So, what are you drinking now?

Awful, awful beer. :)

@Tom92 - While we didn't go to the Bow Bar, we would have walked right past it when we were there in 2016. We ate dinner at The Mussel & Steak Bar which is at the far end of Bow Street.

@Tom92 & @MadSingleMalt - My wife and I tried the wort at Laphroaig. I didn't think it was that bad; as good as a warm, unfiltered 8% beer can be, but my wife absolutely hated it. :-)

Last night, I killed off my bottle of Aultmore SMWS 73.81 (14 year - September 2002) - "Dark chocolate destiny" from a Refill ex-Sherry butt - 59.8% ABV.

Tonight, I'm starting off with a dram of Glendullan SMWS 84.18 (14 year - Oct. 2001) "Sneezing in the sun" from a Second-fill Sauternes hogshead - 55.3% ABV.

Finishing the night with Tobermory 10 year (July 2005) heavily peated from Single Cask Nation, Cask #10 - refill ex-bourbon hogshead - 56.7% ABV.

West Cork Distillers, Blended Bourbon Cask, (NAS, claimed to be 4 yo) 10 yo Malt, and The Pogues Blended (NAS, claimed to be 3 yo), at a free commerical tasting. The 10 yo malt is a clean simple malty malt. I like it as such. The Pogues Blended (Irish punk band special release) I liked better than the standard Blended Bourbon Cask. Ratings? 85 for the malt; 82 for The Pogues Blended; 79 for the standard Blended Bourbon Cask. Drinkable, all, and better than some on the Irish market.

@Victor I tried West Cork once, have to say I quite disliked it - but maybe it was a different expression, I really don't remember.

@talexander, it took me three sips to tolerate their standard blended whiskey. The other two I liked right away.

@Victor Yes, I'm pretty sure it was their standard blend that I tried.

@talexander, for me adjusting to liking West Cork Blended Bourbon Cask seemed somewhat like adjusting to liking standard Bushmills. It seemed impossible at first, but it was possible. I don't see myself ever buying a bottle of West Cork standard blended Irish Whiskey, but I can imagine myself owning a bottle of their 10 yo Malt or their The Pogues Blended Whiskey.

And I imagine that, as with standard Bushmills, there can be an enormous difference among the batches one might encounter. "You bets your money, and you takes your chances."

@Victor

And I imagine that, as with standard Bushmills, there can be an enormous difference among the batches one might encounter. "You bets your money, and you takes your chances."

You can safely say the same for most mass-produced whisk(e)y, can’t you? I’ve found the wildest batch variations with the standard Jameson. Some bottles have tasted like nail polish remover smells, and some have tasted as though they were 50% Single Pot Still. Roll the dice, I guess.

@OdysseusUnbound, yes indeed, most mass-market whisk(e)y brands do show enormous amounts of batch variability. Over the years I have emphasised this fact many times on Connosr.

It is not too surprising that the batch variability in the big-release products takes place, though. These are the products where the "meh" barrels of whiskey usually have to go. They have to monetise those barrels somehow. The brands are clearly betting that their lesser barrels will not destroy the long-term reputation of their mass-market whisk(e)ys. That may be true for the general public, and for cocktail makers. It is not so true for connoisseurs.

The opportunity with mass-market batch variability lies in the occasional opportunity of finding a really good batch of "standard" whisk(e)y on the cheap. That's not so easy to do, from my experience, because you really have to have the opportunity to taste the whisk(e)y first and then know that you are immediately buying a bottle from the same batch. Evan Williams Black Label is often/usually simplistic, sweet, and too dilute. Once in awhile there is a fantastic batch of it available, at, around here, a price sometimes below $ 25 for 1.75 L. No, I do not ever buy products like that blind, anymore.

@Victor & @OdysseusUnbound, I had that Pogues whiskey once at a pub and thought it was totally decent. It definitely exceeded my low expectations. (But is it a special release? Seems like it's always available.)

That West Cork blend started showing up in droves around here over the past month or so. One shop emailed about a tasting day and a low low price of around $16. I almost made the stop. But I now have zero regret about missing it.

Their single malt is more intriguing. I've been mildly interested in their operation since first hearing about them on the K&L blog years ago. And then just a couple weeks ago, I bought a couple of their one-offs: the Bog Oak and Peat Charred. I plan to open them for my club next St. Pat's, so they'll collect dust for a while. They just seemed cheap enough and interesting enough to take home on impulse! think a Connemara one-off from years ago was the only other time I ever heard of bog oak being used in whiskey maturation. And I've never before heard of using peat to char the casks instead of dry the barley. Cool stuff! Plus, it's finally a chance to taste Irish peat. (Connemara uses peated malt from Port Ellen.)

@MadSingleMalt, my only input on the status of the Pogues whiskey is from the distributor rep input I received. He seemed very equivocal about whether or not it would continue to be produced. I asked about it because I liked the whiskey. Decent and inexpensive.

