So, what are you drinking now?

@sengjc Agreed about the Wolfburn - I've tasted it, and although I wouldn't buy a bottle now, I'm sure I would once it matures longer.

Spending my night with good friends and Kilkerran 7 Sherry cask

Back to Abraham Bowman 9.5 yo Rye, 45%, the "standard" one-off release from 2011. They sold it in Virginia and Maryland at the time, but my wife picked up this bottle at The Party Source in Kentucky. She would up with this undesired bottle mostly because circumstances at the store sort of gave her the opportunity to buy a bottle of the 69.4% ABV 10 yo Abraham Bowman Rye if she also bought this one. That 69.4% ABV Bowman Rye is my favourite bottle I own. @Dramlette knew this, so she made the deal. The A. Smith Bowman distillery had some rye stocks aging when Sazerac bought it, and had to do something with them. Currently A. Smith Bowman, under Sazerac Company, has no plans to distill any more rye whiskey--a great shame. This is better now with 5 years of air time than at first, especially the nose. In the mouth, it is good, but lacking a little because it goes a little bitter, and sour, into the finish. @paddockjudge, this palate and finish reminds me a lot of Canadian Club Chairman's 100% (Alberta Distillers, Ltd) Rye. I don't like bitterness in a rye whisky, and I still wonder whether Canadian rye grain has more bitterness in it than does most US-grown rye grain. This 'low-test ABV' one-off Bowman tastes a lot like that bitter Canadian Rye. Is it from bitter rye grain, or from some bad bitter overused oak? Don't know. It is still rather good, but it could be great without the bitterness.

@Victor,

I've often wondered how the ratio of corn to rye will influence the sweetness in American Rye, and also malted grain vs. the use of enzymes and or malted barley. Food for thought. We both know first hand that a great corn whisky blended with a 100% rye can change a very good rye into a great whisky.

The point you raise, inferring that Canadian rye grain might have more bitterness than U.S. rye grain is, in my opinion, a valid point and one with which I concur. Now wouldn't it be nice to learn where the grain was sourced for the different batches of A. Smith Bowman Rye Whisky?

@paddockjudge, yes, it would be very good to know the sourcing of the various grains in all of the whiskies which we drink. There are indeed many variables in whisk(e)y-making, and we usually have very incomplete information about the details relevant to the whiskies which we consume. We'd still like to know all of those details, wouldn't we?

Ben Nevis 17yr, Cadenhead bottling, actually a club bottle I think... Starts sweet and fruity, builds a bit, then the 54% bubbles up just to remind you....

Reading charts for tomorrow, and, having finished, settling down with a novel I've waited 2 months to download from the library.

This calls for something with bold flavour that is easy to sip and enjoy, in keeping with my run of non-analysis.

Tonight, Benromach 10/100. Delicious!

At my whisky club this week, one of the members paid his annual dues by bringing a bottle of Kilchoman Loch Gorm (the sherried one in the black label). I didn't think it was overtly sweet (then again, I think the same about Oogie), but it sure was tasty and the quality was obvious. Great pick.

@Nozinan I cracked open my Benromach 10 43% last night at our whisky club and was very impressed by it. I will definitely be picking up another bottle if I see it available again and even better, the 10/100 if I ever come across it - a wonderful bottle. How do you find the two compare? I know you enjoy a higher ABV so I imagine the 10/100 wins hands down. We also opened a bottle of Highwood Ninety 20 year old, Willet Pot Still Reserve, a bottle of Zaya rum, and a couple brews including Stone brewery's Arrogant Bastard. An enjoyable night.

Tonight's whiskey is Knob Creek 9 YO and the movie is The Outlaw Josey Wales.

Yesterday it was Four Roses Single Barrel and Romancing the Stone.

Just poured myself a dram of A'bunadh 55. I'm really looking forward to sampling this one. Freshly opened and poured it is a bit shy in the glass. Strawberry fudge, pencil shavings and butterscotch. I can't wait to see what happens with time and water.

So, sometimes I just want a drink, sometimes I know exactly what I want, and sometimes I have a general style I'm in the mood for.... Tonight (for a change) I knew exactly what I wanted.... And I reached back for my Springbank CV. And it was just right.... Spicy (a hot 46%), chewy, lingering.... Feels like blowing smoke rings.

When @Paddockjudge and I had our flight of 5 x 2015 Booker's expressions (all but the -03), I discarded the rest of each glass into my trusty MoM 30 cc sample bottle. It came out to about 25cc.

Tonight I essentially had a dram of Booker's "2015-03.6" - It didn't taste like any of the 5 individual expressions. For some reason I got a lot of mint at first, then the signature Booker's essence came more forward.

