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stonebeard 
Forum Senior Member 
Joined: May 27 2005 Location: NE Indiana Status: Offline Points: 28057 |
 Topic: Which Islay malt do you prefer?Posted: February 07 2014 at 00:20 |
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Springbank 10 was rather good, but the price gets pretty high here (~$70) and I can't really justify it for a 10 year when it's just shy of a 15 year for a lot of other scotches.
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Bald_Jean
Forum Groupie 
Joined: November 11 2013 Location: Cologne, Germny Status: Offline Points: 34 |
Posted: February 06 2014 at 17:21 |
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that's the feeling I get from Springbanks |
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someone_else
Forum Senior Member
VIP Member Joined: May 02 2008 Location: Going Bananas Status: Offline Points: 24558 |
Posted: February 06 2014 at 17:05 |
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Bunnahabhain is OK, but Lagavulin made me think that I was in heaven.
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Bald_Jean
Forum Groupie
Joined: November 11 2013 Location: Cologne, Germny Status: Offline Points: 34 |
Posted: February 06 2014 at 15:28 |
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I am more a fan of Campbeltown (if only for Springbanks, but there are many more), but when it comes to Islay i will vote for Bunnahabhain. it is a tough decision though; Lagavulin and Laphroiag are strong contenders
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stonebeard
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 27 2005 Location: NE Indiana Status: Offline Points: 28057 |
Posted: February 06 2014 at 15:23 |
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Not really a fan of Islays--I don't like saltiness and brine in my scotch--but I think I'd like Lagavulin and the "B" scotches more than I like Laphraoig and Ardbeg.
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OT Räihälä
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 09 2005 Location: Finland Status: Offline Points: 514 |
Posted: February 06 2014 at 15:12 |
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Just to let you know: my new album Peat, Smoke & Seaweed Storm is out on sale now. Including Ardbeg - The Ultimate Piece for Orchestra.
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Sean Trane
Special Collaborator 
Prog Folk Joined: April 29 2004 Location: Heart of Europe Status: Offline Points: 20389 |
Posted: May 30 2012 at 08:19 |
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Well Opened that Ardberg sample bottle with my two single malt tookie colleagues and we all agreed that one should stay away from that extreme upper left corner.... But Laphroiag is more somky than Ardberg for sure
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let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
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Sean Trane
Special Collaborator
Prog Folk Joined: April 29 2004 Location: Heart of Europe Status: Offline Points: 20389 |
Posted: May 25 2012 at 18:11 |
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I read a review of Laphroiag (can't remember which bottling) that spoke of smoked salmon   I guess the proverbial Scot stinginess took on an unexpected twist, when one thought that he could cast two shots from one stone, and he used the same fire for his Salmon and the germination of the barley... But he probably put the fish below the cereal instead of the other way |
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let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
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OT Räihälä
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 09 2005 Location: Finland Status: Offline Points: 514 |
Posted: May 25 2012 at 14:51 |
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It's intriguing how different bottlings there may come from one single distillery, and Bowmore is perhaps topping the list of the wideness and variety. From Darkest's tar-like heavyness to Surf's light-heartedness, and when you put a dram of Mariner under your nostrils, you can almost hear the seagulls.
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Green Shield Stamp
Forum Senior Member
Joined: February 17 2009 Location: Telford, UK Status: Offline Points: 933 |
Posted: May 23 2012 at 15:35 |
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I voted Laphroaig, but I think that Islay malts are very much an acquired taste. The first time I tasted Bowmore Legend I thought I'd made a mistake by drinking it and should have rubbed it on. The phenolic, medicinal flavour is not for the faint hearted.
Edited by Green Shield Stamp - May 23 2012 at 15:36 |
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Haiku
Writing a poem With seventeen syllables Is very diffic.... |
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Sean Trane
Special Collaborator
Prog Folk Joined: April 29 2004 Location: Heart of Europe Status: Offline Points: 20389 |
Posted: May 16 2012 at 07:30 |
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I'd agree that the worded descriptions are not really 100% reliable (every palate is different too) - I think the Rich-Light axis should be somewhat renamed, although I suspect that they're talking about concentration of phenols in the malts, more than pure taste.
And neither is the actual map placement 100% accurate (ex: Dalmore - my utmost fave - is 10 km away from Glenmorangie and should not be in Beige, but in Orange colour), but it's certainly fairly trustworthy enough an indication to my (and most) tastes.
Yes, I find Laphroaig more smoky than Ardberg (from memory at least - I'll know more when I open the sample next week or after), I also think Talisker (only tried the 10Y) should be at the top of the Y-axis, but centered (it is quite peaty compared to Ard and Laph) and Laguavullin is also tops on Y-axis, but indeed very peaty
After all, it's only fairly recent that I was able to distinguish clearly smoky from peaty
On the other hand, if not delicate Glenfiddich is one of the more "grassy" malt I've tasted, along with the Dalwhinnie, but the chart separates them
I may just take you up on that oiffer next time I "island-pop", but it certainly won't be before the olympics... But i am planing to do something in the mid-future (say before 2014) between Wales, Lake District, Loch Ness/Inverness area and Edimburg (where my parents lived from 85 to 90)
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let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
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Snow Dog
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 23 2005 Location: Caerdydd Status: Offline Points: 32995 |
Posted: May 16 2012 at 04:55 |
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Well pop around and lets's finish a bottle.