@Victor If it's good enough for Shane MacGowan, it's good enough for me. Mmm, maybe not. Old Shane is looking pretty bad these days, new teeth notwithstanding.

The Famous Grouse Gold Reserve, 12 yo. God, this is the story of blended Scotch in my collection! 85% full bottle, opened in Feb 2013, gassed in Apr 2013. So this is the first time I've had a sip of this in almost 5 years, I guess. I bought this because I was favourably impressed by a friend's bottle back in the day. I was disappointed with this bottle from Day One. Now, 5 years later, 1) this bottle has a very good nose, 2) it tastes better than I remember it 5 years ago, 3) it still doesn't taste as good as the stuff which I tasted which led me to buy a bottle, 4) I still would not have bought this bottle if I had known what I would have thought of it. At this rate, those 10 or so open bottles of blended Scotch in our house could last until almost the end of time.

Had a rough week, again, and want to cut loose with a few pours but dinner's been put back; I'm hungry, slightly tetchy and about to have a healthy seabass and roast 'French' veg dinner.

What I want is a steak and kidney pie, chips, gravy an ale and lots of the Talisker 18!

I'm making do with a Cutty Sark Prohibition and will see how my taste buds lie afterwards . . . (damn my better half's diet!)

Last night, Glen Elgin 12 year old. I don’t drink this one very often, but I love it every time I do.

@bwmccoy - What's it like? One I've not tried but it does intrigue me . . .

Black & White Blended Scotch. For Round 2, I am going to a blended Scotch which I expect to like. B & W is simple, mostly malty and a bit citric. Yes, I do still like this one. This is a bottle I will actually finish relatively soon. My quandary is that the only B& W in our local system that is now available is in 1.75 L "handle" form. That would be a bit much....

@RianC - In a word; Splendid. A very good malt for the price. Unfortunately, we can’t get it in the states. Purchased our first bottle in Scotland and this one in Vancouver B.C.

Nose: Sweet, muted heather-honey with a slight hint of peat. Taste: Spicy, dry and light smoke. Finish: Warm, dry, balanced.

@bwmccoy - I'm salivating

Well dinner was a bit 'meh' - I'm exhausted though so nothing would taste that good at the minute! Let's try an Amrut Fusion and see if that perks me up a bit . . .

It's not hurting that's for sure! Still getting to know this but it's excellent stuff, no doubt. I get a kind of lightly smoked cream soda note. Interesting . . .

For the apero, I will have Bowmore 18 with a dash of Glenfarclas 105.

@bwmccoy Agreed. I've had the Glen Elgin 12 a couple of times and always like it when I reach for it. Very much under the radar, but excellent bang for the buck.

@Robert99 Did you mean a dash of 105 added to the Bowmore 18? If so, I think that might be a good way to perk up the somewhat lacklustre Bowmore 18.

@BlueNote That is exactly what I did. I did it mainly to cover the blackcurrant buds note that I don't like but it does give more life to the 18 and the peat is more chocolaty and meaty.

@Robert99 That's a great tip. I'm filing that one away for the future.

Cheers.

I cracked open a bottle of Springbank 15 I've had waiting to open for about 6 months last night. I wasnt quite sure what to expect of it as I'd read mixed reviews of the 15 on t'net.

I'm only 1 glass in but I have to say initial impressions are that it is very good indeed.

Availability on the 15 isn't great. So I'll be picking up another bottle sometime soon whilst it's available.

I'll post a review when I've made a significant dent in the bottle.

@Wierdo - Tried it recently and it was a 'different' one for sure. Very salty and lots going on. One I'd like to try again before buying. As ever though with SB the quality was undeniable.

I think Serge nails the 15 in this review saying it needs time. I wonder if the less favourable reviewers didn't allow it to open up?

whiskyfun.com/2017/…

I've found with Campbletown whisky in general and Springbank in particular they've got so much going on that if you divein too soon after you've poured they just seem confused. Lately I basically use the year in the cask needs a minute in the glass rule and double it for anything from Campbletown which seems to work well. They also seem to need very little water in my experience.

On a side note have you heard of 'the spirits embassy'?

I've just placed an order with them. So if my order doesn't turn up or takes ages I'll let you know that the service is poor. But they look like they might be a good shop to use. Their prices on a few whiskies seem a bit cheaper than other online retailers and free delivery starts at £75 rather than the usual £100

@Wierdo - Having a look now - thanks! Not that I should be buying really but . . . (I have put a few extra shifts in lately so a reward is due - all work and no play and all that )

Agree about Campbeltown and time. Had the 15 in a bar but it definitely got better and needed some air. I also find they change lots in the glass and give slightly different experiences every pour. Suppose that's true of many malts but especially the former. Agree on the water as well. Maybe a drop or two but they seem to 'thin out' very quickly.

Can't wait to pop the SB 12 CS and about time I got another bottle of the 10.