Customer service(whisky)

[lew600fazer]

I collect malt Irish whiskey and malt Scotch whisky. Some are silent stills and hard to come by now.
I recently opened a 15 year old Balvenie single cask, bottle No 41 of 650 bottles. This whisky was laid down in 1986 and bottled in 2001. I bought it in 2004. The idea being when I retired and could perhaps not be able to afford and buy a decent bottle on a whim I already had good stuff put by for special occassions.
Imagine my annoyance when a week or so back I opened the above mentioned bottle and the top of the cork came off in my hand. Only way to get a wee dram for me and my mate was to remove the rest of the cork with a corkscrew. The cork was that dry it broke up and ended up in the bottle. Okay just decanted the rest via a strainer into a decent whisky decanter.
I took a few photographs of the cork and the bottle details and sent an email to Balveine with attached pic's. They contacted me within 24 hours and offered a replacement bottle. A day later they contacted me again saying that that 15 year old was no longer in stock. They asked if another 15 year bottling would be acceptable, this one is a 15 year old that has been matured in Sherry casks and is again a limited bottling. If acceptable please forward my home address.
Now I am thinking as I live in Spain this maybe a problem. Just had an email my whisky is on it's way now via DHL, result ,and well done Balvenie on there excellent customer care. Just checked the Balvenie site this 15 year old retails at €99.99. Now I may have a wee dram from that one to see the new year in.

[slimwilly]

you know that room to rent,,,well, now wheres the calender

[noggythenog]

Yeh when are we organising the foc-u spanish whiskey tour?

[bigbluebear]

Yeh when are we organising the foc-u spanish whiskey tour?

A Scotsman that can't spell WHISKY....foccing shocking 

[lew600fazer]

Maybe Noggy is after the Irish malts 

[bigralphie]

good do. I have been known to have a sip of single malt myself here and there lol

[VNA - BMW Wank]

Makes a change from moaning aboot Scots.

One day every bottle will have a screw top. 

[mickvp]

Sounds like a good results there Lew.

I tried a "malt of the month" last week in a pub in glasgow, called "Heavy decent". It would have been more aptly named "heavy rotten" . Never tried anything from balvenie, how was it, chunky bits aside?

[VNA - BMW Wank]

This calls for a snap or two,

I really liked this stuff from the Springbank distillery, must get some more sometime,




Oh and I think Tesco are shifting the stuff below for 18 quid a bottle - that's a steal for one of the best drams out there.  Hard to beat a bottle of Black, it is complex though so can be lost on some folks,

[red98]

Ay op.......whats going on here, vna and lew got something in common... must be the season, good will to all men and all that, go on raise a glass to each other     

[mickvp]

Spring bank stuff looks nice VNA. Nice and light looking. Not a fan of Johnny walker myself, but I know it's well regarded.

[lew600fazer]

Sounds like a good results there Lew.

I tried a "malt of the month" last week in a pub in glasgow, called "Heavy decent". It would have been more aptly named "heavy rotten" . Never tried anything from balvenie, how was it, chunky bits aside?

The first dram I made the mistake of not adding a wee drop of spring water, this whisky was coming in at 50.9 proof. Nearly blew me head off. Quite a peaty taste and scent to it on the dry side. Added a drop spring water and this smoothed it out and it was a lot better on the pallet. Put the decanter away when my mate asked me if I had any ginger, fecking savage.

[VNA - BMW Wank]

I tried not to buy JW or any Diageo products after they took JW out of Kilmarnock - dirty bastards, all they care about is money.  But they own so many distilleries, and well how can you not buy one of the best drams there is when it's going for only 18 quid a bottle?

