So, what are you drinking now?

It's been a long week, lost a molar crown earlier in the week so 2 hours in the dentist chair on Thursday. A summer cold that has finally eased up today, Thank God! Hey lets have the whole Family do their Karate Testing today! (actually that went better than expected). So to treat myself I went out a purchased a fine bottle of Caol Ila 12 yr today. Thanks Jonesz.

Now I know that the taste buds aren't in the best of shape but I don't care I going to the backyard with my wife and this fine bottle and going to have a relaxing dram or two.

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend too.

Yesterday and today, I had a great time meeting and tasting with @Nock. We sampled 15 or 20 whiskies, and @Nock took advantage of some of our nice Montgomery County whisky prices. Thank you @Nock for the lovely samples of Ardbeg Supernova, Old Malt Cask Brora 21 yo, Octomore 1.1, and Kilchoman Private Cask. Great great whiskies. Of course he got to try my favourites too.

Tonight it's Redbreast 12yr old cask strength. This is a wild one to tame. :)

Aberlour 16

Nothing right now, but soon, very soon, I am going to Skype with a friend in the US and we will each open our bottles of Bladnoch 11year old sherry cask 55% produced under the watchful eye of the current owner. And if is anything like the 10 YO......

@teebone673 An excellent dram. Just thought I should say that. I am enjoying Glenfiddich 15

Willett 10yr Family Estate Single Barrel # 821 bottle 10 / 140 . 64.05 %

@GotOak91 Agree. Aberlour 16 is outstanding. Every time I have a dram it gets better and better. Enjoy your Glenfiddich 15, my friend. That was the first single malt I ever tried and got me hooked.

@Lars Hey Lars hope you really enjoy your Caol Ila 12, so far it is still one of my favorites. I have an unopened bottle and it has to stay that way for a bit. Am going to open my Lagavulin 16 today in honour of my GD's 16th birthday. Roast Prime rib on the smoker, Stuffed cheese-bacon-onion potatoes Yum. It has been a lot of work so far for an old guy on fathers day but worth it I think. Have a good one. Jonesz

@Victor Thank you for the wonderful tasting! I can’t possibly speak highly enough of @Victor and his lovely wife @Dramlett who graciously hosted me, fed me, and opened their liquor cabinet to me. I’m sure everyone who has shared a dram with them face to face can testify to their generosity and fantastic companionship!

For me it was one of the most epic tastings I have ever done. I know @Victor is being modest. In total there were about 30 bottles sampled (including two Tequilas) in under 23 hours (including the 4 hours of sleep that @Victor managed to function on). None of us sampled everything I’m about to list . . . but we certainly tried.

For the record here is an alphabetical list of the 28 whiskies sampled:

Abraham Bowman Rye (special release), Abraham Bowman Bourbon 73.75%, Ardbeg Ardbog, Ardbeg Uigeadail L 10 151, Ardbeg Uigeadial L 11 284, Ardbeg Corryvreckan, Ardbeg Supernova 1st release, Brora 21yo OMC (1981-2002), BenRiach Curiositas 10yo, BenRiach Heredotus Fumosus 12yo (PX), Bruichladdich 10yo, Bulleit 95 Rye, Clynelish 14yo, Connemara Cask Strength, Glenmorangie Artein, Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban, Glenmorangie Signet, Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX, Highland Park 12yo, Kilchoman Single Cask, Old Potrero Straight Rye, Old Potrero 18th Century Style Whiskey, Octomore 1.1, Octomore 2.2 Orpheus, Talisker 75 Degrees North, Tomatin 25yo, Willett 18yo single barrel #79, William Larue Weller (2011)

keep in mind these were very modest pours of between half an ounce and an ounce of liquid – at most!

For me the big take away was the depth that Rye is capable possessing – in addition to its uniqueness and inherent “curiosity.” I loved the Willett, Abraham Bowman Rye, and the Weller (and I don’t consider myself a Bourbon lover), and I’ll be looking for the Old Potrero’s (18th Century in particular). The Orpheus was amazing and I am sad I passed on it when I had the opportunity to buy it a few years ago. @Victor’s favorite bottle of Uigeadail L10 151 was amazing. The Uigeadail bottle I contributed L11 284 was less then impressive – batch numbers are very important! My current theory is that his L10 151 had very litter sherry influence. Hopefully soon I will do a vertical tasting of several different batches of Uigeadail. Thankfully, I now have a sample of @Victor’s bottle to include in this tasting.

