UKH

Hope I got that right ?!

According to Google translate you did. I got Andrew's.

And I finished the last of my last whisky in the cupboard 2 nights ago How will I raise a glass?

I'm 1/8 Scottish (yes, as much as that!) but I've heard people identify with some descendancy on 1/8 or even 1/16! (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_quantum_laws). It all means against my will, I am *forced* into buying another bottle, at least 1 bottle but something this important requires a backup in case of emergency.

Hmmm...  Glenlivet founder's reserve (just about as easy drinking smooth sweet raisin Speyside as you can possibly get?) and for total contrast Ardbeg 10? (An Oa?) Trying to think of 2 more contrasting whiskies?

Latha fèill Anndrais sona dhuibh

I fancying buying a bottle for Xmas and like a speyside. How much is the Glenlivet?

Ed: I’ve got two small bottles of 1 and 3 year old whisky spirit from the first ever batch from Kingsbarns. Never know whether to drink them or keep them (will they be worth anything?). 

At this time of year, you can get quite a few of the popular reasonable malts for £20-25 in the various supermarkets. Glenlivet founder's reserve often gets reduced into that range (just, IIRC).

Having said that, there are several I would prefer to Glenlivet founder's reserve, which was the distillery's response to "oh damn, we're selling so much whisky that we've run out of older stuff and can't produce enough Glenlivet 12/15/18/etc, we better produce a special with some younger stuff in it".

Not blaming Glenlivet, this was an issue across most (if not all) of the well known distilleries.

Founders reserve isn't the best whisky in the world and not even the best Glenlivet, but it was in Sainsbury's on offer for £25.99 a couple of weeks ago and Morrison's have it at £21.99 right now. It's dangerously drinkable. Price wise it's an absolute bargain. However I'm not sure if their 70cl bottle is accurate or if they are using some European ml/cl because the bottle disappeared much faster than I remember they ever used to ;(  

If you want a speyside you could spend a bit more and try the Ben Romach.
It’s family owned too after Gordon & Mcphails took it over in the late 90s. It’s also conveniently located round the corner from my dads.

You can apply that to most non-aged statement drams. "The casual buyers won't touch a bottle of 6-year old for £30, but if we give it a jazzy name and a fancy bottle they'll snap it up!".

I'd skip the Ardbeg An Oa and go with the 10. The An Oa isn't bad but it's a bit Ardbeg-lite which isn't what you buy Ardbeg for.

Tapadh leat, mo bhalaich. Slainte mhath agus slainte mhor!

IIRC the BenRomach organic is quite nice and not too dear, or at least it wasn't a few years ago.

Many whiskies seem to do that; cheap until they get some market penetration, then the price goes way up - Ardbeg 10-year-old being a prime example.

Two I'd recommend are:

• Penderyn Maderia - £26 when it's on offer in Tesco - 46% - great origami box as well
• Bunnahabhain Stiuireadair - £26 in Asda at the moment - 46.3% - an Islay that's not peaty!

And the best supermarket I've ever seen for choice of whisky is Booths in Windermere; well worth popping into if you're driving past. The beer choice is also quite extensive for that matter, try the Black Sheep Chocolate Orange Stout - mmm - never seen it anywhere except Booths.

Is there no one else here who just buys Aldi's whichever-part-of-Scotland-you-like-your-whiskey-from malt at 16.99 and thinks it's splendid? Actually, nothing wrong at all with the Lidl Islay malt as well and the same price! 

I'm not supposed to drink spirits anymore (doctor's orders) but when I did, my usual drink was one of the Lidl malts, depending on what was available at the time.

The Lidl malts are admittedly good value for money (I have tried the highland & the speyside) but there are several single malts in the next price band that I prefer.

And in higher price bands there are yet more I prefer but I am not prepared to spend that much. Apart from having to justify the cost (to myself), it is so easy to become a whisky snob which I would prefer to avoid.

Better late than never... Got that bottle of Glenlivet but had to pay £25.00 for it (co-op)

Slàinte Mhath! St Andrew