Somewhat inspired by this documentary on Scotch that popped up on YouTube (see comments) and the fact we haven’t done a whisky thread in a while…..
So what are you currently drinking and any good recommendations (the Christmas buying period is coming soon !!). Whilst I initially thought posting this about Whisky, I guess we should open to any drink, so fire away…..
Here’s a very good documentary on Scotch – its based around the Bruichladdich distillery (one of my favourites) and the legendary Jim McEwan.
I’d seen it years ago, but watched again when it popped up on YouTube. Didn’t post in @twang thread as its not really a movie.
Great ta!
Japanese whisky. About to explore them extensively on site.
The famous Yamazaki distillery is near Osaka, but is really difficult to get in to the tour (I’ve never managed), The Nikka Yoichi distillery in Hokkaido is well worth a visit – its very traditional (coal fired).
Some very very good Japanese whiskies – enjoy.
As to my current drams…..
Springbank 15 – a great favourite, although a bugger to get hold of. The bottle is down to the last couple of drams and I’ve had to go with a Glen Scotia 18 as a replacement !
Nagahama Amarone Cask – a small Japanese distillery. Its a no age statement bottle that I picked up at a whisky show last year. Really enjoying this one.
Compass Box Orchard House – a blended malt which is relatively inexpensive. Doesn’t have the usual grain whisky that most blends have and I think its mainly Clynelish. Very fruity and easy drinking
Bruichladdich 18 / Bruichladdich Port Charlotte 18 – one of my favourite distilleries. Can go peated or non-peated dependent on mood. I’ve also just picked up a bottle of their “Yellow Submarine 14” release – not opened yet.
Arran 10 – my go to “standard bottle” that I usually have in – that or the quarter cask non age statement version.
Don’t knock Glen Scotia!
Certainly won’t – its a fantastic whisky, just slightly over shadowed by how brilliant Springbank is 🙂
I went off of Scotch a while ago for some reason – peaty malts upset my stomach. When having a short I generally reach for a rye or bourbon these days – my son bought me a bottle of Dylan’s Heaven’s Door a while ago and it is absolutely gorgeous.
I’ve become addicted – in the best possible way, weekends only – to Johnny Walker Black Label. I was spending way too much on single malts, but Blackie (as they call it in the bottle shop) gives me enough of a belt without breaking the bank. To add to the fun, it gets discounted a lot, so you never know until you enter the shop whether it’s going to be $74 or $54. Sometimes you have to agree to be sold it in a cardboard box, which goes in the bin immediately you get home. Madness.
Mrs thep is practically teetotal these days, so I spend a lot of time looking for wine that she’ll at least drink half a glass of to keep me company. Current fave is a dry, flinty Cataratto white from Sicily, which is quite delicious. She’s showing encouraging signs of drinking more than half a glass.
Give the Compass Box a try – its reasonably priced and a bit above the standard blends…..
https://www.compassboxwhisky.com/products/orchard-house
‘Carefree whisky for happy-go-lucky drinkers,’ it says here…better to be that than lachrymose, I guess! Might be too fruity for my taste to judge by all the apples and pears they go on about, but I’ll give it a go if I come across it. Not generally available in your average bottle shop though.
Can I suggest Campbeltown Loch blended malt? Very impressive if you like the regional character – and easier (cheaper) to get hold of than Springbank.
https://www.springbank.scot/whisky/campbeltown-loch/
Not available round here except by mail order, sadly.
Whilst I love me a malt, I hardly ever get around to pouring myself one these days; it tends to be reserved for late get ins after exhausting days. As I am retired, they happen only rarely. But did “need” a large Laphroaig the other night, still my favourite dram. For non peaty, I have to say I like Deanston or, shock, horror, the Lakes, an English!
