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Malt Whisky. Any Advice?


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Bruichladdich night at Artisan, Wishaw, on Wednesday. It's been sold out for the last 11 months. I booked this in August 2015 when one of the waitresses happened to give me an early heads up.

£35 a head for a three course meal and 8 different whiskies - 16 for me cause my girlfriend doesn't drink - from the featured distillery. I'll try to remember what one I enjoyed most and get back to you on Wednesday night. This one looks "interesting"


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Worked in Bruichladdich distillery for a couple of years back in the 80's. It's been through a few takeovers and a shutdown since then. Octomore is quite heavily peated compared to Bruichladdich. Octomore is a farm in Port Charlotte owned by a friend of mine where Bruichladdich get their water from a natural spring to be used during bottling to reduce the strength.

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5 minutes ago, Langbank said:

Worked in Bruichladdich distillery for a couple of years back in the 80's. It's been through a few takeovers and a shutdown since then. Octomore is quite heavily peated compared to Bruichladdich. Octomore is a farm in Port Charlotte owned by a friend of mine where Bruichladdich get their water from a natural spring to be used during bottling to reduce the strength.

I know a bit about the Octomore - the chef at the Artisan has talked about it before. He uses Octomore smoked cheese in his burgers. I'm pretty sure I've had a glass or two of Octomore before. The 10 is a favourite of one of our group. Others on the tasting list are a Port Charlotte Limited Edition and a Laddie 24 year old Valinch on the list, along with the 10, the Classic and an Islay Barley 2009. 

I can't recommend the Artisan restaurant highly enough though. The owner is hugely passionate about his whisky collection. Last time I was in there was over 3000 different varieties on offer but he was extending that all the time especially now he'd opened a whisky snug next door. The foods great, and these whisky nights are just brilliant. I've been lucky enough to get in to a couple of them over the years, but you really have to get in quick when they announce the dates. 

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I know a bit about the Octomore - the chef at the Artisan has talked about it before. He uses Octomore smoked cheese in his burgers. I'm pretty sure I've had a glass or two of Octomore before. The 10 is a favourite of one of our group. Others on the tasting list are a Port Charlotte Limited Edition and a Laddie 24 year old Valinch on the list, along with the 10, the Classic and an Islay Barley 2009. 

I can't recommend the Artisan restaurant highly enough though. The owner is hugely passionate about his whisky collection. Last time I was in there was over 3000 different varieties on offer but he was extending that all the time especially now he'd opened a whisky snug next door. The foods great, and these whisky nights are just brilliant. I've been lucky enough to get in to a couple of them over the years, but you really have to get in quick when they announce the dates. 



Derek Mathers is well thought of on the Islay pages I look at. If you ever get the chance to listen to James McEwan talk about whisky you should. Used to be manager of Bowmore before joining the consortium to take over Bruichladdich in 2000. When I worked there there were 8 of us, now they are the largest employer on the island.
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1 hour ago, Stuart Dickson said:

Collecting whisky can make a very profitable investment.

Previously, I had an unwavering faith in your every utterance. 

I knew you were reliable - a fount of veracity, a beacon of infallibility, a provider of truth, furnisher of flawless data and touter of trustworthy opinion.

But your statement above is making me a bit less sure if your posts can be trusted at all times.

Edited by antrin
alliteration
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1 hour ago, antrin said:

Previously, I had an unwavering faith in your every utterance. 

I knew you were reliable - a fount of veracity, a beacon of infallibility, a provider of truth, furnisher of flawless data and touter of trustworthy opinion.

But your statement above is making me a bit less sure if your posts can be trusted at all times.

A close friend of mine is a Whisky Broker.

He has set aside a number of bottles which have now greatly increased in value.

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7 minutes ago, cockles1987 said:

 


I haven't seen the green bottle 70cl in any UK supermarkets recently, but i do know the larger 1.5lt and 1.75lt are still getting bottled in Paisley for sunnier climes. emoji6.png

 

With Hogmanay approaching I may have to avail myself of one of those 1.75lt bottles to treat my mates to dram or two B)

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I cannot even smell, much less drink, Scotch whisky without feeling sick. The mere smell of the stuff makes me reel away from the bottle. Have discussed it before on here, but I absolutely love bourbon. Bourbon and ice cold real coke, two ice cubes... heaven. I have met a few people in the same boat. Cannot stand our whisky but can drink bourbon. Apparently it is to do with the different way both are distilled, and how that affects different people. Anyway, that might be true, it might not, it might be a load of bollocks, but either way, bourbons I have imbibed in 2016 and can highly recommend are...

