La Suerte Posted January 6, 2013 Posted January 6, 2013 Thanks. I think I'll pass on this one. Spot on Shlomo..nearly £75 here in the U.K. & possibly the most airy fairy Highland Park I've had...gutless at all levels...IMHO.
maverickdrinker Posted January 6, 2013 Author Posted January 6, 2013 How would you compare the Fine Oak 18 to the standard Sherry 18? Last night I tried a sample of Macallan Cask Strength. Best sherried dram I've had yet. And boy is that whisky dark. Shame it's about to be discontinued. Bigger shame that the spanners at Beam Australia (Macallan's Australian distributor) decided years ago that Australia doesn't deserve Macallan's sherry line, so I can't go out and hoard remaining stock. Oh well, at least I have Aberlour and Glenfarclas to fill that void. I thought that both were quite good. The sherry cask was a bit more fuller in the after finish but really, I couldn't put one vs. the other. Both were delicious.
Puros Y Vino Posted January 6, 2013 Posted January 6, 2013 Just opened up a bottle of La Pieve Barolo 2008. While it breathes I will pair with a nice pasta with red pesto, sauteed tomatoes, peppers and onions followed by veal scallopini. Cheers..
maverickdrinker Posted January 6, 2013 Author Posted January 6, 2013 Tell me how it is Frank. Haven't tried the newer Barolos yet. Got some 2000 Chateau Pipeau to go with dinner tonight.
Puros Y Vino Posted January 6, 2013 Posted January 6, 2013 Tell me how it is Frank. Haven't tried the newer Barolos yet. Got some 2000 Chateau Pipeau to go with dinner tonight. I will be taking notes on it. Glad to share.
maverickdrinker Posted January 6, 2013 Author Posted January 6, 2013 Royal Lochnagar... The highland that drinks like a lowland. ...although there is a fair bit of smoke on the finish. Palate is grassy, berries, and mild. How is the Balvenie 72? That's my birth year...
Colt45 Posted January 6, 2013 Posted January 6, 2013 Nice wine! Enjoyed many a bottle of the Campfiorin and it never disapoints. Easy drinking and nice introduction to Italian vinos! Interesting take - mine's slightly different. I look at this wine, and other ripassi, as wines for those willing to venture away from basic chianti, pinot grigio, etc. Cheers!
orangedog Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 How is the Balvenie 72? That's my birth year... Art this may be (one of your many) lucky day. I think I have a sample set aside (when I was more active in scotch trade I stocked up on small lab bottles from specialy bottle in seattle). I will send it off to you next time I am at home. Needless to say it is fantastic! A fellow Balvenie collector buys each Vintage Cask release (smart bastard) - I may have to follow suit as they have all been incredible (at least the ones I have had).
orangedog Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 That sucks big time. The CS, while imo overpriced, is always a nice dram to enjoy on a cold evening. Thanks for the info. I was about to call BS on this because I remember the CS being cheap... but man prices have risen a ton in the last year or two. I think the last time I bought CS was probably two years ago at about $40 or $50. Cheapest I can find now is $65. Still at that price, I would maintain my opinion that it is one of the most underrated and cheapest Macallans out there. My next Macallan purchase will likely be another bottle of CS. A great whisky without the (otherwise) inflated Macallan prices.
ayedfy Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 I wouldn't panic too much, the parent company has 3.2 million litres of bulk whisky warehoused, the capability of producing & accessing 45+ million litres of alcohol annually...if they run out we're all going to draw the short straw... The whisky industry loves a good rumour though...sends sales through the roof...... I believe it's not so much an inability to make the spirit as it is an apparently increasing difficulty in acquiring enough decent sherry casks. Thus to keep up, they're maturing more spirit in bourbon casks, and the spirit that goes into the sherry casks will be in there for less time, so they can get more use out of them.
orangedog Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 Mixing it up tonight with rum.... Barbancourt 15yr Reserve - syrupy, honey-ish (must be tuned in to honey for some reason... picking this up a lot lately) Oronoco - very mild, almost water like, borderline acceptable finish. not one to keep in the home bar except for those friends who want a rum and coke and don't care what the rum is and don't want much alcohol taste Pampero - darker, vanilla/caramel profile, not much alcohol burn Pusser's - similar to Pampero but a bit higher alcohol content, very slightly more burn, more weighted towards vanilla... cashew maybe?
ZinZan Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 Hendricks G&T with slices cucumber. My new fav drink alternative to whisky
CanuckSARTech Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 How is the Balvenie 72? That's my birth year... I knew you were older than me....but wow! Damn, you Asiaticos age well!!! LOL.
maverickdrinker Posted January 7, 2013 Author Posted January 7, 2013 NIce one Keith....LOL Now..... Whatcha drinking!!!!!
maverickdrinker Posted January 7, 2013 Author Posted January 7, 2013 Art this may be (one of your many) lucky day. I think I have a sample set aside (when I was more active in scotch trade I stocked up on small lab bottles from specialy bottle in seattle). I will send it off to you next time I am at home. Needless to say it is fantastic! A fellow Balvenie collector buys each Vintage Cask release (smart bastard) - I may have to follow suit as they have all been incredible (at least the ones I have had). WOW!!!! Thanks man. Totally unexpected. Appreciate the generosity. I am really enjoying the Balvenie lineup. Trying to make it a staple. WIll search some out next time I am in the US.