I’m competing with fentonsteve for the Afterword Dullness Trophy here. Negligible amounts of alcohol – no spirits, the very occasional small tin of Leo with lunch (maybe once a week), and a bottle of reasonable wine at Christmas as a present to myself. This isn’t for moral, medical or ideological reasons, it’s because alcohol screws around with me noggin, like. Muddies things up. I meditate, (“so far, so good”, as Steely Dan say) and I like me bonce as open and clear as possible – I already have Elderly Fuzzy Logic to deal with. This may come as a shock to those who think I’m some kind of spite-filled bully. There’s a forest monk community (of sorts – they shift about) I go to, and the abbot was interested in my “method” (it’s not a method, and it’s not mine) so I spoke through a translator to the monks, and this is the kind of thing that could not happen if I was drinking. If you’re interested, I could post a piece here based on that talk. You wouldn’t have to give up drink to read it – in fact it might make more sense if you were hammered.
Cheersh!
(In the interests of transparency, I drank heavily while I lived in Paris – two bottles of wine a day plus the usual side glasses, and have nothing against it.)
Please to share your meditation talk. Om shanti namaste.
This one’s for you:
Bad Words
It’s for all of us, in a very real way, don’t you think?
But thanks anyway *prayer emoji*
I’m not sure if Elderly Fuzzy Logic is an Afterword t-shirt or a TMFTL.
Robinsons Peach & Raspberry Squash.
I drink Robinson’s Pink Grapefruit squash, Erdinger non alcohol beer and tea. Very nice.
On on-alcoholic beer (3-4 nights a week) we currently very much favour Special Effects by Brooklyn Beer. Has a ‘weight’ that other non-alcoholic beers lack, the absence of that sugariness, and a good taste. The Erdinger is also good.
I’m with you on the Special Effects front. When I decided to go partly AF, I tried loads of the recommended ones but Special Effects is head and shoulders above the rest, it doesn’t have the ‘classic’ AF tang and goes with food – the only other ones I liked were fruity ones that I don’t think go with a meal.
@moseleymoles
I’ve just purchased some Special Effects by Brooklyn Beer on your recommendation and it’s superb. Cheers.
Hmmm American
Only watches can hold a candle to Scotch as the non-cultural massive obsession. So, currently have open:
Laphroig Lore
Ardbeg Eureka (both bought at the distilleries, both awesomely complex and peaty but also well above 45%)
Bunhabbin Stiuireadair – much fruitier and less peaty as an Islay malt. Man cannot live by peat alone!
Nikka Yoichi single malt – delicate, flowery but still 45%
Talisker 10 Yo – a ultra-reliable drinks cupboard standby if you like the peppery finish.
A friend has been to Scotland several times this year, so have ready to open on a ‘one in, one out’ basis a Ben Nevis and Tomatin 10yos, and a Scottish friend brought us a Lagg single malt.
Away from Scotch and over the summer, when ice is required in a drink, and I’m a few drops of water man with whisky, here’s a slightly longer with ice choice. The Italian digestive Strega is a family meme for reasons too complex to go into here. One of the key family actions is when in an Italian restaurant to ask for it after the meal, to be usually met with a blank stare and ‘?’ . In Bristol this happened at a restaurant a few years ago, but they suggested instead a Montenegro as an alternative. Now my favourite with-ice drink – 28%, and a great balance of herbs to give it that digestive bite, and sweeter notes. It’s made in Italy, though confusingly named. Thoroughly recommend.
Bunhabbin Stiuireadair – try saying that when you’ve had a few…
Actually Bunnahabhain so even more of a tongue-twister!
Just finally finished a bottle of that last week. Not a big Malt drinker, so it took me about a month. Bunnahabhain is a good value one that you can often see in supermarkets for under £30. I have a couple more bottles in my cupboard.
Another that I like is Cardhu Gold Reserve, which sometimes crops up with a good price reduction. Just started a bottle of that on Friday evening. I’ve got another one in the cupboard.
I completely went off peated malts a few years ago and haven’t felt an urge to go back, after really liking some of them previously.
Mostly I’m a beer or G&T drinker.
I currently have some cans of Brewdog Punk IPA in the kitchen. Sainsbury’s are currently selling boxes of 10x330ml for £10. I expect Tescos are too.
