So, what are you drinking now?

@paddockjudge so does honeydew

And parmesan

A better question, maybe a thread....what doesn't go well with prosciutto?

@Nozinan _ Parmigiano-Reggiano is known as the King of Cheeses. It pairs very well with rye-forward expressions...including some bourbons.

@paddockjudge Gorgonzolla goes well with big sherry drams. Balderson's double smoked cheddar (Costco has it) makes a nice match with any big peater.

@BlueNote I forsee a new thread.... what scotches pair well with cheese?

Blessed are the cheese makers!

I've been a bit indulgent and opened a 6 year Ledaig (Signatory), Arran 14 and Kilkerran 12 in the last two days. I have next week off and so looking forward to getting to know them all a bit better. Will do reviews soon. Sadly though, just finishing my last dram of the Ardbeg 10.

@RianC luckily there is much Ardbeg 10 available in the world to replace it...

Cheese, it's the only whey to go...

Free commercial Irish tasting: Bushmills Original, Bushmills Redbush, Jameson, Jameson Caskmates Stout Beer, and Jameson Black Barrel. I like to keep tabs on current batches of mass-market products. The Bushmills Original was a better than average batch, I would say. Not stellar, but definitely drinkable. The Redbush was my/our first encounter with it. It seemed heavily sherried, and somewhat cloyingly sweet. Not so great. Inferior to Blackbush for sure. The standard Jameson was from one of the better batches. I would rate it 85 points. The Jameson Caskmates Stout Beer was the second tasting we've had of that one in a month. I liked it better than before when I actively disliked it. I could vividly taste Stout on the finish. Not horrible, but I wouldn't buy a bottle. The Jameson Black Barrel kept its completely positive streak alive with this, maybe the 6th time I've tasted it. I consider Jameson Black Barrel to be a great quality for money whiskey.

@Victor Irish is definitely a genre I need to look into more.

This is only somewhat on topic - but it seems like there are an uncommon amount of Canadian whiskies as a focus of late. I’m Canadian, and I still fill the need to ask : what’s up with that? It seems like people are writing constantly about Lot 40 and Dissertation. Now that CC 40 is out I suppose that’ll be the next thing to dominate posts. Are these really that good or are they just value for money?

@nooch, I think that it would be fair to say that there is an enormous amount of enthusiasm and excitement among Connosr's many very active Canadian members that a number of special premium Canadian releases are coming available at this time. Many have waited their whole lives, for example, to have Cask Strength Canadian whisky offered to them.

Do you question that Canadian whiskies can be "really that good"?

I suggest that you try them for yourself and find out what you think.

@nooch This happens with long awaited Scotch and bourbon releases too. It just happens to be Canada time right now...

@Nozinan, looks like you are now within a couple of weeks of Connosr out-"chatting" me. Once you move to "chattiest" Connosr I expect that you will remain there.

@Victor You've been a member longer and and your experience far outshines my own. I pay much more attention to what you write than what I do...

Having a drink of JP Wiser's Dissertation for which I got a shout out on the Whiskey Vault YouTube channel for recommending. Currently on bottle 2, with 1 more in reserve.

youtu.be/sXAUqGt4Lb8

@Victor - I do like Irish but more so in the summer. Bushmills Original and Jamesons are pretty widely available blends over here (the latter being in most pubs) and I think two of the best 'budget' blends you can easily get. Jamesons does vary quite a bit though but when it's on it's extremely quaffable.

Recently finished a Black Bush - was OK but a little too bitter on the finish for me. Had a Black Barrel earlier this year which was one that improved dramatically with time. My Dad's a big Irish fan (old blood ties you see . . . ;) and he loved it!

@boatracer - Congrats on the shout out! I've had a malt mention from Ralfy and a couple of other 'nods'. It's sad, granted, but did give me a little thrill;)

I find I can watch pretty much any YT whisky vlogger but those two make my teeth itch! I saw one recently where the bearded fella on the left was solo - much better, imo.

Everyone's a critic though, right?

@RianC English being my third language, and I apologize for not knowing the physiology of itchy teeth, but is that a good thing or a bad thing?

@RianC Everyone's a critic, everyone's an expert. I get fed up with the volume of opinion diarrhea that constantly spews forth from the interweb.

@BlueNote Gee, all I asked was whether teeth itching was a good thing or a bad thing...

@Nozinan HaHa, certainly not a reference to you my friend. I just happened to be watching yet another blogger full of the convert's zeal spoiled by the novice's naivete. I wish these people would save their opinions until they have acquired some experience and first hand knowledge. Often they are simply plagiarizing other sources. This is probably the best place to throw out some ideas and learn a few things before getting too far ahead of yourself.

