So, what are you drinking now?

For the first time ever: Ardbeg Uigeadail.

Stunning.

@PMessinger, that is a great blend my friend! Easily one of the best in that price range.

@CanadianNinja Thanks 3 drams in and I'm getting a lot of jelled fruit, sweet malt. Really nice blend. :)

@wtrstrnghlt - yes it is! How about sharing the bottle code?

@wtrstrnghlt Let us all know how you get on with the Uigeadail, I have one but it's not opened yet. Soon though very soon. :)

@PMessinger

I have one too. One of my untouchables. Why? Because it's so far behind other bottles in my cabinet (on my "to open" shelf, that I may never get to it.

Last night was a smorgasbord;

Southern Tier 2xRye double IPA

Dogfish Head Burton Baton (English-style old ale married with an Imperial IPA that is then matured in oak for a month)

Bruichladdich "The Botanist" Gin (my first ever taste of Gin and I tried it neat. While it's drinkable that way, I would recommend some tonic water. It had an amazing nose and there is a lot going on, 31 botanicals, but it needs a little mellowing that I think the tonic water would provide.

Heaven Hills Trybox series new make rye compared head to head with the new make that has been maturing in my 1 liter new charred oak cask for 6 days. It was interesting to see how much it had changed in that short of time (changed for the better; color, nose and taste - but it is still raw and needs more time, quite a bit more.)

Peabody Jones Vodka made by the Woodinville Whiskey Company (WA state). While I am not generally a fan of vodka, this one is excellent right out of the bottle, neat. So much character. This is not a flavored vodka, but it has a lot of vanilla notes.

Glenmorangie 'Quinta Ruban': Six months ago, this Whisky was freshly opened and so out of balance, I wondered if it would ever come good! It has and spectacularly so. This sample from a 200ml. bottle that had a good air-space: I wondered why I was going through my usual routine of decanting, saving a 200ml.etc. The Whisky was thin, 'all over the place', definitely not fragrant or spicy. Now, it is quite the opposite with all the above in generous measure. And, the balance is exceptional, the taste delicious, spicy and moreish with a beautiful long finish.

It's a miracle!

Tonight is a bourbon night: Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star, Old Granddad 114, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof 12 yo, Stagg Jr., and George T. Stagg 2011. Really, just reverse that order and you get the order of my "enjoyment" of the bourbons. I was really impressed by the Stagg Jr. It seems to have some disappointed press as of late, but I really like it. I enjoyed it much more then then the Elijah Craig BP.

@Nock That sounds like a glorious evening

@bwmccoy

Interesting that you recommend tonic water to make gin more palatable.....

In fact, as many probably know, when the British had armies in India a couple of centuries ago, they wanted to give quinine to the officers to prevent malaria. But it had a bitter taste. So they invented the gin and tonic (tonic water is flavoured with quinine)' adding gin to make the "tonic" more palatable to the officers.

Irony....

Tonight it's Aberlour 12yr old Double Cask Matured wow this is a lot to tame. :)

@Nozinan - I love irony! Thanks for sharing. I hadn't heard that story before. By the way, apparently, the way it's served at several establishments on Islay is with tonic water and cucumber slices. (?) I saw it on the internet, so it must be true.

Last night - Sierra Nevada (Chico, CA) Pale Ale and Springbank 12 Cask Strength.

Tonight - Ninkasi (Eugene, Oregon) Total Domination IPA, Springbank 12 Cask Strength and Bruichladdich Port Charlotte 9 year (SMWS 127.26 - "Student Party Aftermath")

I have a silly question people, and I didn't know where else to go to ask. I'm really hoping to get some feedback from you as it seems like everyone here knows a lot about whiskey. I love whiskey, but don't have the knowledge, but my question is this....my grandfather passed away and we found an old bottle of wisers deluxe 10 year old with a seal of 1982 on it...is this good/bad? Could someone be so kind and give me some info on it if there is any...thanks so much.

