Why it's Leuning Horst Leuning! His reviews are appreciated for their consistency - and his insights into distillling whisky.
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Single Malt Scotch!
- Thread starter tombowlus
- Start date
Why it's Leuning Horst Leuning! His reviews are appreciated for their consistency - and his insights into distillling whisky.
Picked up two bottles today to taste with my pops:
Highland Park 12
&
Ancnoc 12
The highland park was pretty much what you all said it would be: smooth, light, with a kind of buttery honey flavor. A good sipper for relaxing after a long day.
The Ancnoc is very interesting. There's a lot going on in here - a light peatiness that mingles with a sharp lemon-zest, all wrapped up in pecan nuttiness. It's definitely got bite to it, without being offensive.
Highland Park 12
&
Ancnoc 12
The highland park was pretty much what you all said it would be: smooth, light, with a kind of buttery honey flavor. A good sipper for relaxing after a long day.
The Ancnoc is very interesting. There's a lot going on in here - a light peatiness that mingles with a sharp lemon-zest, all wrapped up in pecan nuttiness. It's definitely got bite to it, without being offensive.
Never heard of Ancnoc. Will need to investigate that one further.
Highland Park is my Father in Law's fav tipple and probably how i got into Malts in first place. I always have a bottle at home.
Dave
Two new bottles on the shelf!
Bruichladdich Port Charlotte (Scottish Barley)
Definitely a decent amount of peat to this guy. It's a bit closer to "peaty" than "smoky", but other than that, it's extremely smooth. A hint of warm caramel. Actually, come to think of it, this whisky doesn't have too much... character? It's difficult for me to actually decide what it does taste like. Goes down easy though.
Talisker 10
Hmmmm this is interesting! Definitely more smoky than the Port Charlotte. There's a sort of sea-spray brininess to it that, mixed with the smoke, is actually quite fetching. Definitely more bite to it than, well, pretty much everything else I've had (not including Laphroig). Where the Port Charlotte is a bit lacking in flavors that leap out at you immediately, this one goes a bit overboard on them. Not so much so that's it's actually "bad", but I don't think I'll be having more than a dram at a time of this one
I think at this point that Highland Park has taken over my #2 spot from Dalwhinnie. Both are very easy, sweet, and light, but the Highland Park just has that little bit of smoke to make your nose happy. Bowmore is still my favorite though.
Bruichladdich Port Charlotte (Scottish Barley)
Definitely a decent amount of peat to this guy. It's a bit closer to "peaty" than "smoky", but other than that, it's extremely smooth. A hint of warm caramel. Actually, come to think of it, this whisky doesn't have too much... character? It's difficult for me to actually decide what it does taste like. Goes down easy though.
Talisker 10
Hmmmm this is interesting! Definitely more smoky than the Port Charlotte. There's a sort of sea-spray brininess to it that, mixed with the smoke, is actually quite fetching. Definitely more bite to it than, well, pretty much everything else I've had (not including Laphroig). Where the Port Charlotte is a bit lacking in flavors that leap out at you immediately, this one goes a bit overboard on them. Not so much so that's it's actually "bad", but I don't think I'll be having more than a dram at a time of this one
I think at this point that Highland Park has taken over my #2 spot from Dalwhinnie. Both are very easy, sweet, and light, but the Highland Park just has that little bit of smoke to make your nose happy. Bowmore is still my favorite though.
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A bit more rumination on the Port Charlotte:
after pouring another dram after work today, it definitely does have some character to it after all, it's just that it doesn't have the, er, "typical" flavors that you immediately recognize as other foods, objects, or smells. That's what initially flummoxed me: after a sip, I don't immediately think "oh! that tastes like lavender!" or chocolate, or lemons, or whatever else. It's got a sort of... savoriness to it, almost like un-flavored beef jerkey, or the smell of old leather. It's a scotch that floods your taste buds with a fuzzy warmth and a strange feeling that you just left a bespoke craftsman's shop after a lazy game of chess on a warm afternoon.
after trying it twice, I definitely love it, and recommend it to anybody who likes peated single malts.
after pouring another dram after work today, it definitely does have some character to it after all, it's just that it doesn't have the, er, "typical" flavors that you immediately recognize as other foods, objects, or smells. That's what initially flummoxed me: after a sip, I don't immediately think "oh! that tastes like lavender!" or chocolate, or lemons, or whatever else. It's got a sort of... savoriness to it, almost like un-flavored beef jerkey, or the smell of old leather. It's a scotch that floods your taste buds with a fuzzy warmth and a strange feeling that you just left a bespoke craftsman's shop after a lazy game of chess on a warm afternoon.
after trying it twice, I definitely love it, and recommend it to anybody who likes peated single malts.
That's not something I've tried ever, educate me please. What the difference between scotch and american whiskey ?
The spelling 
Sorry couldn't resist.
Can't help as i've not tried too many Bourbons or American style Whisky's but there is an explanation on this thread somewhere as to what the main differences are. I know that because i had to ask about American whisky and Bourbon.
I'm biased towards Scottish Whisky cause i'm a Scot but we don't have the great variety and choice that you guys have or we certainly didn't as i was growing up in 70's / 80's. It was usually Jack Daniels, Southern Comfort and i think that was it.
So i'm going to start trying some American Bourbons.
Dave
Sorry couldn't resist.
Can't help as i've not tried too many Bourbons or American style Whisky's but there is an explanation on this thread somewhere as to what the main differences are. I know that because i had to ask about American whisky and Bourbon.
I'm biased towards Scottish Whisky cause i'm a Scot but we don't have the great variety and choice that you guys have or we certainly didn't as i was growing up in 70's / 80's. It was usually Jack Daniels, Southern Comfort and i think that was it.
So i'm going to start trying some American Bourbons.
Dave
^
guilty. I though about getting a new Lambo, but decided to buy this instead. I'll let you know how it tastes when it arrives in a week.
guilty. I though about getting a new Lambo, but decided to buy this instead. I'll let you know how it tastes when it arrives in a week.
What is it as the VID won't open in my region.So which one of your guys brought this home?
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While never going to be a $1.1mm dollar bottle, I got my 2nd decent collector bottle in just a bit ago: Springbank 25 Year Old Frank McHardy, bottle #7. 610 bottles originally, quite a few less now. It's now sitting on the Collector shelf, next to thee Port Ellen 32 year.
Ardbeg 10 - first sip: "Jesus Christ, did I just drink out of an ashtray?" I don't know about this one yet. This is definitely the most brutal scotch I've had yet - that taste of cigarettes is pretty overpowering. Time will tell if I warm up to it.
Arran 10: super light and floral, with a little bit of nuttiness in there. Not too much fruit flavoring, definitely no smoke or bite. This one is pleasant, and goes down super easy. A little too easy. To be frank, I find it kind of boring. Not bad by any means, and I'll gladly take this over a blended any day of the week, but I find myself wanting a heavier collection of flavors.
Arran 10: super light and floral, with a little bit of nuttiness in there. Not too much fruit flavoring, definitely no smoke or bite. This one is pleasant, and goes down super easy. A little too easy. To be frank, I find it kind of boring. Not bad by any means, and I'll gladly take this over a blended any day of the week, but I find myself wanting a heavier collection of flavors.
