So, what are you drinking now?

@Wodha Wondering if this is a true blend or a vatted malt? Have a friend that likes this one but have never tasted it myself. Cannot locate it here but see it is available at Total Wine in the states for $35.They list it as a blended malt. Will have to try it next winter. I see Volks scored it a 75 and that is the only review on our site. Do you have any tasting thoughts you care to share? Jonesz

Had a bottle of Boon Kriek, a cherry lambic after a day of garden work. Refreshing on warm and sunny days. Finished the evening with a glass of Bulleit 95 rye.

Enjoyed a Tobermory 10 yr old tonight - vast improvement on the old version - and a Mackmyra first edition - lovely.

Old Grand Dad 114 - both with and without water. My wife prefers it with water. I prefer it without. The water brings out more of the bourbon character, which isn't bad. I just think it is more balanced without water. The heat of cask strength subdues some of the sweetness. Good, reasonably priced whiskey either way.

Perfectly balanced, Alberta Premium 25 Years Single Grain Rye. This has it all - yin and yang of flavour - sweetness and pithiness in perfect balance...dusty rye, big chocolatey goodness, citrus sourness, and a finish as long and continuous as a prairie highway.

@Wodha Agreed...I'd say it's better than a number of single malts.

Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve 2009 has made a special occasion (a wedding toast for the returned elopees) even more special! Happy,Happy, Happy!

Great meeting up with @talexander today to help me go through some of my stocks...and thanks for introducing me to some stuff I tasted for the first time. Today we went through 7 malts and a Canadian:

Benromach Sassicaia wood finish 45% 9 YO

Mortlach (G&M) Coop liquor (Calgary) exclusice 13 YO CS (refill sherry) 59.7% -Both agreed that it was probably a tired cask.

Danfield's limited edition 21 YO 40%

Bladnoch 11YO sherry monster - one of the stars of the night

SOmehow I got posted before I was done....

The Bladnoch was at 55%

The second half of the line-up was:

Glendronach 11 YO 55/4% exclusive for Companions of the Quaich (and I learned how to pronounce it) - another standout in a great evening.

Caol Ila CS NAS 58% - this was a real eye-opener

Kilchoman 2007-2013 - 46%

Elements of Islay Lg2 (Master of Malt) NAS 58% - this one made me go WOW!

I learned a lot today and jumped forward on my malt journey.

@Nozinan Sounds like a terrific tasting (most of these were drams I had never heard of) but let us know how to pronounce Quaich. I have'nt the foggiest.

@Nozinan It was a terrific evening! We'll have another one in Sept, for sure :)

@plattvillepeat That is probably the best Irish whiskey I've ever had in my life. I miss my bottle...

I have before me a concoction called Wild Turkey 'Spiced'. Not sure what to do with this as it's pretty awful. These minis. were gifts with a purchase and part of a promotion. The labels carry Eddie Russell's signature, also, I expect, part of the hype; they would have had a hard time getting Jimmy to put his name to this 'muck'.

Cheers.

Busy day doing stuff for everyone else today now it's my time listening to a Susan Enan Cd, reminds me of the house concert we had a few years ago. She is still doing them highly recommended. Anyway tonight is a sample night Ledaig 10 from Shane, and Forty creek Heart of Gold from Paddockjudge, Heaven pure and simple.

youtu.be/sNGTgex0Zpk

Booker's 25th Anniversary Bourbon while watching Shark Week. A shark on my TV, a shark in my mouth.

Met up with a friend who likes Irish whiskey. I had bought him a bottle of Writer's Tears for his birthday (never having had the Irish spirit other than a couple of tastes from Jameson at Spirit of Toronto it seemed the best thing the LCBO had to offer at the time).

So tonight he introduced me to this gentle spirit. Definitely thinner in the mouth than the cask strength fare I'm used to, but a wonderful complex nose, light, pleasant to taste and VERY easy to drink. Probably one of the smoothest spirits I've ever had! I may have to get a bottle of the stuff...

@Nozinan I love Writer's Tears...next time we get together, we'll do some Irish.

Glenmorangie 8 year (SMWS 125.70 - "A dram of two halves"). This one needs some water. Without it, the alcohol overpowers the taste.

Bruichladdich Octomore 4.1 - this one is perfect the way it is. No water needed.

Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon: Simply stunning these bottles, old Duty Free stock and I wont be running out of these or the 101 Rye for a while. I have noticed that many US. Whiskeys are cheaper, as the quality Malts have become dearer. WT. 101 @ Au.$49.50 V Caol Ila 43% @ $88.00, no contest! I wonder why?

Van Winkle 12 and 4Roses 125th vatted 1:2; appropriately named US127 for the hwy connecting Frankfurt KY to Lawrenceburg KY.

@nicholascclarke, third person profile, interesting. Are you a dude or a chic?

Watching some preseason football with a little Talisker 10. Have a great night, guys.

@teebone673: Have a Talisker 10yo., opened yesterday and it is brilliant. Amazingly it is a version that is being discounted at all my usual outlets, bringing it back to Au.$64.50. It seems to be a return to form after many spotless but uninspiring expressions: This has all the power and majesty of the wild Atlantic Taliskers of an earlier age and, for me, is just about perfect. I wish they would put batch nos. on these as I wouldn't mind rounding-up a case or two!

Cheers!

@A'bunadhman there actually is a bottle code of sorts for Talisker. And I would love to find some good ones! I'll start a new thread for anyone who cares to contribute.

This evening is spent with Springbank 15 :)

Wilson & Morgan bottling of Glenlivet 25 year old distilled in 1976 and bottled in 2001.

A Thank You gift from a friend. This bottle holds a strong presence of maturity beginning with it's deep amber color influenced by rich sherry. The nose is heavy and the palate coats your mouth with aged oak.

Exquisite

@A'bunadhman very interesting on your bottle of Talisker 10. Is there a code on the bottle as Nock mentioned? Does it happen to be a bottle with the older label? I know the last couple bottles of Talisker 10 I have bought (newer label) have been good, but not great. Older bottles were fantastic.

@teebone673: Have a look at the discussion 'Talisker Bottle Codes' started by @Nock where I give details of this rather good bottling which is picking up some attractive Golden Syrup Swirls as it really comes alive in a large decanter - To swirl this Whisky would be sinful in the extreme; just a simple rotation of the glass will suffice, so the Whiskies' perfume sits on top of the alcohol and not vice versa where the swirling allows the alcohol to climb out of the glass first! If I sound like someone on a 'mission' I am! It distresses me to see Whisky drinkers giving their dram a beating, then complaining that the nose has an alcoholic belt. As Gerry Tosh puts it, "Whisky is so unlike Wine in its' handling".

Slainte.

masterson's 10y/o straight rye..... fantastic!

@thecyclingyogi Yessir, it is!