Laphroaig Lore is my favorite Islay. I was skeptical to pull the trigger but I'm so glad I did. It's unlike any Islay I've had. It beat out Octomore in a tasting for me.
The Laphroaig Lore is great. It's been a while since I've done a review (czcams.com/video/vjZEs11jl5M/video.html) and I should buy another bottle as well. Cheers!
Last week i went to a "high end wisky tasting" at my local store. I had never spent over 60€ (port charlotte) and it was my chance to finally get a taste of more expensive stuff. I tried 6 wiskies two of which were peated. Both were priced at 130€. The first one, the Arberg "Ardcore" was great. But the other one, "Kornog Oloroso", a French Wisky, was SO good i came back to the store to buy it the next day
I had two shots of Octomore 11.3 at a little bar called On the Rocks at 10th Ave and 49th Street in Hells Kitchen, NY... It's the best scotch I've ever had, just amazing... I believe I paid $60-$80 per each shot. It was an insane night... I've never been able to find Octomore local. I live in a major US city and even the larger liquor stores tell me its very hard to get... I keep Port Charlotte and Ardberg 10 year in my cabinet. Both are great, but neither come close to Octomore.
If you do get a chance to try the Cask Exploration Series of Port Charlotte, you might love it too (Is Octomore worth the price? I compare it to Port Charlotte OLC: 01 | Whisky Review/Tasting czcams.com/video/_yAhd4lKPSo/video.html). Cheers!
Excellent collection, truly an experts choice. Hope you find the Kilchoman Loch Gorm to include it to your favourites -:)) By the way, at least here in Germany you can get 3 of the 6 for just the price of the Ardbeg alone.. and Octomore is easily available. Stay healthy ! over here
Saw your video yesterday.. today i went to my whisky shop of trust and saw a bottle of the OLC 01 from 2010 for 100€ and grabed it instantly 😍😍 cant get that bottle anywhere in the onlineshops in Germany
Germany has always been presented to me as an ideal country to buy whisky - with all the required disclosure of NCF and artificial coloring - as well as the pricing. I didn't know the online shops were different than the stores. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!
my Islay Journey started with Bowmore, then it took to me to Caol Ila and further on to Lagavulin and Laphroaig, i wandered a long time in laphroug land from quarter cask to lore and felt quite good. then i was at a blind tasting and i meet Ardbeg Uigedal. and my love to Laphroaig was over. i fell for Ardbeg with all my heart and got myself the 10y, Uigedal, AN OA and the tad expensive dark cove. from all islay whiskies i tried i keep going back to Uigedal. it holds a special place in my heart.
The Uigeadail is still a favorite of mine after many years of wandering the hallowed coasts of Islay. Isn't it fun to be able to enjoy so many different expressions? ;) Cheers!
My favourite Islay whisky is the Octomore 10 years 2009 vintage. It's crazy how they made such a complex whisky with just 10 years of maturation. It's got the best toffee of any whisky, salty notes as well as a lot of umami (think about chashu and matcha tea with those grilled meaty notes mixed with the vegetal and flowery aspects of a ceremonial grade matcha). The texture is very oily and even that cooling camhpor sensation is present in the mouth. You can get the best of this expression adding just a little touch of water to bring it down to around 50% ABV. I wish I could afford more than one bottle, but in Europe is at minimum 220€
Hi, Andrei. Great tasting notes, thanks! I have tried to buy that bottle a couple of times, but it's either too pricey or out of stock. Now I'm going to have to redouble my efforts. Cheers!
Excellent review, love all those bottles in your list. From my preference, Ardbeg Dark Cove committee over the 19. Laphroaig 18 over the Cardeas and Lagavulin 12 over the distillers edition.
Thanks for compliment and the suggestions! I'm having trouble acquiring a Dark Cove, as well as any of the Lagavulin 12 special releases. I have tried to find the Laphroaig 18, but it looks to be just as difficult to get. You must have great access to Scotch. Cheers!
@@WhiskyRiffs Those bottles aren’t easy to find but just lucky in my adventures I guess. My last bottle of Laphroaig 18 was picked up at the duty free in the US side of the border between the State of Maine and Fredericton, Canada. Enjoying a glass as I type this message! Cheers!
Ardbeg Dark Cove CR is a release from 4 or 5 years ago if I remember correctly, highly coveted and any remaining bottles are going to be $500+. I think I remember seeing one for around $500 two years ago. The 19 yr is a current yearly release for around $250-$300 so hard to really compare the 2.
"Pricey" stuff indeed! It's not technically Islay, but Ledaig is in spirit (no pun intended), and their 18 is a standout bottle. Also, it's usually unpeated, but you can't talk about Islay whisky without including Bunnahabhain; the 12 & 18 are both at or near Best in Class bottles. If you can find a Peated Bunnahabhain, grab it, because tends to be excellent stuff too. Cheers✌️
Thanks for the Ledaig suggestion. A couple of years ago, I bought a bottle of Bunnahabhain Cruach-Mhòna at the Sydney airport duty free. That's a peated expression from them that's quite nice. Cheers!
