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.

Tasting Schedule

New tastings every Monday and Wednesday

	Whiskies Reviewed
	Tastings

Bottle Advisor

Random Drams

Dalmore 21 YO $90⁰⁰

Macallan 18 YO $155⁰⁰

Taste Events

Coming in May, it's Chardonnay! Wait... what?

Visit the Event Page to see all previous taste events.

On Deck

Coming soon to a history blurb near you!

First Time Visitors

→ If you're under the legal age to drink, move along.

→ You can click on a number of things to take you to detailed reviews. For example:
Balvenie 12yo Doublewood Single Malt Scotch
Each of the above colors will take you to a different set of reviews. One (Balvenie) takes you to all the Balvenies (including the 12yo) The second second link takes you directly to the 12yo review. The type of whisky, Single Malt, will take you to a list of Single's and Scotland will take you to every whisky from that country.

Comment Filtering

@	MEMBER OF PROJECT HONEY POT Spam Harvester Protection Network provided by Unspam

[ Version 6.13 ]

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)

Reviews RSS feed

» CT12: My Oldest Whisky Ever (Mk III)

01-JUL-2009

It's my birthday.. nearly, and as I end my 34th year I find myself with a Scotch of that same ancient, ancient age. Well, it feels that way sometimes. This bottle comes, quite coincidentally, 300 whiskies after a bottle from the same distillery, Link to another review

Tandhu. Oh, how far we have come. And yes, I did stage this so that I'd keep pushing the oldest bar higher. It's not like I'm going to have much opportunity after this.

#337 Duncan Taylor and Sons Tamdhu 34 YO 1969 Single Malt Scotch (Speyside)

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

$180⁰⁰

Bottler

Duncan Taylor and Sons

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 # 368

1^st
Impression

The bottle is an indie, but it's quite nice. Mostly these things are a bit same-ish across the line. This has a fair display box but great bottle: lots of details on the label and an impressive layout.

Smell

There's a smoke, but not the normal... woody kind. This is.. small crumbs of cookie falling into the oven and burning but with just a tinge of sulfur. This sits atop a real giant of icewine and licorice, ending with pure vanilla bean. Quite unusual.

Taste

For just a moment there's nothing. Well, it's not quite water, more like drinking a very good vodka where there's nearly zero flavor, just the sense of alcohol. I've not once encountered such an absence of flavor in a whisky to this degree, even for this brief moment. Then flavor slips in along the sides and crashes to a halt atop your tongue with a tiny bit of bite. The wood is very, very smooth and light. Almost balsa and leaning towards cardboard without that horrible, flat flavor that some whiskies manage to achieve in one fifth this age. A nice faint tangerine sweetness that leans toward sherry and currants in the build. Sadly, this goes a bit sour and thin at the top and I get minerals and brackish tap water to ruin the nice wood re-emergence. The fade is much nicer, but not nearly at the heights of the opening. That wondrous vanilla from the nose finally shows up, but it doesn't live up to the preview. The finish is good, well balanced return to some of the opening, gets a bit oily at the end and then it tastes like cigarettes! A final score is in the 70s somewhere, but just barely. That I'm not sure if this is worth what it costs almost goes without saying, but it seems a bit over-aged, a bit too drained of character. There's some good complexity here but a few odd flavors mar the top and overall I got more interest out of analyzing the possibilities of a really old whisky than from the whisky itself.

Tasting Score

Comments
	Joe 01-Jul-2009 17:11:31 GMT 65	While it was cool to try such an old Scoth, this one showed that you can definitely over-age a whisky.
Leave a comment and a score and even a name. The rest are up to you.
You are
Email (not shown)
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.

» CT11: More Bruichladdich

29-JUN-2009

How do you go back to Bruichladdich after the fantastic Blacker Still? With this, another 20 year old. I've heard that the First Edition is even better, which is amazing considering how much I liked this one.

#336 Bruichladdich Twenty Years Old Second Edition Single Malt Scotch (Islay)

$180⁰⁰

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

46%

Awards

Tasting # 367

1^st
Impression

Nice bottle, but it lacks anything to distinguish how rare it is.

