Welcome once again to another installment of Cheap Week! With a strict budget of $50 or less for a 700mL Bottle in the Australian Market, I set out to prove whether it's possible to find a good Scotch you can drink neat and enjoy...or whether you're wasting your time. This time I tackle the McAllister Reserve and look at how to identify Own-Brands with a simple Internet Search, and why I'm not a big fan of the practice of slotting and side-stepping it with own-brands. Oh, and I also decide if this is the best own-brand scotch I've tried...or if it isn't.
With John Chidgey.

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Episode Gold Producers:

'r', Steven Bridle and Kellen Frodelius-Fujimoto.
Episode Silver Producers:

Mitch Biegler, Shane O'Neill, Jared Roman, Katharina Will, Chad Juehring and Ian Gallagher.

Day Three of Cheap Week, where I have a strict budget of $50 or less for a 700mL Bottle in the Australian Market, I set out to prove whether it's possible to find a good Scotch you can drink neat and enjoy...or whether you're wasting your time. The Label 5 Classic Black Scotch is another own-brand of Woolworths/Dan Murphy's...but is it better than the 1495?
With John Chidgey.

Support Whisky Whiskey on Patreon

Episode Gold Producers:

'r', Steven Bridle and Kellen Frodelius-Fujimoto.
Episode Silver Producers:

Mitch Biegler, Shane O'Neill, Jared Roman, Katharina Will, Chad Juehring and Ian Gallagher.

Cheap Week continues and with a strict budget of $50 or less for a 700mL Bottle in the Australian Market, I set out to prove whether it's possible to find a good Scotch you can drink neat and enjoy...or whether you're wasting your time. The cheapest Scotch at Dan Murphy's is the 1495 which turns out, is an own-brand. I dig into what that means, who Pinnacle Drinks are and realise that the 1495 has no real story behind it, no history and no...hmmm...quite possibly my harshest review to date.
With John Chidgey.

Support Whisky Whiskey on Patreon

Episode Gold Producers:

'r', Steven Bridle and Kellen Frodelius-Fujimoto.
Episode Silver Producers:

Mitch Biegler, Shane O'Neill, Jared Roman, Katharina Will, Chad Juehring and Ian Gallagher.

Welcome to Cheap Week! With a strict budget of $50 or less for a 700mL Bottle in the Australian Market, I set out to prove whether it's possible to find a good Scotch you can drink neat and enjoy...or whether you're wasting your time. I start with one of the brands I've been really enjoying...Loch Lomond and their Reserve Single Blend Scotch. I also complain about the SWA regulations that don't allow them to call it that, even though that's exactly what it is.
With John Chidgey.

Support Whisky Whiskey on Patreon

Episode Gold Producers:

'r', Steven Bridle and Kellen Frodelius-Fujimoto.
Episode Silver Producers:

Mitch Biegler, Shane O'Neill, Jared Roman, Katharina Will, Chad Juehring and Ian Gallagher.

Having reviewed the Ned's Grand Reward in the Advent Calender from 2024, today I review their entry-level offering...an Australian Corn Whisky they simply call 'Ned.' Since it's made in Australia it can't be called a Bourbon but as an Ausskey, how does it stack up against the big names from the USA?
With John Chidgey.

Support Whisky Whiskey on Patreon

Episode Gold Producers:

'r', Steven Bridle and Kellen Frodelius-Fujimoto.
Episode Silver Producers:

Mitch Biegler, Shane O'Neill, Jared Roman, Katharina Will, Chad Juehring and Ian Gallagher.

Having reviewed all of the Whiskies in the 2024 Global Whisky Advent Calendar from Liquor Loot, it's time to highlight my favourite five Whiskies from the calendar, and to provide an assessment in summary...was it worth it?
With John Chidgey.

Favourite Bottles and Review Links:

Support Whisky Whiskey on Patreon

Episode Gold Producers:

'r', Steven Bridle and Kellen Frodelius-Fujimoto.
Episode Silver Producers:

Mitch Biegler, Shane O'Neill, Jared Roman, Katharina Will, Chad Juehring and Ian Gallagher.

Only the second Glendalough Irish Whisky I've tried, today I review their Double Barrel offering. It's cheaper than my other favourite Glendalough, the Pot Still, but this one is a Single Grain. How does it compare?
With John Chidgey.

Support Whisky Whiskey on Patreon

Episode Gold Producers:

'r', Steven Bridle and Kellen Frodelius-Fujimoto.
Episode Silver Producers:

Mitch Biegler, Shane O'Neill, Jared Roman, Katharina Will, Chad Juehring and Ian Gallagher.

The Dewars family built the Aberfeldy Distillery and began producing Whisky in 1898 and it has been a component of Dewars blends ever since. When Bacardi-Martini bought Aberfeldy in 1998 they shifted part of the focus to producing Single Malts. Today I review their 12 Year Single Malt offering. Can I pick the Dewars lineage, and on it's own...how does it stack up?
With John Chidgey.

Support Whisky Whiskey on Patreon

Episode Gold Producers:

'r', Steven Bridle and Kellen Frodelius-Fujimoto.
Episode Silver Producers:

Mitch Biegler, Shane O'Neill, Jared Roman, Katharina Will, Chad Juehring and Ian Gallagher.

The Scottish branch of my wife's family are from the small Island of Jura. It's less populated than adjacent Islay. It has one town. It has one Distillery. But what an interesting Distillery it is. Between arguments with the Laird of Jura, being stripped apart and rebuilt, it's back up and running and making some truly fascinating drams. I review the Jura 12 Year Single Malt, and it's quite something.
With John Chidgey.

Support Whisky Whiskey on Patreon

Episode Gold Producers:

'r', Steven Bridle and Kellen Frodelius-Fujimoto.
Episode Silver Producers:

Mitch Biegler, Shane O'Neill, Jared Roman, Katharina Will, Chad Juehring and Ian Gallagher.

The Archie Rose Distillery is located in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney and in just over a decade has begun producing excellent Whiskies including the very interesting and competitively priced, Double Malt. Their publicly stated goal is to provide the Australian Public with an option for a sub-$85 local Whisky rather than an import. A choice it is...but does it beat the imported competition? Let's see.
With John Chidgey.

Support Whisky Whiskey on Patreon

Episode Gold Producers:

'r', Steven Bridle and Kellen Frodelius-Fujimoto.
Episode Silver Producers:

Mitch Biegler, Shane O'Neill, Jared Roman, Katharina Will, Chad Juehring and Ian Gallagher.