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OT Räihälä
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 09 2005 Location: Finland Status: Offline Points: 514 |
Posted: May 16 2012 at 04:52 |
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That's a very good graphic, Sean. I hadn't bumped into it before. However, the taste/nose might be a bit more individual thing. I don't think it's possible to spot your favourite without tasting (I'm not saying the graphic would claim that to be the case).
For example, I find Ardbeg not that light, but much, much peatier than the graphic; definitely less smoky than Laphroaig 10. And to me, Lagavulin 16 isn't that smoky, but very peaty. Also, Taliskers should be higher up, very close to the top border.
Words aren't after all very precise expressions when describing a malt. I just can't understand how anyone can find anything delicate in Glenfiddich...
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Sean Trane
Special Collaborator
Prog Folk Joined: April 29 2004 Location: Heart of Europe Status: Offline Points: 20389 |
Posted: May 15 2012 at 09:47 |
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That one and Bruichladdich and Bunnahabain are definitely more up my alley, yes.
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let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
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Snow Dog
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 23 2005 Location: Caerdydd Status: Offline Points: 32995 |
Posted: May 15 2012 at 09:32 |
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So my Jura would be pretty nice for you?
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Sean Trane
Special Collaborator
Prog Folk Joined: April 29 2004 Location: Heart of Europe Status: Offline Points: 20389 |
Posted: May 15 2012 at 09:23 |
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When you look at the taste map, it's kind of difficult to be more extreme than Ardberg, really!!!
Smoky, Medicinal, rotten or fermenting fruits... definitely not my stuff
 But I did decide to splurge €4.00 for my initiating class of SM snobbery rookie, just to get the full panel of possibilities. if they (rookies) actually like it , good for them, though.
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Notice that all shades of blue represent Island Malts (which includes the Scapa and Highland Park, both from the Orkneys, but that first one is more at the opposite of the table), and that they all occupy the upper third of the table, which tends to show that they are not that well-balanced, but for their defence, this is by design, not by flaw
All Purple are Speyside, the Greens are Lowland malts and all Brown-Orange-Beige are Highland malts
Edited by Sean Trane - May 15 2012 at 09:51 |
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let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
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OT Räihälä
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 09 2005 Location: Finland Status: Offline Points: 514 |
Posted: May 15 2012 at 06:39 |
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Goodness, your tongue is soft. If Ardbeg tastes ashtray to you, how can you drink anything else but smoothies?
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Sean Trane
Special Collaborator
Prog Folk Joined: April 29 2004 Location: Heart of Europe Status: Offline Points: 20389 |
Posted: May 15 2012 at 05:37 |
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I bought me a 4cl mini-bottle of Ardberg for tasting purposes with buddies learning the Scotch thing It's been decades since I actually tasted it, but I hated it so much, that I never forgot the ashtray taste and smell (I wouldn't call it "nose", but will politely avoid the "stench" word as well)... |
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let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
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OT Räihälä
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 09 2005 Location: Finland Status: Offline Points: 514 |
Posted: May 05 2012 at 06:32 |
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It's amazing how quickly an old barrel can effect whisky. In 2006, Jim McEwan at Bruichladdich made some experiments and gave a barrel of 1970 Bruichladdich 25 weeks of maturing in a Pinot Gris barrel. I happened to be around to make an article of single malts for a Finnish food&wine magazine, and he let me taste both the original and the one from the PG barrel. The difference was incredible! OTOH, even the original was probably one of the finest whiskies I've ever tasted. BTW, Ardbeg and smokiness: I don't find the basic 10 years old as especially smoky. It's rather very, very peaty, but with less smoke. Have anyone of you tasted Ardbeg's Corryvreckan? (I haven't - yet)
Edited by OT Räihälä - May 05 2012 at 14:51 |
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Sean Trane
Special Collaborator
Prog Folk Joined: April 29 2004 Location: Heart of Europe Status: Offline Points: 20389 |
Posted: May 05 2012 at 06:18 |
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Yeah, but after a few years of straight oak maturing, one gets tired of the vanilla flavour, that's so typical of the oak barrels... I'm really in with those doublewood finish, like porto or sherry cask finishes... it really adds character , IMHO. Purists might balk at these out-of-character barrels, but using second-hand barrels was always the case in often-broke (financially) Scottland... Remember that if you buy a new oak barrel, you won't be able to re-use for 10 years minimum, during which your investment is totally blocked... Wine makers don't have that problem since the wine sit two or three years at the max (most never touch a barrel anymore), and the rest of the ageing maturing is done in bottles. |
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let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
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Which Islay malt do you prefer?
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someone_else wrote: