| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
andyroid20
Double Malt Member
Joined: 24 May 2012
Posts: 107
|
 Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 8:56 pm Post subject: Which to buy (resolved) |
 |
|
Hello first of all.
So I am on holiday in France and have noticed they have an interesting selection of ridiculously priced (in a good way) single malts but money is limited so I'm trying to decide what to spend my money. I can basically get 2 and the choices seem to be
Glenfiddich 18 - 39 Euros
Glenfiddich 15 - 28 Euros
Glenfiddich Rich Oak - 26 Euros
Aberlour 16 - 36 Euros
Oban 14 - 32 Euros
Cardhu Special Cask Reserve (or 15 Year) - 39 Euros
I got a Scapa 16 already for 38 Euros which has mixed reviews but it was such a cheap price - 38 Euros and a bit different being from Orkney. I have mainly Islay bottle so I want to even my collection out. Annoyingly they have a Lagavulin 16 for 43 Euros which is about £34 but I already have a nearly full bottle and want to expand the collection. Hopefully they will have them on my next visit to France.
Any suggestions for 2 would be appreciated. I'm toying with the Glenfiddich 18 and either the Aberlour or the Oban but am open to other ideas. I have tasted the Oban and know I like it but the Aberlour is supposedly better and harder to come by in the UK. But I already have an Aberlour, all be it only the 10yr old |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
|
|
|
Quaich1
Master Of Malts
Joined: 21 Apr 2012
Posts: 5749
Location: Ontario, Canada
|
| Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 9:08 pm Post subject: Re: Which to buy |
|
|
| andyroid20 wrote: | Hello first of all.
So I am on holiday in France and have noticed they have an interesting selection of ridiculously priced (in a good way) single malts but money is limited so I'm trying to decide what to spend my money. I can basically get 2 and the choices seem to be
Glenfiddich 18 - 39 Euros
Glenfiddich 15 - 28 Euros
Glenfiddich Rich Oak - 26 Euros
Aberlour 16 - 36 Euros
Oban 14 - 32 Euros
Cardhu Special Cask Reserve (or 15 Year) - 39 Euros
I got a Scapa 16 already for 38 Euros which has mixed reviews but it was such a cheap price - 38 Euros and a bit different being from Orkney. I have mainly Islay bottle so I want to even my collection out. Annoyingly they have a Lagavulin 16 for 43 Euros which is about £34 but I already have a nearly full bottle and want to expand the collection. Hopefully they will have them on my next visit to France.
Any suggestions for 2 would be appreciated. I'm toying with the Glenfiddich 18 and either the Aberlour or the Oban but am open to other ideas. I have tasted the Oban and know I like it but the Aberlour is supposedly better and harder to come by in the UK. But I already have an Aberlour, all be it only the 10yr old |
I would run to get the Glenfiddich 18 years with it's Jim Murray rating of 95. I would absolutely pass on the Oban in favor of the Cardhu 15 yr. If you can grab a Lagavulin 12 years at a reasonable price, it's a beauty. Let me know what you decide.
_________________
"Always carry a large flagon of whisky in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake."
W.C. Fields (1880-1946) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
andyroid20
Double Malt Member
Joined: 24 May 2012
Posts: 107
|
| Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 9:12 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Thanks for your suggestion. It's the Lagavulin 16. They don't have the 12 or I would have definately got that but as I have the 16 I can't talk myself into buying it when there are others. Is the Cardhu 15 better than the special cask reserve then becuase I haven't seen either in the UK before. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Quaich1
Master Of Malts
Joined: 21 Apr 2012
Posts: 5749
Location: Ontario, Canada
|
| Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 9:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| andyroid20 wrote: | | Thanks for your suggestion. It's the Lagavulin 16. They don't have the 12 or I would have definately got that but as I have the 16 I can't talk myself into buying it when there are others. Is the Cardhu 15 better than the special cask reserve then becuase I haven't seen either in the UK before. |
Is the Cardhu, the 15 yr. Manager's Dram?..... if so .that's a real beauty! I would take the 15 over the special cask reserve myself.
_________________
"Always carry a large flagon of whisky in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake."
W.C. Fields (1880-1946) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
andyroid20
Double Malt Member
Joined: 24 May 2012
Posts: 107
|
| Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 9:23 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Nah not the manager's dram. That one I would have recognized |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
bifter
Master Of Malts
Joined: 10 Apr 2012
Posts: 1403
Location: East Lothian
|
| Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 9:26 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I was immediately intrigued by the Aberlour 16. I haven't tried it but there's a 'Double Cask Matured' 16 listed in Whisky Bible 2012, if that's the same one? Jim Murray gives it 94.5 and states the 'compensation for the disappointing 10-y-o is the elevation of the 16 to superstar status'. Sounds superlative!
