The Lemon Fool

UncleEbenezer wrote:It's a bit like French wines until fairly recently. After too many bad experiences I gave up buying them. I knew there were excellent French wines around, but the risk of getting it wrong was too high.

OT, but my wine success rate has massively improved since buying through a wine club. Nothing special, just one of those ones you see advertised all the time, where you get the introductory offer. I've been a member for years and *every* bottle has been great. When I buy from the supermarket here or in France I like maybe half of it.

Big whisky fan and so is the Mrs.
We have noticed 2 things in the last year, rrp for single malts has rocketed, but, special offers are plentiful. Tesco has a Clubcard offer on half decent malts (Cardhu, Jura, tamnavulin and the like) to around £25-27. They sometimes have the higher end ones too, I bought 4 bottles of bruichladdich at £26 each late last year. Its currently on offer at £38 in Tesco, which is still a pretty decent price. The other source is Amazon who continually have great buys. If you have a scroll down thru HUKD you can see what is currently on offer and what has come up over the last year. https://www.hotukdeals.com/search?q=whisky
As for the Lidl & Aldi Islay offering. We have a meet up with scottish friends once a year and all bring their favourite whisky. One, who to be fair doesn't care for whisky, bought the Glen Marnoch. I'll pretty much drink anything, but this actually got poured away. Shame because the Bracken one isn't so bad.

servodude wrote:

UncleEbenezer wrote:Having just finished my bottle of Ardbeg, I'll be looking out for either another of the same or Lagavulin. Caol Ila isn't quite so high up my list of preferences.

But if there's that kind of price differential ... I wonder?

Round here Lagavulin 16 has hit silly prices - but I find the less popular 8 is wonderfully brash and to me decent value.

Similarly feisty was the Ardbeg 5yr Old (Wee Beestie) I was introduced to a family thing recently
- it's Ardbeg without the manners
- cracking stuff

-sd

I imagined that would be the case as it was all that Waitrose was flogging last Xmas. But for the same price as proper Ardbeg the previous year, £38.

Maybe I should try some...!

But then if buying cheap single malt I used to always go for Bunnahabhain. Except that nowadays the world seems to have caught up with me and the price has rocketed.

Mike4 wrote:

servodude wrote:
Round here Lagavulin 16 has hit silly prices - but I find the less popular 8 is wonderfully brash and to me decent value.

Similarly feisty was the Ardbeg 5yr Old (Wee Beestie) I was introduced to a family thing recently
- it's Ardbeg without the manners
- cracking stuff

-sd

I imagined that would be the case as it was all that Waitrose was flogging last Xmas. But for the same price as proper Ardbeg the previous year, £38.

Maybe I should try some...!

But then if buying cheap single malt I used to always go for Bunnahabhain. Except that nowadays the world seems to have caught up with me and the price has rocketed.

The 12 year old is normally pretty decent value over here...
and while I was checking I see that price of Lagavulin 16 is presently reduced by 30% (to what it was a couple of years back)
...but both still about 10 quid more than they would be in the UK

servodude wrote:...but both still about 10 quid more than they would be in the UK

Maybe time for a Trade Treaty then.

dealtn wrote:

servodude wrote:...but both still about 10 quid more than they would be in the UK

Maybe time for a Trade Treaty then.

Ha ha
That's not how it works - but sure, and it's still cheaper than the decent local whiskies

UncleEbenezer wrote:

Wuffle wrote:Laphroaig 10 is on offer at Morrisons currently for the Islay fans.
I just popped in on the way home and had a browse.

God bless her, the OH went to France in the Autumn and spotted a duty free offer, so I am currently working my way through a litre each of smoky black and sherry cask Famous Grouse, depending on my mood.

W.

Whoops! I was on my way to Morrisons when you posted that. Just seen it now

I used to love Laphroaig. Then I acquired a bottle of something disgusting under the Laphroaig label. Without a clear record of the exact details, I'm reluctant to buy another bottle, lest I get the wrong one again.

OK, I did end up buying a bottle of the Laphroaig 10 from Morrisons. Just opened it for a first tipple and it's decent enough, though not a patch on the elusive Ardbeg.

Have to say, it was Laphroaig that first converted me to Islay whiskies. The first whisky I really loved, as opposed to the Speysiders (and indeed some of the non-Scottish offerings and even blends) which I merely liked occasionally.

I'm a whisky drinker and a peat fan. Of the stuff already mentioned I got a bottle of Ardbeg Wee Beastie from Waitrose on offer well under £30 last year. Completely agree that loyalty card discounts can make a big difference. Wouldn't consider paying full retail for any of the mainstream whiskies as they will be on offer somewhere soon enough . Of the supermarket offerings, Laphroaig 10 and Talisker 10 are usually worth a go.

Duty Free can still be good, sometimes big discounts can be had by pre-ordering online for collection before you travel. Picked up a bottle of Lagavulin 16 and a litre of the PX cask Laphroaig with an extra 40% off doing this last year. Choice can be a bit narrow depending where you are flying home from though. Aside from this (and if you are looking for something the supermarkets won't have) some of the big online retailers in the UK occasionally offer high cash back rates with the likes of Quidco. They usually aren't the cheapest source to start with, but sometimes the retail price and the cash back rates align.

EEM

I tried some Bourbon (from ASDA I think), it was actually surprisingly drinkable neat.
Most of the time, I find whiskey a bit too harsh, it burns my tongue and gums, and esophagus (and then later gives me acid reflux / indigestion), but this one felt mellower.

Laphroaig Oak Select, this was on offer at Tesco, now on Amazon, same price. Good price, rather nice. Just sent a bottle to my son for his birthday.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KF56G4E? ... ct_details

stacker512 wrote:I tried some Bourbon (from ASDA I think), it was actually surprisingly drinkable neat.
Most of the time, I find whiskey a bit too harsh, it burns my tongue and gums, and esophagus (and then later gives me acid reflux / indigestion), but this one felt mellower.

Woodford Reserve is pretty decent. I agree, bourbon is easier on the tongue.