So, what are you drinking now?

@OdysseusUnbound - Funnily enough I saw Clynelish 14 for £39 recently and was tempted but held off in the end. My last experience was as you describe; a well-done malt but quite basic and simple in flavour. Nothing about it really grabbed me although I did enjoy the malty, ale-like quality to it.

@Nock - Whilst I perceive Ardbeg's citrus as distinctly 'lime like', rather than lemon, I totally get you about how it is better when integrated. My last bottle of the 10 was too citrus forward and was my least favourite bottle because of it. Still, it's Ardbeg Ten so it was never going to be bad, just less than stellar!

@Hewie yes, that citrus note can occasionally appear more "lime" like. But I have come across very few of those batches. For me when that citrus note is dominant and overpowering it is typically a "lemon" note (lemon peel, or lemon zest, or lemon juice, etc.)

I only managed to try two batches from 2016: 18/05/2016 which had a balanced lemon note and I scored it an average of 90 23/11/2016 which I found lemon dominant and I scored an average of 85

Yes @RianC even when an Ardbeg 10yo is lemon dominant . . . it is still a peaty Ardbeg experience - which is always fun. And those two scores above seem to sum up my experience. Too much lemon? it will score mid 80's. Integrated citrus? It will probably score around 90. If it has virtually no citrus notes to speak of like 25/03/2015 then it will likely score around 93 for me (if not a touch higher).

This is why I love to try different Ardbeg 10yo batches side by side. You might not notice how strong the lemon/citrus note is until you put it next to one where it is well integrated or not there at all. To most people Ardbeg 10yo is just a peat monster.

Last night, Royal Brackla SMWS 55.53 (12 year - Aug. 2006) "The Old Curiosity Shop" - Refill ex-bourbon hogshead - 59.3% ABV. Not my favorite Society bottle that I have open right now, but it tasted better last night than it has on previous occasions. Maybe it is improving with air exposure (open almost 3 weeks).

@RianC my bottle of Clynelish 14 yo I purchased in 2011 did not impress me greatly. Good, but too much bitterness on the finish, and otherwise basic. 5, 6, and more years later that same bottle has become quite delicious...for when you are in the malty malty mood, of course. For that's what you are getting here.

Correct me if I am wrong, but is not 39 GBP a very low price for 14 yo malt whisky, even in the UK?

@Victor I’m going to give my Clynelish the benefit of some time, but for “straight-up malty moods” I still think Aultmore 12 is superior. I know it’s not as popular with my fellow Connosrs, but Aultmore has that wonderful barley nuttiness in spades and is 100% ex-bourbon matured.

@OdysseusUnbound - Aultmore is highly underrated in my opinion.

@bwmccoy I haven't tried their 18 year, but the 12 year is 100% ex-bourbon, 46% abv, unchill-filtered, natural colour, and reasonably priced. Winning on all counts. It's not a big, jaw-dropping "wow" whisky, but it showcases the nutty side of a barley-forward whisky in a delectable way.

@OdysseusUnbound @bwmccoy I’m with you, I think the Aultmore 12 is highly underrated. I usually have one on hand and go to it regularly as a first dram of the evening. I think the Deanston 12 (46%, NCF, natural colour) is another bargain priced dram that doesn’t get its due.

@Victor - Yes, £39 is a good price but it was only £44 a couple of years ago when I last bought it and I don't think Diageo have upped it since then.

That price is on Amazon and I think for UK buyers there are some great deals to be had on there at the moment, usually with free delivery as well! It' great in the short term but I can't help feeling slightly uneasy were they to corner the market ...

@OdysseusUnbound @BlueNote - Unfortunately, I’ve never had the opportunity to try any distillery bottlings from Aultmore. All of my experience has been with Society bottles. To date, I’ve had 2 different 14 year olds that were both fully matured in Sherry butts, an 18 year ex-bourbon and a 20 year that was 18 year ex-bourbon, finished for 2 years in a 1st-fill Oloroso hogshead. I rated that one 92 points. The 2 - 14 year olds were 90’s. My least favorite was the 18 year ex-bourbon, but it still rated an 85. They were all quality whisky! In the coming days, I will have the opportunity to try another Aultmore. I will report back on that one after I try it.

@BlueNote If only Deanston 12 was "bargain-priced" here in Ontario! It's about $15-$20 more than Aultmore 12...

Unless @bwmccoy has given me a sample I haven't yet tried, I do not think that I have ever had a single sip of any Aultmore.

@Victor I tasted this at "the last Great Malts of Scotland" - the smoked salmon it came with was better. Everyone there got a free bottle of Aultmore 12. I gave it away.

@BlueNote, Deanston Virgin Oak is very much to my liking, especially after it has been left to rest after a couple of years, nonetheless it is just fine when poured from a freshly cracked bottle...and at a good price too, fifty bucks.

@Nock I'm catching up on posts so I know it's been a few days since you posted your Octomore rundown.

Interesting results I've had most of your line-up except the 8.2 & the Elements PI, never as a direct line-up though. I've long proselytized about the 7.3 to anyone who's paid any attention, your notes are bang on, it is a huge whisky, like eating canned peaches in a seaside barn that is on fire.

I had huge expectation for the 8.3 and while I enjoyed the super farmy (lathered horse) aspects, I felt like it was too ashy, overtaking a lot of the more subtle elements. I have a half full bottle I haven't touched for a year, your comments have made me very curious about revisiting it soon. I think a head to head with the 7.3 would work well.

The new 10.3 is an all bourbon cask vatting, this should be interesting to see the effects of the Islay grown barley without any ex-wine cask influence on the spirit.

