A Steal of a Deal ?!

I still don't see why anyone's ragging on @ScotchNoob here.

How many Canadians does he have to review before he has any credibility?

@MadSingleMalt Yeah, I agree. It's only whisky for crying out loud. I don't know why we all get so overwrought about it. If we put all the energy and all the money we spend on whisky into child poverty or world hunger, or helping out the recent victims of hurricanes and earthquakes we would have a much better reason to feel good about ourselves. Let's enjoy, and not take for granted, the privileged position in which most of us are fortunate enough to find ourselves.

Sorry, didn't mean to lecture.

@BlueNote I'm inclined to agree. I've found myself taking things a bit too seriously recently and I had to take a step back. In fact, I was re-reading some of my older blog posts, and I noticed how I sort of poked fun at people who take things too seriously. This was in my review of Laphroaig Select, an NAS whisky.

I later researched NAS in much more depth, and I formed a fairly strong opinion about it. I even got pretty heated when discussing it with people. I was becoming the snobby purist I had made fun of only a few months prior. But discussions here have led me to soften my stance somewhat. I still think there are a lot of shenanigans afoot with NAS, but it's not worth losing sleep over.

As far as my comments to @paddockjudge regarding @ScotchNoob , I was only trying to spur discussion. And I think that's happened. I respect both of their opinions very much and I find the exchange interesting. I hope nobody's losing sleep over a disagreement regarding whisky...

@ScotchNoob, thank you for your polite response. I too wondered about Wiser's 18 and was under the impression it might contain rye distillate. Wiser's 18 is double distilled (* source, Dr. Don Livermore) and is corn whisky. It could at one time have contained rye and possibly could again.

Most people have whisky over ice. I do not. Opening a bottle and tasting it immediately, neat, is a sound way to drink whisky. I commend you for that.

@BlueNote,

I agree and some of us do things other than whisky, such as breakfast clubs, sponsoring overwhelmed families and day to day good deeds; however, using someone else's notes to be an authority just ain't right. Perform your own due diligence, ask the guy who made the whisky what he did to make the whisky...I did...this past Friday....in person...an eight hour drive both ways..if it's worth doing, it's worth doing well.

@MadSingleMalt, The ScotchNoob blog would have been the place, but I was responding to @OdysseusUnbound and his query. ScotchNoob found me quickly.

@OdysseusUnbound,

discussion is a good thing. Ambiguous wording on a blog will quickly foster discourse. Bloggers should know that they are not immune to criticism and will be held accountable for their words. Fresh ideas and current information will keep things...fresh.

@Nozinan, kind words, but I can't hold a candle to Davin when it comes to things whisky. I do enjoy Canadian whisky and make no secret of it; however, my favourite whisky is Macallan Cask Strength, as you well know...you hauled six bottles halfway across Canada so that I could enjoy this marvellous elixir long after it went out of production.

@paddockjudge And I would gladly do it again, if I could find half a dozen bottles for $73 out the door. Of course, if I only found 6, I might ask you if I could have 2...

@paddockjudge I respect Davin a lot. My only teeny, tiny complaint is that he seems overly generous with his ratings. That said, I don't read his site faithfully, and when I do, it's for something that's already been recommended. So perhaps it's not so surprising.

@OdysseusUnbound, everyone who knows him, apparently, loves Davin de K, as a Bon Vivant, as a whisky-lover, and as a human being. That said the 'teeniest' and 'tiniest' of his Canadian whisky rating grade inflation is about the size of a medium-sized galaxy. One only sees the inflated numbers in some contexts, such as in Whisky Advocate magazine. On his own site, D de K is clever enough to use a five maple leaf maximum system,...but somehow, 3 out of 5 leaves (or should I spell it "Maple Leafs") never quite equates to a rating of 60 out of 100 either in another context or in the tone of his description. Gavin's three leaves, or 60%, is never something he would say is horrible. D de K never seems to have met a Canadian whisky which he did not like.

@Victor "Maple Leafs" is only used in one context I know of: that of a hated rival hockey team. It's apparently because the team was named after a military regiment and so the appropriate plural is NOT, in that context, Maple Leaves.