 

Eagle Rare

Woodford Reserve

Hudson Bay

Bulleit

Tin Cup

 

Yes, I am the world's worst Scotsman. Lord strike me down (just don't do it with a bottle of single malt - I'll throw up.)

Edited by pozbaird
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On Saturday, November 26, 2016 at 8:03 PM, Stuart Dickson said:

Bruichladdich night at Artisan, Wishaw, on Wednesday. It's been sold out for the last 11 months. I booked this in August 2015 when one of the waitresses happened to give me an early heads up.

£35 a head for a three course meal and 8 different whiskies - 16 for me cause my girlfriend doesn't drink - from the featured distillery. I'll try to remember what one I enjoyed most and get back to you on Wednesday night. This one looks "interesting"


985dcc242fa4dfe3b4e37c0741a95c30.jpg

Im my collection i have a bottle from their very first Barrow signd and numberd. 

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Good Whisky is endliss ether blend or Malt another that really impressed me waz Dalmore King Alexander 11 put a very small touch of water in it and you would think it waz a good French Congiac. When drpping into the Court bar on the way to the match the odd time i usually have a couple of Jura's which is another fine dram. 

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I can chip in a comment on 4 malts...

When I was up north in August, the kids and I toured the Old Pulteney Distillery in Wick. Because (shamefully) neither of my weans likes whisky, I had to drink their wee drams of the 12yo at the end of the jaunt as well as my own. Extremely palatable! We also entered their monthly draw for a branded jaiket which my son won...so I now own a very nice Old Pulteney jerkin...made in China!

Years ago, I had an acquaintance who got various whiskies at employee, tax-free prices and I developed a taste for Laphroiag from Islay at £5 a litre. A bit like getting your first heroin deal free. I think the smoky, iodine-y, peaty flavour is a near-religious experience. Not everyone agrees with me. I once recommended it to some Englishmen who were in Nairn for a Highland distillery trail and they bought themselves a round of 'The Frog'. They looked over at me as if I'd played a practical joke on them.

Ledaig 10yo from Tobermory really surprised me. Lovely.

Finally, Octomore. Made by Bruichladdich, also on Islay, it brags that it's the most heavily peated malt on the planet. My wonderful kids got me a bottle for Christmas 2014. I love my kids. It's stupidly expensive and I reckon, at least subconsciously, that makes it more precious, but I think it's heavenly.

 

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On 27/11/2016 at 0:49 AM, Langbank said:


Derek Mathers is well thought of on the Islay pages I look at. If you ever get the chance to listen to James McEwan talk about whisky you should. Used to be manager of Bowmore before joining the consortium to take over Bruichladdich in 2000. When I worked there there were 8 of us, now they are the largest employer on the island.

 

There were two brand ambassadors there last night, both of them were girls - Joanne Brown and Abi Clephane. Because I'm a bit stupid my guests and I arrived at 6pm instead of 7pm. Derek let us sit in the snug and we got to meet the two girls before the event started. It was an excellent night. Just as you'd explained the girls told how there were more Special Edition Bruichladdich whiskies than any other brand because they inherited casks that were already in production when the company was taken over. 

All six malts sampled were excellent. I loved the Octomore, which being the sixth one went down really nicely. Also really liked the Valinch although the guys on the table next to us seemed to think that one was a bit rough on the nose and that it needed a tiny bit of water for some reason. I thought it was the one that smelt the best. And I've ordered myself an Islay Barley 2009 as a wee treat to myself this morning. Lovely stuff. 

The next Whisky night at the Artisan is in February - I think they said the 22nd - and it's being hosted by North Star. 

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There were two brand ambassadors there last night, both of them were girls - Joanne Brown and Abi Clephane. Because I'm a bit stupid my guests and I arrived at 6pm instead of 7pm. Derek let us sit in the snug and we got to meet the two girls before the event started. It was an excellent night. Just as you'd explained the girls told how there were more Special Edition Bruichladdich whiskies than any other brand because they inherited casks that were already in production when the company was taken over. 

All six malts sampled were excellent. I loved the Octomore, which being the sixth one went down really nicely. Also really liked the Valinch although the guys on the table next to us seemed to think that one was a bit rough on the nose and that it needed a tiny bit of water for some reason. I thought it was the one that smelt the best. And I've ordered myself an Islay Barley 2009 as a wee treat to myself this morning. Lovely stuff. 

The next Whisky night at the Artisan is in February - I think they said the 22nd - and it's being hosted by North Star. 




Sounds like a good night. Joanne was at school with my daughter and her uncle James owns Octomore farm.
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