Andyaussie013 Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 Can somebody recommend me worlds best and rare single malt whisky ??
Guest Willow Posted July 17, 2012 Posted July 17, 2012 ATTENTION : http://www.tattersallsclub.org/events/show/THE%20WHISKY%20SHOW%202012 ...you Sydneysiders have all the fun.
Guest guru Posted July 17, 2012 Posted July 17, 2012 (edited) Can somebody recommend me worlds best and rare single malt whisky ?? dan murphys has a 50 yr old glenfiddich for 25k. you could ask for a try before you buy. or there is a 55 yr old macallan on the whiskey exchange website for 15000 pound. Edited July 17, 2012 by guru
ThirdDrawerDown Posted July 17, 2012 Posted July 17, 2012 Andyaussie it doesn't work that way because everyone's definition of what makes for a superb whisky comes down to (wait for it) a matter of taste. For example, and as mentioned above, the whisky that gives me the greatest joy is merely $450 a bottle: Bruichladdich Octomore Orpheus 5 years You could try googling "Jim Murray" "best whisky" because if there is any such thing as a representative whisky taste and voice, then Jim Murray is the person who speaks it, and to his credit he does this after drinking it first. A quite wonderful whisky book that purports to be the search for the perfect dram but masquerades as the wild and woolly autobiography of the wild and woolly brilliant Scots writer Iain M. Banks is "Raw Spirit". In it Banks concludes: "After extensive research, I can definitely tell you that single malt whiskies are good to drink. Some are very good to drink. Some are exceptional. There is, of course, no perfect dram. Or there are lots, depending on how you look at it. What apparently tastes like a perfect dram now might not taste so good later. What tastes like a perfect dram to me might taste awful to you." As an example, i love the malts of Isla. To those who like a Speyside whisky, they would reckon I've ruined a good dram with too much seaweed, smoke, and cough drops. Also price is no indicator of quality. Many whiskies at the top end of the market are there as gifts, to rake in the shekels from those who think "it's expensive so it must be good" when trying to buy something for someone who has everything. Now, as audiophiles we automatically know this to be the case, where a leather tweeter hand-rolled on the thighs of virgins automatically beats a naugahyde tweeter any day. Except when it doesn't. For the record, Banks concluded the 21 year old Glenfiddich Havana Reserve was well worth a go. It currently sells at about $200 a bottle. Banks is the sort of guy who can afford to buy this stuff by the case and so he has experimented widely. Then there are some exceptional barrels from the SWMS Scots Malt Whisky Society. They provide tasting notes which could act as your guide. If you want to spend $5k on a bottle then send me 10 per cent and I will match it with something at the $500 mark. Please note, you may not get the full bottle as evidence.
ThirdDrawerDown Posted July 22, 2012 Posted July 22, 2012 Yesterday Satdee night saw a long-promised whisky sampling session at a friend's house. After much contemplation and due consideration, the whiskies I most wanted to take home were a Port Ellen 1978 25 year old. Ravishing! Alas the distillery closed in 1978 and this little beauty came in a 250ml bottle, $100 the bottle, and there ain't no more. And a Black Bowmore from 1964. This is the 30-year old from oloroso casks. The bottle's owner said "I bought this for $300 and I've seen it selling at $2,000 now." I've just done a web search and his info is out of date, it is now over the $3,000 mark. So last night we disposed of about $1,500 worth of whisky. Or $150, depending on how you look at it. It is an amazingly well-balanced drop. Not a nuance out of place.
Super Mustud Posted August 5, 2012 Posted August 5, 2012 A few pics from Islay. First, Bowmore. A nice distillery tour, even if it is not my favourite Islay whisky. Then the very picturesque Bunnahabhain Just up the road to Caol Ila
Super Mustud Posted August 5, 2012 Posted August 5, 2012 Driving past a peat dig on the way to Laphroaig A really lovely visit to Laphroaig. As a Friend of Laphroaig, before the tour, I received my cerificate and directions to my very own plot where I could plant an Aussie flag. After a few drams of course. But it was a bit of a walk over the filds, so a couple of drams more were required to fortify oneself. Mrs Mustud and I walked with another F of L from Norway who had arrived at the same time as us and who also felt a similar need to fortify before going to plant his flag. I quite liked his plot, however was horrified to find that mine was, well, shall we say, in a muddy swampy part of the field. I had a bit of a look around and found a really nice spot that had a New Zealand flag on it. After a few choice words about the new Zealanders (my Norwegian friend said "yah, we feel that way about the Swedes". I had to laugh) and finding to my interest that the New Zealand flag was displaced with one swift kick, the Aussie flag was quickly planted quite securely. Then back for a tour and some bracing drams. In the pic below, sherry barrels at the back, a Beam barrel at left front (L is owned by Beam) and a slightly smaller Laph quarter cask made from a beam barrel on the right. You can see where the bands on the Beam barrel had beam before it was remade by Laph. Mrs Mustud thinking that she is truly a saint. Tomorrow to Lagavulin and Ardbeg. Now for a nice cup of tea...
houdinifangs Posted August 5, 2012 Posted August 5, 2012 Super pics Mustud. Sounds like a very comprehensive tour of the big un's. Taste anything extra special?
davidsss Posted August 6, 2012 Posted August 6, 2012 I never knew you were such a patriot S&M. I assume you will be bringing back some samples for all of us on SNA, out of that lot I think I've only had Laphroaig. DS
CraigC Posted August 6, 2012 Posted August 6, 2012 Great stuff mustard, even my kids are intersted in the pics of where the 'stinky charchol' comes from.
