Whisky Forum - Worst whisky

Acksboy · Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2017 10:11 pm Post subject: Worst whisky

Not sure how this one will go down but here we go...

I opened a bottle of William Lawson's blend tonight which I won in a raffle. Safe to say this is going to the back of the cupboard. Left very little to the nose and even less on the palate. I didn't expect anything exceptional from it but I was surprised by how low the quality of a branded blend this was.

It got me thinking about the rare experience of tasting "bad whisky". Before tonight I can't recall of encountering many but I've heard tales of some poor ones - the famous Loch Dhu comes to mind!

Has anyone else had any similar experiences? I quite understand though if others don't want to talk about the negative side of our collective passion but I've always thought it an interesting and sometimes humorous subject when one encounters a disappointing malt.

CGRenn · Master Of Malts Joined: 09 Feb 2015 Posts: 684

Absolutely! I was exited by the prospect of getting a bottle of Glen Garioch 1999 - Batch 30 as the price and and ABV all looked promising.

I was about the grab a bottle but then I decided to get 3 Verious 'Drinks by the Dram' samples.

The Glen Garioch 1999 - Batch 30 Sample was actually awful. I don't know if I have an uber sensitive nose, but it was sulphered to hell. Actually made me feel quite sick.
I've had slightly sulphered Sherry Casks before but this one makes you think how it was actually bottled as a single malt.

opelfruit · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 8:47 am Post subject:

There is a joint award for the worst whisky I've had and they both come from Island ditilleries who played about with cask mixes to get flavour into their poor and young NAS bottles; Highland Park Dark Origins and Talisker Storm.

The Talisker was barely drinkable, but i struggled through the bottle (mainly saving it for when I was full of a cold so I didn't have to smell it) and the HP was undrinkable to the point that the portion of the bottle I had went down the sink - the first and only time in my life I've pour away whisky.
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"Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whisky is barely enough."

ralfy legend · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 8:56 am Post subject:

Wow Opel you've surprised me with the talisker storm, was it really that bad? I tried black bottle a few years ago that almost made me sick then a famous grouse that I just don't like.

ralfy legend · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 8:57 am Post subject:

Wow Opel you've surprised me with the talisker storm, was it really that bad? I tried black bottle a few years ago that almost made me sick then a famous grouse that I just don't like.

sorren · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 10:03 am Post subject:

I have had a few that I did not like but that's more down to my palate but there was one that was really bad in my opinion and that was from Adnams.. the nose was disgusting and the palate was even worse.. I will say others might find it ok.

opelfruit · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 10:31 am Post subject:

Blakey · Master Of Malts Joined: 07 Sep 2009 Posts: 261

I have to say I find the Talisker Storm a decent whisky and far from being a bad whisky, it isn't the greatest Talisker and not quite the peaty peppery storm that the name may suggest it will be but still a decent whisky which I would rate 85/100 compared to the Talisker 10 which I would rate 93/100. As I said it is not the greatest Talisker but I do not find it flawed in any way to add it to a list of bad whisky.

Acksboy · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 12:05 pm Post subject:

On the topic of Loch Dhu, has anyone tried it and can verify that it's as bad as the reviews I've heard? It sounds almost comically awful ("the nasal equivalent of a bad traffic accident") and surely shows distillers the detrimental effects of adding caramel.

https://www.maltmadness.com/malt-whisky/bad-whisky.html

Here's the malt madness s***list which gives some fairly withering opinions of a few malts. Typically Loch Dhu occupies the bottom two places!
Again, can anyone give their own story on these?

unblended · Master Of Malts Joined: 20 Mar 2015 Posts: 439

i was silly enough to try loch dhu many years ago creosote and stale fag ash come to mind I poured the rest of the bottle down the drain it was awful

I quite like the talisker storm cracking nose better than the 10 year old as far as I'm concerned but both are good

was it caramel or to much charring of the barrels (loch dhu) ??

richard

Acksboy · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 2:23 pm Post subject:

Mannochmore have always said the heavy charring is to blame but it's much speculated that they overdid it on the e150! I guess the charring would make more sense given your description of the taste; fag ash... wow Shocked

TheWM · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 2:25 pm Post subject:

Bells.

unblended · Master Of Malts Joined: 20 Mar 2015 Posts: 439

i read somewhere on a bourbon site the more you char a barrel the more caramel you produce ?
Richard

a friend who is not into whisky once discribed balls as petrol

5-12-1908 · Master Of Malts Joined: 22 Dec 2010 Posts: 307

That first ardbeg......arrrrgggg!
Was thinking of pouring it down the drain but ended up finishing the bottle.
Glenfiddich distillers edition. I didnt like it andforced it down and gave company unusually larges glasses. Ive still got two bottles left. But i just dont like it.

Quaich1 · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 4:52 pm Post subject:

I haven't had many that completely turned me off. The winner of that unwanted category would have to be Sivo L'Essence du Single Malt from Quebec, Canada. I eventually gave the almost full bottle away to a friend who was willing to try it. It's at the very very very back of his cupboard still. Glenmorangie Lasanta and Highland Park Dark Origins raised the sulphur card for me and I''ll pass on those in future.
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"Always carry a large flagon of whisky in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake."
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