So, what are you drinking now?

@Wierdo - Had a look on the SE and similar prices to MoM, so at the lower end.

It was charging me £5 for delivery on a £76 order though? I've not committed yet!

@bwmccoy Ah yes I know the place, right at the top of the Grassmarket. Did you find any darker peat notes in the wort?

I ordered a bottle of Springbank 15 and 12 CS about a couple of hours ago. The 12 was about the same price as it is anywhere else but the 15 was £58 when it's £66+ everywhere else. When I placed the order it said free delivery as its over £75

I've become a bit obsessed with Springbank. Need to hide my debit card before my wife divorces me!

@Wierdo - Perhaps a glitch or something? I know the feeling on the purchasing side - my Mrs is reasonably understanding but i'm literally running out of space to put bottles in now and it's getting harder to justify any purchase. (she's probably right on that count though to be fair!)

I can see the appeal with SB though. Liked everything I've tried and, along with Benromach, *Ardbeg and maybe Bruichladdich, Glenfarclas and Ledaig, would happily take a punt on anything they put out.

*n.b - maybe not An Oa . . .

Having a Speyside 12 (50ml mini from M&S - I think it's their house Speyside bottling). Distillery unknown but it says it's on the banks on the Spey so, well, that's helpful ;)

40% so light in the mouth; pale honey, prickly ginger, gentle creamy malt and some soft baking spices. Not bad but not one I'd seek out although well priced.

Bach from coaching the kids, I deserve a glass of Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye. I am lucky, this bottle is from a good batch. When you get a good batch, it is one of the best buy for your buck. With air, it is a bit like a Canadian Old Potrero without the tequila side and with the maple side added. Does that make sense?

@Robert99, the last 50-100 ml of my rather awful bottle of Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye was pretty darn good. I think that air is very good for it...a lot of air, like all of the atmospheres from all the planets in a galaxy's worth.

Robert, if you get some of that stuff that Jim Murray rated 97.5 pts I would like to taste it. I don't doubt that Murray tasted something which he liked a lot. I just haven't tasted anything like that with the CRNHR label on it.

I thought that you didn't like maple in your whisky.

As for tequila in Old Potrero, I imagine you are referring to some vegetal style flavours.

@Victor You are right, I don't like maple in whisky unless it is very light and taste more like maple sugar than maple wood alcohol. I got this CRNHR when Jim Murray gave this ridiculous mark and my bottle was good from the beginning. I imagiine a fan of Canadian whisky giving a 92 to it but you have to leave some room for Lot 40 CS , Wiser's dissertation and all the other Canadian gems (Yes, they do exist!). In a way, I think that the American fan of Canadian whisky will appreciate it more than the Canadian fan precisely because the sweetness is not too much Canadian and because the vegetal and fruity side is not as Canadian as with other, the cherry is less dominant than in other Canadians, for example. So I'll make sure to keep a sample for you.

I am now drinking Pikesville 6 yo Straight Rye. I do understand why it is so popular. It is said to be 51% Rye, 39% corn and 10% barley. The result, for me, is brilliant as you get both a rye and a bourbon at the same time without any clash. Minty , floral and spicy like a rye and sweet and woody like a bourbon. I remember when I had my first Legacy, it was , for me, a discovery: the meeting of Canadian whisky an American wood mamagement (new oak). Pikesville do the same: an encounter of Rye and Bourbon. The result: a horny Rye! Oups! I meant a corny Rye and, yes, it is so sweet many Rye drinkers will feel a bit horny drinking that... Or they will find it too sweet.

@Robert99, Happy Rye!

For me, just now, I have been tasting El Jimador Reposado Tequila, El Jimador Blanco, Casa Noble Anejo, Jose Cuervo Reserva de La Familia Extra-Anejo,...then Willett Family Estate 4 yo Rye, 55% ABV, Barrel # 2612. And finally some Tullamore DEW in Norlan glasses, which removes the rough edges of both nose and palate.

After a self-imposed break from whisky, not because I was drinking too much, but because I felt like a break from the hobby altogether, I've tonight poured myself my first dram in quite a while. I elected to go with Eagle Rare 10 YO, partly because it was the last of the bottle and I figured I should finish it off, and partly because I was in the mood for a bourbon.

It's a good pour. Nothing extraordinary, but there's certainly nothing wrong with this whisky. I won't rush out to buy another bottle, I have too many others to get through first, but I won't rule out another one in the future.

@RianC, any chance your bottle is actually a confusingly-labeled whisky from The Speyside Distillery?

Tonight, a friend had a small group of people over for a very special tasting of some unbelievable whisky!

Glenrothes 1975

Strathisla 1957, 50 year old, bottled in 2007

26 year (Nov 14th, 1990) Rosebank (SMWS 25.70) "In a perfumed garden" from a refill ex-bourbon barrel.

