EPIC TASTINGS!

@Victor £110 including two course lunch, stage lectures and free tastings of all whisky (except the "dream drams" which were separate, with one token included (1 token, sale price bottle £1000-2000, 3 tokens for bottles priced up to £4000 etc)). So e.g. Farclas 12,15,17,21,30 were all free, whereas the 40 was one token.

@RikS Union 52 at CS?

That would be really something! I though it all went into bottles last year but this is labelled Sept 2018.

At 45% it was excellent. At CS ... I don't even know what to say...

@Nozinan Yes, it was rather nice actually. Now I wish you had had it rather than I though, you really seem to appreciate this one.

@RikS, That certainly is an Epic Tasting! Union 52 is brilliant at 45%, I can't imagine it at cask strength. You had mentioned Dissertation as a corn whisky, it is in fact 7/8 rye and contains very little corn (if any) - a bit tight, but does open up with time and becomes less brittle and more rounded.

There is now a new entry on my bucket list, thanks for sharing.

@paddockjudge i thought the union would interest some om here, yes! And thank you for the correction. I think I got so inundated with info by their rep that the only thing I managed to note down was "double distilled corn". Internet says it has only 13% corn, though distilled to 94%?

@RikS - That sounds and looks like a great day! I'm 'wel jel' as the kids say

Sounds like you got to try a good mix of world whiskys there! The Kavalan and Wiser's sound particularly intriguing.

As for the Talisker 18 . . . that may be my favourite whisky so far.

@RianC It was indeed! Almost whisky exhaustion, if that's possible. I didn't even include on my list above that we also did a HtH Arran 10/14/18, the range of springbanks, etc etc... worth a day's investment!

@RikS - Wow! I think it fits the 'epic' bill then! Out of interest which was your fave Arran?

@RianC It was at the end of the day and I was quite tired and stopped taking notes, so I may have this wrong... But if recollection serves me, I had the same conclusion as I had with the glendronach 18 vs 21. That is, I preferred the 14 for its better balance sherry / bourbon. But I wouldn't put my hand on fire that that's an entirely fair conclusion that I'll agree with of trying them again in a slightly calmer and less inundated setting.

@RianC What's your take? Did you make a slightly more considered comparison?

@RikS - I've not had the 18 to be fair but I really liked the 14 and would have it over the 10. That said, I liked the 10 a lot as well and would happily buy another bottle.

This past weekend I joined ten family members for a gathering. We arrived as men and departed as fully saturated boys. We had an absolute blast on Manitoulin Island in the North Channel of Lake Huron. Great, food, great drink, and great company. Great Time!

Below is the North American line-up that was featured; five Canadian, two bourbon, and two rye carrying dual citizenship. The choice of Maker's Mark and Woodford Reserve was a natural fit for our family because of our ties to horse racing. My father actually owned a standardbred, (one of many) named Maker's Mark (go figure!) and Woodford is the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby.

Did I mention the food?! see pic below...

Manitoulin Summit

Wiser's 35 YO 50% abv

Wiser's Dissertation 46.1% abv

Wiser's Legacy 45% abv

Lot No 40 Cask Strength 12 YO Rye 55% abv

Canadian Rockies 21 YO 46% abv

WhistlePig Single Barrel 10 YO Rebellion Resurrection Rye 58.1% abv

Masterson"s 10 YO Straight Rye 45% abv

Maker's Mark 43% abv

Woodford Reserve 45.2% abv

...and the food was otherworldly!

Looking very good, @paddockjudge!

@paddockjudge WOWWWW to both food and beverage!

Every time I think a tasting could not be more epic, my friends out-do themselves.

On the late afternoon of November 10, 8 brave souls (7 of us Connosr members) got together at my place for an epic tasting.

The original plan was for everyone to bring one bottle but that didn’t quite work out and we kept on adding to the programme.

The evening was anchored by excellent food contributions by all, including a porchetta prepared by @paddockjudge and cooked over indirect heat on my BBQ to avoid cooking smells in the tasting area, and a fantastic Guinness cake made by @fiddich 1980.

But what whisky was tasted, you ask?

