whisky lovers

[TxRover]

5 hours ago, hk blues said:

Where I am, there are just a very few number of off-licences and they focus on the hard stuff or wine.  As for supermarkets, they have a not bad choice of foreign beers but just a few bottles of each and they tend to sit on the shelves for months as they are 2 or 3 times the price of the local stuff.  For some strange reason for the local beers they only sell cans - no idea why.  Convenience stores like 7-11 have a good selection but pricey for the same thing.

The great thing about here is that in pretty much every street you can find a small store (often more than one) which is usually a room in somebody's house converted to a wee shop. I get my beer from the one directly opposite my place, 3 cases at a time and delivered the 30 feet to my door!  

During lockdown, we experienced alcohol bans on and off but were lucky compared to some areas where alcohol was banned for almost a year!  My dealer and I were able to get around the bans luckily.

On the beer front (and wine, for that matter) we’re pretty well off at the supermarkets, etc. if you want something special, the liquor stores will almost certainly have something like it, if not it. The change in appreciation of local and small breweries is amazing over the past 20 years.

[jimbaxters]

15 minutes ago, TxRover said:

On the beer front (and wine, for that matter) we’re pretty well off at the supermarkets, etc. if you want something special, the liquor stores will almost certainly have something like it, if not it. The change in appreciation of local and small breweries is amazing over the past 20 years.

I would absolutely LOVE a rake around a big American liquor store, mostly for the bourbons/ryes. We were in California five years ago but I wasn't into whisky, or whiskey back then. Remember going in a wee one and picking up some beers. Still see it as a wasted opportunity.

Edited November 11, 2022 by jimbaxters

[carpetmonster]

3 minutes ago, jimbaxters said:

I would absolutely LOVE a rake around a big American liquor store, mostly for the bourbons/ryes. We were in California five years ago but I wasn't into whisky, or whiskey back then. Remember going in a wee one and picking up some beers. Still see it as a wasted opportunity.

A lot of the properly hype shit you wouldn't see; stuff like Blanton's and Rock Hill Farms they'll get one or two bottles and stick them behind the customer service desk for folks to ask for them; you're actually better going to a little indie. I'm still a little unconvinced about paying lots of cash for bourbon. Blantons is a very nice simple caramel whiskey, but it's too young to have gotten much else about it, and at $60-70 MSRP we're verging into Scotch money territory. Of course you can't whack a bottle of Evan Williams white label for $15, and if Diageo ever get around to sending it to the UK, then the 8YO George Dickel is a great buy here at $30-$35. 

[TxRover]

39 minutes ago, carpetmonster said:

A lot of the properly hype shit you wouldn't see; stuff like Blanton's and Rock Hill Farms they'll get one or two bottles and stick them behind the customer service desk for folks to ask for them; you're actually better going to a little indie. I'm still a little unconvinced about paying lots of cash for bourbon. Blantons is a very nice simple caramel whiskey, but it's too young to have gotten much else about it, and at $60-70 MSRP we're verging into Scotch money territory. Of course you can't whack a bottle of Evan Williams white label for $15, and if Diageo ever get around to sending it to the UK, then the 8YO George Dickel is a great buy here at $30-$35. 

He’s not wrong. The major chains like Spec’s carry liquor, wine, beer and related foods, so despite being huge, it isn’t quite as massive as you’d think…but it’s still literally a booze supermarket. The catch is a lot of premium stuff is limited in inventory and it’s difficult to know when something might arrive. Making friends with the staff helps, but the smaller speciality stores are the key to getting some stuff. If you want a choice of 500 different vodkas though…

[Willie adie]

20 hours ago, Michael W said:

Duly purchased this evening. Have heard the Lidl special malts are pretty good for £40 so looking forward to trying it. 

Picked up a bottle in Lidl Elgin, will be my Xmas tipple this year

[V.Aye.R]

On 10/11/2022 at 18:35, Sarcastic Bairn said:

Anybody opened it yet?

Cracked it tonight. A little softer than last years 18yo, not quite as punchy on the peat but very drinkable. 

Dont add much water, only takes a little. 

[RawB93]

Drank a Ben Bracken, Speyside from Lidl tonight.

I was lured by a faint inkling that Speyside was revered for its whisky. Only to see on the bottle that it was actually produced in Glasgow. Was I conned?

It was actually quite a pleasant drink regardless. Very sweet and caramelly. Doesn't quite have the evolving dunt of a pricier whisky, but for someone whose face normally screws up after a dram it was decent.

Lidl have, I think, 3 different Ben Bracken's so will try the Islay one next.

[mathematics]

This is not good.

[RH33]

Ardgowan have three for £299

 

https://shop.ardgowandistillery.com/collections/whisky/products/the-clydebuilt-series

[vikingTON]

That scheme is completely confusing as to what you actually get. They'd also better build a walking route to their distillery when it opens as it's half a mile from the house. 

Took Master of Malt's Tobermory 12 on a Black Friday deal at £37, but more so for the delightful Santiago de Cuba 12 year old rum, that is also under £40. 

[RH33]

I didn't actually read it

[invergowrie arab]

52 minutes ago, virginton said:

That scheme is completely confusing as to what you actually get. They'd also better build a walking route to their distillery when it opens as it's half a mile from the house. 

Took Master of Malt's Tobermory 12 on a Black Friday deal at £37, but more so for the delightful Santiago de Cuba 12 year old rum, that is also under £40. 

Looks like they are blending on-site and selling that until their whisky is ready. They have already done 3 blends and will do 3 more.

You aren't getting a drop of their whisky and 50 each is a spicy price for a blend of unknown quality.

That said I've more respect for them doing that than all those distilleries pumping out 24 hour bathtub gin for 40 quid a bottle.

[RH33]

20 minutes ago, invergowrie arab said:

Looks like they are blending on-site and selling that until their whisky is ready. They have already done 3 blends and will do 3 more.

You aren't getting a drop of their whisky and 50 each is a spicy price for a blend of unknown quality.

That said I've more respect for them doing that than all those distilleries pumping out 24 hour bathtub gin for 40 quid a bottle.

Think the first two blends were well received. I have zero interest in whisky but keep an eye on Ardgowan due to uncles involvement.

[Michael W]

On 10/11/2022 at 20:53, Michael W said:

Duly purchased this evening. Have heard the Lidl special malts are pretty good for £40 so looking forward to trying it. 

Cracked it open tonight. Going down well - smooth and with a subtle hint of smoke. Quite impressed. 

[HI HAT]

Just looked at Amazon's black Friday deals. Fancied a Dalmore ,bloody hell, not half jacked their prices up, what you used to pay for a 15yo they want for a 12yo. Going to look on the SMWS site for something a bit different. 

[Savage Henry]

On 13/11/2022 at 18:02, mathematics said:

This is not good.

Should have bought The Closed, AMIRITELADZ?

[V.Aye.R]

3 hours ago, HI HAT said:

Just looked at Amazon's black Friday deals. Fancied a Dalmore ,bloody hell, not half jacked their prices up, what you used to pay for a 15yo they want for a 12yo. Going to look on the SMWS site for something a bit different. 

The 18yo is now over £300. Insane. 

[V.Aye.R]

Very slim pickings on the decent malts on any kind of offer. Think we're waving goodbye to any good value bottles. 

[Willie adie]

I'd say as good a value as you will get it is a bottle of Tamanvulin for 20 - 22 quid,  I think it's a more than decent drop for a sensible price, 

[vikingTON]

A set of very fine BF deals for rum.