Deanna Hoak

13 Responses to “Question for single-malt drinkers”  

1. 1 Laura Anne Sep 28th, 2006 at 5:37 pm

   I don’t know the Aberfeldy, but Balvenie’s a nice, smooth, warm sipping scotch, and usually retails for $60 , so it sounds like a good deal.

   Next time you’re up thisaway, you need to stop by and check out the Cabinet of Scotch-y Goodness…. *grin*

2. 2 Tom Powers Sep 28th, 2006 at 6:10 pm

   I don’t know the Aberfeldy either, so I went to Park Ave Liquors (http://www.parkaveliquor.com)

   They say $191 for the 21 and $44 for the 12. and it’s a Southern Highlands whiskey (Ok again I’m stumped, I know Islays and Speysides, but not specifially southern highlands … more research will happen, possibly with drinking.)

   Balvenie is a Speyside (meaning it’s distilled in the area around the town of Speyside) and I’m pretty fond of it. But there’s a whole range of different bottlings. Guessing I’d venture that you’re looking at the 12 yr old Double Wood (it’s aged in two different kinds of casks). Park Ave sells it for $51. It’s in my Bookcases of Scotch-y Goodness, but my favorite Balvenie is the single cask 25 yr old (can’t find it any where! sigh) a close second is the 15 yr old single cask.

   (added after googling)
   Ahh Aberfeldy is the primary scotch for Dewars, and when you get the bottle look for the red squirrel on the label. (Something about a rare coloney of red squirrels in the area of the distillery). I’ve gotta say though, pass on the 21 yr old, try the 12 and if you really like it … ask for the 21 as a christmas present?

   I think I’d pass on the Balvenie, simply because it’s easy to find and you could get it on sale somewhere else some other time.

   Enjoy!

3. 3 Loup Noir Sep 28th, 2006 at 6:25 pm

   Let’s see, I liked Cardu a lot, but that’s not on the list. It’s been years since I’ve had it, but I remember Balvenie being lovely.

   Have you discover Calvados yet? Apple brandy from Normandy.

4. 4 Todd Sep 28th, 2006 at 6:33 pm

   LOL! So, a question near and dear to my heart. A buddy pointed me to this blog. I wouldn’t recommend a $191 bottle if you’re relatively new to scotch drinking, wait a bit for that. You’ll appreciate it better after a little more experience. Balvenie 12 yo (I presume the double wood)is yummy, I can recommend it. In fact I’ve got a particularly fond memory of breaking a buddy into scotch drinking…. after taking a sip (both eyes closed) of Balvenie 12 yo I’d bought him, he opened one eye and said “hey, this isn’t bad, I don’t even have to wince when I drink it”. The Aberfeldy 12 yo I haven’t had personally, but in general I’d say scotches under $30 / bottle *will* put hair on your chest… not recommended for the newer drinker.

   So … Balvenie, you won’t be sorry.

5. 5 Deanna Hoak Sep 28th, 2006 at 6:44 pm

   Thanks, guys. I’m enjoying the advice.

   Though I have to say, the fact that not one of you single-malt drinkers has apparently tried the fancy Aberfeldy is making me think that it would be awfully nice to have on hand to treat people with….

6. 6 Tom Powers Sep 28th, 2006 at 6:54 pm

   A thought occured, if you try the Aberfeldy and hate it, let me know and I’ll swap you a bottle of Balvenie (or even 18 yr old GlenLivet - I’ve got a spare unopened right now).

   :)

7. 7 Laura Anne Sep 28th, 2006 at 7:08 pm

   gonna take this space to brag a bit — my birthday present from The Guy was a bottle of Glenmorangie Single Cask 1989 port pipe (cask strength) rare limited edition (796 bottle released). It’s… really really good. Reaaaaaaly good.

8. 8 Mike Munsil Sep 28th, 2006 at 7:33 pm

   The Aberfeldy 21 will be a waste of your money. Buy the 12-year old instead. If you’re up to trying something peaty, give the 12-year old Bunnahabhain a try. It is the mildest of the Islay single-malts and has a hint of sea-salt.

   You might try taking a look at the book “Raw Spirit”, written by Iain Banks.

9. 9 Mary Robinette Kowal Sep 28th, 2006 at 7:40 pm

   I can second the Bunnahabhain recomendation and I’m a newbie scotch drinker.

10. 10 Cheryl Sep 29th, 2006 at 4:20 am

    Get the Balvenie. No question.

11. 11 Gwenda Sep 29th, 2006 at 6:42 am

    The Balvenie 12 is lovely. It’s actually better, imo, than the Balvenie 15, which can be inconsistent. If I were going to spend over 100 on a whisky, it would probably be a Laphroig. But really, if you’re not a whisky drinker, wait a year or two, then do that. You’ll appreciate it more.

    This is an excellent quick whisky review site.

12. 12 Deanna Hoak Sep 29th, 2006 at 3:50 pm

    Thanks, guys. I went back to the sale determined to get the Balvenie 12 and the Aberfeldy 12, but alas they were sold out of the Balvenie. (Actually they had some of the canisters filled with cheaper liquor; someone had bought a case, replaced the bottles with something else, and then returned it saying they didn’t like the taste. That scam seems so simple you’d think the liquor stores would know to check the canisters.)

    Anyway, I got the Aberfeldy 12. I like the taste of it better than I liked the Aberlour (which was 15–I was misremembering), and the smell of it is amazing; but it doesn’t go down nearly as smoothly as the Aberlour did, so I think I like the Aberlour better on the whole. (And yes, I realize this probably means I would love that expensive bottle of Aberfeldy. :-) I just can’t convince myself to spend the money on it.)
    Anyway, here’s a link to a review of this Aberfeldy 12. (Thanks for the link to that site, Gwenda!)

13. 13 Gabriele Sep 30th, 2006 at 1:59 pm

    If you can get your hands on it, try a MacAllan 25, that guy goes down smoothly and should be a bit less expensive than the Aberfeldy. :)

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