So, what are you drinking now?

@MadSingleMalt ok good to know, I don't think there was a lot of intel on batch numbers back then, all I know is there was some tan label 100 proofs that were released for the American market and those are at 50% abv, not 57%.

BTW did you see what should be released sooner than later, Kilkerran Heavily Peated, I think it is fairly young so about 4 yrs old, perhaps they will work their way up like in the WIP series.

I've heard some good comments about this Kilkerran HP, some folks in Calgary we're able to get a taste from the Springbank rep.

Amrut Naaragi, 50% ABV, Day 2 of the bottle open. This nose is righteously intense now. The palate is bone dry orange-sherry. There is much sour and bitter in this orange rind influence and there is very little sweet in this whisky. This is a very engaging bottle. I might have to get 1 or 2 more of these, while they are still available.

@cricklewood, I'd love to continue trading thoughts & tidbits about the Springbank 100 Proofs, but—OH DEAR GOD—your news about the Kilkerran Heavily Peated just arrested every train of thought in my unprepared brain.

@MadSingleMalt @cricklewood I completely agree! Kilkerran HP - how have we not heard about this? And at cask strength too!

Thought that would get some of you hot under the collar

There's been rumblings here and there, I think they previewed it during the Campbelltown festival last year.

@MadSingleMalt, check the Malt Review website, they are big Kilkerran proponents, just don't cry when you see some of the exclusive bottles that were available for either distillery open days for bottled by Cadenhead. FOMO of the worst sort.

Just sat down with a Laga 16. @OdysseusUnbound's review has got my saliva flowing

I have an open bottle of HP 12 (the older dumpy style) that I've been chipping away at. It's OK but by far the worst HP 12 I've had. It has a distinct alcoholic nip (at 40%) that has softened a bit with air but still not great. I may have a pour after as it's less noticeable if it's not my first one.

Quite miffed I opened it now as I may have made a slight £ return a few years down the line. Maybe.

It was bound to happen, so today I picked up a Lot 40. Salut to my Canadian friends. First impressions - interesting. Sort of evolves in the glass sip by sip. Curious sweetness to it. Quite nice viscosity. I bet this will go down well with gravad lax, it's rich on dill! Not bad for a just opened bottle, but I do wish they would have brought the CS to UK shores cause I can see how it would have done well with a higher ABV driving the flavours a bit harder.

@RikS, the standard Corby's Lot No 40 has good flavour... and you are correct about the CS version, it is jacked up big time, a flavour explosion.

@cricklewood, I believe this is the page you meant for me to drool all over, right?

Done.

malt-review.com/tag/kilkerran/

@paddockjudge That's what I keep hearing. But for some reason, that explosion hasn't found its way to Europe! (But, it's so loud that we can hear it all the way from Canada).

I'm about to unwind with a large pour of soothing Quinta Ruben while pondering how I've had to teach kids today that 2 x 3 + 4 x 5 = 26 and not 50. Do brackets not exist in maths anymore? In other words I've been schooled by the kids

I’m having some Weller Antique 107. I liked this one right off the hop, and it’s gotten even better with time and air. Glad I have two bottles in the bunker, and I will try to get some more. Easy drinking, sweet, rich, and lip-smacking. I don’t feel so bad about my BTAC strike-out. (I refuse to acknowledge Stagg Jr as part of the “lottery”).

A tiny dram of Little Book II, provided by @Nozinan.

Nose: Canadian Ozone, bread proofing yeast, orange with strawberry. Banana bread pudding, Thompson raisins, Hockey card bubble gum.

Palate: up front alcohol heat drying with a fading yellow sugar, Cola cubes. Then a surge of white baking spices (baking soda, cardamom, ground allspice, cream of tartar, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, black pepper, vanilla). The lingering flavour of orange pith and orange oil zest provide a tongue coating mouth feel on the exit.