Hi Kev. Enjoyed that again. 😁The only thing I’d add is the tell-tale abv for NCF is more regularly 46.0%, although we go 46.3% for our Core Range at Bunnahabhain. Slàinte, DB. 😁👍🥃
I bought the 12.3 octomore two weeks ago at a local liquor store here in Taiwan for about 180 USD. There is some PX casks influence in the background on that one. I think I got the 10.3 (on a recommendation from another whisky reviewer) there about two years ago for about 30 dollars more than the 11.3. Both are well worth it.
Thanks for sharing, Richard! I have a bottle of Octomore that a friend of mine bought in Germany for me, but COVID has kept us from meeting up to exchange that purchase. I'll do a review once I get it. Cheers!
Could you review and or expain the Octomore line in its entirety? I am a bit confused by their numbering system... Also Black Art whiskey review would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I do have a Black Art review: czcams.com/video/EdRuz5zu1e8/video.html. Just remember that there are many editions of Black Art and all are different. The same goes for Octomore, each edition is unique. The first number on Octomore is the edition, which increments each year. The .1 through .4 numbers designate the different cask types. Check out Bruichladdich's website for the details, but the .1 is the core www.bruichladdich.com/products/octomore-edition-14-1 and the .2 is aged in wine casks from Oloroso Sherry, Amarone, and Pauillac. Each year can change, which makes it hard to do a review of any of them at $200 to $600 per bottle. Cheers!
I think Springbank is a great distillery, but I've not had their 21 yet. I reviewed the 15 (czcams.com/video/DPyC7CgOMUM/video.html). I'm not sure if I could have paid $400 for Laphroaig 25 to include it in this review. I'm sure it's an excellent expression and I'll just have to take your word for it. ;) Cheers!
I would always have a caol ila in my Top 5 / a well aged independent refill cask🤤...and OBs you should consider Laphroaig 10 CS and Lagavulin 12 CS - Pure Islay unmasked at its best. - just my thoughts.
Somewhere in the middle all of the contents of the bottles on the table started to wobble… we’re you having an earthquake? 🤣 I’m jealous of that table.
nice stuff. If you get a chance the caol ila 30 and 35, Ardbeg Twenty Something 22 (or 23 or even 21), OLD talisker 25's when they were cask strength, and a real treat if you can source a Fies Ile 2015 Lagavulin (24 years old) or even the old 25 year. All will blow your mind vs these offerings. Still some winners here.
Thanks for the suggestions, Dustin. I don't think I have access to any of those in San Francisco, or at least not at prices I can afford. I'll keep my eye out for them thought. Cheers!
Thanks for another fantastic video! If I may suggest: Dun Bheagan. It's marked as an Islay, small batch, limited edition, very affordable and tastes lovely. Unchill filtered, NAS.
I can’t decide on a favorite, depends on my mood, I have a really good collection of Islay whisky, but it seems I most often go for Wee Beastie, Bunnahabhain 12 or Lore. It’s not Islay, but I love Balvenie Week of Peat, just can’t find it now.
That's why I have trouble rating whisky expressions, my favorite is what I'm in the mood for at the time. Balvenie makes many delicious expressions. Cheers!
I have a question for you. Imagine you live in Europe. Would you ever drink the Laphroaig 10 (37-40euro) (because only 40% abv) or would you do like most of us (for the same price) buy a quarter cask Laphroaig (48% abv) and its 40-42euros.. I buy the cask strength for a weekly dram (or 2) (daily is too expensive then I choose Ardbeg 5,10,corryvreckan, uigeadail or Lagavulin 8, 9 or 16, the 12 is also weekly as it's more expensive as the 8 or 16. BTW I received my bottle cask strength Laphroaig 10 so I have 2 bottles now. But my Port charlotre is still on its way. It has to come from the Netherlands that one.. But if I don't have it Monday I just buy in in the whisky store too then I have 2. I always say 2 good bottles are better than 1.😛 Edit: Bowmore 18 is here only 85 euros. Edit 2: port charlotte olc 01 is 122€ where I live. Some whisky's are more expensive here and some are really cheaper here. It's sometime a wtf moment for me.😃 Als octomore is available here yes but the price.. It's good for the occasional bottle. I want to give you the website but sadly they only ship in Europe.. I checked. Sorry. BTW you're one off the best reviewers on yt.👍
First of all, thank you for the awesome compliment. 😊 And I really only bought the Laphroaig 10 for that episode. I would normally go for the Quarter Cask or the Lore, PX Cask, or Triple Wood. Whisky prices around the US are even wildly different. It's all about distribution and how much the parties between the distiller and the store charge for handling. It's interesting that you would start the question "Imagine you live in Europe" because my wife and I are trying to move to Italy in the next 5 to 10 years. All her birth relatives are of Italian heritage and we love vacationing there. Cheers!
@@WhiskyRiffs That's great! I actuall wish I was there now, it's such a beautifull country. It's a day and a half drive away from here.. So not that far. For vacation I went years ago to the Island off Sardinia, and it was amazing. I actually like Italy a lot; but for some reason I had a bunch off vacations in Spain and Turkey and only 1 longer vacation in Italy, and had 1 weekend in Rome, and 1 weekend in Milan (actually its leaving on Friday and coming back on monday better known as a city trip) When Corona is finally over, I want to go on a nice long holiday again. Cheers mate 🥃
@@Kvs-vf9nt We keep trying to get to Spain, but it just keeps getting moved to "after this trip" and we also lost two years of travel due to the pandemic. Cheers!
