Laphroaig Whisky

By Maltmannie

Love it or hate it. That’s the challenge from Laphroaig whisky’s owners. And with its reputation for being the most pungent of all Scotch whiskies, Laphroaig whisky has every right to expect extreme reactions from those who sample its awesomely peaty flavours.
Recommended Laphroaig expression: Laphroaig 30-year-old, with a seaweed taste after spending time in sherry casks brought over by the SS Auk.

Laphroaig Whisky – Taste It and See

A true Islay malt, Laphroaig whisky is bound to be peaty – the distillery owns its own peat banks. From one type of warming fuel to another. Rumours abound that the water that the whisky is made from is dark with the traditional firestuff. And instead of the usual ‘hmm, I think the Laphroaig whisky tastes of its source water’ why not try impressing your fellow drinkers by reminding them that the water on Islay taste of whisky. That’s bound to make you sound knowledgeable.

Drink Up Your Laphroaig

Laphroaig whisky’s principal markets are the UK, US, France and Italy, and it consistently rates among the five top-selling malts. But that’s not all. Laphroaig whisky has a royal connection. In 1994 Laphroaig whisky became the only whisky with the right to carry the Royal Warrant of HRH, Prince Charles of Wales. This honour was awarded by Prince Charles himself, during a visit to the Laphroaig whisky distillery.

Ardbeg Whisky

By Maltmannie

An Islay malt, Ardbeg whisky is famous (according to its own website) as arguably the most peaty of all the Islay whiskies. The others are Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Bowmore, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Bunnahabain and Bruichladdich.

Ardbeg Whisky’s Nose and Flavour

Ardbeg whisky has a strong nose composed of iodine, seaweed and sawdust. Its flavour is smoky and salty. Despite all of this, the experts recommend Ardbeg whisky as a bedtime drink – presumably any bed partners would also have to be sharing your Ardbeg whisky or the aroma would keep them awake. The taste is smooth and warm, so maybe it pays to not judge on first impressions.

What Makes Ardbeg Whisky Special?

Ardbeg whisky is often bottled at above the 40 per cent vol that malt whiskies must meet. It is one of the fastest growing Islay single malts and has been being made since at least 1815. Well travelled, Ardbeg whisky won an award in Australia this year (2008) as Australia’s best commercially available whisky.
Another example of how popular Ardbeg whisky is could be its many expressions, including Lord of the Isles (a smooth-bodied twenty-five year old), the Committee Reserve (a 55.3 per cent vol ‘tour de force’) and Ardbeg whisky 1976, developed especially for the Japanese market.

Glenmorangie Whisky

By Maltmannie

Even if you’re not a whisky enthusiast, you may well have heard of Glenmorangie whisky. This single malt is, depending on which statistic you believe, the 3rd best selling single malt in the world (in volume) and usually appears as the UK’s best selling whisky. Of the 10 million Glenmorangie whisky bottles produced annually, six to six and a half million are sold in the UK. Glenmorangie whisky has a massive six per cent share of the global whisky market.

Glenmorangie Whisky’s Perfume and Wood Polish

Glenmorangie whisky is well-known for its sweet aroma. You’ll find caramel, butterscotch and marzipan aspects to its nose (the technical name for the smell given off when you swirl the drink in a whisky tasting). But this could be a red herring, as the company’s liking for wood finishes can deter some first-time Glenmorangie whisky drinkers. Perhaps unusually, Glenmorangie whisky’s producers lend their specially selected and created casks to the Jack Daniels boubon distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee for a total of four years. This is in order to give the whisky the desired wood finish.

But it seems that whisky taste can even be affected by where you pile your Glenmorangie whisky casks. Cellar 13 is the expression that is most seasidey, being shelved closest to the sea.
Ever thought wine tasters were pretentious? Glenmorangie whisky tasters – here’s your chance to feel superior. A Parisian perfumier has identified 26 individual scents in this highland single malt.

Dalwhinnie Scotch

By Maltmannie

Dalwhinnie Scotch whisky is a north highland variety of whisky. The whisky distillery’s location was chosen especially for its supply of clear spring water directly from Lochan-Doire-Uaine, just nearby to where the Dalwhinnie Scotch whisky is made. Curiously, Dalwhinnie Scotch has as its base ingredient water that has the highest mountain source of all Scottish malt whiskies. Already scaling the heights in its ingredient list, it seems only right that Scotland’s hillwalkers return the Dalwhinnie Scotch whisky back to the heights in hip flasks to keep themselves warm.

