So, what are you drinking now?

Been on a peat/sherry bender lately. I got a bottle of Enigma a couple of weeks ago and picked up a bottle of Benriach Heredotus Fumosus today, with plans for a bottle of Laimrig later this month. Sipping the Benriach right now. Delicious.

Picked up a bottle of Bruichladdich 'The Laddie 10' on the way home from work this morning...Glad I did - wonderful flavors in this dram.

@FMichael just sampled the Laddie 10 for the first time over the weekend as part of a Whisky Tasting Fundraiser for a local museum (a converted underground nuclear defence bunker). The line up for the evening was as follows:

1) Springbank 10 paired with costini layered with smoked cheddar, dried figs, and slivered almonds;

2) Bruichladdich Laddie 10 paired with chicken satay and mango chutney;

3) Ardbeg 10 paired with spicy California rolls;

4) Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask paired with scallops drizzled with a maple syrup reduction; and

5) Auchentoshan Three Wood paired with a creme brulee with orange rind soaked in Grand Marnier.

The Laddie 10 and the Caribbean Cask were new for me...the Laddie was pretty decent, but the Caribbean Cask was a bit disappointing - for all the rum flavour imparted by the cask, I'd rather have been drinking quality rum than a mediocre whisky finished in a rum cask to hide the faults...I prefer the 12yr Double Wood.

@YakLord That sounded like an incredible evening.

Amrut 100 My first taste of Indian whisky and its just magnificent from nose to finish. Very easy to drink surprisingly

Last night was Glenfarclas 17 and tonight is Wiser's Legacy...'tis the season:)

@PeatyZealot

If you don't mind a bit of the sherry, try the Intermediate. It' really good. I am slowly drinking from a bottle of the Batch 6.

@sengjc IS is a good example of a sherried dram. Batch 6? I think mine may be batch three. Are there new batches or was this a one time expression that we will not see again? I know for sure it hasn't come anywhere near Ontario...

Forgot to mention, my Springbamk CS, my very last dram, is a little nippy tonight. I gassed it but it has been a while in the decanted bottle. Still good stuff. I will miss having a bottle around and open. I will try to replace it in Calgary. But if I do get it, it won't be opened for a while. I've managed to reduce my open bottles to about 12 single malts, 1 bourbon, 2 forty creek, 1 rye and a blend. Need to make way for some new stuff...

Lucky night...I have time for a small dram of Booker's. Its higher ABV helps it follow the Springbank.

Four Roses Binny's Private Selection Barrel Strength OBSF: Luscious leather and licorice! Salubrious sipping!

W.T. Russells Reserve 10 yrs. Old. This is a lovely drop that ticks all my boxes!

@Nozinan

I have a repeat on the Amrut Intermediate Sherry from the same source but I am told that this is going to be a Batch 10 release. My guess is that it will be a core range.

Japanese whiskies. Last night, @Dramlette and I finally got a good opportunity to greatly increase our exposure to Japanese whiskies. We had Taketsuru 17 'Pure Malt', Yoichi 15, Hibiki 12 Blended whisky, Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky, and Hakushu 12. We both liked every one of them a great deal. Taketsuru 17 was @Dramlette's favourite. That Nikka 'Grain" is a really outstanding corn whisky.

@Victor Yes, I LOVE the Taketsuru 17!

@Victor Yes. I also really enjoyed my sample of the Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky.

It's not a whisky, but it is the very last of my Maison Surrenne Tonneau no. 1 (batch from 2002), which was just glorious stuff. It lost some edge and power over time, but I will miss it dearly. I got a second bottle of it, but from a different batch.

The Laddie Ten...Wonderful whisky!

And now the very last of my Springbank 12/100 UK release. It was really a shining star when I opened the bottle, but it transformed over time, showing some of the very best of old Springbank, and going out on top. It's now among my favorite whiskies of all time. When Springbank is on, it's incredible.

From one island to another...From one 10 yr old to another...Sipping on a generous portion of the Talisker 10 yr while watching my beloved Detroit Red Wings taking on those nasty Philadelphia Flyers.

Glad to hear that you were able to enjoy some Japanese whiskies @Victor! A pretty good list of bottles in my opinion. I also really like the Taketsuru 17 but I think the 21 yo is even better. When it comes to the Taketsuru expressions, age makes a big difference.

I was enjoying a few drams of Suntory Royal Blended and Nikka All Malt just the other night. Neither one is a top shelfer but both are nice in their own way ; )

I'm slowly depleting my open bottles, so it was back to Bladnoch 11 (55%) tonight. Just a wee dram. With one drop of water. It's improved since I first opened the bottle. The sherry is more robust and the rough edges have smoothed. I guess I haven't been getting all the oxygen out when gassing.... Good thing.

@Victor

Nice lineup. The Taketsuru 17 YO is a lovely drink.

last night in here before i head off on a trip to South East Asia, couple of speysiders for me, Glenlivet 12 (review will be posted), and the Glendronach 15, a beautiful whisky.

Came home last night after work as the snow storm was finishing off instead of shoveling the snow I headed inside. Supper, Lag 16, followed by caol ila 12 and then bed.

@sengjc My man, which intermediate do you mean? Amrut? Is it also peated?

A Gordon & Macphail line-up. Last night, a Gordon & Macphail tasting at my favorite independent spirit store. Speymalt Macallan 21 yo (Distilled in 1991 Bottled in 2012), Linkwood 15 yo, Mortlach 15 yo, Caol ila 10 yo, Benromach 10. I think I was expecting more from the Macallan 21. It was good but not great. Seemed like the most talked about and enjoyed by all was the Benromach 10.

Lark Distillery, Bourbon Cask #276 @ 58%: What a splendid 'drop' this Aussie. (Tassie) Malt is proving to be! It has the most bewitching nose I've seen in ages; it's not exclusive to Lark, I see it occasionally in all manner of Malts, though usually 'Islanders' - It is an elusive smoky bacon character that comes and goes and then when least expected comes again!

The last time I saw this kind of magic was in a Caol Ila Cask. Sadly, the Lark Whisky is available in 500ml. bottles, only.

Another work road trip. Another reason to be thankful for decanted samples. Tonight, I am enjoying samples of a 17 year old cask strength Bowmore, and a cask strength 17 year old Clynelish.

Tonight, Ardmore 10 year (SMWS 66.42) "Snorkelling in the bath tub". Not my favorite Society bottle, but not bad either.