So, what are you drinking now?

@Hewie whoops - edit: you will have noticed that should be Ledaig 10 (fat fingers)

@Hewie - How did you find the Ledaig?

Last night:

• Two drams of Glenlivet 18. In only a week, it’s already gotten much better. The finish was the real star from the get-go, but the nose has improved significantly. I may stick this one in the back of the cabinet for awhile to see if it continues to get better. I feel a little sheepish liking this as much as I do. It’s almost like admitting I like the movie Braveheart (I’m a history teacher and that film is atrocious as far as accuracy goes)
• Several drinks from a bottle of standard Jameson my b-i-l received as a birthday gift. Perhaps it was the festive atmosphere, or drinking it along side several Guinness Blondes, but the Jamo was sweeter and richer than expected, with much less nail polish remover on the nose than I usually find.

@OdysseusUnbound Nothing wrong with Glenlivet 18 - in fact, I find older Glenlivets, and IBs, to often be excellent. It's not a massive best-seller for nothing. And Jameson has generally improved from a number of years ago, but can also be inconsistent.

@RianC the Ledaig 10 was very well received. I've shared Benromach 10, Talisker 10, Kilkerran 12, Springbank 12 CS, and Port Charlotte HP with them before and they do enjoy some peat. I had a glass of the Ledaig alongside a glass of the Port Charlotte HP the other night. I think I got them mixed up when I put them down beside me - they look and smell so similar! The PC had more high notes, and was certainly more elegant. The Ledaig peat was more earthy and forest floor like. The level of peat was practically identical. Compared to the Caol Ila, the Ledaig was less fruity and less medicinal, also less funky than I was expecting. I'm loving this bottle of Ledaig. Solely matured ex-bourbon casks, 46.3%, no colour, non-chill filtered, peaty goodness. I can't quite work out why it's not more popular (sshhh!). It cost me $77 (40 GBP, 56 USD, 72 CAD) - which is well cheaper than Ardbeg 10, Port Charlotte, etc. It's a keeper for me I hope they have enough stockpiled while the Tobermory distillery is shut down for the 2 years for renovations.

Finally got the kids to bed. Catching up on some computer work and stuff. Nothing goes better with that than a bold bourbon. tonight it's Stagg Jr. 2017 release.

My wife and I went out tonight, celebrating our anniversary earlier this week. Had a couple of manhattans. The first one was made with Woodinville Bourbon (a local Distillery). The second one was made with High West Rye. Both were very good, but also very different.

@Hewie - Thought you'd like it Interesting that you tasted alongside the PC SB HP. My first taste of the PC reminded me of Ledaig right off the bat.

I agree in that I think it's an under the radar malt in many ways and I'd be paying just under £40 for it, so that's a great price all things considered. I wonder if quality has improved quite a bit over the last few years? The Burn Stewart distilleries all seem to be getting rave reviews at the moment, especially Deanston.

It's on a list with Ben 10 and Springbank 10 that need to be replenished asap!

@bwmccoy Great picture!

@bwmccoy Yes, great setting!

I wish you many more...

@bwmccoy congrats on the anniversary and that's a great photo

@bwmccoy, I didn't know you had a daughter....all kidding aside, congratulations! A toast to you and your lovely bride with a pour of Red Letter (the only 13 YO whisky in my cabinet).

@paddockjudge I've seen that Red Letter... I've even held one in my hands in Calgary... but I've never been lucky enough to taste it.

oops...good thing the site allows edits up to 15 minutes after posting (@Talexander: 1 h for reviews). Turns out I did taste it (apparently an original bottling) at Spirit of Toronto in 2017. But I don't remember it.

@talexander @Nozinan @cricklewood @paddockjudge - Thank you all.

@Nozinan - there is a hotel over looking the falls which is where we had dinner. It is a great setting and some amazing food as well.

@paddockjudge - thanks for the toast with the 13 year Red Letter. I’ve never heard of that one before, but if you’re drinking it, I know it’s quality stuff! By the way, my wife wanted me to thank you for the complement. You made her day.

Tonight, killed off my bottle of 23 year Longmorn SMWS 7.164 (Apr. 1993) "Carefree contentment" from an ex-bourbon refill barrel. Such a beautiful Whisky!

