Someone in Scotland once told me, “There aren’t any bad whiskies. Some are just better than others.”
This, of course, isn’t true. Have you tasted a whisky (or whiskey) this year you didn’t like or were disappointed with? If so, what was it?
I’ll give you a day or two to chime in. At the end, I’ll give you the names of a couple that I was disappointed with this year.
Hey John,
Myself being guilty of not contributing to what’s missing from this blog, I thought that I would chime in with a response to this one. Last year, as a member of the Bardstown Bourbon Society, I had the privilige of attending the unveiling of the Evan Williams Single Barrel 1998 Vintage. While I certainly would not call it a bad whisky, myself, and some others at the table were a bit dissappointed with it compared to previous vintage releases. The Evan Williams Single Barrel is generally a staple in my Bourbon Collection, but I must admit that this one didn’t make it there.
Hi John,
I was dreadfully disappointed with the new Glenmorangie La Santa and Quinta Ruban expressions when I tasted them a couple of months ago. it was all the more unfortunate as the event was a tasting hosted by Dr Bill Lumsden, who was extremely charming and gave a fascinating talk.
The other really disappointing whiskies for me this year have been the new Dalmores, especially the 15 and the Gran Reserva. Again, I am a massive fan of Richard Paterson in person and I bow down to much of his previous work, but these two expressions in particular seemed very flabby, over-produced and way too heavy with the caramel.
Edradour Tokaji finish. It smells of rancid cheese, sweaty socks, overripe apricots and tastes so odd that I wondered for a minute if I was drinking Scotch or some bizarre sort of schnapps.
Mortlach 15 yo G&M. I have a soft spot for Mortlach. Not easy to find and often has a nice hint of mint laying behind the more powerful signature notes of the whisky. But this one tasted well, stale. Like melted plastic or something. Purchased in NYC, when I asked for it, the man offered me a Flora & Fauna, but the $80 price hike did not agree with my wallet. However, I still use it as a benchmark to show people what I really do like about other whiskies. And I still have the soft spot for Mortlach. Silver lining.
John,
In the past 12 months (rather than limiting myself to just 2008), I fell for the marketing campaign around Woodford Reserve Sonoma-Cutrer finish even though I fell for the Wild Turkey Sherry Signature debacle a couple of years ago. Bourbon and wine do not mix (although I’ve not tried the Buffalo Trace experimentals yet so maybe one or two might).
I loved the first two releases of Woodford Reserve Four Grain and thought the Cutrer finish would go just as quickly so against my better judgement I shelled out $100 before reading the reviews. I should have taken that $100 and found another bottle of AH Hirsh 16yo, 5 or 6 bottles of Rittenhouse Rye 100 proof, or pretty much anything else. I’d like to say I’ve learned my lesson, but if I could get my hands on a BT experimental I’d probably still hand over my cash just to try it.
Smokehead. Was not the biggest letdown because it only cost me 20 GBP, but it certainly was the worst I’ve had this year, and the most one-dimensional whisky I’ve ever had.
Definitely the worst was the Woodford Reserve Sonoma-Cutrer finish. The 4 grain was so good I also bought it as soon as I could. Bad match. It also tasted very young and hot. Every other whisky I’ve had from Woodford is great. I also enjoy the Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay…
The common thread here is that we are disappointed most by the distilleries we hold in high regard. We expect good whiskies from them and are bummed when they don’t live up to their potential. I agree with most of the posts so far.
Anyone else out there with a whisky that diappointed you in the past year or so? I’ll post a few that disappointed me tomorrow (Friday).
Longrow Tokaji. This stuff is vile. Really just a bad mix of flavors. It reminds me of some stuff I bought in Korea which was basically just cheap brandy with a ginsing root soaking in it. Except this one is more intense, which in this case is a bad thing.
I bought the bottle a little over a year ago. At the time it was my most expensive whisky purchase. I was excited because it was my first Campletown (well that’s what I thought*). So I opened it right away, and found it interesting. I actually remember enjoying my first dram or two because it was quite different than anything else I had ever had. However over the next few months I continued to sample, and I liked it less and less each time. So I put it away for a while and only recently (within the last two weeks, actually) tried it again and I can barely get it down. This may actually be the first bottle I don’t finish.