Anyway, enough of that tangent and back to the whisky at hand.

@BlueNote - Shall I remove my reviews from here . . . ha ha! No, I think you have your assessment bang on.

@BlueNote sadly for me there is no whisky at hand, but two in the cabinet. I'm on call starting at 7 and 4 hours isn't really enough time...

@Nozinan - itchy teeth . . . that feeling of ever increasing irritation and mild tension usually paired with a quiet desire to bite down on something quite hard ;)

Whether that's good or bad I leave to you lol . . . but yes, Blue Note, back to the whisky!

Always fun chatting with you guys, but now I have some work to do in order to earn my Sunday evening dram.

Cheers.

I can’t help it; I had to open the “new” bottle of Glenfarclas 12. I haven’t tasted it yet, as it has only sat in the glass 10 minutes so far. But it already smells much more like I feel it “should”. Already lots of Sherry character. Reminds me a bit of Glendronach 12.

I got busy with other things and forgot about my whisky. After an hour resting in the glass, this tastes much more along the lines of what I expect from a sherried dram. Though I have to say the arrival is a bit hot for a whisky bottled at 43% ABV, it’s not unpleasant. Lots of bright red fruit, a hint of milk chocolate and the barest hint of smoke. The smoke is mostly a suggestion on the nose as it isn’t really present on the palate. At least, it isn’t present on my palate. But this new bottle confirms that I wasn’t crazy to return my last bottle. There is no fizziness or mustiness, nor anything resembling vinegar in this whisky.

@OdysseusUnbound I think your efforts resulted in a win-win -win for everyone.

You got the whisky you wanted - essentially for free - and you can maintain your faith in the distillery.

The distillery gets your goodwill, and by proving it was an aberration, has not necessarilly lost a customer.

The rest of us are taught that we should trust our judgement, and not be afraid to return a bad bottle.

At our fantasy basketball draft, the guests were treated to Timber Barrel-Aged Vodka (vodka never tasted so good), Berta Tresolitre Grappa 2008 (under-stated and a nice sipper) and then proceeded to open the WhistlePig 15 Year Old Vermont Rye and finished w an opening of the Caol Ila 15 YO Cask Strength Unpeated. A slow build which was enjoyed by those that partook but underwhelming to me

Initial impression of the WP is disappointing relative to the Boss Hogg (unfair comparison, I know) but a decent whiskey in absolute. The 15 YO has a more distinct and lasting sweetness to it and lacks the BH spice-balancing act. again, it is perfectly drinkable just not worth its price tag and much better to be found elsewhere,

Same w the Caol Ila - an enjoyable whiskey but not one that knocks your socks off. As it was the first dram from the bottle, I did not open up w water so will be interesting to experience the difference in a month or so. The peat is apparent as well as an fyi.

Might be blasphemous but the Timber Vodka was my drink of the night

@JayRain Vodka never tasted so good? Probably because it's supposed to have no taste...

Interesting choice to go with the CI 15 AFTER a rye, with bold flavours. I think if you try it on a clean palate you may find a difference. I haven't tasted the 15 but I have the 17 (it's cousin - I'd love to swap samples) and it has subtle complexities.

A friend had their go away bash last night at Boxcar Social (who have an exceptional whiskey selection fyi) and was treated to the following:

Parker's Heritage 24 YO Bottled-in-Bond - an exceptional bourbon - nosing it for a while brought out some vanilla and cinnamon notes whereas another friend got a distinct leather impression. The initial texture is rich almost creamy with a sweet taste (caramel, hints of chocolate) that lead into a mild-peppery finish. Considering the age, you would expect a greater wood taste but it was not dominating at all.

Ardbeg Kelpie - yet another great Ardbeg dram. Your protoypical nose that is smoke/earthy element which also comes across in the taste. Where it varies from other Ardbeg's I have tried is a softer and sweeter finish that offsets the peat.

Highland Creek Valkyrie - not as impressed by this one, can't place my finger on it but did not feel the drive for another taste

Westland Peated - we were surprised at how much we enjoyed this one. The Peat is in the background and a complement to sweeter notes. The finish is similar in that the peat is there but not in the forefront - could see this as an introductory whiskey for some.

Scapa Skiren - being a fan of the Scapa 16, I was stoked to try. The soft and citrus foundation was similar however would have to give the nod to the 16 in terms of enjoyment (albeit moments in time could result in different outcomes if you rolled the die again).

Dillon's Absinthe - only wetted the tongue, found it to be less abrasive and softer than the usual absinthe taste

All in all a great time w friends and appreciating different types of whiskey. The director was very personable and knowledgeable and highly recommend checking it out.