Finishing the night with Octomore 7.1

@bwmccoy You two look like a couple of “Seattle’s Best.” Congrats and may you have many more memorable anniversaries.

Finished off the evening with a small taste of my 22 year old Miltonduff IB from the Art of Distilling. Sublime!

Week back had a Craigellachie tasting with SMWS

Craigellachie new make spirit

Craigellachie 13yo

Craigellachie 17yo

Craigellachie 21yo Limited Edition

Craigellachie Single Cask 1991

3 SMWS Craigellachie bottlings

• 2 X 13yo, 1 finished in ex first fill bourbon cask, 1 finished in ex first fill olorosso cask

  • 1 X 25yo

Thoroughly enjoyable night and whiskies.

@Tom92, what's their newmake like?

Having a small dram of Glenlivet 18 with a tiny splash of water added. It brings out some different notes, but thins out the body too much to make the trade-off worthwhile.

@Tom92 that's a decent line up of Craigellachie. What were your thoughts? Any stand outs?

@BlueNote - thank you for your kind words! We really appreciate it.

@Tom92 - that is an impressive line up and sounds like a great night!

Tonight, killed off an 18 year Royal Brackla (Sep 1997) SMWS 55.40 "Playful mouth-tingles" from an ex-bourbon hogshead that was then finished in a first-fill American oak Pedro Ximenez hogshead.

Finishing the night with Kilchoman Sauternes Cask Matured.

@MadSingleMalt it was very interesting. Not as floral as other new makes I've had likes of Macallan I tried while at the distillery. Huge cereal on the nose, smelt exactly like the draff if you have ever smelt in warm. If memory serves me right there new make was sitting at 70.61%

@Tom92 WOW !!! That new make is almost strong enough for even @Victor `s tastes.

@Hewie the SMWS bottles and the Craigellachie Single Cask shone through. Probably the 13yo finished in ex bourbon with the Heavy char Medium toast. Had more depth than the equivalent finished in ex olorosso. Normally I'd always go with the Sherry but in this instance bourbon prevailed

@bwmccoy it was a very good night. 8 drams and dinner for £35 can't complain. Have been really enjoy the SMWS lately, with the Queen street bar 320metres from my work.

How was the 55.40?

@Tom92 - dinner and 8 quality drams for that price is an excellent deal! I am envious that you are so close to 28 Queen Street. My wife and I were there in 2010 for lunch. We asked our waiter to pair whatever whisky he thought would go with each course. He did an amazing job. A 9 year Glenfarclas and a 16 year Rosebank with our starters (Lobster Salad). A 24 year Clynelish with my wife's poached salmon and crab crepes. A 12 year Springbank with my grilled scallops. Great memories! Hopefully, we can get back to Edinburgh some time in the relatively near future.

The 55.40 was really good! Of course, the last dram is always the best causing you to miss the bottle that much more. :-) The nose last night reminded me of perfume. Not over bearing or when too much is applied, but that whiff you get when a beautiful woman walks by. It had some fruit and even some candy notes as well. The taste had some slight dark chocolate, a little fruit sweetness, finishing with some spices. Since this bottling was finished in a Pedro Ximenez hogshead, as opposed to being in it for the entire maturation, it was not a sherry bomb. The sherry influence was more subtle, balanced, allowing some of the ex-bourbon characteristics to still come through. This was the first bottle of Royal Brackla that I have owned and based on this example, I would purchase again, at least a Society bottling anyway.

@Tom92, I've heard the theory that ugly newmake produces interesting whisky. Since you seem to have had a number of different newmakes, would you agree with that?

I've never had any. The closest I came was drinking the wort at Lagavulin.

@bwmccoy sounds like a very tempting dram. I will have to keep an eye out for any of their bottlings. Whether in your time in Edinburgh you ventured to the Bow Bar?

@bwmccoy sounds like a very tempting dram. I will have to keep an eye out for any of their bottlings. Whether in your time in Edinburgh you ventured to the Bow Bar?

@madsinglemalts it differently would be considered ugly, as they call it the bad boy of Speyside. If I remember correctly, they collect more of the head of the run while distilling, hence the higher abv and getting more impurities to add flavour. The new make wasn't to my taste by their whisky was. Would very much like to do a tasting of several new makes from different distilleries and regions within Scotland. How did the wort taste?