So, what are you drinking now?

@MadSingleMalt Yeah, I was only making a dumb joke

@talexander, market shenanigans versus whisky shenanigans? Roger that.

As a flourish to all my yackity-yak above, I'll just say that I like to pursue these points about the pricing of scarce whiskies because, for all our collective anxiety, effort, and complaining about the situation, it seems like 99% of it is directed at the effects rather than the cause.

We're bitching about flies instead of wishing the window was shut.

@MadSingleMalt So we should discourage people from getting into whisky?

@RianC it's just a quick impression but I enjoyed the style, again in some ways reminiscent of Ardbeg 10 on the nose and attack. On the palate there is definitely the trademark Benromach, shoe polish/wax, mineral side but also a kind of fruity pear thing on the finish.

There's none of the notes that the sherry normally contributes in the standard Ben 10 so it might perhaps be a tad mono-dimensional. Again first impression only, it's a pleasant change.

@cricklewood, I agree.

I've had a bottle of that Benromach Peated (not sure which vintage) in my stash for some years, and I finally had my first taste of it during Christmastime at bar (again, not sure which vintage). It was really good: clean, fresh, vibrant!

I'm really looking forward to cracking my bottle, probably this fall with my club when we open a 10/100.

@OdysseusUnbound, the idea of "discouraging people from getting into whisky" has a nostalgic albeit impractical appeal to me. I remember well ten years ago that nobody I knew liked or knew much about whisky...and prices were low. Nowadays almost everyone I meet says "I like whisk(e)y!", knows rather little about it, and most bottles are getting rather expensive. Being part of an unknown and unpopular hobby was a lot more satisfying than being part of a mass movement which makes the best products expensive and scarce.

@Victor Plus, now, all your friends who are either priced out or just can't find what they want think you are a genius for stocking up....

I know that I got in just at the cusp of the price increase.I certainly cannot afford to buy as much as I used to. But I also have 2 decades of supply, unless I drink at my current rate...then 3 decades.

I know that in 20 years I will have some bottles I bought now that no one will be able to find anywhere. Will A'Bunadh still be produced? Even if so, how will batch 140 compare to batch 28? Who will remember Confederation Oak, Heart of Gold, Wiser's Dissertation / Legacy? Lot 100 CS will be nothing like Lot 40 CS, first edition. And Last Barrels will have become Last Bottle.

Oh yes, connosors, mark your calendars for the most awesome retro whisky party of all time!

I really wanna try that Benromach Peat Smoke!

@KRB80, right: "Peat Smoke"! Good stuff.

I called it "Peated" above by mistake. I musta been thinking about Longrow.

Old Fitzgerald Bottled In Bond, while watching women's college basketball. # 1 UConn is demolishing 53-24 the defending national champion # 7 South Carolina Gamecocks at the half. Canadian national team Kia Nurse on UConn is 4 for 4 from 3 point range.

Larceny is the closest product to Old Fitz BIB currently being sold. I like the extra 4% ABV which the BIB has relative to Larceny.

@MadSingleMalt This forum has a tendency to sucker punch my wallet...relentlessly.

@KRB80 This is true. I'm sure more than one former COnnosr had to drop out for that reason.

Moving on to some W. L Weller 12 yo. This bottle has certainly held up well over 7 years, having taken nearly 2 years to fully blossom. .

Pappy Van Winkle 15 yo, 2010 release, my all-time favourite bourbon. This is the first sip of this I have had in over a year. It is time to spend some time getting re-acquainted.

A heavy-handed pour of Talisker 18. The longer this one sits in the glass, the better it gets.

@cricklewood It is hard for me to imagine something like an Ardbeg 10 without citrus, almost as hard as imagining a non-alcoholic whisky. Oxymorons!

@KRB80 Ha - that's right, blame the forum!

@KRB80 Tell me about it. I’ve seen some Talisker 57 North available at some GTA LCBO locations. My local dealer, er, store has done store to store transfers before, so I’m confident I could get one. It’s $175, and I seriously considered paying that for a bottle. I really, really liked it. A lot. But I shall stick to my Frugal February resolution.

@OdysseusUnbound - Probably not the best time to say this is currently on offer on MoM for just over £50.

Sorry, dude!

@Robert99 touché Ardbeg 10's identity is tied to lemony/ashy smoke in some ways it's hard to separate those two.

It's mostly on the nose that the Benromach reminded me of Ardbeg 10, it was the quality of the peat at first nosing, almost exhaust/coal smoke, the again the bottle was freshly opened so take that as one may. The palate of the Ben is a completely different thing, none of the hallmarks of an Islay at all.

Man I feel like I've hyped the shit out of this bottle don't get excited folks, the quality of the food (comforting) and company (easy on the eyes) might have tipped the scales somewhat.

@OdysseusUnbound don't do it man! That price tag is folly and I think it breaks your budget rule, granted it is damn fine juice.I'm sure you could network your way to a better price with patience.

@RianC ...damn that's a good price even with the conversion. At that price it would be worth bunkering down a small quantity

@OdysseusUnbound I agree with @cricklewood - That'a highway robbery. I know a place where you can drink it for free.

@Nozinan If only I could find a way to get there. My wife isn’t a fan of me taking “whisky vacations”.

@cricklewood $175 is too steep. I technically can afford to spend that much, I simply don’t want to. And I will not break my February resolution.

@OdysseusUnbound You could spin it as continuing education.....

We both have B. Eds...

@OdysseusUnbound, take her with you and make a weekend getaway out of it go see a show/museum/shopping or do something she likes on one of the days, it's a pleasant way to integrate a "whisky holiday". Besides it's for science remember

Hope you took no offense vis-à-vis the Talisker, I had almost foolishly convinced myself to buy a bottle of Kavalan Solist Sherry the other day, which I still consider overpiced at 170$ (the lowest price I've found) so it's just that I know the feeling.

@cricklewood I don’t get offended. I talked myself out of it because it’s silly for me to spend that much when there are a LOT of whiskies I like for < $100.

@OdysseusUnbound for future reference - the LCBO isn’t allowed to say no on transfers. If they do you can call vintages and the managers who kiboshed the request will get talked to.

@OdysseusUnbound there are much better bottles to buy if you want to spend $175.

I am not drinking Lot 40 CS right now but I will get a bottle tomorrow and I just read that , according to Toronto Life website, "you’re going to make old fashioneds with it, too; that’s arguably what it’s built for." I don't have anything against those who will used it to make an Old Fashioned, but is it BUILT for it? The web is an infinite source of fun.