@OdysseusUnbound Playing the history and grammar cards...

@Victor In fairness, the wonderful Dave Broom seems equally enthusiastic about scotch whisky. He doesn't have anything negative to say in his excellent World Atlas of Whisky nor does he ever openly criticize a distillery in any of the videos I've seen. But maybe he and Davin de K are loathe to criticize blenders they know personally. Maybe they're "too close" to those producing the whisky. Maybe not. They're both far more knowledgeable than I am.

@OdysseusUnbound And that's the thing. What differentiates the Davin from someone like Paddockjudge is that while both are passionate advocates for Canadian whisky, the former has what we in my biz call competing interests. From what I understand he gets samples, and invited to things, etc... On the other hand, though he knows the Doctor quite well by now, and has had some insider peeks, the latter buys his own whisky and has no conflict of interest.

That's why some commentators go through great pains to make it clear that they don't accept industry samples, and if a bottle isn't theirs (like in a swap) they are clear about it. Transparency is not only the best way but the ONLY way to maintain credibility.

@OdysseusUnbound, yes, critics and promoters are two very different animals. Davin de K and, from what you say, Dave Broom, are promoters of whisky. Promoters can never be taken at face value when they praise a product. I ignore everything a promoter says.

As for Dave Broom I find his prose incoherent, at least in Whisky Advocate. That said, I saw and heard him in New Orleans at The Tales of the Cocktail July 2017. Dave Broom is an absolutely outstanding host, moderator, commentator, joker, raconteur, etc on a live stage. What he does is like a stand-up comedy act done sitting down. A more entertaining whisky guy I can hardly imagine. I look forward to any possible opportunity to hear Dave Broom being Dave Broom trash-talking whisky guy live.

@Victor I found Dave Broom's prose quite eloquent in his book, but then a book probably goes through more editing stages than a monthly (quarterly?) magazine.

@Nozinan Transparency. There's that word again. Are you trying to turn me back AGAINST NAS whisky?

@OdysseusUnbound,oh I suspect that what you say is correct about Broom. A book is composed. In whisky Advocate he is completely self-indulgent in his mental wonderings. If I were in your business his prose would get a grade of "F".

@OdysseusUnbound I think that distillers should disclose the age of what is in the bottle.

Octomore, ironically a stated 5 year whisky, and powerfully good at that age, is one of the least transparent (bottles, that is).

@Nozinan I see what you did there.

@OdysseusUnbound It wasn't the best example of finesse.

Macallan 12 yo Sherry Oak, purchase favour for my big sister @Maddie, who has done many purchase favours for me. With discount added to sale price I brought her 3 x 750 ml for a total price of $ 175.46, or $ 58.49 each. Steal? Maybe. I sometimes can't tell any more because most of my memories are of much lower prices from 5-7 years ago. In any event we are putting away a few Mac 12 Sherry Oaks while they are still around, and at very good prices. Sure I'd prefer to have the 60% Macallan, but "if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with". Never having tasted a sulphur-screwed Macallan 12 Sherry Oak is a big factor in having confidence in this one.

@Victor I agree, still very reliable stuff. I got a couple in Oregon last spring for $54 each. Should probably have grabbed a couple more.

A friend just picked up Laphroaig 10 in Calgary for $50, $52.50 with tax. That is an exceptional deal these days for anyone paying BC or Ontario prices. He also found Uigeadail for $83. And we are talking Canadian dollarettes here. A mega steal as Uigeadail in BC is currently $155.25 with tax in.

@BlueNote, those are excellent Canadian prices, and approximately equal to the best prices we have here.

@BlueNote where in Calgary?!

@BlueNote yeah, where? I'm trying to find one for a friend.

@Victor I'm afraid I missed the boat on Macallan 12. When I could have it, I didn't want it. now that I would want it, I can't have it....

@Victor I'd love to have the chance to purchase a Macallan 12 Sherry Oak; they aren't even available in Ontario. I've tasted what good Macallan can be. And I've tasted what mediocre Macallan can be. I've never heard a bad thing about the 12 Year Sherry Oak.