@BlueNote I'll second the recommendation of Deanston 12, it has a lot of hidden charm, these slight mineral notes and a style that shows off the spirit well.

As for Aultmore I feel it and some of the other Bacardi properties (Deveron I'm looking at you) have whiskys that display real potential but are lacking in some way or another. I think Craigellachie is the only one that seems to be the most aware of its strengths.

First taste of whisky this week and if ever there was a workweek that called for drinking this is it. A small pour of Wiser's Dissertation in my Kardashian glass, as recently discussed with @paddockjudge a real mood whisky. Amazing rye grain and caraway notes, sweet custard morning buns and rich oak.

Than had a sneaky pour of Alberta Premium Cask Strength, big bold, well defined structure, a little fruit underneath there that really works.

@cricklewood - I really liked the travel retail 19 year old Craigellachie that I picked up at Heathrow in 2016. That 1 liter bottle was empty way too quickly!

Before dinner made a Manhattan, but used a different whisky than I normally do; 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. First sip, I thought there was too much wood influence, but after it sat for a bit, that decreased and became quite enjoyable. Still prefer Old Granddad 114, but this worked as well.

After dinner, Glenallachie SMWS 107.16 (7 year - Apr. 2011) "Truly a fairy tale" - 2nd-fill toasted oak butt - 67.0% ABV.

Followed by Glen Scotia SMWS 93.112 (14 year - Feb. 2004) "Sweet and grubby" - Refill ex-bourbon hogshead - 53.7% ABV.

@cricklewood "...like eating canned peaches in a seaside barn that is on fire." Beaux mots!!! La poesie. Now the experiment I'd like to see is 100 people taste this and see if anyone else got anything similar. Which is to say that I love your poetic words but have no idea as to whether they would be of any use to me in understanding the whisky until I have tried the whisky.

@bwmccoy I'll see you and raise you 10! 19 yo is for me where Craigallechie starts to get really good. At 30 years old? Wonderful. @cricklewood I have to laugh about those guys. They have doubled down in pride over being the sulphuriest malt around! It is a matter of pride to them to say, more or less, "We proudly use less copper in our stills than necessary to remove the contaminants for which copper is used in stills." That sulphur is a big defect at 13 years old to my taste, but recedes greatly in the final product with much longer aging.

@Victor that line is the one I would use to invite someone in to the conversation about this whisky.

I know that poetic flourishes about whisky notes can sometimes go the way of hubris or be useless in really conveying the experience of a whisky. I think some of what I mention would probably find parallels with other tasters.

In more details the Octomore 7.3, is very barnyard forward, so yes manure, stray, earth, grains, there is a striking stone fruit component, peaches/apricots which is likely from the proportion of ex-wine cask. It is also razor sharp, mineral, salty, lemons. All that wrapped in thick oily smoke.

As for Craigellachie their marketing methods are taking one from the Diageo book of hyping anything they can. I am probably less sulphur sensitive than you are but felt the 13 still had too many asperities to make it a dram I would enjoy often but the 17 yr old was decidedly more to my liking. I think what is happening here is similar to the methods used at Mortlach, Benrinnes, Blair Athol and some of the other Diageo stepchild distilleries, "heavier spirit, meant to slumber in refill casks for a while to be called on for beefing up blends or sold off to brokers.

Now that the market is hot, they are trying to work many of these into single distillery vattings with varying degrees of success and with no clear roadmap of what the distillery style is or should be.

@cricklewood the bottom line remains the same in all of this: GET YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE BY TASTING THE WHISKY FOR YOURSELF.

Thanks very much for joining in!

@OdysseusUnbound Calgary is the magic word, amigo. Got it from KWM for around $60. I think ZYN and Craft Cellars might even be a little cheaper. Watch for their sales which should be coming up before Christmas.

@paddockjudge I haven't tried that one. Will do.

Ardbeg10: sweet, subtle lemon; not just peat

Not quite an epic tasting but a fun night. @fiddich1980, @OdysseusUnbound and I met this evening for some bottle and sample swapping. @fiddich1980 was kind enough to bring a bottle of the Lot 40 CS (2019 release) for us to open and try.

This is a vert puzzling whisky. I'm trying to figure out how many bottles I should try to get, but at the same time whether I should get any. Very layered. The empty glass constantly changing, not always for the better.

After that @OdysseusUnbound finally got to try Lambertus - I sent most of the pour with him in a sample bottle so he can review it.

And to expunge that taste, I poured him some Tempest batch 5.

Great conversation, a good time was, I believe, had by all.

@Nozinan a fitting and enjoyable end, to my past two day of Canadian whisky hunting.

@OdysseusUnbound it a pleasure to put a face to the name.

Last night, in honor of American Thanksgiving coming up, my club opened two bottles of Indian whisky: Amrut Intermediate Sherry & Fusion. Both were new to almost everyone there.

The Intermediate Sherry was a hit. Very clean, as reputed. It packs a punch too. I caught one guy photographing the bottle in apparent hopes of buying himself one later.

The Fusion didn't get much attention, and I left without even trying it. I'd had a bottle a few years ago, though, and I remember it as 100% distinctively its own thing—super dry and ashy.

@fiddich1980 Likewise, sir. I’ll have to aim to show up at a future Connosr sleepover party, er I mean, Epic Tasting.

@Nozinan The Lot 40 CS French Oak is indeed an interesting creature. I’ll get to taste it a second time thanks to @fiddich1980 ‘s generosity. The Lambertus was.....interesting, but not really in a good way. My first impression upon nosing it was “this isn’t as bad as I expected”....and that’s as good as it got. Everything went WAY downhill from there.