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I don't think official bottlings even exist! I'll let you know what I find, because I clearly need to start hunting...

I guess, dang. I'm pretty sure the only GBs I've had have been on the younger, fresher side - this is not that. I guess I need to put some time in...

@@differentspirits4157 Signatory has bottled a lot of 1995 vintages - they're generally all good to excellent. Elixir Distillers (Single Malts of Scotland) bottled an exceptional range of GBs a couple of years ago, I believe from 1998. Some 95 vintages are still being bottled these days and while still good, some of them can start being a bit overoaked.

Thanks! Be warned, the Puntas is a very different beast from the Tigre - but that's not to say not to try it! 😁

@@differentspirits4157 Thanks, I've enjoyed fairly hi abv scotches of around 58% such as a Ledaig and if needed I will drop the abv to around 50%. Do you know anything about the La Venenosa Etnica Tutsi Maguey Masparillo as I am also considering that bottle as well. I have both bottles available to me at this time with only $11 more for the Tutsi. Thanks for any info or advice you may be able to give.

I don't know, to be honest - trying to source some more of their stuff as we speak!

That sounds awesome, to be honest! The title, is, of course, half in cheek: I'm actually pretty fond of some of these distilleries. Well, Allt-A-Bhainne excepted. 😅

I'm glad! The '87 is a delight.

@@Beezee-ph9wv Thanks! I'm not sure re: which parts of their range are lightly sweetened versus not, and it's something I wish they were more transparent about. But they certainly make some excellent dry grappas too - I can vouch for these, for example.

That's incredibly kind, thank you. It's really nice to know that I'm making folks (and their friends and family) happy! 🥹

I did not!! They looked a little scary to me, to be honest. 😅 How'd they turn out?

I'm genuinely impressed and surprised by these suckers. I'm hoping these aren't just one-offs, i.e. that they'll continue to push the house style...

@@RobynSmithPhD Without much evidence, I would *guess* not much. In any case, it doesn't come across as more potent than my Rom Deluxe DOK. But hey, watch your mail... 👀

@@differentspirits4157 I’d say your palate is evidence enough! 👀 I can’t wait!!

@@johnheintz3206 It's also *waaay* cheaper than their 3C ryes, though! 😂 And keep in mind that this is an 8yo cask strength bourbon, competing at a similar price point with those other monsters that you mention, from legacy distilleries, from a *craft distillery*. That malts its own barley. And ferments for five days.

@@differentspirits4157 Exactly! Part of the reason why this and a Tom’s Foolery single barrel are pretty much the only bourbons I’ve bought in the last year. Don’t get me wrong I still enjoy the hell out of those heritage distillery products but this is just way more exciting to me

@@johnheintz3206 If you had to buy only one bourbon in 2024, this would be a good one... 😂

Uh oh. Good to know for anyone storing those things on their side...

where we're going we don't need other congeners.

I do not! I'd be wary of finishings, to be honest - try before you buy.

It's an amazing place, isn't it? Every other fermentation area I've been in has been a clean, well-lit place of stainless steel and gauges, and then you've got Hampden with a dank dark tomb of open vats. Oof I want to go back now. 😂

I've had a still strength (85%) unaged Port Mourant, which I enjoyed much.

Sure: a good spirit at 60% or so will also be good at 85%+. You do have to babysit it more, but the quality's absolutely going to be there. Now, what gets the 92 in this case is more the Hampdenness than the bottling strength in this case, but still!

~85% is a pretty common still strength. The only aged spirits at this strength I've seen are some special bottlings by Romdeluxe. All <= 2yo, mostly in very small casks (40-50l), thusfar they've done these: DOK, TECC, NYE/WK, C<>H, HGML. I've quite liked the ones I got to try, they were remarkably drinkable at that strength. Has me wondering what effect cask entry proof has on the kinds of flavours produced during aging...

@@garrettjanssen7683 Even when something is really good, it's sometimes a relief to know that you can free up a spot on the shelf reasonably quickly... 😅

@@samueld1 I'm boo boo the fool for not grabbing that pick when it was there. 😓

@@StenSpans-jc7xc Yes, Armagnac! And sure, let's hear what you got my good man.

If you know what you're getting into - i.e. that really funky, distillate driven Leopold style - then it's an absolute steal to be honest.

A lot of that is probably just decent lighting on this day, tbh. 😅

Thanks! That's why I make them! 😁

I agree. You're getting more for these crazy bottlings, yes, but not _that_ much more. Which seems to be endemic throughout the industry, really...

Now there's a thought. Bourbon cask?

Yes. Definitely.

I was darn close to inching up to a 90+ by the time the camera was off and I was actually finishing the glass, I'll be honest. 😂 I suppose I agree and disagree with you! These are almost different categories, yes: as I say, this old 12 tastes does behave more like a Cognac or Armagnac than a modern bourbon. That said, if you suspend the huge difference in style and just pay attention to the complexity, the balance, the presence, the finish, I feel like the modern Turkeys are closer than you'd think. (That said, who knows, there are better and worse batches of this CGF 12 out there...)

@@differentspirits4157 yes good point. For the overall quality of the experience, the three aren’t that far off from each other.

I've never had the Japan-only 12yo 101, so that's a question for bigger nerds than me. It is a descendant of the gold foil series, however, and I'm fairly certain that it's not gonna suck. 😂🦃

Do you recommend the 12 year 101? I’m going to Taiwan soon where they also sell it. I love the core WT range, but I’m not in looking for allocated or rare bourbons. Currently, my shopping cart is all Taiwanese IBs: Benromach, Ardmore, Bunna, Foursquare, and a Campbeltown blend. The latter is equivalently priced to the WT 12 year so I’m debating it!

​@@Kinshasa9200Unless you will have the chance soon again being in Asia I'd go for a WT 12!