@KRD21, are you asking whether your 1982 Wiser's Deluxe 10 yo is fit to drink, or whether it is likely to be a good-tasting whisky? It should certainly be fit to drink, if the cork/seal is intact. Wiser's Deluxe is the big mass-market Wiser's product, as I expect that you already know. This is not a premium product now, but standards were different in the past, and you might like it a lot. I don't think that Wiser's Deluxe is anything like 10 years aged now. @paddockjudge probably knows more about this sort of bottle than just about anybody else here on Connosr.

For what it's worth, I've still got an upopened bottle of Canadian Club for the last 40 years with a 1973 tax stamp on it. Is it any good? Won't know til I open it one day.

Tonight I'm having the rest of my Springbank 18yr old. Worth every penny my stepson paid for it :)

@KRD21 @Victor I would recommend shelling out for a bottle of Wiser's on sale today and doing a head to head tasting. I did this a while back with a 50 cc sample of JW red and a bottle from the late 70s or early 80s. I wouldn't say I'd use the old bottle for an go to dram, but it was certainly better then the awful stuff in today's bottlings. Very educational. See Ralfy's video where he does something similar (where I got the idea)

What am I drinking now? Enjoying the cask strength awesomeness of Aberlour A'Bunadh batch 44. Great nose, a little drier than other batches, maybe a little younger than the 33...., but an inspiring dram.

@bwmccoy

The Springbank CS really calls for a repeat performance doesn't it?

Last dram of the PC10... Fantastic whisky, just the way I like it

@Nozinan - One of Ralfy's most entertaining reviews. My wife had a friend over to the house a few weeks ago. She requested a Scotch-cranberry juice cocktail (yuk!). She went to my liquor cabinet and grabbed my bottle of Laddie Ten (assuming Scotch is Scotch, apparently) before I said, "Here, this should make for a better mixer" and handed her my bottle of JW Red that had been at the 3/4 level for about four years. "Wow, Johnnie Walker Red!" she said, as if I were offering her a 50 yo Glenfarclas. My wife and I exchanged a wink behind her back.

An all-HP night tonight. 12 yo, 18 yo, and a '91 Signatory IB.

Old Weller Antique and W L Weller 12 yr 50/50 has become a go to for me .

Tonight some more Aberlour 12yr Double Cask Matured. This is a great Speysider. :)

Watching baseball with Balvenie Doublewood. Have a great night, guys.

Laphroaig quarter cask, sharing with a friend and a nephew, which makes it taste better...

@KRD21 - You have a potential gem. Great question.

Let me begin by offering my condolences on the passing of your grandfather. I hope that you someday have an opportunity to honour his memory by offering a toast from that very special bottle.

I've drank more than my share of 'old' Canadian whisky and have never suffered any negative effects other than what one would expect from 40%abv whisky. The only negative side-effect has been remorse, when an old favourite has been emptied.

@Victor mentioned the condition of the seal, it should be intact - this would be an indication that the contents should be suitable for consumption...if I remember correctly, that bottle has a plastic screw-off top with an excise stamp along the neck and over the cap. That whisky was distilled in 1982, or at least the youngest whisky in that particular bottle was distilled in 1982.

Check the label to see if there is a location for bottling - this may contain whisky from the plant in Corbyville, which was closed in the1980's.

In case you are wondering, there's not a lot of value in older Canadian whisky. I usually offer trade at replacement cost and a small premium; I haven't been turned down very often... recently had the good fortune to sample a 1975 Wiser's 5 yr-old, it surprised me, I loved it. Also 1981 CC 12 yr-old (traded for a bottle of Danfield's 21 yo $45); ...not a CC fan, but must say the '81 outperformed some recent CC releases.

I hope this helps.

A little bit of Rittenhouse Rye 100 BiB and some Thursday night Preseason football as there is nothing else on.

@paddockjudge if the seal was 1982, I would guess that is when it was bottled, so the youngest spirit in there must have been distiller in 1972....

I'm still older. Does that make me more or less valuable. I may have OBE -old bugger effect

@Nozinan - NO

@paddockjudge

Is that NO:

1. I'm wrong about the distillation dates
2. I'm not more valuable
3. I'm not less valuable 4 something about "OBE"

@Nozinan - Yes