Whisky

Opened this Willetts XCF tonight. It doesn’t have the depth of the more premium bourbons and ryes but it’s an interesting one. Finished in curaçao casks.
Wowzers! I had my eye on their 4 year old rye but opted for the Widow Jane Apple Wood over it at the time. On the strength of the 10 yo WJ sample you sent me I also grabbed their 14 yo vaults batch 1. Haven't opened it yet but I really enjoyed the 10 so have high hopes for it
 


Wowzers! I had my eye on their 4 year old rye but opted for the Widow Jane Apple Wood over it at the time. On the strength of the 10 yo WJ sample you sent me I also grabbed their 14 yo vaults batch 1. Haven't opened it yet but I really enjoyed the 10 so have high hopes for it

I don’t really understand why Widow Jane don’t have greater prominence given the quality of their product. Also think Kentucky Owl is quite underrated.
 
Here's a quick question for you all then. What age were you when you started to 'appreciate' Whisky?

I was in my mid-late 40's before I actually took to it. Started to accept a dram out of the Winter League golf hip flasks that I'd kind of ignored up to that point in my life.
My old man liked a dram and I’d occasionally join him for one when I was in my late teens but he was strictly a Bells and Glenfiddich for an occasional treat whisky drinker. I didn’t particularly dislike it, it was just a bit meh to me.

Then sometime in the mid 1980’s when I’d be in my 30s I was in a customers office late one day, we’d just done an important deal and he asked if I’d join him in a dram. He pulled out a bottle of Laphroaig which I’d never at that time heard of and it was an instant ‘wow’, this is nothing like the Bells I’d been drinking with my old man :lol:

I was hooked from that point but such was the impression that Laphroaig left on me I didn’t really buy anything else for years before starting to try other Islays.

For probably 25 years I drank nothing but peated Islays, I tried the occasional other but kept returning to my Islays.

It’s probably only in the last 6 or 7 years I’ve finally managed to broaden my horizons and appreciate the intricacies of other single malts, although the pleated Islays still rate highest for me.

I’m probably not that experimental with whisky at heart, despite drinking it for nigh on 50 years I’ve never bought a Japanese whisky or a bourbon. Had the occasional tasters at various whisky festivals but that’s about it. I like good whisky but it’s always seemed a fairly expensive purchase to me and if I was spending good money I’d play it safe and stick to what I knew I liked.

I am getting better though.;)
 
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I don’t really understand why Widow Jane don’t have greater prominence given the quality of their product. Also think Kentucky Owl is quite underrated.
That night I tried the 10, I had a few other bourbon's after it yet when the night was done that was the one I could still taste. I think as they progress with their own distillate they'll come into further prominence, so long as they keep knocking out quality such as that. Never tried Kentucky Owl but another I've had my eye on for a bit, opted for a yellowstone over one of theirs last time (was a cracking price on the yellowstone mind)
 
a mate has recently really taken to whisky ( never thought I'd see it) so been giving him lot's of samples and obviously stuck to Speyside type drams.
Slipped a Laga 16 in ( thinking it would be more accessible than laphraoig's etc)

His verdict "undrinkable" ;) maybe I'll revisit in a year or two. I was certainly like that initially like many regarding "peat/smoke"
 
My old man liked a dram and I’d occasionally join him for one when I was in my late teens but he was strictly a Bells and Glenfiddich for an occasional treat whisky drinker. I didn’t particularly dislike it, it was just a bit meh to me.

Then sometime in the mid 1980’s when I’d be in my 30s I was in a customers office late one day, we’d just done an important deal and he asked if I’d join him in a dram. He pulled out a bottle of Laphroaig which I’d never at that time heard of and it was an instant ‘wow’, this is nothing like the Bells I’d been drinking with my old man :lol:

I was hooked from that point but such was the impression that Laphroaig left on me I didn’t really buy anything else for years before starting to try other Islays.

