What to do with a single malt that just doesn't do it!

[Quaich1]

I wanted to mention something that relates to doing some experimentation with malts that are not particularly fascinating or that actually appear somewhat mediocre. This happened to me with a bottle of Mortlach Rare Old. I've been a fan of Mortlach aged statements for a long while. I've been impressed with Mortlach 18, 25 and 26 year expressions and have actually written my reviews for these whiskies for William's featured Whisky News Section from here in Canada in the past. So I had the dilemma with the Rare Old. Had about 4 or 5 drams out of my bottle over a month or more and nothing improved and my best guess was that fireworks were not going to spontaneously occur with this one. So I decided to turn such a malt into a vatted malt. I ended up with the following recipe or marriage that I came up with: 60% proportion of Mortlach Rare Old 43.4% abv., 20% proportion of Glenfiddich 15 Distillery Ed., 51%abv; 15% proportion Glenlivet Cipher 48% abv. and 5% proportion of Bowmore Devil's Casks 10 year small batch 56.9% abv. I let it be and when I decided to nose and taste it I found a rather intriguing and quite complex and I dare say most enjoyable vatted malt. Never discard a bottle of single malt but try to decipher what's wrong with it. In this case, The Rare Old is neither rare nor old and by marrying it with more substantial and tastier malts, it morphed into something special. Your thoughts?

Cheers,
Murray
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"Always carry a large flagon of whisky in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake."
W.C. Fields (1880-1946)

[MattS]

I can only say that I think you did the right thing and as you're happy with the result, that's success.

[Jorvus]

I often think of doing this with the malts that have been exiled for crimes against my palette! My problem is most of these are lower quality malts with very few redeeming features.

For instance, I recently received a NAS Auchentoshen as a gift that tastes as if I have personally insulted the distillers and they wanted vengeance. I don't see a way back for this
malt and would be reticent to add anything of a higher quality to it for fear of it being wasted on a lost cause.

Outside of these thoughtful gifts I do sometimes think of adding a little Ardbeg or Caol Ila to my usual Glencadam 10 just to see what wonders might occur.

[MaltArfa]

[Jorvus]

[Paulm]

I have the same dilemma as the OP.

A grateful client gave me a bottle of ‘Darkness’ ALLT-A-BHAINE 23 year old. At over £100 for a 50cl bottle I was expecting to love it. I knew I wouldn’t on the nose. It smells like port and has a liqueur kind of consistency. Added water and also thought some time and air in the bottle would improve it but alas it hasn’t. I really could do with some thought of what I should add to it. I have a reasonable collection so any suggestions appreciated.

[Albie]

Have you any single grain whisky to hand, try a test sample adding a drop of grain whisky at a time.

[Paulm]

[pilch69]

[blackcipher]

I get a tall glass with a heap of ice and fill with coke and said unenjoyable whisky. Got.one I'm working through at the moment.

[Peloquin]

Start an infinity bottle or 2 with it or share it out among your mates.

[lincoln imp]

I have just given my wife a bottle of the latest Deanston 12 as it is not to my liking, otherwise I have a live blended malt bottle, sometimes the mix works, sometimes not.
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Pour me a glass please.

[Jimny14]

I like having a bottle of something like that for hot toddies when I'm not feeling great. If I'm drinking a toddy I am unlikely to be able to taste much anyway.