10-29-2013, 07:47 PM
The Ardbeg 10 years is possibly my #1 whiskey. Complicated but not abusive, a whisky to savor and muse. I've had some other "expressions" from Ardbeg, and found them to be good, but their newer expressions ("Galileo" for one) is shaped more by the soulless, implacable tidal forces of Marketing than by the distillers craft. The Galileo went into space! That's nice, but it is still raw enough to have a burn and the finish is unpleasant -- it benefits from ice, which is a condemnation, not praise for a single malt.
It was then explained to me that there is a crop of new whiskies coming from established distillers (mostly owned by Big Outfits like Diageo) that are cranking out young whiskies and marketing them to the younger, moneyed Hipster transitioning to Yuppie crowd. More "Extreme", trying to ride the wave of over-hopped beers* and "Big Red" wines.
A blight upon our civilization sez I.
*I quite like hoppy beers, however.
It was then explained to me that there is a crop of new whiskies coming from established distillers (mostly owned by Big Outfits like Diageo) that are cranking out young whiskies and marketing them to the younger, moneyed Hipster transitioning to Yuppie crowd. More "Extreme", trying to ride the wave of over-hopped beers* and "Big Red" wines.
A blight upon our civilization sez I.
*I quite like hoppy beers, however.
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.