vPub Live - Sleepers: Whiskies waiting to be discovered?

It seems like every week we talk about how we don't need to kowtow to price hikes and chase bottles that are sparse or in demand; we reassure ourselves that “there's plenty of whisky out there!” I reassure you of the same. A lot.

So, where is it? Well, I suppose someone needs to go looking. I suppose that someone, sometimes, should be me. Well, maybe more than sometimes; it's what I do. Often, I'll happen upon a bottle that really gets the curiosity juices flowing, for various reasons, triggering me to look into things, or inspiring a topic for the vPub.

However, despite searching and asking around, there's often not a lot said about some bottles I happen upon, they seem to be a little lost in the fray; trees hidden by the wood, so to speak. Quietly waiting; sleeping.

All that there is to do then is… 'take a punt'. But that's costly, so what to do?

Well, the first, and always the best thing is to work as a community to help unearth the good stuff and share it with each other. I'll step up this week with stuff I think might be worth talking about, and others that look good 'on paper' but need a little investigation first. But I'll make a rule; for every pricey ‘sleeper’ bottle I gamble upon - I must find a really great value or inexpensive linked 'sleeper' bottle and investigate them both; side-by-side, always keeping the value square in the centre of the frame. It's the vPub after all.

One or two of these this week will be quirky, and others will be obscure. In fact, all they have in common is somehow, they've piqued my curiosity as potential 'sleepers'. But regardless if they’re cheap, expensive, obscure, limited, familiar or different, they’ll all offer good discussion points and help nudge us along our trajectory of exploration while avoiding exploitation.

At least, that’s the plan; we just need to whisky to wake up and do its thing.

Why don't you have a think and bring yours along too?

0:00 - Opening
2:40 - Framing the topic
4:50 - Welcoming in the lounge
19:28 - A busy week - no pre-uncorking
22:54 - What is a "sleeper"?
27:12 - Something different from Benriach
50:34 - Alt-sherry casks: Tomintoul & MM Cask Craft Madeira
1:09:10 - Sneak peek at Palo Cortado & Fino picks
1:13:55 - The 'strangeness' of Palo Cortado
1:17:17 - A 'Talisker' theme: Siren Bay 18yo & X Parley
1:51:44 - Uncorking Tomatin Fino 2006 & Old Perth Palo Cortado
2:16:38 - Quiz at the End