favourite dram of whisky for a weekend?

Had a glenfarcras 1976 bought as an anniversary gift from her folks. Tried a dram on Saturday, absolutely beautiful!

Normally a jura and talisker man though.

What's everyone else's Saturday night dram? And best they've tasted.

Ardbeg renaissance...........wont get much change out of £50.

Benromach.........just as nice and around £30 a bottle.

Bushmills..........is a nice smooth drink and a decent price.

Ardbeg renaissance...........wont get much change out of £50.

Benromach.........just as nice and around £30 a bottle.

Bushmills..........is a nice smooth drink and a decent price.

I like ardbeg, not tried renaissance. Bushmills is my standard when out and not much choice. Quality for the price of it.

Benromach I shall put on my list to try.

Never mind shelling out for a good bottle, You definitely pay for what you get and once into tasting good whiskies it gets you hooked

Ardbeg renaissance...........wont get much change out of £50.

Benromach.........just as nice and around £30 a bottle.

Bushmills..........is a nice smooth drink and a decent price.

I agree with on the Bushmills and most of the Irish stuff is good value because it is distilled 3 times as opposed to twice for the Scotch. I have tried £20 - 30 Irish 10 - 12 year olds that have been better than 18 year old Scotch costing double or treble the amount. The Royal and Ancient Millennium blend is still my favourite and the Midleton Very Rare is not far behind. I only buy this quality at auction as I can't afford to pay hundreds per bottle (Midleton Very Rare 1987 = £250, yet I have paid £55 at auction for the 2005).

Ardbeg renaissance...........wont get much change out of £50.

Benromach.........just as nice and around £30 a bottle.

Bushmills..........is a nice smooth drink and a decent price.

I agree with on the Bushmills and most of the Irish stuff is good value because it is distilled 3 times as opposed to twice for the Scotch. I have tried £20 - 30 Irish 10 - 12 year olds that have been better than 18 year old Scotch costing double or treble the amount. The Royal and Ancient Millennium blend is still my favourite and the Midleton Very Rare is not far behind. I only buy this quality at auction as I can't afford to pay hundreds per bottle (Midleton Very Rare 1987 = £250, yet I have paid £55 at auction for the 2005).

Ive never thought about auctions as a way of buying a good bottle, only really developed a passion for whiskys over probably the last 8/9months.

Can you recommend any good auctions? I'll make sure im not bidding against you!

Ardbeg renaissance...........wont get much change out of £50.

Benromach.........just as nice and around £30 a bottle.

Bushmills..........is a nice smooth drink and a decent price.

I agree with on the Bushmills and most of the Irish stuff is good value because it is distilled 3 times as opposed to twice for the Scotch. I have tried £20 - 30 Irish 10 - 12 year olds that have been better than 18 year old Scotch costing double or treble the amount. The Royal and Ancient Millennium blend is still my favourite and the Midleton Very Rare is not far behind. I only buy this quality at auction as I can't afford to pay hundreds per bottle (Midleton Very Rare 1987 = £250, yet I have paid £55 at auction for the 2005).

Ive never thought about auctions as a way of buying a good bottle, only really developed a passion for whiskys over probably the last 8/9months.

Brightwells (Leominster), J.Straker Chadwick (Abergavenny) and ebay. You can get some real bargains, but you have to be careful also as some can be more expensive than the local supermarket.

Can you recommend any good auctions? I'll make sure im not bidding against you!

Just recently got a bottle of Balvenie 14yr Caribbean cask, £33, on offer in Waitrose. Very nice indeed.

Cardhu....the choice of champions

Ardbeg renaissance...........wont get much change out of £50.

Benromach.........just as nice and around £30 a bottle.

Bushmills..........is a nice smooth drink and a decent price.

I agree with on the Bushmills and most of the Irish stuff is good value because it is distilled 3 times as opposed to twice for the Scotch. I have tried £20 - 30 Irish 10 - 12 year olds that have been better than 18 year old Scotch costing double or treble the amount. The Royal and Ancient Millennium blend is still my favourite and the Midleton Very Rare is not far behind. I only buy this quality at auction as I can't afford to pay hundreds per bottle (Midleton Very Rare 1987 = £250, yet I have paid £55 at auction for the 2005).

