Seasonal Spirits.

[Tony Williams]

Our coach actually went right through the middle of the Highland Park distillery (not a road accident - it is on both sides of a road) but there was no time to stop. However, I am carrying back something interesting: a sample box consisting of several small bottles of their products varying in age from 12 to 30 years. I'll save that until I'm really in the mood.

A factoid - this brand of whisky is known locally as "sauce". Why? Simple really: Highland Park = HP = sauce...

[Tony Williams]

Just checked the box, which consists of five little bottles, aged 12, 15, 18, 25 and 30 years.

I see that the 30 year old retails at £375 per bottle

Oh well, it's a bargain compared with the 40 year old, at £1,315 :

See: http://www.masterofmalt.com/distillerie ... istillery/
I refuse to link to the HP site as the cheeky sods demand that you enter your date of birth before allowing you access.

[polomint38]

I refuse to link to the HP site as the cheeky sods demand that you enter your date of birth before allowing you access.

You look so young Tony, they don't want to encourage underage drinking.

Seriously those enter your date of birth questions, someone would have to be way stupid, to be flummoxed by this and be refused access.

I here from other people they also have these questions on adult entertainment sites. I wouldn't know myself.

[Tony Williams]

I here from other people they also have these questions on adult entertainment sites. I wouldn't know myself.

Me neither - I'm much too young for that

[chaggle]

I refuse to link to the HP site as the cheeky sods demand that you enter your date of birth before allowing you access.

You look so young Tony, they don't want to encourage underage drinking.

Seriously those enter your date of birth questions, someone would have to be way stupid, to be flummoxed by this and be refused access.

I here from other people they also have these questions on adult entertainment sites. I wouldn't know myself.

While on the subject of bleedin' stupid questions, the one time I flew to America (many years ago and hopefully never again) one of the questions I was asked on the questionnaire I was given to fill in during the flight was...

'While in the USA do you intend to have sexual relations with any underage children?'

...and I'm honestly not paraphrasing much.

[Tony Williams]

While on the subject of bleedin' stupid questions, the one time I flew to America (many years ago and hopefully never again) one of the questions I was asked on the questionnaire I was given to fill in during the flight was...

'While in the USA do you intend to have sexual relations with any underage children?'

...and I'm honestly not paraphrasing much.

They still ask such questions about terrorism.

Of course, if it turned out that you were involved in such practices, they could not only get you for committing that crime but for the much more heinous sin of ticking the wrong box! :-o

[bindeweede]

Now then, back to booze! A week or so ago, I bought a bottle of Waitrose 8yo blended whisky. Opened it tonight and popped in an ice cube - bad idea. On second tasting, it is a very acceptable, smoky mix of Island and Speyside (it says on the bottle). About £18 a bottle.

If anyone decides to try it, I'd be interested in their views.

[Tony Williams]

I've finally got around to tasting the collection of Highland Park miniatures which has been sitting around since July.

These are they, with extracts from the distillery's description on the box followed by my comments:

12 year old (40%): "rounded smokey sweetness": OK, but not as good as Laphroaig (which I regard as a decent malt but nothing special)

15 YO (40%): "rich, initially sweet, developing into a dry smokiness": stronger flavour, but rather rough

18 YO (43%): "rich, full flavour, honey and peat": like the 12 YO only more depth of flavour

25 YO (48.1%): "full, rich burst of flavour, soft honey, nutty toffee": getting serious now, strong flavoured, very smokey and oily

30 YO (48.1%): "Force 9 flavour with toffee, dark chocolate orange and peat": like the previous one only more so.

The basic problem I had with all of these is that disliked the HP flavour - I found it unpleasantly bitter and tannic. So the one I would choose to drink would be the 12 YO as that had least flavour.

None of these is a patch on my Favourite Four: Lagavulin (clearly the best), Talisker, Ardbeg and Caol Ila.

[bindeweede]

Well, a week or so ago, I decided to treat myself to a bottle of 12yo Bunnahabhain - on special offer at a local supermarket. Bottled at 46.3%, I thought a little water would be advisable. Well, it was a disappointing experience. Pleasant but uninspiring. I tried a little more this evening, and my response was the same. Would taking it neat be better?

Another time, perhaps.

[Ketchup]

Would taking it neat be better?

A very wise man once said ..........

"When I drink whiskey, I drink whiskey - and when I drink water, I drink water."

(To switch to full screen, click the Full screen icon in the bottom corner of the video player.

To exit out of full screen, press Esc on your keyboard or click the Full screen icon again.)

;-)

[chaggle]

Would taking it neat be better?

A very wise man once said ..........

"When I drink whiskey, I drink whiskey - and when I drink water, I drink water."

(To switch to full screen, click the Full screen icon in the bottom corner of the video player.

To exit out of full screen, press Esc on your keyboard or click the Full screen icon again.)

;-)

Although it is apt in this instance, it isn't obvious to me why that clip warrants its own you tube video nor why anyone would remember it.

Does it have hidden significance perhaps?

[Ketchup]

Although it is apt in this instance, it isn't obvious to me why that clip warrants its own you tube video nor why anyone would remember it.

Does it have hidden significance perhaps?

The film 'The Quiet Man' is a classic in some quarters and quite a few of the 'stand-out' scenes can be found clipped onto YouTube.
Barry Fitzgerald's retort about the whiskey/water is quoted by Irish folk the world over. (Supposed to mean that if you're a real whiskey [as opposed to 'whisky'] drinker you wouldn't dream of having anything else in your glass - kind of on a par with drinking warm beer). That clip does go on a bit though - the preceding scene is all a bit unnecessary. They should have just stuck with the whiskey/water quote - unless, perhaps, it's specially meant to show that only a silly, flighty, non-drinking woman (Maureen O'Hara in the film) would even conceive of such a thought (water in the whisky). :-?

[chaggle]

The film 'The Quiet Man' is a classic in some quarters and quite a few of the 'stand-out' scenes can be found clipped onto YouTube.
Barry Fitzgerald's retort about the whiskey/water is quoted by Irish folk the world over. (Supposed to mean that if you're a real whiskey [as opposed to 'whisky'] drinker you wouldn't dream of having anything else in your glass - kind of on a par with drinking warm beer). That clip does go on a bit though - the preceding scene is all a bit unnecessary. They should have just stuck with the whiskey/water quote - unless, perhaps, it's specially meant to show that only a silly, flighty, non-drinking woman (Maureen O'Hara in the film) would even conceive of such a thought (water in the whisky). :-?

Thanks. Just what I wanted to know.

[bindeweede]

I don't know about Irish, but there are some Scotch whiskies bottled at over 60% abv. I've never tasted any, but I expect added water would be a necessity.

Inchmurrin 16 Year Old - Single Cask
(70cl, 62.8%)

:o

[Tony Williams]

I don't know about Irish, but there are some Scotch whiskies bottled at over 60% abv. I've never tasted any, but I expect added water would be a necessity.

Yes. Cask strength is not meant to be drunk neat (and doesn't taste that good if it is - the alcohol is overpowering).

The strongest regular scotch I know of is Talisker at 45.8%.

(The ignorant spell checker just tried to "correct" Talisker to Talker! The programmer needs re-educating