EPIC TASTINGS!

@Nozinan I would have loved to be there, but life doesn’t always cooperate. That looks truly EPIC!

@Nozinan - Me too! it would be EPIC to meet up with yourself and the good folk here on Connosr

@OdysseusUnbound

To be honest, simply not drinking JW Red or Lambertus (there WAS some available) the tasting experience would have been great, but on reflection, I do think the line-up was quite fantastic.

I did make one error though, and I must own up to it. The WhistlePig 10 YO CS was actually brought to there table by @paddockjudge. I sincerely apologize for the error in attribution.

For the record, EPIC Tasting April 28-29 - Collingwood.

My favourite nose of the evening was a toss-up between George T Stagg 2012 (71.4% abv) and Abraham Bowman 17 YO 73.75% abv, followed closely by Samaroli Speyside Blended Malt 43% abv (Ben Riach and Glentauchers single casks) Distilled 1996 Bottled 2015. I rate these three N: 24.5 out of 25.

Favourite Bourbon - Abraham Bowman 17 YO 73.75% abv. The lineup was deep with talent, but this one has a special place for me at the top of the order.

Favourite Malt or any Barley Whisky - Ardbeg Uigeadeal L593 974 04032014 54.2%. Clouds of Smoke, a layer of honey that penetrates the air and coats the tongue, STUNNING! Both Springbanks were also amazing and memorable: Springbank 12 YO CS 53.8% and Springbank 14 YO first and refill bourbon casks 55.8%, brilliant!

Favourite "Canadian" - Whistlepig 10 YO Straight Rye 113.4 proof (56.7%) Single Barrel for Third Base Market. I like this one, a lot. To date, my favourite WhistlePig. @Victor commented that this whisky is "bright", and added that perhaps 1/100 whiskies possesses this attribute.

The Brandy was excellent, four magnificent expressions. I primed my glass with the youngest French eau de vie, a 33 YO Bas-Armagnac Delord then proceeded to the 50+ YO Cognac Montifaud. Way too easy to drink. This should be kept under lock and key.

@Nozinan, it is no surprise that RYE opened this tasting. Although the itinerary did not call for a Rye opening, it is after all the favourite grain of both @Victor and @paddockjudge.

@Nozinan thank you very much for doing the record-keeping. It delights me extremely to not have to do that part.

@Maddie and I did finish off that 30 ml of Lambertus 10 yo Single Grain that I had been saving for @OdysseusUnbound. @Maddie liked it, and I found it drinkable for a change. Maybe 6 years of air and 600 miles bouncing in a car are good for it.

Our friend from Day 1 IS a member of Connosr, half of @KasperPhipps.

One other landmark of note, we began the tasting on my birthday, April 28, marking the first day of my official attainment of the US government's official Age of Full Retirement, currently 66 years old.

That Corryvreckan was, by far, my favourite batch of that one I have tried, of maybe 5 or 6.

@paddockjiudge's line ups were deeply rewarding, and excellent studies in contrast.

The biggest news for me of the 'lot' was that while I have respect but little enthusiasm for Lot 40 Cask Strength 2017 release, the Lot 40 Cask Strength 2018 release I consider to be a rye whisky all star, a full 95 pointer. That one is for me up there in league with the very best.

So many excellent beverages. @Pudge72 brought us a good 10 other wonderful things to sample the day after you guys left, including a lovely Glendronach Cask Strength, Batch 7, and a marvelous Calgary Store issue Glenfarclas 25 Cask Strength, of which he left us the last 100 ml as a parting gift.

Excellent times, gentlemen! But then, they always are with that group. .

@Victor That KWM Glenfarclas 25 YO cask strength was calling to me quite a bit. It took a lot of self-restraint not to pull the trigger. I'm glad you got to try it and I look forward to some of your upcoming reviews. I have a few of my own that will need writing when things settle down. A new puppy is not conducive to contemplation...

@Nozinan – wow what a list! I am jealous! I can’t believe how many peated whiskies were tried! I think at our last (and so far, our only) tasting we barely dipped our toes into the peated zone. I eagerly look forward to reading your tasting notes for Octomore 7.3!

I realize that many amazing drams were poured, many you had tried before, but I have to ask since @Victor and @paddockjudge have already made similar comments:

What one or two drams really grabbed you or stood out to you personally at that EPIC tasting?

@paddockjudge – see this is where our palates align. I too have LOVED the Abraham Bowman 17yo at 73.75% and the George T. Stagg 2012 for @Victor’s collection. Although I preferred the GTS over the Bowman. Has @Victor let you try the Abraham Bowman 2001-2011 Rye at 69.4%? That sucker blew my mind back in 2013. As did his bottle of WLW from 2011. Those were both eye opening events. Transcendent experiences that altered my buying and drinking journey (Thanks again @Victor!). While I know out palates diverge in many areas they clearly have a point of overlap. I am curious to see where else that may occur . . .

