So, what are you drinking now?

@Nozinan I do take more pleasure with simple food but I am less tolerant to sugar as a crowd pleaser in an allegated good meal.

Now for the more serious question, did anyone tried Wiser’s 35 with Nectar (preferably Denis Nectar)?

@Robert99 who is Denis Nectar?

@Robert99 To be honest I think something more bold would be a better match. I like to concentrate on W35...the accent/dialect is too strong and pulls away my attention. Maybe a high proof bourbon...

@RikS, the Connosr community is a special place, but the magic begins when we leave the online group and gather with Connosr friends, both new and old....Epic!

I have mamaged to protect that special vatting, the one taylored to your specifications.... a tasty treat indeed.

A small pour of the 2018 Lot 40 CS to make it more interesting to finish my charting

@RianC I can appreciate what you say about mindfulness and drinking good whisky awakening the senses. The more I learn about the complexity of living organisms the more I appreciate the beauty of the natural world around us. In a similar way, the more I learn around the processes involved in whisky production the more I appreciate the finished product. I can find myself a little in awe at the range of flavours in a single good glass of whisky - it definitely leads me to a place of appreciation and mindfulness. Try explaining those ideas to people who don't get it

Westland 5 year SMWS 133.1 "Speakeasy sneaky peeky"

Caol Ila 11 year SMWS 53.252 "Smoky incarnations". So good, I had to have a little more after the first dram.

@Nozinan Denis is a brand of soft drink from my childhood famous for his Nectar flavor. Being from Montreal, I thought you may have tasted it. Last night, for the fun of it, I mixed some Wiser's 18 (about 1/5 of a dram) with Nectar and it was not bad.

@paddockjudge Tell us which whiskies compose that special vatting.

@Robert99 I'm intrigued. Can you bring some to Toronto next time you visit?

@Nozinan I am not sure if Denis Co. is still active. But Metro and IGA have their home brand Nectar and I will bring those if I can find the Denis.

Very chilly time picking up my son from school.

Thanks to @dramlette and @victor for making this possible

@Robert99, @RikS had started a thread, "which whisky is this? I didn't own this whisky and neither did @RikS, so I made one for him. There were specific character traits...here is the link.

connosr.com/which-whisky-is-this-really-we…

@paddockjudge how did you find the link? I too was searching for it ferociously yesterday! Now that I have more experience under my belt it's really interesting to read your process and conclusion again as I have a different and expanded frame of reference myself. Again, thank you my friend.

All going well I'm going deer hunting tomorrow so after cleaning the rifle it's a dram of Port Charlotte HP with the aroma of gun oil still on my fingers. Mmmmm

Last night started workouts again, Pilates on Swiss ball, it kicks my fat ass but is great for core strength.

Had a tiny after supper dram of Port Charlotte 10 mk II. I've stretched this bottle for almost a year. It's bloomed so well. No lactic notes in this one, the peat is even a bit mild but the cask integration is magnificent. Im glad this is returning as a regular offering.

@Hewie - Be careful now!

@paddockjudge I read that other thread and would have gone in another direction, although the Nadurra came to my mind as well, for me that vatting was calling for some Benriach Herodotus Fumosus, Benriach Septendecim and , maybe, a bit of Laphroaig Lore and a bit of Lagavulin 12. Unfortunately, I don't have any Herodotus Fumosus left...

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

Tonight, while celebrating the (US) Thanksgiving Holiday at my brother-in-law's house;

Westland 5 year (3 Oct 2011) SMWS 133.1 "Speakeasy sneaky peeky" from a virgin oak barrel, heavy char.

Arran 17 year (20 April 2000) SMWS 121.100 "Pure indulgence" from a 1st-fill ex-red wine hogshead

Glenallachie 8 year (26 Aug 2008) SMWS 107.10 "A fortress of darkness" from a refill ex-sherry butt

Highland Park 13 year (12/04) 2nd-fill ex-Pedro Ximenez Sherry Hogshead Single Cask Nation Cask #76-294 bottles

Finished with a newly opened bottle, Caol Ila 6 year (27 April 2011) SMWS 53.241 "Dense smoke over a tarry deck" from a refill ex-bourbon hogshead. By far, the best dram of the night. We had several drams of this one! So darn good. Typical Caol Ila briny character with a perfect balance of peat and smoke. If I could only have one whisky, this is it.