@@WhiskyRiffs If you ever go to Spain. I can recommend Barcelona. I know everyone goes there. But damn the city its so beautifull. For some more peace and quiet there is always Andalusia. Such a beautifull authentic region.👍
Hello Mr.Kevin! How you doing? Came across yo channel and I found it really good..thanks for your reviews and keep up the good work..and by the way my favorite is Bunnahabhain 18YO! Excellent one..
Hi Ajay! Thanks for finding Whisky Riffs and for the compliment. Ah, the Bunny 18… one of the first Scotch bottles I owned with an age statement. It isn't peated, so it didn't make this list. Cheers!
Great question, Todd. I'll try to do justice with my answer. I'd say that Bruichladdich Distillery (Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte, Octomore) and Kilchoman are the best for the most native Islay whisky expressions with consistent quality of product. Bunnahabhain has an excellent core line and also avoids chill-filtering and added color, but only their specialty lines are peated. I'm writing an episode for that distillery now. Ardbeg has great core expressions, but some of their annual releases are meh. I hope that helps. Cheers!
I definitely have enjoyed all of Bruichladdich's I've sampled. The two Port Charlotte offerings especially. Perhaps it's bias from it being my introduction to Islay, but I've never really been disappointed by Laphroaig. I'm a smoke fiend though
@@toddchewning928 I really like Laphroaig and the 10 will always own that "first Islay Scotch" place in my heart. I do think their ABV is a bit low and the Laphroaig tour felt more corporate compared to Bruichladdich and Kilchoman. I'll still keep buying their expressions even though they have lost my "favorite Islay distiller" spot.
Just found your channel and your reviews are great. Keep it up. Regarding the Octomore 11.3: Its available here in Germany for round about 200 Dollars.
Thanks, Patrick! Yes, I have a friend and co-worker who is from Germany and he's bringing me back a bottle of Octomore. I probably should have had him grab the 11 instead of the 12 because the former is more expensive here, but I goofed. Cheers!
If you can find a Thé Ultimate independent bottlings particularly thé seaweed experience grab one. They used a bunnahabhain staoisha for this spirit which they cant call whisky because of celp they added to thé drank. Heavy on thé peat with a seasalt kick. Quite affordable but i think quite rare.
Thanks for the tip. I did find this bottle, but I'm not sure if it's the one you are referring to specifically: shop.whiskybase.com/us/bunnahabhain-2008-vw-van-wees.html.
@@WhiskyRiffs no this is not the right one. The Bunnahabhain Staoisha or Moine is the Peaty one. The official bottlings of Bunnahabhain are non peated but they also have a peated one called Moine (Moine means peat in Gaelic) and has a pricetag of apprx 40 euro (50 usd). It is a young whisky.
@@gerwinpot4230 I did find the Signatory Vintage 2013 Staoisha 5 Year Old for $65 at my local shop. But the Mòine is not easy for me to get here in the US. Cheers and thanks for the information!
It's like discovering (or rediscovering) a band you like and you want to tell everyone about it. A year or two from now, I will probably be shouting about a different line of whisky, but for now… 😉🥃
The Caol Ila 12 got its own review: czcams.com/video/fYJY7Rv-nqI/video.html. I might enjoy an older expression of Caol Ila, but except for the 12, the rest of their whisky goes to Johnnie Walker. Cheers!
I did a comparison of the MRC vs OLC: czcams.com/video/9WJ3N8zXXI4/video.html. For me, the MRC has a longer finish and a more sweet edge. Definitely a great expression. Cheers!
There are 10 Islay distilleries but most of your peat reviews are these 4 brands. Even if it is to pan them, I would like to hear about others. Also, these are $$$ whisky choices but that begs the question are these worth it? Especially your lag distiller vs lag 16. Is it worth the search for the special? Maybe treat us to a bucks per bang or dram per dollar review of the Isley offerings but let’s get a full roster. Maybe the top NAS Islay bottle from each. Then the 10 to 12 year from each. I can see a series coming on this very important Region. Keep it coming.
I agree that there's lots of content left to do about Islay distilleries and I'll continue to make my way through them. Thanks for the suggestions. As for the ones missing from the 10 Islay distilleries: Port Ellen is closed. Bunnahabhain has mostly unpeated expressions, Ardnahoe opened in 2019 and I've yet to try their spirits, Caol Ila has it's own episode on the single expression they offer, and Kilchoman needs more of my attention. I just haven't found an exceptional expression from them. Cheers!
Really only 8 distilleries. The 9th still needs a few more years of age on its first batches before we see it for sale and the 10th is not even completed yet.
I'll take a thumbs up for my (working) original 128K Macintosh from March of 1984. Thanks! I gave it away to a relative years after I had stopped using it and then discovered they had it in their basement in the box I sent it to them. I was amazed that it and the disks for it still worked. Cheers.
Great video review!....Wow those look like 1 ounce pours. Are you drinking all those in this one sitting? If so your going to have a great evening!.....Slainte!
Haha, thanks! No, I typically finish sipping on my pours while editing the video. If I have more than a glass or two poured, I'll cap them and drink them over a couple of days. Slàinte mhath!
