Malt Madness Forum Subject: A 'Dram'
Sir, may I congratulate you on an excellent web site! It is well-designed, amusing, interesting and unusually comprehensive. I understand that the 'whisky' 'whiskey' issue is largely to do with a legal argument concerning methods
and place of production (much like the 'Champagne' 'sparkling wine' issue). In your explanation of words you describe a 'dram' as meaning 'a glass of'; I know I'm just being pedantic but a dram (or drachm) is a precise
measurement equal to 1/8th of a fluid ounce or 60 minims. Since metrification and the Weights and Measures Act of 1985 it has been illegal (in the European Union) to sell spirits in any quantity other than multiples of 25ml. You
may still be encouraged by a friend to stay for "a wee drachm" or kid yourself you wont really drink today, just have a drachm, as it is a relatively small measurement (nowhere near what you would expect to be served in a
bar these days) and is useful to maintain the illusion of not over-indulging. I agree with a great deal of what you say and, although I differ on issues such as dilution, I am impressed by your informative rather than dictatorial
approach to teaching the world the values of malt whisky; as you say, it is a matter of individual taste. The place to go if you like single malt scotch whisky is the Craigellachie Hotel, Speyside, where over three hundred
different malts line the walls; it is also home to the Malt Whisky Club although membership rates are a bit steep at £350. - - - - - Subject: Theory on how whisky makes us smarter.
Now finally, something that makes sense...to some of us. A herd of buffalo can move only as fast as the slowest buffalo, and when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and
weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular attrition of the weakest members. In
much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we all know, kills brain cells, but naturally it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this
way, regular consumption of whisky eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. THAT is why you always feel smarter after a few whisky's... - - - - - Subject: THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!
Again, THANK YOU!!! Keep it up. Richard - - - - - Subject: The waters of life - my favorite malts Johannes, I've been having a good time at your maltmadness site. I'm an even
more recent convert to the Malt Faith than you but very eager to catch up! As it is very late and I have to go to sleep, I only want you to know there's one more drammer appreciating your work in the Net! My list 'de favoriis':
Runners-Up:
Ok. here are we. Markku Manninen Reply by Johannes: I liked reading your comments about some of my favorite malts. You seemed to have been in a poetic mood when you wrote them - Inspired by a few good drams, perhaps? Reply by Markku:
Yes, I wrote the comments under the influence of Laphroaig and the Macallan (10rs both). BTW, it's very hard to find some brands in Finland and then the ones we can buy at the State Alcohol Monopoly are heftily priced. The 10yrs old Laphroaig cuts my purse by the equivalent of £30!
One last Special Mention: Last winter I was dining at the George, a high class eatery in Helsinki. On a wheeled liquor tray I soon spotted the characteristic shape of Ben Nevis. The edition was 26 yrs. old, 51.2%.
I had never tasted the brand. 4cls cost me £12! It took me to a ride of senses that took the best part of 20 minutes.. After the dram I was very, very pensive. I whole new universe had been shown to me! Even if I like Laphroaig with its wondrous complexity I had to admit that Ben Nevis far surpassed it and all other Malts I have sampled.
A week later the memory of the taste lingered on my tongue like a route traced by a thin needle to the surface of the organ. The most complex sensual experience ever effected by an alcoholic drink! It was, of course, partly the
responsibility of the vintage bottling. It should be compared to Laphroaig 30yrs, which cannot be bought in Finland. The bottle was almost finished by then. The head waitress told me it was the last bottle and that no more was to
be expected! Well, my luck, exactly! No other restaurant in Helsinki stocked Ben Nevis, as the one I had sampled was a private import! The last I heard was a piece of better news: more BN was to be made available before summer.
Only I'm worried if they can get the same quality as the 26yrs old one. Well, that's it. Actually, I now got the inspiration to go and check out the George.
Great moments & all good things! Markku ------------------------------------ Subject: The Difference Between Men and Women NICKNAMES EATING OUT MONEY BATHROOMS ARGUMENTS CATS THE FUTURE SUCCESS MARRIAGE DRESSING UP NATURAL OFFSPRING THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - - - - - Subject: My Lagavulin Story
What a site (sight)! Thank you for your comprehensive coverage of single malt. Pronounced climatic differences in seasons is what I get living in New York as opposed to living in Europe or where the single malts come from. In that sense, I
have choices of summer dram - personally, I would give a little more credit to Glenkinchie for that reason (try drinking Laphroaig in that weather...). Cheers - - - - -
Subject: The water of life Yo Johannes
What a great site! Thanks much. I'm a yank (from west Michigan where we have a lot of Dutch immigrants - even a real windmill) and am looking into the world of SM Whisky as a birthday present to myself. My dad is
a big SM fan and I went through the obligatory bottle of Glenfiddich and a very plain bottle labeled "Prime Malt" (I think this is Laphroig), but that was many years ago. I was in Scotland last may but spent more
time drinking beer than Whisky. I did have a nice glass of SM at the Kildrummy Castle Hotel. This is a fine, upscale manor overlooking the castle ruins in the Spey area. The whisky I selected
from their menu was the hotel's own label. I asked got the name of the distillery but unfortuantely I forgot to write it down - I presume it must have been local. Nevertheless, I was educating myself at your website in
preparation for buying my birthday bottle. Our local shop has a reasponable selection. I am considering Lagavulin or Macallan, as these seem to be widely regarded as among the best and are both available in my price
range ($50) at our local shop. Keep up the great work and have a drink on me. Todd - - - - - Subject: Lagavulin DE & Summer Stuff Johannes: I also managed to get hold of a
Lagavulin DE Double Matured, however, mine is 1980. I wonder how it would compare to your 1979 DE. There is an unmistakable sherry overtone that I cannot decide whether it adds or detracts from the 16-year old. It
certainly makes for a perfect after dinner dram (try it after a good rum raisin ice cream), much more so than the 16, but on the other hand, I find myself craving for that strong, smoky and peaty finish that's like having two pints
of Guinness instead of a meal. One of my most recent acquisitions, The Balvenie 15 Single Barrel, seems to come from a particularly good cask. Sometimes, I experience a taste 'flashback' of sorts where this particularly
flavorful mix of nuts, toffee, and coconut, as my wife had suggested, haunts me in the middle of the day. You recommended me the Ardbeg 17, and I will get to it in the fall when I feel the need for a long coat before going
outside. Speaking of malts for the seasons, for the summer, especially when the mercury exceeds 80F and if I have the craving, this is what I find preferable to sip out of very limited line of malts I have tasted: - - - - -
On June 9, 2000, I received a tip from Jack Prop from Maastricht, Holland. Hi guys, I've just got a tip that may be bogus, but may be very valuable as well. Here are a few replies that offer useful information on the subject: - - - Subject: There may be a way to slow down malt oxidation! I asked a friend of mine who is a chemist about it. - - - - - - -
Subject: There may be a way to slow down malt oxidation! Concerning the N2 Injector. I think, this device will really work. And its not because Nitrogen is
heavier than air, it's just because Nitrogen is less reactive than air, with about 16(?) Oxygen. A better solution is the use of Argon, which is an inert gas much heavier than air and which is also used in chemistry. Our
HarLeM Chemist, Michael, could you a detailled explanation. - - - - - - - Subject: There may be a way to slow down malt oxidation! If the involved chemical
processes are the same with both wine and whisky, I guess it should work. But then there's a cheaper, though maybe odd looking alternative: Each time after you had a dram, you drop (clean!) glass marbles into the bottle so the
fluid level will be kept up to the bottle neck where the amount of oxygen is minimal.
