So, what are you drinking now?

@WhiskyBee - Rest assured that a top flight of Canada's finest will be available at the next 'Canuckus Ruckus' - I promise you no less than six 'Canadian Whisky of the Year'...maybe more;)

Celebrated my last night for a while with a few drams of a special favorite: Black Bull 30 yo.

@Nozinan - A bit of Quarter Cask sounded good to me as well. Ended the night with that (because peat always finishes a night) just a few minutes ago.

@paddockjudge - Can't wait. Save me a seat!

@Victor - A mere "thanks for everything" wouldn't begin to be adequate.

Tomorrow, the antibiotics and anti-inflammatories await. Oh joy! Oh rapture!

last night before uni goes back im sipping away at a talisker distillers, nice in-between dram, not too much of a fire-breather, nor is it a sherry bomb, nice teaser.

@hunggar, the Old Man Winter is very nice indeed. As I wrote earlier, it's incredibly spicy which I love. Tonight I'm getting ripe cherries on the nose...

Unfortunately though I can't give you very much information about Old Man Winter! I do believe it is only for the Japanese market. Their ryes and bourbons are widely available here, the age of the whiskies are often quite old, anywhere from 16 to 25 years. I can't say that I've tried any of the bourbons but after getting this rye I would certainly be interested in exploring some other expressions.

Going to watch the Season Premiere of The Walking Dead with an interesting Irish drop called Concannon. Its a 4 year Irish whiskey made in the Cooley distillery aged 4 years in ex-bourbon barrels then finished in petite sirah wine barrels from California at the Concannon vineyard hence the name.

Watching the season open of the Walking Dead with a 12 year Highland Park

@whiskydallas

My wife is watching that so I'm upstairs enjoying a rare (in Ontario) A'Bunadh - batch 36.

A dram of Aberlour 16 year old double cask - a good quality, often overlooked whisky in my humble opinion.

@Whisk Agreed - excellent whisky for the price

@Whisk

One day, when I have the time, I will open my bottle of this stuff.

Amrut Fusion while watching Olympic highlights. Though I should be drinking Canadian whisky since we are totally kicking ass at Sochi.

Finishing off a few odds and ends in small sample bottles: Redbreast 12 Cask Strength, Thomas H. Handy 2010, and Abraham Bowman 69.4% Rye.

After a terrifying 6.3 level earthquake here in Taipei a few minutes ago, I'm sitting down to watch some Olympic highlights. As @talexander mentioned; Canada's rocking it this year, so I think some Crown Royal LE fits the bill tonight. Lovely stuff.

@hunggar That may be my favourite CR...sorry to hear about the quake!

@victor I'll miss the last of the Bowman

@RobertH, good to hear from you! I am so happy that you and @dbk were able to get some of that 69.4% Abraham Bowman 10 YO Rye from The Party Source. Wish I had 10 more bottles of it. Carpe diem. I did.

@talexander - CR Ltd. Ed. certainly is your favourite CR; however, it is the 1975 (excise stamp) release! I have a '74 on the shelf, for the right moment.

Forty Creek Heart of Gold - Love this stuff. Picked up a six pack today as it will soon be gone from store shelves, forever. Perhaps Nozinan can do a countdown concurrently with the A'Bunadh.

@paddockjudge

Still hundreds of bottles in over 60 stores. Too early to do a countdown. Not many in my part of Toronto though. I like it. I have most of my open bottle and a spare. I'd buy another but my A'Bunadh collection is taking up too much space. My brother in law is going to try to get another 44 and 45 for me in Calgary, and so me Springbank 12 CS. And I still have a Portonova that is waiting to come home. And 2 Bladnochs still to come from Florida.

grabbed my 22yr Cragganmore cask strength tonight...

@paddockjudge 'Tis true, that '75 was incredible. But of the current CRs, I think the current LE is still my favourite...

Ballantines 17y while watching the Olympics. Holland just picked up another gold medal!

My current bottle is some Compass Box Peat Monster. I've found it's really started to grow on me. Definitely a solid blend.

