So, what are you drinking now?

Impromptu zoom hangout tonight. Some people were in and out, some were more involved with their risotto or samarolis... @TAlexander and I started with JD number 7 for some reason. Then I moved on to Wiser's 23 CS, followed by AP CS (2019) release.

Great conversations - just what I needed after hours spent door to door to get signatures to run in the upcoming election.

Camping with several different family units in different campsites. An early night, but my brother-in-law and I managed to get one dram in;

Clynelish SMWS 26.161 (8 year - April 2012) "Put the pebble to the petal!" - 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 60.9% ABV.

More to come as we will be here for the next 5 days / nights.

Last night, Chinaco Anejo, Don Julio Anejo, and El Jimador Anejo tequilas. Previous to those, Old Forester 75th Anniversary of Repeal of Prohibition Bourbon.

My wife and I took a brief trip to Niagara Falls, Ontario (the better falls ) for a wine tour and weekend trip away from the kids for the first time in a long time. We ate at the Niagara Distillery and I had the chance to sample some of their offerings:

• “Moonshine”: their description reads 45% ALC/VOL An outlaw spirit made from 85% corn and 15% malted barley. Also known as White Lightning in these parts, its unmistakable sweet corn flavour and mild lingering burn will get you ready to rev up your engines and do some muddin’! now that seems a bit silly to me but it was quite different than what I expected as I’ve never tried moonshine/white dog/new make. There was unmistakable corn sweetness but also a vegetal note reminiscent of Rhum Agricole.
• Canadian Rye Whisky: their description reads 43.5% ALC/VOL With grain & malted barley sourced from the Canadian Prairies, our traditional Rye is left to mature in once used Bourbon barrels at 132 proof for 3 years and 1 day. Our hand-crafted whisky is then individually batch-aged in lightly-charred American oak in house for a buttery mouthfeel and sweet oak finish. This whisky was a typical of the Canadian style (think somewhere between Hiram Walker Special Old and Wiser’s Triple Barrel Rye) with a light body, sweet nose, and a good bit of rye spice on the finish. For such a young spirit, this one was actually quite good. I was going to purchase a bottle but the size of the crowds and the line-ups dissuaded my wife, which means I was also dissuaded.
• Niagara Single Cask Whisky: this one is a bit confusing. The description reads 45% ALC/VOL Fashioned after Kentucky’s best, this bourbon-style whisky has a mash bill of 51% corn and 49% grain. Cellaring for 2 years in new American Oak barrels with a medium char, develops the underlying notes of caramel, sweet fruit and fresh oak. Wait, 2 years? How is this legally sold as whisky in Canada? I’m planning on contacting the company to ask them but I have 2 SWAGs; either the whisky is sourced from MGP or someone else meaning it’s not Canadian whisky (it is not labelled as such), or it’s already aged when Niagara Distillers purchases it from someone else (possibly Canadian) and then Niagara “cellars” it for 2 more years. Either way, this one was interesting but kind of like an average bourbon to me. Not bad but not as good as the Canadian Rye.

Balvenie 21 YO Portwood, 43% ABV. I chose this classic to toast and celebrate the August Hump. Yes, it is noon local time on the 16th day of this 31 day month. Happy August Hump Day!

I will miss the summer, but the Fall is quite beautiful here.

@Victor Never had a dram of that one but it is on my list of bottles to try and get! Slainte!

@TracerBullet slainte!

Still camping. Last night, after everyone went to bed, my brother-in-law and I sat around the (gas) fire pit and had a couple of drams;

Ben Nevis 6 year (Dec. 2013). Full maturation in a 1st Fill Amontillado Gorda. 67.6% ABV. Single Cask Nation bottling.

Ardmore SMWS 66.186 (11 year - Nov. 2008) "Bivouac breakfast" - Refill ex-bourbon barrel" - 58.1% ABV.

@bwmccoy I guess the only campfire you can have these days is the one in a bottle. The Ardmore for instance.

We had a long day today. My mother in law has not one, not two, but three types of cancer. We took her from her place to Sunnybrook hospital in Toronto (about a 2 hour drive) today for some tests. We lucked out and beat rush hour heading out of the GTA (i.e. Toronto) and made it home in 1 hour and 35 minutes. After all that, I decided I needed something strong so I started with

• a generous pour of Booker’s Batch 2019-01E, which I’ve reviewed on this site. This bottle is as complex and as wonderful as my last one.
• I’m now sipping some Bowmore 15 as I prepare a dinner I won’t care for but my wife and mother in law both love: a baked penne with spinach in a cheesy “white” sauce.