Jake Posted August 6, 2012 Author Posted August 6, 2012 Great pics SM! Keep 'em coming. Looks like you are having a great time.
ThirdDrawerDown Posted August 6, 2012 Posted August 6, 2012 not so hasty with that NZ flag Relax AJ, remember the Australian came second. SM - excellent photos there! Thank you for posting them. Lovely to see Caol Ila, now I know what Iain Banks means when he wrote about the distillery's name being visible for miles. He also said that Bunnahabhain was gloriously picturesque and your photos show this. Last night I opened a 12-yr old Caol Ila that a friend brought for me duty free. A tragic story really, he's just given up the booze and so all he could do was sniff the cork and sigh!
Super Mustud Posted August 6, 2012 Posted August 6, 2012 Super pics Mustud. Sounds like a very comprehensive tour of the big un's. Taste anything extra special? Went to some more distilleries today. Will post pics later if I have the energy. We leave Islay tomorrow after 3 hectic days. Very glad we came. To answer your question. I generally stick to commercially available drams when tasting in order to avoid being sidetracked down esoteric byways, however the special tasting session today at Lagavulin did seduce me. I can recommend the hard to find Distillers Edition and also the impossible to find Limited Release currently available only at the distillery. Only 68 bottles of the second one left, and then only 66 after I bought 2 for myself. Both this and the Distillers Edition will be available at my next GTG. Also like the Laphroaig 18 YO (which is available in Aussie). Now, boys and girls. A funny thing. Even the most peaty drams on Islay taste less peaty than they do in Aussie. I thought it might be imagination at first, however after three days I think there is more to it. Also, Mrs Mustud, who cannot stand the stuff, says the same. I am wondering if the climate here has some sort of impact on the way we are tasting. If it is imagination then it is bad luck as we will not have any more chances to find out as we leave tomorrow.
mondie Posted August 6, 2012 Posted August 6, 2012 Great pics SM, thanks for posting them. I like the idea of a whiskey crawl in the future, Mrs Mondie is slowly gaining a string interest in the stuff too
Super Mustud Posted August 6, 2012 Posted August 6, 2012 OK, a few more pics. I have restrained my enthusiasm to include other pics of Islay, however I have snuck one or two in from areas just around a couple of the distilleries to give you an idea. I will have great fun playing around with the 600 or so pics we took just around Islay when we get back. Firstly, Bruichladdich Then the quite small Kilchoman distillery. Peat smoke is smokin'! And then to Lagavulin for our appointment at 1.30.
Super Mustud Posted August 6, 2012 Posted August 6, 2012 Loved the visit to Lagavulin. I strongly recommend the special tasting session. Costs 15 pounds but it is in a group of 6 sitting around a table in the tasting room with the lagavulin guy taking you carefully through each of the samples in turn, explaining the nose and taste components to look for. Also a fair bit of folk lore and industry chat. As well as the standard icons, we tasted a couple of special brews, including one no longer made. Excellent. And then, finally, towards the end of a long day, Ardbeg. Time for another cup of tea.
Mr_Gimlet Posted August 7, 2012 Posted August 7, 2012 Kilchoman and Bruichladdich - probably my two favourite distilleries.
Probbo Posted August 7, 2012 Posted August 7, 2012 Great pics.............the locals must annoy the local paint shop...........they can't sell any colour other than white !
Guest Willow Posted August 7, 2012 Posted August 7, 2012 Good work Super , a nice little tour in the comfort of our own homes with you and Mrs Mustad doing the hard yakka. Interesting your point regarding the tasting ( peat ) , and it's intensity , could you possibly have acclimatised to the peaty surrounds and the subsequent whiffs within the 3 days , with you and Mrs Mustad rolling around in the Heather anything is possible. Thats a mighty fine looking flat cap too , family tartan ?
Super Mustud Posted August 7, 2012 Posted August 7, 2012 Thats a mighty fine looking flat cap too , family tartan ? McMustud.
Super Mustud Posted August 7, 2012 Posted August 7, 2012 Kilchoman and Bruichladdich - probably my two favourite distilleries. Yes, but how will it go now that Remy has taken over? Interesting articles in the Islay newspaper!
Super Mustud Posted August 7, 2012 Posted August 7, 2012 Great pics! Thanks Alistair and others on the comments. Backed up our Islay pics before leaving this morning. Just over 1,000. Maybe 150 are bombs, the rest are all good, with many very good. That is due to the subject matter, not necessarily the Mustuds who twisted the lens or pressed the buttons. Hours of pleasure coming up having a fiddle with them once back in Oz. Now back in Hadrian's Wall country, in a lovely cottage near Haltwhistle.
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