Previously I had some Tiny Rebel Session IPA which I thought was a nice one at 4.3%. It was also selling at £10 for 10x330ml cans in Sainsbury’s but it’s gone back to full price now.
Aldi’s AldIPA (originally produced as a Punk IPA knockoff and now made for them by Brewdog) is a pretty good one. Same price there as Punk IPA in 4 can boxes, last time I looked. Lower alcohol content at 4.3%.
For my G&Ts I like Tanqueray when it’s at a decent price. Whitley Neill Distillers Cut is a decent alternative. Whitley Neill also make a 57% Navy Strength gin which Sainsbury’s were selling at £25/70cl briefly. It’s now back at £38.
I’m not fussed about posh tonics for my G&Ts. Any old (non-diet) stuff will do.
I have a £10-a-month wine subscription with Naked Wines and currently have a case and a half of assorted reds in store. These days I don’t favour white wines. Quality from Naked is decent to pretty good. I’ve been accumulating the stuff faster than I’ve been drinking it though, which is not ideal. Last time I drank a bottle was about a month ago. I may have to suspend my subscription again for a few months.
When I was working, pre-retirement, my alcohol rule was Friday evening to Sunday lunch only, unless I was at a gig where the bar was in the same room as the music. Couldn’t handle having to go to work hung over and besides, I’d always be driving.
These days I have a couple of pints most Thursday nights with live jazz at Karamel in Wood Green and 4 or 5 cans on Friday nights while talking crap on Zoom with friends. On Sunday evenings I’ll often have a couple of pints at either the Elephant Inn or the B3 Lounge in North Finchley, with live jazz. Lately I’ve frequently been having a couple of late night G&Ts at home.
I’ve also recently finished a bottle of Bunnahabhain – mine was the Bunnahabhain 12 Cask Strength. Very nice it was too – will be looking at getting a replacement bottle.
For Gin, my go to is usually The Botanist (told you Bruicladdich is my favourite distillery !), plus it always seems to be a reasonable price.
I’ve also got a bottle of the Botanist Cask Aged gin – which is interesting. Given that it’s not clear, I tend to drink neat rather than in a G&T.
My other problem with G&T is that I find them far too easy to drink – even when I approach 50% (my usual is ~30.427 %). I was introduced to drinking neat on a tasting session with a local Gin distillery – not as good S scotch neat, but still very pleasant.
We get Hortus gin from Lidl and it’s excellent at under 15 quid a bottle.
I’ve not indulged in anything alcoholic since Febuary. It’s not intentional but as I spend 99.9% of time alone and for me drinking is a social activity I don’t drink booze. I sorta miss it and I sorta don’t, I think it’s the company and conversation I’m really missing more than the alcohol. If the occasion should arrive that I find myself in convivial company I will take a drink or two but as that is highly unlikely to happen I guess you could label me a reluctant teetotaller.
About 4 (16 oz) pints of local craft IPA a week. There are many of them, I try new ones when I can. Went to a beer festival within walking distance last week, but didn’t find anything too exciting
I dislike the taste of whisky
I drink wine – Pinot Gris for white and Pinot Noir or Grenache or Shiraz for red.
The best red in the known universe is from New Zealand – Pinot Noir from Central Otago
Also summer is coming here in Australia so I’ll have the occasional beer – Stella or Peroni. Or one of the fifty million craft beers…
Cheers then..
I would certainly advocate a NZ Central Otago Pinot (Misha’s Vineyard is one of my favourites), but I still think that a good Burgundy is that little bit better – my favourite being Thenard Givry, whose vineyards are apparently next door to the famous (and ridiculously expensive) Domaine Romanee Conti.
I haven’t seen Misha’s Vineyard anywhere but I’ll keep an eye out. Nanny Goat is really good as are the late Sam Neill’s Two Paddocks
I’m with you on Central Otago, but Tasmania also delivers a decent Pinot Noir.
Suntory Hibiki is my current treat, thanks to @moseleymoles on a thread passim.
The English Chapter 18 or Mitchell & Son Gold Spot for when I’m feeling selfish and don’t have guests…
I’m no expert and have no idea what a Speyside or otherwise is, but the above suit my taste.
