So, what are you drinking now?

@bwmccoy I will be looking for your review. Thank you for the link.

I find interesting the use of Chenin Blanc cask but does it fit Glen Moray. For me it would be great for Craigellachie or for Bruichladdich but I am not sure about Glen Moray, maybe because I am not a fan. What are your thoughts on it?

Glenlivet Nadurra 16yo - which has just gotten better every time I try it.

Compass Box The Peat Monster Reserve, 48.9% ABV. Five years into this 1.75 Litre bottle I am finally half way through it.

@Victor so how will you feel when it's gone in another 5 years?

@Nozinan, I think that I will finish it off within 2 or 3 years. I have been drawn to drink it more lately than I did for several years. I expect to feel a combination of happy and sad to see it go...happy to get rid of that monster-sized bottle, but sad not to have any more around of it to drink.

@Robert99 - the chenin blanc casks works for this one, in my opinion. I’m not a fan of the standard Glen Moray bottlings, but have had some really nice Glen Moray’s from the Society. This one is not balanced; very winey, reminds me of Cognac, but I do like it.

Last night, Laphroaig Lore.

Tonight, head to head comparison of standard sherried Macallan 12 with Macallan 12 Double oak. I like the double oak better than the fine oak, but it pales in comparison to the standard 12. The double oak isn’t bad, but not what I look for in a Macallan. I’ll stick with the standard 12.

Those rumours a while back that Macallan was discontinuing the 12 yo Sherry Oak faked me out. I stocked up because I like it and it is good value at the price I am paying, about $ 62 total per 750 ml for the 43% version. All things considered I am glad I have 5 bottles of it on hand. It is completely competent to serve as a sherried regular staple.

@bwmccoy Thanks for the answer. The reference to Cognac makes sens, I do understand now how it can work with Glen Moray. I had Laphroaig Lore and really like it but I was turned off by the price at SAQ $200 CDN.

@Victor And having missed out on the 12 when it was available, I've very thankful that someone prescient picked up a couple to hold for me for the future...

Just finished a dram of Laphroaig 10. I believe I scored it a 90 or 91 when I first got the almost full bottle in August. Time has not been kind. To be fair, I’m down to the last 1/4 of the bottle, but if I were to rate it on this particular drink, on this particular day, it would be an 86 or 87. Still good, but not as complex as it was. Interesting. I’m moving on to my Lagavulin DE which is also down to the last 1/3 of the bottle. I’ll have to have a party and spoil my friends.

The Lagavulin is a bit flatter as well. I opened it in May and never gassed it. I may have to get some private preserve. I’d rate this Lagavulin 99/15 DE about an 88-89 today. Still very enjoyable but there seems to be less richness, less sweetness and less complexity to it.

@OdysseusUnbound, on preservation of whisky, gassing is good; decanting is better.

@Victor So what should one look for in a quality decanter?

Any small bottle with a good cap will do. It is just a matter of filling the bottle well with a very small air space. I use "Boston" bottles with "phenolic inverted cone" caps. The only problems I have had have been with some foil lined caps (another common design) to some bottles. The foil liners get soggy and dirty with re-use. The foil liners are best discarded if you can only get that design of decanting bottle. I use a variety of bottle sizes. 2 oz/60 ml works well for samples. 4 oz/119 ml, 8 oz/238 ml, and 16 oz/476 ml work well for breaking down partially used bottles. I use SKS Bottles & Packaging products, but in your location you will likely get a better price from a company within Canada. @Nozinan and a few other Ontarians can give you references.

Some will go to great lengths, using e.g. parafilm coating over the bottles. I would consider that for a bottle which has to last for 10 years, but so far I have not used parafilm.

@OdysseusUnbound

The bottles you used for samples come (as you can see) in various sizes. t's much easier to keep 250 cc of a good whisky fresh in an 8 oz bottle than to respray with private preserve each time... though sometimes a lack of bottles makes this necessary.

You can reuse them, but once a CS islay has been in a bottle it takes a lit to get the peat out...

@OdysseusUnbound try uline.ca for bottles of various sizes.

Just got a bottle of the Glenfiddich XX. Had a very small dram and I like what I tasted so far. I’ll give it a proper tasting tomorrow.

I also had a small taste of the HP Valkyrie. Based on that very preliminary experience I think it is very decent. It’s another NAS, but I think we are going to have to pick out the best, most cost effective ones and accept the inevitable direction the industry is forcing us to go. There is still a lot of good, affordable age stated product available if we really want to avoid the NAS movement. See Ralfy’s reviews of Glen Garioch 12 and Glencadam 10 for example. I just had a very drinkable sample of Glen Grant 12 and the Ledaig 10 I just had was a must have.

@BlueNote I liked the Glenfiddich XX.

Decided to open up 3 bottles tonight...

Longrow Red 11yr Shiraz...Excellent, better than the Cabernet cask that I polished off last week. Very rich, full of berry flavors and peat...although the smoke is rather overcome by the berries. Delicious dram that I am looking forward to spending more time with.

Ardbeg Uigeadail...I don't know what's being going on with my palate lately but this bottle isn't as good as I remember this to be. This has always been one of my favorites and the last bottle I finished was about a year or so ago and this one doesn't seem to live up to the previous bottles that I've had. Especially since the first dram of a Oogie is typically my favorite.

Signatory Clynelish 1998 / 15 Years Old / Hogshead Cask # 2463 / "Un-Chillfiltered Collection" ...Always a classic. Signature waxy/citrus/briny profile with a touch of peat that I love about Clynelish. I would love to vertical this with the official 14yr Diageo bottling which I don;t have on hand at the moment.

Today is US Thanksgiving Day. First @Dramlette and I will work as volunteers this morning to serve Thanksgiviing Day dinner to 500 D.C. first responders at her place of employment. After extended-family dinner this afternoon at my niece's house we will have whisk(e)y tasting. Tomorrow a.m. will be my favourite liquor store free tasting in Baltimore. Whisk(e)y details later.

@Victor Good for you two - that is awesome. Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday night dram. I opened the bottle of Springbank 12 CS (Batch 6 from 2013) that I've been sitting on. Rested for 45 min with a lid over the glencairn and it's utterly mouth-filling. Ironically, it was resting while I was searching online for a suitable 'cheap' whisky to slow down my consumption of my better bottles - I think I'm spoiled now.

@Hewie If it was good in the glass after 45 min, imagine what it will be like 2-3 months after you've had the bottle open...

second taste of my Highland Park valkyrie. Its sweet, smoky and got loads of salty liquorice. Good stuff! Quite unique. I'm working on a review for you guys. I hope you all have a good weekend.

Catching up with an old friend so time to open something nice...

@jeanluc , let me know when you're in the mood to catch up with a new friend. :)

Big family dinner to celebrate my son's birthday...

My uncle and I are enjoying Deanston 10 YO PX CS - very sweet.... but quite enjoyable tonight. I guess you just have to be in the mood...

I am at the end of a bottle of Oban DE. It has lost its balance and is now too oxydized and has devolopped some notes Iam not really found of so I add a few drops of real good PX Sherry.