Last drink of the evening is Macallan Classic Cut 2019. I know I’ve often derided Macallan’s ridiculous marketing but this whisky really delivers the goods, imho.

@BlueNote - we actually have a propane fire pit that we’ve been sitting around each night. Not as good as a wood fire, but better than nothing. :-)

Last night, Glenmorangie 12 Year Old Sherry Cask Finish.

Then my brother-in-law and I finished off a sample of Compass Box Menagerie.

We also finished off my bottle of Ardmore SMWS 66.186 (11 year - Nov. 2008) "Bivouac breakfast" - Refill ex-bourbon barrel" - 58.1% ABV.

Finally, we also finished off my bottle of Glenturret SMWS 16.46 (6 year - July 2013) "Cooking on a rusty grill". Re-charred hogshead - 64.9% ABV.

Tonight I made a cocktail called The Four & Twenty. Then moved on to an Old Fashioned made with maple syrup orange bitters and cask strength Sagamore Rye Whiskey.

Last night of camping.

Finished off a sample of Glenmorangie 10.

Also finished off my bottle of Clynelish SMWS 26.161 (8 year - April 2012) "Put the pebble to the petal!" - 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 60.9% ABV.

Got back home from camping last night. Had a dram of Bladnoch Adela 15 year Oloroso Cask Matured - 46.7% ABV after getting everything unloaded and put away.

Here in NZ we're responding to a small COVID outbreak with a complete and sudden nationwide lockdown. Last night was Friday night and the end of day 3 of distance teaching. This boiler maker was a good end to the day. KK8 CS 100% ex-bourbon and a NZ craft beer Hazy IPA

@Hewie, excellent coping mechanism Over here we drop a shot glass filled with whisky into the glass of beer...careful at the bottom, it can be hard on the teeth.

@paddockjudge yeah I know that one too. Just different forms of the boiler maker aye. I do enjoy a beer alongside a whisky - fun making pairings that work well

Started off with a rye whiskey cocktail called The Southern Baptist. Now having a Kilchoman Machir Bay.

Finishing the evening with a Port Askaig 110 proof.

Tonight, a couple of Black Manhattan’s.

First one made with Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength, but ran out, so made the second one with Old Grandad 114.

@paddockjudge @Hewie haha enjoy one alongside the other too but never knew mixing them had a name. It was my tipple of choice at gigs where bar time was limited. Two double whiskies dropped into a pint of strong lager! Now this was a fairly grim tasting concoction but oh my did it have the effect I was looking for! Obviously not the quality of the two in the photo..

@Timp That could really hurt a fellow!

Last night, Pure Kentucky XO Bourbon, 53.5% ABV. This is one of the Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Ltd. products, i.e. the Willett people. I've always liked this one, and almost everything which KBD produces. Pure Kentucky XO is a longstanding KBD brand of sourced distillate which they age themselves. I think the distillate is probably from Heaven Hill. Righteous ABV.

@bwmccoy what’s the verdict on the Bladnoch?

@Hewie Your PM doesn’t mess around. I wish ours would take a lesson and do the same. Otherwise, this is going to go on forever.

@Timp When I lived in London (a long time ago) I would order a pint of Double Diamond, or Watney’s, or whatever was on tap, and a double of whatever Scotch was on the optic, down half the whisky, pour the rest into the beer and repeat as necessary. Our local was just round the corner, so it was an easy stagger home.

Amrut Naarangi 50% ABV. I plan to make my couple of bottles last a long time. So far there is nothing else remotely like this. Sour-bitter-orange-sherried malt whisky.

@BlueNote haha, a night on those sounds lethal!

@Victor this does sound nice although never tried it. A few years ago a friend purchased me a bottle of compass box orangerie which is whisky infused with peel from Navalino oranges, and some subtle cassia bark and cloves to round it off. It was nice but was a bit too close to a liqueur for me at the time. Have you had this one? And if so are they similar at all?

Ps after my question to you just read a few on line comparisons and they are apparently worlds apart in the favour of the Amrut.