Ah Gold Spot is delicious but expensive. Now that you’ve opened the discussion out to whiskey rather than whisky, I’ll throw in my regular tipples. I treat whiskey as desert after beers. My beer of choice is Guinness if I’m in a proper pub and Budvar if I’m drinking beer at home, though Asahi saw me through the World Cup when there was a mysterious shortage of Budvar hereabouts.
My three main go-to whiskeys are Teeling Single Grain after beer. Perfect. Clonakilty Port Cask as a cheap and widely available tasty option and the old reliable Midleton Redbreast a whiskey for all occasions.
As you seem to share my tastes I will look out for the Teeling (never heard of it before now) and Clonakilty 👍
Scotch right now is Isle of Harris Heurach. It’s light and an easy drink.
More usually it’s gin, of which we have a lot. I keep a 1.5l bottle for generic G&T, but when we go traveling we try to go to the local distillery and if we like what they have, buy a bottle.
I bought some raspberry and some mango/ kumquat vodka in Krakow airport a few hours ago which I’m looking forward to experimenting with. Despite being Scottish I don’t do whisky.
Irish Whiskey – I find Scotch too harsh and Bourbon too syrupy.
An Irish sits smoothly on my palate.
Had a dislike of Bushmills, until I had the flu last year and it seemed to help (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it).
Band related beverages often lead to disappointment … not so with the 3 variants of Pogues Whiskey (Irish, Irish Malt, and Irish/English Blend).
Proper Twelve, Powers, and Paddy also recommended
My festival hip flask is charged with Fettercairn. I’ve had the bottle for a while, so it’s high time I drained it.
My favourite whisky is Benromach, a tiny Speyside distillery which I came across when up there on holiday 13 years ago when I wanted to tour a lesser known distillery instead of a place like Glenfiddich. I feel fortunate to have found it.
Their whiskies are a bit meatier than most Speysides with a bit more peat and smoke without overdoing it. I’ve tried most of the one offs but am continually drawn back to the 10 year old which is their standard issue and really good.
They’ve just introduced a 12 year old and a bottle arrived today so looking forward to trying a dram later on.
I’m not great with spirits, so it’s really occasional. Had a heavy sniffly cold a couple of weeks ago and an 11pm single malt cut through nicely.
I was in a pool tournament yesterday and took it easy on the beer. Monteiths Golden Light was refreshing and tasty and only 2.5%. Even better – it came in a heavy, dimpled pint glass straight from the 1970s. I was delighted.
My Aussie father-in-law insists on calling all whisk(e)y Scotch which drives me absolutely demented.
Currently pouring the Midleton Yellow Spot for Irish, Suntory’s Hibiki if Mrs. Dadwardo is involved (she’s a sneaky Japanese whisky fan but doesn’t care to admit it) with maybe a Patron-led margarita to kick the evening off, if you’d be so kind.
I bought a bottle of Absolut Tabasco sometime last year, mainly on a whim as it was going cheap. Vodka for sipping and best kept in the freezer. Yikes, it’s odd and that mix of compulsive and repulsive. I have so far opened it but twice, but, should any of you stray around to Retro Og palace, I’ll pour you one.
Peanut butter whisky is a thing round here. I tried it out of curiosity – there are miniatures, thankfully. It’s vile.
Good grief!
Isn’t it for Bloody Marys and bullshots? I can’t imagine drinking it neat.
it perhaps says something that I’m contributing more than once to this thread. To continue non-whisky threads, a friend a decade ago introduced me to Diplomatico Rum. Not to be wasted in cocktails, it converted me and my fried it will convert you. Dangerous stuff.
red wine, is verr nice
Sorry – replying to my own thread…..
A very different whisky recommendation – just poured a glass of Starward Ginger Beer Cask. Its a Melbourne distillery (their standard bottles are very very good). This has the last 12 months matured in casks that were used for ginger beer.
Obviously a spicy note on both the nose and palate and the ginger is very obvious. A very nice “winter warmer” whisky. Reminds me of Christmas