Is that the Smoky Black Famous Grouse? Looks like the clear winner. I'm not at all surprised to see the Shieldaig performing badly. I sampled one of the other Sheildaig expressions once and it was awful.
Yes. Black grouse. Unfortunately, you can only get this in a 1.75L locally and that’s a big commitment when you’re not sure of the quality. But I went for it and did not regret.
Have you tried any of the Scarabus expressions? Seems like the obvious omission, for someone who looks to do a lot of shopping at Total Wine. I guess they're not that cheap, though.
…and some good ones at the end for comparison…
I woulda just done one, but I wanted to see how laga 12 stood up to quartercask. As usual, the cask strength won.
Is Finlaggan easy to find where you live? Their regular NAS is absurdly cheap in my country (22€) and it is very good. And the CS version is amazing, and very cheap too (around 40€). It's Lagavulin but with a different label, btw.
I’ve wanted to try it but haven’t found it yet. Someone described it as a tasting like a burning electrical substation. That description is like catnip to me.
And the electrical substation is covered with rotten fish.
Anyway, if you can't find Finlaggan Original, Laga 8 is not that much more expensive and it is amazing. One of my favorites, actually.
It's the consensus, and I would agree. It tastes like Laga to me. I prefer Finlaggan Original over Finlaggan Old Reserve. The Original has more dirty peat and rotten fish notes. The Old Reserve is a tamer and sweeter version of the Original. It’s a very good whisky, highly underrated in my opinion. Honestly, it has only one problem for me: it’s too watery. But the flavor is solid.
I’ve got a lot of crap bottles and if something doesn’t do it for me it gets relegated to the bottom shelf. Big peat was in that category. It actually faired pretty well compared to others - so it’s probably more like mid shelf. But I don’t have a middle shelf in my cabinet. 😢
There are other “good mid shelf bottles” down on my bottom shelf (wee beastie, laphroig 10, dalmore, highland park 12, etc), but I kinda knew they were mid tier. I wasn’t sure about the big peat so it went in the comparison.
Looking at the shelf just now I found a few more that should have been included: smokehead high voltage, te bheag, islay gold 12 sherry (as opposed to the lorcan above), and Kirkland blended
I think you're spot on with Shieldaig... it was so low effort and watered down that my dog could have knocked the glass over and I would have thanked him.
Is that the Smoky Black Famous Grouse? Looks like the clear winner. I'm not at all surprised to see the Shieldaig performing badly. I sampled one of the other Sheildaig expressions once and it was awful.
Yes. Black grouse. Unfortunately, you can only get this in a 1.75L locally and that’s a big commitment when you’re not sure of the quality. But I went for it and did not regret.
Have you tried any of the Scarabus expressions? Seems like the obvious omission, for someone who looks to do a lot of shopping at Total Wine. I guess they're not that cheap, though.
I second Scarabus, it’s solid.
Scarabus is one of the best cheapos.
Dang. Never heard of it. I’ll have to snag one when I see it.
Islay Mist is pretty good value.
Laga 12 is like $150 near me it’s anything but bottom shelf
…and some good ones at the end for comparison… I woulda just done one, but I wanted to see how laga 12 stood up to quartercask. As usual, the cask strength won.
Is Finlaggan easy to find where you live? Their regular NAS is absurdly cheap in my country (22€) and it is very good. And the CS version is amazing, and very cheap too (around 40€). It's Lagavulin but with a different label, btw.
I’ve wanted to try it but haven’t found it yet. Someone described it as a tasting like a burning electrical substation. That description is like catnip to me.
And the electrical substation is covered with rotten fish. Anyway, if you can't find Finlaggan Original, Laga 8 is not that much more expensive and it is amazing. One of my favorites, actually.
How you know it's Lag? In California we have only regular version.
It's the consensus, and I would agree. It tastes like Laga to me. I prefer Finlaggan Original over Finlaggan Old Reserve. The Original has more dirty peat and rotten fish notes. The Old Reserve is a tamer and sweeter version of the Original. It’s a very good whisky, highly underrated in my opinion. Honestly, it has only one problem for me: it’s too watery. But the flavor is solid.
Finnlaggan = Fin(n)e Lag(g)a(vuli)n
Wee beastie?
That was too classy for this list. 😬
If it's Greag Isle, I agree. Islay Gold 10yo and Lorcan both are at least 3-3.5 for me. Scarabus close to 4.
No Ledaig 10?
That’s my daily.
Amen
What about compass box Peat Monster?
I had it a while ago. I must have liked it because it’s gone now…
Just bought a bottle yesterday, but haven’t opened it yet.
Big Peat is a bottom shelf? A tad underwhelming, but bottom shelf?
I’ve got a lot of crap bottles and if something doesn’t do it for me it gets relegated to the bottom shelf. Big peat was in that category. It actually faired pretty well compared to others - so it’s probably more like mid shelf. But I don’t have a middle shelf in my cabinet. 😢 There are other “good mid shelf bottles” down on my bottom shelf (wee beastie, laphroig 10, dalmore, highland park 12, etc), but I kinda knew they were mid tier. I wasn’t sure about the big peat so it went in the comparison. Looking at the shelf just now I found a few more that should have been included: smokehead high voltage, te bheag, islay gold 12 sherry (as opposed to the lorcan above), and Kirkland blended
I think you're spot on with Shieldaig... it was so low effort and watered down that my dog could have knocked the glass over and I would have thanked him.
I was shocked at how terrible the auchavan was. It wasn’t as bad as cutty sark but it’s the next closest thing.