2nd alternative: Just don't give the stuff a chance to oxidize, drink it before! ;) - - - - - Subject: Slowing down malt oxidation Hi Johannes, I, too, have heard about this contraption.
Reply by Johannes: Not to worry, Richard. - - - - - Subject: Slowing down malt oxidation Hi Johannes ! Greeetings - - - - - Subject: Your ratings / my ratings (Rantings??) Johannes, I was wandering around your
site between updates, and noticed that you gave Loch Dhu 8 points!!! I'm not averse to assigning single digit ratings, but I don't think Loch Dhu deserves one. The only single malt to receive less than 10 points (2
blends have received this dishonor) on my list is some awful crap called 12 Scots. (it occurs to me they might have called it 12 Scots so stupid fools, (is there another kind?) would think the 12 was an age statement. The
stuff was $9 US and I've told you how much stuff is here...probably a 3 yo.) It didn't list the distillery. Good thing, too; I woulda bombed it (just kidding.) Anyway, i gave this putrid stuff a 5. But I gave the
Loch Dhu a 44. Why? well, my initial impression was 20 - 25. I ended up giving it a 44 because it grew on me. The predominant taste is, to me, of bananas. Did I mention I HATE bananas? Well, I do.
Loch Dhu, in my opinion, is a decent liquor. As a Single Malt, it sucks, but I have had worse. Here are my current ratings - you may think I'm crazy, but thats okay. All the best, Richard
Reply by Johannes:
My personal 'Liquor Likability' ratings just reflect the amount of love I have for a certain drink on a scale of 0 (throw away immediately) to 100 (extasy). So 8 points is not a neutral 'quality' indicator, or anything. This one is the first single malt that has almost made me physically sick - hence the unusually low score. I actually would prefer to drink Johnnie Walker Red Label (20 points). It could have been a bad bottle - but I'm not buying another one to find out...
Rating whiskies is a personal thing anyway. - - - - - Subject: Isle of Jura HI, Johannes. First; Thank You very much for an excellent site. It is truly one of the best for a "beginner" in the world of malt Whisky. One thing I can`t understand is that you
rate the "Isle of Jura" so low. It is one of the better malts that i have tasted so far, and I have tried some, even though I look upon myself as a beginner. I am also very surprised that you have not tasted "the
Oban". which is a very nice malt, it is available in Norway, therefore I believe it is available in Amsterdam as well. Check it out, it would be fun to see what you think about it. I rate it as one of the better malts, It is
on my personal top 5 list, as is the "Jura". Sincerely, Sigurd Stori. Reply by Johannes:
My ratings just reflect my personal taste - and I'm affraid I just don't like the Isle of Jura that much. Maybe my expectations of an 'Island' malt were too high, but that's how I feel. Please note that I've only tasted one bottle of Isle of Jura, so I may have had a 'bad bottle'. This seems to happen occasionally.
- - - - - Subject: The water of life & Cognac Johannes, Just came back from an out of town wedding and spent 2 nights sipping single malt whiskeys with a buddy who starts to fall head over heels over smw and is starting to
document his tasting experiences. I have always loved whiskies but lack the proper nose and palate for it. Because of the experiences over the weekend, I ran into your site which I think is exceptional. I do own may be a dozen
whiskies, half of which are smw but really lack the knowledge to appreciate them properly. Learn something new such as a few drops of water enhances the 'nose' for example from your site. Anyways, my question is not on whiskies as it will take me a little while to digest your excellent site. I also love cognac which I also own about a dozen
different brands. So what is your opinion of cognacs? Do you know of equivalent sites on the subject of cognacs? Keep up the good work. Regards, Reply by Johannes:
About 'lacking the nose and palate': I don't think you need knowledge to appreciate single malts.... Just your ordinary nose and tongue will do ;-) Has your tongue made sufficient 'mileage'? I had been drinking cognac and blended whiskies for almost 10 years before I discovered single malts, which helped me a lot. And even now my nose and tongue are gaining experience. I pick up things I would never have noticed five years ago.
I suggest the following: I LOVE a
good Cognac or Armagnac. My favorite 'sloshing cognac' is Courvoisier VSOP - at less than 25 U$ here in Holland there's only a few whiskies that can beat it in the personal enjoyment per buck - arena. For special occasions, I like
the Remy Martin XO (avoid the VS). I'm also into Calvados. I did run a site about cognac (the Cognac's Connoisseurs Connection) for a year, but almost nobody visited so I closed it down. That was over a year ago, so I'm affraid I
don't know about the current cognac site situation. Try a search on - - - - -
Subject: Dalmore / Loch Dhu / Glen Deveron Just the site I've been looking for! Our paths diverge, however on the Glen Deveron. Did the bottle you tried say
"1987"? Ours do here and at $26 US, I find it quite pleasant- lite but not thin, plenty of heathery spice {now that I know what heather smells like] and a nice round finish. Sorry, I'm used to winespeak descriptions. It
shouldn't be too bad due to the distillery being close by the village of Pennan [of "Local Hero" fame] - the other don't miss spot on our trip. Anyway, keep up the good work. Jordan Smith - - - - - Subject: Loch Dhu Warning Hi, Johannes! I've been visiting your site for, what, 2 years?, and it just keeps
getting better and better. I enjoy most every section of your site, especially the ratings and public warnings and I just have to say this: PLEASE keep warning folks away from that horrific Loch Dhu! I know some folks like it
(!!!), but the large majority ABSOLUTELY DESPISE IT! I especially love your tasting reports. Your hopalong HTH comparison method is very similar to my practice: I seem to
have relatively poor/undeveloped taste/smell memory, so I HTH a pair of malts and do this sequentially, e.g., Ardbeg 17 vs. Lagavulin 16, then Lag 16 vs. Laphroaig 10, Laphroaig 10 vs. Laphroaig 15, etc. We disagree on Ardbeg
10 vs. Ardbeg 17 (I love the peaty 10, but consider the low peated 17 to be not really an Ardbeg, except legally), but that is the only serious disagreement I can find, which means that you are helping me out considerably by
serving as "malt explorer point man". So, keep up the good work, keep drinking and reporting from the front lines.
