A Whisk(e)y Cabinet MUST include...

[Pudge72]

In your opinion, what bottles should every whiskey drinker have in their possession as much as possible?

Ease of availability and relative affordability of the bottle should be a consideration. With those parameters in mind, I would consider the following to be must have bottles:

Auchentoshan 12
Buffalo Trace or Evan Williams Single Barrel
Forty Creek Barrel Select (not sure if this Canadian is available in Europe)
George Dickel #12
Glenfarclas 15
Glengoyne 10
Glenmorangie Original
Highland Park 18
Lagavulin 16
Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Redbreast 12
Talisker 10 and/or Highland Park 12

[Joel1802]

Redbreast 12 is my only constant. Beyond that I gernerally try to maintain at least one Bourbon/Straight Rye/Tennessee and one single malt.

Right now for example I have (open):

Redbreast 12
Yellow Spot
Bullit Bourbon
Maker's Mark
HP 12

It will probably be quite different in a couple of weeks. For starters I have an urge for something from Skye...

[John]

Based on what is readily available, i.e. not once-off releases.
Yellow Spot 12yo - fantastic whiskey!
Powers John's Lane
A cask-strength Midleton (any of them will do thanks, but the Society bottling is particularly good)
Bushmills 21yo
Tyrconnell Single Malt 18yo
Aberlour a'bunadh
Wisers 18yo Canadian whiskey

They'll do for a start! There are many others but availability and price would be an issue in terms of keeping a cabinet stocked on a regular basis!

Cheers,
J.

[Joel1802]

If I could get the John's lane locally I'd replace the Redbrest with it.

[rachel lindsay]

Old Pultenay is one of my personal must haves. It's a drink anytime whisky and I never ever tire of it's flavour. It's light and sweet and fruity with just enough oil and salt to give it an edge. It's just gorgeous. I'm planning to get Tyrconnell Anima Negra for my cabinet pretty soon too. I Had it at a tasting night recently and fell in love with it. Well not literally cos that would be weird but you know what I mean !
Rachel.

[Luke Gough]

Old Pultenay is one of my personal must haves. It's a drink anytime whisky and I never ever tire of it's flavour. It's light and sweet and fruity with just enough oil and salt to give it an edge. It's just gorgeous. I'm planning to get Tyrconnell Anima Negra for my cabinet pretty soon too. I Had it at a tasting night recently and fell in love with it. Well not literally cos that would be weird but you know what I mean !
Rachel.

Old Pulteney 17 is in a class by itself, and is well worth getting.

The 11 YO Cask-Strength Sherried Tyrconnell for WhiskyLive 2011 is the best of recent times and may still be available.

For my money, a Whisk(e)y Cabinet should contain the following:

Irish:
Bushmills 1608
Connemara Turf Mór
Jameson 12
Powers 12
Powers 12 Johns Lane Release
Redbreast 12 Cask Strength
Redbreast 15
Yellow Spot 12
Midleton Single Cask

Scotch:
Auchentoshan Valinch (Cask Strength, NCF)
Bowmore Tempest 10 (Cask Strength, Batches 1 and 2)
Bunnahabhain 18 (NCF, Non-Coloured release)
Caol Ila - ANY INDEPENDENT BOTTLING
Glendronach 15
Glendronach 21
Glendronach Single Cask (Official, Cask Strength)
Glen Garioch Founders Reserve
Glen Garioch 12
Hazelburn 12 (46% ABV)
Hazelburn (Cask Strength, Wood Expression)
Highland Park - ANY INDEPENDENT BOTTLING
Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Laphroaig 10 (Cask Strength)
Laphroaig 18
Longrow CV
Longrow (Cask Strength, Wood Expression)
Mortlach 16
Mortlach - ANY INDEPENDENT BOTTLING
Old Pulteney 17
Rosebank (Good Luck!)
Springbank 12 (Cask Strength)
Springbank (Cask Strength, Wood Expression)


Bourbon:
Blanton's Single Barrel
Jefferson Presidential Selection

That's all I can think of at present, I may return to this...

[Pudge72]

Redbreast 12 is my only constant. Beyond that I gernerally try to maintain at least one Bourbon/Straight Rye/Tennessee and one single malt.

Right now for example I have (open):

Redbreast 12
Yellow Spot
Bullit Bourbon
Maker's Mark
HP 12

It will probably be quite different in a couple of weeks. For starters I have an urge for something from Skye...