Hah! I’d never survive if I drank all those right after a review. I cap them and drink them later: Whisky Lids for Glencairn Glasses czcams.com/users/shortseMzsvvgy4V0?feature=share. Cheers!
Big Pete bbq port Askaig 8 very Bunnahabhain heavily peed bottling in a independent bottles Gordon MacPhail. Really good cadenhead 23 Ardbeg some of these independent are Worth looking at as well
I'm happy to explain it. The actual lowest amount is 46% ABV, which is why some distillers like Bunnahabhain bottle at 46.3% to avoid chill filtering. When the ABV is low, whisky can become cloudy when chilled or ice is added. Higher alcohol percentages eliminate that problem. Chill filtering reduces the temperature prior to the filtering process to allow the offending particles to be removed. But this also can affect flavors. Cheers!
@@gabrielbarcelo5233 Filtering is more of a final process. Many Irish Pot Still whiskies are triple-distilled, which means they went through the pot stills 3 times. Most Scotch expressions are double-distilled. This repeated distillation process is good because it adds flavors (when done correctly). Filtering is also necessary, but chilling the whisky before filtering is more controversial.
The lagavulin destillers edition off 2021 is 109euros where I live. (Belgium) But I will look for a cask strength Laphroaig now. I really want it. Because we Europeans have bad luck that's only damn 40% here instead off USA 43% . I even never bought a bottle Laphroaig 10, and only had it once when I was with a friend. I mostly buy ardbeg and lagavulin. Although I heard price/quality ardbeg and Laphroaig are much better than Lagavulin. Because yeah the price... Edit found a bottle. It's 57,9% and only 111euro, so that's not bad. Ordered it too. So now waiting on my port charlotte and my Laphroaig 10 cask strength. Fill my starting collection with different Islays. Also do you know why in USA its 43% and in Europe only 40%?
Well done finding the Cask Strength for a good price. There are a lot of US regulations regarding whisky. I'm sure that's also why our default bottle size is 750ml instead of 700ml. Cheers!
You can, but I don't live in my San Francisco apartment anymore. My wife and I are full-time travelers now (czcams.com/users/FindingGinaMarie). Cheers! 😂
Our month in Egypt deprived me of any and all whisky, so you don't have to be too envious of that. But the selection of Scotch that I've discovered in Paphos, Cyprus? Be very jealous. 😄
Laphroaig Lore is my favorite Islay. I was skeptical to pull the trigger but I'm so glad I did. It's unlike any Islay I've had. It beat out Octomore in a tasting for me.
The Laphroaig Lore is great. It's been a while since I've done a review (czcams.com/video/vjZEs11jl5M/video.html) and I should buy another bottle as well. Cheers!
I’ve been buying every bottle I can find!
Last week i went to a "high end wisky tasting" at my local store. I had never spent over 60€ (port charlotte) and it was my chance to finally get a taste of more expensive stuff.
I tried 6 wiskies two of which were peated.
Both were priced at 130€.
The first one, the Arberg "Ardcore" was great.
But the other one, "Kornog Oloroso", a French Wisky, was SO good i came back to the store to buy it the next day
I've never had Kornog Oloroso, but it sounds good. I'll keep an eye out for it. Cheers!
I had two shots of Octomore 11.3 at a little bar called On the Rocks at 10th Ave and 49th Street in Hells Kitchen, NY... It's the best scotch I've ever had, just amazing... I believe I paid $60-$80 per each shot. It was an insane night... I've never been able to find Octomore local. I live in a major US city and even the larger liquor stores tell me its very hard to get... I keep Port Charlotte and Ardberg 10 year in my cabinet. Both are great, but neither come close to Octomore.
If you do get a chance to try the Cask Exploration Series of Port Charlotte, you might love it too (Is Octomore worth the price? I compare it to Port Charlotte OLC: 01 | Whisky Review/Tasting
czcams.com/video/_yAhd4lKPSo/video.html). Cheers!
Time to ease into the weekend with a dram or two and some funky Whisky Riffs 🎶 ! 😆 👍 🥃
Have a wonderful weekend, Brock. Cheers!
Excellent collection, truly an experts choice. Hope you find the Kilchoman Loch Gorm to include it to your favourites -:))
By the way, at least here in Germany you can get 3 of the 6 for just the price of the Ardbeg alone.. and Octomore is easily available. Stay healthy !
over here
Is that why there are so many whisky CZcams channels from Germany? 😆 Thanks, Michael!
Saw your video yesterday.. today i went to my whisky shop of trust and saw a bottle of the OLC 01 from 2010 for 100€ and grabed it instantly 😍😍 cant get that bottle anywhere in the onlineshops in Germany
Germany has always been presented to me as an ideal country to buy whisky - with all the required disclosure of NCF and artificial coloring - as well as the pricing. I didn't know the online shops were different than the stores. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!
my Islay Journey started with Bowmore, then it took to me to Caol Ila and further on to Lagavulin and Laphroaig, i wandered a long time in laphroug land from quarter cask to lore and felt quite good. then i was at a blind tasting and i meet Ardbeg Uigedal. and my love to Laphroaig was over. i fell for Ardbeg with all my heart and got myself the 10y, Uigedal, AN OA and the tad expensive dark cove. from all islay whiskies i tried i keep going back to Uigedal. it holds a special place in my heart.
