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It is an excellent bottle indeed. Glad you enjoy it too Christine 🥃

@@whiskyjourney175 Thank you so much! Very kind! Cheers!!

Thanks for your comment mate. 2024 has really been a great year for independent rum in my opinion and for me has outshone the majority of single malt scotch I have had this year. There are some indepedent bottlings of Caol Ila that I have enjoyed, but yeah they don't come cheap. This blend is a bit pricey however I do think it is worth the money. Really nice score on that Thompson Bros 19 year old...I am sure it will be great! I have always been impressed with their rum offerings - it's a shame that they have not released any rum in quite some time. Yep, I have been getting more rum at auction as well these days as you can find some real bargains if you are patient. Hope you enjoy the rum when you pop it open tonight. Slainte 🥃

Thanks for your comment mate and glad you enjoyed the comparison. This 2006 is excellent and definitely one to keep on your short list. Cheers 🥃

Thanks for your comment mate. Yeah G&M can be particularly pricey unfortunately, and this release is on the expensive side. However, it did suprise me with its notes, which are different to all the other Caol Ila's I have had over the years. Cheers for the Cadenhead's recommendations - it has been quite some time since I have got a bottle from them, so will definitely keep them on my radar. When I have bought from them I have always found that their releases generally are great vallue for money, they currently have a 16 year old Caol Ila for £115 which I think is a fair price. But yeah it has been good to get back into Caol Ila again as not had a bottle in quite some time. Thanks for watching mate 🥃

Thanks mate, had to take a wee break. Got a nice backlog of rums to review so hope to get a few more reviews out over the next few months. Picking my favourite bottle of the year is not going to be easy. Take care mate 🥃

That would be really sweet mate, thank you. I would be privileged to review them. You can hit me up on IG (link is on my channel page) if/when you have the chance. Could do a sample swap or something like that - I am sure you would find something to enjoy in my collection that you have not tried. Thanks again bud 🥃

Thanks for your comment mate. Price wise it is a bit steep, but pretty much in line with other independent bottlers like Gordon & MacPhail etc. Definitely worth a purchase if you are a fan of Caol Ila. If you decide to get a bottle I am pretty certain you would not be disappointed. Cheers 🥃

@whiskyjourney175 do you have a favourite IB of Caol ila or any to particular you know to be v.good please? I've got my eye on a rare cask, and G&M 2006 (wish I could find the 2000 thou!)

@@-xirx- I am not that familiar with IB of Caol Ila. A few years back I would regularly get the Elements Of Islay series. They bottled several Caol Ila expressions, most around 6-8 years old if my memory is right. Very competitively priced (around £60 or so) and all very enjoyable, albeit a tad youthful. Back then I could not afford more expensive expressions with more age, so these bottles were great to get my Caol Ila fix. Probably difficult to get now, but if you find any at around the price I mentioned you should definitely get a bottle - mind they only came in 50cl bottles, however I still think it was worth it at that price. This Halcyon Spirits bottle is obviously a different beast to the Elements Of Islay releases - more mature, less alcohol bite etc. I cannot speak regarding the Rare Cask and G&M bottles as I have never had them, but I don't think you could go wrong. Perhaps seek out a sample if you can before committing to an entire bottle - I know that is not always easy but it's a lot of money to spend. I got the Halcyon Spirits bottle based on the strength of their previous release (Burnside) which is excellent imo. Sometimes you have to take a punt and hope for the best lol. Don't know if I have really answered your question, but yeah the Elements Of Islay bottles were great value as far as IB go. Cheers 🥃

@@whiskyjourney175 Thank you very much for taking the time to reply to me so helpfully, I appreciate it. I have seen the elements series, think they might have gone up in price quite a bit now (can point to their desirability), but didn't know anything about them before though, so thank you, I will investigate samples. Good luck with the channel! ✌

@@-xirx- Cheers mate and good luck with your investigations. Also keep an eye out for North Star Spirits Caol Ila offerings. Have had a few of them in the past and they have also been good quality at an affordable price. Cheers 🥃

