$148 AT RESERVE BAR. Given that we are unabashed fans of Scotch, our team has spent the past several years tasting dozens, if not hundreds of bottles, both professionally and on our own personal time. We encourage responsible drinking and nothing on this website should be considered professional or medical advice. The resulting peat has less moss in it so it lacks the overtly medicinal quality typical of Western Scotland. Aberlour A'Bunadh Scotch Whisky $99.99 Buy Now. Auchentoshan Three Wood is a bottle I routinely keep on the shelf after receiving one as gift. Next, shape your tongue into a spoon shape and take a small sip of the whisky. Oban is one of Scotlands smallest distilleries as it only has 2 pot stills, making it a midget when compared to Glenfiddich that has 30. Obviously more. Bottle Price: N/A (paid $14 plus tip for a dram at a St. Petersburg, FL bar) Consumed neat in a very tiny tumbler. Great Scotch? Lately, the consumers interest in peated whiskies have led distillers to list the ppm phenol in the malt on their whisky bottle. The longer fermentation makes Caol Ilas whisky much fruitier. Its seaside maturation imparts a slightly maritime savoriness. I did Ardbeg 10 last year. It was love at first taste. Its home to the highest number of distilleries in Scotland, with well over 60 at present, including Glenfiddich, the worlds best-selling single malt Scotch. Palate: Tobacco, seaweed, fresh fruit, smoke. Oban 14 View this post on Instagram Relaxing on the long weekend! Glenmorangie took home the award for The Best 18 YO Single Malt. I end up taking them for granted, which allows me to spend time and money on other spirits. Think kippers. Degustao The Macallan . These distilleries contributes with malts to Johnnie Walkers blended whiskies. It has a hefty 46.3 percent ABV, spending time in both ex-bourbon casks and new oak barrels. Springbank was founded in 1828 by Archibald Mitchell and today is owned by Mitchells great-great-great-grandson, making it one of the few independent distilleries trading blows with giants like Diageo. The ethanol is barely prickly. Monkey Shoulder bills itself as a premium blended Scotch, and they aren't lying. The 14 Year Bourbon Barrel Reserve is aged for 14 years in ex-bourbon casks before being transferred to first-fill, heavily-charred American oak barrels from Louisville, bringing more wood. At the end is even a lighter taste of ashiness, which reminds me of burnt bell peppers. A very understated honey note appeared with much perseverance. Lagavulin, 16 YO, 43% ABV, 750 ml, $109 took the award for Best 16 YO Single Malt from Islay. Lagavulin 16 Color: Dark Chocolate Nose: Actually kinda smokey. Most of their whiskies have higher alcohol contents with the maximum being 57,3% (114,6 proof). 128. Large in land but small in output, the Lowlands is home to only a handful of distilleries, with Auchentoshan and Glenkinchie being the most well-known. Its got a complexity of flavors that include chocolate, wisps of vanilla and a chili-pepper kick to bite you in the ass on the way out. Oban 14 has a very pleasant smoky taste that doesnt overwhelm other notes making it a good choice for those who want smoke in moderation when compared to Smoky Islay Malts that offer blasts of smoke. I am guessing this is due to grain whisky having less distillate flavor, which means the flavors the grain whisky leaves behind in the cask wont be noticeable. While sticker shock might steer you toward their more economical and no less worthy 12-year-old bottle, the extra age on this bottle 21 years in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks is outstanding for special occasions. A couple of years ago I bought a travel retail, 1 litre, bottle that was way below par and it put me off for quite a while but the last bottles Ive had a perfectly fine. []. Caol Ila 12 vs Lagavulin 16: Which Single Malt Wins? We dont want to sell advertising. Sometimes the familiar is the hardest to appreciate. Some consider the Islands (and distilleries like Arran) as their own unofficial region. Talisker Storm $55.49 Buy Now. Definitely. The higher cut points and the greater reflux make it lighter and results in less phenolic compounds in the whisky. It gives it a certain fullness that beginners wont find too distressing. Finish: Very slight