So, what are you drinking now?

Sipping some more Wiser’s Seasoned Oak. It’s already better after a week. It’s much more open. There are dates and raisins along side the brown sugar on the nose, which has developed a bit more low end, though not quite as much as I’d like. I’m going to take my time with this whisky as I feel time and air will improve it further.

To reward myself for surviving a bad traffic jam and getting home in one piece: 291 Distillery Single Barrel Colorado Rye, and then moving onto some good 'ol Ardbeg Uigeadail

Tonight I wanted something CS to sit with me as I work.

I was drawn to the Cadenhead 11 YO Linkwood I got on @Bluenote's recommendation. I haven't tasted it since the Epic Tasting in February. Without other whiskies to affect my palate, I'm really enjoying both the nose and taste on this one. Review to come (eventually...).

Glad to hear you are enjoying it @Nozinan. Look forward to your review.

Have mixed some Quinta Ruben and Benromach Peat Smoke 1:1. I'm sat here sniffing it and my conclusion is that the peated is massively improved by the addition of wine cask influence. I also feel a heartburn attack coming on so it will be one little sip then all placed in a mini bottle for another day . . . sigh!

edit - damn it, it tastes good too!

I had a few pours of Wiser’s Seasoned Oak last night. I don’t know if it’s opening up with time or if it’s my palate getting it now, but it’s very moreish. I tried a @paddockjudge -esque blending experiment; I mixed 3 parts Seasoned Oak with 1 part Lot 40 Cask Strength 11 Year, and the Lot 40 just dominated the blend. The next time I try this, I will measure out a 30ml pour of SO and add a teaspoon (5ml) of Lot 40 to see if I can create an actual blend where the components interact rather than having one whisky get lost in the shuffle.

@OdysseusUnbound TOO MUCH RYE. A ratio of 15:1 would have given you a better experience. Union 52 had approximately one ounce of 52 YO Speyside whisky per 750 ml bottle, 25:1. Start small and work your way up there may already be rye in the original bottling.

Glenmorangie quinta ruban. Bottle opened for almost a year and about 1/4 left. Different than I recall it and haven't revisited in quite a long time. Less sweet, slightly astringent, semi-drying but the finish has become longer and more warming... This was one of the bridge whiskys that got me from 'floral' into 'sweet' (I think that's a reasonably fair way of expressing it), but I believe that I have since developed more of a further sweet tooth and not sure if the port finish did it for me. Today that is...

And yes, I still want to get my hands on an Amrut port pipe at some stage....

@RikS - I've almost polished off my Quinta Ruben after about six months and I've been very impressed with it. Yes it is sweet, and I've only drank it when I'm in that mood, but it does what it does very well. Not too sickly or syrupy at all and I agree that there's a dryness, and some spice with it, that brings balance.

I think it was @madsinglemalt that said it was one of the unsung heroes of the modern whisky landscape.

No heartburn (yet!) and I'm feeling less exhausted today so hoping to sit back and enjoy a few drams this evening after a Moretti beer and home-made pork loin schnitzel dinner.

Just having a JW Black. Now it's been open a fortnight or so I'm convinced it's more peaty than previous bottles (although it well mellow I'm sure). I'm not complaining either! Yes the finish is short and a tad on the grainy side but the nose is, as ever, to die for.

Also on the menu is last night's Benromach peated/Quinta Ruben concoction (that's had 24 hours to blend) and then some Power's 12. If still awake after those I may finish off with a Booker's!

@RianC And I was also sitting here pondering if / what dram I might indulge in. Maybe a Glenfarclas 15 for something sweet... or the Port Charlotte 10 of the other night with a drop of water to open it up a little more... or maybe crack open the Lagavulin 12 that's been sitting here now for a few weeks...

...and then a thought passed through my mind: there is nothing like Lagavulin!

Now, whilst it may sound like it; I don't mean that in the appreciative sense. There are plenty expressions I like as much as, if not more than, a Lagavulin. Au contraire, I mean it in the literal sense. There is not - or I should say, is there - as I'm inviting observations and corrections, anything like Lagavulin!?

I can think of many similar Oloroso or PX expressions... and smoky ones with more or less pronounced similarities. But I am rather struggling to think of another expression that's as 'medicinally-bandaid-ish-tcp infused' like the Laga. Can you? Maybe... elements of the Laphroaig, yet I find them quite different.

So, what would be the nearest expression to a Lagavulin?

@RikS I enjoyed my uncle's Quinta Ruban.

Then I tasted Portonova

Quinta Ruban was never the same again....

@Nozinan sounds like a'bunadh and intermediate sherry, in my case.

@RikS I remember your posting that you had bought Intermediate Sherry, but I don't ever remember reading you comment on what you thought of it.

@RikS My experience with A'Bunadh and IS is a little different. I first tried IS at my Brother-In-Law's and it was fantastic. I opened my bottle a few months later t a tasting and was not impressed. Why? We tasted it AFTER A'Bunadh.

Now I am not on to suggest that IS is not as good as A'Bunadh. it is fantastic, but I think my palate was spoiled. Returning to the IS on its own a few days later restored it in my esteem. Since that time I don't think IS has been anything but a first or only dram for me.

