So, what are you drinking now?

@paddockjudge Booker's vs WL Weller is a heavy weight bout, I'd love to be ring side for that match up. Both are heavyweight contenders? I've actually never had WLW 140 proof.

Four Roses 125th ANNIVERSARY edition.

Thanks @Paddockjudge for the sample. Review pending.

@Benancio there is not much WLW 2014 to go around. I've shared most of my bottle with Connosr members and friends, but I fear there are few who can truly appreciate its magnificence. 70.1% abv is a whole different area code.

Heavyweight bout for sure. I've had some fun with the WLW and Booker's by pairing them with some some of my favorite treats. WLW does well with cinnamon buns and Booker's 2015-01 is a nice fir for raisin butter tarts or pecan tarts. Both pairings are delicious....and fascinating.

@Nozinan Four Roses 125th Anniversary Edition is a Small Batch Barrel Strength expression, and I know how much you enjoy natural strength whiskEy. This is another uber-blend as is the Booker's -01...cherry picked barrels for a special occasion.

@Paddockjudge Comparing these two is like comparing the best heptathlon athlete with the best dancer of the world, an impossible task.

I never had a CS wheated Bourbon, does it still remain smooth. As I really like the WLW 12 yo, I dream about the big WLW...

@Robert99 - shot put, discuss, and hammer throw is more like it!

I've recently opened a bottle of High West Campfire . I remember looking at this one a few months back and I thought to myself what a terrible idea, a blend of bourbon, rye and peated single malt couldn't possibly work. Since then I read a few 90 plus reviews about it and I thought I would give it a try and the result is wonderful . It's really is a magnificent feat of blending. Everything I've had so far from High West has just been perfectly integrated and a pleasure to drink.

Amrut Single cask Bourbon. 60%. To celebrate my finding and purchasing these babies at a relative steal!

I find the AMRUT effect (what I call warming up the whisky at the advice of ASHOK) really brings out the best in this whisky. So I can have my hands free I am leaving it next to my desktop CPU air outflow. Works perfectly.

Caol Ila Distillers Edn. 1996. A lovely 'drop' shared with a generous neighbour: From a bottle 1/2 full, which begs the question, 'how can you have a bottle this good and not drink it'? Anyway, brilliant it is and so I'm told, one of the last bottles (1 litre) from the The Whisky Shop in HK. I'm sure it's better than my 700ml. bot. which I thought very good indeed - He does pour small measures, though!

Rathima andu atene!

Made burgers on grill tonight so I had some Michters Toasted Barrel Finish

Holy Disappearing Act Batman, this Elijah Craig 12y 69.9 Cask Strength goes fast! It's been only two weeks and half the bottle is gone. There must be something diabolically going on here?

Opened a Johnnie Walker "Green Label" new edn. My initial impression is an excellent blended Malt with a full rich palate and an outstanding long finish of salt and pepper! This, freshly opened, seems to be more a Highland expression than some of the earlier Martime examples that shouted 'Talisker' - this is beautifully put together but more in the style of Cragganmore, with just the finish with any seashore notes. The nose is, at this stage, somewhat disappointing; it's a quality nose that suggests Linkwood but rather light-on and not part of what follows: This is freshly opened and rather different from what I had expected.

Finding a bottle code was something. Very lightly etched, it goes...

L5063DN002

01209343.

Cheers.

In honour of our friends in the US, I poured a half dram of Booker's 2015-01. I decided to put it head to head with Amrut single malt, single cask bottling finished in a first fill bourbon cask.

The winner......... Nozinan!

Reviews in progress...

@Nozinan To mark the 4th of July I am watching the Boston Pops 4th of July concert and fireworks on our iPad. We were last there 21 yrs ago. Plan to go back soon. Appropriately, I am drinking Old Forester 12 year old Birthday Bourbon (2012 vintage, 97 proof). Happy Birthday USA.

Nikka from the barrel with ginger ale and lots of ice... Its very nice:)

Gin. Yesterday, July 4, seven of us, including @jonathan and his lady friend, went over to my sister's house for a gin tasting. Well, she laid out about 23 genevers and gins for sipping, made a series of mixed drinks, and then we also had a few samples of whisk(e)y.

