So, what are you drinking now?

Oban 14, at a restaurant. This particular bottle is very caramel-y, much more so than others I have had. Simple stuff: cereal barley, brine, and caramel. Pleasant, but I doubt I will ever buy a bottle. Once every 2 or 3 years from someone else's bottle will suffice.

Enjoying Maker's 46, moving to WLW 2015 and now Four Roses small batch 2013 Limited edition, delicious stuff.

The last of the Koval Bourbon.

uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161219/…

Enjoying the late cool change outside after what has been a really warm day.

G&M Mortlach 15 YO, which was this month's new bottle with my whisky club. It was totally solid, but we picked up none of that "meatiness" that Mortlach is known for. (And it was a sherry-matured Mortlach.)

"The Ultimate" Mortlach ~8 YO single cask, which I brought to my club along with the first Mortlach for comparison's sake. This was a bourbon cask, and it was bright, fruity, fresh, and oily. Most clubbers preferred it to the 15.

Big Peat 2014 Christmas Edition, which I just opened for the season. It's fun bottle and it packs a whollup, but there's some youth or something about it that turns me off a little. I'm probably unlikely to buy more Big Peat Christmas bottles in future years.

Highland Park 18, which my girlfriend treated me to at my birthday dinner after I told her about the squatty old bottle of it (and at the old price!) that I'd been trying to chase down from an odd little gift shop a few towns away. It was nice—richer and oilier than I expected given the low ABV—but nothing too special for me, considering how highly it's often praised. I'm not too sorry about missing the squatty old bottle for $100, and I'm definitely not tempted by the newer bottles at $140+.

A slosh of Old Pulteney Duncansby Head with this evening's smoke.

uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161220/…

It is my Anniversary. We started with Champagne. After cooking dinner for the wife she opened a nice bottle of wine ($100 of Sheridan 2011 Block 1) while I sipped on small drams (less than 20mL each)

1. Black Bull 40yo 1st Batch
2. Old Pultney 21yo
3. Bowmore 18yo
4. Ardbeg Supernova SN2014
5. Ardbeg Supernova SN2010 (this is the bottle I opened on our wedding night 5 years ago).

It was a nice gradual ascent to ecstasy.

@Nock Happy Anniversary! I hope you get many more out of that bottle of Supernova.

last night off into a rest day before an enforced dry Xmas working 23rd to 28th so enjoyed a couple of drams started with a manhattan made with JB Devils cut, then a blend Hibiki 12 finished the night with a Laphroiag PX.

Enjoying the 2013 Ardbeg Day release --- The Ardbog

@MaltActivist , that Ardbog! I was never one to chase Ardbeg's one-offs (this year's Dark Cove was the first I ever bought, and only because I had a timely windfall), but that Ardbog always sounded like one of the really good ones.

@Victor —and anyone else how cares—apparently Turf Mor is making a comeback at 46%.

westmeathwhiskeyworld.wordpress.com/2016/…

twitter.com/CooleyGBA/status/…

@Ol_Jas - oooh, I liked the original Turf Mor

Pam and I are tasting a few old minis of standard Bushmills, and comparing it with the current bottling - very interesting (but subtle) differences.

@Ol_Jas, tasting that new Turf Mor will be the key. Could be ok, maybe very good. I'll wait for your review. Can't say that that 46% ABV is much of a turn-on, though.

@MaltActivist, I am an Ardbog fan too, despite the bashers. I still have 3 bottles of it on hand.

@Victor Yeah, I'm a basher - not an Ardbog fan...

@talexander, I know. You and Mr. Murray, and others.

@talexander, I used to detest standard Bushmills, but I have had some samples of it in recent years that I actually enjoyed.

In the earlier years, when all of the standard Bushmills I had seemed to me like drinking turpentine, I wondered how the same company could put out the very serviceable Black Bush.

@Victor Not only that, but I uniformly love all of their single malts that I've tasted.

@talexander, I wish I could say that I have loved all of the Bushmills malt whiskies. The 21 yo I love for sure, and I really like Clontarf Single Malt. I am indifferent to the 10 yo and most of the Knappogues. The 16 yos I've had have all been sulphured. Some of the Knappogues are pretty good, depending on which one.

Started with Aberfeldy 16. Now I'm at home enjoying a mystery malt! ''little peat. Small batch peated blended whisky''. I have no idea what it is. Very pleasant nose. Farmy!! Hay, grass, manure, petrol, mint and citrus. Unfortunately much more anonymous on the palate. Farmy taste but lacking body and finish. Still enjoyable

Started off with Manhattan's for the wife and I before dinner made with equal parts Knob Creek 100 proof bourbon and Bulleit 95 Rye.

Now, my wife and I have a Christmas Eve tradition of watching the movie "Love Actually", so having a large dram of Ardbeg Supernova (SN2015).

Merry Christmas everyone!

In-laws' party ended with a dram of my brother-in-law's newly opened bottle of Nikka from the barrel. Quite tasty.

Nice @Nozinan. One that always delivers!

Last night it was old fashioneds followed by A Midwinter Nights Dram and some Makers46... tonight the Bourbon trend seems to be continuing with a hot cider w/Bourbon (Old Forester 1920)...

I decided on a Straight Rye day. These are all favorites and the 2012 THH is king of the hill but I must say the Michter's Barrel Proof Rye is spectacular.

Starting this night of with the beautiful A'bunadh 55! Sherry galore!

Moving on to the spectacular Amrut peated CS. Every time I put my nose to it I get something new. Smoke has faded with time but the flavor remains!

Just opened and had first dram from HP18 what a fantastic initial nose and the palate and finish did not disappoint. Hope it just gets better with air like its younger sibling.

Followed it up with a Glenfarclas 10 43% from Marks and Spencer that I bought last year, astounding quality and I would rate this higher than the 15. Only regret not opening sooner and stocking up before they changed to the standard 12 this year.

@Pete1969, oh HP18 gets MUCH better with bottle open time. Look for the optimal zone after the bottle is open 3 to 4 months.