Last night I attended a Gordon & Macphail tasting at my favorite indepenent liquor store.

Brenne Single Malt NAS but was told it averages 7 yo Gordon & Macphail: Linkwood 15 yo, Tamdu 8 yo, Highland Park 8 yo, Bunnahabhain 8 yo Glenburgie 10 yo Benromach Peat Smoke Distilled 2004

I thought my favorite would be the Benromach Peat Smoke but it ended up being the Glenburgie 10 with the Brenne getting 'honorable mention'. The Brenne was so unique being it is twice distilled in a copper alembic still from barley grown in Cognac, France. Aged is both new French Limousin oak barrels and ex-Cognac barrels. I could see this being something to have after dinner as a dessert drink since it's on the sweet side. I had been reading about this French Single Malt so was pleased to be able to sample it.
I actually circled back and had another dram of the Brenne since it was such a unique creature and another of the Glenburgie 10 with its nice fruity, toasted malt taste. This was one of my favorite tastings so far.

HAPPY BALLANTINE'S DAY !

@Victor, I loved that Bowman Rye . . . so that was the last of your open bottle? I didn't quite understand the post (call me a bad reader). Did you pour off the Bowman, Handy, and Red Breast into sample bottles and finish the last bits that didn't fit? (I know the joy of that). OR did you finish off the last bits of the three you had in sample bottles? (I know the loss of saying good bye to those).

@maltygirl over the holidays I also picked up a bottle of the Glenburgie 10yo (G&M). I was very surprised by it . . . much better then I expected.

Further, I picked up a bottle of Benromach Peat Smoke Batch 3 (2002-2010) 46% 35ppm 1st Fill Bourbon Barrels. Not so great. I actually like the Benromach 10yo quite a bit more. That said, I really enjoy a dram with the two vatted half and half.

That said, I am jealous of your opportunity to try them first. Where I live and shop . . . and travel and shop . . . there are zero opportunities to try before you buy.

For all of you who can sample before you buy . . . you are very fortunate. I would gladly pay higher prices at stores if they gave me opportunity to try before I buy.

Last night for Valentine’s Day I cracked open a bottle of Amrut Intermediate Sherry (Batch 2). @Victor and my wife convinced me to buy it (along with a second bottle for @Victor) largely based on the review standing here at Connosr. My concern was that there while it occupies position 9 on the top whiskies at Connosr . . . there were only four reviews. Still, I pulled the trigger. And last night popped it open.

WOW! I am very, very impressed. I am not a huge sherry lover. I usually don’t go in for big sherry bombs . . . but this guy was staggering. My wife has long said that her favorite whisky was Lagavulin 16yo. After nosing and tasting it last night she said this might be her new favorite whisky ever. It really was the fruits. The most obvious to both of us seemed to be apricots (my favorite fruit since childhood) followed by cherries and plumbs. It wasn’t overly sweet, but it was thick and velvety.

It will take some time before I take proper notes for this guy . . . but it is special. And made a wonderful Valentine’s Day even better.

Cheers!

@Nock, yes, the whiskies referred to in that post were from 2 oz bottles or 1 oz vials after having decanted the majority of the bottles into larger size bottles.

I still have 2 unopened bottles of the 69.4% Bowman Rye and 2 unopened bottles from its TPS sister barrel 67.3% Bowman Rye. I assume that the 67.3% ABV barrel will not be as good as the 69.4% ABV barrel, because that 69.4% ABV Bowman Rye is my favourite whisky which I own. If the 67.3% Bowman Rye comes close to the 69.4% ABV barrel, I shall be ecstatic.

As for tasting before you buy, in some places there are many opportunities. My sister in Baltimore often attends 2 or 3 free tastings per week, some whisky, some wine, gin, etc. They also do a lot of pretty reasonably priced commercial tastings in Baltimore. You taste 8 or so for $ 30, then maybe buy a bottle or two, ...or three. Sales seem to be pretty good at those commercial tastings.

My mother in law just offered me a bottle of Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX, tonight I'll taste this precious =)