If you want to add a blend and something from Skye...pick up a bottle of Te Bheag from the Gaelic Whisky Company (located on said Isle of Skye)...Talisker is most definitely one of the component malts. It is a great blended whisky (and one I would add to my 'must have' list...I'm just not sure how widely available it is.

[Pudge72]

Old Pultenay is one of my personal must haves. It's a drink anytime whisky and I never ever tire of it's flavour. It's light and sweet and fruity with just enough oil and salt to give it an edge. It's just gorgeous. I'm planning to get Tyrconnell Anima Negra for my cabinet pretty soon too. I Had it at a tasting night recently and fell in love with it. Well not literally cos that would be weird but you know what I mean !
Rachel.

I have been wanting to pick up the OP 12 and 17 for quite awhile. The 12 is overpriced in Ontario so I may try to pick it up the next time I am in the US...I have been told by others as well that the 12 would qualify as a 'must' for a cabinet.

[Pudge72]

A great list Luke! However, many of the listed bottles (i.e. the Tempest, Turf Mor, PJL, Jeffersons PS etc.) that are limited releases and/or simply not available (yet) in North America. That is why I tried to limit my list to more easily available 'reference' or 'staple' whiskies.

It would definitely seem that I will have to pick up the Yellow Spot when it (hopefully) gets to Ontario (we did receive a batch of Green Spot, which is now down to less than 150 bottles in the province...I've tried it and was not completely sold on it for Can$85 a bottle).

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

Nice thread but probably will go off in all directions

Irish:
Bushmills 1608 Anniversary ed (But possibly out of stock now)
Connemara CS
Jameson 12 (For me I tend to prefer the Midleton Distillery version)
Powers 12yo Johns Lane Release
Any Redbreast
Tyrconnell 10yo Madeira
Yellow Spot 12


Scotch:

Bunnahabhain 18 (Seriously Good)
Caol Ila (preferably over 18yo so I tend to go for IB single Casks)
Highland Park 12yo
Any Laphroaig OB



USA
Makers Mark
William L Weller



I have alot of other favourite Scotch & US but the above are my current regulars. Laga16 used to be in there but I've noticed a drop off in the old bilious smoke.

[Luke Gough]

It would definitely seem that I will have to pick up the Yellow Spot when it (hopefully) gets to Ontario (we did receive a batch of Green Spot, which is now down to less than 150 bottles in the province...I've tried it and was not completely sold on it for Can$85 a bottle).

Yellow Spot 12 is a must-have for anyone who claims to be a Jameson fan, as that's (effectively) what it is!

Re Canadian availability/regulation/pricing of spirits, I've heard enough horror stories to commiserate with you.

[Joel1802]

Canada as whole is bad, but BC is the worst. If I spend 90 minutes on a ferry to Washington State I can generally spend between 30%-50% less for the same booze.


There I go getting mad again....

[rachel lindsay]

For my money if I'm including Jameson in my cabinet ( which I do ) it's the Gold Reserve for me. It should be available in Canada, ( it's very available in the USA so check out that option ) and the price shouldn't be too painful as it's widely available over here, you'll never drink 12yr old again if you've had this Of course perhaps you have ?
Honeyed sweetness with oak and spice on the nose,
Buttery, smooth, sherry wood, fruit cake and madeira. it's lovely.

[TallyB]

Black Bush for day to day drinking
Bushmills 1608 the one in the blue tube, no longer available (anybody got one).
Jameson Gold in the dumpy (Redbreast) bottle
Black Bowmore
Greenspot
Yellowspot
Auchentoshin Triple Wood
Redbreast 12 & 15 YO
Bushmills 12YO Distillery Reserve.

Just for starters.

[William J]

It's comforting to know we're not the only ones paying exorbitant prices for whiskey here in NZ. Unfortunately, not only are prices nearly double what they would be we also have a fairly limited selection, hence it's nice to see an emphasis on widely released bottles and not just the rare one-offs that don't get much distribution overseas.

Also it's eally good to see recommendations for scotch, since I have less experience knowing what's what there and am keen to branch out. Thanks for all the tips everyone :)

As far as Irish whiskey goes, I try to keep some of the following stocked at all times:

SPS
Green or Yellow Spot, Powers John's lane or Redbreast

Single malt
Lockes 8, Tyrconnel, Bushmills 10 or Knappogue Castle 12

Blend (expensive)
Jameson 12yo, Crested Ten, etc.

Blend (cheap)
Powers, Paddys, Jameson, Kilbeggan, Bushmills black or white, etc.

