So, what are you drinking now?

@Timp Yeah, that got me back into my bottle of Springbank 10.

Last night (Saturday), had a couple of friends over for dinner and drams on the patio.

We didn't all drink the same thing, but I had the following;

Bladnoch Adela 15 year Oloroso Cask Matured - 46.7% ABV. Our friends hadn't tried this one yet and they loved it.

Garrison Brothers Texas Straight Bourbon Single Barrel - 47% ABV. Corn variety; #1 Panhandle White from farms in Dallam county. Distilled 2014. Barrel Number: 7449. Bottle #30. This was my first time trying Garrison Brothers and I thought it was a very good bourbon.

Next up is a local Seattle distillery. Three Shores Whiskey from OOLA distillery - 47% ABV. There was nothing wrong with this, but it did absolutely nothing for me. Our friend who brought it referred to it as "table whiskey" and I don't disagree with her assessment.

Next up was recently awarded Best In Show at a judging in San Francisco. This bottle is part of The Impex Collection. It is a 21 year old from an Orkney distillery (Highland Park), aged in a hogshead (assume ex-bourbon) cask. Distilled November 23rd, 1999 (but the label says Nov. 23rd, 9999 - whisky from the future?). Bottled 16th December 2020. 301 bottles. Cask # 58. ABV: 50.8%. This was a very nice dram, but the peat and smoke were just a quick puff right after swallowing and then it was gone. Like I said, it was nice, but I'm not sure about the Best In Show part. The tasting notes on the bottle; delicate smoke, slightly meaty, floral and tea-like elements. I would say those notes were pretty accurate for me

We took a break for dinner (grilled cheese burgers with grilled bacon and grilled corn on the cob). Our guests asked if I would make them a cocktail to go with dinner, so I made them and my wife Jerry Thomas Manhattans.

Instead of a cocktail, I chose to open and drink with dinner a bottle that my friends brought and gave to me because they know I like beer. It is called Black Butte Whiskey. It is from Bend Distilling in Bend, Oregon. They take the Black Butte Porter beer from Deschutes Brewery, also in Bend, Oregon and distill it. 47% ABV. The bottle says "Malt whiskey distilled from grain". :-) It is aged in #4 char American oak barrels. The chocolate notes of the porter beer are definitely present on the nose. The palate is good, but if tasted blind I would have assumed it was a bourbon. I like it well enough and appreciate my friends thinking of me. I will enjoy drinking it and sharing it, but not sure I would have bought a bottle of it myself.

Next up was a Glenglassaugh Peated Port Wood Finish. 46% ABV. For a Speyside dram, the peat was very present and really well balanced with the port finishing. A very enjoyable dram.

Next was The Firkin Whisky. Limited edition single cask bottling from Caol Ila aged in an ex-Marsala cask. Cask #5. Bottle #289 of 330. 48.9% ABV. Distilled in 2012. The label says refined peat and smoke. No! No it isn't. While not undrinkable, it had a rubber quality to it that distracted from any redeeming qualities it may have had. I'm assuming this was due to a bad cask. Water helped it a little, but not enough to make it enjoyable.

Finished the night with Kilchoman PX Sherry Cask Matured by the (propane tank fueled) fire pit. While the fire lacked the smoke, the Kilchoman more than made up for it. :-) This is another great whisky from Kilchoman. Apparently, only 6 bottles made it to Washington state. Glad that I got to try it. I would gladly own a bottle of this. 47.3% ABV.

A great night with great friends enjoying the outdoors before summer is completely gone. Below is a picture of our make shift outdoor bar.

@bwmccoy Wow! What a selection!

@TracerBullet - it was a collaborative effort.

Yesterday (Sunday), my wife and I had a couple of Black Manhattan's made with Maker's Mark 46 for happy hour.

@bwmccoy have to second that comment from @TracerBullet. Very impressive and great fun I imagine..

@Timp - yes, we had a very nice time catching up with our friends, along with some good food and great whisky!

Normally, I don’t make cocktails during the week, but recently received a variety of different bitters and was doing some research for cocktails that I can make with them. Of the recipes I found, this one was the least exciting and didn’t use any of the more unique bitters, but it was the easiest to make. Also, I don’t normally care for an Old Fashioned because they are usually too sweet. This one uses simple syrup instead of sugar so I was hoping that it would not be as sweet and fortunately, it isn’t. Even my wife liked it (and she is even more sensitive to sweet drinks than I am).

Old Fashioned

• 2 OZ RYE WHISKEY (Rittenhouse BiB)

• 1/2 OZ SIMPLE SYRUP

• 3-4 DASHES SCRAPPY'S AROMATIC BITTERS

• STIR AND SERVE ON THE ROCKS WITH A LEMON TWIST

So good I think I will make another (especially since my wife drank half of the first one). :-)

Finishing the night by getting to know a new, recently opened bottle. Bend Distilling (Bend, Oregon) Black Butte Whiskey 3 year. Release #5. 47% ABV. The Porter beer wash comes through on the nose. Malt, toffee and oak on the palate. Need to revisit it a few more times before rating it.

@bwmccoy I quite like the porter. Let us know what you think of the whisky.

A couple of new to me cocktails;

Green Glass - This was ok, but nothing special.

• 2 OZ GIN. (Botanist), 1/2 OZ DRY VERMOUTH, 1/2 OZ ST. GERMAIN, 1-2 DASHES SCRAPPY'S CELERY BITTERS. SQUEEZE ONE LIME WEDGE. STIR OVER ICE AND SERVE UP WITH
 A LEMON TWIST.

