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26B said:
How's the Springbank 10 compared to the 12? Looks like the 10 is available locally but the 12 may require some searching.
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If you're going to be doing some searching I personally recommend you go for the 15. I find it has the best balance of the typical Springbank lineup.
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I have both the springbank 10 and the 15. I must say I like the 10 better. The 15 has a little more of smoke to it. Maybe it's just this batch, but age doesn't seem to have helped it get any better.

I also did a side by side comparison of glenfarclas 12 vs the 105. The 12 wins.


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I'm just joking, I wouldn't spend £3700 on a bottle of whisky. Well maybe if the bonus was big enough...
This stuff isn't as good as the last release from a few years ago that you could get for ~£100. That's what multiple people that have tried both said.


--
Il Destriero
 
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IlDestriero said:
I'm just joking, I wouldn't spend £3700 on a bottle of whisky. Well maybe if the bonus was big enough...
This stuff isn't as good as the last release from a few years ago that you could get for ~£100. That's what multiple people that have tried both said.


--
Il Destriero
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I have a buddy who (somewhat) regularly buys bottles like Macallan 30, so you never know what some people spring for... I personally find Yamazaki interesting but not that interesting -- I've got the 12 and 18 currently but probably won't ever get another Yamazaki bottle. If people want an interesting Asian whisky I point them towards Kavalan's Solist line which is better at this point for significantly less.
 
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What I have in my bar right now, scotches
Laphroig 10
Laphroig select
Ardbeg 10
Aberlour 12
Balvenie double wood
Glenlivet nadurra
Springbank 10 and 15
Highland park 12
Macallan 12
JW black
Chivas Regal
Glengoyne 21
Glenfarclas 12 and 105
Glendronach 12
Compass box peat monster
Glenfidich 15
Glenrothes sherry cask
Aberlour abunadh
Lagavulin 16
Hibiki harmony
Fukano

Wish list
Macallan rare cask
Glengoyne 25
Yamazaki 18
Nikka Coffey grain
Pappy



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My bar:
Ardbeg Uigeadail
Springbank 12 cask strength
Deanston 18
Talisker 10
Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or
Aberlour Abunadh
Benromach 10
Cadenhead's Glengloyne 14
Balvenie Triple Cask 16
Redbreast 15
High West Midwinter Night's Dram
High West Yippee ki-yay
Whistlepig 10
Bulleit Rye
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
Knob Creek 9
Wild Turkey 101
 
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Wiscoblue said:
What I have in my bar right now, scotches
Laphroig 10
Laphroig select
Ardbeg 10
Aberlour 12
Balvenie double wood
Glenlivet nadurra
Springbank 10 and 15
Highland park 12
Macallan 12
JW black
Chivas Regal
Glengoyne 21
Glenfarclas 12 and 105
Glendronach 12
Compass box peat monster
Glenfidich 15
Glenrothes sherry cask
Aberlour abunadh
Lagavulin 16
Hibiki harmony
Fukano

Wish list
Macallan rare cask
Glengoyne 25
Yamazaki 18
Nikka Coffey grain
Pappy



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Nice! Here's my current Scotch Whisky bar:

Ardbeg Uigeadail
Balvenie Single Barrel 12
Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 12
Glen Rothes 1997 (17 yr)
Highland Park 18
Lagavulin 12 Cask Strength
Macallan Fine Oak 15
Springbank 10

I've been trying to narrow it down. I am lacking in Sherry-aged whisky at the moment though...
 
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Sorry to revive this thread but need help. I’ve read through every post and need a suggestion. I want to give a thank you gift to a scotch drinker but have no idea what type of scotch they prefer. Since scotch is so personal could you suggest a middle of the road choice (meaning pleasing to any scotch drinker). Price point around 100.00. Thanks in advance.
 
Painted said:
Sorry to revive this thread but need help. I’ve read through every post and need a suggestion. I want to give a thank you gift to a scotch drinker but have no idea what type of scotch they prefer. Since scotch is so personal could you suggest a middle of the road choice (meaning pleasing to any scotch drinker). Price point around 100.00. Thanks in advance.
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Glenlivet 18 Yr. It's good and within budget and just the optics of an 18 yr old scotch wins you points.
 
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Ready_User_1 said:
Been enjoying a bottle of Glenmorangie 18 yr a lot...

