Practical Whisky

Practical Whisky?

Practical (prak-ti-kuhl) Adjective: Having the virtue of being realistic and useful, a decision based in pragmatism.

Whisky (hwis-kee) Noun: A liquor distilled from a fermented mash of grain (barley, rye, or corn) containing at least 40% ethyl alcohol. Also: Whiskey, Rye, Scotch, Bourbon. From: Uisge Beatha, Aqua Vitae, Eau de Vie.

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New tastings every Monday and Wednesday

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Carolans Irish Cream NAS $25⁰⁰

Old Grand-Dad NAS $15⁰⁰

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Balvenie 12yo Doublewood Single Malt Scotch
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Welcome!

There are dozens of excellent web sites out there that extol the virtues of fantastic whisky. Fantastic in taste, fantastic in character and sadly, often fantastic in price. I have no lack of respect for the whisky aficionados who can dedicate the time, energy and money to tasting all the whiskies that I can't afford, and I salute them with glass held high. That salute will just have to employ a dram of practical whisky.

Practical Whisky, this site, contains my reviews of whiskies that I've sampled, from Scotches , Irishes and Canadians to Single Malts, Bourbons and Blends and how “practical” I think they are. I make recommendations like those found in the Random Dram widget to the left, check the lower review for whiskies that score well in both the taste and cost departments. There will also be news and updates on the goings on in the practical whisky market as I become aware of them. Look for new whiskies every Monday plus whatever else I can squeeze in on Fridays. Be sure and come back and see what's new.

I hope the site is entertaining and useful, or at least one of the two.

Salude!
-- Brian --

Recent Updates (last 30 days)

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» Skeletons 14 - Oh the Orange

03-SEP-2010

I've had a taster of this sitting around for years now and I tossed it into the box of skeletons without much thought so it was quite the surprise when it popped up. I liked it even less this time, too much orange zest, not enough anything else. When I saw the shift in score it made me pause a moment, but I just can't go with a recommendation.

#125 Compass Box Orangerie NAS Liqueur Scotch

This cost is what I found the likely shelf price for a 750ml bottle to be, based on an average of costs throughout the USA. Your price may differ significantly. This is not an advertisement of sale, this bottle is likely empty by now anyway Cost

$65⁰⁰

00-09:	Horrid
10-19:	Awful
20-29:	Unpleasant
30-39:	Poor
40-49:	Below Average
50-59:	Average
60-69:	Recommendable
70-79:	Very Good
80-89:	Excellent
90-99:	Fantastic

Taste Score

The whisky's score as weighed against the cost of a bottle. Adj. Score

Limited
Avail.

Currently produced but limited availability

ABV

40%

Awards

Tasting # 455

1^st
Impression

- blind -

Smell

Oranges. VERY oranges. Orange Julius and Zest and a pile of oranges. So this is either a liqueur or that Compass Box stuff.

Taste

That's the compass box. It's just too much zest and not enough anything else. You get a little barley and wood and minor whisky notes under that pile of orange, but it doesn't work right. I'm going high 50s only because it's drinkable.

Tasting Score

Tasting # 140

Smell

Tangerines and lemon zest. Bet you're glad I didn't say "Orange". But yeah, oranges. The malt underneath is there, propping the whole smell up. Really similar to the Link to another review

American Honey in the tangy sweetness.

Taste

Miles away from the sweetness I expected. Really dense orange zest flavor with very little of the anticipated fruit sugar. The whisky really gets a chance to shine through, bringing a mild new oak and spice taste to the fore. The sleeve says to look for cloves but I'm getting allspice and a little bit of clover or hay in the very end of the attack. This leads to touches of vanilla in the fade alongside the really dry orange. Remarkably crisp finish, solid and warm without any trace of fruit stickiness or oil. Solid and steady, it sticks around for a nice farewell and sneaks in a few sweeter notes. This one is a bit tough to score. It's well into the 60s, and I'm going to nudge as close to 70 as I can.

Legacy Score

Comments
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You Might Should Know and other caveats and disclaimers Posting here and clicking through this means you've essentially agreed to play by the rules of my sandbox. Your options are to agree or to not post. That said, there is but one rule: I decide what stays and what goes. Promising nothing, I intend to leave any posts that are on topic and civil, I intend to delete anything else and I will ban anyone who abuses the system without warning. I'm not trying to be a jerk here and I'm not moderating for opinions or even attitudes, stay on target and we'll get along fine. Clicking [Agree] will set a small cookie so you'll never see this again. All submissions will be tracked by IP address. Brian.

» Skeletons 13: First Fiddich

30-AUG-2010

I know there are 4 Fiddich's in the mix, but this wasn't what I expected the first to be. It's a decent malt, but I didn't like it nearly as much this time. Pity.

