A terrible scotch confession - blending

[Kazeryu]

Recently I have been working on a bottle of Aberlour 10yo, which I find to be neither good nor bad. One day I was considering my wee dram a bit more in detail, and decided that one of my chief complaints with it was the absence of a noteworthy finish. For some reason, I decided that I wanted to put this thought to the test, so out came the bottle of Cask Strength Lagavulin 12yo.

I added a drop or two of the Lagavulin to my glass and swirled it gently to mix. The results weren't bad - the nose softened slightly, and the initial taste was almost the same, but the finish now had a faint but warm smoky echo. It seemed like a definite improvement to me.

I confess to having repeated the experiment once or twice since then.


Has anyone else dared to micro-blend (ie a single glass) single malts?

[The Knize]

Not really. But I may start! Seems like a good idea to me.

[Devilpup]

I haven't done it myself, as on a college budget I usually only have one bottle at a time, but I have heard about it before. Check out Ralfy at ralfy.com, he does whiskey and scotch reviews and has on a couple of occasions mentioned doing the same thing. I believe one was in his video on miniature bottles.

[getsome]

Or try something like the Glenmorangie Finealta.

I like that you kept it subtle, though. I think it must mean that your palette is becoming more sophisticated.

Cheers,
B

[dgilman]

Recently I have been working on a bottle of Aberlour 10yo, which I find to be neither good nor bad. One day I was considering my wee dram a bit more in detail, and decided that one of my chief complaints with it was the absence of a noteworthy finish. For some reason, I decided that I wanted to put this thought to the test, so out came the bottle of Cask Strength Lagavulin 12yo.

I added a drop or two of the Lagavulin to my glass and swirled it gently to mix. The results weren't bad - the nose softened slightly, and the initial taste was almost the same, but the finish now had a faint but warm smoky echo. It seemed like a definite improvement to me.

I confess to having repeated the experiment once or twice since then.


Has anyone else dared to micro-blend (ie a single glass) single malts?

This confession was way less upsetting than I feared it was going to be. Whew!

[LegendofVogel]

I have! At the risk of being flogged, I mostly drink blends, being the more affordable option. On occasion, I have been know to mix blends if I find i don't have quite a full glass in one or more bottles. I figure if they are blended anyway...

[scottish steve]

In Chinese night clubs you will typically order a full bottle of Chivas Regal for the table, which you then put in a pitcher with ice and oolong tea.
What is the point of that?
So everyone can see your bottle of "designer" whisky, while you don't actually have to taste it.

[Walter Sobchak]

This confession was way less upsetting than I feared it was going to be. Whew!

Me too.

Sounds like a good idea. Maybe I'll try adding a couple of drops to that bottle of J&B I've been wanting to evict but don't have the heart to send packing.

[LegendofVogel]

In Chinese night clubs you will typically order a full bottle of Chivas Regal for the table, which you then put in a pitcher with ice and oolong tea.
What is the point of that?
So everyone can see your bottle of "designer" whisky, while you don't actually have to taste it.

Smoky iced tea? that sounds really bad.

[cwnidog]

What's the matter with a little creativity? Unless you're buying single barrel, it's all blended anyway.

[Viseguy]

As an inveterate mixer of fountain pen inks, I say go for it.

Now if you were adding gin to your Scotch....

[Icebear]

I usually try to do some research on taste descriptions (online, books) before I buy a bottle and in case I still end up with something I don't like, then I pass it on for someone to try if he likes it. Happened two times so far. But in general if you have something bland and want to spice things up a bit with a tiny amount of some storng stuff, why not if you like the blend much better. Otherwise blending a Lagavulin should trigger you being banned for life . Just kiddin' ... have fun and enjoy responsibly.

[Face&Head]

Recently I have been working on a bottle of Aberlour 10yo, which I find to be neither good nor bad. One day I was considering my wee dram a bit more in detail, and decided that one of my chief complaints with it was the absence of a noteworthy finish. For some reason, I decided that I wanted to put this thought to the test, so out came the bottle of Cask Strength Lagavulin 12yo. I added a drop or two of the Lagavulin to my glass and swirled it gently to mix. The results weren't bad - the nose softened slightly, and the initial taste was almost the same, but the finish now had a faint but warm smoky echo. It seemed like a definite improvement to me. I confess to having repeated the experiment once or twice since then.

Scottish G-ds can be quite vindictive, I'd be cautious about venturing out in a lightning storm if I were you.

[djh]

One of my favourite concoctions was equal parts Lagavulin 16yo and Talisker 10yo.

[TimmyBoston]

Done this on occasion for years. I know a lot of people who do this.