Slainte, Ed - - - - - Subject: The Water Of Life <un-spellable in Gaelic> Hullo, lad. Lots of good
commentary, I like your humour. There are so few people out there that have a right mind-set about whiskey. Just as a note, old Scotsmen aren't as mean as the liquor bearing their name! I'm not so old, but my da's
not a bad old fellow; perhaps a bit of a curmudgeon, but that's not really a racial trait; he's nearly 80, he's allowed! I'm living stateside, and it never ceases to amaze me, what an American will drink and call whiskey.
Things to add to your list of 'Drinks Too Vile For Human Consumption,' would include: Jim Beam, Yukon Jack, or anything produced in Tennessee that claims to contain alcohol. I don't think they ever got over the
moonshine running days. You seem to like dinner whiskeys; and I'm afraid I'm a bit of a Jessie, there. I prefer the lunch whiskeys like the Glenmorangies and their ilk. One of my lads even calls Glen Livet a breakfast
whiskey, the bastard. Perfectly lovely stuff. Anyway, there are lots of other good single malts out there; Laphroig, Tomatin, Lismore and many, many others. You might also want to branch into the Irish single malts like
Knappogue Castle and Dalmor. Lismore's just grand. I'm going to have to find a bottle of that soon. ...
Now I sound like a sod. Mea apologia; I finally went back and visited the James MacNaughton Reply by Johannes: Now there you have it! Call me a whimp if you like, but I couldn't drink whisky around lunchtime even if I wanted to. I don't usually drink before 18:00 or so, so that might explain my preference for dinner malts ;-) - - - - - Subject: Whisky "moderation" Your site is just wonderfully useful, but readers should be warned to take
comments (esp from hotheaded opinionates) with a grain of something or other. For example, it is clear you yourself are biased in favor of peaty and smoky SMWs. More power to you! But when there is sympathetic email talking about,
say, how bloody awful J&B is, beginners should know it just isn't so. J&B is quite different, that's all, from many scotches. It is very light and somewhat sweet. Nothing awful about it. Just because someone favors a
heavier style is no reason to dismiss something different. Same with Sheep Dip (they also made Pig's Nose!) Bad whiskies like Inverness, sure; anyone can tell that.
Tip of the day #1: The best cheap scotch in the US is one called (alas) Old Smuggler. It ain't great, sure, so no flames about it please, but it is entirely drinkable and with no major bad aspects to it, and this cannot be
said about any of the other non-Scotland-bottled scotches in this country anyway. It is preferable to, say, Ballantine for some of us for everyday drinking. Bottled in the UK under a name with Cream in it, I believe. Tip of the
day #2: If you really have a bottle of blended that you are tiring of, doctor it lightly. Take a half-teaspoon or 2/3 teaspoon of bourbon and three drops of maple syrup (e.g.) and add to a half-gallon of (say) Black and White.
Stir. It won't turn it into Macallan, or Famous Grouse, but it will be faintly sweeter and more complex. Try a blind (no jokes pls) tasting with it after a few days of settling. If you do the tasting blind and compare it with
something good (but you don't know which is which), you will be in a for a surprise. David Moran Reply by Johannes: I guess the 'Old Smuggler' that is sold in the US is different from the whisky that is sold in Holland under the same name. That is actually one of the worst blended whiskies I ever tasted. With your second tip we're merrily wandering off into cocktail territory, Don't get me started on that... - - - - - Subject: 700ml bottle bad - litre bottle Good!? Hi, I just recently discovered single malts, my first experience
being Laphroaig 10yrs and I have just tasted few of them (Talisker, Highland Park 12, Oban 14...) and I do really enjoy them - Laphroaig still being my favourite. There' s been one question hanging on air that troubles me.
Since I'm from Finland, there are only 700ml bottles available in local stores and I have seen comments here on this web that 700ml bottles are not good as litre bottles. That the quality of the malt is better on litre bottles. If
anyone has any comments, experiences etc. on that, I´d like to know. Thank you very much, this is a very fine web site. Jari Reply by Johannes:
As far as I know, only 'commercial' bottlings like Macallan 12 or Bowmore 12 are available as 1 litre bottlings. I believe they were originally intended to be sold exclusively through airport/tax free shops, but over the years they have found their way to other outlets as well. By their very nature, commercial bottlings can vary over time. After all, they are 'blends' of the contents of different casks - sometimes even casks of different ages. That's why this year's Glenmorangie 10 might be slightly different from last year's. The reported differences between 0.7, 0.75 and 1.0 litre bottles could be nothing more than these 'usual' differences between differented batches.
- - - - -
Subject: The waters of life I want to share with you Johannes, my man.. My exploits at a whisky bar tonight included 2cls of Caperdonich
(Connoisseurs Choice, a 1968 bottling). An interesting study of wood almost killing a great malt, but if you can stand/exclude it, a mind-boggling experience. A truly complex nose and palate. It took me 20-25 mins to explore this drop of uisge beatha. Liquorice and the famous old leather. A very thought provoking malt, this one. Like Ben Nevis 1967, it stayed lingering on my palate long after the fact. 85 pts.
