The world of whisky is like a vast ocean, and it is a lot of fun to wander through. The famous whisky database whiskybase has more than 130,000 whisky records, and I may not be able to drink 10th of them in my lifetime.
I've drunk 270 whiskies so far, and compared to many veteran enthusiasts, I can only say that I have just glimpsed the doorway to whisky.
A while ago, a hundred bottles engaged in a "drink to understand a winery activity", I repeatedly thought about it and did not dare to say which winery I drank, very ashamed, fortunately my desire to explore whisky is much stronger than when I first encountered it, I hope that one day I can drink a winery in the future.
Although my personal taste is heavy, I like heavy peat, heavy sherry barrels, and high alcohol, but in the process of continuous tasting, I can always meet some delicate, soft and easy to drink wine.
Today to recommend 6 delicious whiskies to everyone, since good drink is the purpose, then let us relax the price to less than 2,000 yuan, the recommendation is still from high to low.
Taobao price: 1400-1600
In 1993, knockdhu distillery changed its brand name to 'ancnoc' in order to be more distinct from knockando distillery a few kilometers away. As a result, ancnoc became one of the few single malt whisky brands in Scotland with a different name from the distillery.
Ancnoc's low- and middle-aged wine models are relatively ordinary, and the introduction of several heavy peat nas, although interesting, can only be seen as an experimental attempt. This 24-year-old product is particularly different from ancnoc's other products.
Ancnoc 24 years is made from a base wine aged in Bourbon and Shirley barrels, with an alcohol content of 46% and non-condensing filtering. Its smell is particularly well layered, starting with caramel, apple pie, earth, and a little tannin, followed by a variety of honey and fruit desserts rich and sweet, and finally a light oak aroma. The entrance is honey, cream, the sweetness of chocolate cake, and the feel of baked oak and earth, and finally orange juice and green tea lightly bitter. The aftertaste is long and rich.
Ancnoc 24 years made me feel like a golden wheat field sprinkled with sunshine under a clear summer sky and a sprinkled white wildflower on the grass.
JD price 1600
Flaming Heart is a blended malt whisky from independent bottler Compass Box.
Compass Box is a very special company, although some of the large independent bottlers will also use their own barrels to mature whiskey and blend the bottle, but compass box is particularly aggressive in the use of barrels, its founder John glaser is a former sales manager of Johnnie Walker (UK), and has a deep experience in the wine industry, which brings a wealth of barrel resources to compass box.
Compass Box has always been portrayed as a subversive in the Scotch whisky industry, and its story will be detailed later.
The name flaming heart comes from the poem of the great American writer Emerson: 'Every great achievement is the victory of a flaming heart.' Since the first edition in 2006, there have been 6 editions, and I have drunk the fifth edition, which has an alcohol content of 48.9%.
Another special thing about compass box is that it announces the product's blending recipe, which has caused an uproar in the Scotch whisky industry, but it is really interesting. The wine is matured in addition to filling bourbon pig's head barrels with custom French "mixed" new oak barrels and refurbished barrels that have been re-baked.
Flaming heart is very rich in smell, and after the smell of argan oil and seaside reef, it is the sweet aroma of vanilla and maltose, the grain aroma of butter muffin, sesame combed biscuits, mixed with a feeling similar to some kind of floral and honey.
The sweetness of honey water in the mouth, the light salty taste of sea salt awakens the taste buds, the very light disinfectant water and smoke, the fried sunflower seeds, the sweet and sour fruit of apple juice, these tastes are very good to set off and balance the sweetness of the main body. The aftertaste is long and fresh.
It's a "design-inspired" blended malt whisky that takes some of the most appealing flavors of whisky in a particularly pleasant way, thick and light, just right, as if the blender knows your tongue better than you do. Without a doubt, this is the best blended whisky I've ever drunk so far.
Taobao price 900-1000
Pulteney Distillery is located in the northern Scottish coastal town of Wick, this distillery is probably best known for the strange shape of the distiller, it is said that due to the lack of plant height, it had to replace the swan neck with a spherical neck, although this led to the lyne arm bending angle is very strange, but more reflux also created the old pulteney thick and solid body.
Old pulteney 17 years, 46% alcohol, using refilled Bourbon barrels and shelly barrels matured into the original wine.
