So, what are you drinking now?

In honor of Burn’s Night, last night I had a dram of the best Scotch that I have open right now;

Bladnoch SMWS 50.56 (23 year - July 1990) ‘Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!’ - Refill ex-bourbon barrel - 60.3% ABV.

Nose: vanilla ice cream in the cone with Monkey blood (raspberry sauce), cinnamon toffee apples and varnished wood.

Taste: blackcurrant and Navy rum laced with chewy, ashy licorice.

Spectacular whisky!

@RikS, I've had some stunning batches of darkest and some terrible ones. It is true that when it's in the pocket it can be very good, the sherry and peat working in tandem.

@bwmccoy. Man every time you post about and SMWS whisky it sounds so good, the palate of this one sounds right up my alley.

Anyone want to split a SMWS membership with me?

@cricklewood - I’m not sure about the Canadian chapter membership, but the US is a pretty good deal. $99 first year, but they often run specials where that includes a $50 gift card toward your first order. Then it’s $70 / year renewal. There are no minimum purchase requirements or auto shipments, etc. If you want something, you order it. If not, you don’t.

@cricklewood ah that's interesting to know about the wide variation. I guess mine is a better one then, maybe not the best, but certainly goes down with a smile.

@bwmccoy. It's a not that much more expensive here membership without the intro kit is 125$ first year, the main issue for Canadians is that there is no direct ordering at the smws. You have to purchase from authorized retailers and for Canada there are only two based out of Alberta.

You can get them shipped but it makes buying one or two bottles at a time prohibitive. Easier to group purchases together with friends or club.

I think I might seriously pull the trigger in the near future though. I like the rhum and armagnac offers they have too.

@RikS, for some time perspective on Connosr reactions toward Bowmore 15 Darkest read my review:

connosr.com/bowmore-15-year-old-darkest-wh…

Aha! I see that you have already read and liked that review from times past.

@Victor @cricklewood @RikS

There was a time when Laimrig and 15 Darkest were $5 apart at the LCBO. Given my experience car with both, it is a no-brainer to forego the 15 Darkest.

@Victor great piece. Ralfy is always harking on about integrity bottling. I suppose equally we should be integrity drinkers and stand by our impresions... As I entered into this world of whisky I quickly realised that some brands were 'untouchable' like springbank, whereas people loved to hate others like Bowmore. I confess it has tainted me too and created some prejudice. So, that said Ive been pleased with the help to find my way to the very priceworthy JW green... And, I still have a problem with the table-salt someone must have poured onto my kilkerran 12

@Nozinan here they are not comparable. Laimrig is 55% vs 43% and if still available here, about 50% more expensive.

@RikS the last time Laimrig was available I paid about $25 more. It was worth it.

I have bought excellent whiskies at high proof for under $30 Canadian (OGD114) or under $95 IN Canada (Tempest 5,

@Nozinan thank you. If I spot it at a good price, I'll grab one! Much appreciated.

@Nozinan, once upon a time when Tempest was 75$, Devil's cask 99$ and Laimrig about 100$. Those were the days....makes me wish I had stocked up more. I have one tempest left and I gave my last Devil's cask to my brother as a gift. Only ever snagged one Laimrig and it's long gone.

@RikS, good subject integrity in your taste is important. It's too easy to be swayed by the status quo. It's good to stick with one's tastebuds it's the only metric that counts.

BTW the Laimrig of you can find at a decent price is totally worth it. Oozing dank sherry, dried fruits and peat, like a type of barrel aged plum sauce.

Currently sipping some Tomatin 12. This one has gotten better with time and air exposure. Lots of rich, raisiny notes and some nice coconut on the finish.

@Nozinan I noticed part of my post was cut off.

I was comparing a 95 dollar 15 at 40 or 43% chill filtered and coloured with the Laimrig at $110 or $120. No brainer.

My cousin’s wedding. One of the guests from out of town is a Scotch afficionado.

I correctly predicted that the bar would have little to offer ( the Canada Dry club sofa was good). Luckily I prepared a few sample bottles for us. After the ceremony and before dinner I poured some Deanston 10 yo CS PX and after the soup I poured some Bowmore Tempest V. Both were at the top of their respective games.

Tonight, Highland Park 13 year (Dec. 2004) "Stones of Stenness" from Single Cask Nation - 2nd fill ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry hogshead - 57.4% ABV

I finally sat down to watch Outlaw King, the Robert the Bruce movie on Netflix. A brutal and stirring account of the man and the times. It goes without saying that some whisky was needed to accompany the movie. Kilkerran 12 according to @RianC "like licking a lathe that's had lemons smeared on it", Kilkerran WIP7 CS bourbon wood (vanilla custard on pebbles at the beach), Springbank 12 CS (as close to sampling in a dunnage warehouse as you can get at home), Ardbeg 10 (citrus and smoke). And the movie was good too.

@Hewie - Maybe I'll give it a watch then. I'd imagined a Braveheart style 'the English are all effete, bad eggs and the Scots, well, you get the idea . . . ;)

Finishing the last of the Springbank 18 sample. I stand by my review in that it's nice but perhaps not worth the extra £££ considering what else they produce for less.

Last night, Glentauchers SMWS 63.46 (10 year - Dec 6th, 2007) "A walk in the park" - Refill ex-bourbon barrel - 59.4% ABV.

Followed by Ardmore SMWS 66.123 (12 year - Mar. 6, 2006) "A strong personality" from a refill ex-bourbon hogshead - 57.3%

@RianC hmmm I hadn't considered the movie from the English point of view......it probably is as you fear - watch at your own risk (and with plenty of whisky)

@Hewie - I was only teasing but it is quite amusing how the English baddies are usually portrayed in such films. Anyway, Braveheart gets what's coming to him I think it was Eddie Izzard that made a gag about this referencing how all the chaps on the Death Star in Star Wars are all English toffs

Tried a sample I wasn't fond of. "Cleansing" my palate with Corryvreckan.

I believe in the old days they used to use ash to clean things, right?

@Nozinan - Isn't teeth cleaning with charcoal a new fad? Not quite ash, but still.

@Nozinan my mother tells me they used to use ash to clean their teeth when they were kids.

I also recently learned the epidemy of beauty of Japan was to blacken your teeth, this practice ceased once the country become more Westernised. So Corry as a palate cleaner... Yes

Benromach single cask. 2009-2017 59.4%abv from a bourbon barrel, with some 85% chocolate.

Toffee, burlap sack, lemons, dried apricot, shoe polish, linseed oil and ashy peat.

I wasn't crazy about this bottle when I first got it but I'm enjoying it a lot tonight.

@cricklewood - That sounds lovely, shoe polish n all! I'd say Benromach exhibits some of that there 'funk' at times.

@RianC it does certainly have a funky edge, kind of old school, somewhat Springbank-esque.

I really wanted to try their triple distilled release from last year but no bottles made it here.

Hazelbenromach