Think you may be referencing Serge's review at Whiskyfun because he mentions the "soapiness"? I read his review a month or so back and to be honest I disagree with some of his thoughts. First he states it is a "classic high-ester Jamaican" on the nose - In my opinion it is not and you would be disappointed getting it with that in mind. The Whisky Jury STCE and Cambridge STCE are far more estery and funky. I would consider this Whisky Blues release to be on par with the Kill Devil 16 year old release - so lower to medium ester levels. Having drunk a bottle of this I don't understand the soapy aspect he is talking about. I never felt that - I mostly agree with his assessment of the other tasting notes though, which I found to be very enjoyable. It is a challenging high ABV rum, and will certainly not be for everyone. However, of all the Long Ponds I do have this one does come in last place. It's not a bad dram or anything like that...it's just that I prefer the other bottles that I have. So, from first to last, Cambridge 12 year old, Kill Devil 16 Year Old, Thompson Bros 22 year old tied with the Whisky Jury 7 year old and lastly this Whisky Blues 17 year old. A very good bottle, but I would not purchase another one because there are other Long Pond botttles I would purchase first if given the chance.

@@whiskyjourney175 thank you for so many helpfull details. I had this recommended to me for a tasting session, but from what I gather in that price category there are better options. It also might be a little too intense for people who are not fully into rum, or the Jamaican style.

@@BDamen1984 Yes, it is an intense rum and to be honest does benefit with a good half hour or so in the glass, so maybe not the best option for a tasting. A bottle I would recommend (have not reviewed it yet) is The Cane II 15 year old Jamaican blend from Precious Drops. It's a blend of pot and column still rums from Long Pond/New Yarmouth/Clarendon/Worthy Park. It's funky and estery, but not over the top, has a really good balance with nice complexity imo and very quaffable. A quality bottle and a good introduction to Jamaican rums.

Thanks for your comment mate. Yes, definitely a lighter style compared to higher ester Hampden and Long Pond. As much as I love the funk from these two distilleries I cannot drink them all the time, so this Worthy Park is definitely my favourite Worthy Park when I want something a bit different. It's a stunning bottle imo, and my favourite Worthy Park by some distance 🥃

Apologies no reviews recently mate, but will hopefully find some time soon to get some done. Yes, this particular Kill Devil is my 2nd favourite Long Pond...I slightly prefer the 12 year old Cambridge, but it's expensive unless you can get it discounted. This Kill Devil was great value for money imo, and you can really play around with water. I still have a little left but it will be gone soon. It was heavily discounted on MOM for just over £100 recently, and I should have got another bottle but didn't unfortunately. This year I have been getting into Long Pond in quite a big way and it is fast becoming one of my favourite rum distilleries...the only other distillery that has rivalled it for me thiis year has been T.D.L. as been drinking quite a few expressions from them as well. Hope you and your Mrs are keeping well mate and good to hear form you. I'm here but have had to slow down a bit. Take care bud! 🥃

@@whiskyjourney175 Great to hear from you and apologies for my silence too. I'm sipping a lovely Long Pond single cask 2009 by Plantation which brings me on to this observation. Plantation are releasing excellent rum these days when they are bottled at good strength. I've had a number from all over the world, both column and pot still. This particular Long Pond expression was Tropically aged for 8 years in ex-bourbon and Continentally aged for 4 years in ex-Ferrand casks before being finished for 7 months in ex-Spanish orange wine casks. It's bottled at 53.2% and drinks beautifully at that strength. It's well worth keeping an eye out for these Plantation offerings.

@@welshtoro3256 That Long Pond looks to be a promising bottle mate. Have done a bit of digging (based on your clues) and it looks to be from our pal Milroys. Will definitely seek a bottle out mate so cheers for the recommendation. Plantation have got a lot of stick (will let you google the history if you don't know about it) but if the juice is good I am more than willing to give it a go. Looks to be well priced as well so will definitely consider a purchase.

@@whiskyjourney175 Let's face it, the history of rum distilleries point to one thing only. We know the history and that can't be changed. A few years back the greatest criticism of Plantation (as it was) was due to the mediocre abv of its releases. However, now that some of their releases are single cask and bottled at good strength it's game on. The prices are good too. I had a fine bottle of Port Mourant 15 yr (22 casks) which was 13 years tropical ageing. I also got a well aged bottle from Fiji I think. I'd completely forgotten where I bought the Long Pond so thank you for reminding me. It's definitely worth a punt and I might pick up another bottle.

