So, what are you drinking now?

Just had a huge day at uni. Didn't get home till 9pm. Settled down with a very healthy dram of Caol Ila cask strength.

Cheers

30 or 40 drams this past week vacationing in Ontario with @Dramlette and my big sister Mary Anne.

The biggest eye openers for me, in a good way, were:

1) Bowmore 10 yo The Devil's Cask, courtesy of @talexander. This was the biggest and the best surprise. Very sweet, but well balanced by the peat. This is the best Bowmore I've ever tasted. All young Bowmore should be this good. Too bad it is now already a scarce and expensive bottle.

2) Ninety (brand) 20 yo Canadian 100% corn whisky, courtesy of @paddockjudge. What a shock! This one immediately goes into the class with only Balcones 61.8% abv True Blue and Nikka Single Grain Coffey Still as my favourite corn whiskies. Wonderful corn whisky.

3) Canadian Club 20 yo, also from @paddockjudge. Even @Dramlette liked this one, @mrallen's objections aside. (ok, maybe batch variation can be an issue with CC20. We haven't experienced it yet) @Dramlette's extent of Canadian whisky love greatly expanded during this trip, thanks mostly to the excellent and extensive collection of @paddockjudge.

4) @paddockjudge's group project of contructing/blending Wiser's Legacy from approximate component part whiskies. The finished product was remarkably close to actual Wiser's Legacy. Thanks again, @paddockjudge. Everyone had a good time with this.

Most Noteworthy, in the "Other" category, were:

1) Collingwood 21 yo Rye whisky. Boiled cabbage, anyone?

2) Forty Creek Evolution. Anyone remember Jonathan Winters? "Weird, Margaret!...that Baumlinger kid is weird!"

One other special moment for me was @Nozinan enjoying the sample I brought of Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaican Rum Naval Strength 57% ABV sufficiently to run out and buy himself a bottle the next day at the LCBO. I was also very gratified at how much the various groups enjoyed the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof 70.1% ABV bourbon I brought to the group.

Good times, Connosrs! Whisk(e)y is meant to be a shared experience.

@Victor...likewise, I really enjoyed the get-together with 'the Collingwood Crew'. :) Besides the wonderful commraderie and conversation, @Paddockjudge's blending experiment was a great exercise in identifying different taste profiles and components. I'm not sure if he brought enough whisky with him though. :)

The Elijah Craig 12 Barrel Proof was a delight (both with and without water) and the Canadian Club 20 was a revelation, as @whiskyjoe would attest. Brenne is quickly becoming one of my all time favourites. Another great Connosr-aided whisky experience!

I don't think I've ever seen as large a mobile collection of whiskies and spirits as the one @paddockjudge brought with him. Clearly, with the 8-9 bottled I brought in a large cooler, I was nowhere near the same league...

I don't know how many new spirits I tasted this week, catalysed by @Victor's visit up North, but I expect Spirit of Toronto will have a hard time matching the variety and rarity.

Two different friends dropped in over the weekend and decided to crack open the seal on the Springbank 15.

Very lovely taste and finish that was even further delightful after two dashes of water and ten minutes.

Look forward to seeing how it evolves in the next 3-4 months.

Slightly different twist on the question - which whiskey bottles are open:

1) Ardbeg Corryvreckan 2) Balvenie 21 Portwood 3) Benriach Importanticus 4) Evan Williams 10 Year Single Barrel 5) Glen Breton 10 Year Old 6) Old Pogue Master's Select 7) Springbank 15 8) Wiser's Red Letter

Having a nice dram of 1 of my all-time favorites; the Balvenie 15 yr Single Barrel while watching my beloved Detroit Red Wings taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning.

I just got a promotion!

I was supposed to be a cabin leader at a camp for grieving children this spring because there were not enough male volunteers. But today I heard I get to reprise my role as camp doctor! YAY! Now the question is whether I get to be head doctor or not. If not, it's essentially a demotion from last year. Though the duties of the head doctor are no different from the assistant doctor. Either way it's giving routine meds to healthy kids and dealing with scrapes and mosquito bites.

So to celebrate, I looked at my cabinet for a while, then chose Forty Creek Evolution. Haven't had it in a while. I really love the subtle cabernet franc icewine on the nose.

