DOTD! What are y'all drinking on today.

Mark1966 said:
Actually, sorry mate, I was just pulling your leg. If you don't like it now you never will I'm afraid.

To make up for teasing like that I will take it off your hands and dispose of it for you - no charge to say sorry ;)
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Haha o well as a token of my forgiveness you may dispose of it for me
 
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Enjoying a little of one of my favourites
Don't laugh but I enjoy johnnie walker black.
 
gthomas04 said:
Has anyone here tried a blend called Monkeys Shoulder. If so I would appreciate your opinions. Thanks
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I find it to be very good value for money, very smooth, not overly complex but enough to be an enjoyable dram, I've had 2 bottles but both where given to me when I left a rubbish job.
 
Monkey seems to be about as good as most others around the same price range. Not much of a fan myself. I'll take Johnnie Black for the same price any day.
 
Ferret619 said:
I find it to be very good value for money, very smooth, not overly complex but enough to be an enjoyable dram, I've had 2 bottles but both where given to me when I left a rubbish job.
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Drubbing said:
Monkey seems to be about as good as most others around the same price range. Not much of a fan myself. I'll take Johnnie Black for the same price any day.
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I concur, price point is great on special and normally priced accordingly in same band. Again it's all YMMV. Other options as apealling.
 
Ferret619 said:
IMG_0861_zpsct8ff5yp.jpg

Enjoying a little of one of my favourites
Don't laugh but I enjoy johnnie walker black.
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That's what I use as a whisky glass or stemless white wine glass, looking at you @Mark1966
Have two fancy glasses and a special purpose glencairns one and it's like 'give me a normal tumbler already'.
If my nose doesn't fit, forget it.
 
RustyBlade said:
That's what I use as a whisky glass or stemless white wine glass, looking at you @Mark1966
Have two fancy glasses and a special purpose glencairns one and it's like 'give me a normal tumbler already'.
If my nose doesn't fit, forget it.
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I have a set of 5 of these and they belonged to my grandfather and he loved his whisky.
 
Drubbing said:
Monkey seems to be about as good as most others around the same price range. Not much of a fan myself. I'll take Johnnie Black for the same price any day.
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Thanks @Drubbing and @Ferret619 for your replies. I asked because when I took my first sniff I reeled back from the glass. The taste I felt was very thin and kerosene like. I am a regular Jameson's drinker which has a much fuller mouth feel so maybe that has spoiled me. My only problem now is letting ny son know that although "very nice" it is not something I would indulge in regularly (otherwise I will get it for birthdays and Christmas for years to come).
Maybe the other problem is I drink my whisky and my whiskey neat. Perhaps the Monkeys Shoulder needed to be adulterated in something.
 
I drink whisky neat, but with a dash of water. And I mean a dash, no more than a teaspoon in a decent dram.

No matter how good the whiskey, this tames any alcohol burn and also lets more of the flavour come through.

If I buy disappointing whiskey, I 'blend' it with a little of something I like, again, just a little, and it makes it very drinkable. Only Dewars has failed to be improved doing this.
 
Drubbing said:
I drink whisky neat, but with a dash of water. And I mean a dash, no more than a teaspoon in a decent dram.

No matter how good the whiskey, this tames any alcohol burn and also lets more of the flavour come through.

If I buy disappointing whiskey, I 'blend' it with a little of something I like, again, just a little, and it makes it very drinkable. Only Dewars has failed to be improved doing this.
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Might try this @Drubbing. I will put a teaspoonful of Jamesons into the Monkeys and see if it improves things. Wouldn't want to waste the Jamesons if it didn't work. I suspect I will end up pouring the Monkeys a bit at a time down the sink so when the lad comes to visit I can say "see I am drinking it". (And of course a smiley for Drubbing) :)
 
Quick and dirty 'home blending' is very common among whisky fanatics. My learned Scottish friend was mightily impressed I fell upon this cure by myself. He said it took him years of poor buys before he realised this works.

But as a rule the stuff you're using to blend should be of better quality than what you're trying to improve. Not sure many would agree Jamesons fits that bill. It's just that if you prefer its flavour, then it will impart some of that on the other.
 
Oh yeah, some Glenfarclas 105 cask strength goodness thanks to the heads up from @Monsta_AU some time back I think. He is to blame for me getting on the Nick's email list ...

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Note: not a picture of my bottle, which has a lot less in it :(
 
Mark1966 said:
Oh yeah, some Glenfarclas 105 cask strength goodness thanks to the heads up from @Monsta_AU some time back I think. He is to blame for me getting on the Nick's email list ...
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Guilty as charged, your honour! :D

And yes, it is good stuff but definitely needs the water @ 60% ABV.

I am drinking... nothing. Barely anything for the last 4 weeks due to the flu and related medications. Seem to be getting on top of it now.

gthomas04 said:
Might try this @Drubbing. I will put a teaspoonful of Jamesons into the Monkeys and see if it improves things. Wouldn't want to waste the Jamesons if it didn't work. I suspect I will end up pouring the Monkeys a bit at a time down the sink so when the lad comes to visit I can say "see I am drinking it". (And of course a smiley for Drubbing) :)
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The Monkeys are a bit different as a blend as it is 3 single malts vatted together (Pure Malt blend, vatted malt) with no grain whisky filler like most. JW Green is also 'All killer, no filler' however it is much better balanced due to the number of Malts in it.

Monkeys is Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Kinivie, and it does depend on the batch you get. Obviously the 'Fiddich is the lowest of low quality barrels - essentially they use it to cull the underperforming barrels or any that have issues in maturation at the earliest possible point (3 years). That said I think Glendfiddich is well over-rated and has got a very 'meh' character until you get to the 18+ yo bottlings, and even then you want them at higher/cask strength. The dilution tends to affect it more than most.

I'd suggest you be patient with it, pour one and let it breathe for say 5-10 mins before getting into it. It's a young and highly strung blend and needs some time to relax.
 
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Monsta_AU said:
Guilty as charged, your honour! :D

And yes, it is good stuff but definitely needs the water @ 60% ABV.

I am drinking... nothing. Barely anything for the last 4 weeks due to the flu and related medications. Seem to be getting on top of it now.
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Yes, and I thank you with every sip! (y)

Does need a dash of the water to tame and release the flavour.
 
Mark1966 said:
Yes, and I thank you with every sip! (y)
Does need a dash of the water to tame and release the flavour.
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I have a few others you may like which are a little more mature yet in a similar style, old-school sherry maturation with more age on it. The 105 is great value for a NAS but it used to be I think stated as 10yo. It got too popular and I think most of it is 7-8y.o with some older casks now. There's probably a few sherry-seasoned casks in there too.

Between Glenfarclas in the 15yo and older, and the Springbank 15yo and older, there is not much else you'd need to have a wide-ranging Scotch collection. Lagavaulin 16 for your Islay, and possibly a Highland Park or maybe a Dalwhinnie..... 4 bottles and done.
 
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