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ale_capone
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Joined: 22 Sep 2009
Posts: 720 | TRs | Pics
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No, jura is not my thing. I've never had the 7 wood, and only one bottle of superstition.
I mostly ardbeg and laphroige...
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Malachai Constant
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Joined: 13 Jan 2002
Posts: 16092 | TRs | Pics
Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
Any thoughts about the proliferation of port and sherry barrel aged scotches? I wonder if it is related to the deplorable trend toward “flavored” liquors such as “spiced” rums and other distilled beverages. The first of these was Southern Comfort which in spite of its asssociation with Janus Joplin always tasted like kerosene mixed with peach syrup to me. Now nothing against Fireball or Yukon Jack on a chairlift, but it seems decadent. Not there is anything wrong with that.
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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Kim Brown
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Joined: 13 Jul 2009
Posts: 6899 | TRs | Pics
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Yukon Jack on a Chairlift. Is that the Pacific NW version of the drink called Sex on the Beach?
"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area."
Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area."
Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
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RumiDude
Marmota olympus
Joined: 26 Jul 2009
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Location: Port Angeles |
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RumiDude
Marmota olympus
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 Thu Apr 12, 2018 12:06 pm |
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| Malachai Constant wrote: | | Any thoughts about the proliferation of port and sherry barrel aged scotches? |
Scotch has long been aged in port casks and sherry butts, even the Islay peated single malts. The difference now is the idea of "finishing" a malt in a different cask to add a different flavor profile. Often they are finished in a sherry butt or similar.
Many single malts are matured in American ex-bourbon casks, because bourbon can ONLY be matured in fresh casks. With the growth in American bourbons, the glut of ex-bourbon casks makes them less expemsive than sherry butts, whose market has shrunk. So they sell those casks to Scotch distillers to use to mature single malts. Formerly they used mostly ex-sherry casks, butts, and hogsheads. But due to the high demand of Scotch single malts, many distillers are moving away from age statements and going with generic names like Uigeadail which has no age statement at all. By law it must be aged at least three years to be called a Scotch whisky. So what is the age of these non-age statement whiskies? Probably less than 10-12 years, which is generally the minimum standard that age-statement whiskies are matured.
Anyway, most of the finishing in sherry butts and port casks is intended to mimic the flavor profile of longer aged malts from yesteryear. It is also an attempt to stand out among the proliferation of Scotch whiskies, i.e. marketing.
Rumi
"This is my Indian summer ... I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all."
"This is my Indian summer ... I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all."
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FiveNines
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Joined: 01 Oct 2010
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
Joined: 06 Mar 2007
Posts: 12655 | TRs | Pics
Location: here now |
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
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Sat Apr 14, 2018 4:28 pm |
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| Malachai Constant wrote: | | Any thoughts about the proliferation of port and sherry barrel aged scotches? |
It's not a new thing. McCallan and Balvenie have been doing it for 100+ years.
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Malachai Constant
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Joined: 13 Jan 2002
Posts: 16092 | TRs | Pics
Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
I wasn’t talking about the traditional use of port and sherry barrels. As I mentioned the Balvenie 21 year old which is tradionaly port aged. When I was speaking of proliferation I was speaking of new brands which are marketed as coming in flavors. Many of these were only used in blends, of course 20 years ago blends were predominant. My first experience with single malts was Laphroig in the late 70’s and it seemed very distinct from the Cutty Sarks and Dewars then popular.
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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RumiDude
Marmota olympus
Joined: 26 Jul 2009
Posts: 3590 | TRs | Pics
Location: Port Angeles |
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RumiDude
Marmota olympus
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Sat Apr 14, 2018 7:04 pm |
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| Malachai Constant wrote: | | When I was speaking of proliferation I was speaking of new brands which are marketed as coming in flavors. Many of these were only used in blends, of course 20 years ago blends were predominant. |
Well many Scotch distillers did not issue standard bottlings of their own malts and blends, but only sold them to big blenders like Dewars, Chivas Regal, Johnnie Walker, etc. Then there was a period when Scotch was not popular at all and barrels sat in warehouses unsold. Many distilleries when out of business, sold, or went dormant. Then Scotch, and especially single malts, became popular and many old whisky barrels were bottled and sold. Dormant distilleries started producing again. The price of Scotch has skyrocketed and continues to do so. The shortage of good sherry barrels, hogsheads, and butts forced producers to go elsewhere for barrels, such as the US. So today, most Scotch is aged in ex-bourbon casks. They are using ex-wine barrels and other such. The non-age stated single malts are increasing to meet the demand. That usually means using younger whisky, si, seven, and eight year old whiskies in many cases. In order to do that and not be too rough, they often finnish the maturation process in sherry/port casks, which the coopers have reworked from old sherry/port butts and hogsheads.
