So, what are you drinking now?

@A'bunadhman

A new favourite? Does that mean you'll be changing your handle to Craigellachieman?

@Nozinan, it is nice to be included in your wife's circle of friends, especially when it comes to whisky.

@paddockjudge

Considering I introduced her to whisky....

@Nozinan: Perhaps yea, perhaps nay! We have seen quite a few new expressions over the last couple of years and some of them pretty decent, all introduced with fanfares but are subsequent examples as engaging? Sometimes yea, sometimes nay! Glengoyne Cask #1 was a sensation but nothing has followed; I believe in Europe they have batch #4 of Glengoyne Cask, here we are still on #1!

Cheers!

This evening after dinner I started with trying the discontinued longrow CV. Right now I'm enjoying an ardbeg uigeadail. An enjoyable evening!

@Victor, A visit to the Acadiana Restaurant is a 'must do' for me, especially with WP111 on the menu.

@paddockjudge, did you check out the Acadiana whiskey menu? You show up, and you and I will be there.

@Victor, six-pack pragmatism and flights of three for $13, how could I stay away?

When my son reached the age of majority we arranged for a poker game with some 'cool' relatives. I picked up my son after his soccer match and proceeded to headed out to the fishing camp. Jake suggested that we should stock up on beverages for the game. I informed him that I had a case and a bottle. He was concerned that a bottle might not be enough, to which I replied, "it's a one liter bottle, how much beer are you gonna drink?"

Nikka Coffey Grain. Didn't really have a clue what to expect from this one, but I quite like it. A bit spicy, alright wood influence and very clean, and with a bit of salt as well. Might get myself a bottle.

@Fiberfar Scratch that, the salt passed rather quickly, and this is turning into a very nice single grain. I ended up writing notes on it (more reviews for Connosr!), I'll definitely get myself a bottle.

Craigellachie 13 Year Old @ 46% "Non Chill Filtered": 'Had another nibble at this fine 'drop' and if anything, it seems even weightier and richer. I added a couple of drops of 'Ultra PureWater' or UPW. which goes way beyond distilled water and was a gift from my local Pharmacist who got it by mistake. Her advice, "It's pretty unstable (?), you'd better have one of these". Then she hands over a packaged sterile dropper!

What can I say? I'm not sure I could tell the difference tasted 'blind' but I suspect that the pure water changed the Whisky less; it may have opened the Whisky a little more without changing the texture, but , of course, I could be mistaken - It's a fine Whisky either way, so splitting hairs does seem a bit silly!

Ehaz ha sowenath whath tho why ha tho goz henath!

Family in from the UK, emptied the bottle of Talisker 18. Good thing I have a few more.

George T. Stagg Bourbon, 2010 release. A little bit was left over from a tasting I did yesterday with @Robert99 and 5 others. This is still absolutely the best of the Staggs among those released 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, and still worth every one of those 98 points I gave it in review. Ne Plus Ultra. This is the one for which Mr. Murray said he spent 4 hours compiling tasting notes.

Thanks to Mary Anne, my sister, since my own bottle of this was emptied a year ago.

The Botanist, an Islay dry gin from Bruichladdich. Yummy. Made for summer afternoons on the deck. I highly recommend it.

@Wodha The Botanist has been on my to-try list for a while. Is there anything about it that tastes like it made on Islay?

Buffalo Trace.

long day of work, then a couple of hours of very fruitful door-knocking in a condo. If I had 10 volunteers on my team I think I could win this thing!

For now, I'll reflect on a good day's work with a little A'Bunadh 46

I meant 100 volunteers... but 10 would be nice too.

Craigellachie 46% ABV. "Non-chill Filtered": Label No. 83 - LH88

Bottle code: L15050B700

I'm enjoying this Whisky enormously!

Eumminbung! (Australian Aboriginal for Good Luck).

@Jonathan, to be honest, no. It's a very good gin full of interesting stuff, but if I had to say it had something "Islay" about it I'd have to honestly say "no". But it sure is fun to think it's from Islay. You know, I live there in a parallel universe. I'm a famous football player or a rock star living in a thousand year old castle with hounds and a spectacular woman. I drive around Islay in a hovercraft and am known to buy a round for everyone in the local bars on occasion.

Talisker 57 Degrees North, 57% ABV. This second bottle of 57 N took a very long time to blossom, but it is wonderful now.

Hey @YoungJas how are you finding your new bottles of 57 N?

@Victor I bought a bottle of this in the Tel Aviv Duty Free. I take it I may need to give it some air time before it blooms? Does it not dampen the peat?

@Nozinan, the peat and smoke are not as intense from the gitgo as are the Holy Trinity Kildalton Islay. You won't lose much waiting for it to open up. My first bottle opened up in a couple of weeks; the second took a very very long time. Use your judgment, and if it isn't in bloom, just give it more time.

Glencadam 14 Year Old Oloroso. Not too heavy for a simple nightcap and some relaxation after dinner. Not bad with a cigar too.

@Victor , thanks for asking about the Talisker 57. I'm trying to take a peat diet for the summer, so I've only had a couple small tastes, but so far it tastes like what Talisker 10 SHOULD taste like: intense & seasidey with peat that doesn't completely dominate.

If I can resist, it'll stay under my bar until the first night of wood fire in my house this fall, then I celebrate my favorite time of the year and give the 57 its full due.

From your comments about it opening up, maybe I ought to pour off a sample from the top of the bottle to compare with the final drams a few months from now.

Clynelish 22 First Editions 1989

My girlfriend asked a friend of hers to bring back Talisker Skye on my behalf - he bought a 1L bottle and gave it to her for free (and thus, it came to me for free!) Sort of Talisker lite, but with a bit more smoke (especially when you add water). Very nice.

@OlJas, oh yeah, autumn comes early in Madison I'm sure. This I remember from my years in school in Milwaukee.

About the 57 North: it is one to watch for development. My first bottle didn't taste like much for 10-14 days, then got much better, and better still with several months of air. My second bottle from a different batch was muted and weak until it took a LOT, like 2 years, of 90% full open bottle air time. Hopefully you won't get a bottle which makes you wait like that, but that same bottle tastes great now. Sounds like the bottles you do have are robust from the gitgo. Excellent.

Right now I'm having some tullamore dew 14y single malt. Quite nice, much more so than the original expression.

finishing off the last of a bottle of Lagavulin 12. Sorry to see it go.