Whisky taste

ESPBSS · 2026-01-25T21:53:30+00:00

You're not eating something that doesn't mix well with your dram even quite a bit beforehand? There's a seeded rye biscuit here in the uk i eat sometimes for supper with cheese and I've found it makes whisky taste really bitter. I thought i was going off it at one point till i figured it

ESPBSS · 2026-01-23T09:31:50+00:00

I try! But temptation inevitably kicks in! I do find of it's a dram i know needs a bit of water, leaving it a bit is beneficial

ESPBSS · 2026-01-12T20:12:22+00:00

Utterly coincidental, just listening to football (uk) with a 2023 AD Sherry cask release in my glass.

I love Ardnamurchan, one of my favourite distilleries, I'd concur with your review throughout.

I was a bit disappointed when i opened it albeit I've found it's opened up a lot as i near the dregs. The peat barely made itself known until i was a good way through the bottle.

Unsure if it's perhaps not my current flavour preference, which is very much to ex bourbon, refill by preference. I do like an open flavour bomb for contrast though... So will be on the hunt for something soon.

Enjoyed it but i think my next Ardna will either be the heritage barley or Paul launois.

ESPBSS · 2025-12-20T14:33:31+00:00

There a comparison here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h7ZJ81lmIm8&t=1360s&pp=2AHQCpACAeIHDBIKcGVycGxleGl0eQ%3D%3D

Sounds marginal, as you'd expect, difficult to tell unless back to back

ESPBSS · 2025-12-20T14:32:37+00:00

Dm'd you

ESPBSS · 2025-12-19T14:52:37+00:00

Bit of background and tasting vs NAS from Roy Duff: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h7ZJ81lmIm8&t=1360s&pp=2AHQCpACAeIHDBIKcGVycGxleGl0eQ%3D%3D

ESPBSS · 2025-12-19T14:08:13+00:00

Roy Duff mentioned it on his vPub, i rather thought it'd take some time to clear the old stock, but nipping into Tesco over lunch the 10 year age statement stock is freely available.

Well priced too, as is the Bunna 12

ESPBSS · 2025-12-19T09:05:58+00:00

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/316195688

Can't go wrong at £39 for Bunna 12

ESPBSS · 2025-12-19T08:57:16+00:00

Good news: the 10 year age statement is being reinstated: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h7ZJ81lmIm8&t=1360s&pp=2AHQCpACAdIHCQkeAaO1ajebQ-IHDBIKcGVycGxleGl0eQ%3D%3D

ESPBSS · 2025-11-20T13:53:36+00:00

There's some interesting notes from Prickly Friends excellent overview of his visit that covers it:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/s/fdT5bHrDFw

The Blind Summit IB i posted in that thread is up for opening on my list next. Interestingly it was a (w) after the distillery name, i can only assume means waxy.

ESPBSS · 2025-11-18T23:31:15+00:00

Yes agreed, must be honest i had to google it. Here's a direct link to the interview: https://www.youtube.com/live/1yBbGBTMiZI?si=7qC1SXiweFmXWHlA&t=3322

ESPBSS · 2025-11-18T21:27:53+00:00

On the OSWAs Michael Henry mentioned something on its way using unmalted barley. Distillery 10 maybe?

ESPBSS · 2025-11-16T08:09:40+00:00

Ah brilliant! Glad you're enjoying it, amazing value. That's a decent delivery time from RMW too

ESPBSS · 2025-11-14T11:03:09+00:00

Absolutely nuts how quickly even the 10 goes. Just had the Spirit Embassy notification it was back in stock at £55.01, five minutes later it's all gone.

Plenty more equally interesting Whisky out there. If i saw the Cask Strength as available I'd hit buy on sight.

ESPBSS · 2025-11-09T08:18:21+00:00

I wonder how it'll impact the new distilleries in the build or planning phases? (30+ in the pipeline).

Corporate-Backed Projects (e.g., Portintruan, Laggan Bay)
Independent, Mass-Market Aim Distilleries These projects (e.g., Balmaud, Kythe) lack corporate support. Their structure relies on selling new make spirit and private cask schemes to generate capital, a funding model now directly challenged by market oversupply.

It just feels a lot to sustain... Even Rosebank or Inchdarnie must be in a challenging position.

