[dorkeugene]

   
Laproaigh is somewhat hyped and overpriced IMO. That being said Ardbeg is moving in that direction, and have been for a few years now. Even so, both taste and history-wise, Ardbeg's definitely has way more of the Grado-spirit (pun intended). As a little fun fact, both distilleries are almost neighbours only separated by Lagavulin. All three make up the south-shore distilleries of Islay, which have a distinct and highly peated taste and smell to them (that you either love of hate). Laffy's way too closed and heavy, Laga's a bit too commercialized (altho still good) and they both color and chill-filter their spirits, which is a big shame! (minus some special bottlings). I say this because the non-chillfiltered bottlings show the destillate's true potential. Think of it as unmodded SR-60s, maybe even "worse." Go try some Ardbeg. I recommend the TEN and Uigeadail as a great introduction, but not necessarily back-to-back.

 
Laphroaig 10yr only recently got bumped up in price...all brown spirits are going up in price because China and India's middle class have discovered it.  A year ago Laphroaig 10yr was the best deal of any single malt at $29.99 in California.  Laphroaig Quarter Cask was $42.99 and the 18yr was $89.99.  Funny you mention Ardbeg, because ever since they were bought by LVMH in 1997, they've been vatting NAS special/collectible bottlings whereas Laphroaig generally doesn't.  The only really limited edition Laphroaigs being put out are their Feis Isle Cairdeas releases.
 
Lagavulin isn't commercialized, rofl.  They have the lowest output of the three Islay distilleries you've mentioned, hence their range being limited to just the 16yr, Distiller's Edition and 12yr Cask Strength.  Laphroaig Quarter Cask is also NCF and has no caramel coloring, so don't cry too much!  If you want quick and dirty comparisons, here's the lowdown:
 
Laphroaig - Bandaids, very syrupy sweet, very peaty.  A simple pleasure.
Lagavulin - The 16yr is richer, the 12yr is unremarkable. Very peaty, but a shade less than Laphroaig. Oysters, dried fruits.
Ardbeg - Grungier peat, big, not as sweet as either above.
Bowmore - Medium-high peat, light, sweet.
Kilchoman - Very peaty, lemon meringue, creamy taste, sweet.
Caol Ila - Piney, very peaty, seemingly effervescent, light, malty.
Bruichladdich - Oily, viscous, virtually unpeated. Stewed fruits.
Bunnahabhain - Nutty, chocolate/toffee, virtually unpeated
 
There's not a bad whisky distillery on that list, but Laphroaig dearest to my taste buds and sweet tooth.
 
Now back to your headphone talk.

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

^^^ I think this is the only thread where "whiskey talk" is a fair diversion, at least till headphones start showing up on doorsteps...

 

[Wyd4]

Man I am thirsty

 

[mrscotchguy]

Laphroaig 10yr only recently got bumped up in price...all brown spirits are going up in price because China and India's middle class have discovered it.  A year ago Laphroaig 10yr was the best deal of any single malt at $29.99 in California.  Laphroaig Quarter Cask was $42.99 and the 18yr was $89.99.  Funny you mention Ardbeg, because ever since they were bought by LVMH in 1997, they've been vatting NAS special/collectible bottlings whereas Laphroaig generally doesn't.  The only really limited edition Laphroaigs being put out are their Feis Isle Cairdeas releases.

Lagavulin isn't commercialized, rofl.  They have the lowest output of the three Islay distilleries you've mentioned, hence their range being limited to just the 16yr, Distiller's Edition and 12yr Cask Strength.  Laphroaig Quarter Cask is also NCF and has no caramel coloring, so don't cry too much!  If you want quick and dirty comparisons, here's the lowdown:

Laphroaig - Bandaids, very syrupy sweet, very peaty.  A simple pleasure.
Lagavulin - The 16yr is richer, the 12yr is unremarkable. Very peaty, but a shade less than Laphroaig. Oysters, dried fruits.
Ardbeg - Grungier peat, big, not as sweet as either above.
Bowmore - Medium-high peat, light, sweet.
Kilchoman - Very peaty, lemon meringue, creamy taste, sweet.
Caol Ila - Piney, very peaty, seemingly effervescent, light, malty.
Bruichladdich - Oily, viscous, virtually unpeated. Stewed fruits.
Bunnahabhain - Nutty, chocolate/toffee, virtually unpeated

There's not a bad whisky distillery on that list, but Laphroaig dearest to my taste buds and sweet tooth.

