So, what are you drinking now?

@OdysseusUnbound I recently sampled the Portwood reserve during a one of the epic tastings hosted by @Nozinan and was quite impressed by it, whereas I've always been lukewarm about most Forty Creek whisky. I don't know what Campari is doing with FC lately but they certainly haven't given it the same reverence as they have to Wild Turkey.

Rainy afternoon and I am catching up on some TV shows and figured it's a good moment for a dram or two. Arran malt H2H the 14 yr old and the last of a 20 yr old Single sherry cask.I might have to switch gears after this, watching the Handmaid's Tale calls for something a bit stronger and darker to match the mood.

We went to my in-law’s for dinner for the first time in awhile. I got to sample from two bottles I sort of forgot I’d left there.

• Aultmore 12: not very popular here, but I thoroughly enjoy it. 100% ex-bourbon matured, 46% abv, natural colour, unchill-filtered, and it's gotten better with time. It’s been open 6 months, is about 2/3 full and it’s developed a nice nutty, barley flavour that complements the floral and citrus notes perfectly.

• Wiser’s Lanny McDonald Edition: this one has also gotten better with time, but that’s not saying much. I really want to like this whisky, but it’s not that impressive. It was downright harsh for the first month. Tons of astringent, acetone notes. It tasted like they forgot to add any “flavouring” whisky and bottled a young “base whisky” matured in fourth-fill casks. After 6 months of air time, there are some other grain notes coming through, clean cut oak, and some brown sugar notes reminiscent of an amber rum. It’s much better now, but still in the “just ok” bracket for me...

Switched gears and having a comparison of two triple-distilled whiskys.

-SMWS 51.12 A15 yr oild Bushmills from first fill bourbon barrel, sample courtesy of @talexander. Lovely nose, all jujubes, tropical fruit and a smidge of herbs, the palate was astringent and not as successful.

-Hazelburn 9 yr old Barolo cask matured. This one was also a contrast between nose and palate, a bit shier on the nose the palate was a ride, sharp, candied tropical fruit, almonds, lemon and parrafin.

A fun exercise but still no match to the bloody show. Perhaps I should switch what I am watching.

Most of you know that I am long time Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) member, but a little over a year and half ago, I was asked if I would be interested in taking on a Member Ambassador role here in the Seattle area. What that has meant up to this point is that I assist whoever the Society sends to town for tasting events. However, tomorrow night, I will hosting my first tasting on my own for 40 people. We will be doing a blind tasting of 6 Society single cask, cask strength whiskies as well as one single cask (non-whisky) spirit. @jordytropp has been nice enough to volunteer to assist me tomorrow night. In preparation for the event, my wife and I had @jordytropp and his wife over for dinner tonight. I asked @jordytropp to run through the line up blind in order to give me feedback on tasting order and my plans for the event tomorrow night. I'm glad I did. We rearranged the order that I was planning on presenting them in. I can't reveal what we tasted tonight, but all will be revealed tomorrow night. After tasting through the seven bottles for tomorrow night and after dinner, we had the following additional drams;

21 year Glenlossie single cask # 134 from the Classic Cask bottlers. Distilled 1992, bottled 2013, 46% ABV courtesy of @jordytropp

10 year Dailuaine (SMWS 41.106 - "MasterChef final") from an ex-bourbon refill barrel. Distilled Feb. 2007 also courtesy of @jordytropp

3 year (38 months) Copperworks Distilling (Seattle, WA) single cask release #16 - 100% French Oak cask. 58.9% ABV also courtesy of @jordytropp

Laphroaig SMWS 29.226 (18 year - Mar. 1999) - "Seaside surprise" - Refill ex-Oloroso sherry butt - 56.8% ABV

And we finished the night with a newly opened bottle that is one of the most interesting peated whiskies that I have tasted in a long time. Glenturret SMWS 16.33 (8 year - Dec. 2009) "Melville’s other monster" - Re-charred hogshead - 62.0% ABV. This is a heavily peated Highland whisky that was so amazing, we had to have a second glass just to make sure it was as good as we thought it was. It is!

Thanks to @jordytropp and his lovely wife for bringing over some amazing New York steaks and colossal scallops for me to grill (what a treat!). Thanks also for bringing your 3 bottles of whisky and for assisting me in preparation for tomorrow nights tasting.

@bwmccoy - What an exciting opportunity! best of luck with the tasting

My specific issue at work has yet to be resolved though it may well be come close of business tomorrow (hopefully in my favor)...in the meantime, I have poured myself a Jameson Black Barrel to start, and then will have Booker's Little Book Chapter 2.

Chateau de Montifaud L50 Cognac. For a few reasons.