smoke pairs a very slight sense of fruit wine. Most of its malt is also produced at the Port Ellen Maltings, but the peat is drawn from Laphroaigs own Glenmachrie peat bog. I take the samples from a bottle on my shelf which has been filled in 2019 and has been opened a while ago. Described by the brand as a scotch that tastes like driftwood fire at dusk, Lagavulins 16 Year scotch whisky is distilled on the coast of Islay, contributing to that textured taste of peat smoke with maritime notes. The heavier single malt is instantly flavorful, strong in proof, and inherently drinkable all while retaining a distinctive and unique taste. There are no gaps in this whisky. This simplicity lends the region to provide the base to many blends, though a few distilleries have been kicking out some peated options recently. In this case Insurrection comes from a now closed Lowland distillery. The official tasting notes from the judging panel describe the whisky as: Summer grass and dark sweets are on the nose. Diageo is a drinks giant with a portfolio of 200+ brands that includes household names such as Johnnie Walker, Don Julio Tequila, Casamigos. Lagavulin has an oilier, fresher quality, while Laphroaig seems drier. a deep amber liquid with long oily legs. His interest started with single malts in 2012, before he moved into rum and mezcal in search of malterntaitves and a passion for travel then helped build his drinks collection. Lagavulins stills are short and squat and are charged (filled) to around 90% capacity, while Caol Ilas stills have much longer necks and larger pots and they are only filled to 50% capacity. Like Oban, Lagavulin is owned by Diageo having been bought in 1997. Nice. They slowly weaken as I go deeper on the nose. According to other comparisons of Lagavulin Vs Oban Whisky, Lagavulin was considered a better choice. This whisky is the holy trinity doing the 4 hand reel in your mouth. As noted above, Talisker also received a Double Gold medal for its 10 YO expression. Blended Scotch whisky is a blend of single-malt Scotch whiskies and single-grain Scotch whiskies distilled at multiple distilleries. But blended Scotch has its place in any home bar, particularly for cocktails, as you don't want to be drowning out the flavors of your 16-year-old single malt with liqueurs, bitters and juices. A beloved cult favorite among seasoned scotch drinkers, Aberlour ABunadh has an interesting pairing combination of tasting notes: raisin and cream. Whiskies from the Lowlands (like those from Auchentoshan and Glenkinchie) tend to be light and delicate. I recently got through a couple of bottles priced at 30 and for that price its stunning. The second portion undergoes a chocolate roast, a higher temperature kilning that imparts flavors of milk chocolate and coffee to the resulting whisky. Ephemeral, though my sinus are redolent with the reverberations of dark fruits for some time after swallowing. The finish is long, sweet and pleasantly warm, with more smoke to it. Or it could be this has really become more watery due to the higher demand. The most affordable option from Oban is the Little Bay variation ($67) with the most expensive being the Limited Edition, 18-year-old variation ($167). Black, Gold, 18 anos . This particular expression spends 15 years in ex-bourbon barrels before 30% is transferred to Oloroso Sherry butts. Hi WT, i just went along with the line up of the Diageo tasting. Start by deciding what youre looking for. Read more about our new Patron offering, or hit the button below to contribute. Lagavulin 16 is the 34th scotch off my Scotch 100 list. Ignore the eccentric variants and go straight for Highland Parks classic 18-year expression. The Macallan 18 Sherry is the perfect Scotch for non-Scotch drinkers. A medley of a soft mix of citrus fruit and a layered sweet coating on the tongue followed with a balanced finish and hints of citrus and lime. Macallan Double Cask 12 Year Scotch Whisky $69.99 Buy Now. Lagavulin 16 Years Old Read More. We dont have that set available here. Despite being more watery, the peat here is still stronger which makes me stand by my opinion that Talisker remains the better peated single malt to introduce to folks getting into this kind of whisky. When dried, peat can burn. Zen Love, Associate Editor. This Speyside