I was at a social gathering recently and found myself amongst a circle of newly-made acquaintances whom I was introduced to just five minutes earlier. In the course of our social dialogue and etiquette-driven pleasantries (relax, this isn’t a Jane Austen novel), the fact that I was an avid whisky enthusiast and involved in its industry came up. “Oh, what’s your favourite whisky?” was the question immediately thrown at me. I’ve been asked that more times than I can possibly remember, and I have my standard answer always queued at the ready, but I reflected on the way home later that evening that it’s an increasingly irrelevant question.
Tag: Malt
Glenfiddich vs Glenlivet – who will win the heavyweight title bout?
It’s a classic question that many whisky drinkers ponder: Which is better…Glenfiddich or Glenlivet? It’s also a great question, because if someone were to ask you, “What does a Speyside whisky taste like?”, then pouring a dram of either Glenlivet or Glenlivet would answer their question pretty nicely.
Both exhibit that classic Speyside style of being grassy, floral, sweet and malty, with that little extra “zing” for good measure. With Glenfiddich, the zing comes in the form of pear drops, whilst Glenlivet, for me, has a wee hint of citrus tang. Both drams are textbook examples of Speyside whisky.
Depending on your age, and certainly if you were introduced to malt whisky prior to the 2000’s, then there’s a very good chance that one of these two whiskies was probably your first ever single malt.
The two brands are giants of the industry and mutually respected (and respectful) competitors on the playing field. Glenlivet is the single malt flagship of Pernod Ricard (via its subsidiary, Chivas Bros), whilst Glenfiddich remains one of the last bastions of independent, family ownership, being the bedrock of William Grant & Sons. Both brands command significant market share. The Glenlivet has been the biggest selling single malt in the USA for years, whereas Glenfiddich can boast the global title of being the biggest selling single malt in the world.
As these two heavyweights front up to do battle, let’s compare their credentials and get ready to rumble… Continue reading “Glenfiddich vs Glenlivet – who will win the heavyweight title bout?”
10 ways to annoy a whisky nerd
The growth and boom in the single malt industry in the last 15 years or so has given birth to the rise of the Whisky Nerd. The sort of person who knows (or thinks they know) every last detail about a distillery, or a particular bottling, or the latest industry gossip. They’ll be able to tell you which distilleries still use wormtubs; what year Laphroaig was founded; and – if you hand them a glass of anonymous whisky – they’ll sniff the glass and tell you which distillery it comes from; what its age is; and which warehouseman farted on the day the cask was filled.
They are the same people who can get very passionate if they hear you say something about whisky that they disagree with or believe to be incorrect. Fights have started and blood has been spilt over such simple opinions like which vintage release was the best ever Ardbeg! (Okay, readers, so was it the 1977 or 1974?)
So – if you’re the sort of person who likes to upset an OCD sufferer by visiting their house and tilting all of their hung pictures so that they’re crooked on the wall – here is a list of things you can say or do to annoy a Whisky Nerd:
The Top 5 things whisky drinkers are doing wrong
“How to drink whisky?” is a common question asked by many, but enjoying whisky goes way beyond the actual drinking of the spirit. From the most recent whisky-newbie to the more seasoned long-term malt enthusiast, we all fall for the same traps and mistakes – repeatedly. Here are the Top Five things that whisky drinkers are doing wrong…
Continue reading “The Top 5 things whisky drinkers are doing wrong”
Lagavulin or Laphroaig – which is better?
It’s the question every Islay whisky fan asks themselves at some point in their whisky journey: Laphroaig or Lagavulin – which one is better? Is there a definitive answer? Yes, there’s some juicy stuff we can explore over the next minute or two…
Continue reading “Lagavulin or Laphroaig – which is better?”