I tried a different batch in Calgary last couple of years, again with my BIL. I'm happy to say it remains an excellent expression.

Glen Garioch 1995 matured in 1st fill bourbon barrels at ABV 55.3. Freshly opened bottle: nose; timid honey, yellow sugar, barley sugar, smoke Taste; Heather, honey, vanilla, pear, Apple, coconut, spice, chocolate, watery mouth feel Finish; short, black pepper smoke, honey,

Add water let it sit, let it breathe, patience ....

Then .... almost unrecognizable ....every aspect gets amped up, richer, and intensifies. Nose; More foral, lilac, Heather Taste: more honey, tropical fruits(fruit bomb), denser mouth feel, corn syrup, cereal oatmeal, ripe banana, over ripe Bartlett pear, chocolate, green twigs Finish; still short, less pepper, more honey, vanilla, sweeter peppers, smoke

Intial thoughts: A Bruce Wayne, Neat / Batman with H2O

I'm follow this up with a Hibiki 21. My nephew left the bottle in my possession. He has been hiding out at home with his first child - it a boy.

Started off with Auchentoshan SMWS 5.69 (17 year - October 2000) "Triple whammy!". After 13 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, finished in a 1st-fill Pedro Ximenez hogshead - 58.1% ABV

Finishing the night with Ardmore SMWS 66.123 (12 year - Mar. 6, 2006) "A strong personality" from a refill ex-bourbon hogshead - 57.3% ABV

@RianC, you got me: It's not my favorite whisky by any measure, but I've often called Glenmo Quinta Ruben the best $38 you can spend on whisky!

@Victor You are right, I should contribute a few thoughts about it actually. Makes me regret now that I squeezed out the last drops of A'bunadh a few weeks ago, cause it would have been nice to do a head to head comparison.

In short, I think the IS pretty outstanding. My main takeaway is the surprise of always having found the A'bunadh being too hot neat, whereas with the IS I can enjoy it without water. Mostly, however, I do add a few drops; if not to calm the heat, just to open up the flavour profile a little more for my own enjoyment. I also find that the IS has a nicer texture. Slightly thicker viscosity, without becoming sweet syrup. Overall, I find that the IS has a great balance to it - the interplay with the base distillate, the sherry and bourbon cask interaction, the texture, the ABV just works as an ensamble with neither component 'spiking' and calling for all the attention.

In fact, I have never really fallen in love with the A'Bunadh. Yes, it's a very pleasant expression there is no doubt - but I have always wondered to myself if it's really as good as the credit it gets on its 'own merit' (thinking here of @paddockjudge and his emphatic position that any expression should be judged on its own, without taking price etc. into account), or whether the accolades were driven by the fact that it (used to be) a very nice dram... at cask strength... with a pretty uniquely powerful sherry influence... presented in a beautiful bottle... and all that at only £49.

My gut - and happy to get some flack here - tells me that it is so, and that this is evidenced by the fact that sales of it have fallen sharply after the price hike (confirmed by friends who sell it) and the fact that it is now coming back very regularly on 'offer' with the price dropped from £89 to around £59 in the UK. Yup, apologies for the blasphemy

@RikS thank you very much for your nice considered reflections on A'bunadh and on Amrut Intermediate Sherry Matured Malt.

Don't forget that the batches of Aberlour A'bunadh do vary a good bit. Some are clearly superior to others. I like the very best batches of A'bunadh almost as much as I like the two batches of Amrut Intermediate Sherry Matured Single Malt with which I am well acquainted. I like the the average batch of A'bunadh clearly and decisively less than I like Intermediate Sherry. That said, I like A'bunadh a lot, in general, mostly because I like the intensity. What has not been said, and I will say it now is this, the quality of the base malts is also a factor of importance in the overall quality of these products. I much prefer the Amrut base malt to the Aberlour base malt. Sure, sure, the base malt is totally eclipsed by the heavy sherry which is what grabs your gonads and squeezes. Still, the malt is there, subtly, and I think that it is a factor in the superiority of Intermediate Sherry over A'bunadh. .

A'bunadh is not currently priced here and in many other places as well as it is in England. .It went from $ 70 here 5 years ago to $ 150 here 2 years ago, and has now retreated to $ 107 here, all in the same stores. I do think that the market is becoming saturated now with whisky of all sorts, and that there is for the first time in 10 years some downward price pressure. It's a good thing.

(N.B.the current slight 'downward price pressure' applies only to free markets, e.g. not the LCBO)

@RikS It’s not just you; I’m not over the moon for A’Bunadh. The ones I’ve tried (Batches 53, 58, 59) have been very good, but I prefer Glenfarclas 105. Just an individual preference.

@RikS A'Bunadh was my first WOW whisky. I tasted it early in my whisky journey and I will always have a place for it in my cabinet.

Are current batches less than optimal? I can't really say, as with one exception I've only tasted from batch numbers equal to or less than my age. I've stopped hoarding every batch for a long time now because my tastes have broadened, and I have enough bottles of older batches to last about 3 decades or more based on current consumption patterns.