Packaging, ffs 🤣🤡

Thank you for your comment mate and really glad you got both of those Whisky Jury releases. I actually have the Fiji on the way as well and look forward to opening it. If you enjoy Long Pond, or Jamaican rum in general, I am sure you will really enjoy the 7 year old. There are some great independent rum bottlers out there and The Whisky Jury are definitely one of them. I have never had a "bad" release from them, all of them have been great quality. Hope you have a great visit to the UK and I am sure the Whisky Exchange Rum Show will be a great experience. Wish I had the time to go down and attend, but unfortunately all my annual leave has been used up for the year. When you do get to open your bottles let me know what you think 🥃

@@whiskyjourney175 Thanks. Keep the reviews coming. In case you're unaware, there's a new El Dorado lbi 'high ester' that has just come out and looks interesting and Black Tot's Master Blender's Reserve 2024 is just about to be released if you're into navy rums.

@@beebeedubop Just sipping on the Fiji just now mate and it is lovely. I am sure that you will really enjoy both of those bottles. Will check out the "high ester" one and will get the Master's Reserve 2024 if I can. So many good rums around just now. Milroy's have just released a few more Whisky Jury bottles as well - The Duo (blend of Hampden and Long Pond) is the one I am really considering getting...but kind of blown my budget for the month already lol. Take care and hope to hear from you soon 🥃

@@whiskyjourney175 I look forward to trying it. I already have a Fiji from Swell de Spirits, which is decent. Also, as you rightly say, this is a good time for rum, with so many good ones coming out. Like you, I'm also curious about The Duo, although I worry a little that the Hampden may be a bit overpowering. Of course, I could be wrong and, in any case, I'd love to try it. As it is, in addition to the Long Pond and Fiji, I've already stockpiled quite a few other rums to bring back to Taiwan with me, so I don't think I'll get one. Still, if you end up getting one, it would make a good choice for a review down the line.

@@whiskyjourney175 I've finally had a chance to try the Whisky Jury rums. I'm loving the Long Pond - it's one of my favourite distilleries. There's a tiny bit of heat, but that's fine for a 7-year-old. The Fiji is also very good. I'm getting notes of mango, watermelon, plastic and nail varnish. Great stuff!

Thanks for the correction on the pronunciation mate :) Need to brush up on my French lol 🥃

Nice one mate and thanks for your comment. Yeah like you I never win in ballots lol but glad that you were fortuante to get a bottle. I am sure you will enjoy it mate!

Thanks for your comment mate. Surprised that people passed up on it...it is one of the releases I look forward to the most every year. I still prefer the 2023 as imo it has a bit more balance between the sherry and Kilkerran spirit, however the 2024 is still an amazing dram for the money and hard to beat it at its price point.

@@whiskyjourney175 I was surprised too, but they were just interested in the local barley 13 year, springbank 15 and the springbank 10 there was 11 killKerran ‘s eight cask strength left in the end plus a few longrow nv which by the way is amazing this new batch 14/11/23 I managed to pick a couple of these up.

For £80 you can't really go wrong in my opinion. Only reason I opted out of getting it is because I already have about 4-5 open bottles of Foursquare, the 12 CS being one of them. Definitely get it if your Foursquare collection is running a little thin. Cheers 🥃

Many thanks for your comment. It is a fabulous bottle...one of if not the best peated expressions I have had in a while. I tasted it again last night and I think it is even more impressive than when I reviewed it. An excellent, nicely aged Laphraoig at a very decent price. Cheers!

