Comments on: Plenty of good new whiskies, but where are the great ones? http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/2010/07/26/a-lot-of-good-new-whiskies-but-where-are-the-great-ones/ Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:01:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: mongo http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/2010/07/26/a-lot-of-good-new-whiskies-but-where-are-the-great-ones/#comment-34834 mongo Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:38:17 +0000 http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/?p=5615#comment-34834 i don't know--i also value being able to have access to things i like. i also think people all over the world should be able to be introduced to the things i like. and i also don't think people should lose their jobs and family businesses over my tastes. i don’t know–i also value being able to have access to things i like. i also think people all over the world should be able to be introduced to the things i like. and i also don’t think people should lose their jobs and family businesses over my tastes.

]]> By: sam k http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/2010/07/26/a-lot-of-good-new-whiskies-but-where-are-the-great-ones/#comment-34819 sam k Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:23:01 +0000 http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/?p=5615#comment-34819 Thanks! Thanks!

]]> By: Michael http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/2010/07/26/a-lot-of-good-new-whiskies-but-where-are-the-great-ones/#comment-34809 Michael Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:14:54 +0000 http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/?p=5615#comment-34809 I completely agree. Nothing good ever comes from mass market appeal. I value uniqueness and exclusivity. I completely agree. Nothing good ever comes from mass market appeal. I value uniqueness and exclusivity.

]]> By: Red_Arremer http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/2010/07/26/a-lot-of-good-new-whiskies-but-where-are-the-great-ones/#comment-34793 Red_Arremer Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:32:12 +0000 http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/?p=5615#comment-34793 What we scotch lovers need is another whisky bust-- An end to the potential of scotch to appeal to the millions. Only then will the tastes of fanatics like ourselves guide the single malt world for only then will our limited dollars mean more than the unlimited dollars of whisky novice potential customers in developing markets. We need a contraction of the industry. A weeding out of folks who have only jumped on the bandwagon for the quick buck they can make reforming things along the lines of the all mighty bottom line. What we scotch lovers need is another whisky bust– An end to the potential of scotch to appeal to the millions. Only then will the tastes of fanatics like ourselves guide the single malt world for only then will our limited dollars mean more than the unlimited dollars of whisky novice potential customers in developing markets.

We need a contraction of the industry. A weeding out of folks who have only jumped on the bandwagon for the quick buck they can make reforming things along the lines of the all mighty bottom line.

]]> By: Lawrence http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/2010/07/26/a-lot-of-good-new-whiskies-but-where-are-the-great-ones/#comment-34759 Lawrence Fri, 30 Jul 2010 02:24:36 +0000 http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/?p=5615#comment-34759 I think we're all jaded. If we started again with a clean slate we'd be wowed. Again. Like a gold fish going around the bowl; every cycle is a new experience. I think we’re all jaded. If we started again with a clean slate we’d be wowed. Again. Like a gold fish going around the bowl; every cycle is a new experience.

]]> By: Patrick http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/2010/07/26/a-lot-of-good-new-whiskies-but-where-are-the-great-ones/#comment-34646 Patrick Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:21:36 +0000 http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/?p=5615#comment-34646 I had the same feeling as you Jon. Plenty of very good whiskies, few bad ones but for the great ones, with the exception of the Caol Ila Manager's choice, I would have to think hard to find a few. As you mentioned, it seems that a lot of companies (including IB) have emptied their stocks of exceptional casks I had the same feeling as you Jon.
Plenty of very good whiskies, few bad ones but for the great ones, with the exception of the Caol Ila Manager’s choice, I would have to think hard to find a few.
As you mentioned, it seems that a lot of companies (including IB) have emptied their stocks of exceptional casks