That Springbank was lovely.  They carry out the whole process too from malting to bottling (I think there are only two now that do that) and use a lot of local barley.  Proper old fashioned whisky and no chill filtering either.  Sort of oranges, pears, dark chocolate, coffee and sweet rich barley with a slight acid edge.  Not one you would describe as smooth, it's more of a mad taste explosion in yer gob.    And at 57 proof it's gives you a good wee hit.  That's the way it's bottled, so that's the way I drink it, nane o Lew's poofy spring watur fae me    

[slimwilly]

Anyone who can describe neat whisky as smooth,orange and pears,chocolate, sweet etc really has no tasty buds left in the toothless mouth   




makes my eyes water to think about it.


I mean why would you spoil spring water or american ginger by adding whisky to it?

[noggythenog]

Yeh when are we organising the foc-u spanish whiskey tour?

A Scotsman that can't spell WHISKY....foccing shocking 

Oh foc!.....I musta copied Lew.

anyway im more of a Tartan Prince fan

P.S - Slim....it aint Ginger........it's "the Ginger!"....the one and only.......& whisky spoils it's complex character

[lew600fazer]

Now now VNA, I was just following the tasting notes and the poofy spring water was from heather bank in Scotland.
The Springbank is on my list to try,
Try this one but is hard to come by. Edradour most northernly distillery in Scotland. Just one problem with it very very hard to put the cork back in the bottle.

Sorry but a screw top on a bottle of whiskey is a no no for me just the same as wine should always have a cork, I understand the practicalities of the screw top but !!!!!!!!!!!!

One of my favourite blends for day to day nips is Ballintines or an Irish Tulleymore dew

[richfzs]

Edradour most northernly distillery in Scotland.

Bollox, the edradour distillery is in the hills above Pitlochry!

[VNA - BMW Wank]

Indeed richfzs, been there.  It did claim to be the smallest, but then Kilchoman on Islay opened, a wee farm distillery, and I think they are the only other distillery after Springbank to do the whole process on site, except of course they are taking it one step further - they grow their own organic barley.

Ballantines is cracking blend - nice fancy screw top on the new bottle too!  Not tried the 17year old blend, that's supposed to be a stunner. 

Most northerly I think is Highland Park, just a tad further north than Scapa.

My tip if you are splashing the cash is to go for unchillfiltered stuff, and consider some of the Signatory independent bottles. 


Got a nice 3 year old bottle of this that I can't bring myself to open (I think the first time I've had a problem opening a bottle)

[lew600fazer]

Edradour most northernly distillery in Scotland.

Bollox, the edradour distillery is in the hills above Pitlochry!

I stand corrected , but have you ever tasted it, a drop of good stuff.

[richfzs]

I have lew, bought a bottle at the distillery (that's how I knew where it is ;-) ) - and yes, tis a lovely drop.

[VNA - BMW Wank]

Yup been to the distillery too.

Bought a bottle  for my old boy years ago of which I had a dram or two of. 

One of those enlightened distillers that have pretty much dumped the chill filtering. 

Anyway opened a bottle of the hard stuff the other night - Ardbeg 10yo.  I hate Laphroaig but I love the stuff that comes out the place next door - Ardbeg. 

[lew600fazer]

Have to admit I am not a fan of Laphroaig myself or Ardberg, maybe I did not give the Ardberg
Uigeadial a chance someone bought a bottle for me son and we tried in November but to me it was like drinking old leather. I have a fondness for Jura Superstition and the Origin both bottles have been presents and have been shared in good company.

Is it just me or when you have a decent drop do you have a wee nibble of dark Chocolate. My wife says I am an animal as I have short bread  sometimes as well, even have been known to dunk me short bread as well. Now it is her fault as she makes her own and never found anything to beat it.

[mickvp]

I love jura. I have a bottle of superstition that was a gift from my old man before he passed. Saving that for a VERY special occasion, obviously.

[lew600fazer]

I love jura. I have a bottle of superstition that was a gift from my old man before he passed. Saving that for a VERY special occasion, obviously.

A wee dram on his birthday, and another on the day when he passed on, just think on the good times

[mickvp]

The problem with a good whisky is that its top hard to have a solitary dram. Often becomes 5