Smell

Simple and yet... deep. I can't describe how much I'm enjoying this. I've spent several minutes just nosing this and my friends (who are still drinking wine) are giving me curious glances. It's sugar and barley, but so much more. Candied pecans with molasses cookies. Sweet sun tea. Brownies with nuts. Kettle Corn. If I only had the words.

Taste

Where's my thesaurus? Delicious. Fabulous. Sensational. Enveloping. I'm at 90 points and I haven't even passed the opening, it would have to be horrific to fail now, and it simply isn't. Barley meets cinnamon toast and Brazil nuts in a slick and wonderful top. Glorious. I'm trying to write and pay attention but if I have to focus on the pen I'm just not savoring this glass and as much as I love to blather on, I'm going to pause. It's a 92. Goodnight.

Tasting Score

Comments
No Comments Yet!
Leave a comment to tell me EXACTLY how wrong I am!
You are
Email (not shown)
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.

» CT10: Glen Ord is now my Oldest Whisky Ever.

24-JUN-2009

Yeah, I just did a 29 year old and now here's a 30. This was a huge surprise, a 30 year old from a distillery I've barely heard of. How do you beat that? By making it one of the best whiskies I've ever tasted, that's how.

#335 Glen Ord 30 YO Single Malt Scotch (Northern Highands)

$225⁰⁰

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

60%

Awards

Tasting # 366

1^st
Impression

Great bottle. Etched glass and very stately.

Smell

Dry barley flour and hummus, there's a touch of flavor just on the edge of citrus and vanilla. Some oak, very light, very soft. Wonderful stuff.

Taste

The front is remarkable. This is what Highland whiskies dream of being. Opens with just the lightest, smoothest barley flour and oak with a depth of nutty warmth that made me pause. Oh that I had a bottle of this. A case of this. A barrel of this. Very clean and subtle, the grains and wood build in ways that I wish I had words for. Elegant. Top of oatmeal and honey with salt and a warm depth that nears that of peaty Islays but built of the smoke from dying charcoal and oatmeal cookies. Fade is wonderful, finish is a spectrum of fresh barley, toasted almonds and sea salt. Amazing. 93.

Tasting Score

Comments
No Comments Yet!
Leave a comment for great justice!
You are
Email (not shown)
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.

» CT9: Laphroaig roars into the top 5 Value list

22-JUN-2009

The only other 'frog on my list is Link to another review

the 10 and I've long been interested in fixing that. The major flaw I have in the Laph 10 is the iodine flavor, it is both unmistakable and unacceptable to my palate. Such is life. This, however, is the Quarter Cask, and it has no such flaws.

» CT8: Tokaji? I don't even know what that is. It's a Longrow (Springbank) though!

17-JUN-2009

Springbank makes Longrow, I'm not sure what the naming conventions are and I'm not particularly concerned given that I've zero clue what Tokaji is. (Quick Wikipedia search later) Until now: Wines from the Tokaji region of Hungary. Right. So that's all settled, on with the tasting.

» CT7: Oh, Bruichladdich. You won't let me down like Balvenie did, will you?

15-JUN-2009

it's Bruichladdich with peat. You might read that in a deadpan tone, so let me try and type it like I'm thinking it: Its BRUICHLADDICH... WITH PEAT!!! That comes close, I suppose. I just love Bruichladdich.

» CT6: More Connemara

10-JUN-2009

I tried to break these apart so it wasn't all Connemara all the time, but I got these two side by side and it's a bit of a pain to reorder them. So you get a week of Ireland. In June.

» CT5: Back to Connemara

08-JUN-2009

So now we age the peated Irishman a few years and what do we get? Joy. This is why I love line tastings, you can see exactly what changes from whisky to whisky and why the distiller waited to release something.

» CT4: Balvenie!

03-JUN-2009

Balvenie has yet to let me down. Every bottle has been a winner... until this one. Weep, for Balvenie has failed me. Weep and despair!

Site Layout

Index: The page you are on. Right now. Presently even.
Reviews: The raison d'etre of the site where the reviews go to congregate and establish pecking orders. This is important, get moving
» Brand Listing: A breakdown of brands for ease of location or general interest
» 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.

You Might Should Know

and other caveats and disclaimers

You Might Should Know

and other caveats and disclaimers

You Might Should Know

and other caveats and disclaimers