Scapa 16 Year Old

Can you be more specific about why you didn't like it? Nose, palate, finish? Anything at all, other than your subjective narrative that does nothing for people interested in specific tasting notes?

You have GOT to be kidding! I was walking around a crowded bar to sample this one, and it flunked my initial screening. When I sample at the bar, I have one goal in mind, "Is this one worth buying a whole bottle to bring home?". Granted, I have submitted quite a few reviews that flunked my initial screening, but those that did not and got a bottle purchased merited closer looks and higher ratings. Laphroaig 10 at least merited a second sample at the bar and is the only one to have fared worse. On the other hand, Talisker 10 fared much, much better on the second try. Two others merit a second chance at the bar, Sprinbank 10 and Lagavulin 16. On the second time around, my question will be, "Did I miss something on the first try?" I also plan to sample Laphroaig 18 for the first time.

Just curious, what constitutes you bringing a bottle home? I have seen your reviews where you rate something as high as 89 and you say you'd never taste it again. Just a little confused with what you are looking for.

I'm by no means a "scotch snob", but I feel many here would agree with me when it comes down to sampling a scotch, or whiskey...

I prefer not to be in a crowded establishment with noise, and boisterous patrons for I feel it dulls the senses...

I also believe in the use of either a Glencairn glass, or my personal favorite - the "Canadian Glencairn" when sampling/enjoying a new whisky/whiskey, and NOT a tumbler, or whatever is collecting dust behind the bar...

And finally - I'm always a bit suspicious of the contents of said whisky/whiskey bottle...Has it been open for 6 days, 6 months, or 3 years?..Some of the "top shelf" spirits may sit for some time before it is fully consumed which may very well have an effect on the overall experience.

I'm not judging for how anyone interprets a spirit - however I do feel there could be variables in any tasting session that could possibly alter ones outcome.

teebone673: in the main heading of my profile, I explain my rating system. Anything rated at 90 or higher is one that I will buy again. Anything in the eighties is good, and anything below 70 is downright repulsive. I do consider price and availibilty in my ratings. Now there are two ways that a bottle winds up in my collection: 1) trusting these reviews or 2) liking about one third of what I have sampled at the bar. Sometimes when I bring each new "puppy" home, it just cannot compare to what I already have, so I knock it down into the eighties. I would never buy anything rated below 80.

FMichael: That was only once that I sampled in a crowded noist bar, but a quieter atmosphere and one of my own Glencairn's would not have helped matters.

I just got back from sampling three more from a bar that I finally got around to trying. Good gosh, the bartender and I talked for hours about malts and bourbons. I actually told him a few things that he did not know, but he also told me a lot more that I did not know. I may be near the end of my malt quest, but I will most certainly be going back to the Avenue Pub in New Orleans. Great atmosphere!