Grain
Greenore

Aside from Connemara and the like, are there any gapping holes in this list?

[Joel1802]

I'd say it is far more complete than what I strive to have on hand.

[Joel1802]

I forget who was talking about it, but here's the old Jameson Gold.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jameson-GOLD-special-reserve-Irish-Whiskey-/261126174838?pt=UK_Collectables_Bottle_Pots_ET&hash=item3ccc553876

[bredman]

I just wish i could afford to have all of these open all the time. These i repeat buy the most.

Irish
Connemara Single Cask
Powers John's Lane

English
St George's Chapter 9
St George's Chapter 11

Scotch
Ardbeg 10
Uigeadail
Nadurra
Bladnoch 20

Japanese
Hanyu 15
Hakushu 12
Hakushu Heavily Peated
Hakushu Bourbon Cask

USA
William Larue Weller (BTAC)
George T Stagg (BTAC)

Rye
High West Rendezvous
Thomas H Handy (BTAC)
Sazarac 18
Van Winkle Reserve 13
Willet Family Reserve
Russell's Reserve 6 Small Batch

and finally
Amrut Cask Strength (either peated or unpeated)

[Good Whiskey Hunting]

Mine would include

Redbreast 12
Redbreast 15 (2005 if I can get more)
Society Bottling Cask strenght Midleton
Powers John's Lane
Yellow Spot
Writers Tears
.............a bit of a trend here I think,

Bushmills 1608
Greenore 8
Jameson Select Reserve

Highland Park 12
Laphroaig 10
Macallan 10

Hibiki 17
Nikka from the Barrel

Woodford Reserve
Jim Beam Devil's Cut just as a talking point.

and finally some medium Sherry for those bottles I bought by mistake

[AlecM]

Black Bush and Jameson for day to day drinking. And then regular favourites are:

Bushmills 10
Jameson Small Batch
Redbreast 12
Green Spot

Looking at that list it is very Irish based, but I do like a lot of Scottish whisky too - Glenfiddich 18, lots of independent bottlings of Clynelish, most Balvenies (excepting the double wood), and Northern Highland whiskies in particular all get consumed! Powers John's Lane is awesome, and would be bought far more frequently but for the cost.

[Pudge72]

Nice thread but probably will go off in all directions

It was an honest attempt! Great to see the discussions and suggestions that have stemmed from this!

I have alot of other favourite Scotch & US but the above are my current regulars. Laga16 used to be in there but I've noticed a drop off in the old bilious smoke.

I too noticed this in a side-by-side with mine and my neighbours' bottles of Laga 16 (his a more recent bottling than mine)...

[Pudge72]

For my money if I'm including Jameson in my cabinet ( which I do ) it's the Gold Reserve for me. It should be available in Canada, ( it's very available in the USA so check out that option ) and the price shouldn't be too painful as it's widely available over here, you'll never drink 12yr old again if you've had this Of course perhaps you have ?
Honeyed sweetness with oak and spice on the nose,
Buttery, smooth, sherry wood, fruit cake and madeira. it's lovely.

I have tried the Jameson Gold and enjoyed it (iirc, I picked up a unique pink candyfloss ('cotton candy') note that added a nice sweet component. However, with there only (currently) being a $20 difference between the Gold and the Jameson 18 here in Ontario, my next splurge purchase will be a bottle of Jameson 18 as I REALLY enjoyed that when I had a chance to sample it earlier this year (milk chocolate underneath some wonderful tropical fruit notes

[Pudge72]

What are peoples thoughts on Writers Tears (Can $47 in Ontario...$10 more than BlackBush and $8 cheaper than Redbreast 12, my two Irish whiskey bottles at the moment). Any comparative notes and/or comments about value for money about WT would be greatly appreciated!

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

I think for that price it is well worth a try and is possibly slightly cheaper than over here. It is very drinkable and has this creamy buttery bit going on with it (to me anyway). It is actually hard to track down in my neck of the woods and only for that would probably make it A Whisk(e)y Cabinet MUST include ...

[Good Whiskey Hunting]

I totally agree, it's a gem of a whiskey but too hard to find. I really hope the Irishman make it more readily available.

I got it in The Wren's about 6 months ago and it has a following now. I'd have it over Green Spot any day, but I also like the ill fated Redbreast blend so hopefully it doesn't go the same way.

I bet if the Redbreast blend was out today it'd be successful, any thoughts?