The Uigeadail is still a favorite of mine after many years of wandering the hallowed coasts of Islay. Isn't it fun to be able to enjoy so many different expressions? ;) Cheers!
Excellent reviews. Learning so much. Keep it up! 👏💯
Thanks, will do! Cheers!
The Bowmore 18 is now on my list. Thanks.
Thanks for watching, Troy! I hope you enjoy it when you get to taste it.
My favourite Islay whisky is the Octomore 10 years 2009 vintage. It's crazy how they made such a complex whisky with just 10 years of maturation. It's got the best toffee of any whisky, salty notes as well as a lot of umami (think about chashu and matcha tea with those grilled meaty notes mixed with the vegetal and flowery aspects of a ceremonial grade matcha). The texture is very oily and even that cooling camhpor sensation is present in the mouth. You can get the best of this expression adding just a little touch of water to bring it down to around 50% ABV. I wish I could afford more than one bottle, but in Europe is at minimum 220€
Hi, Andrei. Great tasting notes, thanks! I have tried to buy that bottle a couple of times, but it's either too pricey or out of stock. Now I'm going to have to redouble my efforts. Cheers!
Excellent review, love all those bottles in your list. From my preference, Ardbeg Dark Cove committee over the 19. Laphroaig 18 over the Cardeas and Lagavulin 12 over the distillers edition.
Thanks for compliment and the suggestions! I'm having trouble acquiring a Dark Cove, as well as any of the Lagavulin 12 special releases. I have tried to find the Laphroaig 18, but it looks to be just as difficult to get. You must have great access to Scotch. Cheers!
@@WhiskyRiffs Those bottles aren’t easy to find but just lucky in my adventures I guess. My last bottle of Laphroaig 18 was picked up at the duty free in the US side of the border between the State of Maine and Fredericton, Canada. Enjoying a glass as I type this message! Cheers!
Ardbeg Dark Cove CR is a release from 4 or 5 years ago if I remember correctly, highly coveted and any remaining bottles are going to be $500+. I think I remember seeing one for around $500 two years ago. The 19 yr is a current yearly release for around $250-$300 so hard to really compare the 2.
Thank you
You're welcome. Cheers!
Bunnahabhain 12 Cask strength is a beauty
I would agree, Roger, but it's unpeated so it couldn't make this list. I need to do more episodes on Bunnahabhain expressions. Cheers!
"Pricey" stuff indeed!
It's not technically Islay, but Ledaig is in spirit (no pun intended), and their 18 is a standout bottle.
Also, it's usually unpeated, but you can't talk about Islay whisky without including Bunnahabhain; the 12 & 18 are both at or near Best in Class bottles. If you can find a Peated Bunnahabhain, grab it, because tends to be excellent stuff too. Cheers✌️
Thanks for the Ledaig suggestion. A couple of years ago, I bought a bottle of Bunnahabhain Cruach-Mhòna at the Sydney airport duty free. That's a peated expression from them that's quite nice. Cheers!
@@WhiskyRiffs My pleasure. I had a few bottles of that peated Bunnahabhain Ceòbanach 10, but they're gone as is that bottling.
woot! your original Islay video is what drove me to your channel. this is a wonderful follow up...filled with some great suggestions! thanks sir!!
Thank you for watching. Cheers!
Octomore: the peated whisky to rule them all ! Man, among Islay distilleries your choice is mine, definitely you are my brother in Whisky !👍
Whisky kinship is the best, Jeff. Cheers! ;)
Hi Kev. Enjoyed that again. 😁The only thing I’d add is the tell-tale abv for NCF is more regularly 46.0%, although we go 46.3% for our Core Range at Bunnahabhain. Slàinte, DB. 😁👍🥃
Thanks, David. That 46.3% does sound familiar. I appreciate the tip and shouldn't have rounded up. Cheers!
I bought the 12.3 octomore two weeks ago at a local liquor store here in Taiwan for about 180 USD. There is some PX casks influence in the background on that one. I think I got the 10.3 (on a recommendation from another whisky reviewer) there about two years ago for about 30 dollars more than the 11.3. Both are well worth it.
Thanks for sharing, Richard! I have a bottle of Octomore that a friend of mine bought in Germany for me, but COVID has kept us from meeting up to exchange that purchase. I'll do a review once I get it. Cheers!
Could you review and or expain the Octomore line in its entirety? I am a bit confused by their numbering system... Also Black Art whiskey review would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I do have a Black Art review: czcams.com/video/EdRuz5zu1e8/video.html. Just remember that there are many editions of Black Art and all are different. The same goes for Octomore, each edition is unique. The first number on Octomore is the edition, which increments each year. The .1 through .4 numbers designate the different cask types. Check out Bruichladdich's website for the details, but the .1 is the core www.bruichladdich.com/products/octomore-edition-14-1 and the .2 is aged in wine casks from Oloroso Sherry, Amarone, and Pauillac.
Each year can change, which makes it hard to do a review of any of them at $200 to $600 per bottle. Cheers!
Allen R
Lagavulin 12 years old. Limited Edition. Cask Strength. 56.1% abv. My go to for several years.
