Names or Age?

  • Whiskygalore
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    Member Whiskygalore
    Joined: 20.03.2019Posts: 11CollectionSample room reserveRatings: 0
    , edited April 19 2019 at 9:35AM

    Malt whisky with a fancy name,  and no age statement,  annoys me.

    I would like all Malts to have a minimum age on the bottle. I get why they do it but I would prefer if they did not.


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  • OdysseusUnbound Member OdysseusUnbound Joined: 05.06.2019Posts: 14Ratings: 0
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    @Whiskygalore I agree. I think a lot of the reasons given for refusing to disclose the age are marketing spin. Octomore is 5 year old whisky and it sells quite well. Many people seem convinced that NAS is a way to sell old whisky for less money. They think NAS is mostly older whisky with "just a touch" of younger stock, but I'm willing to bet that in the majority of cases NAS is younger whisky with "just a touch" of older stock. That's not to say NAS-labeled whisky is bad. Many of my favourites are NAS (Laphroaig Lore, Laphroaig Triple Wood, Ardbeg Uigeadail). The point is that more transparency is better than less. More information is better than less.

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  • TheGreatMothra Member TheGreatMothra Joined: 30.03.2016Posts: 27CollectionRatings: 160
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    @OdysseusUnbound I don't get it, why would people be thinking they need to to sell old whisky for less? They've already put the money into storing it to maturity. Why wouldn't they capitalize on that and sell it at a premium? Additionally, of all the NAS malts I've tried, I can't think of one which I'd say was mostly old stock with just a touch of young whisky in it. They are almost always noticeably youthful.

  • OdysseusUnbound Member OdysseusUnbound Joined: 05.06.2019Posts: 14Ratings: 0
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    @TheGreatMothra People believe what they want to believe. Compass Box released the 3 Year Old Deluxe as a marketing stunt to prove a point. THAT whisky was mostly old whisky with a very small amount of 3 year old whisky.


    People WANT to believe that most NAS is mainly very mature stock with "just a touch" of younger juice. I hear it (or read it) all the time. Again, I'm not commenting on the quality of NAS since taste is subjective anyway. There are some I like, there are some I dislike, just like age-stated whiskies. But those who defend the marketing doublespeak of companies who put out overpriced NAS malts and overpriced age-stated whiskies (*cough Macallan) have a very strained relationship with logic and rationality.

  • Whiskygalore
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    @OdysseusUnbound I think MacAllan gets a bit of undue criticism. I don't know the ages they use but having tried some of the MacAllan NAS they are very good. I refer only to Sienna, Amber and the Masters edition. All are very good and I would even say the Masters edition in excellent.

    I'm not a fan of new double cask gold. I've heard that it has some decent age to it but I'm not convinced the majority of it is.

    overall though, MacAllan do spend a lot of money on the finest casks. They are all about quality. Premium brands need premium prices.

    Macallan strive for superior quality. I personally hope they bring back more age to their labels to show it.

    It's just more honest.


  • OdysseusUnbound Member OdysseusUnbound Joined: 05.06.2019Posts: 14Ratings: 0
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    @Whiskygalore I think you’ve bought their marketing schtick hook, line, and sinker. Get experienced whisky people to taste Macallan blind against Glendronach, Tomatin, Tamdhu, Edradour, Glenfarclas, and I’m willing to bet Macallan rarely, if ever, comes out on top. They sell an image, not quality, as far as I’m concerned. Their 12 Sherry Oak is thin, watery, and bitter. And many of their NAS whiskies that I’ve tried tasted very young and harsh. I won’t be giving them any of my money.

  • Whiskygalore
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    @OdysseusUnbound @OdysseusUnbound We don't have marketing Schtick in Scotland. It is not advertised here.

    I think you are jumping on the "oh MACALLAN is overpriced" bandwagon and falling for the marketing Schtick of the smaller distilleries hook, line, and sinker.


    Could you tell me which NAS Glendronach, Tomatin, Tamdhu, Edradour and Glenfarclas you are preferring over MACALLAN as I would love to know. I am a big fan of the Glenfarclas 105 although I'm pretty sure it has colouring in it. I may be wrong.

    I have got to be honest in saying I am unfamiliar with the others doing NAS whisky. Which should I try?

    I'm always eager to learn though.

     


  • OdysseusUnbound Member OdysseusUnbound Joined: 05.06.2019Posts: 14Ratings: 0
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    @Whiskygalore I like plenty of the “bigger guys”, I just don’t think Macallan is very good, age stated or not, irrespective of price. I think if you compared Glenfarclas 105, Glendronach Cask Strength, Tamdhu Batch Strength, and Macallan Classic Cut, it could be interesting. And I’d be shocked if Macallan came out on top.


    If you’re going to compare age stated malts, try Tomatin 12, Glendronach 12, Macallan 12 Sherry Oak, Edradour 12 Caledonia, Tamdhu 10, and again, I’d be shocked if Macallan came out on top. But that’s just me.

  • LuiDeLuna Member LuiDeLuna Joined: 27.06.2019Posts: 3Ratings: 0
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    @Whiskygalore Age or Name, both matter when it comes to whisky as both underlines brand value, and If you are looking to buy the same then visit us.


    Our great collection includes all the best available Japanese whiskies, scotch...

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