Whisky Reviews

[Part-time]

I was drinking it straight from the tree in my garden, maybe my tree wasn't a very good vintage that year, it just tasted like chewing a piece of wood to me lol.

I can see how that would put you off
I usually collect mine early to mid April - if you are too early nothing much comes out. You are supposed to collect the sap before the buds start to grow (end April usually) and definitely before any leaves start to flush - I've not experienced it but any sap collected after the tree has started to flush is supposed to have a bad taste.

[Bobfly]

The root system wakes up first and weeks before you will visibly see active swelling to bud burst. Early Feb to late March will have birch sap flow. Much in alignment with maple sap collection in Canada. I had quite heavy flow on a large birch stump this year in the first week of Feb with snow on the ground. The buds need to have that carb input before bud break. I do not know if there is a "quality" variation during that early spell but it must come before leaf growth or you would risk have ploem downward flow mixing into the initial upwards xylem only flow when you might be trying to tap the"sap".

[Part-time]

I do not know if there is a "quality" variation during that early spell but it must come before leaf growth or you would risk have ploem downward flow mixing into the initial upwards xylem only flow when you might be trying to tap the"sap".

That sounds a very likely reason for the poor taste in the sap you are supposed to get if you collect it too late. Early on there is no problem with the quality of the sap, just the rate you can tap it. There is some variation between individual trees, and season to season, and I usually start doing some test drills in March but usually find the flow doesn't get going well until April - by well I mean one tree filling a 5 litre bottle in less than 24 hours I'll save some syrup for you this spring coming

[Part-time]

Incidentally, in collecting sap for making the syrup; it might be worth having a hydrometer to check the density of the sap you collect and through a diary of dates of collections and locations... you could work out which trees and where and when give you the most sugars in the sap..? That'd help save energy in the boiling off stage...?

E.

Sounds like a good idea Tony but I suspect I'm a bit disorganised for that. At the scale I'm working at I don't know it would make a huge difference to the volume being reduced. I guess I'm reducing the sap by over 90% and probably nearer to 95%.


Apologies for the diversion of the whisky thread. If you like Strathspey malts try the Aultmore (near Keith) distillery.  If you like the a'bunadh you may well like the Aultmore cask strength.   

[caorach]

I have toured a fair few distilleries over the past few years and have seen the rise in "fancy named, no age statement" brands, some have some old whisky in them, but the bulk is much younger. Some I do like, the Quarter Cask from Laphroaig is one in particular, but I think some are cashing in on the surge for Malt and just using younger stuff as a filler to fill the shelves in shops, the Macallan Gold is one in particular, I am told by those in the trade, that one is a big mistake by a big player.

I've heard that Macallan is going back to putting age on their bottles rather than made up balderdash, no idea if that is true. It must be said that before all this "colour" thing Macallan was a very reliable and consistent whisky and their 12 year old was great value as you got everything that was in a £250 bottle but just less of it in terms of depth of taste and refinement. You just couldn't go wrong with it.

As for the Isle of Lewis distillery, let's put it this way I took one smell of it and refused to drink it. I am expecting the Harris people to do a much better job.

[arawa]

I had never heard of this distillery but it was absolutely no hardship at all helping 2 friends finish this bottle!
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[superscot]

Anyone tried a wee nip of this

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[Billy]

Never tried it but it was local to us in Clydebank where I was brought up..
Its down near the Erskine bridge.

It will be interesting to know if it is any good.

Billy

[Lochan_load]

I've had a couple of them but can't remember if it was the American oak or not. The standard 12 year old is nice stuff, reminded me of Oban.......to be fair I generally like every whisky I try  :lol:

Drive by it all the time billy and used to work across the road at the school from time to time, still never been in, I'll do it sometime!

[Inchlaggan]

The Auchentoshan American Oak is rather nice, if light.
Watch the ASDA website, they (occasionally) have £40+ malts down to £25ish, usually without an age statement, but I can live with that.