Dalwhinnie Scotch, a Gentle Local Hero?

Two important facts to note about Dalwhinnie Scotch: its advertising slogan is ‘the gentle spirit’; until 1988-9 Dalwhinnie Scotch was only available locally. Both of these could be described as misleading. Below is an explanation why.

Flavour of Dalwhinnie Scotch

Dalwhinnie Scotch, though pale gold in colour and with a sweet first flavour, has a clear, clean taste that works well as an aperitif. So its taste is not like Laphroaig but it does have its admirers. Don’t be deterred from the ‘gentle spirit’ by the implication that this is in any way a bland single malt.
Regarding the celebrity status of Dalwhinnie Scotch, post-1989, United Distillers chose Dalwhinnie Scotch as one of only six for its Classic Malts of Scotland series and therefore this pleasant whisky is now much better known by many. But this not the whole story either – there are five well-known expressions of this well-loved highland single malt for you to explore, from the 15-year-olds to the 36-year-old.

Oban Single Malt

By Maltmannie

A true west coast single malt, the Oban single malt obviously has its fans. However, some western highland malt whisky fans are disappointed by the whisky’s ‘restrained’ flavour, compared to its neighbours. Although your first taste can appear sweet, the Oban single malt’s flavour closes with a smoky aspect. Maybe the multiple tastes are only what you might expect from a Scottish single malt, given Scotland’s multiple seasons, even in one day.

Where this whisky hails from

The elements that make Oban single malt taste as it does include its source water being mossy, peaty hills. You can see from the label design the landscape and history that shaped this western highland malt’s place of origin.

Varieties of the Oban single malt available.

From the Oban single malt come three main expressions: the 14-year-old, at 43 per cent vol; the 1980 bottling, a distiller’s edition which was double matured at 43 per cent; and the mature 32-year-old, a limited Oban single malt release of only 6000 available at 55.1 per cent.

Give your tasting tongue a head start.

Flavours to look out for in all expressions of the Oban single malt are: dryish nose, with a fruity taste that has flowery tones. One whisky expert, Michael Jackson, characterises the Oban single malt as a “classically briney West Highlander.”

Best Single Malt

By Maltmannie

The best single malt in the world can be ruined by a mixer; a friend was once denied his birthday whisky as he started to mix its contents with coke. But a friendship built on whisky can even survive the best single malt being put out of harm’s way.

Being sociable can have its costs. The best single malt can have a similarly high cost. That’s why you sometimes have to lose friends – you’ve got to think, could I share my favourite, and what I consider to be my best single malt whisky, from my collection with this person?

Arguably, what whisky rates for you as your best single malt has to hit a lot of targets. Price is usually one factor to consider – you might never know what the best single malt for you might be as it’s out of your price range. However, maybe your best single malt could be decided partly by your cooking habits – some, like Dalwhinnie are famously great aperitifs.

Are the Best Single Malts the Classic Single Malts?

What were launched and marketed by United Distillers as the best single malt whiskies were included in their Classic Malts of Scotland range in 1987. These whiskies included: Dalwhinnie, Lagavulin, Cragganmore, Talisker, Oban and Glenkinchie. Your taste in what you like your whisky to taste of will surely affect whether you agree with this – a complex taste like some Speysides (for example Cragganmore) or a salty, seaweed-tastic single malt from the west like Laphroaig could equally tickle your taste buds.

Best Whisky

By Maltmannie

There is no such thing as the best whisky, we all have our personal best whisky…

Your best whisky taste-wise will depend on your own physiology. Since everybody’s palate has an individual level at which you will find the mix of water and whisky perfect, for every person who needs a 1:1 ratio, there are those who love their whisky neat. For single malt whiskies, especially the more rare ‘expressions’ one advised method of tasting is to try it neat and also with water added. This may help you find your real best whisky.

Your own Best Whisky

Your best whisky may be associated with a special event or time in your life. It’s possible that if you like Scottish malts, you enjoy them on Scottish Munros – so if your last Munro was celebrated with a single malt, you’ll always have a special place in your heart for that whisky.

Many Best Whiskies

The best whisky, as voted for by the buyers of whisky, could arguable be Glenmorangie. Sales of the single malt Glenmorangie, the best whisky seller in the UK and 3rd best seller by volume worldwide, are truly amazing. But let’s look at the best whisky search from another perspective. Sometimes the most expensive products are those which are both high in quality and in short supply. Another famous (and hard to obtain) best whisky is Edradour, from Scotland’s smallest distillery.