@@whiskyjourney175 I am so happy you enjoyed a fresh dram even more since initially reviewing this wonderful Laphroaig! Fabulous! I hope you have an amazing weekend!! I always adore Islay scotch!! 🙂

lol nice spot mate, Anthems is a classic album along with Nightside. One of my favourite bands along with Arcturus/Enslaved/Mayhem/Ulver...basically most of the early Norwegian black metal scene 🥃

Oh man.. some high ester Hampden and some Norwegian Black metal is a great mix. Anthems to drinking in the dusk

Thank you for your comment. For a youthful Longrow it is well done in my opinion, and holds up very well with the addition of water. I am glad I managed to get it and hope other folk will get the opportunity 🥃

@@whiskyjourney175 Yes I love it when many people have an opportunity to enjoy good whisky. I wish prices allowed for more people to partake. All spirits seem to be getting a bit out of control in prices and while I can afford it I hate companies taking advantage of enthusiasts. I enjoy your thoughts a lot! 🙂

Many thanks for your comment. Yes, completely agree with you that the Kilkerran 8 opens up over time. The 2023 batch is just great, and has amazing balance between the spirit and the sherry casks. The 2024 batch I found to be more distillate led but still a great dram. I will definitely get around to do a full review soon of the 2024 and do another comparison between the 2023. Imo one of the best value whiskies around if you can get it at retail price. Being in Canada I can only empathise the prices you have to pay but Kilkerran is always a solid purchase imo. Just don't pay the flippers of course :) Just noticed that you have subscribed so welcome to the channel and great to have you here 🥃

@@whiskyjourney175 🙂

To be honest with you mate I am not sure.

Thank you for the comment and the vote of confidence :)

Glad you managed to get a bottle bud. Ended up being my favourite value peated expression from last year. For under £60 you get cask strength/natural colour/non-chill filtered and a vatting of 15 year old Caol Ila to boot. I think adding the Caol Ila was a smart choice and gives it some extra balance and maturity. Does need a little bit of time to fully open up imo, but it's highly enjoyable, and kinda flew under the radar so to speak 🥃

@@whiskyjourney175 Argh, guess what. I'd paid for it, the last bottle, but the shop called me back the next day to say it had been sold. The shop in question is Aston's of Manchester and they have a good range of Chorlton. Anyway, they persuaded me to give the Chorlton Ardnamurchan 7 a go instead. It's a hard life.

Glad to hear that you are enjoying it! It is a good dram in my opinion, but (a big but) it really needs to be at a much higher strength to really keep me interested. I drink a lot of rum at very high strength (a lot over 60% ABV) that has the intensity that I am looking for in my drams. Tasting the Ardbeg Spectacular when I am used to high strength rums it all comes across a bit weak for my palatte. As you said we are all different and have different opinions...that's the beauty of the spirits world. Many thanks for your comment 🥃

@@whiskyjourney175 Yes very different! I am not a rum fan - way too sweet! Cheers!

You had me at Belize!👍

There are so many great rums that cost less than this that truly blow me away. The Nectar Hampden DOK, the Nectar New Yarmouth, the Habitation Velier Renegade, the Thompson Bros Dominican and TDL, the Paplin sherry cask...the list is endless. When you take things into perspective that's when you realise the Ardbeg limited releases are so overpriced.

The Whisky Blues Hampden 15 year old is not that much more expensive than the Ardbeg. Now that dram is truly Spectacular 😁

Rum....eeewwww

Only in your world where rum would ever take the place of a single malt

Yes the single (peated) port casks from Benriach were seriously good, and great value for money too. Unfortunately for me all long gone, but have very fond memories of them. Obviously a different style of peat, but it had that juicy character and were far, far darker in colour and a much richer experience. But throwing Ardbeg into Quinta Ruban casks comes across as a bit lazy...they could have crafted something seriously special but in the end it comes across as a bit of a mediocre project. Don't get me wrong I still think this is a decent dram, however could have been so much more if they had bumped up the ABV (55%+) and chosen first fill port casks. However, we all know the price would have been insane if they had gone that route. As usual cheers for you comments bud 🥃

Thanks for your comment and yeah I completely agree with you regarding the port influence and I was surprised at how light the spirit is...in my opinion these were "tired" casks and the dram simply does not have the "juicy" character which I would expect from port cask maturation as it remains consistently dry throughout. After having a few more drams post review I feel this was a missed opportunity in my opinion as they could and should have used fresh port casks which would have made things a lot more interesting. I still feel this is a decent dram, however as I stated in my review just not worth the price.

