So, what are you drinking now?

Kavalan Distillery select, my inital thoughts a light peaty nose, smooth with quite all long sweet finish, with a slight kick of bitterness right at the end, more thoughts later.

Revisiting my Laphroaig triple wood and time did it well! The baby puke is gone and has translated into a peculiar but rather nice and somewhat unique sweetness. Now, really enjoying it and the 48% is a blessing.

@jordytropp - thank you for your kind words. I’m so grateful for your assistance with the tastings!

On Saturday night, started out with a Society single grain whisky. 29 year (May 1989) Cameronbridge SMWS G4.18 "The paradise patisserie" from a 2nd-fill ex-bourbon barrel. 54.7% ABV.

Finished with a heavily peated Highlander; Glenturret SMWS 16.33 (8 year - Dec. 2009) "Melville’s other monster" - Re-charred hogshead - 62.0% ABV.

Last (Sunday) night, Linkwood 15 Year Old / Gordon & Macphail

At 7 pm I planned to sit down with a dram and watch the Leaders' debate.

I completely forgot the dram part, because of all the dram-a on stage.

So now, kids in bed, as I finish my charting, I am sitting down with a 10 cc pour of RED LETTER (2013), part of a dwindling sample from @Paddockjudge, in a Canadian Whisky Glass, not because Red is my party's colour, but because it's the only Canadian whisky in my office cabinet.

Mmmm.. Definitely has a hint of Orange Crush in it tonight...

@OdysseusUnbound Yes the 65.95% for Stagg Jr. is Batch 9. And Batch 11 is 63.95%. I prefer batch 9 to batch, but that is my preference style. I thought Batch 9 was excellent and consistently scored it around 93. I would love to hear your thoughts when you get around to cracking batch 11. In particular I would love to hear your thoughts of them side by side. Just a friendly request if you feel the urge.

The newest batch of Stagg Jr. has just hit Virginia . . . and is already sold out everywhere. I have hit 5 stores in the past 2 days with no luck. Apparently, people are waiting at the door when the employees open to get the recent arrival of Stag Jr. and Weller Antique. Crazy days. I remember when Stagg Jr. had a bad reputation with the first batch. It was so much easier to get the first few batches. But now . . . nearly impossible. I got one more chance tomorrow. We will see if I strike out again.

@Nock - Good luck!

I've had some kind of nasty nose and throat lurgy the last few days and couldn't even smell Laphroaig 10 CS right under my nose (or the pasta puttanesca I made). Last night things improved slightly and I had a Cadenhead's rum. Mostly a pleasant warmth and a hint of sweetness on the finish, but it was mainly medicinal ...

Just having a Johnnie Black now and I can actually smell some sweet grain and a little maltyness - lovely liquoricy peat on the taste. That's what I'm after - this tastes better with a cold ha!

1030 hrs drams for me today. Today is a day of mighty celebration for me. First I am having Ardbeg Supernova 2010 in honour of the birthday of my friend @Nock. No Scottish distillery has ever challenged Ardbeg as my favourite among the Scottish distilleries.

Next I drink William Larue Weller wheated bourbon in ecstatic celebration of the Washington Nationals' triumph over the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers in 10 innings in the Major League Baseball National League Divisional Playoff Series. I was too invested. I could not watch the game last night. I was right. The Nationals were continuously behind for the first 7 innings of the game. Today my retired self is watching the TV sports shows talking about it over multiple programs. Ah, William Larue Weller, as Jim Murray so eloquently described it. " A three-course meal of a bourbon." .

@Victor - I watched the game for you. What a great come from behind win and to do it against Kershaw. Awesome game! While watching last night, I had the following;

Balmenach SMWS 48.42 (10 year - Nov. 2002) "Grown-Up Ice Lollies" from a first-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 56.7% ABV

Followed by a celebratory dram to toast the victors!

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

Congrats to the Nationals (formerly the Montreal Expos)! Now, please beat St. Louis!

@Victor thank you for the toast and thoughts. That is one of my favorite whiskies of all time . . . as is that William Larue Weller! Which batch were you drinking from?

@bwmccoy that Laphroaig sounds delightful!