For probably 25 years I drank nothing but peated Islays, I tried the occasional other but kept returning to my Islays.

It’s probably only in the last 6 or 7 years I’ve finally managed to broaden my horizons and appreciate the intricacies of other single malts, although the pleated Islays still rate highest for me.

I’m probably not that experimental with whisky at heart, despite drinking it for nigh on 50 years I’ve never bought a Japanese whisky or a bourbon. Had the occasional tasters at various whisky festivals but that’s about it. I like good whisky but it’s always seemed a fairly expensive purchase to me and if I was spending good money I’d play it safe and stick to what I knew I liked.

I am getting better though.;)
Same with me . Drank whisky since being a teenager .
It's just reminded me I was on my 18th birthday in a pub in tadcaster drinking bells and one of my mates mentioned to the landlord it was my 18th . He said " you need to drink better than that son, on the house " it was 1976 and I still remember it was a double Glen Grant 10 tyo.
Drank the glenfidich etc for a bit but was always partial to the Irish bushmills .
Went off scotch for a good bit and dallied with calvados and estate rum .
Enjoying the odd drop of good Irish now . Haven't had a rum for months .
 
Here's a quick question for you all then. What age were you when you started to 'appreciate' Whisky?

I was in my mid-late 40's before I actually took to it. Started to accept a dram out of the Winter League golf hip flasks that I'd kind of ignored up to that point in my life.
It's something that I have drifted back to every now and then since my early 30s. A whisky mac in the hip flask on the golf course in Winter was a regular staple with the odd malt here and there. It's only recently in my mid 50s that I've decided to get serious with my whisky journey encouraged by this thread.
 
a mate has recently really taken to whisky ( never thought I'd see it) so been giving him lot's of samples and obviously stuck to Speyside type drams.
Slipped a Laga 16 in ( thinking it would be more accessible than laphraoig's etc)

His verdict "undrinkable" ;) maybe I'll revisit in a year or two. I was certainly like that initially like many regarding "peat/smoke"
My son-in-law decided a few years ago that he wanted 'to get into whisky', so I gave him a few drams of mine and took him along to the Newcastle Whisky Festival for a couple of years.
In hindsight it was the wrong thing to do, giving him lowland malts, sherrybombs & peated Islays just threw his palate all over the place.

Ralphy reckons in his reviews that newcomers should always start with what he considers 'accessible' malts to get their initial bearings of taste & flavour before moving on to more complex whiskies, and he recommends Glenfiddich or Glenmorangie. My experiences with said son in law back this up entirely. Trying to give him peated islays and sherrybombs was hindering not helping. He found his way with Glenfiddich eventually and it's still his go to dram but he is now eventually starting to appreciate some others but still not any extremes, he'll be more inclined towards something like a Glenlivet now.

I was guilty of trying to give him what I considered the best whiskies (to my taste) and presuming that because I got hooked by a Laphroaig so would he. Ralphy is spot on for newcomers to the golden dram IMO, start with less complex malts like Glenfiddich and Glenmorangie then start to broaden your horizons once you've established a 'base' to work from.
 
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My son-in-law decided a few years ago that he wanted 'to get into whisky', so I gave him a few drams of mine and took him along to the Newcastle Whisky Festival for a couple of years.
In hindsight it was the wrong thing to do, giving him lowland malts, sherrybombs & peated Islays just threw his palate all over the place.

Ralphy reckons in his reviews that newcomers should always start with what he considers 'accessible' malts to get their initial bearings of taste & flavour before moving on to more complex whiskies, and he recommends Glenfiddich or Glenmorangie. My experiences with said son in law back this up entirely. Trying to give him peated islays and sherrybombs was hindering not helping. He found his way with Glenfiddich eventually and it's still his go to dram but he is now eventually starting to appreciate some others but still not any extremes, he'll be more inclined towards something like a Glenlivet now.

