a subsidiary vote for the Isle of Arran malts, particularly the 12yo cask strength.
I agree .. this distillery is producing some excellent whisky just now even in the 10 - 14 yo bottlings .. they have character of much older whiskies
+1 for Lagavulin BTW its powerful stuff. The absolute favourite of mine is the double matured one which is finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks its getting expensive but 'what' a dram
I agree .. this distillery is producing some excellent whisky just now even in the 10 - 14 yo bottlings .. they have character of much older whiskies
+1 for Lagavulin BTW its powerful stuff. The absolute favourite of mine is the double matured one which is finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks its getting expensive but 'what' a dram
yum yum .. takes a while for the catalogue to load .. keep scrolling down .. and theres more ... and even more theres loads of stuff in here I didnt know existed
I agree .. this distillery is producing some excellent whisky just now even in the 10 - 14 yo bottlings .. they have character of much older whiskies
+1 for Lagavulin BTW its powerful stuff. The absolute favourite of mine is the double matured one which is finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks its getting expensive but 'what' a dram
Have you ever tried St Magdalenes? I have a particular reason for wanting some, but the cheapest I've ever seen it was £60 / bottle - and it would grate if it was actually nae guid. Whilst I am certainly no whisky obsessive I do enjoy a Caol Isla, Bunnahabhain or Highland Park from time to time.
I used to drink it as a student. All this guff about 'with' or 'without' drives me nuts. It's not sacrosanct to mix whisky (and yes I'm Scottish) with water or indeed anything else If thats how you enjoy it. Hell, I've been known to add a little American ginger ale!
Have you ever tried St Magdalenes? I have a particular reason for wanting some, but the cheapest I've ever seen it was £60 / bottle - and it would grate if it was actually nae guid. Whilst I am certainly no whisky obsessive I do enjoy a Caol Isla, Bunnahabhain or Highland Park from time to time.
NEIL
No Ive never tried it but it seems to have a good reputation. £60 seems cheap ! most I've seen are nearer double that as either St Magdalenes or Linlithgow. If your tastes are for the likes of Caol Isla, then it would certainly disapoint, as the lowland whiskies are very different, but then,... there is a certain pleasure in enjoying the variance of the spirit .. For sure all will be older 25yo's or more since it has been closed, and its either that or just the rarity of it that pushes up the prices, whether or not its because its any good is down to the taste of the beholder, you'll just have to buy one and find out
I tend to find the lowlands of a bit less character for me, unless something has been done to them, or they have been aged well. For example,.. I would never have thought anything from the Auchentoshan distillery would have floated my boat, until I found a 3 wood finish bottling which I think is absolutely lovely.
Sadly I havent seen any for St Magdalene but they are always changing so its worth checking every once in a while, partly becauase the owners of the stock release bottlings on a whim, or when they 'find' them.
Muz,
Whilst I am certainly no whisky obsessive I do enjoy a Caol Isla, Bunnahabhain or Highland Park from time to time.
NEIL
Well liking those three puts you well on the way to being one Your liking of Caol Isla suggest you may have spent to much time with my good friend from Donegal who is vey partial to the 12 yr old variety, in fact I think he could drink it through the proverbial straw!!
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jambo
'Carpe Diem'
Member of the ebay Blue RIB cover club Member of SABS ( Scottish West Division)
Well liking those three puts you well on the way to being one Your liking of Caol Isla suggest you may have spent to much time with my good friend from Donegal who is vey partial to the 12 yr old variety, in fact I think he could drink it through the proverbial straw!!
Never had a whisky with him, only smooth black nectar... but then we were in the right place for that! Caol isla was one of the first Malta someone bought me... ...and in my formative years Mrs poly and I did a wee tour of the islands, which I remember fondly.
How did it take me so long to find this thread.......?
Hmmm depends on my mood, but there is always a Laphroig in the cupboard. I must admit to being a bit of a "peathead", but the best ever was when I managed a taster at Whisky Live a few years ago - OMC (Old malt Cask, in case anyone thinks I was partaking of some premix!) had a 23YO Port Ellen on their stand. That defined heaven.
Recent finds - Smokehead - the grey coloured tin one is particularly good. It's like all the best bits of all the Islay malts rolled into a glass.....
As for water - how do you think they get the Alc. % to saleable levels - oh yeah, they add water! As to adding or not, again it depends on the malt concerned. Releases symphonies of flavours & aromas in some, kills others dead. I rarely add more than a splash.
One I would "barge pole" was (and I now forget the distillery) but they matured it in Rioja casks. "This should be heavenly" thought I, fab whisky - fab wine. Well. It was at best mediocre. Add water to make it taste like flat "own brand" cola. Wish I could remember whose malt it was.
Caol isla was one of the first Malta someone bought me...
Caol Isla, if my residual Gaelic learning is correct, means Song of Islay - well named it is too.
It is owned by Diageo - the biggest bunch of wastards in the trade, IMO. They use a large part of the output in Johnny Walker and other blends. They don't make much attempt to market the single malts themselves - OK by me! I think that the base 12yr old is the best buy - it's an intermediate Islay style - not particularly peaty but not very light either. It has a curious lemoney honeyed palate with a salty finish. I tend to keep it for nights when I want more than just a heady nightcap - the Caol Isla can be sipped for hours without overwhelming the palate, or becoming boring.
For those "big" nightcaps, or special days, I haven't found anything to beat Ardbeg's Uigeadail. Wow! Of course, that just means I haven't checked enough malts yet...
The absolute favourite of mine is the double matured one which is finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks its getting expensive but 'what' a dram 
Breawatch
Imogen
.. You will definately not be disapointed ... but your friends will be,...... because once youve tried it .. they wont be getting any 
.. I just came across a whisky porn site
Sula