It's the best scotch within its price point, change my mind.
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Depends on what you like I guess. Have you tried Highland Park 18 or Talisker 18 or Bunnahabhain?
 
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Twiggidy said:
Glenlivet 18 Yr. It's good and within budget and just the optics of an 18 yr old scotch wins you points.
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This is a good safe pick. Peat is polarizing so avoid peated whisky. Another one with some years at just above your budget is Glenfarclas 21. I think it’s the cheapest 21 yo single malt. It’s also a bit less common so they may have not tried it before.
 
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Knob Creek single barrel 120 proof..

Unbelievably smooth, especially given the alcohol content..
 
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Springbank 10 vs 12 CS vs 15. Recommendations? I've had the 15 and it was great, but not tried the others.
 
Painted said:
Sorry to revive this thread but need help. I’ve read through every post and need a suggestion. I want to give a thank you gift to a scotch drinker but have no idea what type of scotch they prefer. Since scotch is so personal could you suggest a middle of the road choice (meaning pleasing to any scotch drinker). Price point around 100.00. Thanks in advance.
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I second the Glenlivet 18 suggestion. It’s easily recognizable, easy to find, and a good whisky that is easy to drink. Glenfiddich 18 is a similar whisky to the Glenlivet. Anything by Balvenie in that price range would be a good choice as well.

If the person already is a Scotch drinker, you can probably be a little more adventurous and get something from Ardbeg, Laphroig, or Talisker. Deanston is another distillery making good, affordable whiskies these days. Springbank and bunnahabhain are great as well. Too many choices!
 
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My current rotation:

Macallan 15
Macallan Special Edition No#2
Macallan Special Edition No#4
Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask
Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or
Lagavulin 16
Dailuaine 12
Dalmore 15
Cragabus (Blended Scotch from VomFass)
Two Casks (Blended Scotch from VomFass)
 
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Painted said:
Sorry to revive this thread but need help. I’ve read through every post and need a suggestion. I want to give a thank you gift to a scotch drinker but have no idea what type of scotch they prefer. Since scotch is so personal could you suggest a middle of the road choice (meaning pleasing to any scotch drinker). Price point around 100.00. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't overthink it. Just get a bottle of Macallan 15. It's about $120 and a fine scotch drinker will appreciate the 15 over the 12. On a very basic level, scotch can be broken up in to "non peaty" and "peaty" or Islay varieties. I'm really oversimplifying it. However, most scotch drinkers can appreciate just about any bottle of fine scotch. Macallan is probably one of the most well known scotch whiskeys and hey...we all know James Bond drinks Macallan 25. It may not be everyone's favorite, but nobody would turn down a bottle of it if offered. I'm sure your friend will appreciate the gesture and that saves you trying to figure out his/her exact tastes and hunt down a difficult to find scotch. Every liquor store is going to have a bottle of Macallan. It's like going in to a department store to find a Polo pullover. Everybody has Polo. Don't make it difficult on yourself.
 
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Groove said:
My current rotation:

Macallan 15
Macallan Special Edition No#2
Macallan Special Edition No#4
Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask
Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or
Lagavulin 16
Dailuaine 12
Dalmore 15
Cragabus (Blended Scotch from VomFass)
Two Casks (Blended Scotch from VomFass)
Click to expand...

Great line up.
Love me some Lagavulin with a med-rare steak.
 
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Groove said:
I wouldn't overthink it. Just get a bottle of Macallan 15. It's about $120 and a fine scotch drinker will appreciate the 15 over the 12. On a very basic level, scotch can be broken up in to "non peaty" and "peaty" or Islay varieties. I'm really oversimplifying it. However, most scotch drinkers can appreciate just about any bottle of fine scotch. Macallan is probably one of the most well known scotch whiskeys and hey...we all know James Bond drinks Macallan 25. It may not be everyone's favorite, but nobody would turn down a bottle of it if offered. I'm sure your friend will appreciate the gesture and that saves you trying to figure out his/her exact tastes and hunt down a difficult to find scotch. Every liquor store is going to have a bottle of Macallan. It's like going in to a department store to find a Polo pullover. Everybody has Polo. Don't make it difficult on yourself.
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That’s good advice. I got a bottle of Macallan 15 Fine Oak as a gift. I loved it. At the time I had been drinking Lagavulin, Laphroaig, and Caol Ila and I wasn’t excited about a Speyside but it was very very good.
 
