vPub Live - The Best of 2024 (so far)
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- čas přidán 17. 07. 2024
- It's the halfway point, the summer solstice is past, we're headed into the second half of the year already. But not so fast (not least because some of us still need a summer to happen!) as we need to take a little whisky stock and see how the year has been treating us.
Last year, I remember it was difficult to find the inspiration for this mid-way point summary, but this year feels a lot more positive.
I think there's enough cracking whisky out there at the moment and there's also a sense that some producers are working really hard to grab our attention. There have also been one or two really quite exciting developments and, especially from a liquid perspective, they arguably need to be mentioned and remarked upon.
Remember, this is never a solo session - it's critical that you also bring your stand out bottles; those that should be celebrated as memorable highlights in your whisky exploration of the year so far. Everyone benefits from that.
So, we'll settle in for the second to last vPub before the summer break and share subjective, personal stories and glasses of what's deserving.
I hope to welcome you there!
0:00 - Opening
2:58 - Brief intro to topic
7:00 - Welcoming in the lounge
19:08 - Those worthy of multi-buys
21:22 - Multi-buy Loch Lomond DE
28:38 - Multi-buy Thompson Bros Circumstance 3yo
43:23 - A launch to celebrate - Ardnahoe 5yo
53:10 - New Release - Clydeside Napier Sherry Cask
1:14:40 - Playing with barley
1:17:22 - Barley - Benriach Malting Season 2
1:24:18 - Barley - Ardnamurchan's Golden Promise
1:42:08 - "Premium" in 2024
1:56:12 - Great limited eds 2024 - Glasgow 1770
1:58:39 - Great limited eds 2024 - Glen Scotia Fino
1:59:56 - Great limited eds 2024 - Ballindalloch SC
2:06:24 - Challenging price - TB 8yo North Highland
2:23:03 - Quiz at the End - Zábava
Great vPub as usual, interesting whiskies. I am enjoying Ardnahoe, wonderful original peaty taste. Good quiz thank you!
Fab chilled Vpub and glad to see you feeling better! See ya Sunday evening from Keswick! Much love as always from the two of us
Thank you as always Hellen - see ya Sunday!
It feels a bit treasonous to be enjoying a scotch while being entertained by a Brit. However my love for Roy and his VPUB is much higher than my love for my country. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY ANYWAY!
Right back at ya Shaun - thank you for the kind words!
Best discovery of 2024 so far has been Rock Island 14yo. I'd heard nothing of it until I saw in a store at basically the same price as the 10yo. I really need to go back and see if everyone is still ignoring it and maybe grab another backup bottle.
Proudest of walking past some overpriced Springbanks several times. I like it very much, but it think our time together is over. Plenty of other good things to sip for much cheaper now.
Not tried that Rock Island! Will look out for it. Sorry to hear of more hiked Springbank prices - shame on the local buncers
@@Aqvavitae the writing was on the wall starting a couple years back with the back to back awards and 'top xyz' list rankings.
No bitterness here though, this hobby would be dull if we simply always relied on a few favorites to repurchase over and over right?
The pursuit of value is a complex but interesting one; it's regional, and seasonal, and varies from city to city and budget to budget.
Hi Roy. My mention of $140 Aussie was for the Benriach Malting Season 2nd Edit. At that price it is way cheaper than in the UK. Vary rare that that happens in The Sunburnt Country. I might have to stretch my budget and buy a bottle. As always, thank you for a great vPub, and for what you do. Slainte Mhath
Oooh, that's a decent price for an interesting bottle. It's remarkably different from standard Benriach (which I confess can sometimes be a little straightforward for me). Let me know if you decide to go ahead with it Bruce!
@@Aqvavitae I've had the 12 (so so) and the quarter cask (pretty decent). I will let you know if I have a crack at the Malting Season.
Maybe my favourite Vpub of 2024 (to date) Lots mentioned tonight yet to hit my shores but loved the discussion. Agree with the universal love for Ardnamurchan, who support my tiny market. The '23PL and Rum cask both arrived this year and both amazed. My most bought distillery of 2024, which for a sherry lover surprised.
As an outlier can I throw out Lochlea "Our Barley"? As I've got down the bottle it's opened up and genuinely impressed. Another that offers something a bit different.
Enjoy the break, have a flat white on me (as you'll likely read this in the AM)
Lots of love for Lochlea, I really hope they do well with it all. Ardna already ahead of the curve for everyone I think. Thanks for the generous dram Dave and also for the kind words! I hope you get to hook up with Nick and Penny soon - what a haul they muled home!
Hello Roy! Thank you very much to sharing your thoughts about your choice of your best whisky of the year, and for another great vPub! Watching from Spain now on replay. Found here Old Pulteney 8y.o. from Gordon & MacPhail for 27€|35cl. Very excited to taste when coming back home! Quiz 8/10.
My 4th July dram was the first from my bottle of Ardnamurchan Midgie. What an interesting, fun whisky. Ardnamurchan delivers yet again.
Crazy innit? Very few Ardnas on the shelf not going down well, great stuff indeed! Cheers Sam
My best of 2024 so far: the Arran Quarter Cask and the Meikle Toir Original. Many of the ones you mentioned aren't available here yet, so hopefully there will be more good ones available here later in the year. 9/10 on the quiz this time, missed the asshat. Cheers!