Maybe next time I’ll try it on the rocks. Or serve it to my girlfriend to prove that she wouldn’t like scotch (and should thus STAY OUT OF MY STUFF!!!).
Fortunately I’ve had Springbanks and Longrows since that have opened my eyes to the greatness of this distillery. At the end of the day, I have to give them credit for experimenting with this kind of this. This one didn’t happen to work out.
*I had actually tried it at one your single malt tastings in Philly several months earlier. Though at the time I was so new to scotch that I didn’t really know my butt from my elbo, or what I liked. Everything was just “interesting” back then. When I saw it on the shelf, I didn’t even make the connection. Oh well. An expensive lesson learned.
Two whiskeys – Smokehead, which I had some forewarning about, and Old WIlliamsburg bourbon. The Smokehead was simply disappointing, and the Old Williamsburg (80 proof, as opposed to their 101 proof) is simply vile.
Some of the letdowns for me this past year: Macallan Lalique Decanter 55 year old (too much money for a tired whisky), Benromach Origins Batch #1 (too much sherry), Duncan Taylor Cameronbridge 28 year old (too much oak and too thin), Tomintoul “With a Peaty Tang” (too young and raw).
If you taste a whisky you don’t like. Let us know what it is and why. — John
Springbank 14yo Port Wood, 52.5%. I tried it a mass tasting, and found it interesting. So I bought a bottle to replace my 15yo Springer, figuring the higher proof was a good deal for the same price. Bad move. But without a dozen or so warm-up drams, it tastes like a cherry lollipop. Not what I would want from an $80 bottle, or any Springbank. So I bought the replacement 15 yo anyway, and the PW sits in the cabinet.
I forgot to mention the Ardmore Traditional Cask. I picked it up in a supermarket because I have enjoyed all the other Ardmore’s I’ve tasted, because it was on offer and because I love the Laphroaig Quarter Cask, but I should have saved my money – this was very different. Where the Laphroaig is youthful and vibrant, this was just spirity, clunky and totally lacking in either cohesion or complexity.
My usual solution to this problem is to make the offending whisky into ‘Mizuwaris’ (lots of ice and cold water) on a hot day or hot toddys if I’m feeling under the weather, but on both occasions the addition of water brought out a pretty nasty castor oil note which ruined my concoctions.
Avoid.
Tim, I agree with you. I think Ardmore can do a lot better. One taste of the 12 year old Centenary bottling will prove my point.
I was just in Singapore, and at the duty free in Changi I found a bottle of Jim Beam Small Batch, with port added. Not port-barrel finished, but actually added. Not only had I never heard of this product, but I’d never heard of anyone adding another liquor to a bourbon. I bought a bottle and opened it as soon as I got home, and … it’s pretty awful. I’ll drink about anything, but this stuff had all the allure of paint thinner. The nose is underwhelming, with a hint of generic port. As for the taste — I’ve only had a single glass, so I can’t give a definitive report, but it has very little bite, followed almost immediately by a stultifying flatness. It’s not like any bourbon I’ve ever had, and in a bad way.
Other than that, I second everyone else regarding the WF Sonoma-Cutrer.
I would not talk about “worst” whisky, but my biggest disappointment was the Laphroaig 25 YO, which tasted like peated water to me and nothing more. The Laphroaig 10 YO had more personality and flavours than the 25 YO, which is far from being cheap. The second one was the Single Cask BenRiach Tokaji finished bottled last year, with the tokaji taking over the spirit and giving a rather unpleasant flavour profile. A mixture of wine and whisky, not at its best.
HEAVEN HILL PRODUCTS ARE A JOKE COMPARED TO THE BOYS AT BUFFALO TRACE AND JIM BEAM….SORRY PARKER,BUT THE TRUTH CAN BE A BEAUTIFUL THING………
Jon,I believe in freedom of speech and posted your comment but to completely dismiss ALL Heaven Hill products is absurd.
I LIVE on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail…
Heaven Hill ANYTHING is for alcoholics and bums!
Sorry but that nasty!
Ernie, we will agree to disagree on this one. I have had, for example, some Evan Williams Single Barrel whiskeys that were outstanding! Ditto the most recent Parker’s Heritage Collection.
Macallan Lalique Decanter 55 year old, “tired whisky”?
Mate, you should start to drink soda instead.
I do. On many occassions–mate!