So, what are you drinking now?

@sengjc , how much saltiness do you think that CV has?

Sitting and listening to some great Music right now with a freshly opened Springbank 15.

Friends came over for dinner. Before supper I thanked my friend for gifting me the Lambertus by introducing him to Smith and Cross rum, followed by a taste of the Bladnoch 12, which he liked but which improved with some Laphroaig QC.

After dinner we enjoyed some Springbank 12 YO Claret Wood, and then I made some flambéed bananas with Smith and Cross. The caribbean spices worked really well with the caramelized sugars and the bananas. And ice cream, of course.

Springbank Madeira 1997 for me.

Woo—four Springbankers in a row!

Great minds think alike...

Last week I was vacationing in Poland. Taking the local custom I decided to leave the whisky be (note that there wasn't too much to miss out on), and had vodka instead. Now, I've never been a fan of vodka.I always thought it tasted like paint thinner, just pure alcohol with no intrinsic quality of taste.

My eyes are now open... Two vodkas I really like after this trip are the ?ubrówka and grey goose. ?ubrówka is polish made and the one I've fallen in love with is called ?ubrówka bison grass. Bison lives wild in the east of Poland and they graze bison grass. This is used to flavour the whisky giving it a distinct and very pleasant taste. It reminded me a tiny bit of Yugoslavian Šlivovic. Grey goose is actually French made and tasted far better neat than any unflavoured vodka I've ever had before.

Zubrowka

@OlJas

Not very much - rather muted this batch: 10/103.

I find the Sprigbank CV to be inconsistent from batch to batch. The Longrow CV however, now that's the one that I prefer.

Ardbeg 10, L14 batch for the Escape Pack. When the mood calls for it, this is very satisfying and for only about AUD$40, can't complain.

@sengjc , good to know. Thanks. Saltiness is the main think I look for in a Springbank. I think I'll continue permanently skipping the CV.

As the story goes, their saltiness develops in the cask and isn't in the younger spirit.

Friday night dinner. pre- my uncle and I had Laphroaig QC, and my niece who is not a peatophile, had Amrut single bourbon cask.

After dinner, I introduced my niece to some Lambanog (unflavoured "home-made"), and we finished with some Booker's 2015-01.

The last of the Rock Hill Farms - this will be missed.

@OlJas

Yes, the maritime character of the Springbank does give it a well rounded palate particularly when there is a component of sherry matured spirit in the make-up - adds complexity too.

I didn't realise that age increases the saltiness, though. Learnt something new, thanks.

After finishing my bottle of Ardbeg 10 (L12 016), I joined my wife and took a rum, Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva. I am no specialist, but if you want dark chocolate and black cherry at a good price, it is a great pick.

Started with glenlivet nàdurra and then moved on to aberlour a'bunadh with a hearty helping of water. Great stuff

@Alexsweden how can you tell us you had A'Bunadh without telling us the batch?

@Alexsweden One of my ex-teammates was Polish and introduced me to Zubrowka and apple juice.

Quite nice - much like yourself, it brought a new appreciation for Vodka...

@sengjc , I don't really know whether Springbank's saltiness increases on and on with age, but one of their guys has been quoted as saying that the young stuff isn't salty at all and they can taste it increasing as the barrels age--at least up to the years of typical bottling. I saw that a while back in an article or discussion about terroir and whether a whisky's place of maturation matters.

I've never had their 15 or 18, so I can't say whether it increases through those years. From the reviews I've read, I'd say no--but maybe that's the sherry casks overwhelming the saltiness.

I really ought to just try sprinkling some salt in my Springbank 10 sometime.

Intensity plus! Royals vs. Jays. Game 3 of 4 is shaping up to be a nasty one. Donaldson 'brushed back' twice by Volquez, the umpire has issued a warning and also told the KC bench to shut up...it's only the top of the fourth. This calls for a bold and fierce American whiskey...Booker's.

@paddockjudge Also watching this nail bitter and great all around series for new look Jays. Enjoying year old cellared Calabaza Blanca by Michigan's Jolly Pumpkin brewery. Good stuff. Tart, spicy, and dry. Next up is 'Dronach 12 with bowl of almonds.

Jays Soar Above KC Tornado. @AdamH, that was one great series. Both benches and bull pens cleared, and it's only the first weekend in August. Perhaps this is a preview of the ALCS. Something soothing was necessary - AP30 in the sixth inning and AP 25 in the eighth.

@paddockjudge

By that progression, now that the Jays won the game, I recommend NAS AP.

@Nozinan, an excellent suggestion. AP NAS is my favourite value play and the core offering from Alberta Distillers Ltd., the birthplace of Planet Earth's best Rye Whisk(e)y. Go Jays Go!

Amrut single cask (bourbon). Winding down after a long 36 hours. Up till 3 on call, then biked around seeing patients. Worked on election campaign ( turns our my son is a star campaigner). Even did some fundraising.

So it's nice to relax, enjoy the Jays' streak, and sip a small measure of high quality malt.

James E. Pepper 1776 Straight Rye whiskey.

Opened this about a week ago after finishing the Rock Hill Farms and it was a touch harsh at first but appears to have smoothed out a little since.

Sweet herbal goodness.

Just sat down with a Yamazaki Distiller's Reserve, very enjoyable on a warm Thursday evening.

Watching the leaders' debate . My leader is doing well. Celebrating the Canadian spirit with a Canadian Spirit, CC 100% Rye.

Old Medley 12 yo bourbon, Benjamin Prichard's 9 yo Double Barrel Bourbon, and WhistlePig 11 yo Straight Rye Whiskey 55.5% ABV. @paddockjudge, the WhistlePig 11 yo was absolutely fantastic, even better than the first time I had it at this restaurant. Acadiana Restaurant still has 3 for $ 13 whiskey flights, though sadly no longer any Scotch on the menu nor Willett Family Estate Bottles available among the 97 whiskeys available for the flights.

It is pretty shocking what has happend to Van Winkle bourbon, even in the US. At the same restaurant with 3 for $ 13 whiskey flights, a shot of Van Winkle 12 yo bourbon plus tax and tip now costs more than twice as much as each of about 8+ bottles of it which I bought 5 years ago. I used to give away Van Winkle 12 pretty freely then, because it was the 15 yo which I was mostly after. Now, just getting a bottle of the 12 yo is quite a lot of work, even here, and it costs about a 3 to 7 mulitple of the 2010 prices.

Friend of my wife was given a bottle of Glenkinchie 12. Not something I would buy or ask for but she brought it over and wanted to open it here so what could I do?

Very nice nose but a bit weak on the palate. If this were bottled at 46% (this one is 43) or CS and unchilfiltered, this could be quite good.

I'm not sure it merits the $90 price tag at the LCBO

Craigellachie 13 Year Old @ 46% "Non Chill Filtered": A recently introduced Speysider and what a delight. Attractive eye-catching packaging, old style dumpy bottle and what a great 'drop' - Don't look for Peat or buckets of sherry; this is an oldfashioned Malt driven, honeyed Whisky that might best be described as having a vanilla icecream profile with gorgeous swirls of heather honey. Length, balance and texture are, for me, spot on! Cool in the mouth with layers of flavour, the weight is tremendous - And this has been open about 1/2 hr. I'm very impressed and see no sign of the sulphur that has been mentioned in reviews of some previous expressions, in fact this is spotless and a Whisky that demands being sipped slowly and thoughtfully! A new favourite? Perhaps! (say Craig ellergy) Brian Cox.

Slainte