I was guilty of trying to give him what I considered the best whiskies (to my taste) and presuming that because I got hooked by a Laphroaig so would he. Ralphy is spot on for newcomers to the golden dram IMO, start with less complex malts like Glenfiddich and Glenmorangie then start to broaden your horizons once you've established a 'base' to work from.
I would agree with that, that's how I eventually got into scotch. Started with Speyside then eventually my curiosity took me further afield. I remember the first time I tried Laphroiag on my Da's recommendation and all I could taste was TCP, the first couple of times actually spread over a period of a good few years. However my curiosity took me back to it in time and when I drink it now I don't get the medicinal notes at all, just sweetness and smoke and I love it.
 
My son-in-law decided a few years ago that he wanted 'to get into whisky', so I gave him a few drams of mine and took him along to the Newcastle Whisky Festival for a couple of years.
In hindsight it was the wrong thing to do, giving him lowland malts, sherrybombs & peated Islays just threw his palate all over the place.

Ralphy reckons in his reviews that newcomers should always start with what he considers 'accessible' malts to get their initial bearings of taste & flavour before moving on to more complex whiskies, and he recommends Glenfiddich or Glenmorangie. My experiences with said son in law back this up entirely. Trying to give him peated islays and sherrybombs was hindering not helping. He found his way with Glenfiddich eventually and it's still his go to dram but he is now eventually starting to appreciate some others but still not any extremes, he'll be more inclined towards something like a Glenlivet now.

I was guilty of trying to give him what I considered the best whiskies (to my taste) and presuming that because I got hooked by a Laphroaig so would he. Ralphy is spot on for newcomers to the golden dram IMO, start with less complex malts like Glenfiddich and Glenmorangie then start to broaden your horizons once you've established a 'base' to work from.

Yeah I'd agree with that..
My mate tried Bunna 12 which he loves and he really likes the Balvenie 14 Rum cask and Aberlour a bundah...
Now that I know those he likes there are plenty similar to those....keep the Islay stuff for him to retry later ;)
 
Blends are a decent gateway too as they tend to have had the edges rounded off and are usually on the lower end in terms of abv.
I'm ignorant when it comes to bourbon so don't know if there's value in this. £50 off on flash sale:


Reuben is a decent reviewer and he graded it well here. He did state he thought the price was quite high, however.
I’m usually reluctant to buy 50cl bottles purely on principle.
 
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Blends are a decent gateway too as they tend to have had the edges rounded off and are usually on the lower end in terms of abv.


Reuben is a decent reviewer and he graded it well here. He did state he thought the price was quite high, however.
I’m usually reluctant to buy 50cl bottles purely on principle.


With you on 50 cl bottles...
Like Crook I've never tried bourbon apart from the likes of JD etc...feel like I should give them a go but there are so many malts I've not got round to.
 
The limited edition Big Peat has finally arrived at Tyndrum

might be tempted...shouldn’t as spent far too much this month on hols, breaks away and other non whisky stuff

But only £50 ..in for a penny and all that.
Hoping Tyndrum can finally get the heavily peated Kilkerran to me ( not their fault as Glengyle/Springbank were closed very early due to Covid and not even sure they’re fully open yet)
 
might be tempted...shouldn’t as spent far too much this month on hols, breaks away and other non whisky stuff

But only £50 ..in for a penny and all that.
Hoping Tyndrum can finally get the heavily peated Kilkerran to me ( not their fault as Glengyle/Springbank were closed very early due to Covid and not even sure they’re fully open yet)

Springbank are starting to bring people back. It could be a while until they’re back to their full compliment though. Craig has no idea when the Kilkerran will arrive.
 
Springbank are starting to bring people back. It could be a while until they’re back to their full compliment though. Craig has no idea when the Kilkerran will arrive.

yeah I e mailed him and he suggested the same ( hoped rather than expected return to normal trading/shipping)
To be fair he has made it clear on the website that it’s delayed
 
Couldn't resist a Benrinnes 15 from the Whisky Shop, £35 plus a fiver shipping.

 

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