Whiskey

[bigbaddes]

another vote for just about anything Balvenie.

and a vote to avoid just about everything penderyn - used to live near there and send out bottles for rugby stuff and birthdays (as a 'well i live in wales and this is what we got' haha effort) - then after a distillery visit i stopped - the raw spirit tastes ok but their finishing is very very poor. a few words told me they aim now at the export (mostly french???) market as an aperitif - jesus wept !!!

[HenPecked]

and a vote to avoid just about everything penderyn - used to live near there and send out bottles for rugby stuff and birthdays (as a 'well i live in wales and this is what we got' haha effort) - then after a distillery visit i stopped - the raw spirit tastes ok but their finishing is very very poor. a few words told me they aim now at the export (mostly french???) market as an aperitif - jesus wept !!!

I have to disagree with you there. True, on my first visit about ten years ago they didn't really know what they were doing - similar to St George's in Norfolk - they were selling lots of "spirit" and finishing in Jim Beam casks (which impart a horrible tang, especially when young), but I visited again last Summer and was so impressed I must have spent £400 in their shop, their Madeira finish in particular is fantastic. The standard style bottles were still a bit underwhelming, but all of the new series (in the sculpted bottles with the black boxes) were brilliant.

Since last Summer I've drunk everything I bought there, and bought at least 3 more when I've seen them in Waitrose. Their peated expression is very interesting - they don't use peated barley, but add a peated finish in the cask. Not quite fit to grace the same shelf as my Octomores, but perfect at the price point of around £40.

[Griswold]

Just enjoyed a large glass of 18 year old Glen Moray. Absolutely gorgeous but, alas, all gone! Need to add to the shopping list.