A worthy experience. I may have to do more Booker's blending in the future...

Wiser's Legacy. Delicious stuff. Thanks to @paddockjudge.

Great Canadian whiskey does exist and I'm drinking one right now!

@Benancio

I hear you had some great stuff at the summit. Yes, there is some great Canadian whisky, and it's more abundant than some realize.

I think that @paddockjudge's legacy to whisky will be his Legacy-building exercise.

@Benancio, the older iterations of Legacy are brilliant expressions. Thanks to @newreverie for arranging transportation of the 2012 release to our summit.

@Benancio, now that you have the necessary ingredients to replicate the early Legacy releases you can enjoy this style of whisky for years to come.

Last night, opened a bottle of Benromach Single Cask 2005 with a friend--a Scot, no less. His comment: "Well, you won't be drinking too much of that!" (meaning, at any one time). I've had this bottle hidden away for a few years, and as there were only 300-some odd bottles ever filled from this particular cask, I doubt I'll ever taste it again once it's gone. I did buy 2, but this is the 2nd--and I'd kinda forgotten how good this stuff is, even better with a splash of water.

I'm going to try to upload an image (or at least a link to the image):

photoshare.shaw.ca/image/b/…

Having another dip in the A'bunadh 55 bottle. I'm seriously considering following @Nozinan's example and get one of each new batch. Incredible stuff!

Tomatin 12yr old Bourbon and Sherry matured.

@Alexsweden

I don't get one of each batch of A'Bunadh... with the expansion of my whisky exposure I don't think I can even finish one bottle per year. I still have 1/2 my 46 and halfway into my 48th year I haven't opened my 47 yet. Pity.

I do try to buy ahead and not taste until I reach the age of the batch. Looking forward I have a few but not all covered. Next up (after the 47) is 49, then 50 (thanks @Robert99, 53 and 54 (thanks @Mancub).

55 is now selling at LCBO. But with enough A'Bunadh to last me for many years, I may not get another one until batch 60, unless I hear it's so good it cannot be passed up. No such reviews about the 55 that I have seen.

In 2011 A'Bunadh was my favourite whisky, but my experience was limited. Now it's just one of many good sherry-matured malts. It doesn't make it less good, just that I turn to it less often.

@Nozinan , I see. I'm glad you have the 47 which i found rather fantastic. I opened the 55 the other day so it'll probably develop quite a bit yet but my first impressions are very good!

@Nozinan Yes, my feelings exactly. I'm also working on the very end of a bottle of 46, and to date haven't purchased another--I wanted a bottle of 53 (given the good reviews) but my local retailers all seem to have jumped directly to 54 (maybe even 55). And like you say, while A,Bunadh is excellent, my palate has widened and there are just so many other expressions to try--I simply don't consume enough alcohol to taste them all, so lately I've been purchasing lots of different whiskies to try.

@Spitfire if 54 is available where you live, I think the reviews have suggested it is an above average batch... I couldn't get one here but Mancub found one in London for me.

If only whiskies were all sold in 200 cc bottles. It would make tasting more easy...

@Nozinan Thanks, I'm pretty sure 54 is around--might have been 55, I'll have to take a look.

Pulled out the rye tonight... Old Potrero Straight Rye Whiskey. This was one of my favorites when I opened it a couple of years ago... It is either past its prime, or I've moved on a bit...

@paddockjudge I followed the Legacy with Crown Royal SB. I drank very well that night, my friend. I'll say the blending for special occasions and the Alberta Premium 25/30y for your return.

@Nozinan you couldn't be more right.

@paddockjudge - Congrats to the Blue Jays on their wildcard game win. Looking forward to the rematch with the Texas Rangers. Should be a great series. Enjoying a 19 year Craigellachie while watching the end of the game.

@bwmccoy What are the rest of us in Canada, chopped liver?

@Nozinan - sorry. I didn't mean to leave everyone else out. The Canadian baseball fans are awesome. I really enjoy it when the Blue Jays play the Mariners here in Seattle. A lot of Jays' fans come down and the stadium is rocking with each side going back and forth. Great fun. The Mariners were only a couple of games away from playing the Bluejays in the wildcard game. Maybe next year...

@bwmccoy,

This team can cause a lot of excitement. I poured a generous helping of Gibson's 18 YO at game time. Four hours later it was untouched. That was 162 games worth of excitement in one night. Canada is a big country with only one MLB team. There are Blue Jays fans everywhere. Go Jays! ...and now for that Gibson's 18 YO.