Finish: long with black pepper, a touch of smoke, evolving into tart unripe strawberry, leaving a lingering floral vanilla sweetness

Overall, a well executed complementary blending of Canadian and American components. It smells like and old school Canadian rye but, tastes like a complex high rye American bourbon. There is a temptation to mix with Coke for those who dis-like complexity in their whisky.

@fiddich1980 Just Keep it away from the Gingerale...

@fiddich1980, Little Book II does well with a splash of water.

Birthday dram;

Miltonduff SMWS 72.31 (29 year - Dec. 1983) "Something Old, Something New" - Refill Hogshead ex-Bourbon - 48.3% ABV

Only the second dram from this bottle that was opened last Friday. Amazing whisky!

@bwmccoy - Happy Birthday

@bwmccoy a Very Happy Birthday to you!

@bwmccoy and many, many more happy birthdays to come!

Because we're all die-hard romantics, my whisky club switched to red wine this month in honor of Valentine's Day.

Kinda: A cask strength Kilchoman single cask, from a red wine cask, bottled for K&L in 2017.

A surprisingly shy nose, but the palate was just bursting with a broad spectrum of sweet & dark flavors, all slathered over a delicious bed of peat.

Alongside it, we tried a couple of Longrow Reds, too: the 13-year Malbec and the 11-year Shiraz. All tasty! My favorite was the super-fresh Malbec.

I might be busy tomorrow, so I'm trying a bit of each of three "mystery samples" provided by @fiddich1980 . I won't comment too much on the flavours or aromas, as I don't want to give anything away. The first one up is "Exclamation Mark"

@OdysseusUnbound The Exclamation is a bonus sample which you were the only recipient. However, I'm pretty you'll really enjoy it. It is definitely, a vatted malt.

@fiddich1980 So did everyone get "button", "star" and "blank"? BTW, I did enjoy "Exclamation Mark". If no one else got it, maybe I can post my notes and guesses somewhere.....????

I'm nosing "Button" now.

@OdysseusUnbound The answer to your question is yes. If you want to comment on "Exclamation Mark", use your Blind Tasting Thread.

@fiddich1980, We need to coordinate our blind review postings. Sunday morning?...afternoon? Hopefully @Robert99 will see this message.

@RianC @Victor @Nozinan @paddockjudge - Thank you all for your birthday wishes! I really appreciate it.

@Hewie - thank you for the Chocolate Guinness cake recipe. My sweet wife made it for my birthday. Love it! With 17 tablespoons of butter, you know it’s going to be good. :-)

Tonight, thankfully killed off my wife’s bottle of Talisker Skye. Now I can open a bottle of real whisky. :-)

Last night, I opened a bottle that I purchased with the gift card that my Mother-in-law gave me for Christmas.

Croftengea SMWS 122.23 (7 year - Feb. 11th, 2011) "Highly a-musing" from a second-fill ex-bourbon hogshead - 57.7% ABV.

This is a peated expression from the Loch Lomond Distillery. I’ve only ever tasted one other Croftengea, so wasn’t sure what to expect. It exceeded all of my expectations. If I had tasted it blind, I would have assumed that it was an Islay whisky. The peat is much more Islay-like than what I would expect from a Highland peat. I was thinking it would have been more Ardmore-like.

Society tasting notes; The nose had the sweet smokiness of honey-cured bacon and curried smoked salmon cubes, followed by liquorice and the light medicinal smell of muscle rub. On the palate a ferocious attack of sweet perfumed smoke but, taking into account the age, all fairly well balanced and quite satisfying in a mysterious way.

Croftengea is the new Ledaig, which was the new Ardbeg.

After shoveling snow off of my roof yesterday, last night, I finished off the Yamazaki 12 that @jordytropp gave me. Thanks again @jordytropp!

Also, had a dram of Ardmore SMWS 66.123 (12 year - Mar. 6, 2006) "A strong personality" from a refill ex-bourbon hogshead - 57.3% ABV

@MadSingleMalt - I must've been under a rock but hadn't heard of it until I just read @bwmccoy 's post!