So, what are you drinking now?

Balvenie 12 yr Single Barrel.

Relaxing with Balvenie 12 Single Barrel. Have a great night, guys.

@FMichael great minds think alike. Enjoy, my friend.

Glenrothes '98, AP 30 YO, & Highwood Ninety 20 YO vatted in the ratio of 1:5:10. This is a smashing dram! I'm going back for more.

Party at the in-laws....

Bruichladdich Laddie 10 and The Organic. (I didn't have these but others did)

Glenlivet 18

Aberlour A'Bunadh batches 34, 38 and 36 (in that order). 34 was the winner of the 3.

Not sure what happened to my previous post...

Tonight, Ardbeg Uigeadail (Batch L13 245), Ardbeg Corryvreckan (Batch L13 240) and Kilchoman 4 year (June 2009) SMWS 129.4 - "Peat smoke infused Peach Posset”.

Macallan Cask Strength - sinfully delicious!

Johnnie Walker - Green Label with my father-in-law

@paddockjudge - if only you had another half dozen bottles....

Last night in Calgary, packed, too early to sleep....

Perfect time for some miscellaneous dramming, and to empty some of the sample bottles I've brought over the years so that I can bring them home... (These were each about 5-10 cc pours):

1. Macallan Select Oak - a shame it was ever purchased....

2. Booker's vs Kirkland Bourbon - there was a clear winner there....

3. Amrut Portonova from my first bottle - has held up extremely well!

4. Amrut Intermediate Sherry - together we finished the last 20 cc of a bottle opened in December 2012 - still excellent! (Great with milk chocolate)

Great way to finish the week!

I had a fantastic evening the other night with @Victor and @Dramlette. After an adventurous dinner (totally loved it) their neighbor joined us for a little tasting that lasted into the wee hours. The line up in order:

Stagg Jr. 64.35% (2nd Release; Spring 2014) (B1405611:01M)

Eagle Rare 17yo (spring 2012)

Glenburgie 10yo 43% (G&M)

Glenburgie 13yo 46% (Chieftains)

Bruichladdich Black Arts 2.2 1989 (21yo) 49.7% 750ml bottle

Bruichladdich Black Arts 2.2 1989 (21yo) 49.7% 700ml bottle

Tomatin 25yo 43%

Old Potrero Hotaling’s Whiskey 50%

Old Potrero 18th Century Whiskey (Batch N) 51.2%

Old Potrero 18th Century Whiskey (Batch H) 63.03%

Benromach 10yo 43%

Talisker 25yo 57.2% OB 2005 release

Ardbeg TEN L14

Ardbeg Auriverdes

Ardbeg Uigeadail L13 245

Ardbeg Uigeadail L13 322

Ardbeg Still Young 56.2% dist 98

Lagavulin Distillers Edition 1991

(I believe a Canadian Whiskey was tasted somewhere in there, but I passed)

Notice all the comparison bottle experiences? Those were my favorite moments. For me there is nothing more delightful then dissecting the minutia between various bottlings (Glenburgie), various batches (Uigeadail and Old Potrero) and . . . in this case . . . two different bottles from the same batch!

Yes, two different bottles of Black Arts 2.2 were dissected by @Victor and myself. Yes, they were different. However, I believe we came to the conclusion that the best explanation for the differences came down to the amount of air exposure. It seems like the flavors of the 700mL bottle were better integrated. My plan is to pour my decanted liquid back into the original 750mL bottle and see what happens after a few weeks.

All told, a fantastic tasting was had. Deep appreciation to @Victor for hosting. The self-sacrifice award goes to @Dramlette for trying to “sleep” with the loud and rowdy guys. She had to work in the morning . . . and we were still up when she woke.

@Nock, I had some of one of your batches of Ardbeg Corryvreckan too. Maybe you didn't sample that one...and you humoured me by taking a small taste of Luksusowa Vodka.

@Victor, your work is not yet finished - he had the vodka, but declined the Canadian. Which gem did @Nock miss out on?...Legacy? AP? Gibson's?...

@paddockjudge, I wondered whether this conversation might elicit your participation. When the shelves are full of 60% abv Canadian whiskies there is a greater chance that @Nock may find some that he can like. I gave my neighbor Mr. Feng some Royal Canadian Small Batch to try, because I consider that one to be an excellent example of the prototypical flavours of the Canadian blended whisky style. Mr. Feng liked the Royal Canadian Small Batch whisky quite a lot. @Nock deferred. I am guessing that @Nock would probably be ok with WhistlePig The Boss Hog 67% abv, though that is just a guess.

@paddockjudge...and, I did give @Nock a mini to take home of the only very flavourful batch of standard Crown Royal which I have ever tasted.

@Victor, all in good fun. It may take some time (and 120 proof expressions) for @Nock to come around to the exceptionally incredible Canadian expressions; as a result, there will be less competition to secure the remaining top shelf offerings.

The Royal Canadian Small Batch is reminiscent of older offerings of Seagram's Crown Royal, much more so than the current standard CR or Ltd Ed CR; I can understand why Mr. Feng would enjoy the RCSB. I have remaining a few bottles of 'flavourful' CR and/or CR Ltd Ed from 1973, '74, '76, '78, and '81. I have no doubt that some of these will be tasted in the future at one of our epic sessions. These older expressions are approaching the flavour profile exhibited by those rare and exceptional batches of CR Reserve.

I would very much like to get some samples to @Nock so that he can have at least one time tasted AP 25YO and AP 30YO....these being the more refined and older siblings of The Boss Hog 134 proof Canadian Rye WHISKEY....I suppose Mr. Feng should be presented with a couple of these samples also.

@Nozinan, a dream come true! Six bottles of Macallan CS would position me well for some of life's great celebrations: commencement exercises, weddings, birth days, and reunions with cherished friends.

@Nock..."I had a fantastic evening...".

Indeed you did! What a fantastic line-up. How did the Benromach hold up against all those splendid heavyweights? I ask because it's Au.$94.00 for the 10yo. and more for several other expressions. The Promise Barley caught my eye but it's Au.$115.00 for batch #5 @ 50%.

Cheers.

Had some Coal Ila 12 and some Four Roses Private Barrel OESV

just got off the phone with cousins in portugal, we're planning our next visit. i opened and poured a healthy dram of 1984 benriach cask 4050, tawny port finish. seemed like a good thing to do....

Glenmorangie Nectar D'or

Glenmorangie Finealta.

Ardbeg Corryvreckan and Adelphi's Liddesdale (Bunnahabhain) 21 YO.

Fired up th BBQ, burgers created a lot of smoke....great setting for some Bowmore Laimrig (2013).

I could barely taste the smoke after breathing in the BBQ smoke. In all it was different from before but a very good dram.

4 years ago tonight, at a Whisky Society tasting on the London Eye, one of the 5 drams was a 40 year (Dec. 1968) Longmorn (SMWS 7.55 - "Liquid Heaven") from a first fill Sherry butt.

I'm having a dram of it tonight reflecting on a great trip to London and Scotland. This is exceptional Whisky.

balvenie tun 1401 batch 8.... simply delicious! sad to hear these releases will be discontinued, but looking forward to trying the 1509.

thespiritsbusiness.com/2014/08/…

i could nose this all night....

A Blood And Sand made with JW Black and a splash of Laga 16.

Followed up by the last few sips of a 1974 Canadian Club 12 Year Old.

1981 Canadian Club 12 Year Old. Rye and Oak bass beat.

@paddockjudge Sounds like you and I are on the same wavelength tonight!