Most distillers are trying their best to cash in while the Scotch market is still hot. They do all sorts of things like introducing new non-age stated whisky to do that. Ardbeg is a prime example of that and they are asking and getting very big bucks for their bottlings. There are a few "new" brands but most are using whisky from the traditional distillers. Macallan has introduced the "fine oak" series, which is mostly crap IMO. Many "new" Scotch makers are really old distillers which are just recently issuing their own standard bottlings. Some are mothballed distilleries coming back into production like Bladnoch. Since it takes so long from initial distilling to actual bottling, many new distilleries are buying malted whisky for other distilleries untill their own matures.
Hope that helps.
Rumi
"This is my Indian summer ... I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all."
"This is my Indian summer ... I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all."
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Malachai Constant
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Joined: 13 Jan 2002
Posts: 16092 | TRs | Pics
Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
When i caid "brands" I meant brands as in trademarks not distilleries.
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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Bernardo
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Joined: 08 Feb 2010
Posts: 2174 | TRs | Pics
Location: out and about in the world |
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Bernardo
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Sat Apr 14, 2018 9:43 pm |
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jinx'sboy
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Joined: 30 Jul 2008
Posts: 930 | TRs | Pics
Location: on a great circle route |
One side benefit of all the ‘new’ distilleries trying to produce malts is a huge increase in the offerings of Gin.
A Scots friend explained it to me: since there is at leadt 3 years wait before whisky can be sold as a single malt (and maybe more like 10 years), new distillers need to have some immediate income. Hence they are producing neutral spirits - Gin, vodka, etc - which can be old straight onto the consumer with no aging, no casking.
I think perhaps it is the same as we are seeing in the US with new boutique bourbon and whisky offerings....more vodkas and gin are being produced, as a result, also.
The last time I was in Edinburgh I saw a shop selling nothing but Gin. Even the big cut rate grocery store near where I stay must have had 30 kinds of gin for sale. Quince gin and Elderberry gin. Rhubarb-ginger Gin?
I’ve tried a couple non flavored ones....interesting and different.
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Get Out and Go
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Joined: 13 Nov 2004
Posts: 2128 | TRs | Pics
Location: Leavenworth |
Seeing how this thread has meandered, let me put it BACK on TRACK. Obviously, the most important skill is found at this link: More Cowbell! even though the individual no longer posts on-site. 
"These are the places you will find me hiding'...These are the places I will always go."
(Down in the Valley by The Head and The Heart)
"Sometimes you're happy. Sometimes you cry.
Half of me is ocean. Half of me is sky."
(Thanks, Tom Petty)
"These are the places you will find me hiding'...These are the places I will always go."
(Down in the Valley by The Head and The Heart)
"Sometimes you're happy. Sometimes you cry.
Half of me is ocean. Half of me is sky."
(Thanks, Tom Petty)
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Malachai Constant
Member
Joined: 13 Jan 2002
Posts: 16092 | TRs | Pics
Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
Speaking of Gin 
I usually think it is unsuited for hiking as gets insipid if too hot.
English, Dutch, US, or boutique? Never had the local ones
Usually use English started with Beefeater then Tanqurey and Bombey
Now am using Boodles
It varies with drink usually only do Martinis 🍸, Tonics on hot days, sometimes Negronis.
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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the1mitch
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Joined: 03 Apr 2005
Posts: 280 | TRs | Pics
Location: Snohomish |
IMHO, the skill that is way too sparsely found today is the strategic use of listening........ Breathe, wait, breathe again, withhold judgement, smile, nod, say hmmm or uh huh, watch their face for cues. Let the whiskey open up a bit. To borrow a line from Hamilton, smile more, say less.
illegitimi non carborundum!
illegitimi non carborundum!
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thunderhead
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Joined: 14 Oct 2015
Posts: 1519 | TRs | Pics
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All this talk of islay peat! Ahhhhh... yummy. I didnt realize so many hikers had such a distinguished and developed taste for proper scotch! Think its all the campfire smoke we dream of?
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