#089 Glenfiddich 15 YO Solera Reserve Single Malt Scotch (Speyside)

$50⁰⁰

Bottler

Official Bottling

00-09:	Horrid
10-19:	Awful
20-29:	Unpleasant
30-39:	Poor
40-49:	Below Average
50-59:	Average
60-69:	Recommendable
70-79:	Very Good
80-89:	Excellent
90-99:	Fantastic

Taste Score

The whisky's score as weighed against the cost of a bottle. Adj. Score

ABV

40%

Awards

Tasting # 454

1^st
Impression

- blind -

Smell

Really big entrance. Harder oak, oats, graphite, rum. Nice barley and sweet smokey notes.

Taste

Tart at first. Not extraordinary, its either a decent blend or a solid single malt. A touch of water improves it: sherry and oak in the top. Ends fair enough. Just not fantastic, mid 60s.

Tasting Score

Tasting # 102

Smell

The 15 smells very strong and sharp. Its clearly Spey, with sweet sherry and smoky touches.

Taste

The taste is reasonably smooth and very sweet, full of sherry and apples and light smoke. The wood is tight, oak with fairly rough edges. Adding just a touch of water opens her up dramatically. The nose relaxes some but the taste really starts to improve. What burn there was softens, the sherry becomes stronger, adding honey. The oak deepens, adding char and smoke to a much more pleasant taste. A solid finish of smoke and wood with the sweet sherry and fruit flavors sticking around for a bit. Really nice length and feel, warm and cozy at the very end. Mid 70s.

Legacy Score

Comments
	Richard 15-Nov-2009 05:18:10 GMT 76	I've been putting off trying Glenfiddich due to some negative things I've heard about it (although it was the 12 yo I've been warned away from). Costco was selling a bottle of the 15 yo Solera Reserve with a mini of the 18 yo and a nosing glass all for $40, so I sprung for it. Not a really appealing nose, kind of sour and woody. Opens tight and sharp and needs water. Strong oak in the opening, then a little sour (due to the bourbon cask I would imagine). Some maltiness and spice in the middle, then it is all spice and cinnamon in the finish. Very dry. There are some shortcomings to this. There is too much wood at the expense of the malt, and the whole is not greater than the sum of it's parts. It's really interesting, though, and not a bad buy given the price.
	Brian Milhorn 01-Mar-2009 08:10:40 GMT 78	Smooth, with some smoke and oak and a sweetness that I'm not quite sure how to describe. Is that mushroom I taste? Hmm... I like this. It's quite different from what I've come to think about Glenfiddich. Where was the sample of this when I took the tour back in '05?
Leave a comment, who wouldn't want to know how much you loved this?
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Your 2 ¢ Post Tips
You Might Should Know and other caveats and disclaimers Posting here and clicking through this means you've essentially agreed to play by the rules of my sandbox. Your options are to agree or to not post. That said, there is but one rule: I decide what stays and what goes. Promising nothing, I intend to leave any posts that are on topic and civil, I intend to delete anything else and I will ban anyone who abuses the system without warning. I'm not trying to be a jerk here and I'm not moderating for opinions or even attitudes, stay on target and we'll get along fine. Clicking [Agree] will set a small cookie so you'll never see this again. All submissions will be tracked by IP address. Brian.

» Skeletons 12: Irish Mystery

27-AUG-2010

I had this pegged as an Islay because of the peat, it's just so rare in an Irishman. On the plus side, I blind-scored this exactly the same, so that gives me a little boost in my hopes of being objective.

#330 Connemara 12 YO Peated Single Malt Irish (Leinster)

$65⁰⁰

Bottler

Official Bottling

00-09:	Horrid
10-19:	Awful
20-29:	Unpleasant
30-39:	Poor
40-49:	Below Average
50-59:	Average
60-69:	Recommendable
70-79:	Very Good
80-89:	Excellent
90-99:	Fantastic

Taste Score

The whisky's score as weighed against the cost of a bottle. Adj. Score

ABV

40%

Awards

Tasting # 453

1^st
Impression

- blind -

Smell

Some peat, so we're off to Islay. Clean linen, minty peat, whipped cream and burnt marshmallows. Oak and some blackened notes. Really interesting, really nice.

Taste

Much milder than I'd thought. Peat in the top, very smokey. Opens oak and pepper and builds to that nice cream and salted butter. There's even some baked pears in the finale. Nice stuff, quite nice.

Tasting Score

Tasting # 361

1^st
Impression

Not a great bottle, pretty enough.

Smell

Smooth and mild, just enough green barley and peat so you don't have to check the label alongside clementine oranges. It's all a bit far down in the glass, but nice.

Taste

A bit of bite after the first peat rush, but oh the build. Oh the top. There's peat in Ireland and it's creamy stuff. More oranges, more lemon, heather peeking in over the peat. Honestly, this is nearly a 90 point whisky with slightly too much bite keeping it back. There's just no fighting the burn in the opening, which is a pity. Mid 80s.

