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It's been quiet in here...so I'll speak up...I have some new bottles!

Good evening,

I was visiting family in my old hometown this past weekend. While in town I stopped into some local liquor stores to look for interesting whiskies. I found and purchased the following bottles (all 750 ml and in U.S. dollars):

Clynelish 15 y.o., 1984 (bottled 1999), 40% a.b.v., Gordon & McPhail ($45.99) Caol Ila 15 y.o., 1984 (bottled 2000), 40% a.b.v., Gordon & McPhail ($56.99) Ardbeg Ten y.o. with the "white stripe" diagonally across the top-right of the box. (it says "Introducing ten years old") ($37.99) Bruichladdich "Links" 14 y.o. (bottle # 3893 of 12000) ($59.99)

I took a chance on the Clynelish (this will be my first). Whenever I see Clynelish in my market (Boston), it's always $75 or more. I've enjoyed all three of the Caol Ila's I've tasted (a 1990 from the Signatory Vintage series, and a 1990 and a 1991 from the Sig UCF series), so I didn't really think too much before grabbing the Caol Ila.

I've never before seen the Ardbeg 10 with the white stripe. This was the only Ardbeg 10 in the store and the box was so dusty that I had to wipe the dust off just to read the price tag. I've read about the white stripe Ardbeg 10 here at some point...but I couldn't find any info about it when I Googled...but in my mind I though "what a find, this must be one of the first Ardbeg Tens" because of the white stripe. Do any of you have any information about this? I've compared the box/bottle of the white stripe to the current Ardbeg bottling and they are nearly identical, except for minor variations in box color. Disregarding the white stripe itself, the main differences between the boxes are that the white stripe box has a more pronounced tweed-like pattern and it is a slightly deeper green, and that between the two boxes, there are slight variations in the levels of contrast between their respective label-letterings and backgrounds. I haven't yet opened the white stripe bottle (because I have another, nearly-full bottle of Ardbeg 10 open at the moment).

Of the above bottles, the only one that I've opened and tasted is the Bruichladdich Links 14 y.o. I thought that I'd never tasted Bruichladdich before, but as I'm tasting it now, I'm remembering a Prime Malts #2 Islay that was reputed to be (but the one I tasted was DEFINITELY NOT) a Laphroaig. (I don't know if Prime Malts #2 is always from the same distillery...does it change?). When I had the Prime Malts #2 I couldn't recognize it as the product of any distillery I've ever had before. Tasting this Bruichladdich Links has convinced me that my Prime Malts #2 was without a doubt a Bruichladdich malt. Also, I'd have to say that to date, this is my least favorite Islay.

Have any of you tasted any of the above bottlings? If you have, would you be willing to share your opinions and info? I'd love to hear them....

Thanks, and have a good night, Sean

Reply to
Sean
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Hi Sean

Clynelish are always good, try the Brora as well. It's kinda the same destillery. (The rebuilt a similar distillery next door and kept both running for a few years before shutting the old one down. They kept the warehouses for Clynelish. Same Pot stills. Brora is often very peaty - they used it to replace Caol Ila in Blends while they were rebuilding that one.

All the Islay Malts are very good. I you are into the peaty stuff be careful, Bruichladdich is something else. Personally Bruichladdich is one of my favourite malts, after the new owners took over. They have put out a good range of bottlings. The 10y is still a bit too young for my taste. They've started to produce some peaty stuff in 2001 (i believe) and I am looking forward to that. It will be bottled under the name "Port Charlotte" and is stored in the old Lochindaal warehouses in Port Charlotte. They have also made some even more peaty stuff to be named Octomore after the farm behind the destillery (Which owns the water supply)

My favourite Bruivhladdichs is the 15, 17, links and Full Strength and some of the old vintage are also very good but expensive

Slainthe Steffen

Reply to
Steffen Bräuner

snipped

Hi Steffen,

I sampled a Brora a month or so ago at one of the stores where I shop...it was a Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask, 50% a.b.v., but I didn't take note of the year and age...If I remember correctly, it was over $100 U.S. for a bottle. In a recent thread (February) titled "Longrow 10 y.o. OB and Brora", Serge Valentin posted some interesting info about Brora, including dates, levels of peat, bottlers, etc. Brora is on my list of bottles to buy.

Thanks for the info about the Bruichladdich. The Links is starting to grow on me a little bit. I guess I was expecting something more like the other Islay malts...so I was a bit surprised by it. Are the 15 and 17 y.o. similar to the Links?

Sean

Reply to
Sean M.

distillery...does it change?).

The first time I had it, at least a decade ago, it must have been Laphroaig. The 2nd time I had it, it must have been Bruichladdich and I was really disappointed! The great thing about the new management at Bruichladdich is that they take a light-styled whisky and bottle it in ways that gives it good potency (46%) and this fresh complexity (non-chill-filtered) that allows some enchanting things to come bursting and wafting. I really dislike the Bruichladdich I bought in the late 1980's (dull, nutty, and plain) and the second Prime Malts #2 that I got (the one without the peat!) put me off buying Prime Malts #2 many years ago! I hope the G&McP Clynelish at 40% isn't too tame. It can be a big ripe/fruity/lighly-peaty flavor-bucket if you get a nice version.

Reply to
Douglas W. Hoyt

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