Now back to your headphone talk.

Couldn't have said it better myself. We'll, I could but it would have taken 10 pages. Cheers to Islay, "Slange"

Now to contact Diageo and see if I can get a Demo pair for my Whisk(e)y store!

 

[Corleone]

   
Laphroaig 10yr only recently got bumped up in price...all brown spirits are going up in price because China and India's middle class have discovered it.  A year ago Laphroaig 10yr was the best deal of any single malt at $29.99 in California.  Laphroaig Quarter Cask was $42.99 and the 18yr was $89.99.  Funny you mention Ardbeg, because ever since they were bought by LVMH in 1997, they've been vatting NAS special/collectible bottlings whereas Laphroaig generally doesn't.  The only really limited edition Laphroaigs being put out are their Feis Isle Cairdeas releases.
 
Lagavulin isn't commercialized, rofl.  They have the lowest output of the three Islay distilleries you've mentioned, hence their range being limited to just the 16yr, Distiller's Edition and 12yr Cask Strength.  Laphroaig Quarter Cask is also NCF and has no caramel coloring, so don't cry too much!  If you want quick and dirty comparisons, here's the lowdown:
 
Laphroaig - Bandaids, very syrupy sweet, very peaty.  A simple pleasure.
Lagavulin - The 16yr is richer, the 12yr is unremarkable. Very peaty, but a shade less than Laphroaig. Oysters, dried fruits.
Ardbeg - Grungier peat, big, not as sweet as either above.
Bowmore - Medium-high peat, light, sweet.
Kilchoman - Very peaty, lemon meringue, creamy taste, sweet.
Caol Ila - Piney, very peaty, seemingly effervescent, light, malty.
Bruichladdich - Oily, viscous, virtually unpeated. Stewed fruits.
Bunnahabhain - Nutty, chocolate/toffee, virtually unpeated
 
There's not a bad whisky distillery on that list, but Laphroaig dearest to my taste buds and sweet tooth.
 
Now back to your headphone talk.

You need to get your facts straight:
 
- 1997 was the year Glenmorangie bought Ardbeg from Allied and started restoring everything, even starting distilling that same year.
- It wasn't until 2004 that LVMH bought Glenmorangie with all it's assets. Of course Glenmorangie was the first to undergo changes as a result of this, and it took quite a while before they turned their attention to the rest of the bunch, including Ardbeg.
- A NAS bottling doesn't have to be a limited /special bottling, which is the case with many. A NAS isn't necessarily a sign of lower quality, and can absolutely be seen as a mark of great craftmanship. Examples of great NAS bottlings include Aberlour a'bunadh, Ardbeg Uigedail, Laphroaig Quarter Cask +++ Even so I am usually sceptical when a new NAS show up these days, because we all know how the market is.
- People have cried about LVMH's grasp over Ardbeg for ages, but it is just within the last +-3 years that we've seen any real effect of their ownership. Especially overpriced NAS bottlings that don't perform that well (altho the over-priced Galileo is really good!). I won't hold it against you if you wanna join that bandwagon. I even joined involuntarily a while back. Just be sure to differentiate between fact and wikipedia.
- There are definitely special bottlings of Laphroaig, altho these mostly come from IBs. If you really want something special, try the 21yo sherry cask.
- There are many ways to be commercialized. Lagavulin is something you see everywhere over here, and it's a over-polished Islay malt for sure. It's chillfiltered, caramel colored and the owner is Diageo. That last point alone should be enough to call it commercial. I absolutely despise Diageo, because they steal away the great potential of their wonderful single malts with CF and E150 for the sake of visual uniformity (ironically it's bottled in dark bottles afterwards). That and their horrendous schemes to save more and more $$$ + mothballing Port Ellen, Rosebank etc.
- Laphroaig barrier filter when they don't CF, and they still add caramel coloring to their 18yo. This seems unnecessary to me, altho the QC is a really good NAS.
 
