Getting Creative: Vattings

@Victor I think Talivulin is a nice vatting, Talisker 10 + Lagavulin 16 (50/50).

A little JW Red + Black + Green+ Gold + Blue = JW Platinum

Buffalo Trace 15ml. : Eagle Rare 45ml. a little over 2 fl. oz. A very good combination with the addition of the B/T. lifting the rather quiet nose of the Eagle Rare without detracting too much from the wonderful palate and gorgeous mouth-feel.

I will try 3pts. B/T to 13pts E/R ,( my measure is in fl. drms. 16 = 2 imp. fl. oz.Gov. certified.) and see if the nose holds up with the same water added, 2fl. drms.

Thank you Victor.

I just tried Sheep Dip Old Hebridean 1990 vintage which is a collection of Ardbeg, Dalmore and Fettercairn. The youngest in it was a 19 yr old Dalmore and the Fettercairn was 21 yr old and the Ardbeg was 25 yrs old. A very nice smokey whisky which I loved.

I've never tried making my own vatted whisky, but the Ardbeg and Don Julio sounds brilliant!!!

I'm too chicken so far...lol

I've got a 'living bottle' at home at the moment which I'm topping up with leftovers and random samples. I've only just started it, so it's currently about 10 parts random Speysiders with 1 part Compass Box Peat Monster. I rather like it, but need to make sure I find some more bits and pieces to put in before I finish it...

Awww I think I missed the point of this discussion. Sounds awesome, but I epically fail haha. Once I get enough bits and pieces that are left over from my bottles I'll do this, but right now I just don't have enough sadly.

@cowfish, that sounds like a lot of fun with the smorgasbord stew, I should think...if you get some good ones that are known and reproducible ratios, please let us know!

This is actually one of Ralfy's blends: 3 parts A'bunadh, 1 part Uigeadail. I tried it and it is very good, a perfect marriage of a sherry monster and a peat monster. I think I might do the same as Cowfish. I expect the result could be either really good or disgustingly bad, but worth a chance. If it's really good it might be difficult to remember the recipe, so I think I will keep a record of how much of what malt goes in.

Ok...I'm trying the abunadh uigeadail one now. I'm letting them marry for a while in my glass.

Ok...it's really nice! Not something I'd do in a bottle given the prices I pay here for the components, but a fun experiment.

Tonight im trying Glenfarclas 12 with Abunadh(50/50) and it`s really nice,not a bad guess!!!

@Victor Reproduceable ratios aren't ever going to happen if I do any tasting...which I have been :) Some young G&M Glenlivet and a dram of Highland Park 25 went in last night - the former to try and balance out the sherry heaviness and the latter because I picked up the wrong half empty mini...

@A'bunadhman, I am trying your Eagle Rare/Buffalo Trace 13:3 vatting now.

I agree with you that this combination gives quite an excellent nose. I could keep some of this vatting around just for this nose alone. An excellent bourbon nose. Pretty extreme vanilla, if you like that sort of thing (I do) and cinnamon-sugar toast.

I still prefer the palate of the Eagle Rare 10 to either the 13:3 vatting or to the standard Buffalo Trace. This bottle of Eagle Rare 10 has been open over a year now, and I like it better now than when it was first opened. I was a little grudgingly approving of it then, but am a big wholehearted fan of it now. I am glad that you have enjoyed your bottle of Eagle Rare 10 from the git-go.

@cowfish, "...double, double, toil and trouble; fire burn, and caldron bubble...." Eye of bat? Wing of newt?

Your 'living bottle' sounds like the perfect blind tasting 'whisky' for your dinner parties! You can give your guests the hint that it is blended/vatted. It would be like the blind men describing the elephant by touching its various parts. And maybe the group could finish off all of those remaining bits which make it up. Of course, if it's horrible-tasting the endeavor will not add to your popularity.

@Victor Yossi Hatton wrote up an account of his experiments along a similar line: jewishsinglemaltwhiskysociety.com

My plan is to tweak it as I drink, to constantly change and move the bottle to flavours that I'm after. So far it's pretty good. It needs a little more smoke though...I wonder what I have in the cupboard...

...Introducing Tali/Rothes 10SR. a 60/40 blend in favour of the Glenrothes Select Reserve with Talisker 10 year old. A marvellous creation, my only home-blend to date which hasn't been an unmitigated waste of perfectly drinkable whiskies. I encourage you to try it. It has all the maritime whisky goodness of the Talisker but with an injection of Speyside fruitiness. A Perfect Storm of a whisky. Happy Easter to all fellow master blenders!

@bobsterman91: apparently Johnnie Walker Platinum Label already exists. Though have to visit Delhi Duty Free to obtain a bottle. lifestyleblogindia.com/2011/11/…

Feel free to insert the word "you" between Though and have.

@Victor I have about a half bot. of Eagle Rare left. I suspect this is a very good Bourbon and for the timebeing it will be, for me, the Whiskey yardstick ('til some thing better comes along) - There's not too much wrong with the B/T either; the one bottled at 45% abv. that is.

I don't mind W/T 'Rare Breed'! How does Russel's Reserve slot into this small group of Whiskies, all of which have something for me?

Thanks.

@A'bunadhman, both the bourbon and rye whiskey selections of Wild Turkey Master Distiller Jimmy Russell are above average products, like the Rare Breed. Jimmy has good taste.

@Victor: Thank you!

I am always looking for ways to vat for mutual benefit the overly intense/slightly rough with the underpowered. Today's wheated bourobn vatting: Old Fitzgerlald Bottled in Bond with a weak-ish batch of Rebel Yell, about 60/40 Old Fitz dominating. Results? Good, but not really better than the Old Fitz alone. It becomes a way to drink the Rebel Yell, rather than throw it away. An interesting experiment, but not exciting. Live, and continually learn....

@Victor - currently sitting on a vatting of Old Forester Signature 100 and Wild Turkey 81 Proof (50/50) in a 12.5cl container. It has been almost a week, so we'll see what it tastes like after a week of integration.

Here is a great vatting I put together last night: 50/50 blend of Bruichladdich The Laddie Ten and Aberfeldy 12. You will like this, @Wodha!

@YakLord, you may have posted elsewhere, but what happened with your Old Forester Signature and Wild Turkey vatting? Did you find that letting it sit for a week made a lot of difference?

@Victor - It worked out pretty well, I think. I've called Old Wild Turkey 90.5, as it is around 45.25% ABV. It has more vanilla and cherry in the nose, and far less oak than the OF... and is much thicker on the palate (it has more of the WT's body), but it is spicy! Far spicier than either the WT 81 or the OF 100. Hot, but a good hot, not just the overpowering hot of the OF. The sweetness of the WT seems to have balanced it out a bit.

I think it may be better than either of the components: WT and OF seem to have very similar mash-bills (but likely very different yeast strains), which is why I think this worked fairly well; I don't think I would have blended a rye-bourban with a wheat-bourbon.

had a great one in my opinion! I would be very interested in that JW vatting....

sorry... bobsterman91 had a great idea!

@YakLord, I am with you in thinking that wheat and rye bourbons would seldom work together...which is why American whiskey makers seldom put those two grains together.