Do not be fooled by the fact that if something is triple distilled then it is automatically better quality.
The best example I can give you to explain this is that if you distill a mash once then you are left with say 65% alcohol by volume and if you distill it again then this will increase to say 80% and this will further increase to over 90% when triple distilled.
This 90% triple distilled mash is quite a pure product at this stage granted but the problem is that it is not sold as 90% volume and it is then watered down to acheive a drinkable volume of say 40% by volume. So by increasing the amount of times it is distilled to make a more pure product is then spoilt by the extra amount of water you have to then add to make it a drinkable product for the market which would be typically 40% by volume.

Just recently got a bottle of Balvenie 14yr Caribbean cask, £33, on offer in Waitrose. Very nice indeed.

not a bad price, normally about 45quid isnt it?

If your ever up in Edinburgh try a visit to the bow bar pub (Grassmarket) area.........good selection of malts from all over......at a decent price............good beers as well.staff very friendly and knoledgable........they even have some free samples on the bar sometimes.

If your ever up in Edinburgh try a visit to the bow bar pub (Grassmarket) area.........good selection of malts from all over......at a decent price............good beers as well.staff very friendly and knoledgable........they even have some free samples on the bar sometimes.

We need to set up a list of good whisky pubs in the uk... My local is just a bells and jamesons pub. so its a jamesons at the end of the evening.

The duchess of cambridge in stamford brook, nr chiswick is a great whisky pub, cracking selection, also good beers.

If your ever up in Edinburgh try a visit to the bow bar pub (Grassmarket) area.........good selection of malts from all over......at a decent price............good beers as well.staff very friendly and knoledgable........they even have some free samples on the bar sometimes.

We need to set up a list of good whisky pubs in the uk... My local is just a bells and jamesons pub. so its a jamesons at the end of the evening.

The duchess of cambridge in stamford brook, nr chiswick is a great whisky pub, cracking selection, also good beers.

Morrisons in Stirling has a stunning range of whiskies and beer

http://www.coldbeercompany-stirling.co.uk/about

'It isn't only the length of the bar that impresses you at The Cold Beer Company - it's also how much is behind it. There are something in the region of 150 malt whiskies, 40 vodkas and 28 draught beers and lagers, including Belhaven Best, Belhaven Black and Belhaven IPA as well as Aspall Suffolk Cyder, Asahi and Peroni. As if that wasn't enough to focus on, there's a substantial menu that includes soup of the day, pub classics such as fish and chips, steak and ale pie and club sandwich, plus sharing combos, Sunday lunches, burgers and baguettes.'

Just recently got a bottle of Balvenie 14yr Caribbean cask, £33, on offer in Waitrose. Very nice indeed.

not a bad price, normally about 45quid isnt it?

Yes, about £ 41 in Tesco, Asda. On offer at the moment. Also got a 12 yr Bunnahabhain from there to. Ive tried this before, & its probably my favorite Islay malt.

If your ever up in Edinburgh try a visit to the bow bar pub (Grassmarket) area.........good selection of malts from all over......at a decent price............good beers as well.staff very friendly and knoledgable........they even have some free samples on the bar sometimes.

Will try it soon. Ryan's bar is OK, but a bit pricey.

Tried the Balvenie 14yr Caribbean cask from Waitrose myself and it's a big "Thumbs Up" from me

Personal 'every days for me are Glen Morangie 'Specials'

Tried the Balvenie 14yr Caribbean cask from Waitrose myself and it's a big "Thumbs Up" from me

Personal 'every days for me are Glen Morangie 'Specials'

Glenmorangie 10 yr old is a fine malt,,,& very popular as you know. Tell me more about the "Specials",,,I'm interested to know.

Tried the Balvenie 14yr Caribbean cask from Waitrose myself and it's a big "Thumbs Up" from me

Personal 'every days for me are Glen Morangie 'Specials'

Glenmorangie 10 yr old is a fine malt,,,& very popular as you know. Tell me more about the "Specials",,,I'm interested to know.

Rick, there is one called Glen Morangie 'Nectar D'Or' (12-year old Single Malt) and it is superb

Give it ago

Tried the Balvenie 14yr Caribbean cask from Waitrose myself and it's a big "Thumbs Up" from me

Personal 'every days for me are Glen Morangie 'Specials'

Glenmorangie 10 yr old is a fine malt,,,& very popular as you know. Tell me more about the "Specials",,,I'm interested to know.

Rick, there is one called Glen Morangie 'Nectar D'Or' (12-year old Single Malt) and it is superb

Give it ago

Nectar D'or Sauternes finish?? Scores a 94 in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible. Is this malt available locally?

