Favorite Whiskey?

Hmmm I have not tried it. But it’s on my list as I live in MA.

 

If you can find it try Bushmills Black Bush. Also the Jim Beam Repeal is very good too.

 

Ardbeg is going to be a little oilier and a little smokier (not necessarily more peat, though). I think Laphroaig is a little more approachable heavily-peated scotch for day-to-day while Ardbeg is a little more challenging, but no less enjoyable.

 

Awesome, I just sent an order in now for a bottle of the Ardbeg 10yr, Uigeadail, and Corryvreckan. I will report back once I have them all side by side!

 

Bought a bottle of Ardbeg 10 a month or two back.
I took 1 taste and gave the whole bottle away to a buddy. Never more. Quoth the Raven.

 

What was your complaint?

 

Very nice! If you're going to do it, do it right!

Corryvreckan is my favorite of them. There is a Grooves, too.

My hunch is that it was too smokey. It is Ardbeg's signature, but certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea.

 

Way too Smoky for my liking. Took me 2-3 weeks before I could touch another Scotch.

 

Looking forward to seeing that! I love Ardbeg. I just cracked a Corry for the first time over the weekend and I quite like it. The other bottle in the standard line-up, An Oa, gets some "meh" reviews but I have dug it a lot too especially with a steak or BBQ. I think it could be priced below the standard 10 and be more successful though.

 

tequila!!

 

Sometimes you've gotta warm up to smoke. Some of the highland or island malts are really good for priming your smoke pallet. I really dug Highland Park 12 when I first got into scotch. The smoke on it is way lighter and cleaner than an Islay like Ardbeg.

 

I actually plan on trying all three after a steak dinner, so that definitely makes me a bit more excited.

It's a special occasion so I figured I might as well go all out... the wife, a vegetarian, is going to be cooking me a steak dinner.

 

When you say smoke are you talking campfire smoke, or the iodine/bandaid tatse of peat?

 

I think the Ardbeg ruined any even lightly smokey Scotches for me. I had a vendor bring me a bottle of Highland Park about a month later. I was very excited to try it after hearing how good it was supposed to be. I poured some into a glass and as I raised it up the Ardbeg nightmare came rushing back to my nose. I did sip it till the I finished that glass. Caped the bottle and gave it away also.
If I had tried the HP 1st I probably would have been fine with it. But not after the Ardbeg.

 

I was that way to a lesser extent. Got the Ardbeg 10 at the suggestion of a higher end liquor store employee. Swore that it'd be an amazing drink even after I told him I was new to all of it, and really liked the Macallan 12 I sampled at a Scottish restaurant. Way too much smoke for me by far, but it didn't quite ruin me towards smoke. I'm still slowly dipping my toe back into less smoky things just to up my tolerance. Had some High West Campfire last week and really enjoyed the smokiness it had, but like the name says that's more of a fire smoke to me than being peaty like the Ardbeg.

Highland Park has never really grabbed me much either, not bad, just not a go-to.

 

Tried Macallan 12, glenfiddich 15, Balvenie 12, and the best of them all Glenmorangie 18 this weekend. It was a good weekend.

 

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You like the Glenmorangie over the Balvenie? I may have to try that.

 

Good find! Enjoy it.

 

I like Balvenie a lot, but I'm not sure it's in the same 'class' as the Glenmorangie 18, which seems to go for around $100 bottle- according to a quick google. I don't think I've had the regular Glenmorangie which i believe is a 10 year.