Sippable Unsippable Blend

Some whisky enthusiasts combine the last dram or few of every bottle they drink into an infinity blend.  But I could never bring myself to do it with a whisky I liked.  Why add those drops to a melting pot where they loose their identity in the hopes you may get something a little better?

My twist on the infinity blend is to create blends with the whiskies I do not like drinking neat.  Often this results in a "garbage in garbage out" scenario, but there are the rare occasions when those "disreputable characteristics" of each whisky are covered up by the other whisky(s) creating a sippable blend of previously unsippable whiskies!

This page is a log of my successful blends.  What blends have you made?  Leave a comment or reach out to me @whiskyranked!

Sippable Unsippable #12 Score: 48/100

2/3rd Glenfiddich Select Solera Cask #2 - Score: 25/100

1/3rd Glenlivet Founder's Reserve - Score: 28/100

Sippable Unsippable #10 Score: 47/100

59% Grace O'Malley Blended Whisky - Score: 25/100

29% Glenfiddich Select Solera Cask #2 - Score: 25/100

7% Glenlivet Triple Cask - Score: 34/100

5% Ballechin 10 - Score: 22/100

Sippable Unsippable #9 Score: 41/100

2/3rds Grace O'Malley Blended Whisky - Score: 25/100

1/3rd Glenfiddich Select Solera Cask #2 - Score: 25/100

Sippable Unsippable #6 Score: 37/100

60% of a 10 year old Craigellachie bottled under the Clan Denny Brand (Score 12/100) - This one was over ripe oily tropical fruits.  I do not mind tropical fruits in my whisky but these fruits were a bit on the south side.  Nor do I mind mineral oil notes, but this one was too much of both.   

40% Laphroaig PX Cask  (Score 20/100) - Many people like this one but I just could not get into it.  The underlying Laphroaig tasted a bit to young and could have used some more time in the barrel.  The sherry finish was not strong enough to mask these detriments.  If I wanted the medicinal notes of a Laphroaig I would rather have a bottle of the 10 year old and if I wanted a sweet Islay I would pick just about any of the other wine cask finished Islay's over this one. 

The overripe fruits of the Craigellachie added the necessary sweetness to the Laphroaig and the medicinal notes of the Laphroiag covered the over ripeness of the Craigellachie.  The oily character of the Craigellachie gave it a little more body.  All in all I am actually pleasantly surprised by this blend and have actually picked that for my evening dram.  At the time of writing it has a record of 7 wins and 21 losses and a score of 42/100.  It is ranked 383/559 putting it just above Glenfarclas 10 and just below Johnnie Walker Platinum.  The Laphroaig PX has a score of 29/100 and the Craigellachie has a score of 23/100.

Sippable Unsippable #2

50% Glenmorangie The Tayne:  It is a light scotch with some nice sweetness and floral notes, but tastes very young.  When blended with the other two, the young oak is completely over powered by the old oak of the Reservoir Hunter & Scott 18 Yr Bourbon.  The sweet and floral notes mellow out the sharper notes of the other two.

25% Kirkland Signature Irish Whisky:  It has some nice fruity notes, but I really don't like the sharp yeasty finish.  This finish is covered up by the old oak of the Reservoir Hunter & Scott 18 Yr Bourbon.

25% Reservoir Hunter and Scott 18 Yr Bourbon:  This bourbon introduced me to the concept of over oaking a whisky and leaving it in the barrel too long.  The normal bourbon flavors are dominated by a pungent rubber and deeeeep earthy flavors.  These are mellowed though by the floral characteristics of the Glenmorangie and fruity notes of the Kirkland Signature Irish Whisky.