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Single Malt Scotch!

Ok, well, today was dust the liquor cabinet day so I emptied it and decided to take a picture of just the single malts to post here.

Glenrothes Robur Reserve and Glengoyne 21 are semi-recent additions and they have pleasantly surprised me

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Serious envy between all those bottles and the Rancilio. Wow.

What's the fifth one from the left? Thanks.
 
That is a Cardhu 12. It is from back before Johnny Walker stopped making the single malts to use in their mixed malts, then started doing a weird non really single malt "Pure Malt", and started again doing the real thing. So, I drink that one super slowly now. I had no idea that they had stopped back then and I had like 3 bottles that I was drinking super quickly. That is my last one :(

Although, now that they make it again, I guess it does not matter.
 
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Japanese whisky takes the crown?

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I've never had a Japanese whisky before, but I guess I have to now.

I read an article about the rise of small producers around the world basically making what amounts to boutique liquor that is not indigenous to their location. Like American vodka, Japanese Malt Whiskey, rhum, etc. Anyway, apparently some of these Japanese whiskeys are really top notch.
 
Leaving for Scotland in two days!

Mostly I'll be in Edinburgh for a conference, but I'm going to travel for a couple days. I'm planning on visiting some distilleries here: Invalid Link Removed . Any recommendations for specific ones to visit? Cardhu is on the list.
 
New to this thread. I used to drink a lot of single malts, but mostly gave it up a few years ago when prices went through the roof. I'm mostly a tequila drinker these days, but I check the Scotch aisle from time to time to see if anything shows up that looks promising and is more affordable. And I tend to think of tequila (usually blancos, on the rocks) as more of a summer-y drink, so I'm especially on the lookout for quality, affordable whisky when the weather turns cold (like now).

Today I was doing exactly that, in a store I only rarely visit, and I stumbled across Monkey Shoulder. The label said (and my subsequent research confirmed) that it's a blend of three single malts -- no other grain whiskies -- and it was on sale for 30 bucks, so I didn't hesitate to grab a bottle. Am sipping some as I write, room temp with just a splash of water, and I'm lovin' it. At this price I could drink this stuff all winter and be a happy camper.

BTW, my recollection was that a blend of malt whiskies was referred to as "vatted" rather than "blended," but I didn't see that word on either the label or the web site. Am I wrong about that?
 
Ok, well, today was dust the liquor cabinet day so I emptied it and decided to take a picture of just the single malts to post here.

Glenrothes Robur Reserve and Glengoyne 21 are semi-recent additions and they have pleasantly surprised me

ebabhIQ.jpg

Nice wide ranging collection!

The new Cardhu isn't like the old. The older stuff was a bit more smoky, though maybe my memory is a bit smoky... :D

I was at a whisky show a couple of weeks back and tasted a lot of new to me single malts. Work the next day was rough. Standouts this year were Ardbeg Uigeadail and Corryvrecken; Talisker 18; Bruichladdich Port Charlotte; Glenrothes Robur Reserve but the one that totally blew my mind was Ardbeg Supernova. Holy crap, is it ever good. A bit of sweetness against the Ardbeg smoke. I'm actually salivating thinking about it.
 
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Nice wide ranging collection!

The new Cardhu isn't like the old. The older stuff was a bit more smoky, though maybe my memory is a bit smoky... :D

I was at a whisky show a couple of weeks back and tasted a lot of new to me single malts. Work the next day was rough. Standouts this year were Ardbeg Uigeadail and Corryvrecken; Talisker 18; Bruichladdich Port Charlotte; Glenrothes Robur Reserve but the one that totally blew my mind was Ardbeg Supernova. Holy crap, is it ever good. A bit of sweetness against the Ardbeg smoke. I'm actually salivating thinking about it.

Thanks, yeah, I have not tried the new Cardhu Single Malt, I'm still stretching this bottle :)

I'll have to look into the Supernova.
 
My family and I wrapped up a killer vacation in the Niagara Falls area, and since we stayed on the Canadian side, this gave me an opportunity to pass through the Duty Free store!

Always a great place to pick up single malts, this time, I went with two "duty free exclusives," the Select Oak from Macallan (part of the 1824 series) and Highland Park's "Harald" (part of the "Intrepid Heroes" series).

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First up, the Select Oak. The nose suggests a crisp whisky, with vanilla overtones. However, upon first sip, it is super smooth. Far more smooth than I would have expected from the nose. It is on the sweet side, but not sickly so. The vanilla is definitely there. The finish is short, but pleasant. As I finish my dram, the overall smoothness and utter lack of anything offensive is what sticks out. Nowhere near as big as the sherry casked Macs, it is far smoother than any of the Fine Oaks I have tried. It would be very easy to drink too much of this stuff...

Next up, Harald. Spicier on the nose, this one promises a smooth experience, and delivers, though not quite to the level of the Select Oak. Taste is a bit more minerally, but subdued. Hints of cinnamon and all spice. It definitely tastes like a Highland Park, albeit a watered-down version. I would have preferred to have had this scotch delivered as a cask strength. Much like the Select Oak, this is an easy drinking, unoffensive whisky.

Truth be told, both of these would have likely been much better, IME, if they had been delivered at cask strength, but as they are, they work very well served neat, and both are very relaxing.
 
Hmm. I'm actually doing a family trip in August through Niagara Falls and other areas in Canada, so the wheels are turning. :D

While I'm not getting rid of my Islays anytime soon, I'm also enjoying my Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or very much and would like to get something else on the sweet/sherry/spicy side of things.
 
I have to say, we enjoyed the heck out of the Niagara Falls area. Cave of the Winds was our favorite, by a large margin. Generally much more to do on the Canadian side, though. Expect to spend a lot of money, though. Everything is expensive...

If you like a good microbrew, Taps on Queen was quite nice.
 
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Yes, it'll be an expensive trip (as car trips go, anyway). We're going to be camping for much of the trip but Niagara Falls and Toronto will be hotels of course. I'll tell my wife about Cave of the Winds and will look out for Taps on Queen too. Thanks for the tips.
 
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Hmm. I'm actually doing a family trip in August through Niagara Falls and other areas in Canada, so the wheels are turning. :D

While I'm not getting rid of my Islays anytime soon, I'm also enjoying my Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or very much and would like to get something else on the sweet/sherry/spicy side of things.

Glenmorangie is a fantastic scotch. I picked up a gift set last Christmas, it came with a full bottle of The Original and a small single serving bottles of Nectar D'Or, Lasanta, and Quinta Ruban. The Lasanta was my favorite by far, but all of them were fantastic. I have a bonus coming soon, perhaps there's a bottle of Glenmorangie in my future.
 

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