• Dewars 12 YO Ne Plus Ultra 40%, purchased at auction by @Talexander. Very flavourful start

• Lohin McKinnon 3 YO Single Malt from BC, made from Chocolate Malt and finished in a sautern cask (@JasonHambrey)

• Jason then tried the Lambertus 10 YO - no one joined him

• Tyrconnell 16 YO 46% (Beautiful nose) - @Astroke

• Signatory bottling of Benrinnes Distilled 1974, bottled 1994 (we think) cask 2576 - @fiddich1980

• Yamazaki 18 YO 43% - @fiddich1980

• Hazelburn 9 YO Barolo cask 57.9% - @Astroke

A brief supper break (and catchup time for some)….then:

• Amrut Cask Strength 2007 limited edition (prior to batch numbers) 61.9% - @nozinan

• Amrut Naarangi batch 3 50% - @nozinan

• Glengarioch wine cask15 YO 48% (Batch 24) - @Astroke (went well with the Guinness cake

• Bushmills SMWS 51.12 - Pastries and Sweet Treats - first fill ex-bourbon 58.9% 15 YO - @Talexander

• Maker’s Mark Oak Stave selection for Liquor Locker in Hagerstown MD 55.7% - presented by @paddockjudge in 2 “six shooter” staves obtained from A. Smith Bowman distillery in May.

• Forty Creek Unity 43% 2018 release (with added port-style wine) - @JasonHambrey

• Forty Creek Portwood Reserve 2012 release 45% - @nozinan

• Sivo Le Rye whisky portwood finished - Quebec, 42.7% - @Cricklewood

• Canadian Club 40 YO 45% 2017 release - @paddockjudge

• Canadian Club Chronicles 41 YO 2018 release 45% - @Talexander

• Wild Turkey Master’s Keep 17 YO Barrell Proof 43.4% batch 1 - @paddockjudge

• Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Decades (10-20 YO) Barrell Proof 52% batch 2 - @Talexander

• Amrut Peated CS batch 12 Jan 2014 62.8% - @Nozinan

• Amrut Peated CS batch 28 Feb. 2016 62.8% - @JasonHambrey

• Amrut Peated Barley - Port Pipe cask 2712 (Jan/11 to Feb /16) 59% - @cricklewood

• Compass Box No Name 48.9% - @Fiddich1980

• The Ileach CS 58% - @nozinan

• Laphroaig 10 YO CS batch 005 57.2% - @Nozinan

• Laphroaig Lore 48% - @Paddockjudge

The night would have been a great success without the whisky. With it…it was nothing short of EPIC!

A great thanks to all who came over and helped make it the great evening it was, including Pam, who isn’t on Connosr but who appreciates good whisky and good friends.

The Porchetta

The cake

@Nozinan, thanks once again for including me in this epic event, whisky brings people together! I had a blast, good company, food, conversations and whisky. There's too much good stuff to talk about in there.

@Nozinan What an absolutely wonderful evening - thank you so much for hosting!! It's already the highlight of the holiday season (which hasn't even started yet!)

@Nozinan It looks like I missed a truly EPIC event. What a terrific lineup, of whisky and people! One of these days...And I really do want to try the (in)famous Lambertus...

@Nozinan thank you for hosting this gathering and to your wonderful family for putting up with a group of whisky nerds. It was a blast engaging with everyone and sharing in your passions.

@Nozinan Thanks again for having me over. Unfortunate that my amateur Uber driver could not follow pickup time instructions.

@Nozinan, thank you for hosting yet another Epic tasting. A wonderful afternoon, evening, and early morning of top flight whisky, food, and friends. A great group of whisky enthusiasts! Thanks to all for the tasty food and drink and especially for the numerous bottle and sample trades. The Connosr trade pipeline was flowing fast yesterday.

@Astroke Yeah, my Uber driver that night had trouble with east vs. west. I think it'll be cabs from now on...

@Nozinan Epic doesn’t even begin to describe that. It’s positively MONSTER. You eastern boys really know how to get jiggy with it.

Today my dear friend @TheWalkingDad came over and brought some of his collection. We had a glorious day of whisk(e)y tasting. The caliber of the bottles was just superb and I greatly appreciate him pouring some of this year's GTS for us to try. George T Stagg, ECBP, Aberlour Abunad'h, Laphroig 10CS and Belle Meade Black Belle... among others...I'm not sure how you could have a better day. Bringing our cabinets together and trying the best each other had to offer led to a superb day to say the least. Slainte my dear brothers.

@casualtorture and a rifle just casually lying on the keyboard stool Hope it was shooting first then drinking. Nice line up of across the board whiskies and all the better shared with a good mate.

@casualtorture Guns and whisky... a winning combination...

@Hewie I forgot that was there. I am in Tennessee after all, always gotta be ready for a mountain lion attack.