As it is my birthday I am going big today (sorry liver). I am doing a series of tastings over the course of the day. I started early this morning with some old timers:

Black Bull 40yo (1st batch) at 40.2% - it has gotten better with time. Still not a stunner, but complex and well rounded. This was mostly to set my palate for . . . = 88

Johnnie Walker 12yo Black Label 43.4% probably from the 1970s – sample from MAD (aka @Victor’s sister) – this is one of my favorite scotches in her collection. It is back from when they used all the good stuff in blends. And it is wonderful. I am totally getting beef broth along with smoke and red fruits. This actually noses as the oldest of the night. Blind I would have told you this was over 30 years. = 92

Lagavulin 1966 (52yo) 45-46% - I came home from my March 2018 distillery tour with a small sample of this. I figured that it has been a year and a half, I better find a time to drink it before it “goes off” in my small sample bottle. This is still remarkably smoky for 52 years. There is a strong lemon peel center to this spirit that I have also gotten from other young Lagavulin’s like the 8yo. It is certainly an historical whisky. My understanding is that the barrel is now empty. The last of this legendary spirit. I would have guessed this to be a mid 20’s Lagavulin. It really doesn’t feel like 52 years. Still, the heart can’t help but give is sympathy points. It feels like a sacrilege to score this . . . but I did (and with tasting notes). If I had tasted this blind it would have scored much lower (but above the Black Bull 40yo). = 93

Laphroaig 30yo 43% - I bought this bottle in 2006 for my 30th birthday (there goes my age) for $215. I have been hoarding my last small sample for a special occasion when I was really dialed into the nose. Today was the day. It is super fruity. Virtually no smoke to be found. I would describe this nose as: Super sweet smoked pineapple grilled with caramel sauce topped with a berry compote. It is all the tropical fruit of older Laphroaig but covered in sherry. The peat acts only as a bit of pepper. Really good . . . if you like old sherried whiskies as 43%. The nose is the best part for me. Super dense and amazingly complex. I was disappointed with this 13 years ago. Now I wish I had more. Again, one I would likely score lower blind. = 94

My conclusion from this first tasting of a 30yo, 40yo and 52yo. Old whiskies don’t “grab me.” If I were tasting blind I would probably quickly pass them over in favor of younger more bombastic and powerful whiskies. However, they really can be extremely complex when you take your time and go really slowly. It is almost like you have to give them a 3rd and 4th try to really begin to peel back the layers. It can be rewarding. But it does make me wonder if this is the case with all whisky . . . could I really "find" deep rich complex flavors in a Grant's Family reserve if I spent as much time with it as I did with this Lagavulin 52yo? Or am I convincing myself?

More tastings to follow

Hazelburn 13: This is a wonderful sherried malt. I haven't tried Mortlach yet, but this qualifies as "meaty" in texture. There is a touch of Springbank funk, which I like, but this is the dram I'd pour for a friend who loves Macallan 12. The finish goes on even as I type this. I did have to let it sit for some time with a "hat" on: the 47.4% abv is not high, but in the nose it felt a little hot. 13 minutes for 13 years...jammy, with some spices...long finish. A winner.

Caol Ila 11 G&M 54.4% : They have to be lying about the abv! Pears, smoked pears. Plenty of smoke on the tongue. I love Corryvreckan, but this kind of almost understated peat hits the spot. For me.

@Jonathan I forgot to add BBQ.

@Jonathan Throw some pears on the barbie!

@Nock what a super tasting! The William Larue Weller I've been drinking is the 2015 release at 134.6 proof/ 67.3% ABV This is the most recent release which I've been able to obtain. I still have some earlier release bottles as well.

More Celebration! The Washington Mystics have just won their first WNBA Championship best of five series, game five final score 89-78 over the Connecticut Sun. The Mystics had the most efficient offensive team in WNBA history this season. I toast the Mystics with 2010 release Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye, 63.45% ABV.

I'm toasting @Nock 's birthday with a dram of Corryvreckan. I'm getting a ton of fruitiness (mostly cherries) from the (alleged) wine casks tonight. Yum!

@OdysseusUnbound Great minds think alike... .

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Fools seldom differ....