San Pedro - Drinkable, but I didn’t care for this one.

• 2 OZ SILVER TEQUILA, 1/2 OZ DRY VERMOUTH, 1/ 8 OZ COINTREAU, 3 - 4 DASHES SCRAPPY'S GRAPEFRUIT BITTERS. STIR AND SERVE UP WITH A LIME TWIST.

Had the last dram from my bottle of Old Grand Dad 114 tonight.

Another boilermaker: NZ craft beer Garage Project Hapi Daze (a lovely Pacific Pale Ale with tropical fruit notes on the nose) paierd with Ardnamurchan 01.21:01. I'm really impressed with what Ardnamurchan are doing - I could drink this all day long!

@Hewie that looks like fun!

@Hewie I just had a sample of that Ardnamurchan courtesy of a friend. I agree, they are doing all the right things. Lovely stuff.

@BlueNote I love that it is a mix of peated and unpeated spirit, some matured in ex-bourbon casks and some in e-sherry. When you drink it alongside something older it's youth shows but for the price it is fantastic drinking. I'm excited to see how it develops over time

Rated my recently opened bottle;

Bend Distilling (Bend, Oregon) Black Butte Whiskey 3 year. Release #5. 47% ABV. Rating: 85

Friday night! I had an IPA whilst cooking a beef stew and now, while it simmers, i poured a dram of Ardbeg An oa. I really like this one but unfortunately the distinct fruitiness has subsided and given way to quite the saline note. I think i preferred the fruitbasket over the salt shaker but it still is quite tasty! strength of flavor is very much intact after about 2 years of sloshing around the bottom of a bottle

Another boilermaker on this Saturday afternoon. NZ craft beer Garage Project Aro Noir stout and Springbank 12 CS batch 10 53.2%. A lovely match.

@Hewie, there is no doubt in my mind, you need to be the author for a discussion about BOILER MAKERS…. and repost your performances. Are you up to it? I think it could become a very popular topic.

@Nock, where are you?

It has been a tough year. Are we headed for more of the same? I’ve missed the NOCK TALK on these boards…hoping we’ll get some chatter soon.

What have you been drinking lately @Nock?!

You save me a ton of money in untested purchases, all I have to do is avoid most of your favourites. I find it a positively awesome experience, knowing that our whisky palates are consistently incongruent.

Some of what I’ve been sipping this year, putting away a few Indies while exploring Speyside and the Highlands…

Finished my first round of golf back with the lads earlier and now helping to make dinner whilst sipping a Fuller's London Pride with a JD SB BP on a fat ice cube. Well, it's a wonderfully warm early September day.

This tune is keeping my body moving ...

@RianC, good to know you've still got a round of golf left in you!

Save some of those boilermakers for @Hewie 's new board BOILERMAKERS

@paddockjudge - will do! It's a great idea - @Hewie - this MUST happen!

I must admit I walked back to the car head held high and shoulders back but got in my seat and wilted A few loose ones in there but a couple of birdies too so there's room for optimism ...

@paddockjudge Heads and Tails (Igor Kossov) is bringing some KILLER independent bottlings to Canada (based on my 2 of his tastings ... wish I lived in Toronto and could attend all of them!). I wish I could bring myself to pay the fairly significant #premiums (plus the shipping costs), to bring them to Ontario from Alberta! Igor knows his Scotch!!!!

Alright @paddockjudge and @RianC - challenge accepted - watch out for the boilermaker discussion. It's Fatrher's Day here in NZ and I'm awaiting my big cooked breakfast so I'll get onto the post later on. London Pride would go so well with whisk(e)y @RianC - so malty! Not easy to get here but I can get my hands on some Old Speckled Hen easy enough.

@65glenfarclas, yes, Igor certainly knows Scotch. I have a few of his releases lol

He knows brandy too. We are fortunate to have him guiding our selections.

@65glenfarclas They don't call him Igor of Scotch for nothing...

Behind in my posting.

Friday night, my wife and I each had a Black Manhattan (Maker's Mark 46) for happy hour.

Later, had a dram of peated St George's Distillery English Whisky Company SMWS 137.7 (7 year - Feb 2012) "How to kill your dragon" - 2nd-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 65.5% ABV

Last night (Saturday), I had dinner at my brother-in-law's. Later, we had some drams from his cabinet.

First, we killed off his bottle of lightly peated 7 year (March 2012) Glen Scotia SMWS 93.136 "Powerful!" from a 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel. 58.4% ABV.

Next, a 12 year (Sep. 2007) Caol Ila SMWS 53.344 "A seaside picnic" from a re-fill ex-bourbon barrel. 56.3% ABV.

Next, a 6 year peated (Oct. 2013) Glenturret SMWS 16.50 "Tar in the night" from a re-charred hogshead. 64.1% ABV.

Finished with a 7 year (Apr. 2012) Ardmore SMWS 66.167 "Big and punchy" from a re-fill ex-Oloroso sherry puncheon. 61.6% ABV.

It feels like a bourbon kind of night. I had some plain ol’ Buffalo Trace before making dinner and some Booker’s (Batch 2019-01E) while my turkey meatballs were in the oven. This is my second bottle of that batch of Booker’s and I’d gladly buy another two at $100 per bottle. That’s how much I enjoy this one.

Yesterday (Sunday), my wife and I had a couple of Jerry Thomas Manhattans (Rittenhouse BiB) for happy hour.

Today, Labor Day holiday in the states means grilling. Burger and a beer for lunch. Pincanha steak and a Black Manhattan (Maker’s Mark 46) for dinner on the patio.