EPIC TASTINGS!

@newreverie, it was a great game for me to watch . I was an Astros fan before half of the Blue Jays pitching staff went to Houston. Altuve looked good tonight.

@Victor, how about them Expos?!!!!...stealing game five from the Dodgers.

@Victor in addition to outstanding whiskey I used these beautiful Waterford glasses. I really enjoy drinking with these.

@paddockjudge Maybe a Washington win will make up for the disappointmet of the 94 season, When the strike stopped the season the Expos had the best record. Who knows what might have happened

@PeterG7, I know that “if” is a big word, but imagine if Montreal played in the Series that year....and won.... three in a row for Canada ..... somebody is obviously building the wall at the wrong border ... Mexico has yet challenge for the World Series

@paddockjudge Nor have Cuba, Dominican Republic or Japan challenged for the WORLD Series.

Epic tasting last night with @thewalkingdad and a friend from work. Like seriously epic. I won't list everything in the picture but the consensus favorites were the G&M Linkwood 15 and G&M Glen Grant 21 on the scotch side, then ECBP B519, the barrel pick JDSBBP, and the Belle Meade Honey on the bourbon side.

@casualtorture You’ll have to tell us about the Linkwood and the Glen Grant sometime soon.

@BlueNote I'll definately do a review sometime.

In anticipation of the latest EPIC TASTING here is a preview of some of the food. Missing here because I forgot to take a picture was the oxtail stew and rice and peas and coleslaw organized by our epic host, @fiddich1980.

More to come...

@Nozinan Still waiting for the "more to come"

@Nock It takes those guys a while just to get through it all. They're having sleepovers and breakfast drams I heard.

@Nock Been very busy. I will try later tonight or soon.

Epic Tasting Dec. 7, 2019

Sorry to take so long to get this posted, but life can get in the way. I’m back in town now and can do this tasting proper justice.

@fiddich1980 hosted another fabulous tasting at his home. Once again there was an amazing spread of food (listed in my previous post).

The event was attended by the host, me, @talexander and partner, @paddockjudge, @Cricklewood and 2 other non-Connosr guests. The theme was Young and Feisty. The showcase malts were to be 10 YO or under.

I was unfortunately on call earlier in the day, so @Paddockjudge was forced to wait at his overnight suite (my place) until I was free to go. In order to keep him occupied I invited him to sample, blind, a head to head of Old Ezra 7 YO CS and OGD 114, to see if he could tell which was which. After that we still had some time left so he explored my cabinet and had some Johnnie Walker Blue.

We had agreed to split a bottle of the Laphroaig Caideas triple wood, and I think he may have tasted some of that as he divided it in two. And he ended off with a small pour of Wiser’s Seasoned Oak, which had not been poured in over a year (I really have to get back to that).

After a flurry of last minute pages, we were ready to go.

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We enjoyed quite a number of young and feisty drams:

• Hazelburn 10 YO 46% courtesy @paddockjudge

• Nikka Miyagikyo 45% courtesy @fiddich1980

• Nikka Yoichi 45.6% courtesy @fiddich1980

• Kaiyo CS Mizunara oak 53%, another shared purchase and courtesy @nozinan and @paddockjudge

Then we broke from the theme briefly, and sampled some Mister Sam that @paddockjudge wanted to share with us. It was awesome. In retrospect, the Lagavulin 16 YO (courtesy @fiddich1980) that followed did not stand a chance.

After breaking for dinner we continued with the programme:

• Rampur Indian Single Malt 43% courtesy @Talexander

• Benromach 10/100 courtesy @nozinan

• Benromach CS Batch 1 (distilled 2008 and bottled 2019) 57.9% courtesy @cricklewood

• Baker’s 7 YO bourbon 53.5% courtesy @fiddich1980

• Baker’s Single Barrel bourbon 8Y 6 Mo, 53.5% courtesy @talexander

• Old Potrero Single malt straight Rye 48.5% courtesy @paddockjudge

• Balcones Texas Rye 50% - sadly, I did not record who provided this

• Two Brewers (Yukon) Single Malt “Innovative (roasted malt)” 46% courtesy @fiddich1980

• Two Brewers peated single malt 43%, courtesy Earl, guest of @fiddich1980

• Talisker 57 N 57% courtesy @Nozinan

• Talisker 8 YO CS 59.4% courtesy @Fiddich1980

• Kilkerran 8 YO 55.7% Courtesy @fiddich1980

• Lot 40 CS NAS 2019 edition 57%, courtesy @fiddich1980

Then in a break from the theme but with everyone’s consent, @Fiddich1980 broke out a long sold-out Glenfiddich 15 YO DE, bottled at 51%. The first ‘fiddich that I can say I actually enjoyed tasting.