@@whiskyjourney175 Missed opportunity is the perfect way to sum this up. Could have actually been spectacular....

@@McIntyresMalts Not a missed opportunity mate. A well thought out and calculated strategy by Ardbeg and its owners, LVMH, in order to promote decent malt at twice the price it should be. Check out my comment and reply to Nicholas.

@@welshtoro3256 I need to do a comparison tasting between the Spectacular and Chorlton Whisky's Dun Dearg 5 year old. I did do a review of it but it did not get that many views - basically a blended malt of 2 thirds 5 year old Ardbeg and 1 third of Caol Ila 15 year old. A seriously good dram for the price - around £55 it was and bottled at a hefty 56.9% ABV!

Indeed it is a difficult choice, and I have not tried all the rums you list, but I would personally go for the Caroni. Out of the 3 bottles of Caroni I have (the Master Of Malt, the That-Boutiquey Rum Company and this one) I enjoy this one the most as I feel it encapsulates what Caroni is all about. Just having a wee nip of it now and all the notes of Caroni are strong - rubbery funk, medicinal balms, industrial character, big menthol notes in the finish to name a few of the notes. The other Caroni bottles I have mentioned may be higher strength (60% ABV+) but feel more polished, and have less of the character of Caroni I am looking for. The 100th Anniversary just feels more "heavy" even at the lower strength. It's just an excellent bottle. The Hampden Great House 2023 for me is a very good bottle, however I prefer the 2022 release. More funk on the 2022, more esters, perhaps more unrefined, less fruity than the 2023, however I personally prefer the "rawer" funkier character of the 2022 release. I have not had the Foursquare, however without tasting it would it be that much different than other Foursquare releases? I have around 5-6 different Foursquare relases, and they are really good, however if I had to blind taste them I would find it difficult to really tell them apart. The Renaissance red wine cask I cannot really comment on as I have not had it (I am assuming this is the Whisky Exchange release). Overrall I find the Caroni release to be very unique and different. Sure it's expensive, but if I had the choice I would go with the Caroni personally. But that's just me, so take it with a massive grain of salt 🥃

@@whiskyjourney175 cheers mate thanks a lot, I will most likely go with the Caroni! Look forward to future reviews, you’ve earned a new sub 🔥

@@C1maCat I am sure that whatever choice you make you will be happy with the outcome. Keep me posted on what you ended up going for. Cheers for the sub mate 🥃

Many thanks for your comment mate and for clarifying. It's a shame they could not just put this information on the bottle or the packaging. It's a very good drop but at its price point I would appreciate more transparency. Will definitely check out WhiskyCast so appreciate the recommendation 🥃

Okay, but what kind of port goes into the Quinta Ruban casks and how long is it in those casks? Is it even port that goes on sale? Then whisky is put into those questionable casks for 14 odd years. Remember, Glenmorangie might re-use those casks in future Quinta Ruban blending. Then, we stick peated whisky in it. What trace of port is left after that? It's exactly the issue behind the sherry scam in the whisky industry.

Lumsden specifically said that these were second fill casks and only used for 18-24 months. He said that it was a shame to get rid of them after one use, which is why he came up with this plan to use them in Spectacular-so they haven’t been reused by Glenmo, and they are second fill casks.

@@NicholasFrangipane Fair enough and good info Nicholas. We still have to get to the bottom of what the original casks were. These days they're usually rubbish.

