of the classic malts, 32 year old Port Ellen,latest release a snip at £599 a bottle,numbers are limited mind so you can't buy them by the dozen!! You missed out our local brand paint stripper. www.abhainndearg.co.uk/home.htmlIt is not a bad dram and the distillery welcomes weary travellers who want to try a sample or two.
|
|
|
Post by allysshrimp on Nov 11, 2012 17:06:53 GMT
|
|