So, what are you drinking now?

@MadSingleMalt Black Art? Laphroaig 10 CS? Nothing like throwing the poor girl in at the deep end. My Dad taught me how to swim that way. I hope she still loves you. On second thought, you better hope she doesn't start loving your expensive Scotch.

@BlueNote @MadSingleMalt Alas, that's how it backfired for me. Once I introduced my girlfriend to whisky, there was no going back for her. Now my bottles seem to be magically getting lower and lower.....

@talexander Don't complain. I am sure my opportunities to enjoy the dark spirits would multiply if I could share the joy with the person I share my life with...

@Nozinan As I keep saying, the only thing worse than having a partner who hates whisky is having a partner who loves whisky! Of course, I'm joking. All kidding aside, yes it's pretty great when together we can enjoy events, drams and hanging out with people like you!

@talexander - I know what you mean. I can't complain as she bought me tickets for and accompanied me to a festival a while back and tried pretty much all that was offered.

What she discovered is that she likes whisky (well bourbon) based cocktails so I am having to hide the good stuff

@talexander, if the fill levels get too low, you can always drop by for some AP30 and ginger ale.

Had a dram of the Benromach 10 year old 100 Proof and it is everything everybody said it was ...fabulous. Followed up with the Kilchoman 100% Islay. Not so sure about this one. So far I prefer Machir Bay, but sometimes these things take time. We may have to go out together for a while longer to see if the relationship is going to work.

Octomore 6.1 - For free. Just chatting with the guy in the store and he offered it. Brother in law got Glenlivet 21 Archive, but the guy poured Macallan Sienna by accident and decided it would be saved for him after work...

Last night, had some friends over for dinner and drams.

Glen Elgin 12

Benromach 15

Girvan 31 year SMWS G7.10 (Lowland Grain) "The Texan tea party" ex-bourbon hogshead

Aberlour 18

Macallan Classic Cut

Glen Moray 13 year (Apr 2003) SMWS 35.179 "Formula flavour" Chenin Blanc Cask

Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique

Springbank 15

Laphroaig 18 year (1998) Single Sherry Butt cask hand-filled at the distillery

Johnnie Walker Black Label The Director's Cut

Bowmore 15

Bowmore 18 year SMWS 3.296 "Elegance and power" Ex-Sherry Butt

Obviously we didn't get to all of the bottles pictured below...

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and a happy & healthy new year!

@bwmccoy Some nice sounding SMWS offerings there, and I bet that Laphroaig 18 distillery fill was a beauty.

@bwmccoy, that Laphroaig 18 distillery fill sounds killer.

Over 9 days in Arizona, ending Christmas Day,

Brought with me/us:

1) Home vatting of Macallan 10, Glenrothes Select Reserve and a couple of other malts. This is a very delicious vatting which improved on its components.

2) Woodford Reserve

3) Elmer T. Lee

4) Don Julio 1942

5) standard Jameson

6) Jose Cuervo Reserva de La Familia Extra-Anejo Tequila

7) Aberlour A'bunadh Batch # 45, 60.2% ABV

8) Amrut Intermediate Sherry Matured, Batch # 2, 57.1% ABV

9) Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye, 2010 Release, 63.45% ABV

10) Connemara Cask Strengh, 57.9% ABV

11) Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength, Batch # 007, 56.3% ABV

About 650 ml of the 710 ml brought were consumed. The most pleasant surprise was that our relative newbie Arizona friends who are big into native American culture liked the smoke options the best.

While at the resort I also had:

12) 2017 George T. Stagg, my second taste of this year's release. This 2017 product I would not consider the equal of 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, or 2015. Certainly good, but just not as good as those mentioned.

13) Four Roses Small Batch

14) Blanton's Original

15) WhistlePig 15 yo The Boss Hog "The Black Prince" straight 100% rye (distilled in Calgary at ADL) This was my second sample of this one to date, and the only whiskey of # 12-16 where I asked for something expensive when offered a 4 sample tasting of some US products (in this case Canadian-US). This stuff sells for US $ 150 up to twice that, or more.

16) High West Campfire. Once again my native American partial friends were big on the smoke.

Back home it is now time to clean out some Boston Bottles!

@Nosebleed opened this tonight. Speyside distillery's SPEY TENNE. He actually had it a year ago but we never got to it. It's not bad, after a few drops of water and some time in the glass. But, much like the Deanston 10 CS PX, the Tawny Port finish completely overwhelms the malt.

We followed that with him cracking the seal on and pouring bottle 1831 of 4968 of Corby's Lot 40 12 YO CS, First (and so far ONLY) edition. Excellent!

