So, what are you drinking now?

@paddockjudge Also having a Wiser's Last Barrels, I put a few drops of water to knock down the heat. Kind of a punchier Barterhouse 20 yr.

@Astroke, Barterhouse is very much to my liking and I especially like the heavy oak notes. I'm enjoying the heat in Last barrels, and you are correct, water tames the flames.

@paddockjudge I also like Barterhouse 20 more than most. Probably could drink it out of the bottle in a paper bag.

@Astroke, Last Barrels is definitely Windsor-bourbon. It took only one night for this bottle to bloom. The nose is thick with brown sugar, smoked meat and umami, and sawdust. The palate is all honey&nuts, and whisps of vanilla. The exit is oak, and more oak, highlighted by citrus pith and mint.

@paddockjudge Agreed, had another glass tonight and it has opened up nicely. Still not crazy about the price for this compared to Legacy which is my favorite Canadian and nothing else comes close for me. That said I will purchase additional bottles.

Friday evening, see @Nock's Epic Tastings Discussion post; Saturday afternoon, see @Nock's Epic Tastings future post.

Last night @Dramlette and I had dinner and tastings at the home of our next door neighbor Dr. Feng. Four married couples from Beijing, who spoke no English were visiting Dr. Feng on a 6 week tour of the US. The 5 men, and then a sixth who joined us a couple of hours later, who were all about 63 years old, had all known each other since they were small children and had had many experiences together. They were plucked from school after the 6th grade during the cultural revolution and made to spend 3 years reading Mao's Little Red Book and twiddling their fingers. Then they were sent out to the extreme boonies for 6 years to work on collective farms. They had all been city boys from Beijing of course. Later they all served in the People's Army. Dr. Feng, who is now an M.D., microbiologist, immunologist, and board-eligible radiologist, had been a cook in the Army. The M.D., Masters, and Ph.d degrees which he holds have been on the back of a sixth grade general education. So these guys go way back. And the wives of four of them have also been married to their husbands for 40 years or so.

We had a modest pour list of:

1) Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength, Batch 007, 56.3%. This was very popular and about half the bottle was consumed before we left at 11:30 pm

2) Ardbeg 10, didn't note the Batch number. I was about the only one drinking it.

3) Bulleit Bourbon. The visitors went through a whole bottle of it that day and the day before.

4) a kaoliang, unaged grain spirit from the PRC. The kaoliang was pretty good, but I like my Kinmen one better. Not much consumed of this one.

This was quite a wonderful experience.

I opened my bottle of Last Barrels... Sometimes lemmings can get lucky.

I have read here that it gets better after being opened. I'll have to see. First impressions when I cover the gas to concentrate the aromas are quite positive. Some distinct flavours, some complexity, more than I usually get from a Canadian whisky. I would love to try this at cask strength. It punches well above the 45% mark.

But I have to work hard to get all of this. I hope that when the bottle develops it will be more easy to drink it without working so hard...

Tonight it's Kilchoman Machir Bay for the Admiral and me. (:

My uncle opened his bottle of Glenmorangie Lasanta today. Not a bad dram, with a few drops of water and a couple of hours in the glass.

Well, the boss showed up to work today with my Benromach 10 100. This is excellent, right there with my Springbank 12 CS. Does not need much water despite the 57% ABV.

Last night Glendronach 18 Allardice good, but felt if they used better casks it would be better. Still haven't had a single cask from Glendronach yet heard they are excellent. The 20yr old single cask goes for close to $300 Cdn in my neck of the woods so it would have to be pretty damn good.

Dalwhinnie 15 tonight at a restaurant was told it was usually used as a dessert dram nothing special for me.

@MrFathom

Dalwhinnie has never done much for me either. I preferred the Glendronach 15 YO Revival to the Allardice. I tried a 17 YO single barrel and it was fabulous.

@Astroke You are making it extremely difficult for me to wait until the Ontario Summit to open my bottle of the Benromach 10-100

I started my evening with 12yo Bunnahabhain, and now I am on a dram of 15yo RedBreast.

Woodford Reserve during the Preakness....

I 've always enjoyed sherried drams and today I got me a generous pour of Aberlour 25 yo cask strength (51.7%) It has lots of classic Sherried spice and sweetness, with plenty of focus on sugary, creamy treacle. Delicious!!!

Attended a Kavalan whisky tasting today at the local whisky bar:

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Impressive turnout:

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Equally impressive lineup:

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1. King Car
2. Ex-Bourbon Oak
3. Solist Port, a new release.
4. Solist Amontillado, 2015 World Whisky Award Finalist
5. Solist Sherry, a crowd favourite
6. Solist Vinho, 2013 World Whisky of the Year.

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Kellie Du the global brand ambassador walked us through the tasting.

Sengjc, I am jealous. When I was first introduced to taiwanese whisky I was little skeptical, but once I tried few of them, I was blown away. I have tried The Vinho Barrique and The Solist Sherry cask matured, both of which are excellent. Their top one however for me is Solist Fino Sherry cask- a masterpiece of whisky, which scored 97 in Jim Murrays whiskey bible. I am lucky I still have about a half bottle left of this wonderful pour. Here in the South, not very many bars carry Taiwanese whisky; The Turtle bar in New Orleans has The Vinho and The ex-bourbon... Anyway, I am glad you were able to enjoy Kavalan products and this calls on me to have a small pour of my Fino Solist! Cheers

Some Macallan 1824 Collection Select Oak.

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A rather pleasant Macallan for an uncomplicated, everyday fare.

@zanzog

My introduction to Taiwanese Whisky began in 2009 when my late uncle-in-law brought back what would be one of the first Kavalan distillates in the form of their regular release Kavalan malt whisky in the squarish bottle.

I have to admit that I was sceptical at first until I tried my first glass and I was instantly inspired to seek out the others that this fledgling distillery can offer.

Tried this new Australian whisky called Mackey from Batch No. 004.

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Not bad but a little pricey for what you get, in my opinion.

Hibiki 17 Year Old – a lovely drop.

@Astroke

UNICORN sighting in Horseshoe Valley, Both AP25 & AP30 were reported to have made an appearance in Oro-Medonte.

@paddockjudge That's just rubbing it in!

I'm having a Del Maguey Chichicapa single village Mezcal at the moment. What an excellent drop this is. Sweet, smoky, unaged and absolutely fantastic. I'm pretty sure that any fan of Islay whisky would love this stuff. As the months go by it just gets better and better in the bottle!

@paddockjudge Oh well, I will have a glass of THH Rye tonight in honor of that sighting :)

@Astroke

Excellent choice, THH.

I have in my possession a small sample of unicorn juice for you.

@paddockjudge Sounds appetizing...how did you collect this clear coloured liquid?

@paddockjudge Sounds great!

Just poured me a decent glass of Old Hobart Overeem Sherry Cask Matured (Cask Strength) ABV 60% It does take few drops of water and then it is really enjoyable. Would like to hear sengjc comments since this one comes from Tasmania

I started the evening with some Gooderham & Worts, and am currently enjoying a glass of Knob Creek 9 YO. I must be in a particularly good whisky mood tonight, because I've enjoyed them both more than I ever have before. Not that they were ever bad whiskies, but I'm REALLY digging them tonight. To paraphrase Mr. Burgundy, "I love whisky. Whisky, whisky, whisk. Here it goes down, down into my belly..."