The Bartender told me about the 15 yrs Laphroaig he'd gotten hold of. Said it was like tamed and too easy on your palate, when compared with the tenner. Still a great malt. Never tasted it myself. M. Manninen PS. my top five malts: 1. Ben Nevis 1967 - - - - - Subject: Canadian Whisky Did you know that there's a Canadian malt? I don't mean "Canadian whisky", I mean a proper barley malt whisky. There's a distillery called Glenora in Cape Breton island, Nova Scotia, Canada, that makes the Kenloch (nas) and the just released Glen Breton (10y, I think) malt. I haven't tried them yet, though; Glen Breton was just launched this month. See www.glenoradistillery.com. Straying from single malts for a moment,
I've noticed you've tried some Canadian whiskies. They're better than bourbon, aren't they? But there are a few things to keep in mind. Canadian whiskies are traditionally rye-based whiskies, not corn (i.e. maize)
whiskies like bourbon. or barley malt whiskies like scotch and irish. However, most Canadian whiskies today are not made exclusively from rye. Instead, each distillery makes some grain alcohol using whatever grain
is convenient (usually corn, but sometimes rye or wheat), filters out the taste (as if making grain vodka or commercial/medical grain alcohol), and then adds a little rye whisky for flavour. This doesn't necessarily make a
bad whisky, but personally I prefer something without corn liquor in it, however detoxified. This is why my preferred Canadian whisky is Alberta Springs, a single-grain ten-year-old Canadian rye from Alberta Distillers in
Calgary, without a drop of corn liquor in it. It's quite soft for a Canadian whisky, some honey-like sweetness, well worth a try. - - - - -
Subject: The water of life... Johannes,
I saw your website about 3 days ago. I was really looking for a site like this, but biased towards rum, one of my favorites. Anyhow, I read your page pretty much all the way through over a couple of days and had come to
the conclusion that it was time to try real whisky instead of crappy rum. I made the commitment yesterday, went out and bought an inexpensive, but decent, bottle of smsw and tried it last night (Auchentoshan 10...long
story). I would like to thank you for pointing people like myself in this direction. The Auchentoshan 10, while not rated high on your list, rates at the top for me, right now. Since my only other experience with
*any* type of whisk(e)y is Jack Daniels, I have no choice but to rate it at the top. But it is galaxies better than American whisky. Definately more body, complex flavor/aroma, etc. You already knew that, though.
Again, many thanks for the wonderful website. Had it been any less enthusiastic aboue smsw, I would probably have not even tried any. Keep up the good work. Reply by Johannes: Very good to hear I've made another convert!
But one of the things I love the most about single malts is the amazing diversity. That's why I suggest you get yourself two or three other bottles of single malt whisky before you empty the Auchentoshan. That way, you can directly
compare them using different glasses at the same time. If you're on a budget, I suggest the Dalmore 12, Glen Ord 12 or Laphroaig 10. With a little more to spend, you could go for Macallan 12, Glenmorangie 10 or even Lagavulin 16.
You can check my 'Best-to-Worst-List' or 'Bang-For-Your-Buck-List' for suggestions. - - - - - Selected 2001 posts; Subject: Bowmore Darkest I am quite suprised at how poorly Bowmore Darkest has treated you. It was
one of the first bottles of single malt scotch I have ever owned and it was wonderful (sadly it has been depleted and hasn't been replaced yet). More recently, I have had a couple of drams from my Father-in-law's
bottle....still wonderful. It is almost exactly how I remember my bottle. We all know that preference is very personal and subjective, but I have sampled 45+ malts over the last year, and look at the top of my list:
1. Talisker 10 As you can see, we have a lot of similar likes. Regards, Jeff Reply by Johannes:
Judging from the enthousiastic reports I have been receiving about the Bowmore Darkest, it seems I've been dealt a bottle that was not nearly as good as the 'average' Bowmore Darkest. But then again, that's a calculated risk when you buy a single cask malt. Nevertheless, I won't buy another bottle anytime soon to find out if it's better than my first one. It's priced at 58 Euro's here in Holland - considerably more expensive than my favorites Lagavulin 16, Talisker, Ardbeg 17 and Macallan 10 100 Proof. It these kind of prices I'd rather 'play it safe' and buy a bottle I know I love than take another gable at the expensive Bowmore Darkest.
- - - - - Subject: Ratings Comparison Chart Hello!
My name is Christer Sundin and like yourself, I am a malt whisky fanatic =). Also, I've written an info page that explains the chart:http://www.dtek.chalmers.se/~d8sunch/whisky/ratings-info.html Bye, Christer - - - - - Subject: The water of life My first experience of Scotch was probably 26 years ago. I thought it tasted like
iodine, and went back to drinking rum and coke, black russians, and budweiser (I was in college, what can I say.) Lately I read a couple of articles about single malt, including something New Yorker writer John McPhee wrote, and
thought perhaps I had been too hasty. Over Christmas I treated myself to one of those sample packs, containing some Talisker, Craggamore, Oban, Lagavulin and others and said, hummm, I could get to like this stuff. Without doing
any other research, I went out and bought a bottle of Glenfiddich special reserve (wasn't included in the sample pack, but the price of Lagavulin at $45 US scared me off.) Wish I had visited your site first. I believe you may have
saved me hundreds of dollars. Really informative site, easy to navigate, fun to read. Joe Rankin - - - - - Subject: Auchentoshan / Glenfiddich Johannes, It's an very nice and usefull site you have made. I have used and read it extensively after I found the adress. Keep up the good work. The Auchentoshan 10 yrs is recommended as an beginners dram, by nearly anybody. That must be an joke!!! My bottle tastes like "Cat Piss" (whatever the taste are on that). I can't describe it closer than
"metallic", maybe feint?? Perhaps it's a bad bottle?? Re: The Glenfiddich Ancient Reserve. Most Maltwhisky lovers wrinkle their nose when mentioned. Okay it's not an great dram, but it's doing okay. Never forget that this single malt actually started all, that we enjoy so much today. We therefor have to say thanks to Glenfiddich for that. And allways have a bottle in our cabinet (if you can't find an excuse for it, you can do it because it's now discontinued and replaced with and 12 yrs old). But hurry up before the last bottles are gone. Comment by Johannes: When you mention the 'Ancient Reserve', I think you actually mean the 'Special Reserve', which used to be bottled without an age statement but is now becoming available as a 12 yrs. old. The 'Ancient Reserve' is actually an 18 years old single malt. I haven't tasted that one yet, but the new 12 yrs. (Special Reserve) and the 15 yrs. (Solera Reserve) are on my shelves right now, as well as the 15 Cask Strength - which is actually quite good. I guess Glenfiddich deserves some credit for opening up the single malt market, but constantly keeping the disappointing Special Reserve on my shelves doesn't sound too appealing. The best I can do is give the new 12 yrs. bottling a fair chance after I've opened the bottle. At the moment I have 20+ bottles in my cabinet, where I'm drinking of 12 at the moment, including the mentioned C.. Piss (hoping that I one day will discover why