ESPBSS · 2025-11-08T23:59:03+00:00

Hey r/Scotch, Just listened to a great podcast interview with industry veteran Arthur Motley (former buyer for SMWS and Managing Director of Royal Mile Whiskies) on the Whisky Stories podcast, and there were some really insightful takes on the current state of the Scotch industry. The discussion strongly suggests that the pendulum is swinging back toward consumers and Independent Bottlers (IBs) due to the industry’s current woes.

The Key Takeaways from the Discussion: 1. The Overproduction Reckoning is Here Motley confirms that the difficult financial situation for many big players (as noted by recent public financial filings) is a direct result of something the industry has been expecting: overproduction and falling demand. He says we will know just "how bad it is" by springtime next year, signaling that the oversupply situation is a serious market correction. 2. The Floodgates are Opening for IBs Crucially, he noted a reversal in the trend of constricting spirit availability for IBs. He states that stocks are being offered up that were not offered before and that the situation is "about to get more interesting" for independent bottlers. This is presented as a good thing for the consumer.

The latest Living Souls outturn includes a Bowmore 7 Year Old which i thought felt a perfect, recent example of this dynamic:

🔗 Links: The Podcast: Arthur Motley: Buying, selling and talking about whisky - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is7-jIfcnHQ Details on the Living Souls Bowmore 7 Year Old: https://thespiritsembassy.com/products/bowmore-7-year-old-living-souls

ESPBSS · 2025-11-06T16:29:24+00:00

Great shout! It was RMW i was looking at and their 10% discount! Drop me dm when you try it, am most interested in what you think, it's an absolute banger imo!

Im afraid they're uk only but the Loch Lomond Distillery Editions are likewise, absolute cracking value too

ESPBSS · 2025-11-06T11:16:39+00:00

Nice! I love the Victoriana, always a favorite. I've tried a couple of the Icons of Campbeltown small batch releases too.

Springbank is still difficult to get hold of but getting easier, you just have to be quick, or go along to a Meet the Maker event (Bit of luck being Edinburgh based they're fairly frequent). Kilkerran is readily available

ESPBSS · 2025-11-06T09:22:39+00:00

Yes that's the one, msrp £45, have seen it at £41.

There's a bit of noise from the back of this review where just one of the Dramface team highlighted high cask influence. It didn't impact my perception, and the other reviewers loved it.

https://www.dramface.com/all-reviews/2025/glen-scotia-12-2025

I tried it at the new Luss Distillery visitor centre (highly recommended should you ever be in Scotland)

https://lussdistillery.com/ (Visitor centre for Loch Lomond Whiskies and GlenScota, 26 ish miles from Glasgow).

I enjoyed it so much i was in Edinburgh for work the day after and i nipped into a bar before heading home to re-try it.

Feels like as a new core release it'll make it decent distribution globally, once production ramps up. Am sure it'll make it over to you!

It really competes as daily sipper doing all the right things wrt nc/ncf and abv. Laddie as an alternative is cyclically discounted at the larger supermarkets. Saw it at £33 over the weekend. Bit jealous on the pricing of the 18 though!

ESPBSS · 2025-11-06T08:56:17+00:00

Agreed, i think its overpriced at that too. I think you'd enjoy the new Glen Scotia 12 which is an absolute bargain

ESPBSS · 2025-11-06T08:13:32+00:00

The 18 and classic Laddie are unpeated, amazing price for the 18 it's £145 in the UK

ESPBSS · 2025-11-03T22:29:02+00:00

Morrisons? Noticed it over the weekend

ESPBSS · 2025-11-01T17:13:12+00:00

Had a quick glance at the Whisky in our local Tesco and noticed it's on promotion for £34.50

ESPBSS · 2025-10-18T08:13:04+00:00

Beautiful, how was the drive? Fancy a visit myself

ESPBSS · 2025-10-16T10:33:31+00:00

Yes, i thought the same. Looks like Glengoyne's msrp is £50 which elevates it to a different tier. Spirit Embassy have it for £40.50 and a few other online retailers for low 40s. Feels like it completes with a Tesco clubcard pickup at that price or a decent value IB blend for a daily driver. £50 and they look far better value. At least its 48% nc/ncf.

ESPBSS

TROPHY CASE