So, what are you drinking now?

yes, little brother, you are correct. Join me in a dram...

After a month without alcohol, doctor's order for a test, I had a dram of Springbank 12 CS followed by my own vatting of Kentucky Vintage and Fighting Cock. I was done for the night but then I my 200 ml bottle of Caol Ila Natural Cask Strenght at 58 abv. I didn't resist and had a sip. Wow! I know tomorrow I will celebrate Quebec St. John Baptist with this beauty. I will resist tonight because that baby asks to be honored with a fresh palate. Many, many thanks for this jewell to @Nozinan, you are a Prince .

Finlaggen aka The Poor Man's Lagavulin. Trader Joe's $21 a bottle. Great gifts when visiting friends in a whim.

Revisiting the kilkerran wip 7 sherry and bunnahabhain moine. Both still good. The bunnahabhain has really developed a distinct medicinal note

@Alexsweden

So you'll be using it for "medicinal purposes"?

@Robert99, yeah, @Maddie and I hit that St Jean Baptiste traffic at the Quebec/US border yesterday. After 4 km backups and waiting 90 minutes we asked the Customs Officer why all these Quebecois were jamming up the roads. Now we know. I doubt that John the Baptist is particularly popular in Quebec anymore, but holidays remain extremely popular.

Friday was St-Jean-Baptiste Day, known in La Belle Province as Fête nationale.

Nobody can party like our friends from Quebec!

At the end of the work day on Friday, I settled down with a fine dram of Doublewood 10 YO from the NZ Whisky Collection followed by Macallan Cask Strength. Why these two? During the Ontario Summit @Robert99 and I completed a trade; Bowmore Devil's Cask III (originally from @thecyclingyogi in exchange for Nikka Taketsuru 17 YO) going his way and my favourite single malt, Macallan Cask Strength coming my way. Coincidentally, @Nozinan is originally from Montreal and he is responsible for a net gain of five bottles of Mac CS to my cabinet. Bobby QVDN also gifted me a half-bottle of the NZ 10 YO. Wanting to toast another friend from Montreal, I poured a large splash of Bas-Armagnac Delord 1981 for @CognacFan, I know he would have enjoyed this 33 YO gem.

@Victor A lot of cities now celebrate the St Jean Baptiste with fireworks on the 23rd because it's not always on friday and when it's not people have to work on the 25th. So those that are not having some epic tasting may travel on the morning of the 24th for a long week end as you unfortunately discovered. I hope you enjoyed your vacation anyway.

@Paddockjudge I'm glad you are enjoying these whiskies. Half of the fun of these summits is to see those big smiles on the face of the traders when they are looking at there new catch. We are like kids when they plunge their hand in the candy jar. Like the ads is saying: Priceless!

@Nozinan I was remembering the summit and indulging myself by drinking a dram of the Caol Ila CS. Thanks again. When I am drinking this one I am a bit like this dog in the comics from my childhood, I am floating in the air three feet over the floor and belly up making some funny noises of pur delight. Yeah, I really like it, to say the least.

@Robert99

I'm so glad you like it. I was just continuing the tradition taught to me by @paddockjudge of making trades a "value-added" experience. I'm sure we can all agree that the summit was "value added" as well.

I have no immediate plans to open my Caol Ila CS 200 cc bottles remaining, but the memory of the experience is still sharp in my mind (almost 2 years ago, correct @Talexander?). I will definitely have to include you when opening the CS CI I had a friend pick up in Halifax. No idea whether it is an IB or an OB, but I hope it's also an OMG.

Tonight I finished yet another Gail Bowen novel with the assistance of Benromach 100 proof 10 YO. Great Scotch and I love the fact I can borrow the books for free on my iPad from the Toronto Library!

Back to my 24yr Jura, Signatory un-chillfiltered bottling close enough to the end that I'm trying to finish it off soon

@Nozinan, I believe so. Which reminds me, we are long overdue for a get-together, especially as I still have to pick up my Laphroaig CS!

@talexander

WHAT Laphroaig CS? Oh wait, is that the empty bottle @Victor asked me to bring to you?

@Nozinan AHHHHHH HAAAAA HAAAA HAAAA HAAAAAAAAAA! Sigh.

A little Aberfeldy 12 Year Old during yet another Wimbledon rain delay. And yes, I know it's Canada Day, the Canadian whisky will come later! But for now, scotch goes better with Wimbledon.

Drinking Crown Royal Cornerstone Blend in light of Canada Day. Later tonight, doing a tasting of my three favorite Canadian's I've tasted this year - Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old Batch 001, Masterson's Rye Batch 1, and Crown Royal Hand Selected Single Barrel (Davin De Kergommeaux's cask).

Happy Canada Day!

Now celebrating Canada Day with the Official Whisky of the House of Commons of Canada - Aberlour! A'bunadh Batch 39, to be exact.

@talexander How do you figure that's the official Scotch? I have it on good authority that one of the current MPs is Scottish-born, and his official Scotch of this 42nd Parliament is A'Bunadh batch 42, which I gave him as a victory gift!

@JasonHambrey Your thoughts on the Cornerstone Blend? I've been thinking of grabbing a bottle once it's in stock around here, but $70 is a bit much for a blind buy...

@nelom - I just posted a review with more detail. It is somewhat between the Northern Harvest and Single Barrel - I expect many would prefer it to the Northern Harvest (though I do not). Good whisky. Similar to some Four Roses products, though with a bit less oak. I wouldn't pay $100 for it, but $70 is decent, though as I still find Northern Harvest more interesting at $30...

*a review on connosr, not my blog

Canuckus Ruckus at the Dome. A generous pour of Masterson's Batch 005 while watching Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin rip home plate umpire Vic Carapazza a new one....Russell is Canadian, and now a spectator.

@paddockjudge Maybe Saunders can pull it out in the 16th. Debating cracking my last Cask 16 in anticipation of a win in the 16th.

@paddockjudge Well maybe Gibson's 18, but with Goins pitching it does not look good.

@Astroke,

I hope we'll need the Highwood Ninety 20.

I started the evening with a pour of Four Roses Single Barrel, but now I'm on to a glass Northern Harvest Rye in honour of Canada Day. I'm thinking a glass of Forty Creek Confederation Oak will round out the evening and be very befitting the day to boot.

@paddockjudge Had it ready. Oh well, settled for a pour of my Glynnevan Doubled Barreled Rye Whiskey from Nova Scotia. Basically ADL re-barreled for 6 months by the Atlantic Ocean. Not bad at all.

Kill the ump

@Astroke sounds like an interesting whisky...I like what comes out of alberta

A nice pour of Rock Hill Farms. Always enjoyable.

Canada flight. Crown Royal Cornerstone, Forty Creek Confederation Oak, Gooderham & Worts Small Batch, Wisers 18yr

@broadwayblue,

Rock Hill Farms is what @Astroke refers to as a unicorn. There have only been sightings up here.

I have one tucked away from a 2012 purchase in Niagara Falls. I bought two, somehow one bottle vanished.