So, what are you drinking now?

While playing cards with my mother-in-law and wife, Westland 5 year SMWS 133.1 "Speakeasy sneaky peeky", followed by Laphroaig 10.

This arrived on Sunday from Calgary with my in-laws. I felt it would only be right to open it with my BIL, @nosebleed, as he found it and brought it all the way here, finding us some great deals.

First impressions: good. Different from its older sibling released last year.

Can’t wait till I have time to do a H2H!

Macallan 12 Sherry Oak, 43% ABV. It astounds me that this malt, considered ho-hum and plain Jane a few years ago, remains for me the outstanding example of low-ABV value-for-money (here in the US; local price about $ 65 bought correctly) quality sherried malt. No, I would not have believed in 2010, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15... that I would ever say that. Batches of Macallan 12 Sherry Oak do vary. I've tasted some which I considered only so-so. But this batch, recently replaced by a new one, is rather (sulphur) clean and quite delicious. I do not know whether the batch which replaces it can be trusted. I am very glad that I stocked up on several bottles of this one.

N.B. @Nozinan, sampling done before noon.

@Victor it’s entirely because of you that I have some Macallan 12 in my cabinet. I an ever so grateful.

And if it was before noon when you sampled it, not only is that ok with me but I can absolutely guarantee that it’s after 5 somewhere.

I’m currently having a generous pour of Kilkerran 12 after a long day and evening...

I just got back from three weeks in Portugal! And since I was in Porto I had to learn about Port wine. Long story short: Some Port is insanely good, rivaling single-malt IMO. I also quickly discovered Portugal adult beverages are quite inexpensive. For €8 I enjoyed a generous pour of 20 year oak aged Port which was fantastic! But I failed to get the name, ugh! So now, back in the USA, I am on a Port quest (parallel to my ongoing whisky journey) to rediscover excellent Ports!

Tonight I am exploring a 20 year old Graham’s with Caol Ila chasers. It’s Halloween!

Boo!

@bwmccoy I’m a fan of Westland and,, as a local, try to support their efforts. Have you taken their tour? It’s the closest thing to Scotland Seattlites have in town.

@Wodha - welcome back to the states! Sounds like you had a great trip. I have a whisky friend who is an expert in all things Port as well. Let me know if you would like me to put you in contact with him. A couple of weeks ago we had a 1967 Taylor Fladgate port that was 50 years in Oak. It was amazing!

Yes, my wife and I have toured Westland. I’m a huge fan of what Matthew Hoffman, the master distiller, is doing there. He’s young, knowledgeable and passionate about creating amazing American single malt.

There is also Copperworks Distillery under the viaduct across from the aquarium, if you haven’t been there. Not quite on par with Westland, but they have a single cask, cask strength, 100% French Oak Matured whisky right now that is stunning!

Taking full advantage of my BIL @nosebleed here in town. We had a couple of different Amrut expressions- one I hadn't tasted since May 2014 and new to him, and the other we tasted for the first time! The second was a real gem.

Tried some Evan Williams White Label BiB over ice last night with very positive results - it's taken a very long time to settle down and still retains some unpleasant bitterness neat.

Is it just me or when one plans to add ice do your pours somehow become rather generous?

@RianC I wouldn't know....

@Nozinan - a little whisky and ginger ale on ice never hurt anybody . . .

@RianC Only if it’s a 35 Year Old Wiser’s....stay tuned.

@RianC @Nozinan

Recent purchase of W35 for @paddockjudge resulted in free "whisky rocks"

From my understanding, whisky rocks are meant to be thrown at people who mix rare, complex whiskies wth gingerale...

@Nozinan whisky rocks are tool devised by dental associations to drum up business, your proposed use as projectile is an interesting one.

@Nozinan by the way, are you going to tease us forever or will you reveal which Amrut expressions you tried?

@RianC yes knowing their will be some dilution I like to make my pours rather generous. The only thing I ever have on ice is bourbon and sometimes rum, especially in summer.

Funny enough, my brother mostly drinks his whisky on ice, when I'm over tat his place, that's how he serves it to me. I don't mind so much, oddly some things are really good this way, I will occasionally ask for something straight usually if it's my first time trying it.

At my place I never use ice other than for the aforementioned Bourbon & Over-proof rum.

@cricklewood to answer your questions.... yes

@cricklewood - It's rare I add ice (if at all to malts) but when a whisky/blend is a bit below par it can be a a way to enjoy a glass and mask the unpleasant notes. Good in summer too!

Like you, I think bourbon works better with ice than malts/Scotch though. The EW became much sweeter and toffee'd although once the ice had melted is was a bit too watery, as you'd expect.

Best discovery was Mellow Corn; drank most of the bottle then tried it with ice on a hunch. It was genuinely better on ice than neat. Something just 'clicked' and made the experience simply better (for my tastes anyway).

A toast to the memory of David Pickerel with Maker's Mark and WhistlePig, both at Cask Strength, just like the man himself.

Dave Pickerell gone? Damn! He has been one of the very few people in the industry whose taste I have come to trust. Yes, @paddockjudge, a toast to Dave Pickerell!

@Victor, yes, Pickerell was a very large figure on the American whisky scene. Master distiller at Maker's Mark for fourteen years, consultant/partner at WhistlePig since 2009, and consultant to Hillrock as well as many startups.

I too toast to Dave Pickerell...he was here in San Francisco for tonight's WhiskyFest. Having a Maker's Mark now.

@paddockjudge, you and @Nozinan escaped my sister's house before I could ply you with the Hillrock Solera Bourbon. I guess that we were distracted by the previous 30 drams.

I am toasting Mr. Pickerell with the last of the sample you gave me of Wiser's 35 Year Old, but I shall think of him also during my next dram when I have some WhistlePig.

@archivist, are you attending the WhiskyFest?

@Victor No WhiskyFest for me -- we have a birthday party to attend instead...I'll probably buy a round to toast our birthday pal, and another round to toast Dave Pickerell.

Damn...was just listening to an interview he gave for whiskycast the other day. He seemed like he always had a whole slew of projects going at once.

I found a lot of parallels between the work Dave was doing in American whisky with that of Jim Swan with respect to single malt. Those are some heavy losses.

What a week! Having my BIL around this week made for some fun times, and also some good drams. We have had something good every night this week, and tomorrow will be their last night here so it will end with something special.

Monday it was Amrut, Tuesday Lot 40 CS, Wed Amrut, Th. Stagg Jr and OGD 114, and tonight...

• Forty Creek Heart of Gold

• Wiser's Seasoned Oak (19Y)

• and to finish, Some of the last of my decanted bottle of Cutty Sark Prohibition.

A Highland Park 12 and a Bath Gem ale with a haggis, nips and tats (and my first attempt at a 'proper' whisky sauce) dinner. HP didn't work that well, I think you need a sweeter whisky with that kind of meal?

Going to sample some Ardbeg 10 avec some Corry in shortly . . .

Good stuff @RianC With all the pepper and other spices I reckon haggis needs a reasonably robust whisky to go with it - nothing too delicate. How about some Talisker? It brings the salt and pepper to the table too

Aberliur A’Bunadh 49.

@nosebleed is heading back tomorrow before sunrise so I poired him a small measure of the Chonese grape spirit from Xinjiang, then we had a little pour of this expression.

We managed at least one spirit 6 days in a row! Each if the full days he was here.

EPIC!