Whisky

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Cheers, Lord. I most certainly intend to when I get a chance. Obviously I'd look to try before I buy.

But do they actually distil the stuff?
In the eighties it was shipped in by oil tanker, I kid you not.

I have a large number of Japanese friends. I asked the question and have had a torrent of information back.
To cut a long story short a bottle of Suntory Yamazaki 18 yr old is winging its way to me. (that's another thing about the Japanese - they don't half like to hand out expensive presents ).
I'll let you know what it's like when it arrives.

[Bruce Rioja]

I have a large number of Japanese friends. I asked the question and have had a torrent of information back.
To cut a long story short a bottle of Suntory Yamazaki 18 yr old is winging its way to me. (that's another thing about the Japanese - they don't half like to hand out expensive presents ).
I'll invite you round to try it when it arrives.

Just sorted that last bit out for you there, Spotto.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I have a large number of Japanese friends. I asked the question and have had a torrent of information back.
To cut a long story short a bottle of Suntory Yamazaki 18 yr old is winging its way to me. (that's another thing about the Japanese - they don't half like to hand out expensive presents ).
I'll invite you round to try it when it arrives.

Just sorted that last bit out for you there, Spotto.

It might be horrible stuff, Bruce. It's for your own good you don't just start swigging it straight off.

[Salford Trotter]

We've visited Perthshire a couple of times and done the obligatory distillery tours.one was Scotland's smallest namely Edradour http://www.edradour.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and Dewars which strangely sells zero bottles in the UK yet is the brand leader in the US.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Brucie, my Yamazaki was waiting for me when I got home. All in in a mini crate, took me ten minutes to gain entrance, and another ten to whip up the determination to open it rather than put it in my 'cellar'.
Anyway - verdict: it is worthy of the name single malt. It is quite superb, but not quite Fantastic. To me, it's more Strathspey than Islay which of course is a non-sequitor but you might know what I mean. Three others are sipping and agree wholeheartedly with that assessment.

[Bruce Rioja]

Any of you chaps familiar with Ledaig? Having actually visited the distillery in Tobermory I really should at least have heard of it.

Anyway, older Bro' bought me a bottle for mi birfdi - Haven't opened it yet but have had a look at it and it's incredibly pale, like pale straw. You know like when the nurse tells you that you're piss looks perfect? (what do you mean "no"?) well it looks like that. Hmmm. Maybe Big Bro's having a jape here

That aside, any tasting tips etc?

[Little Green Man]

The tip appears to be to open it then leave it for at least a couple of weeks. Smokey, oily, peaty, not my cup of tea.

http://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/le ... ld-whisky/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Bruce Rioja]

Snot that one though, Greeny. Tis this. Can you find much on it?

[Little Green Man]

Blimey, that is pale - looks like a Lowland malt.

http://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/le ... sky/?srh=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As there's no age on it I'm guessing it's something like an 8 year old - might explain the colour.

Might be worth trying the opening and leaving trick.

[clapton is god]

Just taken advantage of Mrs C being away in that there London again to get mesen a bottle of The Singleton Tailfire. Described on the bottle as Vibrant, fruity and fresh! I enjoyed the earlier bottle of The Singleton so am looking forwards to tasting this variation tonight.

[Armchair Wanderer]

Japanese Whisky. I actually hear excellent reports. Bloody expensive by the looks of it too. Anyone had a go?

I tried Nikka and it was great, comes in a square bottle too!

Did a whisky tasting recently and got a Glencadam 15 on the back of that. Did four highland whiskies and some you could almost drink without realizing. This one stood out, it isn't your easy drinking kind of single malt but it's nice.

[Gary the Enfield]

Whilst out and about round London last week I passed by this place:

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... 8758,d.d2k" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thought it may interest some of you.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Whilst out and about round London last week I passed by this place:

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... 8758,d.d2k" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thought it may interest some of you.

Milroys would better. That one is next to a major tourist attraction if you get my drift

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Snot that one though, Greeny. Tis this. Can you find much on it?

The reason it is pale is because they haven't adulterated it with caramel like soooooooooooo many are. A lot of the Bruichladdich's are as pale.
Most whisky if left totally alone and unadulterated would be a similar colour. Nowt wrong with it. (not sure about your piss though Brucie, mine has much more 'body' to it ).

[Lord Kangana]

I thought decent ones got their colour from the sherry casks they'r matured in? (And Port apparently now, aswell.)

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I thought decent ones got their colour from the sherry casks they'r matured in? (And Port apparently now, aswell.)

Mostly it's the flavour that is 'enhanced' and bestowed by second hand casks - but a little colour too. However it's a fact that ninety percent of most whiskys colouring is artificially induced through the ubiquitous industry wide usage of caramel colouring.
This abomination was perpetrated because the Yanks like their whisky to look like whisky. They also don't like whisky to go cloudy when water is added which is why most whiskys are chill filtered through beds of asbestos, which also removes a lot of the natural colouration which is why caramel was added originally. A vicious and unnecessary cycle indeed - broken by a few right minded distillers, Bruichladdich and Ledaig being at the forefront of the retro revolution.

[Lord Kangana]

Single Malt Whiskey is pretty much an American-Market invention anyway, so I suppose its fair enough.

[Lord Kangana]

Erm, whisky even.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Erm, whisky even.

just in time... you were about to get one of these >

[Bruce Rioja]

I thought decent ones got their colour from the sherry casks they'r matured in? (And Port apparently now, aswell.)

When I was on Islay I visited the farm distillery of Kilchoman and bought a bottle of their Spring 2010 release, and this was actually in 2010 so it was no age. That'd been done in sherry barrels but was very pale. Tasted incredibly mature though.