@Victor have you written up an official review for that William Larue Weller 2015 yet? Because a friend would love to read it. Especially as it relates to other releases. Just saying.

After my morning “aged” tasting I moved on to an afternoon Armagnac tasting:

Delord Napoleon Bas-Armagnac 40% (10yo) c.2010 – I have three open bottles of this stuff. This bottle from 2010 is my favorite. Much better than my bottle from 2013 or 2017. A single malt drinker’s alternative to scotch.

L'Encantada Domaine le Sablé 1976 40.2% (Cask #016) Bas-Armagnac - this reminded me a ton of Pappy 15yo. It was on the edge of being over oaked (but not). It was interesting and an education. Glad it was only a sample. A bourbon drinkers alternative to American whisky.

Chateau de Pomes Peberere 1964 42% Bas-Armagnac - this was another sample. Favorite of the night. Very fruity, vibrant and deep. Really excellent.

Armagnac is always an education for me. After Scotch, Rye and Bourbon it is my 4th favorite distilled spirit style. I hear that most of the good stuff never gets out of France. Pitty.

Then things moved on to peat: Today I have had Octomore 7.3, 8.2, 8.3 and 9.3 as well as the Port Charlotte 2007 CC:01 8yo 57.8%.

My overall impressions:

Octomore 9.3 was immediately the most approachable. Huge peat and farm but balanced. When I had my wife try them all this was her favorite. Her comments, “That is a really excellent whisky.” I agree. And it is a neck pour.

Octomore 8.3 This bottle has been opened for a year and a half. It is still my favorite Octomore and probably one of my top 5 whiskies ever. My wife said it was the most smoky – like an ash tray. It is still my favorite. I love it.

Octomore 8.2 This was extremely mild on the nose. It is 8yo (the rest are all 5yo) in a combination of wine casks. Probably the least impressive of the night in terms of power. I hope it will develop with air time.

Octomore 7.3 My wife called this the most complex with tons of butterscotch. I didn’t get butterscotch. I got a ton of dense farm and peat. It reminds me a lot of my first impression of 6.3, 8.3 and Port Charlotte PC7. It is super dense and needs some air time. But there is a ton of potential here. I am excited to see what happens with it.

Port Charlotte 2007 CC:01 - funky, dense and restrained. I had high hopes for this. I hope air time improves it.

So all three new bottles (9.3, 8.2 and 7.3) will be left with the cork off all night tonight (and probably for a few weeks to come) as well as the Port Charlotte 2007 CC:01 (it also seems dense and tight). This strategy worked wonders for my bottle of 8.3. These Octomore’s seem so dense. I feel like they are begging for some oxidization.

After dinner I moved on Laphroaig 10yo CS 010 and my newly opened Williamson 13yo 53.9% (this is a Laphroaig cask that has been “teaspooned” with another single malt so they can’t call it either Laphroaig or a single malt). Tasting it side by side with the 10yo 010 . . . The 13yo has more iodine and pineapple. I find Laphroaig starts to develop notes of “pineapple” after 12 years. I never notice it in the 10yo CS batches. By I find it easily in the 15yo, 18yo, 25yo, 30yo and the independent bottles I have tried over 12 years. This Williamson is a good whisky. But I paid almost $120 for it. And a good 10yo CS batch is (like most all of them) is better. Still, it is an interesting alternative to have on hand.

I finished of my Peated-Birthday-Extravaganza with Ardbeg Supernova SN2015 at 54.3%. I like it more than the SN2014, but it doesn’t touch the SN2010 that @Victor was drinking.

@Nock I found your review of the Lagavulin 1966 interesting. I got to try it in August of the previous year (so 51 yo) and was able to bring back 2 samples. I found the peat to be quite muted. Iain, when describing this whisky called it the 'Ladies Dram' because it was so mild. Was very excited to get to try it and I found it a pleasant dram but there were some others in the 20 year range that I would have gladly packed up the barrel and taken home over the 51 yo. I finished one of the two samples upon returning from Islay with my Dad in 2018. I was hoping we might get to sample from that cask again but, although I did see it in the warehouse, Iain did not offer any (maybe it was all gone?). I wanted my Dad to get the chance to try that cask, I'm glad I had saved a dram!

