Friday Night Whiskey Tasting

[Blackhorse]

Yeah...Highland Park 12 is roundly acknowledged as a number one Scotch by most everyone.  Here in Oregon it goes for $55 which is actually pretty reasonable for “the best”. More of a sherry thing?

I’d like to try the Magnus version too. Entry level Highland Park. It’s a $40 bottle here. Peaty background?

Then there’s the Talisker single malt 10 for $60. More of a smoky thing?

 

[Zanaspus]

Yeah...Highland Park 12 is roundly acknowledged as a number one Scotch by most everyone.  Here in Oregon it goes for $55 which is actually pretty reasonable for “the best”. More of a sherry thing?

I’d like to try the Magnus version too.  Entry level Highland Park.  It’s a $40 bottle here.  Peaty background?

Then there’s the Talisker single malt 10 for $60. More of a smoky thing?

Talisker is hard to define. I know Islay fans who hate it, I know highland fans who hate it. It's quite different.

Medicinal is the word I'd use. It's a flavor not widely found, but if you hook into it, it's better than mother's milk. I suppose it's closest to Islays, but not quite...

 

[allyby]

Big Scotch Whisky fan here, what I do is a Forever bottle of Whisky, the past couple of years I have been putting a half inch of different Scotch Whisky in to a bottle until it's filled up, take out a couple of Drams and top up with another bottle.

This gives a very different taste every time you enjoy a drink out of it, So far my bottle has had these added to it.

Aultmore 12
Balvenie 10 Founders Reserve
Glenlivet 12
Glenrothes 12
Glendronach Cask Strength Batch 7
Auroisk 18 Coopers Choice
Glenglassaugh Pedro Jiminez Finish
Glenteachters 19 Casks 1407-1408
Tullibardine24 1993 Cask 12026
Tamnavullin Double Cask
Glen Grant 10
Gordon & McPhailStrathmill 2002-2016
Glenlivet Founders Reserve
Master of Malt Strathmill 11
Aberlour Casg Annamh

The only rules I use are Scotch only, No Blends, and No Peaty Smoke as this can overpower the taste leaving it a Smokey profile, if you want this then do a separate bottle.

One that I don't have in the mix yet is but I can highly recommend is a Glenfarclas 15, a beautiful Sherried Dram, a bit pricey but worth is and one to savour and enjoy sipping slowly.

 

[Blackhorse]

allyby - I’ve heard of others doing a “forever bottle” which has always sounded like a fun project. It’s always seemed like a risky thing for me to start as it would fill slowly and that long term scant bottle would likely degrade due to there being too much air in the bottle for too long. Is that a fair concern?

Plus...my bottle would be mostly entry level Bourbon & non-smoky Scotch. I’d hate to sully some decent dram with other far more pedestrian stuff.

 

[allyby]

Is there anywhere in the U.S that you can buy get something like this.

https://www.masterofmalt.com/blend-your-own-whisky/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItNmgzYXf4QIVjOd3Ch27wQN8EAAYASAAEgKinPD_BwE

If not you could always start with a full bottle then when you have a half bottle left fill that one up with different Malts, you make your own rules with this no hard and fast methods.

Whisky will keep for at least a year with a couple of drams left in it but if it's topped up fairly regular you'll have no problems as long as it's filled to the neck, as little air as possible and it will keep forever as long as you have a good stopper.

It is a fun project and amazing how it differs in taste from one tasting to the next, look up youtube for videos, there are plenty going around.

 

[Blackhorse]

Yeah...there are numerous products & systems for sale. There is also a fairly large outfit (storefront) about a mile from my house that sells stills (I think) and all sorts of barrel and other blending supplies. Never stopped by. I also have a friend who blends as his principal hobby. I’m just too lazy, etc.

 

[Zeno Marx]

For the peat and smoke, I once was a strong advocate for Lagavulin 16. I say "once" because I haven't had it for a few years, and I see it is now more than $80 a bottle. I don't know how well it competes in that price range. When it was $40-45, for my tastes, I couldn't find anything that could beat it. I believe Laphroaig 10 Year Cask is still in that price range? I can attest to it being a very nice one. Has a good deal of brine as well, which I find to be a nice compliment to peat and smoke.

I like thate Forever Bottle idea. I'd do it, but like Blackhorse, I would be discriminate about it. I wouldn't contaminate something I already adore with the hopes of something interesting or better. I'm a bit too habitual for that, and I don't say that in judgment. There's a virtue to the gamble that I lack.