people recommend it). Have actually just taken a glass of it "BWADR", are now trying to take the bad taste with Bowmore 12 yrs. Re: prices in Netherlands. Reply by Johannes: The favourites you mentioned all score over 80 points in my system, so we're in agreement there. And I guess I shouldn't complain as much about the prices of some of the single malts available here in Holland. I know people in Scandinavia, Great Brittain and the U.S.A. usually have to pay a lot more than I do, especially for the younger official and independent malts. The price you mentioned for the Glenfarclas 12 translates to 66 Euro's, but I only have to pay 34 Euro's for a litre bottle of Glenfarclas 12. - - - - - Subject: Malts of Distinction / Lagavulin I have a few comments on the "Malts of Distinction" I
read about in your tasting report from December 12. Last summer I tasted a malt called "Druichan" and the only info I found on the web was the Invergordon home page (www.invergordon.co.uk). Druichan is one of the
"Malts of Scotland", consisting of Kincaple, Glenluig, Craignure, Ferintosh and Druichan. (Cool names, huh?) They're not very clear about it, but I got the impression that the "Malts of Distinction" and
"Malts of Scotland" are just new labels on the stuff they distribute under their "real" names: Bruichladdich, Old Fettercairn, Tomintoul, Tullibardine, Tamnavulin, Dalmore and/or Isle of Jura. Druichan and
Ardnave is most likely Bruichladdich. I guess the others must be tasted in order to find their real identity. I'm uncertain about the Lowlanders Glen Foyle and Kincaple since Invergordon don't sell any Lowland malts (?). Druichan
tasted ok but it wasn't anything special. Above all it wasn't smoky, which I tend to expect from a "real" Ileach, heh... (IMO that matches Bruichladdich). Comment by Johannes: After an utterly disappointing tasting session with Ardnave 10 yrs. and Ben Wyvis 10 yrs. on January 10, I can tell you with a large degree of certainty that the Ardnave is NOT a Bruichladdich. In fact, I'm having serious doubts about the supposed Islay heritage of this whisky. Over the years, I've tasted several different bottlings from each distillery on Islay, and this stuff doesn't even come close. It has none of the peat and smoke of the real Islay malts; even the relatively 'weak' Bruichladdich 10 packs a lot more heat than the Ardnave 10. The Ileach I tasted on January 16 is miles better than the Ardnave. The Ben Wyvis performed very badly as well. If you are going to spend your money on 'bastard malts' you're much better off with the 'Vintage' series by Signatory - or the Ileach. The Black Bottle is a reasonable alternative as well if you're looking for Islay characteristics. Another thing: You mentioned that Lagavulin isn't as good as it used to be. That is worrying indeed... On the other hand,
I recently bought a bottle of 10 year old, vintage 1988 Lagavulin through a company here in Switzerland. It's bottled for "Moon Import" (an Italian company) and it's absolutely wonderful, in spite of the horrible label =)
So, since we'll get the "normal" Lagavulin from 1988 in 2004, I believe the drop in quality is only temporary. However, in Whisky Mag's Lagavulin special I read that they have recently lowered the phenol levels, i e
reduced the peatiness... Slainte, Christer Reply by Johannes: I didn't hear about the reduced phenol levels in Lagavulin 16 before, but that's certainly in keeping with my findings. To my nose and palate, the character has moved in the direction of the 'Distiller's Edition' bottling. - - - - - Subject: The water of life Ave. First of all, I have to say I love Malt Madness. It's the best whisky-site I have
seen so far and definitely the most comprehensive. The I also have a suggestion. I for one love reading your musings, so why not start a weekly/monthly column, where you could briefly share your thoughts on whisky and things (life, for instance). Perhaps small notes on whisky and
cigars, whisky vs. brandy, regional differences/preferences, whisky and food, shopping experiences... Reply by Johannes: I haven't tried manure, but I know the Jack Daniels Old No. 7. I'm not crazy about it; I have the occasional glass - just one - with lots of ice on a hot summer night. But I like it more than the Four Roses, which is just plain awful. As far as your suggestion goes: My new 'Liquid Log' page should work as some kind of diary of all malt-related happenings in my life. - - - - - Subject: Highland Park 18 year old Dear Johannes, I have been a reader of your site for some time now
and greatley appreciate your not critic (such as Jackson) criticisms and tastings of the liquids in question. Can I become a member or at least a contributing taster as I have now tasted 21 malts the latest of which are Ardbeg 17
year old and Macallan 18 year old. While both are truely at the pinnacle of the art, you neglect to mention Highland Park 18 year old which I find to be contending among the best. Coincidentally it has won some major awards
recently. Although I've never tried the 12 year old, I urge you to try this one as it surely will not dissapoint you. It is rather complex showing some sherry, but that "bonfire" complexity with all its rooty, burning
leaf flavors and lighly sweet maltiness withought excessive wood are truely remarkable. Perhaps you havent found it yet? Price is about $60 American Dollars here in Los Angeles (I bought it at a large discount store as it was the
only place I have found that carried this brand in addition to Ardbeg). Cheers! Eric from Los Angeles Reply by Johannes: You're right, Eric - I haven't 'officially' tasted the HP 18 yet. You'll be pleased to know it has recently arrived in my collection
- I just haven't opened it yet. I will probably do so within the next few months. Based on previous, 'unofficial' encounters I'm having high hopes for this bottle. - - - - - Subject: Help! - How do I hold a tasting session? Hello Johannes, I'm sure you get plenty of mail, so I'll try to keep
this brief and hope I'm not being a total dolt by sending it to you. First off, fabulous site. I really enjoy it and have been trying to mention it to as many people as possible. Secondly, I'm a single malt novice but have been
hooked, maybe too much so. It's hard to believe how easy it is to pull the cork after a day a work. Anyway. I'd really like to expand my single malt horizons and would like to hold a tasting session. But I not clear on the best way
to do so - the whole two glasses, correct water thing. Sorry for my ignorance. I just don't want to look like a total idiot after bringing the guys over. Thanks for you help and the great Web site. - - - Just a quick note on my earlier e-mail. As I'm sure you would have pointed out, most of the information I sought was in the
enjoyment section for beginners. Sorry. Going to get a glass to wash away the embarrassment. Yours in humiliation,
Reply by Johannes: Yep, Dave - I would have pointed you to the Beginner's Guide. - - - - - Subject: Dewar's Wow! That was probably the single most kick-ass web page I've ever seen in my
life. I have to disagree with you on Clan McGregor... I'm a Glenfiddich/Macallan fan from waaaaaaaaay back, but I find the McGregor almost drinkable. I am, however, shocked to find that Dewar's is not on your list of
'Seriously BAD Attempts at Whisky'. JW Reply by Johannes: Fortunately, there are a lot of bad blends I've never tried. Since I've discovered single malts, I haven't felt the need to be very 'adventurous' when I bought the occasional blend. Teacher's works fine for me. - - - - - Subject: Rating Bowmore Darkest Only 65 points for the Bowmore Darkest? Rob Sher Reply by Johannes: Yes, it's true. Klaus Everding can confirm that the taste of my bottle was pretty awful because he was there when I opened it. Bowmore Darkest is a single cask malt, so there can be huge differences between different batches. But at the steep price of 60 Euro's a bottle I'm not going to buy another bottle soon to find out if that one might be better. I figured that every bottle that passes the quality control at Bowmore, deserves the score it gets. Although my experiences with my bottle of Bowmore Darkest lead me to believe that the quality control at Bowmore isn't very strict. - - - - - Subject: The water of life Hi Johannes, Truly great site you got there! And here's my story of coming to appreciate malt whisky. As a student in 1990 I was studying in Japan near Tokyo and living in a dorm with
