Peaty Whisky Advice

M.Kaplan · June 9, 2018, 3:16pm

I was kicked off the Ardbeg Committee (was an original member) and am persona non grata with GlenMonsanto after saying and writing that the brand managers at GlenMonsanto are soulless cretins and that Dr Bill Lumsden is complicit in ruining the greatest spirit in the history of mankind. I find all Ardbeg distilled under GlenMonsanto’s ownership be undrinkable effluence and the annual silly-name releases to be worse. Obviously, if you wish to poison yourself by drinking that crap, it’s up to you.

Bob_Kot · June 17, 2018, 2:29pm

• Lagavulin – Can’t beat it. A perennial overachiever.

• Ardbeg 10 year

• Ardbeg Corryvrekan

• Ardbeg Uigadail – Sublime

• Laphroaig 10 year

• Caol Ila 12 year – Delicate and well structured

• Bunnahabhain 25 years – For that special occasion

John_Osburn · June 21, 2018, 12:45am

C’mon Mark, don’t sugarcoat it. How do you really feel?

M.Kaplan · June 22, 2018, 3:52pm

The WB word censors won’t permit that. I really, truly don’t understand how Bill Lumsden and the marketing f*cktards at GlenMonsanto can sleep at night, knowing that they have reduced the greatest spirit in the history of mankind to a sewage swill that tastes like a dead, putrifying donkey’s asshole that has been rubbed with an ashtray.

How’s that?

Chris_Blum · June 22, 2018, 5:28pm

Kinda a cool event we did at Proof Brewing in Tallahassee where we have an assisted living…

John_Osburn · June 25, 2018, 11:13pm

Visited Laphroaig, Ardbeg and Lagavulin distilleries a couple of years ago. Although Laphroaig has definitely modernized their marketing game, Laphroaig and Lagavulin were still real treats to visit. Ardbeg was a mess, both in the new gimmicky facilities and the whisky. Could not even find anything good enough to bring back with us from there, as opposed to the others.

M.Kaplan · September 21, 2019, 12:19pm

Here is the story of how Ardbeg became great and how it was ruined.

RichardFlack · September 21, 2019, 9:24pm

Slight thread drift … part of any whisky journey has to be learning the effect of a little water, and Laphroaig 10 is a fairly dramatic example. A small amount of water tames the harsh iodine component on the nose dramatically and you get hints of violets.

…
I wasn’t aware that the basic Bruichlaiddich is now unpeated (haven’t had it in a while; I have Octomore sitting waiting for a suitable occasion (and company!) to be opened), thanks for the info. Enjoyed the article on the Peat shortage … a bit wimpish of the authors to put Happy April Fools Day at the bottom though.

JulianD · September 23, 2019, 2:49pm

I thought it was technically peated, but only like 1-2ppm

Sarah_Kirschbaum · September 24, 2019, 1:04am

From the Bruichlaiddich website:

“OUR BRUICHLADDICH WHISKY RANGE IS UNPEATED, FLORAL AND COMPLEX. TRICKLE DISTILLED FROM 100% SCOTTISH BARLEY USING MUCH OF THE ORIGINAL VICTORIAN MACHINERY, THE METHODS EMPLOYED BY OUR CRAFTSMEN HAVE CONTINUED UNCHANGED. THIS IS NATURAL WHISKY, NON-CHILL FILTERED AND COLOURING FREE.”

I was at the distillery in August, and everyone I spoke to said the same. So if there’s a tiny bit of peat, they aren’t mentioning it.

Brian_G_r_a_f_s_t_r_o_m · September 25, 2019, 1:33am

Laphroaig 10 yo cask strength not only benefits (greatly) from water, it requires water! The watered-down “regular” Laphroaig 10 yo, for my palate, is already watered-back too far, and therefore doesn’t require any additional. The suitable occasion for Octomore is when you’re pulling a mean prank on someone, or you’re trying to determine who can drink the most gasoline, or simple self-loathing.

Brian_G_r_a_f_s_t_r_o_m · September 25, 2019, 1:34am

Slight thread drift … part of any whisky journey has to be learning the effect of a little water, and Laphroaig 10 is a fairly dramatic example. A small amount of water tames the harsh iodine component on the nose dramatically and you get hints of violets.

…
I wasn’t aware that the basic Bruichlaiddich is now unpeated (haven’t had it in a while; I have Octomore sitting waiting for a suitable occasion (and company!) to be opened), thanks for the info. Enjoyed the article on the Peat shortage … a bit wimpish of the authors to put Happy April Fools Day at the bottom though.

I thought it was technically peated, but only like 1-2ppm

From the Bruichlaiddich website:

“OUR BRUICHLADDICH WHISKY RANGE IS UNPEATED, FLORAL AND COMPLEX. TRICKLE DISTILLED FROM 100% SCOTTISH BARLEY USING MUCH OF THE ORIGINAL VICTORIAN MACHINERY, THE METHODS EMPLOYED BY OUR CRAFTSMEN HAVE CONTINUED UNCHANGED. THIS IS NATURAL WHISKY, NON-CHILL FILTERED AND COLOURING FREE.”

I was at the distillery in August, and everyone I spoke to said the same. So if there’s a tiny bit of peat, they aren’t mentioning it.

Peat at 1 - 2ppm is not discernible, I would think.