Tried the Balvenie 14yr Caribbean cask from Waitrose myself and it's a big "Thumbs Up" from me

Personal 'every days for me are Glen Morangie 'Specials'

Glenmorangie 10 yr old is a fine malt,,,& very popular as you know. Tell me more about the "Specials",,,I'm interested to know.

Rick, there is one called Glen Morangie 'Nectar D'Or' (12-year old Single Malt) and it is superb

Give it ago

Nectar D'or Sauternes finish?? Scores a 94 in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible. Is this malt available locally?

Rick, I usually get mine (when not given as a gift! ) from Asda on-line, but I believe Ocado and Amazon do it

Hope that helps

Thanks fella. I got an account on the Whisky exchange,,,

http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/

Will get it soon.

I've started using amazon, also have a few tax free contacts. Getting a good list to try here fellas. Cheers!

Thanks fella. I got an account on the Whisky exchange,,,

http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/

Will get it soon.

Rick, that's great. I'll be on to it. Cheers (so to speak!)

Ardbeg renaissance...........wont get much change out of £50.

Benromach.........just as nice and around £30 a bottle.

Bushmills..........is a nice smooth drink and a decent price.

I agree with on the Bushmills and most of the Irish stuff is good value because it is distilled 3 times as opposed to twice for the Scotch. I have tried £20 - 30 Irish 10 - 12 year olds that have been better than 18 year old Scotch costing double or treble the amount. The Royal and Ancient Millennium blend is still my favourite and the Midleton Very Rare is not far behind. I only buy this quality at auction as I can't afford to pay hundreds per bottle (Midleton Very Rare 1987 = £250, yet I have paid £55 at auction for the 2005).

Do not be fooled by the fact that if something is triple distilled then it is automatically better quality.
The best example I can give you to explain this is that if you distill a mash once then you are left with say 65% alcohol by volume and if you distill it again then this will increase to say 80% and this will further increase to over 90% when triple distilled.
This 90% triple distilled mash is quite a pure product at this stage granted but the problem is that it is not sold as 90% volume and it is then watered down to acheive a drinkable volume of say 40% by volume. So by increasing the amount of times it is distilled to make a more pure product is then spoilt by the extra amount of water you have to then add to make it a drinkable product for the market which would be typically 40% by volume.

When spirits are distilled it is not just alcohol (ethanol C2H5OH) that is obtained, but also higher alcohols (more carbon atoms)and other volatile compounds like Phenols, Esters and Aldehydes. Some of these compounds add to the taste (Laphroaig is very Phenolic tasting), but others do not. This is why better quality comes from triple distilling as the distiller can remove either at the start of the condensate run-off or near the end. For example if each time only 10% of the unwanted compounds were to remain, after the second distillation there would be 1% and after the third 0.1%. It is about taste not the strength of the distillate. Furthermore, the bottle percentage by volume is not always achieved by adding water, but by the reduction through the 'Angels Share' (natural evaporation through the wood, which when maturing Pussers Rum for example results in 1 bottle left after 15 years in cask for every 16 at the start). There are a lot of good malts sold at cask strength, Springbank 15 year old is 46% and Erdarour 10 year old 2002 Barolo is 56.8%. Also, any addition of water to the finished bottle will not affect the taste (the same source water will be used) as doesn't contain the harsh compounds found prior to distillation.

Cardhu....the choice of champions

All the way! Sipping on one right now.

dalwhinnie down from 35 to 25 on tesco website now

Standard talisker 10yr, 8 off a bottle, down to 25 on tesco website...i would highly recommend! Big fan of all taliskers!


Isle Of Jura Superstition 8 quid off aswell, down again to 25.

Never tried this, but a great reduction...Fettercairn Fasque 13.50 off now down to 25.

Just got in the dalwhinnie, can anyone say if the fettercairn is a nice drop?

Dalmore is a nice drop

I quite like Penderyn as well, the baileys thing they do is exceptional Meryln I think its called.

Dalmore is a nice drop

I quite like Penderyn as well, the baileys thing they do is exceptional Meryln I think its called.

try the peated penderyn. not a bad drop. not tried any other penderyns.

Cardhu....the choice of champions

All the way! Sipping on one right now.

Was at a very boring work do in London last night.....

Hip flask of this stuff kept me going

With all due respect lads I'd sooner drink my dogs piss