9 fellow Russian classmates (there were also Germans, Japanese, Koreans and Danes there, but when it comes to consuming vast amounts of alcohol they're just not in the same category as Russians, as one would guess). Obviously, at
some point we were faced with a difficult task of finding a drink that would meet a number of requirements; a) be available in a store within a walking distance, After some thorough research and extensive tasting
with varied consequences we realized that whatever was sold in our area under the name of vodka doesn't suit the purpose of being consumed by an average Russian drinker and basically our options are either gin or whisky. After
several of our gin-drinking sessions I knew that I would never willingly drink it again as it's something totally opposite to my personal ideas of a drinkable beverage, and concentrated solely on whisky. So the first step was taken, and within a
year I came to a conclusion that Scotch whisky has become by far my favorite drink. However, I still was under the impression that those blends I liked so much - Teacher's, Ballantine's, Famous Grouse (for some reason I never liked
Johnny Walker - and, bummer!, this is the only whisky you can find on every corner in Moscow) - were the only real stuff. Which, I still think, they are, as compared to the rest of 40+% beverages, with the exemption of Cognac, and
maybe some rums. And it was not until 1994, when I first went to Canada to meet my future parents-in-law, that I was introduced to the greatness of a single malt whisky by the husband of my wife's cousin, a big man called Joe. Joe,
however, was no expert himself - even though he had enough sense to get a bottle of Glen Garioch 15 for his new Russian relative, he fell short of not loading our glasses with tons of ice. But even in this situation my discovery
was finally made - there was a world beyond blended scotch whiskies. Over the years since then I tried to get my hands on a bottle of a single malt every time I had such a chance. I even tried a couple of times to maintain a
collection, but that failed for the reason of uncontrollable desire to actually taste the malts every once in a while. My wild guess would be I tasted about 30 single malts in total. Some of them, I'm proud to say, I didn't find on
any of your rated lists - The Glen Peel 12, for instance. Well, thanks again for the site, and sorry for probably boring you into emptying your Malt Cabinet's whole top
shelf at once with my draggin' - just had to share it with someone who would know what the heck I'm talking about. By the way, according to my taste some of the Japanese malts are quite enjoyable - there could be a new field
of research for you. Best regards, Pavel Alexandrov Reply by Johannes: Hiya, Pavel. Rest assured that I wasn't bored by your story. What's more, I completely agree with your observations about 'inferior' liquids like bourbon and gin. The ones I've sampled can't be compared to noble drinks like single malt whisky or cognac. Well - of course they CAN be compared, but the comparison isn't favorable for the bourbons and gins of this world. - - - - - Subject: Malt comment and a suggestion... Hello, I've been following your site for, well, over a year now and wanted
to say how much I thoroughly enjoy it! Much like a Laphroaig on a cold winters night after a filling of steak and potatoes! I hope you keep it going, you're doing an excellent job and I truly appreciate and applaude
your efforts. That being said, as per your offering, I'd like to make a suggestion... What you have programmed into your taste buds prior to "sampling" that Single Malt will influence the outcome... and that said, it should then be emphasized that you have to "drink the
bottle" to fully appreciate and be prepared to rate one. It may take a week or two to consume it, but only then, and by contrasting it against another Malt or two during that time, can you be certain that a correct rating be
obtained. Also with time, you must continue to re-sample the host Malt that is being rated. Of course, a small sample, of say a mouthfull or quarter of a dram, just does'nt cut it either... a full dram or more will
allow you to fully experience the host Malt and be better able to then give comment. However, it has to be drunk... consumed... over time, to be rated effectively. Then, a note to the wise, if your trying to get a feel for a
Malt, perhaps (and hopefully) the next on which to purchase, tread carefully on the ratings which are being offered as they can be extremely misleading for the above mentioned reasons. I myself have been drinking Single Malts (no
water PLEASE) for almost twenty years, since I was a teen. I have personally consumed (and been dully preserved well enough, I'm sure, for my embalmer) to the tune of 300 bottles or so, I stopped counting about a year
ago. I can honestly say, then, that I'll not rate a Malt unless I've drank, contrasted and compared it, over time. In that light I would like to offer my two cents worth regarding a particular Single Malt: In looking around
at my local Scotch suppliers inventory, (we here in Montreal have an exclusive outlet which has a large section dedicated only to Single Malts, including a $10,000.00 CDN, 40 year old, crystal decantered Bowmore), I decided to try
out a 25 year old Glenfarclas based on a written recommendation, and a few from people who had only briefly "sampled" it. In my first outing with the "GlenF", it was all too strong-in-the-bottle. As for myself, I'm an Islay man. I hope you'll post my comments for others to read, and again, thank-you for creating this fantastic forum for all Malt Madness fanatics like
myself. Cheers, Ken Seton Reply by Johannes: Ah - You raise a couple of very interesting issues, Ken. Allow me to respond in lengthy detail ;-) First there's the question of 'meals & malts'. And then there's the topic of rating 'by the bottle'. But lately, I have been having some doubts. Following much of the same reasoning you have, I became aware of an alternative approach. At the moment, each
'bottle' rating on my list represents the average of a number of 'dram' ratings. Because I do my serious sampling under controlled conditions, the deviation is usually no more than one or two points between drams. Some malts,
however, are harder to pin down. The UDRM Saint Magdalene 1979, for example, scored anything between 88 and 94 points before I arrived at a final rating of 91 points. Considering my 'bottle' ratings are in fact nothing more than
an average of 'dram' ratings, something could be said for sampling malts by the dram - and rating them accordingly. All the more so because some malts change considerably after the bottle has been opened. To complicate things even
more, the malts that do change do so within different timeframes. And let's not forget different people have different consumption patterns. You mentioned a period of two weeks to empty a bottle, but some bottles stay on Ah - all this thinking makes my head hurt. - - - - - Subject: Highland Park 18 & Edradour 10 Dear Johannes, Thanks for a fascinating site. Other
non-original recommendations: Laphroaig 10 (alone or with smoked salmon); Balvenie 12 Double Wood (nice with crepes Grand Marnier). Among malty blends, staples are Teacher's and with after-dinner coffee Black Bush (or the non-blend
Edradour, which your panel seriously underrates). Best wishes, Reply by Johannes:
I will be opening the HP 18 in my reserve stock shortly. I agree it's long overdue, but want to open it on a special Orkney night - and I have to wait for temperatures to drop a little for optimum conditions. I wouldn't worry about the slipping of Lagavulin 16 too much - so far it's relatively minor. Maybe 2 points worth over the last 5 years - it's still a fabulous malt. I'm more concerned about rumours that prices will go up soon. That's why I recently bought 4 spare bottles for my reserve stock. That should sustain me for a while.