My most purchased whisky this year has been Glen Garioch 12 year old fantastic whisky!
I hope the Midgie will feature in this year's O.S.W.A 😊
Hello Roy! One of the best so far for me has been both the Indri Triple wood, and Cask Strength Dru 😋
Great to watch Roy enjoy some bangers after he drank those from the “most popular” list recently. Well-deserved. Looking forward to the Bottle Chasers next week.
Absolutely! There was indeed a contrast, but it's all whisky so all good! Cheers Carlos
Catching the replay as usual...Thanks Roy for another Great barfly education.
Thanks Roy for a great show, managed to pick the Glenromach Malting for just 70 pound. Looking forward to opening a bottle after dry July ❤
Still a couple left at Paul’s Liquor for our Aussie mates
You're the second to chime in and mention that your prices are better than ours! If they adjusted the pricing on that here I think more folk would be speaking about it!
@@Aqvavitae yeah they are few and far between, we normally pay a premium price for majority of scotch or any other whisky for that matter , depends on market demand I guess so have to keep a keen eye on the sales , lol. The Glenromach stayed at a low price but I think people don’t know , I only found out through the V-Pub so thanks 🙏🏽 for that. Power of the NET
Express time stamps
0:00 - Opening
2:58 - Brief intro to topic
7:00 - Welcoming in the lounge
19:08 - Those worthy of multi-buys
21:22 - Multi-buy Loch Lomond DE
28:38 - Multi-buy Thompson Bros Circumstance 3yo
43:23 - A launch to celebrate - Ardnahoe 5yo
53:10 - New Release - Clydeside Napier Sherry Cask
1:14:40 - Playing with barley
1:17:22 - Barley - Benriach Malting Season 2
1:24:18 - Barley - Ardnamurchan's Golden Promise
1:42:08 - "Premium" in 2024
1:56:12 - Great limited eds 2024 - Glasgow 1770
1:58:39 - Great limited eds 2024 - Glen Scotia Fino
1:59:56 - Great limited eds 2024 - Ballindalloch SC
2:06:24 - Challenging price - TB 8yo North Highland
2:23:03 - Quiz at the End
Enjoy the summer break, Roy. See you on the other side.
Thanks Jim! Very kind of you and remember there's a final vPub next week - gameshow style!
@@Aqvavitae thought there was, but something that was said made me think last Thursday was the last. I will be at the next one!
Another great vPub Roy. We are only half way through 2024 and we really are already spoilt with the quality of new whisky releases this year. Can the 2nd half of the year top it? Totally agree with all your picks, especially with the Circumstance 3 year old. Second bottle will soon be opened, cant get my head around how such young whisky can taste like this. Hovered over the buy now icon for the Clydeside Napier release but ended up going for the Thompson Bros "Tesco" release for £35 from Kinnaird Head Whiskies up here in Fraserburgh, love a bargain. Catch you at the Lock-in.
If you get your sherry mood on anytime soon you could do worse than the Napier - not the most complex on the first pour but I'll continue with it and feedback as to how it's opening up!
Just ordered the Loch Lomand Distillery Edition Five - thanks Roy.
Another chilled analytic, slightly fomo, vPub 😁My best this year so far is Lot40 Dark Oak (alot of flavor and a fair price), Loch Lomond 15yo (greatly priced 15yo), Glasgow 1770 The Original and Hebridean Journey (both surprise finds).
1770 Manzanilla is my find of the year, with the Old Perth CS as runner-up
Terrific shouts on both! Lots of decent drinking price Old Perth releases recently.
@Aqvavitae It's very quaffable too. The Old Perth Manzanilla just hit the shelves and is very tempting
For anyone looking for a cracking Circumstance bottling, MoM have their own available for £45 - a lot of the same flavour/ tasting notes as the Thompson Brothers bottle.
Great tip and decent price too - thanks for the cool contribution, especially now I can't find anymore of the 3yo TB release.
@@Aqvavitae No problem - plus it's actually closer to 4 years old based on the distillation and bottling dates 👍
I've not opened a single bottle that I've bought in 2024. I have about 30 open bottles and about 85 unopened. I don't feel the need to open bottles as soon as I get them, but I can't resist buying when I see something I want on special offer or something we don't usually see if South Africa. The problem is that I'm often drinking something that I bought 2 or 3 years ago and I have already moved on from them.
Had a tasting session the other night with variety of over 50btls and more. With 99% of the btls being single malt. I was surprised that 1 btl stood out from the lot for me, and it was blended malt!
Macnair's lum reek 10 CS.
Speaking of barley, have you tried the Waterford peated lacken? It reminded me of kilkerran heavily peated earlier version. I wonder if it's my palette playing tricks on me.
Hi Roy. I caught cousin Kevin's review on the wee broon electric coo bottling. As you picked one up too, wondered if you had tried it yet and what you thought of it? My bottle is arriving today so super excited to open it this weekend.
Hi Roy, really enjoyable VPub, watched the replay Friday, most what I’ve bought lately is still closed but am enjoying at the moment Fettercairn 16 batch 3, AnConc 18, Benromach 15 and Kilchoman’ batch strength. Slàinte Roy.
Tories OUT. About f’ing time! Cheers all.
Ha! We don't usually mention the 'P' word around here but I brought it up didn't I? I'll let this one fly. Cheers El D!