Premium blends?

You know, I didn't bother to answer the thread on recommendations for blends because my taste in blends runs towards premium blends which usually cost as much as a single malt and most of you just don't see the sense in spending that much on a blend/bland... ;o)

I myself don't care for blends that don't have some age on them as I a) far prefer aged grain whisky and, b) find that more care is taken when vatting an aged blend, although not necessarily always.

So which premium blends are on people's A-list? Or am I alone in foolishly wasting my money on blends when there are so many deserving malts looking for a home? ;o)

Here is my current list of blends that rival many a single malt:

Chivas 18yo -- really well spiced, with nice pepper notes, don't knock it til you've tried it.

Ballantine 17yo -- bought it for next to nothing and now find out it's in fact an expensive Asian blend

Islay Mist 17yo -- picked this up in the Netherlands, very much worth the money

Johnnie Walker Black -- old standby, just can't go wrong here

Johnnie Walker Blue -- great blend, go ahead & abuse me, it's just sourgrapes cuz ya can't afford it ;o) (and neither can I usually!)

Whyte & MacKay 30yo -- another of the world's great blends that I can't afford, a sample thanks to Bushido

Blue Hanger -- another sample thanks to Bushido, what I wouldn't do to find a whole bottle, I've asked Berry Bros & Rudd several times but to no avail (and no, the Blue Hanger 25yo is just the name resurrected, it's a vatted Glen Grant/Glenlivet, not an aged version of the original blend)

Campbeltown Loch 25yo -- I should have bought a case when I had the chance, excellent quality-price ratio when it was around (I believe only the 21yo is available now)

Cutty Sark 25yo -- was available locally for a very good price, a dram of this will likely convince most of you that a blend can be worth every penny of a good single malt

That's all off the top of my head -- anyone else enjoy a premium blend from time to time? I've heard good things about Angus Dundee 25yo -- has anyone here tried this one?

Johanna

Reply to
Johanna, Single Minded
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Hi Johanna,

why don't you like blend without age?? Do you know that blends without age contain more older malts than with an age, because in blends with an age the grain whisky should also have that age. So in no age blends the grain is younger but the malts are older, what makes the price and the taste better. But like always the "customer" want to have a blend or whisky with age, because CHIVAS has a 12 on the label, so other blend must have that also he thinks. I'm not a blend fan, I like malt much more than blends, but I know one thing that older blend made in the 60-70 and even 80 are much better than lots of single malt they are bringing now. I tasted lots of older blend and these are much than lots of malts now. The blend you named are good , but comparing with the old blends without age, they lose in taste. I know that the problem is to find those things, but then again I can understand people who bought and drank these things earlier that they are confused when you say that blend without age are worse than with age, or worse than malt now. I have to agree that the blends now are not as good, on a few acceptions.

Regards,

Marc

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Reply to
Sedak NV

The Campbeltown Loch is fairly widely available in the U.S. - and reasonably priced at that (under $60!).

Reply to
SleepyWeevil

Hi Johanna

I also like Black Bottle 10y

Steffen

Reply to
Steffen Bräuner

The Angus Dundee 25 yo sat on shelves around here until someone realized that it's bottled with a slashing of Springbank. You can tell it's in there too. They all vanished soon afterwards. Retailed for $30. A bargain, but a bit harsher with the grain component than the CL 25.

I like the Dundee 25, but the Campbeltown Loch 25 is a much better blend and also a reverse blend, I believe. In other words, it had more malt than a grain component. Smoother and richer than the Dundee 25, IMO. A bargain and the pedigree of the malt and grain components has been discussed here before. Stellar stuff.

Johanna, S>-- anyone else enjoy a premium blend

Reply to
MacGuffin

Marc, Johanna,

I see several references to "NAS" but haven't seen that term before. Non Aged Scotch!!!??? Help and thanks.

Dave

Reply to
DaveS

No Age Statement.

-- regards, Fred

"Verbing weirds language." -- Calvin

Reply to
Fred
Reply to
Johanna, Single Minded

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