I'd probably second the WT12, despite never having tasted it. Campbeltown blends aren't that uncommon, honestly, but reasonably priced old Turkey is...

It's the transition that's getting me - pow, tons of flavor, but then it doesn't head back to the back of my palate and it doesn't stick around. That said, yes, it works... 😅

Yeahhh I was never a fan. Sorry! 😅 I might have mentioned Stranahan's, which really nails that style imo.

@@differentspirits4157 appreciate the rec!! I always found Stranahan to be a little tame compared to the big bold flavor of those other offerings, but I am going to go back in with an open mind. ALSO how do you feel about Westland?? I feel like their sherry cask is a good compromise of our palates?

Actually if you really like this grainy-grassy kind of profile, know what I'd throw at you? See if you can find the 51% rye/49% malt MGP mashbill. Lots of bottlings under different names (I review a Rossville here on the channel somewhere), all fantastic imo.

Yeahhh the Blue series isn't my favorite thing from them. Truth be told, though, I think I like their bourbon and rye a bit more than their malts! Thanks for watching and co-drinking! 🍻

Cognac is very famous, Pineau not so much! I'm doing my part trying to change that. 😁 Thanks for watching!

Glendullan's actually a distillery I like a fair bit, when it's not dunked in chardonnay... 😅

I've reviewed some El Dorados elsewhere on this channel! I do tend to avoid the standard range as they're still bottled at 40% - which, IMO, just isn't enough to show off the spirit - but I've got more coming soon.

@@MrPsiman Yup, I saw that it just hit New York. I'll work on securing some!

​@@differentspirits4157Astor Wines has it for $110 at the moment.

It's more common on rums but yeah, it's a note in baijiu pretty often as well! 😁 I had a roommate in college, core memory.

@@triktrak_1451 Ballantruan 10 is tricky to get in the US, but there are a couple of online retailers (Fine Drams etc.) with liberal shipping policies worth a look. (Items imported into your area are your responsibility, Different Spirits LLC disclaims all liability, etc.)

@@differentspirits4157 Wow- what a fun selection they have at Fine Drams. Thanks for the tip. I bought the Ballantruan, plus a couple other bottles, and mini for gifting. I gotta stop this. Well, at least for the month!

@@hordeum-vulgare Ralfy used a copy editor?? And yeah, I don't know if Blackwells would be interested but something like that is the idea. Except good. (Because I have a few of those wine/whiskey/etc. and philosophy books and oof.) To be honest I've never found Ledaig very farmy, which isn't to say it isn't its own kind of weird. The peated Tomintouls can get there, especially Peaty Tang, but I feel like even they pale next to (say) certain Benriachs. This 10 especially is a really approachable style.

It's phenomenal. Brace yourself!

You mean, present everything else they do like the Ballantruan range? It's crazy, but it might just work... 😂

I honestly haven't seen the 15 around, but after this review I can certainly vouch for the 10. Hell, the 10 is good enough that I'll watch for the 15 as well. The NAS is a little bit basic and not a bad value - it served as my house peater back in the day - but I'd go for the 10 first, it really is worth the extra bucks.

@@differentspirits4157 Ah this is good to hear. I've heard other whiskytubers say they prefer the NAS over the 10yo. Something about the NAS's rougher peat. I didn't think I'd agree but it gave me pause. And the 15 clocks in at over $100 after transatlantic shipping from the only places I've seen it stocked.

@@bigalmichel Man all y'all are coming up with more compelling ideas than me, dang! 😅 I wonder if the folks at New Yarmouth would let me in if I sent them an email saying that I'm writing a book...

@@josephjvr6509 ...That sounds like a much more commercially viable book than I had in mind! 🥲

@@Kinshasa9200 They're not completely saying. On the one hand, sourcing malt from Port Ellen would make sense and it does have echoes of that style. But the Tomintoul distillery is also itself sitting right next to some of the largest peat bogs in the Speyside, and they do claim that "the peat [all of it? some? -S] is sourced locally to the Speyside region." So there is at least some local peat in here. Whatever they're doing, at 10 years of age it's finally working.

@@timothymuehlfeld6975 I really, really wish they would just dustbin the Longrow Red series. And yes yes yes, even if this NAS is available and decent (although not as good as it could be) it's still not cheap enough to really hustify. Oh, for the days of the old Longrow 10yo...

@@bigalmichel Ha! That's a very quick jump from correlation to causation, sir. 😂 Also oof, I know I just compared the Ballechin to Christmas Jones but does that so quickly warrant a comparison to Jim Murray? 🥲

@@differentspirits4157 Ha! For what it's worth, I love the Christmas Jones reference, and I'm now going to buy another bottle of sherried Ballechin specifically because of it!

@@bigalmichel Underrated Bond Girl for sure, I think people are just mad because she's not as awesome as Sophie Marceau. Which... okay, that's fair. But Christmas still has more of a personality than Jinx and I will die on that hill!

@@bigalmichel I tried the Caledonia years ago! I assumed it was some kind of LE, I guess I've just missed it since then. I found it... well, yeah, a little "assertive," but it's worth another shot for sure. Tamdhu I'm torn about. As much as I love the Batch Strength - grab it, I think you'll dig it, although it's as far from "sweet" as any sherry bomb I can think of - the regular 12 is more tame. Macallan But Better if you will. Maybe an obvious question, but have you tried Bunnahabhain 12 yet?

@@differentspirits4157 Yes! I was very late to try Bunnahabhain 12, but I finally tried it and liked it so much I bought a bottle. I agree that it absolutely belongs high on the go-to sherry bomb list. To me, it beats all the usual suspect sherry bombs at their own game AND adds some special elements like the ones you mention (a little saltiness, a little malted milk ball, etc.) You've inspired me to have a drink of it tonight!