distillery has an excellent lineup, with the 16-year-old landing right in the sweet spot of maturation between the 12 and 18, the other two age statement bottles in the range. $14.00 USD . This is a superb whisky that combines notes of chocolate, dried fruit, candied citrus peel and bread pudding notes into a layered, complex, absolutely stunning whisky at a very affordable price. Start by pouring 1 to 2 ounces of whisky into a bourbon glass and swirl it. Theres no better time to celebrate. The biggest shocker of its win was Deanston Virgin Oak's price, clocking in with a retail price of around $30. Beginning in 2010, the distillery releases its 12 year expression, which blends juice aged in bourbon and sherry cask, semi-annually at cask strength. It has a unique distillery character and the 10 offers youthful punch but mature enough to iron out any rough edges. It is therefore assumed that single malt must be drunk in a particular way to ensure you are enjoying it and taking in the aromas and notes of this whisky. Final thoughts: Enjoyed the peat notes but the sherry influence is just too much. Ive been around the whisky block a number of times over many years and both of these whiskies remain, despite the chill-filtration and colouring, good quality whisky and a feather in the cap of Diageos global brand. Aberfeldy 12 vs Tomatin 12: Head to Head! Your email address will not be published. Tastes like dried figs dipped. The Glenmorangie 18 YO, 43% ABV, 750 ml, $109 is part of Glenmorangies Prestige Range. A 12-year maturation process instead of the regular 10 is something that really places The Dalmore 12 Year aside from the rest of the pack here. From Eastern Scotland try the Glendronach peated expression or, if you can find it, The Macallan Rare Cask Black Edition. Peated whiskies are quintessentially Scottish. I came to this through my father's bottles, which were typically a collection of things that supermarkets sold on discount on occasion: Glenmorangie Laphroaig, Talisker, and Penderyn. Aberlour keeps things simple. The balance continues maturing in ex-bourbon casks. Bisected from north to south by the River Spey, Speyside is a little pocket of land in the northeast of Scotland, surrounded on three sides by the Highlands and the North Sea. Nose: Honestly, it smells like Aberlour and Laphroaig had very quiet babies; light smoke and vinous notes, accompanied by some slight dark fruits. . The official tasting notes of the judging panel described the whisky as having: A dark amber hue signaling its years in the cask. In my mind they were all completely different but in two blind tastings I found it very hard to tell Laphroaig 10 and Lagavulin 16 apart, whereas before I would have said the former has rougher, iodine, medicinal notes and the latter is milder, more seafood/shellfish/clam chowder, and a more subtle and complex. Hey, if the shoe fits). ), 45.8% ABV. Across the whiskies, there is an average alcohol content of 43%, with the lowest ABV being 43% (86 proof) and the highest ABV being 57,3% (114,6 proof). It brings the robust peaty and smokey flavor of an Islay that lingers on the tongue. In those parts of the world where there is an absence of trees, peat has often been utilized as a source of heat. ABV: 43%. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Its followed by light tastes of butterscotch, digestive biscuits, citrus peels, toffee and brown sugar syrup. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. Winter spices with sherry notes and walnut coat the tongue with a balanced finish and hints of the sea. Best Budget Scotch. Hope . The result is a robust, powerfully flavored, whisky that noted spirits writer Dave Broom has nicknamed the Beast of Dufftown. Malt Wins sugar syrup second portion undergoes a chocolate roast, a higher temperature kilning that imparts flavors of chocolate. Certain fullness that beginners wont find too distressing longer fermentation makes Caol Ilas whisky much fruitier encourage drinking. On their whisky bottle eccentric variants and go straight for Highland Parks classic expression. Ounces of whisky into a bourbon glass and swirl it of an Islay that on.: raisin and cream to be light and delicate now closed Lowland distillery and smokey of... 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