]]> By: Andreas http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/2010/07/26/a-lot-of-good-new-whiskies-but-where-are-the-great-ones/#comment-34382 Andreas Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:52:11 +0000 http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/?p=5615#comment-34382 Hi John, i think you`re right. When i see through the Whisky business a lot has chenged. I`m working in it, not as a distiller but as a wholeseller. When you look back, you had some real old good Whisky. This was the main focus. Old Whisky, old labels, old bottels. Then there came the big ones like diageo, Inver House, etc. The similiar differences between the distilleries were more and more assimilated to the demand of the owners. Also distilleries were clossed if they were not used for blendings or yust for fun. Also we have a very special new strategy in the distillerys. Every year we were blown away from new releases. Best seen by Bruichladdich. Every year we can see new finishes. These one you like, are not longer availlable next year, because a new finish is born. New bottles, new finishes, new whisky. There is no constant within. I know, that there are a lot of casks in stocks of the big sellers which are older than 15 or 20 years, but no one will bottle them now. I think that it is a passing decade we are going through. We`ll see what the future brings. Hi John,
i think you`re right. When i see through the Whisky business a lot has chenged. I`m working in it, not as a distiller but as a wholeseller.
When you look back, you had some real old good Whisky. This was the main focus. Old Whisky, old labels, old bottels. Then there came the big ones like diageo, Inver House, etc. The similiar differences between the distilleries were more and more assimilated to the demand of the owners. Also distilleries were clossed if they were not used for blendings or yust for fun.
Also we have a very special new strategy in the distillerys. Every year we were blown away from new releases. Best seen by Bruichladdich. Every year we can see new finishes. These one you like, are not longer availlable next year, because a new finish is born.
New bottles, new finishes, new whisky. There is no constant within. I know, that there are a lot of casks in stocks of the big sellers which are older than 15 or 20 years, but no one will bottle them now. I think that it is a passing decade we are going through. We`ll see what the future brings.

]]> By: Steffen Bräuner http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/2010/07/26/a-lot-of-good-new-whiskies-but-where-are-the-great-ones/#comment-34193 Steffen Bräuner Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:07:25 +0000 http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/?p=5615#comment-34193 It was a bottling done by a german bitter company caller "The Bitter Truth". For some reason they bottled a rye and a bourbon http://the-bitter-truth.com/ http://the-bitter-truth.com/liqueurs/special-editions/ Both are now sold out, i saw them at TWE a few months ago but the rye is sold out The bourbon is still available, I never tried it, I'd like to buy it, but I can't afford every bottle out there :-) http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-10017.aspx Hope that info is enough /Macdeffe It was a bottling done by a german bitter company caller “The Bitter Truth”. For some reason they bottled a rye and a bourbon

http://the-bitter-truth.com/

http://the-bitter-truth.com/liqueurs/special-editions/

Both are now sold out, i saw them at TWE a few months ago but the rye is sold out

The bourbon is still available, I never tried it, I’d like to buy it, but I can’t afford every bottle out there :-)

http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-10017.aspx

Hope that info is enough

/Macdeffe

]]> By: sam k http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/2010/07/26/a-lot-of-good-new-whiskies-but-where-are-the-great-ones/#comment-34188 sam k Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:26:37 +0000 http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/?p=5615#comment-34188 Hey Macdeffe, what can you tell me about that Bitter Truth? Never heard of it, and am supposing it's an export bottling available only on your side of the pond. I'm a bit intrigued, being a rye guy. Thanks! Hey Macdeffe, what can you tell me about that Bitter Truth? Never heard of it, and am supposing it’s an export bottling available only on your side of the pond. I’m a bit intrigued, being a rye guy. Thanks!

]]> By: John Hansell http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/2010/07/26/a-lot-of-good-new-whiskies-but-where-are-the-great-ones/#comment-34134 John Hansell Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:36:03 +0000 http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/?p=5615#comment-34134 As mentioned above, I was generally speaking about my feelings of new releases in 2010 so far. Plus, I don't even think that the Glenrothes JR was imported to the US, right? As mentioned above, I was generally speaking about my feelings of new releases in 2010 so far. Plus, I don’t even think that the Glenrothes JR was imported to the US, right?

