So, what are you drinking now?

At the moment i have a couple of bottles open, the first being Ardbeg Blasda, which i find to be a light and almost fluffy version of other Ardbegs, which is by no means a bad thing! I'm also varying between my Macallan Fine Oak Masters Edition, and Compass Box Spice Tree. A little variety at the moment!

A Hart Bros. Springbank 11yo. Port Wood 46% abv. just a taste, as I decanted most into large glass (as I do).

Never have I seen a Whisky with this amount of sediment! It covered the bottom of the bottle in a white blanket. I have seen heavy sediment in a couple of Aussie. Vintage Rums but nothing that even approaches this Springbank.

It spent 4 or 5 years 'out the back' at my local and my initial impression is that it is very good with wild honey and some subtle licorice notes everywhere but oh boy! does it cloud up with a couple of drops of pure rain. The finish is crisp and lovely in a delightful old-fashioned way with citrus bight...more later.

Just polished off the last off my Karuizawa 8yo sample. Three time points down (yep, I get three reviews out of a 5cl sample) so that will be coming soon to a Connosr review near you - with some Japanese friends to follow.

@systemdown Looking forward to them my friend!!

Right now I'm drinking Auchentoshan Three Wood. Review tomorrow morning when I wake up!

Nikka All Malt and Nikka From the Barrel. Former is easy drinking but quality stuff for the price. The latter is simply amazing, packed with flavour, and some quality grain in there for sure. Real after-work stuff. I'm really getting into these Nikka whiskies, anyone tried the older Yoichi or Miyagikyo single malts? Unfortunately a bit pricey for me at the moment... :(

@dannyboy I'm looking forward to trying the Nikka From The Barrel expression, I've heard nothing but great things about it. As for older Yoichi or Miyagikyo - how old are we talking? I've tried the 10yo expressions of both recently and I can say that for me, Yoichi is the clear favourite although both employ very sophisticated peat use which marries so well with the fragrant oak notes. I'll be posting a review of the Yoichi 10 in a couple of weeks. I think it's going to score highly indeed.

@systemdown Basically anything with an age on it! I recently picked up a bottle each of the Miyagikyo and Yoichi no age statements, which cost about the same as Nikka From the Barrel (in Japan, anyway :P). Again very quality whisky for the price. I find the flavours in the Nikka malts quite hard to pin down, they're quite unlike anything I've tried before. A kind of thick floral/herbal sweetness... Look forward to reading your review! I've also heard nothing but praise for the 12 and 15 years, but these Nikka malts seem to appreciate in value exponentially with age! Maybe I'll try a Yoichi 10 when I next get a chance :)

@dannyboy Oh, right! I haven't seen any NAS bottlings of those over here. I know what you mean RE: floral / herbal sweetness, I will probably make some references to this in my review/s. One thing is for sure, you really do have to spend some quality time with these whiskies to tease them apart and understand them, but it's very rewarding and enjoyable to do so! The word "sophistication" comes to mind. I hope to try many more Yoichis in future (well, as far as the wallet will allow).

My first dram of Rowan's Creek. This might be a dangerous bourbon. It's 50% ABV, but seems closer to 40.

Getting ready for the second half of Chelsea vs Bayern Munchen. What's a neutral American to drink? Evan Williams BIB.

Elijah Craig Single Barrel 18 Years. Somehow I have been warming to bourbons a lot in the past few weeks. This Bourbon really is something special, especially after adding a drop of water. Glad I picked it up on impulse! :P

I'm waiting for the eclipse of the sun drinking a nice Arran malt, a single cask, sherried. Cask strength and lovely.

I hope the 4 hour photograph I am making of the eclipse doesn't catch my camera on fire. :)

@RobertH - Would love to see some of photography of the Eclipse. It's cloudy and rainy here, so no hope of seeing it.

@bwmccoy The moon is just passing now. It was fabulous. I'm sure Facebook will be inundated by image of the eclipse.

It's hard to grasp as real it's so strange.

Right at ground zero here.

Clynelish 14!

Had a few close friends over last night everyone brought a bottle over, Started with Jura 10 yr, Better than I thought it would be. Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or don't think I would spend my hard earned cash on this one preferred their Port finished one more. Finished off with the Talisker 10 not quite how I remember it at the restaurant, less of a leather taste but very smooth and drinkable.

Enjoying another nice Aberlour A'bunadh...batch#22...sherry..sherry..sherry...

I had Arran 10 yo first today and then revisited Buffalo Trace bourbon, which is mellowing out and is getting a bit better. I wonder if I leave it for another couple of months will I enjoy it...

@Max: I think it depends on which version you have. The 40% abv. is, in my opinion, a very ordinary Whiskey, on the other hand the 45% abv. version is splendid - If you have the 45% B/T. it is well worth some time. I find that decanting all Whiskies into a decanter with a large air space allows them to breathe and to mellow in a much more controlled enviroment - I'm more comfortable with a ground glass stopper (but that's just me).

Cheers and Good Luck!

After a brisk walk in the rain with the hounds I needed something to furl my jib so I reached for the ever robust Aberlour A'bunadh. Now I lay supine, dram in hand, gazing out across the thickly treed landscape watching thick droplets pelt the evergreens. We call this place "The Treehouse."

Arran 12 Year Cask Strength. My first Arran Malt? I'm liking it, although it doesn't really "stand out" in any particular way. Anyone have any thoughts on this one compared to the other Arrans?

@dannyboy I have had the isle of Arran sgl malt 10yo which I quite enjoyed I would say it a good standard single malt. I have also tasted the Arran Amarone cask finish which I can't say I enjoyed as much then again I was drinking it while trying to get audio gear working. Not the best way to enjoy a whisky.

Just opened a Springbank 12 Claret Wood. A wonderfully fruity, creamy dessert dram. The wine finish is perfect (as I tend to strongly dislike wine finishes)..

Wonderful Glenfarclas 15 and Springbank 12 CS. Might finish the night with either a Spice Tree or Laphroaig QC, haven't decided yet.

Abraham Bowman 10 yo Rye, 90 proof, the Virginia state ABC also-ran version of my favourite bottle of (private barrel) whiskey. The nose has gotten very good with some oxidation, but the palate is still a little dull compared to the really good rye whiskeys. Still, an enjoyable experience.

I am revisting Forty Creek Barrel Select. I've suspended judgment on this one for many moons, waiting to see whether the Sulphur reported by Jim Murray and my hard-ass local whisky buddy @JeffC shows up. I've liked this one from the beginning and for months tasted no sulphur. Now, approximately a year later, I do taste a little bit of sulphur on the finish of this whisky. And it does bother me, though it really did not bother me until now. If I went through a bottle within a few months it wouldn't really have mattered, but I don't, because of the 150 bottles I now have open. Pity, since this one has amazingly intense flavours, especially for a Canadian product. Forty Creek uses new wood, I believe. That is more than enough to explain the very strong flavours. That and plenty of that wonderful grain, rye. I do still like it, despite this clear flaw. What do you do with a very strongly flavoured whisky with a bit of a flaw? On a hunch I tried something I very rarely do, and added some ice. As suspected, it is quite a good way to go with Forty Creek Barrel Select.

@Victor, I've been staring at my bottle for a few weeks now whether to toss it or not. I will give it one last try this evening and render my final judgement.

@RobertH, that is a really tough decision to make. Who has enough time in life to drink the 'less-thans' when you have lots and lots of really great bottles available? Why watch your best open bottles risk deteriouration by deferring drinking them to something not in their category of quality?

@Victor Life's too short to drink bad whisky.

...my palate needed a little cleansing, so I had a little Aberlour 10 followed by Macallan Cask Strength.