You know how sometimes we let an old person hang on to certain fantasies or beliefs because they are harmless and he/she is likely to die before the truth is revealed? That's me and A'Bunadh...

@OdysseusUnbound Interesting. I have only tried the 10 YO Glenfarclas 105, and found it a bit hot, and prefer most A'Bunadhs.

I would like to try the 105 NAS and I thank you for the sample which I intend to try sometime as soon as possible.

As to price, @Victor, what you describe is crazy.

I was upset when the LCBO price went from $95 to $100 here. At the time the average price in Calgary was about $80. All Canadian. A couple of years ago the price in Calgary went to $120, and the price here hasn't budged.

I don't understand A'Bunadh pricing at all.

Last night my wife’s grandfather celebrated his 88th birthday. Most of the family gathered at his place and I shared a few drams with Jack (my wife’s grandfather).

• Glenfiddich 15 Solera: this whisky has a fantastic nose. Dates, cinnamon, walnuts. The palate is a bit of a let-down, though. It’s pleasant enough, but doesn’t live up to the promise of the nose. The finish is shorter than expected. All in all, a pleasant enough dram but I’m not sure I want to buy a bottle. I wouldn’t rule it out though.

• Glendronach 12: this is Jack’s staple malt and it’s always good. This bottle was freshly opened last night and it was a particularly good one. I checked the date and it was bottled in 2017. The nuttiness was more prominent than usual and balanced out all the dates and red fruits I always find in ‘dronach 12. Lovely.

• Arran 10: I had this at home after the party. I’m really enjoying this one. The interplay of tropical fruits (pineapple, mangoes) with vanilla, Oak, and a bit of orchard fruit (apples and pears) is terrific. The texture is very creamy. A winner all-around.

@RikS, thank you for stating my position clearly and succinctly.

When it comes to A'Bunadh and Glenfarclas the biggest obstacle I find affecting overall quality is sulfur. I find sulfur present in Glenfarclas more often than not, this includes NAS 105 as well as 10YO 105. The last A'Bunadh I tasted also had some hints of sulfur, Batch #59. I would be delighted to pay $150 CDN for a bottle of A'Bunadh if it ticked all the boxes and put a smile on my face, otherwise it is just another whisky for which I have little respect and would not be inclined to purchase, regardless of the price. There is one exception. I would be willing to purchase a discounted whisky, for which I do not consider to be of good quality, if it was intended for someone else, who actually enjoys it, as a gift or as a favour. Even then I would be hard pressed to execute that transaction. PRICE DOESN'T CHANGE THE TASTE!

@paddockjudge price doesn’t change the taste. However, it does change your willingness to purchase.

I would not pay $150 for any A’Bunadh batch I have tasted. For $150 it has to be really good for me to justify the purchase. That goes for any whisky. Unless it is a bottle I know someone else likes and it is a special gift.

@OdysseusUnbound are you sure it was the batch of glendronach 12 that was exceptional, or was it the circumstance in which you tasted it?

@Nozinan It may have been a bit of both, but I’ve found Glendronach 12 to be the most consistently enjoyable entry level sherried malt. Even the weakest batches have been at least 84 point whiskies for me, whereas I’ve tasted some I would rate 89-90 points. I’ve also not tasted any sulphur in any Glendronach 12, although I’ve heard some batches of the 18 and 21 are sulphured.

@OdysseusUnbound Glenfiddich? The one you want is the 15 yo DE. Not easy to find, and a short finish, nonetheless very very worthy.

And on Glenfarclas 105, I have not been very impressed by it, but I do entertain the comment that others have made that it gets much better with air time. I haven't had the opportunity to observe that yet, so I leave open the hope that I may one day become a fan of Glenfarclas 105. If that day never comes, we still have the 15 yo, and the 40 yo, if you want to spend $ 800. It remains extremely mysterious to me how the Glenfarclas 15 yo manages to be so much better than the 12 yo, the 17 yo and even the 21 yo.

Apples to apples demands separating price paid from quality and desirability evaluation. This is an international club with all sorts of different prices being paid. Value for money opinions render a review of very little value to those looking for an unvarnished description of the whisky's merits based on an absolute scale. When anyone starts talking value for money as a basis for evaluating the whisky, then I don't want to read any further. If a reviewer shows a pattern of scoring on value for money, then I don't want to read that reviewer, and do not trust his or her reviews. Sure, a supplemental comment at the end of a review, with the specific price paid for the whisky, or elsewhere on a discussion on value for money, is additional useful information.

@Victor Having had both the 105 and 3 different batches of A'bunadh, I would take all 3 batches of the Aberlour over the 105. I love Glenfarclas but Aberlour has the better high proof option.

@casualtorture thank you for sharing your experience. So far that has been my experience too.

Now, Glendronach Cask Strength, I love that one too, but it tends to be expensive around here, and not too easy to find.

Amrut Intermediate Sherry Matured Single Malt remains my hands down favourite in the "sherry bomb" category, with no close currently available second. The old Macallan Cask Strength and Glendronach Cask Strength would be my next favourites. That Mac CS gets to be a fragrant beast with a lot of air time...then it gets really really good. Can't get it now in the stores, though, except at Glenfarclas 40 yo prices. .