First, I came back from my gig at Camp Erin Toronto. It’s my 7th year as a camp doc there. For those of you in the US I encourage you to check out and possibly support your local camp (pretty much every Major League Baseball team is affiliated) which helps children who have lost a caregiver or sibling. I thought it was becoming a little routine for me but it didn’t turn it that way. As usual (ironically) I found some new things to get out of it. And, best of all, the other 2 camp docs made me a boondoggle necklace and award as #1 doc ( apparently I worked very hard and made their lives easier), so that’s something to celebrate.

Also my friend returned from a jaunt to Europe with Swiss cheese, Swiss chocolate and the spirit shown below.

I think he wanted me to open one to try but for OBVIOUS reasons I could not. So I wanted to share something special with him.

The plan was to have Talisker 57N after because he asked me if he should get me one at the Warsaw airport DF but at $150 Canadian I passed, and I wanted him to taste it in case he wants to bring one home to the US. But he was too jet-lagged.

Back to charting now!

@RianC - Thank you! I love sharing my passion for whisky with others so this is a great way for me to do that.

Last night, @jordytropp and I hosted a blind tasting for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society at a local restaurant for 40 people. We tasted 6 single cask, cask strength scotch whiskies and 1 Society single cask, cask strength rum.

SMWS 59.56 (Teaninich) "Gardener's question time" 10 year (Feb 2008) from a refill ex-bourbon cask. 56.2% ABV. This would be perfect for sipping on the deck on a warm summer afternoon; rhubarb custard, peaches, white grape juice, apples and oranges. Big explosion of flavor, but also very light and refreshing.

SMWS 35.229 (Glen Moray) "Bountiful yet balanced" 10 year (March 2008) from a refill Oloroso puncheon. 64.2% ABV. Sultanas fruit, jam, wood spices, caramel, fruit chutney, black pepper, a soft liquorice note with some cocoa nibs in the finish.

SMWS 36.157 (Benrinnes) "Mad Wax: beyond thunderdram" 21 year (Aug 1997) from a refill ex-bourbon barrel. 60.6% ABV. Dried apricots, ripe orchard fruits, fermenting cider apples, banana bread, waxy honey, wood spice and aged mead. (Love the name of this one!)

SMWS 73.107 (Aultmore) "Cherry chocolate and chutney" 20 year (May 1998) finished for 2 years in a 1st fill Oloroso hogshead and spending the first 18 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead. Plum tarts, cloves, orange oils, fudge, Turkish delight, madeira cake and maple syrup. This one stood out and was one of the favorites of the night.

SMWS 66.146 (Ardmore) "Sensational, sweet, smoky 'noble rot'" 21 year (Oct 1997) from a refill ex-bourbon hogshead. 51.9% ABV. Melon, tangerine, vanilla, apricot, white peaches, ashy smoke, earthy and very salty. This was one of the most complex and interesting Ardmore's that I have ever tasted.

SMWS 53.281 (Caol Ila) "A day at the seaside" 11 year (Sep 2007) from a refill ex-bourbon hogshead. 60.1% ABV. Seaweed, vanilla, medicinal notes, smoke and ash. This was also very popular last night. I can't wait to do a head to head tasting of this and a 6 year Caol Ila that I have open right now. Will post the results when I do.

SMWS R6.1 (Foursquare - Barbados) "At the races" 14 year (Oct 2002) from a refill ex-bourbon barrel. 57.3% ABV. Moist hay, spiciness, lit cigar (lighter fluid and smoke), leather, sandalwood and earthy. It had a very mild funkiness. A balanced, easy drinking rum that was not too sweet. For someone who does not often drink rum, I found this to be very approachable with some whisky related notes, maybe some brandy notes as well.

Thanks to @jordytropp for all of his assistance with the tasting. I couldn't have done it without him.

My palate has been off the last couple of weeks. Finally, feeling better and decided to do a sample of spirits. This evening a sake, a single malt, and a rum.

Charting. The only Bourbon I have in my office is JD #7. It's "ok" / I suppose I might as well taste it a few times before reviewing it but it isn't helping my charting tonight.

@Nozinan Switch it up and add some ginger ale - Jack&Ginger! A reliable cocktail.

@fiddich1980 I only poured 15 cc and I don't want a long drink tonight (or most nights). I'm not one for mixing my whisky because for me it's all about the complexity of smell and taste, and I don't find adding other liquids helps with that.

That said, I have had some cocktails I have enjoyed in my past. So I'm not knocking them.

@Nozinan Looking forward to your review of JD #7.

@bwmccoy what an amazing night and lineup! As for SMWS 73.107 (Aultmore) ...you had me at Turkish delight...

I am victorious after having that work issue resolved -- so relieved, and I had to celebrate with a dram of Lagavulin 16. Will be celebrating more at the end of the week...

