Do we think the Ardnahoe releases on Total Wine concierge are worth it?
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Last: 16 days ago by AgInSingapore
I'm tempted but going to hold off this time. They're getting good press and Jim McEwan is production manager (former master distiller at Bruichladdich) so i can't imagine it's not good whisky.
It sounds interesting. This guy does a good review of it. He also compares it to Ardbeg Wee Beastie. Fairly similar whisky and also 5 years old. He prefers the Ardnahoe a wee bit better. I'm a sucker for Islays, so I think I'll give it a go.
Nothing fancy but with glenmorangie replacing the 10 year with a 12 year as their 'original', and seeing the 10 year less and less on shelves, I went ahead and grabbed 2 more for the bunker. On to the next!
I'm interested in their 16 year Nectar, it's number 8 on the 2024 Whiskey Advocate list.
The former Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or 12 year old has been reimagined into The Nectar, which features 4 additional years of aging and a far more complex finishing process, done with a combination of sauternes, monbazillac, muscatel, and tokaji casks. The result is spectacularthe nose is awash in aromas of ripe apricot, juicy peach, lemon-coated apple, and Nilla wafer, while the palate reveals more apricot, then orange scone, honey, a crack of peppery spice, and buttered toast. Warm baking spice also joins the party, coating the mouth in cinnamon French toast and sliced almond, making for an elegant and balanced dram. Julia Higgins
The former Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or 12 year old has been reimagined into The Nectar, which features 4 additional years of aging and a far more complex finishing process, done with a combination of sauternes, monbazillac, muscatel, and tokaji casks. The result is spectacularthe nose is awash in aromas of ripe apricot, juicy peach, lemon-coated apple, and Nilla wafer, while the palate reveals more apricot, then orange scone, honey, a crack of peppery spice, and buttered toast. Warm baking spice also joins the party, coating the mouth in cinnamon French toast and sliced almond, making for an elegant and balanced dram. Julia Higgins
Same but still only seeing the old one on shelves at the moment.
Pulled the trigger on a bottle of Ardbeg Vintage_y2k 23 year old today, along with and Ardbeg Ardcore and a Macallan A Night On Earth In Jerez de la Frontera, definitely one of my more expensive whisky days, but completes a couple more pieces of the collection.
Where's the lineup pic?!
I shamefully cannot post pics here, never looked into how to do it and don't utilize a pic hosting site... i really should rectify that. And I did rectify it!
What should i buy based on my current collection?
not looking to go too far outside my flavor profile
For when GRRM finishes the books or admits that he will never finish them.
Islands and Campbeltown
Highland and Speyside
Islay
Blends the Compass Box Flaming Heart is my current favorite whisky
World Whiskey
American
Texas and yes there's a brandy in this picture
not looking to go too far outside my flavor profile
For when GRRM finishes the books or admits that he will never finish them.
Islands and Campbeltown
Highland and Speyside
Islay
Blends the Compass Box Flaming Heart is my current favorite whisky
World Whiskey
American
Texas and yes there's a brandy in this picture
Single Malt - One that I plan on diving into sooner than later is Meikle Toir, it's GlenAllachie's peated single malt.
Blended - You could expand on your Compass Box bottlings too, The Spaniard and The Spice Tree are being discontinued but you may still be able to find them on the shelves. Replacing those are Crimson Cask and Nectarosity, and they have lots of other offerings.
Rest of World - Kavalan sherry finished?
American - I really enjoy Redwood Empire's offerings and will buy every edition they put out that I can find. Just grabbed two haystack needle rye Spec's store picks when I grabbed the Kilchoman Sanaig Cask Strength.
Blended - You could expand on your Compass Box bottlings too, The Spaniard and The Spice Tree are being discontinued but you may still be able to find them on the shelves. Replacing those are Crimson Cask and Nectarosity, and they have lots of other offerings.
Rest of World - Kavalan sherry finished?
American - I really enjoy Redwood Empire's offerings and will buy every edition they put out that I can find. Just grabbed two haystack needle rye Spec's store picks when I grabbed the Kilchoman Sanaig Cask Strength.
I really need to get on the Redwood Empire wagon. Easily available where I am at! I prefer Scotch over Bourbon. Which of their offerings would you recommend?
Foggy Burl is their American single malt offering if you wanted to stay with single malt. I prefer the Yellowstone ASM store picks that I've found due to proof, but that is not me saying Foggy Burl is bad because it's not, loads of chocolate.
I believe the core lineups are MGP sourced, the rest I believe is their own distillate.
My breakdown would be like this, in order of my personal preference for each lineup
Core Lineup - Emerald Giant (rye), Lost Monarch (bourye), Pipedream (bourbon)
Core Lineup Cask Strength - Pipedream, Lost Monarch, Emerald Giant
BiB: Rocket Top, Grizzly Beast
Small Lot Lineup and in no particular order - Van Duzen (rye), Foggy Burl (ASM), Screaming Titan (wheated bourbon), Devil's Tower (high rye bourbon)
Haystack Needle - I only have the store pick rye I picked up the other day, there are other versions but have never seen them. The one i have is like cotton candy, doing my best to not drink it all
There is a Pipedream 101 proof as well, but I would just grab the cask strength unless I was planning on having a few heavy pours
I believe the core lineups are MGP sourced, the rest I believe is their own distillate.