@Robert99 yes that Herodotus Fumosus was quite nice, it was one of the drams you suggested during our visit to Burgundy Lion. I tried in vain to find a bottle afterwards.

It's such an interesting contrast to Islay peat.

2018 release Van Winkle 10, 12, 15, William Larue Weller, George T. Stagg, and Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye. Also Elmer T. Lee bourbon and 2005 12 yo Foursquare CS 59% Barbadian rum. This is the day after US Thanksgiving tasting (going on for almost 4 more hours as I write this) at which North Charles Fine Wine and Spirits near Baltimore pours out its entire Van Winkle and BTAC allocation free to its customers. My sister @Maddie and I arrived on time this time, which is to say, when they opened at 0800 hrs.

All three of the 2018 Van Winkles tasted are especially caramel-y and sweet. A great release year? Depends on your taste. As always the 15 yo is the pick of the litter.

The 2018 William Larue Weller seemed WNL (within normal limits). I wish I could have gotten a second taste of that release to have made the impression stronger. Will I buy one if offered? Sure, under $ 175.

2018 Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye seemed a bit wierd, something odd there. My first impression is that this was a lesser Handy. Further tastes and a lot of air time could change that impression, but that is where it left both @Maddie and me.

The big surprise was the 2018 George T. Stagg. Wow! That is the most easy drinking George T. Stagg I have ever encountered. You could wolf that stuff down, which is unheard of with George T. Stagg. What a fabulous bottle!!!

My sister liked that Foursquare rum enough to buy 2 bottles of it.

The evening prior to this tasting @Maddie opened up a bottle of 1792 Full Proof Bourbon. That one is satisfactorily intense, and with a fabulous nose.

@bwmccoy that Caol Ila sounds delicious and I love that it's a 6 year old too

@Hewie how was the hunt?

@cricklewood great to get out and about. Only saw one across the other side of a valley from me. Watched it through my scope for 30 min but all it showed was is head. 300 yards is a bit far for that shot for me. Just great to be out - will have to fill the freezer another day! Was even to tired for a whisky by the time I got home

I’m having a small pour of Glenfarclas 105. I have to take it easy because I’m throwing my wife a surprise 40th birthday party tomorrow. I can’t be hung over for that...This bottle of ‘farclas must have a hole in it; I’m down to the last 1/4...I’m thinking about breaking my moratorium on new purchases as I know where to get a Glenfarclas 15. I’d like to see if Ralfy’s review is off the mark. Other than my first “off” bottle of 12 Year, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every Farclas I’ve tried...

I’m now having an Old Fashioned made with last year’s Lot 40 CS 12 Year. It’s magnificent!

@Robert99, ah yes, different paths to the same destination. I too was limited by my inventory on hand, but more importantly, choosing Laphroaig 18, Macallan Cask Strength, and Glenlivet Nadurra 7/12 was determined by the cohesiveness of this trio, the way the three work together. Not every whisky lends itself to blending...like people, some don't play well with others.

A big thank you my friend for your kindness. My dwindling supply of Macallan Cask Strength has been bolstered because of your generosity....à la santé

@OdysseusUnbound, Blasphemer! you could have at least used this year's stellar, but lesser batch.

Sipping on a lovely batch of Gibson's Finest 18 YO Rare 2010. This gem was distilled, aged, and bottled a few miles up river from Canada's uncontested capitol of fun, Montréal. I'm sipping and contemplating the many beautiful things Montréal has to offer, perhaps the most perplexing is how the largest city in a Francophone nation can produce English language legends like Oscar Peterson, Leonard Cohen, and Arcade Fire....hmmm, think I'll pour another.

@paddockjudge Not to mention Mordecai Richler and Bill Shatner.