We finished the night with a Kichoman Red Wine cask matured, 54% supplied by @Cricklewood.

A few samples were exchanged and we were on our way about an hour or so after mifdnight.

As we wound down, I poured some Uigeadail followed by ODG BiB for my overnight guest

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In all, a very enjoyable night with great company and some very interesting whiskies.

@Nozinan thanks for posting. That's a great- looking tasting.

@Nozinan I think you just re-defined "epic."

@Nozinan - sounds like a great night! Out of interest, were there any big differences between the two Benromachs?

@RianC I will have to wait until I put them H2H without any other flavours confusing my palate, but I think there was not much of a difference if I recall.

On Tuesday we went to the annual LCBO launch of the 2019 Diageo Special Releases, at the National Club in Toronto, hosted by Stuart Brown. The Special Releases now have a mostly consistent bottle shape and design (except the Singleton and the Mortlach). Here are some quick and dirty notes, including Ontario pricing (ugh):

• The opening reception had a very good buffet dinner of salt-crusted salmon, roast beef and usual accompaniments. Cocktails on offer were a Penicillin made with Laga 8 (48%, $90/bottle) which was nice and bracing, and a "Manhattan" (really a Rob Roy) made with Singleton of Dufftown 12yo (40%, $60/bottle) which was surprisingly balanced and tasty. Now, in the order of tasting:

• Dalwhinnie 30yo (54.3%, $820) - fantastic stuff, thick mouthfeel, tons of honey and vanilla, herbal, peppery.

• Singleton of Glen Orde 18yo (53.5%, $210) - also excellent, fruity with apple skins, orange, dark honey, chocolate and huge spice - with a very long finish.

• Cardhu 14yo (55%, $200) - nicely sherried, with tropical fruits (mango, papaya), green apple skins, slightly floral and spicy, but a little hot. Good but not great.

• Cragganmore 12yo (58.4%, $140) - this was a nice surprise as it was peated but subtle, oily mouthfeel, lime and like the Cardhu, green apple skins. Nicely malty but a bit one note. I liked it but $140 for a 12yo?

• Pittyvaich 29yo (51.4%, $550) - Wow. I mean, wow. PX sherry finish (and zero sulphur) with dark fruits, plums, milk chocolate and ginger. Elegant and beautiful. Being from a closed distillery, I purchased a bottle as an investment.

• Mortlach 26yo (53.7%, $2,500) - according to Stuart and pretty much everyone else in the room, this was the star of the night - another PX finish with the Mortlach notes you already know: dark chocolate, bovril, cloves, rubber and thick caramel. Fine but this and the Cardhu were my least favourites (shocking when you look at that price tag), but I'm generally not a Mortlach fan. For me, it was a bit overwhelming.

• Talisker 15yo (57.3%, $180) - oh yes. Lovely classic Talisker, with black liquorice, pepper, caramel, iodine and all the fruits. Just the right balance between peat, pepper and fruit. Stunning and I bought one.

• Lagavulin 12yo (54.8%, $180) - that which we all know and love. What can I say? Briny, coastal, big peat and yet subtle. Perfect. I was blown away, as was my wallet (had to buy it. Had to.)

• The finisher was not part of the series: John Walker & Sons King George V (43%, $800) - a blend with candied peel, subtle orange and light honey. Subtle peat. Thin mouthfeel but beautifully done. Then coffee, tea and dessert. Voila!

@talexander That definitely qualifies as epic. Apart from the bottles you bought, what was the cost of the food and whisky?

@BlueNote Tickets were $150 pp.

@talexander great fun, no doubt! This is becoming an expensive hobby! Among those prices, Lagavulin 12 yo looks like a bargain-basement cheapie.

@Victor Yes, but I think it used to be $160 so it's gone up 12.5% which is ridiculous.

@talexander So with your purchases you managed to lighten your wallet quite considerably. Although, I'd say the cost of the event, with good food and the quality of drams you got to sample, was pretty reasonable.

@BlueNote Well, how often do you get a chance to taste these drams?

@talexander thanks for the write-up, was the Cragganmore really that underwhelming? At first I was hoping for the standard varying but at higher proof and UCF but the description of what they released still sounded good.

Looks like the Talisker and Lag are the way to go. It's going it be a knife fight for the remaining stock of Talisker 15. Did you get any inkling of the quantity they had?

I hosted my 50th birthday tasting last night. Together with 32 friends we cleaned out these bottles, ending with my own Toshan Man 50th Birthday Bottling from Auchentoshan. I do believe this has earned a place in this thread as EPIC.

@talexander Yeah, sometimes there are no second chances and you just have to go for it.

Nice lineup, Mark. Happy birthday.

@markjedi1 - That's some party! Is it OK to drool at other peoples posts?!?