So, what are you drinking now?

Ademas, I needed to have some 2011 George T. Stagg and 2011 Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye as well. Usually I don't drink any alcohol within 12 hours of my basketball games-- it doesn't seem to help my game. Now that I have three regular ball games per week, that has gotten trickier, "what with all the whisky cravings and all".

I managed to get a hold of one of the last bottles of The Golden Eagle from the Isle of Arran distillery. I had placed an order over the weekend, only to receive an email when they opened on the Monday that they had run out of stock. A few frantic calls were made and found a bottle for my June addition to my journey. You can read my thoughts here: whisky-discovery.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/…

Uigeadail Session - 2003,2004,2008,2010 - all great but the 2003 is the best - breathtaking...

@Pudge72 Hahaha is does cold and wet count as part of the tasting notes?

Some brilliant bottles I have to say! I believe one of them is matured in brandy casks and then finished in bourbon. Gives it a very unique nose! I made the people at the tasting blink because as we were tasting this whisky I looked over and asked if it was for sale and when I informed them that it was now mine when they said yes everyone just sort of blinked :D As for the second bottle also brilliant, finished in riesling barrels it is an extremely good whisky with a nose that I can just smell for hours!

@Victor Thanks for the dram in honour of! I'm hoping that he shares a dram too!! I think it's the newest release so it's not mentioned in the whisky bible yet, or so I think since I'm not seeing a Stagg in it with the %ABV. Should still be bloody awesome though!!

I do believe a dram in honour of all the very excellent people here on Connosr is in order! It shall be one of my newest purchases, Limeburners M66 Riesling finished!

To everyone on the forums who help me learn more and more about whisky each and every day, especially Victor.

Slainte Mhath!

@SquidgyAsh, you are welcome. Thanks for the public toast and acknowledgement. I did do a review of the 2011 George T. Stagg on Connosr. I don't think that there is any 'bad' Stagg.

@Victor Hahaha I agree. Mind you I'm a newbie with the Stagg, but my one taste blew me AWAY! And I've yet to hear a single bad thing about it. Now I have to wait for the shop where I bought my brother in laws to get more in :D One and only bottle that they ordered :D Fingers, eyes, toes and nostrils crossed they'll be able to get a new one in!

It ain't no Stagg, but right now I'm enjoying an Alberta Premium on the rocks.

Grant's Family Reserve Blended Scotch, Clan MacGregor Blended Scotch, and Lagavulin 12, 2010 release. I have to agree with Jim Murray that these two blends are indeed works of art. Inexpensive and delicious works of art. Of course the Cask Strength Lagavulin 12 was an extreme pleasure.

Tonight it was two 25 year old OB Highland malts: Tomatin 25yo at 43% (a batch bottled in 2006) and the 2008 edition Brora 25yo. The Tomatin is decent, but not overly exciting. I have had my issues with this Brora. At times it has horribly disappointed me. I really like the heavy peat and farmy style Brora can have. This is not that style. If you are into delicate, complexity and balance it is wonderful. Usually I am not in a mood for those things. But on certain nights I am able to dial in and appreciate it. Thankfully, tonight was one of those nights.
I also am not big on adding water. I do it out of a sense of obligation, and it certainly does change the notes and flavors of a whisky. However, I almost never find that it improves a whisky (it only changes it). That is just my opinion. BUT this Brora 25yo is the first whisky I can honestly say is better with water. And it can handle a lot of water.

I'm doing my best to go through my bottle of Benromach Peat Smoke. It's not bad at all but its taste is rather uneventful and one dimensional. it shall be replaced with the wonderful Laphroaig Quarter Cask. Only 1/2 bottle to go!

Just a touch of the Highwest Bou-Rye. It's a relaxer for sure.

Had some Jura Prophecy tonight. Very nice. First Jura I have tried and I am encouraged to try some more of their offerings.

Tullamore Dew 10 yo Single Malt, checking in after nearly a year. Quite an interesting whiskey. I wish Tullamore would do some more experimenting with Malts.

I'm sipping some Wiser's Legacy with a nice little Don Diego to celebrate writing my last exam.

Enjoying shift towards 'strange' and 'medium-peated' whiskies. Had Bunnahabhain 12yo which is in my classifiication is 'strange' cuz it's different and flamboyant, almost burbon-like, that I like, and Longrow CV, which is not else but magnificient as for my taste! Will write a review shortly. I've also had Jura Superstition, which is doubtfull for a moment. But let's see.

Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum, Navy Strength @ 57% ABV. I am trying to remember which of my Connosr buddies recommended this to me. Thank you!

This rum is sulphured molasses in the mouth, intense, gamey, becoming sweet as the glass sits, yet, in its intense way, very appealing.

From Fathers day, a lovely bottle of Arran malt sherry cask @ 56%. What a lovely dram.

Nikka Yoichi NAS and Miyagikyo NAS.

The Yoichi has a kind of fermented fruit thing going on, think the nose of a traditional cider, with a streak of sulphury peppery peat. Earthy peat continues through the palate with a sweet grain note throughout.

The Miyagikyo is much fruitier, ripe strawberries and some oak on the nose, very sweet on the palate with oak spice and fruit candy, finish is banana and drying oaky spice.

Both are obviously young, but are very individual and bold in showcasing the distillery style. Look forward to trying the older expressions. In this case, I prefer the Miyagikyo overall (as a more balanced whisky), but the Yoichi is a bit more interesting in a way.

Cutty Sark. My first. It's one of the better blends IMO.

@Wodha The standard no age Cutty Sark? How does it compare to e.g. Johnnie Walker or Teachers?

Big Bowmore fan,doing the 25,18,15,12 and tempest 2nd batch. In my opinion the 18 is the best of the bunch but the tempest is glorious for a cask strength dram......

Summer Solstice drams: Glenlivet 18 and (ri)1. The Glenlivet 18, ok, but I just don't get excited by it. The (ri)1 was far more attractive than any previous sample I have had of it.

@dannyboy Yes, NAS (no age statement). I like it better than the JW Black. There's more going on in the direction I like. As for Teachers, well, I like me some Teachers. So, I'll say "apples and oranges". Too different to play the same league. I will say they're pretty close in satisfaction. I remember Cutty Sark on my dad's shelf 35+ years ago. The old man knows a few things about whisky. If you are curious I suggest you get a bottle and report back!

Cracking an Ardbeg 1977 my wife got me for Father's Day/ Anniversary!! It really is an amazing bit of Ardbeg history and a fantastic dram. I am comparing it with the last of my Ardbeg 17yo and the 1990 Airigh Nam Beist. The Beist is holding up surprisingly well . . . the 17yo not so much.

Just bought and cracked a bottle of GlenDronach 12 year "Original". Purchase was inspired by this review: youtube.com/watch/… as I am making a point of exploring Speyside whiskies, and looking for some options outside the smokey whiskies that dominate my shelves.

To the sherry-heads out there, especially... I highly recommend this as an excellent bang for your buck whisky, with a really wonderful nose in particular. Delicious stuff.

@Wodha Cool, will try some when I have the chance :)

@Wodha loved Cutty Sark too, very popular in Spain and I too remember this being in my fathers drinks cabinet when I was a lad. I got the opportunity to taste this alongside their 12 Year Old, 18 Year Old and 25 Year Old Tam o'Shanter in a tweet tasting which was hosted by their master blender Kirsteen Campbell. My session notes can be found on my blog here: whisky-discovery.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/… which has links to each of the four expressions tasted. The Tam o'Shanter was outstanding, but I doubt much would be drunk as it was aimed at collectors.

I sampled Glenfiddich 12, 15, 18, 21, and 30 last night at a tasting.

@Wodha. Are you familiar with Tollycraft boats? They were built down in Kelso Washington for many years. Mr. R.M. (Tolly) Tollefson who founded the company and designed all the boats from 17' to 65' just passed away last year at the age of 100. He could probably afford to drink whatever expensive whisky he wanted, but for most of his adult life he had two healthy drams of standard Cutty Sark every day before dinner. It's a great old school blend, and if it gets you to 100 it must be health food.

@systemdown: Thanks fpr the 'heads up'! I went over to Vintage Cellars and picked up an Ardbeg 10yo. at the discounted price! What to do for the second bottle? The ones I really liked were not part of the 2 bot. deal, so I came away with a Talisker 10yo. as well, which I opened and it seems like it was a good decision, even though the Talisker is nothing like it was in 'days of old'; it is, spotless, refined and less 'hit and miss' than many of the former expressions but a little of the magic, unfortunately, is gone!

There were several combinations that interested me - Caol Ila 12 and H/P 18, Aberlour and Glenfarclas and a few others but, alas, the more interesting Ardbegs were not part of the deal!

Thanks and Slainte!