Hi Allen, thanks for the recommendation. Another person mentioned that expression too, so I have it on my list to purchase. Cheers!
Springbank 21 from Campbeltown and Laphroaig 25 are my two best peated whisked, but I love your picks.
I think Springbank is a great distillery, but I've not had their 21 yet. I reviewed the 15 (czcams.com/video/DPyC7CgOMUM/video.html). I'm not sure if I could have paid $400 for Laphroaig 25 to include it in this review. I'm sure it's an excellent expression and I'll just have to take your word for it. ;) Cheers!
I have (re)started my journey of Laphroaig recently. The Cairdeas PX wasn't on my list, but now it is. Thanks Kevin.
I'm so glad I could help with your journey, Bruno. Cheers!
Yes Flex on us Kev!
Cheers!
I would always have a caol ila in my Top 5 / a well aged independent refill cask🤤...and OBs you should consider Laphroaig 10 CS and Lagavulin 12 CS - Pure Islay unmasked at its best. - just my thoughts.
I completely agree with you regarding the cask strength versions of Islay expressions. They always work better for me. Cheers!
Somewhere in the middle all of the contents of the bottles on the table started to wobble… we’re you having an earthquake? 🤣 I’m jealous of that table.
Hahaha… no that's just a very minimalist table. I bring it out for the recording and then tuck it away in a corner. Cheers!
Very interesting! I have not gotten to this level yet but will.
Thanks, Timothy. Let me know if I can answer any questions for you. Cheers!
nice stuff. If you get a chance the caol ila 30 and 35, Ardbeg Twenty Something 22 (or 23 or even 21), OLD talisker 25's when they were cask strength, and a real treat if you can source a Fies Ile 2015 Lagavulin (24 years old) or even the old 25 year. All will blow your mind vs these offerings. Still some winners here.
Thanks for the suggestions, Dustin. I don't think I have access to any of those in San Francisco, or at least not at prices I can afford. I'll keep my eye out for them thought. Cheers!
Another really nice video, well done!
Thank you very much! Cheers!
Every single Scotch u have on the table is meant to be sipped slooooowly . . . like that killer blues lick at the intro there . . .
I agree and thank you! Cheers. ;)
Thanks for another fantastic video! If I may suggest: Dun Bheagan. It's marked as an Islay, small batch, limited edition, very affordable and tastes lovely. Unchill filtered, NAS.
Thanks for the Dun Bheagan suggestion. It's not available in any shops that I can see, but I'll keep an eye out for it. Cheers!
@@WhiskyRiffs Admittedly, it's not "peaty and pricey," so I may have misunderstood the assignment, but it is nice :)
@@pinto66 😂 No worries! I appreciate any and all suggestions.
I can’t decide on a favorite, depends on my mood, I have a really good collection of Islay whisky, but it seems I most often go for Wee Beastie, Bunnahabhain 12 or Lore. It’s not Islay, but I love Balvenie Week of Peat, just can’t find it now.
That's why I have trouble rating whisky expressions, my favorite is what I'm in the mood for at the time. Balvenie makes many delicious expressions. Cheers!
I have a question for you. Imagine you live in Europe. Would you ever drink the Laphroaig 10 (37-40euro) (because only 40% abv) or would you do like most of us (for the same price) buy a quarter cask Laphroaig (48% abv) and its 40-42euros..
I buy the cask strength for a weekly dram (or 2) (daily is too expensive then I choose Ardbeg 5,10,corryvreckan, uigeadail or Lagavulin 8, 9 or 16, the 12 is also weekly as it's more expensive as the 8 or 16.
BTW I received my bottle cask strength Laphroaig 10 so I have 2 bottles now. But my Port charlotre is still on its way. It has to come from the Netherlands that one.. But if I don't have it Monday I just buy in in the whisky store too then I have 2. I always say 2 good bottles are better than 1.😛
Edit: Bowmore 18 is here only 85 euros.
Edit 2: port charlotte olc 01 is 122€ where I live.
Some whisky's are more expensive here and some are really cheaper here. It's sometime a wtf moment for me.😃
Als octomore is available here yes but the price.. It's good for the occasional bottle.
I want to give you the website but sadly they only ship in Europe.. I checked. Sorry.
BTW you're one off the best reviewers on yt.👍
First of all, thank you for the awesome compliment. 😊
And I really only bought the Laphroaig 10 for that episode. I would normally go for the Quarter Cask or the Lore, PX Cask, or Triple Wood. Whisky prices around the US are even wildly different. It's all about distribution and how much the parties between the distiller and the store charge for handling.
It's interesting that you would start the question "Imagine you live in Europe" because my wife and I are trying to move to Italy in the next 5 to 10 years. All her birth relatives are of Italian heritage and we love vacationing there. Cheers!
@@WhiskyRiffs That's great! I actuall wish I was there now, it's such a beautifull country. It's a day and a half drive away from here.. So not that far. For vacation I went years ago to the Island off Sardinia, and it was amazing. I actually like Italy a lot; but for some reason I had a bunch off vacations in Spain and Turkey and only 1 longer vacation in Italy, and had 1 weekend in Rome, and 1 weekend in Milan (actually its leaving on Friday and coming back on monday better known as a city trip) When Corona is finally over, I want to go on a nice long holiday again.