- - - - -
Subject: Amsterdam You are a wicked, wicked anti-Edradour man, Johannes, and as punishment, may you run out of all single malts but Glenfiddich!!! As a writer, I extend compliments on your seemingly effortless
fluidity in colloquial English (you write it better than I do) as well as your sense of humor. The latter recalls summer 1972 in Amsterdam, where I befriended some seriously lost teenage Americans camping in one of your parks, took
'em to an Indonesian restaurant...they were shocked to find no English or chow mein on the menu and responded to the waitress' non-comprehension by repeating ever louder "chow mein... CHOW MEIN... CHOW MEIN!" I was
almost literally crawling under the table, feeling terminally depressed when some guy diagonally across the restaurant raised his joint and gave me a Harpo Marx smile.
Never been back but always had a soft spot for the Dutch ever since! PS: Note that MJ gives Edradour 81--I'd go maybe 83???????????
Reply by Johannes: Only Glenfiddich? That's a bit cruel, isn't it? - - - - - Subject: A Few Recommendations
Hi Johannes, I have a few recommendations for you based on our similar likes: Cheers, Jeff - - - - - Subject: American Whiskeys Johannes, In your reply to Louis Perlman's Public Warning about Four Roses which was less than flattering towards American whiskeys, you make a comment about not to get you started
on American whiskey. While not having been a traveler to your country, I don't know what American whiskeys are mass marketed there and which ones you've tried. Over here in the country of origin for American whiskey,
there are many bad and cheap blends that abound as well as pure whiskeys from a single distiller (I can't call them single malts, maybe single corns?). Much like the many bad Scotch blends you warn people of on your
website. You shouldn't slam the entire industry based on a few samples of the bad lot. It would be the same as if I slammed all single malts based on Lock Dhu and generalized that they were all bad. However, the
single malt Scotch market and its success has had a positive affect on spirits industry in general. Many boutique whiskeys, tequilas, and rums now abound with many offerings of quality hand-made, small batch products.
The Malt Advocate reviews many of these American boutique whiskey offerings in their monthly pages. I am new to the world of single malt Scotch and, while I traditionally have not been an American whiskey or bourbon fan, I've
recently given a few a try as a result of my mind having been opened by single malts. Now, you can't judge it as a single malt just as you can't judge a traditional (both
malted and unmalted barley in the mash) triple-pot stilled Irish whiskey as a single malt. They are in a category all their own with each their own merits and faults. I now enjoy a good traditional Irish whiskey (like
John Powers Gold or Redbreast), or an American boubon like Maker's Mark just as much as I do a good single malt from Scotland. They each have their season and time. Regards, Reply by Johannes: This is uncanny. When I received your message I was just enjoying a
glass of the (American) McCormick Platte Valley 100% Straight Corn Whiskey. No - let me rephrase that; I WASN'T enjoying it. Rating = 35 points. - - - - - Subject: The History of John Jameson & Son No one really knows when the distillation of Irish whiskey began, or for that matter, who began it. It is
known however, that the secret of distillation was probably brought to Ireland by missionary monks from the Middle East around the 6th century A.D. In the 12th century, Henry II and his soldiers paid their first visit to Ireland,
and quickly took a liking to a liquor distilled by the Irish monks called "Uisce Beatha," or "the water of life." Uisce Beatha was Anglicized in later years, first to "Fuisce," and finally to
"Whiskey." In 1780, as James Watt perfected the steam engine, and as Mozart won the adulation of Europe for his music, John Jameson established his Bow Street whisky distillery on the north bank of the river Liffey in
Dublin, Ireland. Jameson's distillery prospered, and each generation of the Jameson family became known as perfectionists, making the finest Irish whiskey in the world. By the early part of the 20th century, Jameson Irish Whiskey
was being exported to countries around the world. Prohibition in America destroyed the lion's share of John Jameson & Son's export trade. When Prohibition was finally repealed, reserves of properly aged Irish whisky had fallen
dramatically, giving Scotch whisky the opportunity to get ahead in the international markets previously dominated by its Irish cousin. In 1966, John Jameson & Son merged with John Power & Son and the Cork Distilleries
Company, to form the "Irish Distillers Group." Since that time, the "IDG" has made huge strides in rebuilding the export sales of Irish whiskey, and the Jameson brand has led the way. Jameson Irish Whiskey is
made from a mixture of malted and unmalted barley and other cereal grains. In Ireland, the malted barley is dried in closed kilns without the presence of peat smoke. Thus, Irish whisky does not have the smoky character
traditionally associated with most Scotch whiskies. Jameson goes through three separate distillations. At a recent tasting of Jameson Irish Whiskey, I found it to have a wonderful vanilla and honey aroma with the slightest hint of peach. The flavor is smooth and rich as the delicate whiskey glides over the
palate. Complex notes of malt, honey, butter and peach are balanced perfectly by woody tannins and warming alcohol tones. The absence of smoky peat notes leaves the whiskey with a finish that is reminiscent of a light Kentucky
bourbon. I found Jameson Irish Whiskey a delicious change of pace from my usual after dinner bourbon, and I think you will as well. - - - - -
Subject: New Islay Distillery - Kilchoman Its taken over a hundred years since the last new distillery was built on Islay - so perhaps the few years of waiting for mature bottled product from the Kilchoman Distillery should not be
considered that far off. We hope you find the following news of interest. During the early months of 2002 a new, small distillery is planned close to the west coast of Islay. To be named the Kilchoman Distillery, there are a
number of exciting features that will make this distillery a real gem. The operation will be the closest thing to the early 'farm operated' distilleries that first occurred on Islay during the formative days of distilling on the
island. In stark contrast to later 'industrial age' complexes capable of large production volumes, operations at Kilchoman will rank with the smallest of all Scotland's distilleries (similar to those at Edradour, currently
Scotland's smallest distillery). The distillery will be the first new Scotch malt distillery built in the new millennium (the first built after 1900 was Tormore). It will be THE ONLY distillery in Islay to use only malted barley
from its own traditional malting floor and use 'live flame' heat on the wash still (these features can still be found at Springbank Distillery). The Kilchoman Distillery will be based within the old farm buildings owned by local
Islay farmer Mark French (who has also just launched a new special smoked Islay beef business) and will use barley grown on his farm. The proprietor of the distillery will be Anthony Wills who married into an Islay landowning
family and, after working in the wine trade, has been building up an interesting independent single cask bottling enterprise. A great deal of thought and planning has gone into the new malting floors at Kilchoman, the traditional
washbacks and the shape and style of the two stills. Kilchoman is fortunate on being able to draw on the considerable experience of John McDougall whose time as manager at Balvenie, Laphroaig and Springbank allows him to provide
the 'parental' guidance that this new Islay baby deserves. To keep in touch visit http://www.kilchomandistillery.com and subscribe to their news service (follow the link at the bottom of The Kilchoman Distillery homepage). The
Islay Whisky Society is able to offer members the facility to visit during the distillery construction to both learn of the approach being taken first hand and to also play an historic role in helping this new distillery take shape.