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SaltyDog said:
Are any of the Japanese whiskeys nice and peaty/smoky?
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how strongly peated/smoky do you want it? Japanese whisky is more refined, delicate flavors. nothing like is islay or skye

hakushu are lightly peated. the 12 is easier to find, probably 100-200$. the 18 will set you back $550-600
 
SaltyDog said:
Are any of the Japanese whiskeys nice and peaty/smoky?
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www.bloomberg.com

Your Japanese Whisky May Be Mostly Scotch

What’s behind the rise of the “world blend” whisky trend.
www.bloomberg.com www.bloomberg.com




“In less than a decade, Japanese whisky has risen from relative obscurity to the most sought-after liquor on the planet.


Behind the hype, however, lies an uneasy truth: Japanese whisky doesn’t have to be made in Japan to be called such. In fact, an alarming amount of it isn’t. “To say that whisky-making regulations in Japan are loose is a major understatement,” says Stefan van Eycken, author of Whisky Rising: The Definitive Guide to the Finest Whiskies and Distillers of Japan. “If they were any looser, you’d be able to sell tap water as Japanese whisky.”

It’s not uncommon to spot a newer brand offering whisky with age statements older than the company itself. Kurayoshi Distillery, for example, sells an 18-year-old pure malt even though the distillery opened in 2017. When the math doesn’t check out, you can assume some portion of what’s in the bottle was imported. Van Eycken estimates that around two-thirds of Japan’s producers don’t possess distilling equipment.”
 
I've never been disappointed by Glenlivit 15 or 18. 18 will get you brownie points.

It's not for your best friend, so unless you know their tastes, stick with the basics.
 
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nolagas said:
That’s good advice. I got a bottle of Macallan 15 Fine Oak as a gift. I loved it. At the time I had been drinking Lagavulin, Laphroaig, and Caol Ila and I wasn’t excited about a Speyside but it was very very good.
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It’s a great scotch and a good “bang for your buck”. I can tell a big difference going from the 12 year to the 15, but not so much going from 15 to 18. Some nights I’m in the mood for peat (Lagavulin 2 nights ago) and some nights I’m in the mood for something’s else... (Balvenie Caribbean cask tonight). I will say that nothing beats the nose of a good glass of Lagavulin. Peat, smoke, seaweed, brine, salt...mmmm. I almost love smelling it more than drinking it. Almost...;)
 
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Resurrecting this thread...

Opened up my bottle of Springbank 12 CS the other week. It was so good I had to go back and pick up a backup bottle. Having now tried the 10, 12, and 15, the 12 cask strength is my favorite of the Springbanks and just an overall incredible scotch.

1629068934817.png
 
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26B said:
Resurrecting this thread...

Opened up my bottle of Springbank 12 CS the other week. It was so good I had to go back and pick up a backup bottle. Having now tried the 10, 12, and 15, the 12 cask strength is my favorite of the Springbanks and just an overall incredible scotch.

View attachment 342143
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I recently got into scotch. I've yet to try any campbeltown single malts. How do they compare to speyside, highland, or islay? So far, my favorite is glendronach 18.
 
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Right now I'm working my way through a bottle of laguvilin 16. Great stuff
 
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JiPo said:
I recently got into scotch. I've yet to try any campbeltown single malts. How do they compare to speyside, highland, or islay? So far, my favorite is glendronach 18.
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Scotch is generally split into 3 basic flavor categories:

Non Sherried
Sherried
Peated

Sherried scotch has been matured in ex bourbon casks and then further matured or finished in olorosso sherry casks. The best example would be Macallan, Glendronach along with countless others.

Non Sherried scotch is well...exactly like it sounds. The spirit is matured in ex bourbon casks just like most other scotch but it isn't partially matured or finished in sherry casks. Glenmorangie, Balvenie, Dalwhinnie, etc..

Then you have peated scotch where the peat has been used to dry the malted barley and this instills the characteristic (love or hate) brine, smoke, peat characteristics. Peated scotch is high in phenols and the phenol concentration in PPM can sometimes be used to further describe the level of smokiness. Lagavulin, Ardbeg, Laphroaig, etc..