Otherwise I agree with Quaich1.
_________________
"Whisky is liquid sunshine."
[George Bernard Shaw] |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
andyroid20
Double Malt Member
Joined: 24 May 2012
Posts: 107
|
| Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 9:29 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Yes it is the double cask one. Decision still hard! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Tom W
Triple Malt Member
Joined: 06 Oct 2010
Posts: 220
Location: Dartford
|
| Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 9:35 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I'd go for fiddich 18 - best most consistent whisky in the world in that price range.
and the rich oak as it is quality and a bit different with the new oak influence, really light and drinkable
_________________
In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Archer
Master Of Malts
Joined: 06 Oct 2009
Posts: 1532
|
| Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 9:38 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Personally i would take the Aberlour 16 and the Glenfiddich 18 althought i would be tempted by the Cardhu Special Cask Reserve as i have never tried it and it is supposedly a decent malt. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
andyroid20
Double Malt Member
Joined: 24 May 2012
Posts: 107
|
| Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 9:46 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Well at least we all seem in agreement about the fiddich 18. I may have to "find" more money!
....er......."dearest????"..... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Alexppp
Master Of Malts
Joined: 16 Jul 2010
Posts: 1791
|
| Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 10:27 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Sorry to throw a curveball here but personally I would go for Oban 14 and Aberlour 16. The reason? Sure, Glenfiddich 15 and 18 are pretty good (like others here I prefer the 15 between the 2) but you often get them at reduced prices in the supermarkets here. On the other hand, I never see Oban or Aberlour 16 on offer. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
andyroid20
Double Malt Member
Joined: 24 May 2012
Posts: 107
|
| Posted: Fri May 25, 2012 5:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Alexppp wrote: | | Sorry to throw a curveball here but personally I would go for Oban 14 and Aberlour 16. The reason? Sure, Glenfiddich 15 and 18 are pretty good (like others here I prefer the 15 between the 2) but you often get them at reduced prices in the supermarkets here. On the other hand, I never see Oban or Aberlour 16 on offer. |
That's a good point. I really want to try a decent Glenfiddich though as I've only had the 12 year old which i wasn't impressed with and it kind of put me off. Out of interest, how do you find the Rich Oak 14 compares to the 15 and 18?
Now I'm well and truly stumped  But in a good way  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
Alexppp
Master Of Malts
Joined: 16 Jul 2010
Posts: 1791
|
| Posted: Fri May 25, 2012 11:15 am Post subject: |
|
|
| andyroid20 wrote: |
That's a good point. I really want to try a decent Glenfiddich though as I've only had the 12 year old which i wasn't impressed with and it kind of put me off. Out of interest, how do you find the Rich Oak 14 compares to the 15 and 18?
Now I'm well and truly stumped But in a good way |
Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the Rich Oak. Check out the last page of the 'what are you dramming right now' thread - by coincidence I had taked about having a Glenfiddich 12 and how I actually prefer it to the Rich Oak! For me, the Rich Oak has an interesting nose that's unlike a 'normal' Glenfiddich', but the palate doesn't do it for me - too dry and not much 'richness' that's promised, aside from some of the spices of the new oak (in terms of being 'rich', it's the definitely the 15 that fits this description the best). So in my opinion the 15 and the 18 are definite improvements, with the 15 the best of the lot.
Ranking whiskies is normally a pointless exercise, but in the case of Glenfiddich I have a clear order of preference: the 15 is my favourite, and after that it's 18, 12, and 14 Rich Oak. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
andyroid20
Double Malt Member
Joined: 24 May 2012
Posts: 107
|
| Posted: Fri May 25, 2012 11:21 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Thanks for the reply. The Glenfiddich 15 is about 28/29 Euros which puts it around £23 which is still pretty good so it's worth being in the list of possibilities |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
bifter
Master Of Malts
Joined: 10 Apr 2012
Posts: 1403
Location: East Lothian
|
| Posted: Fri May 25, 2012 11:54 am Post subject: |
|
|
Incidentally are these available in a supermarket or a specialist shop or something? I'm going to south of France soon so may save my whisky tokens for the trip at those prices! I'll be travelling to near Gascony so was hoping to find some decent Armagnac too.
_________________
"Whisky is liquid sunshine."
[George Bernard Shaw] |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