The aroma of this wine is very unrestrained and full-bodied. It begins with sweet floral notes, vanilla syrup, lemon and orange aromas, followed by raisins, melons, a hint of milk, and the salty fishiness of the seaside reef. The entrance is a salty and sweet mixture, a little bit of black pepper spicy combined with a strong wine power sweeping the mouth, followed by honey water, jam and oak flavors. Medium-long aftertaste, harmonious and comfortable.
Compared with 21 years of mediocrity and 25 years of old spicy, old pulteney 17 years of temperament like the sea, it brings me the feeling of not losing any high-end wine.
Taobao price 1000-1280
As a Scotch whisky lover, Genting wine is not to be bypassed, this distillery's prominent position in the Scotch whisky world need not be said, as the price continues to rise, Springbank wine makes people more and more reluctant to drink.
Considering the ease of drinking, this time I did not choose Genting Shenjiu 12 years barrel strength, but recommended springbank for 15 years. Although in the eyes of Chinese and foreign whisky lovers, 15 years is not as wonderful as 12 years of barrel strength, but in my opinion it is a rare good wine.
Springbank 15 yo, 46% abv. matured in Bourbon and Shirley barrels.
This wine has a rich aroma and rich layers. At first it was the seaside reef, the taste of motor oil and fermented dough, slightly turbid, and after a moment, the sweetness of honey, vanilla, butter cake, the fruity aroma of mixed pineapple and passion fruit unfolded, and finally the taste of leather, soot. In the mouth is a sweet and savoury mixture of honey and sea salt, followed by a combination of dark chocolate and cheese sandwich cookies. The aftertaste is long and complex.
Springbank 15 years is not as rich and impactful as the 12 years barrel strong, but it shows a restrained and mature temperament, which is definitely an excellent genting.
Taobao price 700-900
blanton's is an established Bourbon brand in the United States, and this gold edition is a high-end product launched in the European and American markets.
Distilled by buffalo trace distillery, the original liquor is made using a "high rye content" formula, which is said to contain 15% rye, 5% malt, 80% corn, and the inner walls of the oak barrels used to mature are burned at 4 degrees, that is, grilled over an open flame for 55 seconds.
The wine is at least 6 years old, the original barrel strength, all hand-bottled. It is said that this bourbon, which looks very attractive, is still difficult to buy in the United States.
This Blanton's gold edition I drank, with barrel number 897 and bottle number 192, is 51.5 20170724% by vol.
The smell of this wine is rich and complex, starting with the smell of tobacco, dates, raisins, haystacks that are about to spontaneously combust, vanilla, and finally a faint sour plum soup. In the mouth are tobacco, date nectar, caramel, dried fruit, vanilla, dark chocolate. Long aftertaste, tobacco with dates and dark chocolate mix.
This is a wine that re-acquaints me with bourbon, its temperament is deep, complex, comfortable, and gives me a very ironing experience. Although it is a completely different style, this wine reminds me of the black-purple temperament of sherry barrel single malt whisky.
Bushmill 1608 is a commemorative offering launched by Bushmills Distillery to celebrate its 400th anniversary of licensing.
In 1608 King James I awarded the distillation license to Lord Thomas Philip's territory of Antrim, antrim, which also happened to be the site of the Bushmills distillery.
1608 is made from 95% malt whisky with 5% grain whisky, and 30% malt whisky is produced from crystal malt. Crystal malt, once heavily used in the production of whiskey, is now more used in craft beer.
Aged 11-13 years and 46% by alcohol, this wine is higher than bushmills' regular products, and the original wine is aged in Bourbon and Shirley barrels. For a commemorative wine, it is also a painstaking effort.
The smell of this wine is fresh and soft, and after the beginning of the shoe wax and a little sourness, the sweet aromas of mango and apricot, caramel, oak, nuts and citrus taste a lot like white beer. On the palate it is light and soft, sweet and sour are the main notes, peach, apricot, orange, honey, a little copper flavor, and finally oak and denim. Medium-long aftertaste, like a fruit tea feeling.
Bushmills 1608 is really a sweet and delicious whisky, very friendly, each taste is expressed more restrained, the overall flavor is very delicate, very easy to drink, like drinking peach juice.
For me, the greatest pleasure of drinking whisky is to use my taste buds to feel the diversity of flavors, whether it is surprise or fright, after drinking it in person, there will always be various experiences and perceptions. Whenever I try an unfamiliar whisky, I'm always excited and nervous, and the moment I finish my drinking notes, I start looking forward to the next different experience. May you also find your favorite flavor in the next cup.