@Victor - congrats on another great Nats win! What a game!

Tonight, at a guys weekend getaway with my brother-in-law and several of his friends;

Macallan 12 year double cask

Westland single cask # 2549, Washington state select pale malt single grain, aged 50 months in a 1st-Fill Heaven Hills ex-Bourbon cask. 60.1% ABV

Glen Scotia SMWS 93.115 (8 year - Mar. 2010) "Seafood cycles" - 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 61.2% ABV

Caol Ila SMWS 53.297 (11 year - Sep. 2007) "Stampede of peat" - Refill ex-bourbon hogshead - 58.0% ABV

Caol Ila 14 year Sherry cask from Maltbarn bottlers. Distilled 2004, Bottled 2018, 53.7% ABV

Caol Ila 16 year Elixir Port Askaig Sherry cask. Distilled 2001, Bottled 2018. 55.3% ABV

One of the guys made his version of an Old Fashioned using Bushmill's Black Bush Irish Whiskey. He did a great job. Excellent mixed drink!

Finished the night with Caol Ila 35 year old from Wemyss "Smoky nectar" from an ex-bourbon hogshead. Distilled 1983, Bottled 2018. 46% ABV.

A great way to start the weekend, in a beautiful home in the woods in the mountains with some great company and great whisky.

My cabinet is overflowing. Something had to be done. So everything came out of the top (open bottles) shelf.

Some novelty whiskies like Solan will be put elsewhere in my “drinking room”, as my wife calls it.

I noticed I had 2 open bottles of Booker’s. 2015-02 and 04. Also a part-filled 240 cc bottle of the 06 that I received from @paddockjudge (I think I had given him some of the 2 or the 4 in exchange. Earlier I had followed his lead in blending 2.4.6 in a 1:1:2 ratio and it was delicious, better than any of the individual batches save 2015-01.

I now realize I may have used @nosebleed’s sample of the 05 instead of the 06, but it was good, darn it!

So now faced with a space crunch? I poured my remaining batches together in a ratio of (2-4-6) about 1.5:1:1.5. Then I added 100 cc of my last blend to that. Total volume about 650 cc. Then I poured a 10 cc pour after a vigorous shake and time to settle.

It is still good. Better than the sum of its parts.

@bwmccoy thank you. So far so good against the Cards. Two wins in St. Louis. Now 3 games in DC. How about Max Scherzer? Glad you got to see him in person with me last year.

I felt sorry for Wainwright. He is a great pitcher. As was Mikolas yesterday.

Wiser’s Legacy and a flavourfully spiced pork shoulder followed by a modest lineup of flavourful whisk(e)y.

Little Book 3 is a big hit, we’re on the second bottle.

@Victor - so happy for the Nats. 2 great games. Low scores, pitching battles. This is what every playoff series should be like.

@paddockjudge a friend of mine loves that Glayva. He goes through bottles of it but it's far too sweet for me. You a fan of it? Oh and that pork looks divine

@Hewie, the pork is great, the Glayva not so much. I agree, it is much too sweet; however, on the coldest nights of the year I sometimes blend it 50/50 ish with Laphroag. It tastes like burnt marshmallows over a warm fire.

Last night, guys weekend continues;

Glenallachie SMWS 107.17 (7 year - July 2011) "Kissing a rainbow" - 2nd-fill ex-Bourbon barrel - 62.3% ABV

Dalmore SMWS 13.75 (11 year - May 2007) "Briny dancer" - 2nd-fill ex0bourbon barrel - 59.1% ABV

Dailuaine SMWS 41.121 (14 year - Aug, 2004) "There will be blood orange" - After 12 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, finished in a medium charred, fine grain 2nd-fill French oak barrique - 58.9% ABV

Copperworks Distilling Company (Seattle, WA) American Single Malt Whiskey Single Cask No. 97 Release No. 16. Aged 38 months in a new French oak cask - 58.9% ABV Bottle # 57 of 200

A good friend has been collecting Mortlachs lately. I had a sample of his Alexander Murray 19 year old Mortlach tonight. It's bottled at 40% ABV, but quite complex and very flavourful once your palate adjusts to Mortlach's unique flavour profile after whatever you have had before it.