]]> By: smsmmns http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/2010/07/26/a-lot-of-good-new-whiskies-but-where-are-the-great-ones/#comment-34126 smsmmns Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:19:02 +0000 http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/?p=5615#comment-34126 Didn't you love the Glenrothes John Ramsay? Didn’t you love the Glenrothes John Ramsay?

]]> By: vince carida http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/2010/07/26/a-lot-of-good-new-whiskies-but-where-are-the-great-ones/#comment-34123 vince carida Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:34:05 +0000 http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/?p=5615#comment-34123 John I agree with your point on Bourbon having the advantage. I can think of two great bourbons I have had over the last 12 months. One was the Wild Turkey Tradition. I believe you gave this an 88-89? I would have given it a 93-94. I think it is a stunning bourbon. Also, the Golden Anniversary from Parkers was a stunning bourbon. I'm looking forward to the fall releases this year. I am actually heading to the International Bourbon Festival in Bardstown. (first time attending). John
I agree with your point on Bourbon having the advantage. I can think of two great bourbons I have had over the last 12 months. One was the Wild Turkey Tradition. I believe you gave this an 88-89? I would have given it a 93-94. I think it is a stunning bourbon. Also, the Golden Anniversary from Parkers was a stunning bourbon. I’m looking forward to the fall releases this year. I am actually heading to the International Bourbon Festival in Bardstown. (first time attending).

]]> By: kallaskander http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/2010/07/26/a-lot-of-good-new-whiskies-but-where-are-the-great-ones/#comment-34097 kallaskander Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:18:31 +0000 http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/?p=5615#comment-34097 Hi there, reading all the posts above another point occured to me. The other day we talked about cask management. Cask or wood management even is a recent thing. And if you look at all the other "progress" we have made on the way from whisky making to whisky production from arts and crafts to industry so to speak... Let me put it this way: Probably whisky lost its soul and that is what manifests itself in the lack of the outstanding whisky. What we get by scientification (is that a meaningful word in English?) is a mainstream movement of a certain level of quality. And this stream gets broader and broader. There is less lee-way for the odd cask out which is so outstanding that it beats all others. From the distillers view that is good because ther are less and less casks which go the other way and fall out because of lack in quality. But you get my drift... whisky was a craft in many ways and cases even an art and a distiller of the 1960s or 1970s would be shocked about what you can find in a modern distillery. It startet with Saladin boxes and giving up floor maltings. So malt began to become unified. Worm tubs were replaced by condensers. You have production control via computers everywhere today and I blieve that in the broadest sense there is a process of uniformity going on in the business. The need to control everything in the whisky making pushes you towards mainstream and if you are not very carful towards mediocrity. Not much chance for variation left I mean. There still are outstanding malts because of their unique characteristics such as the Islay malts or the Lowland malts. You wonder when I mention The Macallan? Now! It is a good example of tending rowards uniformity. Macallan stood out because of the first fill oloroso sherry maturation. Financial considerations brought that to its limits one day. So this unique charateristic was sacrificed and with Fine Oak Macallan moved into the middle of the mainstream of Speyside malts. They doubled production as others do and more and more machinery takes over. Small wonder that Macallan is the focus of so much negative comment. If you think of an outstanding Macallan there is sherry involved, lots of sherry. If you think of other Macallans Fine Oak comes to mind. And those lack soul compared to former years. Perhaps that is why we miss the really outstanding malt, the soul has perhabs gone out of (Scottish) whisky. Greetings kallaskander Hi there,

reading all the posts above another point occured to me. The other day we talked about cask management. Cask or wood management even is a recent thing. And if you look at all the other “progress” we have made on the way from whisky making to whisky production from arts and crafts to industry so to speak…

Let me put it this way: Probably whisky lost its soul and that is what manifests itself in the lack of the outstanding whisky.

What we get by scientification (is that a meaningful word in English?) is a mainstream movement of a certain level of quality. And this stream gets broader and broader.

There is less lee-way for the odd cask out which is so outstanding that it beats all others. From the distillers view that is good because ther are less and less casks which go the other way and fall out because of lack in quality.