@Victor – So you loved the Corry 16/03/2018?? Now I am on a quest to procure that bottle. Let the hunt begin!

@Nock, I have a hunch we also overlap at Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch #9. It has intense power, flavour, and depth; a solid punch in the mouth! I would love to do your Laphroaig and Ardbeg flights.

@paddockjudge me too!

@Victor, that my friend I already know.

My favourite "Canadian" at the Epic Tasting in Collingwood - Whistlepig 10 YO Straight Rye 113.4 proof (56.7%) Single Barrel for Third Base Market. This is a well traveled bottle, sourced and delivered to me by @cricklewood. The contents of this bottle were distilled and barrelled in Calgary AB, further aged in Shoreham VT, sold at retail in Grover Beach CA, brought to Florida, transported to Montreal QC, shuttled to Toronto ON, relocated to Sudbury ON, shared amongst friends in Collingwood ON, and now resting in Sudbury.

Thank you @cricklewood

@Nock I think you can find that batch of Corry in Calgary, as it's where I got it in the fall.

As to my favourites? There was such a variety so it's hard to say. Ad I didn't take great impression notes. It was a treat tasting a cognac and an Armagnac that were 50 YO and the noses were awesome. I noted the Pappy 15 was delicious (and I prefer non-heated bourbons), The Stagg 2012 was excellent.

The Linkwood tasted better than at any previous time I tasted it. I noted the Amrut bourbon cask was "heavenly".

The 14 YO springbank bourbon cask was delicious and I really enjoyed that Octomore 7.3 as a finale.

@Nozinan that Glenfarclas 25 CS was tempting indeed. I pulled the trigger on this year's KWM glenfarclas exclusive which is a 15 at Cask strength. I have to say I probably won't be shipping from KWM too often as the packing+shipping fees are not as competitive as Zyn's

@paddockjudge that's a very well traveled bottle, I finished mine recently and it had lost some of of its brilliance but was still miles ahead of many other rye.

I'll let you know if the last bottle ever makes it out of its purgatory.

Glenfarclas 25CS?? That sounds like heaven! There are so many things I would order if Tennessee allowed shipping to your personal residence. Draconian jerks. Of course I would probably spend too much too.

@Nozinan I actually didn't need to drive that far. As luck would have the third local store I stopped at today had it in stock. I picked up 2 bottles. I plant to do a head-to-head tonight between about 4 to 6 different batches!

And thanks for the thoughts and impressions. Again, it seems like a marvelous event with many fantastic whiskies consumed.

Hey @paddockjudge @Victor @Nozinan it's been a while since I've checked up on this site as I've gotten more involved in the Houston Bourbon(Whiskey) Society. I hope to make a trip and get together again eventually. I moved to a new house and built a bar. I'm currently working through an epic blind tasting of 18 straight Bourbons and ryes.

The bar.

@newreverie - Now that has given me bar envy!

@newreverie,

nice to see you back. Please tell us more about the Houston Bourbon(Whiskey) Society.

@paddockjudge HBS is the largest local bourbon group in the US with over 6k members. We have numerous barrel picks released under the group. Recently it was announced that we are going to have the first 4 square rum private cask in the US released under our group. The only other private cask released in the world at this point was through the whiskey exchange. We also released 1 of the only 25 single barrels of Belle Meade last year. We hosted a 5 course meal at Morton's steakhouse with Barrell whiskey pairings, and also sampled the Barrell 15 year expression that was named best bourbon by Forbes in 2018. The owner of the group also organizes the Houston Whiskey Social. www.houstonwhiskeysocial.com

In short Houston has an awesome whiskey scene and it is large part thanks to that group.

@paddockjudge and of course hazmat 13yr old Canadian whiskey.

@newreverie, good to see! OK, Canada, let's go! Let's start seeing some CANADIAN whisky bottled in Canada released at between 65% and 75% ABV

@Victor , not exactly easy to come by, if at all, but there it is, blew right by that 75% limit :)

distiller.com/spirits/…

@newreverie I am just about to complete a trade for one of these bottles, but the one I am getting is only 63.09%. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers when trying to bring high proof Canadian Rye back home :)

@Astroke I can check to see if there are any left. It was released earlier this year, but there may be a few still at my local store.

@newreverie I will be happy when this current trade is completed, of course the problem is always the same, getting the bottle to Canada and me shipping the trade bottle to the US. The thought is appreciated.

Hopefully we Canadians will not always be the kid staring in the window of the store looking at something we dearly want but can't have :)

@newreverie, Houston Whiskey Social is on my bucket list. I'm slowly making my way to Houston...

double post

@cricklewood I can't think of a better way to spend an evening. Well done.