Query for the Group

Brook-Laddie Caol Ila 12 and 18 Lagavulin 16 Laphroig 15 (or vice versa, I forget) Highland Park 18 Ardbeg 10

Not necessarily in that order

chuck

Lagavulin 16 year.............. period

Willie

Welcome back, Bart. You've been missed.

The volume of posts had fallen the last year or so and we're seeing more minor scraps than we used to but most of it's still on topic, old friends drop by from time to time and we still like our drams.

Still not available where I live, but I will try to afford it when I see it.

New here in B.C. of late and enjoyable are the Caol Ila 12, very nice, and the Lagavulin 12 CS, not quite as noble as the 16 but well worth the drinking. On a recent rip to Alberta, I acquired the Isle of Jura Superstition, which is a bit one-dimensional but it's an enjoyable dimension, and the Campbelltown 21 blend, which is a comfortable little drink for low-peat days.

To my regret, I finally located a bottle of Longrow and found it beyond my spending limit. Buying lottery tickets, though.

cheers.

bill

Seconded. Mind you, the Balvenie Doublewood was a frighteningly easy-to-drink dram, and the Laphroaig Quarter Cask was extremely good as well. But the Uigedail wins.

Jim

"Bart" skrev i melding news:poSdnUlyoIy0niLenZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@texas.net...

Hi Bart, and welcome back!

Not a very interesting answer perhaps, but it will have to be the Lagavulin

1. Still simply the best whisky I have had yet.

But a very different and pleasant surprise for me this year was the Glengoyne12 yo Cask Strength, which resently became available locally. No smoke, lots of fire! Lots and lots of flavour, very compact. Opens up nicely with some water. Very warming, a nice mid-winter malt in my opinion.

It's on top of my shopping list, but I'll have to go abroad to get it. And I will. From what I've read I believe I can hope to list it as my best whisky in 2006 :-)

Gunnar

My initial response would have been the Laphroaig Cask Strength which brought back some of the Laphroaig bite that seems to have been tamed in recent standard bottlings, but I've been thinking about Compass Box' Monster since Howard asked about it a few days back. I'm talking about the CS version, not the standard bottling, which I have yet to open. It is one of the most drinkable whiskies I have ever tasted, which is saying something considering it is at 55% ABV. It's been a while since I finished a bottle of it, but I think I'd cast my vote there.

Yup, same here, although the Laphroaig Quarter Cask is close second... then the Highland Park 18.

sinc', christian

Caol Ila 15 or Laphroaig 15 - loved 'em both

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My newest find was a Craigellachie which I had at Craigellachie itself in November 2005. It's about the most exciting thing I have come across in a long time. I was very fond and still am of the Caol Ila rum finish from Chieftains Choice, but the Craigellachie was so creamy and it just fitted the bill so to speak at the right time.

Peace,

Jock The Step-We-Ceilidh Band.

Aberlour A'bunadh Laphroaig CS (still haven't tried the cask strenth Ardbeg...hoping to)

John

Bart wrote in news:poSdnUlyoIy0niLenZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@texas.net:

Lagavulin 12 year old cask strength.

When I add just a bit of water I get a flavor that I haven't tasted since my first bottle of Lagavulin 16 (a 'White Horse').

Best ones in 2005 :

Ardbeg 1972 PING 1 single cask from Juul's in Copenhagen

Caskowners Rechlerich (40y old Glenfarclas)

and a handful of singlecasks Glenfarclas at the destillery

MacDeffe

Balvenie 21 year Portwood finished ...and an oddball that I can't remember the name of but have writtten down somewhere.

Aberlour A'bunadh, although the previous bin was better than the one I'm on now Laphroaig CS (haven't bought the Ard yet, but all these posts are elevating it on my list)

John

Not a scotch, but the best in 2005 to me

Redbreast 15 y.o.

Is there a reason you can't use alt.test for this? Or is it only affecting messages posted to this group?

Jim

alt.test not working for you, John?

Without doubt my favoured tipple of last year was 16 yo Cask Strength, non chill filtered Bladnoch. Smoother than a well talced baby's bum

David

Thanks. It's nice to be remembered.

The Caol Ila 12 is a nice dram. It and the 18yo were clearly meant to plug the hole left from the (hopefully temporary) declining stocks of Lagavulin. The 12yo especially is a competitor to the Ardbeg and Laphroaig 10 as well. When I first tasted the 18yo (at the local whisky fest a couple of years ago I thought it was very good, but in subsequent tastings it has failed to impress me as much. It's hard to make a judgement based on a single taste. You have to live with a whisky for a while to really appraise it; taste it on different occasions under different moods etc...

The 12yo CS Lagavulin hasn't been available locally. A few years ago one was, but it was nearly 200 USD and out of my price range! Likewise, the Campbelton Loch 21yo hasn't appeared locally but the 25yo finally showed up, and it's a fine little blend. Priced right too, but no sherry and not too deep considering it's age (some of it's constituents are around 40yo). Cadenhead has always had a lot of old whiskies aged in plain wood, which don't taste as old as their age statement.

I can offer my sympathy. My malt budget has been much smaller lately, and the prices of good malts have been rising, which certainly puts a squeeze on my palate.

Bart