Whisky flavours?

[Scott]

I have been drinking whisky for a few years now, usually over ice, but if it’s a whisky that I find I am not that fond of then I add a little coke.

I have visited quite a few food and drink shows and tasted lots of whisky’s that are smoky, peaty and or floral.

I am looking to be a little more adventures with my whisky’s so I have been looking around the web for some ideas or inspiration and found this chart, hope you can read it as the writing is a little small.

If I could have a bottle of each flavour group to compare side by side, that would be great.

Any recommendations?

Thanks.

[cj121]

Sorry, I'm not widely experienced enough to offer suggestions. I'm in the Talisker, Laphraoig camp, and I suspect you've already pitched up there before. I like the wheel and have just saved the image off the net. Good luck in the thread

[ValeTudoGuy]

IMO

Fruity: Balvenie, Glenlivet,
Floral: Auchentoshan, Bladnoch,
Peaty: God help you if you can't find one of these.
Woody: Anything that's sat in oak for an age. Longer the better. Or perhaps Bowmore.
Winey: Any sherry cask.

I don't really get feinty and sulphur. And Cereal I get from most whisky.

Don't forget that all whisky will display chunks of different sections of the wheel. I personally think the wheel over complicates things. YMMV

[Sgt_Banter]

I agree the wheel seems a bit complicated. I'm not sure what sulphury means in terms of whisky tasting lingo but does it perhaps refer to that kind of seaweed taste you get in the likes of Lagavulin?

[Budgie Smuggler]

Seaweed would be more of an iodine flavour, whereas sulphur is eggy.

I think I'd be pretty pissed to taste sulphur in whisky.

[tommy]

In some instances some cereal and nearly always sulphur is an undesirable characteristic produced during the distillation process. I know that sounds wrong, especially the cereal but I've done a little distillation and had to research the cause of an undesirable flavour and smell. If you have tried a cheap Armagnac you may pick it up. I can only guess that sulphur is on the wheel but is an undesirable section maybe???

[ValeTudoGuy]

I agree Tommy, there's some flavours in a couple of those sections that luckily I haven't had and if I did I Would be binning the bottle.

[Scott]

Thanks for the replies chaps, I think I’m going to look for something really Smokey/peaty!

Going to start off by looking on the whiskey exchange to see if there is something on there.

[SmokeyDave]

Whisky flavours?

If you like really peaty/smokey then Ardbeg Corryvrecken is glorious, 2nd to their Supernova but that is now crazy expensive.

Lagavulin Distillers Edition is still in my eyes the best whisky out there, finished in Pedro Xim?nez sherry casks which adds a whole extra dimension and smoothness.

Dalmore is a nice dram to have with a cigar, the old Cigar Malt then Gran Reserva were glorious, with lots of Clove/Cinnamon and Orange Peel flavours. The new release Cigar Malt I find a bit flat/diluted in taste compared to the previous.

[Scott]

Lol, just had a look at some of those....some of them are crazy money!

[SmokeyDave]

I tend not to buy many bottles, so when I choose one I pay a bit more. They do last me a long time, for everyday quaffing I tend to have bourbon.

Those whiskies are my favourites, the cheaper ones from the same distilleries tend to be on a par with general flavours etc, just a bit rough around the edges

[tommy]

Thanks for the replies chaps, I think I?m going to look for something really Smokey/peaty!

Going to start off by looking on the whiskey exchange to see if there is something on there.

For peaty, smokey and rich you can't go far wrong with Lagavulin 16. At first it was too much for me but after a bottle of Talisker to break me in I'm finally starting to get it.

[Sgt_Banter]

For peaty, smokey and rich you can't go far wrong with Lagavulin 16. At first it was too much for me but after a bottle of Talisker to break me in I'm finally starting to get it.

+1 to that. Lagavulin is excellent. I think Talisker is a great well rounded whisky and it is a good place to start if you fancy tying the island malts imo

[DogManDude]

Resurrecting an old thread here, but I love to have tasters first. Miniatures are good, but you can now get drinks by the dram samplers that go beyond what you find in miniatures.

YUM!

[CPWSolf]

I too will second Ardberg for a really peaty flavour