21 year (1994) Braes of Glenlivet from Alexander Murray & Co. bottlers

The Annasach Reserve 25 year Blended Malt Scotch Whisky from William Grant & Sons Rare Cask Reserves

27 year (May 7th, 1990) Macallan (SMWS 24.129) "Meeting an old master" from a 1st fill Pedro Ximenez butt

Glenrothes 1972

25 year (1991) Caol Ila from Cadenhead's Cask Ends bottlings (Bourbon hogshead cask)

25 year (Nov. 28th, 1989) Glentauchers (SMWS 63.35) "Exotic fruits and polytunnel flowers" from a refill ex-bourbon barrel

29 year (Nov 28th, 1984) Clynelish (SMWS 26.106) "Say it with flowers" from a refill ex-sherry butt

Ardbeg Grooves (2018 Ardbeg Day committee release)

Finished the night with another dram of the 1957 Strathisla

While nearly every dram was the "best of the night", the 1957 Strathisla was obviously special for many reasons, but the Braes of Glenlivet was probably my favorite. It had the most amazing nose (apples and other fruits) and a liquid candy palette. A very memorable dram. Honorable mention to the Glentauchers and the Clynelish as well.

Hope everyone had a great Saint Patrick's Day!

@MadSingleMalt - Possible, I suppose, but I don't think so.

@RianC @MadSingleMalt It's more likely to be a Marks & Spencer bottling of an undisclosed Speyside distillery.

@bwmccoy, upon perusal of the tasting list from which you partook, I have only one comment: Otherworldly.

Last night in Havana. Sipping a Cuba Libre wondering if it is accurate or not...

On a boat this afternoon I saw a bottle of Vat 69. Never tried it. So I did. Given the setting it was nice, sort of like my camping first experience with Basil Hayden.

The guy who gave me the vat 69 said it was Hitler's favourite Scotch. Not sure if he was right. Does anyone know? Internet is spotty so I can't look it up. Look forward to catching up with all of you tomorrow.

@Nozinan - Hope you had a great trip! I've also never tried VAT 69 but hear good things. Tried to buy it a few times but it's rare as hen's teeth! How was it?

@RianC

I had it out of a plastic cup on a boat off Cuba so no specific tasting notes available. Definitely drinkable.

Finally back with access to my cabinet. Celebrating the holiday a few days late with some Redbreast 12 YO SC. Can't believe it's been over 5 months since I reached for it...

@paddockjudge - Well said. That pretty much sums it up. :-) It was a very special night.

@Nozinan - welcome home!

Last night, Girvan 31 year SMWS G7.10 (Lowland Grain) "The Texan tea party"

Tonight, Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2008 Heavily Peated

@bwmccoy, I'm a big fan of long- aged Scottish grain whiskies. A few Canadians in the 20 - 40 year range are highly desirable: JP Wiser's 35 YO, Canadian Club 40 YO, Canadian Rockies 21 YO, Highwood Ninety 20 YO, as well as the Alberta Unicorns, Alberta Premium 25 YO and Alberta Peemium 30 YO.

@paddockjudge Have you ever tried the CC 20? That one has piqued my interest a few times...

@OdysseusUnbound, I have tried at least five separate batches and they are for the most part dissimilar. 2011 and 2012 batches are awesome. CC20 is a "Barrel blended" whisky. Different grain distillates are combined (at birth) in a Barrel and aged to maturity. CC20 is great when it is on its "A" game and not so great when it isn't.

@OdysseusUnbound The batch that is currently in the LCBO is pretty substandard.

@talexander but is it "half' as good as the cc40?

@Nozinan Ha - when I reviewed the 40, I did a side-by-side with this current batch of the 20. I think I used the term "lackluster" but I don't fully remember. I would say less than half!

@paddockjudge - I’m not familiar with Alberta Unicorns. Is that their latest no age statement release? :-) Unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to try any of the ones you listed. Maybe one of these days I will get the chance.

Last night, Aultmore 18 year (Feb. 1997) SMWS 73.72 "A ray of sunshine" from a refill ex-bourbon hogshead. Most of the time, this one doesn’t do much for me, but last night it tasted amazing. So much more depth, complexity and character than normal. What a treat.

Finished the night with a dram of Kilchoman Sauternes Cask Matured. Perfect balance between the sweet wine, the peat and the smoke. A sublime dram.

@bwmccoy I believe @paddockjudge is using the term Unicorn to refer to the two specific (and mystical) AP releases, 25 YO and (my favourite) 30 YO, that appeared once and may never be seen again...

@Nozinan - yes, I know. That was my (apparently failed) attempt at humor. :-)