Which bottle did you just buy and why?

@casualtorture brought a bottle a few months ago. But am yet to open it. Arran make good whisky.

Just purchased a bottle of Ardbeg Corryvreckan 57.1% AVB. I have been on a high AVB kick for a while now. I was looking from something like a Laphroaic that was smokey, peaty, peppery and full of spice. At the recommendation of a friend I picked it up and we are going to taste it tonight.

@cwspangler - I don't think you'll be disappointed Enjoy!

@Wierdo my favorite distillery, followed by Glenfarclas and Ardbeg.

I just picked up a Lot 40 CS 11 Year 2018, as well as a JP Wiser’s 35 2018 that a friend got for me at last year’s price.

@OdysseusUnbound and....?

@cwspangler, based on what you were looking for, you couldn't have gotten a better recommendation.

It's like if you were looking for a pink farm animal with a curly tail that oinks, and your friend said, "Ummmmm, maybe a pig???"

@RianC I have not tried either so I wouldn't be able to compare.

@casualtorture If you have no reason not to, you ought to try a pig. Some parts of it are delicious!

@Nozinan @casualtorture

*I know this way off topic, but I couldn't resist.

*From "Lisa the Vegetarian"

*Homer: Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. Lisa, honey, are you saying you're never going to eat any animal again? What about bacon?

*Lisa: No.

*Homer: Ham?

*Lisa: No.

*Homer: Pork chops?

*Lisa: Dad! Those all come from the same animal!

*Homer: [chuckling] Yeah, right, Lisa. A wonderful, magical animal.

@ajjarrett I knew a guy who didn't eat pork.... but he loved my aunt's "spare ribs"

@Nozinan I know a few friends of mine who don't like pork, but cannot resist (the occasional) morning bacon smell. ha

Oh yeah, thinking of bacon. I have noticed a few reviews of peated and/or smoky whiskies where they detected a "smoky bacon" flavor, or aroma. Has anyone here gotten that from the whisky you have purchased?

@ajjarrett Yes, I've gotten "smoky bacon" from the Kildaton distilleries (Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroaig) - not as much from other peaty malts.

@talexander Thanks for the quick reply. I might try to find these to try before I buy, so I can be sure I like it.

@ajjarrett Any decent bar should have them on offer....

@ajjarrett, whoa! Are you saying that you have never tasted any Laphroaig, Lagavulin, or Ardbeg?

@Victor I have tried one expression of both Laphroaig and Ardbeg (10yr), and all I got was peat. I am not much a fan pf peat because that's usually all I can get. It is quite difficult for me to get any other layers of flavors and aromas.

Woodford Reserve Rye. It was £25 so nearly £25 less than MoM prices although it's £35 in the supermarket (generally).

I'm getting a taste for rye and this seems to get pretty good reviews so I may have snagged a bargain . . . I see @talexander rated this quite highly.

@ajjarrett - I don't generally get bacon/pork but I know what people mean, if that makes sense? I did however get a distinct bacon note in Caol Ila 12 from memory.

@RianC I haven't had any Caol Ila expression, this might give me a motivation to try it.

@ajjarrett - I think the 12 (OB) is excellent and underrated. It is more peaty than one may be led to believe as it's touted as more of a 'medium' peat but I found it delightfully peaty. Lemons by the sea would be a good descriptor.

My bottle lasted about a month so . . .

@ajjarrett, I will make a prediction here and now: you will like Caol Ila as a distillery, and in particular the "unpeated" Caol Ila products.

@Victor I might have to start with the unpeated expressions first.

@ajjarrett, I expect that you will be very happy when you do.

@ajjarrett Well, if you don't like peated whiskies, then no I guess don't worry about them!

@ajjarrett, I understand a bit of what you mean, many years ago when getting into whisky, I had a hard time breaking through the barrier of peat in Islay whisky. All I could get was earthy and dirty sweatsocks.

With much time and a circuitous route through Bourbon & Canadian whisky I found my nose ajusted, I could then detect more nuances and would sometimes get a new vinyl smell from peated whisky which I strangely loved. I don't get that note as often anymore except in freshly opened bottles of Talisker 10 and some Bowmore.

Your palate will develop at it's own pace, you may never like these whiskys either. I have a friend who cannot stand much sherry in whisky and cannot understand folks love for stuff like A'bunadh or Glendronach.

@cricklewood Well, I don't mind hearing about people who cannot handle the sherry bomb whiskies. That means more for the rest of us. HA! Actually, I enjoy the peat levels of Yoichi expressions and Benromach 10yo CS (Imperial Proof). Anyway, I am sure I will explore more of the smoky and peated whiskies. For now, I am saving up for a trip Taipei and Tokyo in January, and hope I can do some good whisk(e)y shopping. Then I will be able to post a more relevant message on this particular thread. HA!

@cricklewood I find my palate has changed / evolved so much that I'm almost feeling a bit embarrassed about it, wondering how much is / was all in my mind. My first experience with pungent peat was about a year ago, sampling a Lagavulin. Not only did I not like it, I woke up the morning after still feeling the horrid in my mouth. To make a long story short; a year later, I have a cabinet dedicated not only to Laga, Laga DE, but also numerous expressions of Ardbeg and Laphroaig. And of course, I'm delighted with the 'evolution' as I tend to go to them more often than not... That said, I know others who never warmed to the peat/smoke, and nor do I feel any need whatsoever to try and 'convince' them about their qualities. Each to their own - only hoping that everyone will find their 'style and preference' whatever it is.

@Nozinan I haven’t opened them yet....because I don’t have any PC Ginger Ale in the house right now. That’s all you can do with Canadian Whisky, right?

@OdysseusUnbound Only rare or expensive Canadian whisky... You can sip the Wiser's Delux neat.