So, what are you drinking now?

@Spitfire

Given the ABV is >60% I suppose it could be classified as "medical supplies" as an antiseptic. Sadly, or not so sadly, this was a sample. So it did not cost anything. So no written. However, I did buy a bottle through a friend in the US. If I drank the whole thing at once I could write off my liver...

There is a lot of controversy over accepting pharmaceutical samples. I do it. I only order stuff I would use myself. There are some patients who need a short course of medication they can't afford.

As for the samples I receive for "medicinal" purposes, I accept those too but aside from Amrut Greedy Angels, which I pursued after ALLthingswhisky.com writer reviewed it (it was good but not my favourite Amrut), I have no industry contacts. I see no moral conflict in trading samples informally between friends and connosrs, and though I do mention the source, I don't think it biases my reviews. Certainly @Paddockjudge can attest that I give lower scores than he would to some of the Canadians he gives me...

Sunday evening, listening to the Berliner Phiharmoniker Orchestra, conducted by Kubelik, performing Dvorak's 9th Symphony, as I sip on my dram of GlenDronach 15yo.

@ajjarrett I'm a big fan of the Glendronach 15 YO Revival; however, I wouldn't know Dvorak's 9th if you hit me over the head with it. I'm more of a Monty Python "Decomposing Composers" kind of guy :-)

Oh, and while I'm not drinking anything (Sunday morning here), I was enjoying some Woodford Reserve last night. It's a fine bourbon that has the advantage (for me) of being locally available...

So, bourbon and cheezy music compared to 15 YO scotch and Dvorak...hmmm....I've been told even my dog is uncouth :-)

(And we need an edit function on these posts!)

@Spitfire, @ajjarrett, cinema and symphony, sounds like the gentrification of whiskEy. Last night I spilled a few drops of Crown Royal Barrel Select while listening to Stompin' Tom Connors - Sudbury Saturday Night from Live at the Horseshoe Tavern 1972 ... and watching, what else?... Hockey

This one is a gem!

www.youtube.com/watch

@Spitfire As for Monty Python, I am more for the Bruce's Philosopher's Song. As for the dram, I ended up having two drams of the GlenDronach 15yo. I need to get through my library by July because I am moving back to the States and I don't think they will allow me to pack my opened bottles. HA!

@ajjarrett Have you ever heard Monty Python's review of Australian wine?

@Astroke

LOL, me too.

@Spitfire Most definitely. Being a bit of an anglo-phile, I grew up listening and watching Monty Python. As for the topic of the thread, I am (this evening) enjoying a wee dram of 15yo RedBreast. I have had the 12yo, but not the non-chilled filtered cask strength expression. This 15yo is truly in the top three of my favorite Irish SPS Whiskeys.

@ajjarrett I highly recommend the 12 YO Cask strength. This is the first Irish whisky I've seriously looked into (I needed to be sure whether I wanted a second bottle before they were sold out)and I was really impressed.

@Nozinan Thanks for the recommendation, I will certainly look into getting one when I return home this Summer. I suspect the 12yo Cask strength is marvleous.

Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye, 2010 Release. 2010 is still my favourite release of Thomas H. Handy, even though they are all great, even the below average 2014. This is still worth every bit of the 97 points I reviewed it at in 2011. (This is not the same bottle from 2011, maybe my 3rd bottle of 2010 release, 5th bottle of Handy overall)

Knappogue Castle 12 then had Dinner!

Pondering desert options? Laphroaig Cairdeas 2012 Origin. Good, but I think will trade my other bottle since I have a couple of the 2014 and 2015 versions.

Old Fitzgerald Bottled In Bond bourbon. This is Heaven Hill wheated bourbon, one of the original off-shoots of the W L Weller recipe. This stuff can no longer be found anywhere. When I bought this 3 1/2 years ago, all I could get locally was a 1.75 L 'Handle'. This bottle will last quite awhile.

@Victor Did I read somewhere that Larceny replaced Old Fitzgerald.

Having an after work Gibson's 18 from my recently scored discounted $54/bottle in Hamilton. Will probably have another as it slides down pretty easy.

Just poured a Gibson's Finest Sterling into my newly acquired Glencairn mixer glass (aka Canadian Glencairn) and am about to settle down with a good book. I have to say I really like the heft of this version of the Glencairn over the traditional version. It delivers a more muted nose, but I can live with that for day-to-day sipping.

@Astroke, yes, Larceny bourbon, which has a full name of John E. Fitzgerald Larceny bourbon, is the current Heaven Hill wheated bourbon taking over most of the terrain previously occupied by the several different Old Fitzgerald expressions. There are still a few Old Fitzgerald dusties around on some dark store shelves, but the brand is being phased out, or at the least, greatly reduced in circulation.

@Victor I did enjoy the 1 liter bottle I picked up in Buffalo last year for $28 US. Love wheated Bourbon.

@Astroke, yes, wheated bourbon is something with which a person can fall in love.

Tonight I'm enjoying one of the very last drams in my a'bunadh 47. I'm sad to see this spectacular whisky go. A while ago it turned so-so, developing a very apparent waxyness in the palate which I didn't particularly enjoy. But now it has subsided and it is back to being fantastic. It has been opened for about a year and a half.

Tonight I'm enjoying one of the very last drams in my a'bunadh 47. I'm sad to see this spectacular whisky go. A while ago it turned so-so, developing a very apparent waxyness in the palate which I didn't particularly enjoy. But now it has subsided and it is back to being fantastic. It has been opened for about a year and a half.

@Alexsweden

Hmmm, 2 drams in one night...must be really good.

Soon you'll know, right?

After a long day of visiting with friends and sharing meals, I am finally at home relaxing with a dram of Nikka's Taketsuru 17yo.

Well decided since I'm putting in 60 plus hour work week that I deserved a decent dram. Had a bourbon with buddies at home while we watched NBA playoffs. Later decided that another simple snack and then a drink was in order.

I went to one of the local decent franchise restaurants and was reminded of their rather simple and underwhelming choices. They did have a couple of the classics Lag16 and Oban 14 but wanted something a bit different. Opted for Remy XO(Yes this is a whisky site, but eh) and was slightly let down maybe my palate was not right (VSOP is priced better for me and delivers what I expect).

I went home cleansed my palate and had Compass Box Spice tree. Now that was the way I should have finished the evening. I should have heeded my friend's advice and just relaxed at home. Sometimes the things you really want are just a few steps away in your liquor cabinet.

Was out yesterday but being a Friday.... I ended up at a local bar and had my first Aberlour 12yr non chill filtered... In a similar vein tonight it's a signatory unchillfiltered Jura - 24yr heavily peated. Both seem remarkably similar.

It's Saturday night! Passover is over! The cabinet is about to be unsealed! And I am celebrating with...

Litchi Juice and soda on ice. I'm on call and the expectation is that my judgement not be unimpaired, or at least not more so than when I'm sober.

Now I know what you're thinking, Home palliative care. you won't even have to leave the home. It's not like it's neurosurgery or anything....

Tell that to the Neurosurgeon who picked up the second half of my call (under my supervision)...

Tomorrow though...

@chrisbator

@chrisbator

12 year sherry cask unchill filtered from one distillery tasted the same as a heavily peated 24 year old from another? I suppose it could happen but it would cause me to see my taste bud and nose doctors...