Black Bottle - similar single malts?

I have not tasted Black Bottle, so I can't help in that comparison.

Of the single malts you have tasted, which style did you prefer between Dalmore (a good Northern Highlands style), Macallan (heavily sherried), and Glenlivet (light, fruity)? I'm assuming Dalmore 12, Macallan 12 and Glenlivet 12.

For a jump into a different style, you might try finding a dram at a local bar, say an Islay like Bowmore Legend which has a smoked peat character over a sherried background. If you like the peat smoke, you can look for more Islay malts. Bruichladdich 10 is a nice Islay with slight peaty character.

I've never had any Black Bottle, but it's a vatting of Islays, right? Which would be:

Ardbeg Bowmore Lagavulin Laphroaig Bunnahabhain Bruichladdich Caol Ila

so there's your starting point, or starting list.

I haven't tried all of them. The Bowmore Legend is cheap, and in my opinion an excellent value. I wouldn't start with their dawn/darkest/etc line, I don't think; the dominant flavor there is not the characteristic peat/iodine you're probably looking for. Speaking of which, Laphroaig has a very strong peat taste, and is also quite easily available. Get the 10 or 12 year to start with; it is not at all clear that the flavors necessarily improve with age but the price definitely goes up. ;) Starting with those might give you a general sense of what you're looking for. I'm sure there are many other good choices as well. Oh, yes, and Talisker, although not on Islay, also has significant peat flavor. I've never had any Isle of Jura but I think the same applies.

I always envy someone's first excursion into the Islays. Love at first sip, it was for me.

Laphroaig is kind of the deep end for starters, I'd say. But if you like that combination of peat, smoke and Islaydine -- the medicinal or phenolic element -- the world is your oyster.

The Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroaig and Caol Ila are my mainstays, along with the Talisker.

I find the regular Isle of Jura to be a bit undistinguished compared to the above. But their Superstition is much peatier and very drinkable.

bill

U¿ytkownik "RD" napisa³:

It's the Bunnahabhain distillery that claims to "the home of Black Bottle", and the blend is supposed to contain a high proportion of this particular malt. However, other Islays having a more distinctive flavour, they will be more dominant in the overall character of Black Bottle. So you will be better advised to seek your favourites among the likes of Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Caol Ila and Bowmore. You might like to go through the rather wide range of new Bruichladdich expressions, and Isle of Jura. Jura Superstition has been mentioned as probably the best shot. Having a go at the Bunnahabhain itself is not a bad idea, either.

Cheers, Rajmund

Black Bottle contains Islay whiskies, so I'd be inclined to try one of the 'mid-range' Islays. Give a Caol Ila 12yo a try.

Jim

Some good replies here. As I said above, not having tried Black Bottle, I do not have a handle on how much peat, smoke, phenol, etc. to expect. However, for the current list of Islay bottlings, I'd rank them in increasing order of "Islayness":

Bunnahabhain 12 Bruichladdich 10 or 15 (I have the 15, never tasted the 10) then the peaty Caol Ila 12 (I have the 18 - the 12 might be a bit heavier) Bowmore Legend NAS (recent bottlings are quite nice) Lagavulin 16 Ardbeg 10 Laphroaig 10 (I also have the 15 but not opened it yet)

I did my own mini-tasting last night with the Caol Ila 18, Ardbeg 10 and Laphroaig 10. The Caol Ila had the least peat with nice complexity, a great malt. Ardbeg 10 is one of my favorites. Lots of peat/smoke with a slightly sweet sherry background that fades to dryness. A very big Islay malt. Laphroaig 10 has all the power of peat/smoke but also a lot of dryness, less sweet but very complex.

Some of these are described as having an "iodine" character. As a chemist, I know what iodine smells like and I don't agree. I suspect the character is a salt air odor which is quite pleasant; some also call it seaweed. Since I live in the center of the continent in the U.S. I can't relate to seaweed odors either.

Note that it is difficult to find the most recent reviews of these bottlings. These malts do vary from year to year in subtle details but not usually house style. There are also different bottlings for different markets. I've heard that Japan gets different blends of some malts. Also, there are variations on strength. For example Laphroaig 10 has been bottled at both 40 and 43 abv in the same year. All of my bottles are 750ml U.S. market.

Hi Rajmund (and others),

Good suggestions there. Black Bottle is bottled by Burn Stewart, the owners of of Bunnahabhain, so it's a good bet that the malt component is largely Bunny..

It only takes a small amount of highly peated malt to give that peaty character to a large amount of unpeated whisky. Try adding a couple of literal drops of Ardbeg or Laphroaig to a shot of something which you know is unpeated, like Bushmills. It won't be a peat monster, but it will be discernibly "peaty", though the Ardbeg is only a percent or two of what's in your glass. (Always endorsing the experimental method - try it and see for yourself!)

I've been exploring blends all summer, since about May, and comparing them to similar malts when I can identify which malt to compare them to and when that malt is available and affordable. And although it isn't a component of Black Bottle, the malt I found most like it - like the 10yo Black Bottle sold in the USA - is the old 15yo Ledaig still found on some shelves, at least around here.

The peat level is almost identical, and the flavor is very similar. Tobermory (Ledaig) is also owned by Burn Stewart so it may represent something of a house style: Burn Stewart's idea of what a peaty whisky should be. The finish on the Ledaig is longer, and that's a common difference between malts and blends. It's also a tad sweeter, another common difference, but very comparable. Black Bottle has its own strong points too; it's better balanced, and the occasional "rough edge" in the Ledaig is absent.

If you want a malt that's like the Black Bottle 10yo, I'd try the Ledaig 15yo.

If you like the peatiness of Black Bottle, that smoky bittersweet tang, then definitely explore the Islays. The Bowmore Legend gets you in the door with the smallest investment, about 20 USD locally.

Bart

P.S. I think the Jura Superstition is both an excellent whisky and a good bargain. It's the best Jura I've had. It isn't just peaty though, it also has a layer of sherry from finishing in oloroso casks, making it big and complex. Few whiskys at that price point (~32 USD locally) are as multi-faceted.

Thanks to all for your advise. I'll just have to try them all, as time and funds permit.

Without doubt as Bunnahabhain is the main constituent, that would be a sensible place to start.