CanuckSARTech Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 NIce one Keith....LOL Now..... Whatcha drinking!!!!! A Nino-esque Cuba libre (two-fingers of rum and four-fingers of Coke [but with waaaaay inverted measuring systems, for those that haven't met him! LOL.]), made with the following: Ron Zacapa Centario 23 year rum 4 ice cubes invisible Coca-Cola LOL. And the wife's away right now, and both kids are asleep, and the TV is mine!!!! It's shaping up to be a good night! LOL.
winelover Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 Am I right in saying the Macallans lack e150a? Initially suspicious as one of the pics shows v dark whisky but most online seem to say that across the line no caramel is added.
ayedfy Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 Am I right in saying the Macallans lack e150a? Initially suspicious as one of the pics shows v dark whisky but most online seem to say that across the line no caramel is added. "At The Macallan, natural colour is something we insist on and so it is our authentic oak casks which give the whisky its rich diversity of colour. No colouring is ever added to our whisky." They wouldn't be allowed to say that if it wasn't true.
winelover Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 "At The Macallan, natural colour is something we insist on and so it is our authentic oak casks which give the whisky its rich diversity of colour. No colouring is ever added to our whisky." They wouldn't be allowed to say that if it wasn't true. Good to know, thanks for the info.
Schumi5 Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 Interesting take - mine's slightly different. I look at this wine, and other ripassi, as wines for those willing to venture away from basic chianti, pinot grigio, etc. Cheers! Makes a lot of sense when you put it that way Colt. I'm a huge fan of Italian wines and they are my go to bottles so it is easy to forget that for many, when they think Italian all they think is Chianti and Pinot Grigio. For me, the Ripassi are wonderful introductions to the world of Amarone or Barolo at a more reasonable price point. Have you ever tried the Zenato Ripassa Superiore? Another solid wine at a pretty good price point.
Colt45 Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 For me, the Ripassi are wonderful introductions to the world of Amarone or Barolo at a more reasonable price point. I agree completely. I've not tried the Zenato, but one of my locals has it, so I'll give it a try. The ones I tend to drink most are the Masi and Allegrini Palazzo della Torre - mainly because of availability. Another I like is the Bussola Ca' del Laito. I don't get to drink much full on Amarone ($$), but I was able to sample the Ca' La Bionda Ravazzol a few months back - loved it. Almost cognac-like in it's delivery. Great - now you've got me thinking.........
ZinZan Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 A Nino-esque Cuba libre (two-fingers of rum and four-fingers of Coke [but with waaaaay inverted measuring systems, for those that haven't met him! LOL.]), made with the following: Ron Zacapa Centario 23 year rum 4 ice cubes invisible Coca-Cola LOL. And the wife's away right now, and both kids are asleep, and the TV is mine!!!! It's shaping up to be a good night! LOL. Keith, You drink Zacapa with coke? I thought that's a no no. My bottle of Zacapa is the least popular in my bar. None of my friends would touch with a pole, needless to say whiskys would be lucky to last more than 2 weeks. I should it give it a try with coke then.
hermit Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 Eristoff Vodka in any thing i can find that is cold, still only 38 degrees here at 9.07 pm
La Suerte Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 I believe it's not so much an inability to make the spirit as it is an apparently increasing difficulty in acquiring enough decent sherry casks. Thus to keep up, they're maturing more spirit in bourbon casks, and the spirit that goes into the sherry casks will be in there for less time, so they can get more use out of them. I'm not sure that's right..to my knowledge the parent company has over 1.000.000 casks split between the bourbon (USA oak) & the sherry (Europe oak). They also have 50.000 in southern Spain (sherry) being matured before use..They have their own cooperages so these stocks hardly diminish. I think their logistics guys have done their homework pretty well & have foreseen any possible cask shortage & nipped it in the bud. Or perhaps it's just another rumour...
maverickdrinker Posted January 8, 2013 Author Posted January 8, 2013 I agree completely. I've not tried the Zenato, but one of my locals has it, so I'll give it a try. The ones I tend to drink most are the Masi and Allegrini Palazzo della Torre - mainly because of availability. Another I like is the Bussola Ca' del Laito. I don't get to drink much full on Amarone ($$), but I was able to sample the Ca' La Bionda Ravazzol a few months back - loved it. Almost cognac-like in it's delivery. Great - now you've got me thinking......... Zenato is some good stuff. Ripasso is a good, economical way to have that amarone mouth feel. My 2 favorite amarones are quintarelli and Dal Forno. Just gorgeous stuff. Masi Mazzano is just a monster of a wine that needs decades to sleep. The wife and I opened a 1990 Masi Mazzano last year and were blown away on how powerful it still was.
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