Almost all of these three basic types can be found in all "5" scotch whisky regions. However, the vast majority of peated whisky hails from the island of Islay where peat is in abundance.

The five whisky regions are as follows and I would say that splitting them up into "regional" scotches doesn't necessarily correlate with specific flavor profiles or aromas. It's really dependent on the distillery. However, there are a few basic qualities that can be applied.

Speyside - Very little peat if any at all. Flavors are fruity with an abundance of apples, pear, honey, spice notes and many of them are finished in sherry casks.

Lowland - Lighter bodied whisky. Floral, honeysuckle, toffee, some spice, grass, etc..

Highland - Very diverse, difficult to characterize and dependent on the individual distillery.

Campbeltown - Slightly heavier bodied compared to Lowland. Some distilleries lightly peat their whisky. Toffee, fruit, vanilla, touch of brine and smoke, etc..

Islay - Heavily peated whisky. Salt, brine, seaweed, asphalt tar, licorice, plumes of smoke, etc..

Instead of buying a specific region and judging it based on the region, I'd buy a whisky based on the first three flavor categories and forget about the region. Instead, focus on the distillery.

If you're a bourbon drinker, I generally always suggest Balvenie Caribbean cask as a first single malt for bourbon drinkers. It's fruity, not too complex, smooth, with lots of honey, toffee, etc.. The flavor profile is not too dissimilar to many bourbons and I have yet to find a bourbon fan that didn't enjoy the bottle.

I generally don't buy 18y scotch anymore. Its very difficult for me to tell the difference between a 15y and a 18y and I'm somewhat of a scotch nerd and have a fairly refined palate at this point. I can easily tell between a 12 and 15 but I really have to concentrate to tell a 15y from 18y and can't do it reliably. The price difference is so great between 15 and 18 that I don't find it worth the extra $$$ unless it's a special bottle that I want for other reasons.
 
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26B said:
Resurrecting this thread...

Opened up my bottle of Springbank 12 CS the other week. It was so good I had to go back and pick up a backup bottle. Having now tried the 10, 12, and 15, the 12 cask strength is my favorite of the Springbanks and just an overall incredible scotch.

View attachment 342143
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You know I don't think I've ever sampled springbank. I need to restock soon and will see if they have a bottle.

We've also got a big whisky thread in the Lounge if any of you are interested.
 
Big scotch fan ever since I went to the Speyside Whiskey Festival a few years ago.

I really like Lagavulin, Laphroig, Oban, and Bunnahabain. The Macallan is my favorite Speyside but there’s a big variance between their commercial bottles and limited release ones. I also enjoy Penderyn which isn’t a scotch but it’s a Welsh single malt.

I prefer peaty whiskeys neat but the Speysides are very good with a drop or two of water.

As far as other whiskeys, High West Campfire was really good. It’s a blend of bourbon, peaty scotch, and rye and I really liked the balance.
 
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JiPo said:
I recently got into scotch. I've yet to try any campbeltown single malts. How do they compare to speyside, highland, or islay? So far, my favorite is glendronach 18.
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I see Groove already posted an excellent response to your question, but if you like Glendronach 18, chances are you will be a fan of Springbank 12 as well! They are not the same style but share some similarities. I believe Glen 18 is aged in Oloroso sherry casks, and SB 12 is a mix of Sherry and ex-bourbon casks. SB 12 has more peat/smoke character compared to a Glendronach, which leans more towards fruity notes, but Springbank is by no means a peat monster. It's a very complex malt, and if I had to pick one word to describe it, I'd say "balanced".
 
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Groove said:
You know I don't think I've ever sampled springbank. I need to restock soon and will see if they have a bottle.

We've also got a big whisky thread in the Lounge if any of you are interested.
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Do you have a link to that thread? Couldn't find it
 
26B said:
Do you have a link to that thread? Couldn't find it
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Here you go. We're a little sporadic with our posts.


Last week I was in the mood for something sherried and had a bit of Macallan special edition No. 2. Last night I had a dram of Ardbeg An Oa. Tonight, I think I'll have a wee bit of Kilchoman Machir Bay which has become one of my all time favorite new Islay distilleries. Most of their whiskies are very young but I've been impressed so far.

TheMacallanEditionNo.2SingleMaltScotchWhisky_750x750.png
ardbeganoamashandgrape_1024x1024.png
2017-kilchoman.jpg
 
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