Legacy Score

Comments
	Mark 14-Jun-2009 00:30:57 GMT	I like the 12 year old compared to the ageless expression. I like tasting the peat, but having he mellow "Irishness" that follows. It is worth the extra price to get the 12 year old expression.
Leave a comment. PLEEEEEESE!
You are
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Your Icon &/or Score		/100
Your 2 ¢ Post Tips
You Might Should Know and other caveats and disclaimers Posting here and clicking through this means you've essentially agreed to play by the rules of my sandbox. Your options are to agree or to not post. That said, there is but one rule: I decide what stays and what goes. Promising nothing, I intend to leave any posts that are on topic and civil, I intend to delete anything else and I will ban anyone who abuses the system without warning. I'm not trying to be a jerk here and I'm not moderating for opinions or even attitudes, stay on target and we'll get along fine. Clicking [Agree] will set a small cookie so you'll never see this again. All submissions will be tracked by IP address. Brian.

» Skeletons 11: A Rough Kentucky Gent

23-AUG-2010

Keeping this going through the meanies and the uglies. This isn't an awful one, it's just not a great bourbon and it's not awful enough to have fun with. Infuriatingly mediocre.

» Skeletons 10: St. George Lot 3

20-AUG-2010

Ooof, St. George doesn't fare well on retasting. The odd flavors didn't thrill me as much this time, but I'm sticking to the new numbers. Pity, I enjoyed this bottle a lot and this was the last, tiny bit I saved.

» Skeletons 09: More Scotch. I'm getting spoiled.

16-AUG-2010

Yikes, this can't be good having all the good stuff early on. I'm going to get spoiled and lose any chance to bail on this horrible plan before I get in too deep!

» Skeletons 08: 'Laddie!

13-AUG-2010

After the diversion last week, I was cringing when I pulled the latest bottle out of the box. I needn't have worried. Laddie 17 is a beast, but one that I love. I've gotten this twice as a miniature, which is sad because they never last.

» Skeletons 07: Weed

09-AUG-2010

I'm shocked I added this into my collection. Nothing like getting black tea flavored bourbon out of nowhere. At least it's not another horrid blend.

» Skeletons 06: Islay, thank you.

06-AUG-2010

So after a high point with the Meldrum and a low with good ol' JD, we find ourselves in Islay. You can make the tasting as blind as you want, there's no doubt about where this baby's from. I guessed Laph before I'd even sipped.

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Index: The page you are on. Right now. Presently even.
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» Events: A subsection of reviews, with a ranked list of whiskies for each taste event.
About
» About Whisky: Start your education here.
» About PW: Info about how this site works and what some things mean.
» Stats: Lies, damn lies and statistics.
Tops: The top (and bottom) 5% of the list and the tops of each style. If you want to know the best of the best, go here.
History: Will eventually contain everything I've ever done. Ever. For now it's just the history of this site. Sanitized for your protection.
My 2¢: Rants and raves about ... well, whisky related topics mostly. Gripping stuff.
Links: Places to go when you're tired of being here. I refuse to make this one a link because I don't want you to leave. See how much I care?

Whisky Cred

Member of the Ardbeg Committee
One of the finest Islays, and the 10YO is legendary.
Ambassador of Maker's Mark
Don't be put off by the hype as I was. MM is a fine bourbon and a perfectly Practical Whisky.
Companion of Aberlour
Speysiders that will warm your heart without draining your wallet.
Balvenie Club Member
One of my first, and I've yet to find a Balvenie I haven't liked.
Compass Box Hedonists Society
Master mixers and Lords of variety. Expand your horizons here.
Striding Man Society
If all you know is the Red Label, you don't know Johnnie.
Glenmorangie Kindred Spirits
They once made the perfect 10YO, I still love them despite changing her.
Member of the Springbank Society
My first true Scotch and the bar by which all others have been measured.
Jim Beam Brotherhood of Bourbon
Beam Black is nearly the definition of Practical Whisky in Bourbon.
Glenfarclas Friend of the Family
Glenfarclas is a wonder and impossible to find locally outside the 10 and 12. Luckily a buddy loves the 21 and so I get a taste reminder once in a while.

Boring Notices

This site is not offering anything for sale. Should I ever decide to offer anything for sale it will not include anything produced or trademarked by a whisky company.
I receive no compensation for doing reviews, linking to manufacturers web sites or for doing anything else in relation to this page.
The images on this site are eiter:
- Original works created by me
- Photographs of bottles taken by me for purposes of review
- Images taken from official sources for identification under Fair Use provision of the Copyright Act for purposes of Review and Criticism.
The links on the links page and distillery data pages lead to the companies that produce the whiskies and are provided explicitly without agreeing to any "Linking Policy" presented by the company in question. The proliferation of these unenforceable policies is ridiculous and I refuse to be a party to it. The company web pages are public information, I am presenting them clearly as addresses to be visited for further information, I am linking only to the top level entry page of the site with no framing and I offer no option to deep link. Should the company in question complain, I'll just add a link to a Google search for their name and let Google's lawyers fight it out. The content of those pages is outside of my control, such links do not represent any endorsement by myself or the linked company and should you choose to follow those links, I am no longer in control of your internet destiny.
The images of bottles clearly include copyrighted works, and are presented under the Fair Use Statute of the Copyright Act for purposes of review and criticism. All trademarks and copyrights are held by the companies represented.
It sucks that I should have to even consider posting this legaleese here, but that's the world we live in.
Isn't this text TINY! Man, you could get a migrane reading this.

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