Cheers mate 🥃
@@Kvs-vf9nt We keep trying to get to Spain, but it just keeps getting moved to "after this trip" and we also lost two years of travel due to the pandemic. Cheers!
@@WhiskyRiffs If you ever go to Spain. I can recommend Barcelona. I know everyone goes there. But damn the city its so beautifull. For some more peace and quiet there is always Andalusia. Such a beautifull authentic region.👍
The best Isaly Peated whisky I have had is the Bunnahabhain 1997 22 year old Moine PX cask strength
That sounds like a beauty of a dram, Justin. Thanks for sharing, since I doubt I'll ever find that anywhere. ;) Cheers!
Hello Mr.Kevin! How you doing? Came across yo channel and I found it really good..thanks for your reviews and keep up the good work..and by the way my favorite is Bunnahabhain 18YO! Excellent one..
Hi Ajay! Thanks for finding Whisky Riffs and for the compliment. Ah, the Bunny 18… one of the first Scotch bottles I owned with an age statement. It isn't peated, so it didn't make this list. Cheers!
Great follow up!
Thanks, Jay! Cheers!
You should do a Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength vs Cairdeas side by side tasting.
Thanks for the suggestion. Which of those two do you prefer?
@@WhiskyRiffs I plan to do a side by side with a friend who has one and I have the other.
I'm curious: which Islay distillery do you believe has the most consistent excellence throughout the range of prices
Great question, Todd. I'll try to do justice with my answer. I'd say that Bruichladdich Distillery (Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte, Octomore) and Kilchoman are the best for the most native Islay whisky expressions with consistent quality of product. Bunnahabhain has an excellent core line and also avoids chill-filtering and added color, but only their specialty lines are peated. I'm writing an episode for that distillery now. Ardbeg has great core expressions, but some of their annual releases are meh. I hope that helps. Cheers!
I definitely have enjoyed all of Bruichladdich's I've sampled. The two Port Charlotte offerings especially. Perhaps it's bias from it being my introduction to Islay, but I've never really been disappointed by Laphroaig. I'm a smoke fiend though
@@toddchewning928 I really like Laphroaig and the 10 will always own that "first Islay Scotch" place in my heart. I do think their ABV is a bit low and the Laphroaig tour felt more corporate compared to Bruichladdich and Kilchoman. I'll still keep buying their expressions even though they have lost my "favorite Islay distiller" spot.
Just found your channel and your reviews are great. Keep it up.
Regarding the Octomore 11.3: Its available here in Germany for round about 200 Dollars.
Thanks, Patrick! Yes, I have a friend and co-worker who is from Germany and he's bringing me back a bottle of Octomore. I probably should have had him grab the 11 instead of the 12 because the former is more expensive here, but I goofed. Cheers!
After the video shoot, comes the serious work of drinking 6 glasses of fine Scotch.
It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it! 😅🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥴
If you can find a Thé Ultimate independent bottlings particularly thé seaweed experience grab one. They used a bunnahabhain staoisha for this spirit which they cant call whisky because of celp they added to thé drank. Heavy on thé peat with a seasalt kick. Quite affordable but i think quite rare.
Thanks for the tip. I did find this bottle, but I'm not sure if it's the one you are referring to specifically: shop.whiskybase.com/us/bunnahabhain-2008-vw-van-wees.html.
@@WhiskyRiffs this isnt thé one i’m referring too. Let me see of i can find m. Just a sec
@@WhiskyRiffs no this is not the right one.
The Bunnahabhain Staoisha or Moine is the Peaty one. The official bottlings of Bunnahabhain are non peated but they also have a peated one called Moine (Moine means peat in Gaelic) and has a pricetag of apprx 40 euro (50 usd). It is a young whisky.
@@gerwinpot4230 I did find the Signatory Vintage 2013 Staoisha 5 Year Old for $65 at my local shop. But the Mòine is not easy for me to get here in the US. Cheers and thanks for the information!
@@WhiskyRiffs there is a cooperation between the Ultimate and Signatory so i think there is not much difference.
I’m shocked! Shocked I tell you that the Port Charlotte was not #1!
You’re such a fan of that whiskey Kevin.
Cheers, Randy! 😂
It's like discovering (or rediscovering) a band you like and you want to tell everyone about it. A year or two from now, I will probably be shouting about a different line of whisky, but for now… 😉🥃
Love the Port Charlotte, miss Caol Ila
For me the MRC:01 was a far richer whisky.
The Caol Ila 12 got its own review: czcams.com/video/fYJY7Rv-nqI/video.html. I might enjoy an older expression of Caol Ila, but except for the 12, the rest of their whisky goes to Johnnie Walker. Cheers!
I did a comparison of the MRC vs OLC: czcams.com/video/9WJ3N8zXXI4/video.html. For me, the MRC has a longer finish and a more sweet edge. Definitely a great expression. Cheers!
We really like Ardbeg but my husband really likes Bowmore.
Hi, Rosie! Everyone has their own favorites, there are no right answers. Cheers and thanks for sharing!