Thanks again!

I look forward to hearing about the next tasting soon to occur

@Jonesz Sounds like a great meal but isn't Father's day next Sunday? The Coal Ila is very enjoyable fruity initially but has the peat taste(mild) I like. Talisker 10 is still my favorite but I'll have another dram of Coal Ila tonight. Have a great supper.

@Lars I am an idiot. However my wife served me coffee in the hot tub this AM and wished me Happy Fathers Day! The good news is that I got to celebrate my GD's 16th birthday with a few drams of lagavulin 16. I will get to do it all over again next Sunday on the real "Fathers Day" Glad you enjoyed your Caol Ila 12 this afternoon. I am thinking maybe you got the best of the deal? Jonesz

Yesterday, I was at the liquor store picking up a gift of Ardbog for my brother-in-law. I noticed a small wooden box with 50 ml "test tubes" of 5 different types of Compass Box whisky. After all of the positive comments I've read on here, I thought this would be a great way to try them.

Last night at my brother-in-law's, we sampled 3 of the 5; Spice Tree, Peat Monster and Hedonism. The Spice Tree was excellent and my favorite of the 3. Peat Monster was very good, but I'm not sure "monster" is the word I would use to describe it. I really enjoyed it, but thought it was a little tame to have that in the name. Hedonism is too sweet for me, but it wasn't bad.

In addition to the 3 Compass Box whiskies, we also had Rosebank 21 year (Nov. 1990) SMWS 25.63-"Poire et poivre", Bunnahabhain 13 year (1997) Port finish-Murray McDavid bottling (2010), Caol Ila Gordon & Macphail 10yr Madeira Wood Finish and finished the night with a side-by-side tasting of two 9 year Bruichladdich Port Charlotte's from SMWS (127.14 - "Right up my street" & 127.26 - "Student party aftermath").

Tonight, before dinner had another sip of Hedonism. I liked it better tonight, but still not sure 100% grain is for me. I am finishing the night with another dram of the 127.26.

Finishing the Longrow CV, awesome stuff! Definitely gonna buy it again!

@PeatyZealot Lucky.. mine wasn't so great unfortunately. Maybe from a bad batch, who knows. Had no "oomph" at all with a subdued nose and rather simple palate. I won't buy again unless I have a better experience with it in future.

@PeatyZealot - I agree! - had a dram last night and I was surprised at how much more vibrant it is just since late March.

Kicking back with a little Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban. Always a favorite.

Just finished a couple drams of Laphroaig 18 at a local whisky bar. Once I get home I may continue with some Lagavulin 16.

Over the past week: Bowmore 12, Poit Dhubh 8 and Whyte & Mackay Special. The first two I think are pretty good for the price. W&M though deserves to be tossed on the floor, even for a bottom shelfer it doesn't have to smell like paint thinner.

Black Bull 12yo.

@Wodha - and how is it? It's on Ian Buxton's list of 101 World Whiskies to Try Before You Die, but then again, so is Jim Beam Red Stag...although Buxton does caution that just because a whisky makes it onto the list, doesn't mean it is good, you just have to try it for the experience...

@SMC - is that what Richard Paterson is throwing on the floor in all his videos? Are you trying to give subtle hints for Round Two of our Battle of the Budget Blends?

@YakLord - Yes it's what Paterson (rightly) throws on the floor. No I'm not trying to influence anyone. My budget has been cut so I have to look to the bottom shelf more often.

@YakLord I love the Black Bull 12yo - even better of course is the 40yo if you can get your hands on it!

Tonight I'm hanging out in the Speyside region with Cragganmore 12yr old. @SMC it's ok to throw W&M on the floor just don't nose it wrong or warm it with your hands. LOl. :)

Laphroaig 10 : )

Ardmore Traditional Cask in honour of the US Open.

Desert Queen Reserve Whisky (Batch 1, June 2012), from Amber Distilleries Ltd., India...for export only...terrible, terrible stuff...currently using a Singha lager (Thai beer) and Singapore Noodles to wash the taste out of my mouth...

That sounds terrible @YakLord!

A tumbler of smoky Bowmore and an episode of Star Trek TNG. They both fit well.