If you think Laphroaig is sweeter, then you've been thoroughly fooled by the caramel coloring (E150) which they use quite a lot of. Ardbeg is by far the sweetest south shore malt, but is also so complex that it's easy to get lost in all the tastes (notice how it also changes with more and more air in the bottle). The sweetness is also the most natural of all three distilleries.

Ahwell, we can probably disagree for years to come. These are my opinions and are to be take as such. Many will probably agree with both of us

 

[Claritas]

They should consider a Laphroaig edition, a 125i with green glass earcups and a green headband lined with cork. 

 
I think Grado is a lowland, given its lightness and brightness. (Among Islays, it's most like Bruichladdich.)

 

[Corleone]

  They should consider a Laphroaig edition, a 125i with green glass earcups and a green headband lined with cork. 

 
I think Grado is a lowland, given its lightness and brightness. (Among Islays, it's most like Bruichladdich.)

 
Haha the perfect never-ending discussion! I've always take the grado's love-it-or-hate-it sound to be the rich peat with the obvious forwardness found in some of the Islay-malts
 
I totally love your idea with the headphones, but why not a 225?

 

[Claritas]

   
Haha the perfect never-ending discussion! I've always take the grado's love-it-or-hate-it sound to be the rich peat with the obvious forwardness found in some of the Islay-malts
 
I totally love your idea with the headphones, but why not a 225?

 

 
I considered 225i, but Laphroaig is oilier and 125i is slower and cooler-toned.

 

[mrscotchguy]

You need to get your facts straight:

- 1997 was the year Glenmorangie bought Ardbeg from Allied and started restoring everything, even starting distilling that same year.
- It wasn't until 2004 that LVMH bought Glenmorangie with all it's assets. Of course Glenmorangie was the first to undergo changes as a result of this, and it took quite a while before they turned their attention to the rest of the bunch, including Ardbeg.
- A NAS bottling doesn't have to be a limited /special bottling, which is the case with many. A NAS isn't necessarily a sign of lower quality, and can absolutely be seen as a mark of great craftmanship. Examples of great NAS bottlings include Aberlour a'bunadh, Ardbeg Uigedail, Laphroaig Quarter Cask +++ Even so I am usually sceptical when a new NAS show up these days, because we all know how the market is.
- People have cried about LVMH's grasp over Ardbeg for ages, but it is just within the last +-3 years that we've seen any real effect of their ownership. Especially overpriced NAS bottlings that don't perform that well (altho the over-priced Galileo is really good!). I won't hold it against you if you wanna join that bandwagon. I even joined involuntarily a while back. Just be sure to differentiate between fact and wikipedia.
- There are definitely special bottlings of Laphroaig, altho these mostly come from IBs. If you really want something special, try the 21yo sherry cask.
- There are many ways to be commercialized. Lagavulin is something you see everywhere over here, and it's a over-polished Islay malt for sure. It's chillfiltered, caramel colored and the owner is Diageo. That last point alone should be enough to call it commercial. I absolutely despise Diageo, because they steal away the great potential of their wonderful single malts with CF and E150 for the sake of visual uniformity (ironically it's bottled in dark bottles afterwards). That and their horrendous schemes to save more and more $$$ + mothballing Port Ellen, Rosebank etc.
- Laphroaig barrier filter when they don't CF, and they still add caramel coloring to their 18yo. This seems unnecessary to me, altho the QC is a really good NAS.

If you think Laphroaig is sweeter, then you've been thoroughly fooled by the caramel coloring (E150) which they use quite a lot of. Ardbeg is by far the sweetest south shore malt, but is also so complex that it's easy to get lost in all the tastes (notice how it also changes with more and more air in the bottle). The sweetness is also the most natural of all three distilleries.