My breakdown would be like this, in order of my personal preference for each lineup
Core Lineup - Emerald Giant (rye), Lost Monarch (bourye), Pipedream (bourbon)
Core Lineup Cask Strength - Pipedream, Lost Monarch, Emerald Giant
BiB: Rocket Top, Grizzly Beast
Small Lot Lineup and in no particular order - Van Duzen (rye), Foggy Burl (ASM), Screaming Titan (wheated bourbon), Devil's Tower (high rye bourbon)
Haystack Needle - I only have the store pick rye I picked up the other day, there are other versions but have never seen them. The one i have is like cotton candy, doing my best to not drink it all
There is a Pipedream 101 proof as well, but I would just grab the cask strength unless I was planning on having a few heavy pours
Nice, thanks!
Thanks I've been looking at getting Meikle Toir. What's a good price in the North West Houston area for those compass boxes?
Shoot, I am not sure as I just glance casually at it with no intent to purchase, I'll look next time more closely. The Specs at 45 and rayford/sawdust had them both as of last Friday
Total Wine Concierge has the Bunnahabhain Feis Ile 2025 Release 'Turas Math No. 1' 15 Year up on the website for $175. No email sent out (yet), and some pretty interesting specs:
to produce Turas Math No. 1, Master Distiller Brendan McCarron combined two distinct Bunnahabhain expressions: one distilled in 2008 and fully matured for 15 years in Manzanilla Sherry casks from Jerez, and another that spent its first 10 years in refill casks before being finished in Amarone wine casks for an additional 5 years.
55.9% ABV
to produce Turas Math No. 1, Master Distiller Brendan McCarron combined two distinct Bunnahabhain expressions: one distilled in 2008 and fully matured for 15 years in Manzanilla Sherry casks from Jerez, and another that spent its first 10 years in refill casks before being finished in Amarone wine casks for an additional 5 years.
55.9% ABV
Pre-orders arrived, on to the next
3x, hope you like it! Got the email that mine is ready to pick up.
I have a strange OCD thing about single malts where I try to get most of what buy in triplicate unless the price is north of 200/per bottle. That could be all at once for LE's or over time when standard bottlings.
I saw a Spice Tree at Total Wine on memorial for 75. There's a new Flaming Heart coming out, 25th anniversary edition, $165 per and 9300 bottles made, some info over at whisky advocate website
Need to start shopping for a new special occasion scotch, but have some time. The last two my wife and I shared were the Balvenie 21 Portwood and the Glendronach 21 Parliament. Not tethered to Speysides, so can tolerate some smoke. Something in the $200-300 range would be ideal.
Glengoyne or Dalmore have offerings in that range that could fit the bill. Could do an older Aberlour or Glenrothes too. Of those, and basing it off your 2 you mentioned, I'd say a sherried Aberlour or Dalmore King Alexander III. Unfortunately the older age stated Dalmores are $$$, back in the day I always had a Dalmore 21 on hand.
I've had some older Glenrothes from an A&M professor buddy who shared with me years ago when I helped him. For sure the 1984 Glenrothes was killer, and there was one he also had from the 70s, but I can't recall which year.
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My local shop was able to get the Flaming heart 25th anniversary edition. I haven't opened it yet but they cheaper of on the packaging compared to the 2018 edition
[/img]My local shop was able to get the Flaming heart 25th anniversary edition. I haven't opened it yet but they cheaper of on the packaging compared to the 2018 edition
That's great, I haven't seen it anywhere yet. Specs at 45/Rayford has Spice Tree at $60 and The Spaniard at $70, was just there at lunch.
They also have JD American Single Malt finished in oloroso in store, so I grabbed one to give it a try. Think it was maybe $65/70-ish for a liter bottle.
They also have JD American Single Malt finished in oloroso in store, so I grabbed one to give it a try. Think it was maybe $65/70-ish for a liter bottle.
2025 Laphroaig Cairdeas will be a cask strength Lore, could be a good one. Hopefully more details will be available towards mid/end May.
Looking forward to that one! I ran out of standard Lore quite a while ago, and haven't seen one in a few years.
2025 Ardbeg Day Committee Release is called Smokiverse (unsurprisingly no age statement), should start to be available 15th May. From an email I got this morning:
By experimenting with High Gravity Mashing, we've dialled down the water, cranked up the grist, and packed more grain into the mix than ever before. This process ramps up the sugar in the wort, resulting in a higher gravity measurement than our standard mash. It's this heightened gravity that has helped unlock this fruitier, more intense Ardbeg. Layers of muscovado sugar, ripe barley, and toasted sourdough bread, culminate in a burst of ripe tropical fruits and sweet peat.
In layman's terms, we've taken Ardbeg and squeezed it for every drop of flavor.
As a glutton for punishment, I'll be getting this one should I have the opportunity.
By experimenting with High Gravity Mashing, we've dialled down the water, cranked up the grist, and packed more grain into the mix than ever before. This process ramps up the sugar in the wort, resulting in a higher gravity measurement than our standard mash. It's this heightened gravity that has helped unlock this fruitier, more intense Ardbeg. Layers of muscovado sugar, ripe barley, and toasted sourdough bread, culminate in a burst of ripe tropical fruits and sweet peat.
In layman's terms, we've taken Ardbeg and squeezed it for every drop of flavor.
As a glutton for punishment, I'll be getting this one should I have the opportunity.
Interesting that you haven't seen it, I see Lore quite often around Houston (yet still no Elements 2.0). I believe they are phasing out the current version for a rebranding/repackaging.
This one is on shelves now
I bet that one is good.
I always check the Laphroaig area when I hit a store, I thought Lore had been taken out of production. Occasionally I get lucky and find a new 10-year cask strength.
Ever make it down to College Station? I can pick up a Lore for you and bring it up from Houston if timing fits, no problem for me to do that. We're up at the house there for home games and various other times during the year.
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