Thanks for commenting bud. Ardbeg have been going this way for several years now with the pricing of their special releases, which is why I have not bought any since 2017 (Kelpie committee release). Main reason I got the Spectacular was because I do enjoy port cask maturation, especially with peated drams, and I sourced it for £95 from my local without any postage fees as I just popped in. £95 was the "cheapest" I could find it for, albeit that is still expensive for a NAS 46% ABV whisky. This will more than likely be my last purchase of their special releases for many years due to the price. Regarding the port influence (this is just my opinion of course) I suspect refill port casks were used, possibly "tired ones". Although the port influence is most definitely there, and gives it some lovely berry sweetness, the dram just does not have that "juicy" profile I am looking for with port cask maturation. It has that typical Ardbeg dryness to the finish, which remains consistent throughout the finish - with the port cask maturation I would expect at least some juicy profile to show itself. A good reference point for me is the Benriach single cask peated port pipe releases - all high strength, natural colour etc, which for me has that juicier profile mingling with the peat. Perhaps the port influence at times can overshadow things a bit, but it still remains a solid dram, carries an age statement, and comes at a decent enough price, usually sub £100. If Ardbeg went this way (they won't) the price would be astronomical of course. Also due to me drinking mainly high strength rums these days, the 46% ABV just does not cut the mustard really, and lacks the full on intensity that I enjoy from higher strength releases. Having said all that I do enjoy the Spectacular, but it's simply just not worth the price. Due to where I am now in my spirits journey I would rather get a fantastic age stated release from a rum distillery like Long Pond/Hampden/Clarendon/TDL etc, etc. It's the main reason why I am a bit disillusioned with whisky at the moment, you can see by how many whisky reviews I have done this year...there are so many fantastic rums (that are truly spectacular) that I am enjoying that are within, and sometimes way below the budget I have for whisky 🥃

You know what I think about this but thank you for summarising it so well. 😁

Yeah definitely overpriced mate. Over here in the UK the prices do differ by quite a bit. I got a bottle from my local down the road for £95 which kind of swayed me as most places are charging over £100 🥃

Of course it is John. It's a £50 whisky. Check out my comments.

Hey mate, it was available in the UK from Milroy's Of Soho. Was actually available for several months. Milroys seem to be the only one in the UK that stock Whisky Blues releases. They currently have x3 different rums availabe at the moment. I have been eyeing the 20 year old Guyana for a few weeks now but have not pulled the trigger yet 🥃

@@whiskyjourney175 wow damn that's great news. I'm located at a part of the world where I can easily source this IB and I have to say I haven't hit a dud yet from them. Great review too btw, I loved the petrol and fruit on the nose of this long pond. Ended up with a case of the stuff to put to sleep.

@@Marcus-qw9sx Nice one mate. Like you have never had a "bad" bottle from them yet. Their 15 year old Hampden is still the best rum I have had so far this year. That Kill Devil Long Pond 16 is also excellent and amazing value imo.

@@whiskyjourney175 Well.. some of their younger whiskies aren't to my taste (especially the price!!!) but the rums they bottle are really good stuff indeed. I'm jealous of the Kill Devil! That's an IB terribly hard to find at my side.

From Wilde about Whisky by the way.

Thanks for your comment mate. Agree, it is special and very different isn't it. Had a pour last night and still find it just as intriguing as when I first opened the bottle. Definitely a rum distillery to keep an eye on 🥃

It's a tough price isn't it. Dram has opened up a wee bit more for me, and I am glad I got it, however I am really into rum at the moment, and there are several rum releases I would get and have tasted that I much prefer at around the same price or less. Did you make a decision in the end?

Cheers for the comment mate. It looks like the distillery are doing really good things and will be interesting to see some more releases with a bit more age. That bubble gum note is really unique...can't say I have ever had a rum with that sort of note. I found that note to be quite light on this particular release, so for me it blends together really nicely with all that sweet, estery fruit. Hopefully will get a chance to try out the Overproof at some point 🥃

@@whiskyjourney175 There's also a Tasmanian unaged one called New Norfolk ‘Drone Riot’ (60%). Tastes quite like New Yarmouth, if you ask me! A funky, husky drop.

@@hordeum-vulgare Sounds amazing mate. I just checked their website and they have a cool looking tasting set, "Rum Enthusiast", which includes a sample of the Drone Riot. Unfortunately only shipping available in Australia, as they can't ship worldwide ☹ I most definitely would have got that if I could just to try out their rums 🥃

Thanks bud, definitely worth picking up when you can 🥃

Many thanks for your comment mate. Yeah Serge did like this one. I agree it is expensive for a 10 year old rum, but not often you get to see single cask Diamond H. If you are interested and would like a sample at all hit me up on Instagram (link is on my youtube homepage). I did a recent sample swap that turned out really well 🥃

Thanks for your comment mate and hopefully will see you at the next one. Cheers for reaching out and I have messaged you back. Cheers 🥃