There are 10 Islay distilleries but most of your peat reviews are these 4 brands. Even if it is to pan them, I would like to hear about others. Also, these are $$$ whisky choices but that begs the question are these worth it? Especially your lag distiller vs lag 16. Is it worth the search for the special? Maybe treat us to a bucks per bang or dram per dollar review of the Isley offerings but let’s get a full roster. Maybe the top NAS Islay bottle from each. Then the 10 to 12 year from each. I can see a series coming on this very important Region. Keep it coming.
I agree that there's lots of content left to do about Islay distilleries and I'll continue to make my way through them. Thanks for the suggestions. As for the ones missing from the 10 Islay distilleries:
Port Ellen is closed.
Bunnahabhain has mostly unpeated expressions,
Ardnahoe opened in 2019 and I've yet to try their spirits,
Caol Ila has it's own episode on the single expression they offer,
and Kilchoman needs more of my attention. I just haven't found an exceptional expression from them. Cheers!
@@WhiskyRiffs An all new Port Ellen is planned to be opened next year. Of course it will be years before we actually get any whisky.
Really only 8 distilleries. The 9th still needs a few more years of age on its first batches before we see it for sale and the 10th is not even completed yet.
What’s with the vintage Mac? I’m giving you a thumbs up just for that.
I'll take a thumbs up for my (working) original 128K Macintosh from March of 1984. Thanks! I gave it away to a relative years after I had stopped using it and then discovered they had it in their basement in the box I sent it to them. I was amazed that it and the disks for it still worked. Cheers.
@@WhiskyRiffs pure genius in a box!
Great video review!....Wow those look like 1 ounce pours. Are you drinking all those in this one sitting? If so your going to have a great evening!.....Slainte!
Haha, thanks! No, I typically finish sipping on my pours while editing the video. If I have more than a glass or two poured, I'll cap them and drink them over a couple of days. Slàinte mhath!
@@WhiskyRiffs I enjoyed. Thanks for producing. I have sampled the whole series and OLC is my fav as well....Cheers!
Are you gonna pour whiskeys back into the bottles, finish 'em or mix 'em up after review? 😆
Hah! I’d never survive if I drank all those right after a review. I cap them and drink them later: Whisky Lids for Glencairn Glasses czcams.com/users/shortseMzsvvgy4V0?feature=share. Cheers!
@@WhiskyRiffs smart🤓
Well, I'm not going to waste the whisky… and I haven't enjoyed the infinity bottles that I tried to create in the past. Cheers!
Big Pete bbq port Askaig 8 very Bunnahabhain heavily peed bottling in a independent bottles Gordon MacPhail. Really good cadenhead 23 Ardbeg some of these independent are Worth looking at as well
Thanks for the recommendations! Cheers!
Can you explain why chill filter under 47% Abv?
I'm happy to explain it. The actual lowest amount is 46% ABV, which is why some distillers like Bunnahabhain bottle at 46.3% to avoid chill filtering.
When the ABV is low, whisky can become cloudy when chilled or ice is added. Higher alcohol percentages eliminate that problem. Chill filtering reduces the temperature prior to the filtering process to allow the offending particles to be removed. But this also can affect flavors. Cheers!
@@WhiskyRiffs thank you so much. Great video
@@WhiskyRiffs Can you distill whiskey once or you have to double distill? How many time should you filter your whiskey? Thank you
@@gabrielbarcelo5233 Filtering is more of a final process. Many Irish Pot Still whiskies are triple-distilled, which means they went through the pot stills 3 times. Most Scotch expressions are double-distilled. This repeated distillation process is good because it adds flavors (when done correctly). Filtering is also necessary, but chilling the whisky before filtering is more controversial.
That Ardbeg makes my mouth water
It's damn good. ;)
The lagavulin destillers edition off 2021 is 109euros where I live. (Belgium) But I will look for a cask strength Laphroaig now. I really want it. Because we Europeans have bad luck that's only damn 40% here instead off USA 43% . I even never bought a bottle Laphroaig 10, and only had it once when I was with a friend. I mostly buy ardbeg and lagavulin. Although I heard price/quality ardbeg and Laphroaig are much better than Lagavulin. Because yeah the price...
Edit found a bottle. It's 57,9% and only 111euro, so that's not bad. Ordered it too. So now waiting on my port charlotte and my Laphroaig 10 cask strength. Fill my starting collection with different Islays. Also do you know why in USA its 43% and in Europe only 40%?
Well done finding the Cask Strength for a good price. There are a lot of US regulations regarding whisky. I'm sure that's also why our default bottle size is 750ml instead of 700ml. Cheers!
@@WhiskyRiffs That's true the bottle size in the US is indeed a regulation. I searched for it, because I was curious why it was like that.
I refuse to pay over £100 for any whisky that has colouring and is chill filtered.
I can understand that, but sometimes flavor ranks higher than the treatment.
Excelente 👏👏👏🏴🇳🇮🇳🇮
Thanks and cheers!
Can I come over your house? 😂
You can, but I don't live in my San Francisco apartment anymore. My wife and I are full-time travelers now (czcams.com/users/FindingGinaMarie). Cheers! 😂
@@WhiskyRiffs Well that just makes me even more envious!
Our month in Egypt deprived me of any and all whisky, so you don't have to be too envious of that. But the selection of Scotch that I've discovered in Paphos, Cyprus? Be very jealous. 😄