Had another dram of the Kilchoman 100% Islay last night. I was relieved to find it much improved over my first pass. Seems to have benefitted greatly from a week open and some added time in the glass before drinking. Very nice, but I think I still give Machir Bay the edge.

I see that WhistlePig The Boss Hog The Black Prince IV is actually 14 rather than 15 years old. It was named San Francisco Spirits Competition Best in Show. Nominal retail price is $ 499. Total Wine sells it for $ 479.99 plus tax. World average price appears to be well over $ 400, plus tax and shipping. Good? Yes, very good indeed. What would I pay for it? Without additional massive financial resources available to me I would say it would be worth $ 150-180 to me. $ 200 if I were feeling extraordinarily self-indulgent, which I seldom am. Most of the Willett Family Estate Ryes I have tasted I have liked as much or more, at 20% of the cost. But those Willett bottlings are now hard to find.

I’m sipping a McClelland Islay Single Malt whisky my wife gifted me. She knows I like smoke, but doesn’t know much more than that. I know it’s universally panned, but I used to drink their Speyside on the regular and really didn’t mind it at all. So far, this Islay is surprisingly agreeable. If I wasn’t so sure this is 3-5 Year Old Bowmore, I might think this was Laphroaig, judging solely on the nose. Interesting. It’s clearly young, but I’ve had far worse whiskies than this. I may even review it in a few weeks.

@OdysseusUnbound, bravo! You are a brave man for putting in a good word for McClelland's Islay Single Malt. The vociferati around here are at their most vociferous about this one. For what it is worth, there are people who very quietly DO like McClelland's Islay Single Malt. More than one Connosr have privately told me that they do like it. I like it, especially if the bottle is fresh. I've never seen it claimed to be fewer than five years old, which is the age of Octomore. Don't let anybody tell you what you should and shouldn't like.

@Victor I mean, I’m obviously going to be more generous towards any wife-gifted whisky based on my love for my better-half. but I think if expectations are reasonable, the McClelland whiskies are agreeable. Not life-changing or cause for mouthgasms, but pleasant to sip on.

Heck, I may even sip the next one on the rocks.

Moo hoo ha ha ha (laughing maniacally)

So it’s now after dinner and I’ve moved to a wee dram of Aultmore 12. I’m liking this one more every time I taste it. More complex than I first thought. It’s an excellent palate cleanser after a rich chocolate dessert. A bit of white grape juice, green apples, floral notes with some light oak and malt in the well-ordered mix.

I have a cold and I will not drink anything too subtle. When I feel like that, I prefer something sweet. I went for Gooderham & Worths 4 grain and find it better than frshly opened. It is peculiar how the beginning is all about the rye and the finish all about the wheat.

Had a Highland Park Full Volume. Will have a Wiser Triple Barrel before going to bed. Here is to being off this week and drinking until after midnight.

@Robert99 love the 4 Grain and the Lot 40. Need to replace both in my cabinet.

Tonight, family in town, so my brother-in-law and I took the opportunity to share some drams.

Bowmore 18 year SMWS 3.296 "Elegance and power" from an ex-sherry butt

Tobermory 10 year (July 2005) heavily peated from Single Cask Nation, Cask #10, 235 bottles

Kilchoman Machir Bay Cask Strength USA West Coast Tour 2017 Edition

Bruichladdich Octomore 07.1 (5 year old) 208 ppm Scottish Barley

A nice night of smoke!

@boatracer How's the HP Full Volume?

Polishing off the last of my Arran 14. Sad to see this one go but it's getting replaced with the Benromach 15, so every cloud . . .

@BlueNote I like it. It isn't your traditional Highland Park since it uses ex bourbon rather than ex sherry barrels. I think it has similar wood flavours to the Compass Box Oak Cross, but more rounded.

@Robert99 I bet @Victor would love that G&W four grain. I hear he just loves a mix of wheat and rye.

@RianC I passed up the Benromach 15 recently in favour of the 10 year old 100 proof which is excellent. Would be good to get your impressions of the 15. I agree, the Arran 14 is a winner. Mine is getting close to the end too.

@OdysseusUnbound, I'm one of the McClellend's Islay haters that @Victor alludes to. The last time I bought I bottle, I felt ripped for the all of the $13 it cost me. Thin and nasty.

But I gotta say, I ran through quite a few bottles of that in my early days and I always liked it well enough back then. Did I get snootier, or is it maybe just a wildly variable product? The first is an open question, but I'd be willing to bet another $13 someday that the answer to the second question is "yes."

@OdysseusUnbound Actually, I am not sure about that. The middle of the 4 grain is about corn so some will find a lack of direction and @Victor may be among them. I am convince he will express himself about it. The important part of your message is that you like it and we get it. It is always a pleasure to see the passion of a fellow Connosr.