Ahwell, we can probably disagree for years to come. These are my opinions and are to be take as such. Many will probably agree with both of us

Amen, no truer words. But couple things.
1) Laphroaig is uber sweet and delicious, sometimes simple is better. Some people drink Pop/Soda, it has high-fructose corn syrup. But I am guilty of wanting to drink a Sprecher Rootbeer every now and again. Carmel coloring has it's place. (As long as it stays out of my limited release bottlings).
2) Louis Vuitton no longer owns Ardbeg or Glenmorangie, but did help reinvent/restablish/revitalize both distilleries. You cannot fault them for that.
3) NAS (No Age Statement Whisk(e)y for outsiders) don't both me, but I often prefer younger Scotch. Kilchoman's 3-5 year old standard bottlings are genuinely great. But that is due to the exceptionally small cut they take from their incredibly tiny pot stills. NAS vs older expressions get into the politics and consumer psychology which I'd rather avoid. That subject is similar to the Dre Beats issues we are all to familiar with here.

Let's not get too off topic here. As much as I dislike Diageo as a company, it wouldn't prevent me from getting a pair of these Grados. What prevents me from getting them is they are an exclusive and I'd rather by my Grados from my local store. Oh well, I have a feeling they will eventually release a standard, Non-Bushmills version down the road if they sound good.

I am excited for impressions!

 

[Beagle]

Wow, just found out about these....and they are gone

 

[Aizura]

So, do people really think these are closed?

 

[tdockweiler]

 
You need to get your facts straight:
 
- 1997 was the year Glenmorangie bought Ardbeg from Allied and started restoring everything, even starting distilling that same year.
- It wasn't until 2004 that LVMH bought Glenmorangie with all it's assets. Of course Glenmorangie was the first to undergo changes as a result of this, and it took quite a while before they turned their attention to the rest of the bunch, including Ardbeg.
- A NAS bottling doesn't have to be a limited /special bottling, which is the case with many. A NAS isn't necessarily a sign of lower quality, and can absolutely be seen as a mark of great craftmanship. Examples of great NAS bottlings include Aberlour a'bunadh, Ardbeg Uigedail, Laphroaig Quarter Cask +++ Even so I am usually sceptical when a new NAS show up these days, because we all know how the market is.
- People have cried about LVMH's grasp over Ardbeg for ages, but it is just within the last +-3 years that we've seen any real effect of their ownership. Especially overpriced NAS bottlings that don't perform that well (altho the over-priced Galileo is really good!). I won't hold it against you if you wanna join that bandwagon. I even joined involuntarily a while back. Just be sure to differentiate between fact and wikipedia.
- There are definitely special bottlings of Laphroaig, altho these mostly come from IBs. If you really want something special, try the 21yo sherry cask.
- There are many ways to be commercialized. Lagavulin is something you see everywhere over here, and it's a over-polished Islay malt for sure. It's chillfiltered, caramel colored and the owner is Diageo. That last point alone should be enough to call it commercial. I absolutely despise Diageo, because they steal away the great potential of their wonderful single malts with CF and E150 for the sake of visual uniformity (ironically it's bottled in dark bottles afterwards). That and their horrendous schemes to save more and more $$$ + mothballing Port Ellen, Rosebank etc.
- Laphroaig barrier filter when they don't CF, and they still add caramel coloring to their 18yo. This seems unnecessary to me, altho the QC is a really good NAS.
 
If you think Laphroaig is sweeter, then you've been thoroughly fooled by the caramel coloring (E150) which they use quite a lot of. Ardbeg is by far the sweetest south shore malt, but is also so complex that it's easy to get lost in all the tastes (notice how it also changes with more and more air in the bottle). The sweetness is also the most natural of all three distilleries.

Ahwell, we can probably disagree for years to come. These are my opinions and are to be take as such. Many will probably agree with both of us

 
Terrific headphone review! I'm going to give this one a try if it's still available!

 

[Corleone]

  So, do people really think these are closed?

 I'm pretty sure everyone got that they are only semi-closed. Even so they've way less prone to let in noise than the usual Grado-design.

 

[Claritas]

I'm pretty sure everyone got that they are only semi-closed. Even so they've way less prone to let in noise than the usual Grado-design.

 
. . . and the search for the holy grail continues at http://www.head-fi.org/t/689357/closed-grados-a-compilation-of-30-threads-poll

 

[CantScareMe]

I'm still waiting for a closed Grado to show up.
 
Like an official one... you know....