But you get my drift… whisky was a craft in many ways and cases even an art and a distiller of the 1960s or 1970s would be shocked about what you can find in a modern distillery.

It startet with Saladin boxes and giving up floor maltings. So malt began to become unified. Worm tubs were replaced by condensers. You have production control via computers everywhere today and I blieve that in the broadest sense there is a process of uniformity going on in the business. The need to control everything in the whisky making pushes you towards mainstream and if you are not very carful towards mediocrity. Not much chance for variation left I mean.

There still are outstanding malts because of their unique characteristics such as the Islay malts or the Lowland malts.

You wonder when I mention The Macallan? Now!

It is a good example of tending rowards uniformity. Macallan stood out because of the first fill oloroso sherry maturation. Financial considerations brought that to its limits one day.
So this unique charateristic was sacrificed and with Fine Oak Macallan moved into the middle of the mainstream of Speyside malts.
They doubled production as others do and more and more machinery takes over. Small wonder that Macallan is the focus of so much negative comment. If you think of an outstanding Macallan there is sherry involved, lots of sherry. If you think of other Macallans Fine Oak comes to mind. And those lack soul compared to former years.

Perhaps that is why we miss the really outstanding malt, the soul has perhabs gone out of (Scottish) whisky.

Greetings
kallaskander

]]> By: Steffen Bräuner http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/2010/07/26/a-lot-of-good-new-whiskies-but-where-are-the-great-ones/#comment-34072 Steffen Bräuner Tue, 27 Jul 2010 05:09:06 +0000 http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/?p=5615#comment-34072 I had loads of really great drams lately Bitter Truth Rye Glengoyne 37yo by Nectar of the daily drams Arran Peacock Glenglassaigh 40yo Glen Moray 1973 cask 7037 from Duncan Taylor Bladnoch 8yo 55% and going back a couple of years : 18 or 19yo Glenkinchie by Cadenhed But taste is different, I don't rate that Glenfarclas 40yo, nor the latest Brora (prefers earlier editions 5+ years ago) amongst great whiskies I think as you get the numbers of malts tried in the numbers of thousands you'll get harder to impress and great old memories will be having nostalgic values to you! /Macdeffe I had loads of really great drams lately

Bitter Truth Rye
Glengoyne 37yo by Nectar of the daily drams
Arran Peacock
Glenglassaigh 40yo
Glen Moray 1973 cask 7037 from Duncan Taylor
Bladnoch 8yo 55%

and going back a couple of years :
18 or 19yo Glenkinchie by Cadenhed

But taste is different, I don’t rate that Glenfarclas 40yo, nor the latest Brora (prefers earlier editions 5+ years ago) amongst great whiskies

I think as you get the numbers of malts tried in the numbers of thousands you’ll get harder to impress and great old memories will be having nostalgic values to you!

/Macdeffe

]]> By: two-bit cowboy http://www.whiskyadvocateblog.com/2010/07/26/a-lot-of-good-new-whiskies-but-where-are-the-great-ones/#comment-34052 two-bit cowboy Tue, 27 Jul 2010 02:03:31 +0000 http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/?p=5615#comment-34052 Louis, I'm neither an economist nor a pessimist, but how much in "the late 1990's" dollars would that "$80 -100 range" whisky cost today? How much was gas then? A gallon of milk? A loaf of bread? It's all a matter of relative perspective, isn't it? Which beers did we drink then? Were they better than today's? (NO, except the European beers; they were just as good then.) So let's all stop buying today's mediocre whisky and wait 20 years for the stuff to be great again, okay? Louis, I’m neither an economist nor a pessimist, but how much in “the late 1990′s” dollars would that “$80 -100 range” whisky cost today? How much was gas then? A gallon of milk? A loaf of bread?

It’s all a matter of relative perspective, isn’t it?

Which beers did we drink then? Were they better than today’s? (NO, except the European beers; they were just as good then.)

So let’s all stop buying today’s mediocre whisky and wait 20 years for the stuff to be great again, okay?

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