So, what are you drinking now?

SMWS 93.65 - Oak/Vanilla sweetness, savoury, salty with a little burnt note to it. A little musty complexity. Very balanced, classic malt whisky and highly enjoyable.

Friday night I poured a dram of Uigeadail, had 4 sips and then had to put the kids to bed (from which I never recovered.... I expected this so I poured it into a 30 cc sample bottle.

Last night I had a chance to revisit it. 24 hours after adding a few drops of water it was impressive, complex and tasty.

Four Roses Single Barrel NN 81-1J. Thank you Jim Rutledge. An amazing bourbon. This one is a 'bunker buster'!

Friend poured me a dram of Highland Park Einar which is decent. A higher ABV than 40% would make things interesting but what do Duty Free travelers know. You would be surprised Distillers alot time this there introduction to their Brand.

Then poured a small dram of my own bottle of Highland Park 18 and enjoyed it more than the last time I had it. This might have to do with it being open just over a month now or my palate was just in a good zone. The setting was fitting too since I was watching a Viking show.

Having some Ardbeg 10 Year Old to warm me up a little as the weather has turned cold out of a sudden.

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@paddockjudge That makes me happy that I bought 5 bottles of this particular barrel!

@paddockjudge @mscottydunc

Just out of curiosity... what is a bunker buster?

@Nozinan, a 'bunker buster' is a bomb or missile that is designed to penetrate the ground or ground cover and destroy a bunker. What kind of whisky is a 'bunker buster'? One so good that a bunker can never protect it. Why? Because the whiskey won't last long enough. A whiskey so fine that it never makes it to the bunker, and thus, a bunker buster.

@paddockjudge Love it!!

@paddockjudge

Good description. I was familiar with the military term.

However, @mscottydunc ssems to have "busted" that definition given that he bought 5 bottles of it...unless you're suggesting he drank all 5...

Do I need to go out and track this down or is it long gone from the KGBO?

Tonight it will be a blended whisky, Hibiki Harmony Master's Select. This will be my third dram, and I am hoping there is a bit more development from the second, which I had a while ago.

First dram I thought it had a imbalance (lack of harmony) between the Chita (Single Grain Whisky) and the Hakushu and Yamazaki used.

Second dram, I detected a bit more of the Yamazaki and Hakushu and less of the Chita. If you are wondering about the notes: Yamazaki I got a more caramel sweet, along with and a little hint of the Mizunara taste and sherry notes. Hakushu was present with its white fruit, e.g. pear and apple, and a little hint of the peat. I really thought there was some characteristics similar to the Yamazaki 12yo in this, for those who have had that SMW.

Kanpai!

Aberlour A'Bunadh batch 46 (the only one I have open). After about an hour in the glass it's really opened up...and it has freed up my creative block - I'm working on a talk on Medical Aid in Dying....need some water of Life to counteract it...

Attended a "by invitation only" Diageo tasting of their 2015 Special Release Tasting earlier today at the 1806 Bar here in Melbourne.

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Many rare, mature and closed distilleries on offer - this is the lineup:

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First flight: 1997 Caol Ila 17 Year Old Unpeated, 1989 Dalwhinnie 25 Year Old, 1980 Dailuaine 34 Year Old, 1977 Brora 37 Year Old and 1983 Port Ellen 32 Year Old - paired mature goat's cheese, cured meats and chocolate truffle.

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Second flight: 1974 Caledonian "the Cally" 40 Year Old, 1989 Pittyvaich 25 Year Old, Clynelish Select Reserve and the oddball Lagavulin 12 Year Old Cask Strength bottled 2013.

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It was an amazing and profound experience. I still love the Brora overall but the Port Ellen is a serious contender.

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The Cally was a real surprise as to how unique and excellent a single grain can be.

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Caol Ila and the Lagavulin are the obvious bang for your buck - top notch offerings at a fraction of the price. If I had to pick between the too, I think I would begrudgingly pick the Caol Ila - despite its namesake, there is a smidgin of peat amongst it all.

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Dalwhinnie, Clynelish and Pittyvaich are also stunners - pure clean profile. The Clynelish is probably just that little bit better as I think it has some European oak in its makeup but the Dalwhinnie does give it a run for its money.

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I didn't really understand the Dailuaine, top quality drop that it is.