Furthermore, IWS members
are given opportunity to join founding shareholders. In a recent discussion with the founders of this project the IWS learned of the possibility for some members to join a small group of investors to become founding shareholders in
Islay's new baby. The project is not a multi-million pound project - it is a realistic small enterprise with 40% of shares currently being offered to a select few from whisky related circles and anybody interested in finding out
more should email IWS direct to find out about the chance to take ownership of an Islay distillery - with the obvious advantages of preferred options on a limited amount of 'heavy hitting high phenolic new spirit' both in cask and
limited single cask bottlings when they are released. Email iws@distillers.com from more information on becoming an owner of an Islay Distillery. - - - - - Subject: Dalwhinnie & Stuff
I was really pleased to find your site, there is some very useful information on it. I actually came to whisky from that other great malt product "beer". As you may be
aware Mr Jackson is as well (if not more) known amongst real ale aficionados as malt whisky enthusiasts. I am in agreement with the scores on the matrix especially regarding the Lagavulin 16yr which is excellent value for money
round here. My local Makro (trade retailer) is selling it for £17.24 + vat a bottle which I reckon is a bargain. A couple of things I do have reservations about. I would move the deliciously smooth Dalwhinnie up your ratings
somewhat. More seriously, where is the wonderful Ardmore (Gordon & MacPhail 1985 40%, bottled 2000)??? Brett
There's a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore looking like an idiot. Reply by Johannes: Some people like the Dalwhinnie. As for 'The' Ardmore - I liked it 78 points worth. The nose was very
good indeed, but the taste didn't reach beyond 'very nice'. It was a good malt, but it suffers from fierce competition of so many other good malts. I'm affraid I have to disagree with your philosophical closing remark about fishing
- the line you refer to is so fine I can't actually see it myself... Oops.... I'm wandering off again. - - - - - Subject: Strong Swords & Distillery Dogs Dear Johannes, I came upon your entertaining site
via a link someone put up in Sword Forum International - there was a Scotch whisky thread amongst its many discussions of swords from Ireland to Japan. It seems there are quite a few sword makers out there nowadays trying to
replicate or even better the swordsmiths of medieval and Renaissance times. It looks like they are doing well, too: these people's swords aren't going to snap at the tang if you actually hit something with them.
However, what I really wanted to write to you about was the likely function of that dog in the picture of the distillerymen on the 'Worst Whskies' page. The dog, which looks like a terrier crossbreed, was
probably to keep down the rats - they would find stores of grain, malted grain, and malting floors irresistible. Plenty of employment there for terriers and large cats, I should think. Warmest regards, and
Happy Thanksgiving [an American holiday featuring religious services of thanksgiving and huge dinners,traditionally including roast turkey and pumpkin pie among many other goodies, falling on today this year],
W. Reid Ripley - - - - - Subject: Salt licorice and whisky Hello! I read a while ago that us Finns are among the few salt
licorice loving nations on this planet alongside with the Dutch, and I wonder if this is reflected on the "national taste" in single malts. At least my friends seem to veer towards the Islay-taste, which might be
considered to feature some characteristics familiar to salt licorice lovers. Since most creators of taste diagrams are from nations where salt licorice is just a myth, it does not find its way into the whisky vocabulary. So I kinda
wondered if the Dutch whisky lovers ever use the term "salt licorice" instead of, for example, "medicinal"... I have converted many whisky hating Finns to malt lovers with Laphroiag, and they usually exclaim
that the stuff tastes like tar licorice, and end up loving it. Is tar licorice available in Holland? If someone likes Talisker or Laphroiag, that person is usually a friend of tar licorice as well. Tar licorice is, as you maight
have guessed, salt licorice with tar added to the mix...hot and warming, just like a good Islay. Reply by Johannes: You might have a good point there. I've heard that in a lot of countries the group of Islay lovers is relatively small and the peaty malts are considered to be very 'extreme'.
My first malt was the Lagavulin, and I immediately LOVED it - as well as almost every Islay malt I tasted since then. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (Click HERE to return to the sitemap with an overview of available items) Malt Madness is hosted by those friendly people at Scotchwhisky.com
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EXPIRED ! |
During 2000 and 2001, I've experimented with a public forum on Malt Madness.
Although some very funny and informative notes were posted, I closed the forum
by the end of 2001. There are far better and more active whisky forums available on the web these days (Malts-L
, for example, or the forum at the Bladnoch website), so I saw little point in trying to do something other people are doing a lot better.
Nevertheless; I felt some contributions were too good to just dump in the trash can.
That's why I collected the most interesting and entertaining posts on this page.