Sipping on some Port Askaig 14 year old which is reputedly an unpeated Bunnahabhain. Bottled at 45.8% and very tasty.

Charting.

Decided to try some cabinet management and a long-needed decanting of my Springbank 12 YO CS (opened Sept. 4 2017), and oops, 15 cc dripped into my glass.

Still charting and listening to the Jays come back with 5 runs in the 8th. I poured 15 cc from @odysseusUnbound's sample of PC Islay Barley. A very different kind of peat from the first dram.

I've been feeling crappy the last few days with a sore throat so it's a dram of Ardbeg 10 alongside a Moa IPA to anaesthetise my throat while I make homemade pizza for dinner

@archivist - glad to hear that your work situation has worked out in your favor. Yes, that Aultmore was wonderful. Like you, I’m excited any time I see Turkish Delight in the tasting notes! :-)

Tonight, before dinner, a couple of Gin & Tonics. The 1st one was made with Barr Hill Juniper & Honey Gin from Vermont. The 2nd one was made with Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin. My wife preferred the 1st, me the 2nd. (Both were made using Fever Tree Indian Tonic Water.)

Now, after dinner, having a head to head tasting of two Ardmore’s.

SMWS 66.146 "Sensational, sweet, smoky 'noble rot'" 21 year (Oct 1997) from a refill ex-bourbon hogshead. 51.9% ABV. Lemon furniture polish, vanilla, tangerine, light smoke, earthy and salty.

SMWS 66.123 (12 year - Mar. 6, 2006) "A strong personality" from a refill ex-bourbon hogshead - 57.3% ABV. Burnt heather, sweet spicy chilli, intense sweet peat smoke, salty liquorice, medicinal.

These two are completely different; subtle vs. in-your-face, light smoke vs. intense peat, etc. Both are very good in their own way, but if I had to pick one, I’d take the 12 year. It is more what I am looking for when grabbing an Ardmore.

@bwmccoy They sound great. I'm tossing up whether to buy a bottle of 'Aird Mhor' single cask from The Single Malts of Scotland. Bottled after 8 years in a cask that previously held Laphroaig. Tried anything like that before?

@bwmccoy 73.107, thoughts?

After my Canterbury Crusaders beat the Melbourne Rebels 66-0 tonight, celebrated with a 63.49, Into the dark of the abyss, quality young sherry monster. Following that up with the ever reliable Ardbeg Uigeadail

@bwmccoy Do you have photography experience? nice picture.

@Hewie - Thank you. No, I’ve never had the opportunity to try something aged in a cask that previously contained another whisky. Sounds very interesting!

@Tom92 - 73.107 is beautiful. It was probably the favorite of the tasting on Monday night. Exquisite nose and decadent mouthfeel. Balanced Sherry influence; pear chutney, walnuts and Madeira cake. I also thought it was a decently priced bottle for its age ($175 US).

@casualtorture - Thank you! I don’t have any formal training, just been doing amateur photography for a long time. Started off with film SLR cameras in the early 1980’s. Switched to digital SLR’s in 2000, but honestly, except for my travel photos, I now use my cell phone camera most of the time. For the picture above, I did use a light reflector disk to aide in the lighting, but it was shot on my iPhone in portrait mode.

@bwmccoy for a 20yo single cask cask strength Whisky, I think that's a very decent price. Aultmore under rated

@Tom92 - I agree with you completely!

A kaoliang, viz unaged sorghum spirit, which my neighbour brought me back after his month long trip back home to Beijing. This pink flourescent bottle was made in Sichuan province, and bottled at 50% ABV. I own two other bottles of kaoliang, both given to me as gifts in the past. One of them I like very much, the other I can tolerate, but do not really like. This new Sichuan kaoliang made me understand @hunggar's experience of kaoliang as "rot-gut"--the name historically derived from using barrels previously used to smuggle corpses for whiskey aging. The nose vied for worst nose I have ever smelled, being a fierce, aggressive, and acrid combination of rotting cantaloupe/musk melon and rotting tomatoes. The palate was no treat either, but was tolerable, barely, after and compared to the nose. I was so happy that my friend was not unhappy with me that I insist that I leave the rest of the bottle with him.

We also drank some Ballantine's Finest and then some Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength, batch 007. As @MadSingleMalt likes to point out, Laphroaig 10 CS can make just about anything and everything right.

I am going back for lunch today with my neighbour again. I am very excited at the prospect of actually finishing off that bottle of Ballantine's Finest which I have had for 8 years.

@Victor Was it as bad as Lambertus?

@bwmccoy Much of what you taste is spirit aged in casks that used to contain other whisky. Ex-bourbon casks are everywhere! And anything from a refill sherry cask fits as well.