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Then to finish it off at the bar after a light snack and a Johnnie Walker highball:

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Ardbeg Supernova 2015 Committee Release - magical.

Well, I just got back from a dinner of Peking Duck with a few friends. I am definitely in the mood to finish the evening staying with an Asian theme so I am having a wee dram of Yamazaki 12yo SMW.

I let it sit for a while after pouring it with no added water and the alcohol kick went away when I returned to it. Love the fruits and mizunara nose to this whisky. It is sweet and a burnt sugar sweet/ caramel.

Definitely one of my favorite whiskies.

Kanpai

Elmer T. Lee Bourbon. This is late in my first bottle of ETL, which I bought about 6 years ago. Never would i have dreamed of then that what was then a bottle which I could buy inexpensively any day of the week would become a very hard-to-get whiskey three years later. Very nice bourbon.

It's my birthday, so I opened a very Canadian bottle: 40 Creek Confederation Oak Reserve, so named because it's aged in casks made from Canadian oak trees which would have sprouted around the time of Canadian Confederation in 1867.

This is a very nice dram indeed. Although I'm a true Canadian, I've not developed a taste for Canadian whisky--except for 40 Creek, which is definitely NOT a typical Canadian distillery.

@Spitfire Good call, a very good Canadian. But there are a lot of good Canadians out there...

@sengjc - What a great line up! Thanks for sharing the pics and your impressions of each.

Tonight, I started off with Glenfiddich 2012 Cask of Dreams and now finishing the night with Bruichladdich PC7.

@talexander Yes, so I'm told--I haven't discovered them yet, though. Ideas, anyone?

(I may start a thread,,,)

@Spitfire Lot 40. Alberta Premium. Wiser's Legacy. Crown Royal Monarch. Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye. Canadian Club 20 Year Old. Forty Creek Copper Pot. Start with those...

@Spitfire, ...Gibson's 18 YO, Danfield's 21 YO, Highwood Ninety 20 YO, Wiser's Red Letter, Crown Royal Hand Selected Barrel, @talexander lited some mighty good whisky, these are additional suggestions... and a Happy Birthday!!!

@paddockjudge Let me also add my words of congratulations with the rest Spitfire Happy Birthday!

I am about to have a dram of one of my favorites Glenlivet Nadurra 16yo. I hope this is still readily available in the US. The NAS Nadurras are taking over and I am afraid that this delicious SMW is going to be gone sooner than we think.

Again Happy Birthday!

@Spitfire, read my Canadian Desert Island List.

@Spitfire In addition the Canadian Club 100% rye is very good. Produced by Alberta distillers. Just too bad it isn't 100 proof as well. Still very tasty. And very afforable.

@bwmccoy , what do you think about that PC7? Especially, if you drink somewhat similar commoner whiskies like Ardbeg Corryvreckan or Laphroaig 10 CS, how does it compare for you?

Thanks for the suggestions--and the good wishes. @Victor, I will search out your list.

@Spitfire Happy Birthday, and may you dram many more years.

You've seen a list of some good Canadian whiskies, most readily available. My bias is against the CR Northern Harvest. It was forgettable. I think you're doing great with the Confederation Oak, my second favourite of the Forty Creek Line (Heart of Gold is no longer for sale...).

If I had discovered Canadian whisky sooner, I would have bunkered some AP25 and 30 YO. If you ever find those, snap them up.

What crappy weather, rain, Ice, some snow. Sheets of ice flying off the hoods and roofs of cars on the highway and slamming onto my windshield (luckily no shattering of the glass...).

This calls for something warm, bold, spicy...Booker's 2015-01

@Nozinan Yes, as I mentioned in another post, I did get the chance to try CR Northern Harvest--in a bar (it was all snapped up immediately after Jim Murray's edict last fall, and I never did get a chance to buy any). I found it underwhelming--to the point that I wondered if the bartender had slipped me something else.

As for the 40 Creek--one of the first "premium" whiskies I bought was 40 Creek Double Barrel Reserve, which remains up there on my list. I did manage to purchase some of the 2015 special release Three Grain Harmony, which I enjoyed--but not, I think, as much as I'm enjoying the Confederation Oak. This is a bottle I'll purchase again, if and when I see it (the one I have was the last in stock where I bought it).

@Victor I hate when that happens. I squirrel away a bottle when I see it on the shelves.

Cheers.