A'bunadh or Balvenie 12?

[MrIntrepid]

Hi LSD

I have not tried the batch 18 only the 20 it was a little winey but still delicious there is a recent discussion on the forums about the A'bunadh you will probably get a good feel for it from the notes there:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6943

I have a bottle of the DW, a lot of people enjoy this whisky as an everyday malt - we tasted this during Musky's first live tasting, my notes and a few other peoples are on there so this should give you a very good idea about the DW.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6988

In my opinion I would opt for the A'bunadh Hope this helps

[Reggaeblues]

D'you want the little sports coupe like a Mazda Drophead or the Ferrari?? both have their merits, but given the choice...

Th aberlour is a much more powerful dram. You're already sort of in the ballpark of the "lighter" style sherry with the Macallan 12, which(if it's the "sherry" version, not the "Fine Oak" ) is one I prefer to the DW anyway, so...

...I'd go with the Ferrari!

[Elagabalus]

Aberlour A'bunadh hands down. Was this a joke post?

[Wave]

I think you'll find that most of us prefer the Aberlour a'bunadh, but as for how much water to add is really up to your taste buds. Personally I don't add any water to my a'bunadh (of any batch) mainly because I thinks it's perfect just the way it is and for my experiences that added water tends to muck up a sherried whisky.


Cheers!

[Muskrat Portage]

also, on the abunadh, what's the correct/best way to take off the wax for the cleanest look?

Tipsy neophyte barrister...why would you wish to remove the wax? Just slice around the joint with a sharp knife and leave the wax intact. Improves the presentation of the dram, don't you know?
Of course I vote for the Aberlour A'B batch18, hands down.
Muskrat

[martin grant]

The Balvenie 12 is a great, easy drinking dram but if I had the choice I'd also vote A'bunadh each and every time. My favourite speyside

[WestVanDave]

I'll agree with the support of the Aberlour A'bunadh Batch No 18. While there's nothing wrong with the Balvenie DW I'd suggest grabbing the various Bunny batches while you can...I have really enjoyed 9,11,12,13,14,15,and now 18 - and wished I had stockpiled more of previous batches (14 in particular - I have half a dozen left). I would also suggest there are "bigger" Balvenies more worthy of a H-T-H with the Bunny. While not as big, the Balvenie 15 is a quality dram

If you aren't used to cask strength this might be a bit much to try without water - but worth the effort as I too find the A'bunadh perfect without hydration.

[TheTross]

Of the two, definitely the A'bunadh; even though I find Batch 18 to be a little too winey, it's the sheer power and complexity that would make me choose it over the DW any day (although, of course, the DW is a great dram too...). As for adding water... part of the fun is finding out yourself! I tend not to add any, though a drop or two does round the rough edges if you need them rounding.

And as for other sherried malts, I'll recommend Glenlivet 18. I wasn't a huge fan of Glenlivet from the expressions I'd tried before that (12, 15 French Oak and a 15 G&M bottling), but the 18 blew me away for its depth and balance, and is one of my all-time favourite whiskies.

[Elagabalus]

I have a bottle of batch #18. I find it to be quite strong taken neat. However I don't have much experience with cask strength whiskies. When I added a tsp of water per ounce it still had quite a bite so I added another tsp and found it extremely enjoyable. It's probably one of my favourites.

IMHO this is not an after a hard day at work SMS due to it's potency but an after dinner dram served with dessert.

I'm going to get fat.

[Ryguy]

LSD, did you open the A'bunadh yet? I love the stuff, and I'm sure you'll like it too. It's a great Sherry Monster at CS, a really wonderful dram.

[Ryguy]

Duh..Thank for pointing that out Mikey. Let us know LSD what you think.

[Doug1937]

I have just tasted the A'bunadh tonite, for the first time, after having tried my first Balvenie 12 DW last month. Both scotches are excellent, quite well above most others in quality, at least for sherried scotches. However, I have to agree with most others here in saying that the Aberlour is a much more satisfying dram. It's much smoother, and has a meatier, more solid taste to it. That's perhaps due to the much higher alcohol percentage. But here in USA it's only about $10 more than the Balvenie DW. So, while either would be a FINE choice, the Aberlour is preferable unless you haven't had a Balvenie recently.

[LagaDrinker]

bought batch 23 yesterday

[Doug1937]

About the A'bunadh: question is, to water or not to water? After all, it *is* CS, no?

[lohssanami]

I haven't added water to A'bunadh, but I will try it when I get home tomorrow night.

[UUNetBill]

About the A'bunadh: question is, to water or not to water? After all, it *is* CS, no?

Yes, it is - and as always, water is a personal choice - but I find the a'bunadh to be excellent as is. I'd recommend trying it neat, and adding just a few drops of water if you feel so inclined. There are some CS bottles that I feel benefit from a few drops of water, but the a'bunadh isn't one of them IMO.

But it's all about what YOU like.

[LagaDrinker]

I tried with water and I must say I think its better without.

[TreacleSponge]

OK, it's time I stood up and admitted it. Hello, my name is Treacle and I don't like A'bunadh. There, I wasn't smited down. Smitten? Smote.

Anyway, I might just be the only person who would go for Balvenie. I've tried 2 batches of Abunadh and one wasn't very pleasant (#15). The other (#20) I thought was much better, but although it had a lot of flavours that normally I should like, they just didn't sit together well for me, and I wouldn't buy another bottle. If I work hard at it I can appreciate it, but I don't really like it and can't even be tempted by the current discounts that make it a bargain price for a CS whisky.

[UUNetBill]

Treacle,You're in good company.  My father-in-law doesn't like it, either - and he has good taste in SM.  Personally I love it, but just like on the other thread a while ago, there are any number of whiskies that some people love and others can't stand.  I've found some that I like one week and not the next - probably just my palate acting up on me, but you never know.Anyhow, you go with your feelings and drink what you like.  Don't let the rest of us here bully you into drinking up our precious a'bunadh if you don't enjoy it.  

(The previous post was made with tongue deeply in cheek)

[Reggaeblues]

A;bunadh is a mood thang. A blast when you want that kinda thing, but for me, a bit of a one trick pony. A great trick, but for overall entertainment and greater complexity, among lo-cost CS whiskies, the Glenlivet Nadurra currently on offer for under £30 at Waitrose takes some beating.

It is the other extreme of Speyside, if you will.The polar opposite of the Aberlour - Naked and unashamed...i.e. sherry-less!

[TreacleSponge]

Don't let the rest of us here bully you into drinking up our precious a'bunadh if you don't enjoy it.  

You're right, and I see my abstinence from Abunadh as my gift to the rest of you; it leaves all the more of it for you now

RB, I've not tried Nadurra yet, despite there being so many enthusiastic posts here for it earlier this year. I'll have to get onto it (although of course there isn't a Waitrose anywhere near here, so it'll be full price for me )

[Reggaeblues]

TreacleSponge, you might have a choice! If you see the Nadurra at 48% as opposed to this one I've tried lately at 57.7%...the "weaker" one is also a great fun dram...

[t-bone]

I've only tried the A'bunadh once and thought the sherry influence (not the abv) was over-powering. I don't recall the batch and it was early in my exploration into single malts so I may need to try this one again.

I do adore the Balvenie DW though, always have a bottle or two on hand.