Currently I am polishing off a few decanted remnants of Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal which I had also brought over to yesterday's tasting.

Johnnie Walker Green Label @ 43%: A small measure (for me) about 30ml. and there is a distinct possibility I may have been hasty in my assessment of this 'drop'; after a few days in a decanter with a generous air-space, this is looking a much more attractive Whisky, in fact, more in line with some of the former excellent Green Labels. Now, if I can get the nose to deliver, which it is rather shy about at the moment, then this will have been a worthwhile exercise!

Cheers!

Glenfarclas 12. One more successful introduction of a noobie to sherried malt

SMWS 24.127 "Northern lights" - a 23 year old Macallan matured in a refill hogshead.

Nose: Sweet citrus, rather muted.

Taste: More citrus, rock sugar, malty, a little nutty with a vein of bitterness, not as bright as I had hoped.

Finish: Slightly rough edged on the finish, sweet but mild.

Not bad but I was really hoping for more, being a cask strength Macallan and all.

120.7 "Sweet, fragrant and satisfying" - a 14 year old Hakushu matured in a 1st fill bota corta butt.

Nose: UHU glue, varnish, intense floral sweetness.

Taste: Explosive and youthful. A melange of dark fruit - raisins, dates, blackcurrants. Dark chocolate. Very vibrant.

Finish: Very long and intense. Sweet and winey, rose cordial. Ribena. Reminds of those blackcurrant gumdrops. Some heat from the alcohol but it's warming and gentle.

116.20 "Fascinating complexity and finesse" - a 26 year old Yoichi matured in a virgin oak puncheon.

Nose: Bonito flakes, cured meat, a lot going on in this one.

Taste: Mellow and complex - sweet, salty and smoky all at once. Smoked meat, coffeeish, light soy sauce, roast beef gravy with butter mixed in then sweet wood. Rich and satisfying.

Finish: Long, very long and smooth. Salty tang and meaty.

A very unique sensory experience.

@Victor was that 23 gins? Friends, food, Jenever and classic mixed drinks. It was a great Fourth.

Bookers 2015-2, oaky, dry. With water it has more caramel and fruit. It's a good Bookers, solid 90.

Has anyone noticed that the box is perfumed?

I can't get enough of this Crown Royal Monarch - drinking while I'm watching rerun of Pospisil vs. Murray at Wimbledon (I don't know how it scored earlier today and don't tell me!)

Some Jefferson's 2015 Chef Collaboration , quite good!

@Benancio I haven't actually opened my bottle to comment on the drink but after reading your post my fiance and I checked out the box. Tbh I really don't know if it's been perfumed! It does smell somewhat like cinnamon and vanilla but perhaps thats just the wood stain?!

@kfhene Thx for checking, I think you're right, it smells like cinnamon and vanilla. I've done some wood working and I don't think it's the stain or the wood, it could be a polish applied. It smells nice.

@paddockjudge: My local has Booker's 2013-6 @ 62.95%. I was looking, in vain, for one of those '15 - 1 Bookers. Do you know of 2013-6? I don't think it's a big seller here; the last bottle I had was a lot No. with no year. What say you?

Cheers.

@A'bunadhman

Weel, I know you didn't ask me, but I say I've never tried a Booker's I didn't like. If the price is right and you like Booker's, go for it. If you lived closer I'd offer you to try some of mine.

@A'bunadhman, I haven't tried Batch 2013-6, but for what it is worth, a Round Table panel of distinguished bourbon authorities selected this particular batch, thus the unique batch number. @Nozinan has correctly identified Booker's as a consistently top performing whiskey. The first time I tried Booker's was 2002 in Hazard, Kentucky. It was something special back then and still is today.

@paddockjudge

Is that as in the Dukes of Hazard?

@paddockjudge, @Nozinan: Thanks I'll grab a bottle next time I'm out there - They have plenty and the chances of getting 2015 bottles is a bit remote, in the foreseeable future, anyway!

Cheers and Good Luck!