Congrats @Nozinan!

Opened up my Bruichladdich Infinity 3.1 last night. Mighty fines dram. I love it!

Sitting down to read the official text of the new Ontario Health and Phys Ed. curriculum (grades 1-). Lots of controversy over the sex ed part, and while in principle I support the changes, I need to be able to answer YES to "Have you read it?" when ignorant people (who probably haven't read it) get into an argument with me.

This calls for some support.

It has been over a week since my 46th birthday and it is about time the wax on my A'Bunadh batch 46 came off. Poured a nice size dram. I'll give it air for half an hour while sniffing, then (in about 10 minutes now) I'll have a sip and then experiment with a few drops of water, which means another 30 mnutes to settle. This batch has had mixed reviews and I want to give it the best chance to impress me.

So far the nose is a little tight. Closed off. I hope it will open over time. This is one that may have to be covered and finished tomorrow...

An hour or so later I've gotten through about 10 cc. This is good stuff. I'll have to compare it to the 45 I have left but it definitely beats the 36, and to my memory the 38 I had a long time ago.

It goes well with milk chocolate but unlike some A'Bunadhs, it goes well with dark chocolate too.

For a first pour from a fresh cracked bottle this is a good start/ I can only see it getting better.

@Nozinan Apologies if I missed this but happy birthday - may your 47th year be full of new beginnings and successes reflective of the efforts you put in...

@JayRain

Thanks, I don't know what this next year holds but I've got some great Scotch to enjoy during it and a bottle of A'Bunadh batch 47 waiting for my next birthday. Takes a bit off the sting of getting another year older...

Right now I'm enjoying a small helping of longrow red before dinner. It's a real showstopper this. A little bit of everything. Ofcourse I'm taking notes towards a review!

Watching the Alberta Election. I CANNOT believe my eyes and ears. This is history unfolding.

Celebrating with another piece of history...Springbank 12 YO CS Claret Wood.

@Nozinan, you s/b celebrating with Alberta Premium, the people's whisky. I am hoping the new regime doesn't raise liquor taxes. Alberta currently has the best prices in Canada.

@paddockjudge

Of course you're right, but I poured the dram before they were declared elected..

I did buy the bottle in Calgary.

From the bar in Sapporo: Chichibu Ichiro's Malt MWR (Mizunara Wood Reserve) - this one is all about the cask and malt. Very tasty indeed, albeit a short finish.

Bulleit 95 Rye. I like it even better now!

Inspired by @maltmate302 , I poured a half dram of Amrut peated CS with a half capful of water...warmed by hand it was as magical as the day I tried it with Ashok...

Westland American Single Malt NAS. Made is Seattle. This particular bottle is showing it's youth heat-wise. Kind of a disappointment based on all the Westland stuff I've had before. Very drinkable, just not up to the quality I was expecting.

Watching the tv show Justified and drinking Kentucky Bourbon.

Old Charter 10y.

@Benancio, great stuff OC 10 yr. I'd join you if not for this epic cold I'm battling...everything tastes the same today...good chance to get rid of some Glenrothes 1998.

@paddockjudge sorry to hear about your cold. That would be a funny thread though.

"What whiskey would you drink if you had a cold just to get rid off it?"

@Benancio, That is absolutely brilliant! Please, by all means, be my guest.

@paddockjudge thx for the hospitality but it's your cold, it's your thread.

@olivier, I'm working on a bottle of Askaig 17 myself. I'm in love with it. Very Caol Ila-ish for me!

Tried the new Mortlach Special Strength Duty Free Exclusive and am quite impressed. Freshly opened and poured and you get a deep nuttiness and butter on the nose, almost like Nutella. With time the bouquet opens up to reveal the citrus. Quite a bit of spice in the mouth with mainly oak and lemon rind. It has a lovely oily mouthfeel.

I find this to be quite good despite the general bad press about the relaunch of the Mortlach as a premier brand.

I went to a SMWS tasting yesterday that featured a 10 year old Balmenach, a 20 year old Glen Moray (my personal favourite), a 24 year old Bladnoch, a 16 year old Glengoyne, a 22 year old Cooley, a 7 year old Ardbeg and an 18 year old Laphroaig! Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Sounds divine @talexander