So, what are you drinking now?

Have you ever tried the 15 year old? @gordy1989

@gordy1989 Triple Wood is Quarter Cask finished in Oloroso sherry casks. Personally, I like the QC better but wouldn't turn down an offer of TW.

Old Overholt Rye, a bottle from 2008. Anyone who thinks this a weak rye should drink from this bottle. Three and a half years open, 85% gone from the bottle and the finish still tastes like 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and fruit on the tongue...May this intense beverage come back again to this beautiful level of intensity. I am a little doubtful, though, now that Jim Beam has Knob Creek Rye @ $40+ per bottle. Knob Creek Rye is excellent, but it tastes like the higher-proof cherry-picked barrel version of Beam Yellow Label Rye. Will Beam really allow a $ 10-20 Old Overholt to compete with its $ 40 Knob Creek Rye? Probably not, but I hope so. No doubt the yeasts are different here...but the best of Old Overholt at 40% ABV is pretty damn good, in the crudest, most kick-ass rye sort of way...

Scapa 16 yr.

Bunnahabhain 12(new version)so good,better than my expectation,a nice surprise !!!!!

@FMichael How's the Scapa?

Felt in the mood for some serious depth of flavor, so just tasting some top-shelf ultimate bourbons.

• Elijah Craig 18 - Smooth, sweet, intense flavor, carame, brown sugar .. lovely
• Noah's Mill - Not too old, but cask strength - cut w/water, aged dried fruit, strong, uummmm .. Bardstown character, nice
• Jefferson's 17 (Batch 4) - respectful, but sharp, woody, old ... not a favorite
• Jefferson's Reserve (about 15 year) - totally distinctive, rich tobacco nose, dry and nice woody, deep somber essence ... a favorite
• Knob Creek 9 - Usually Jim Beam burnt sweetness, with dry robust finish. Potent.
• Vintage Bourbon 17 - Exotic candy and caramel nose (that would be enough), deep dried fruit and many other deep flavors contributing, a Bardstown character - a big favorite
• Rowen's Creek - not in this league, but robust and flavorful, very respectful, a Bardstown character
• Pappy Van Winkle 15 - Lovely tantalizing nose, rich wheated flavor, flavorvul and very intense - an absolute favorite in the wheated category.
• Bookers - Potent & flavorful (due to cask strength), 6-8 years, still great cut w/water, usual Beam burnt sugar flavor. Pricewise, probably overrated in my opinion. Baker's is similar, but already cut.

That was fun ! So what do YOU think ? Too bad I don't have any Weller's :(

@AboutChoice, I smile just reading your list! We have many bourbon whiskey 'loves' in common, though to my palate Baker's tastes nothing whatsoever like Booker's or any of the other Beam products. As far as I am concerned it has to be the yeast strain used which differentiates it...yes, it will be good to include some nice Weller bourbons next time, too! When I eventually see you face to face I will bring some Wellers if you are not in possession of them by that time.

Tonight I gave a little tasting to a new friend: Casa Noble Anejo Tequila, Macallan Cask Strength, Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye, George T. Stagg (2011), and Ardbeg Uigeadail. He was fascinated by the Uigeadail. This new friend bourbon drinker has great promise as a soon-to-be Islay aficionado!

Just poured myself a Clynelish 14. I am still not quite sure what to make of this one - I like the way this reminds me of Highland Park in its mix of sweetness (caramel and honey) and earthiness (heather, grass, and peat), but it's a bit salty for my taste. I enjoy Islay malts, but without the other maritime characteristics and the peat the salt just makes this seem unbalanced.

@Wodha I just wasn't won over at all by TW, I knew its pedigree just it was a bit of let down IMO.

@Sroberts86 Yes I have, Thank God for 18yo (its replacement) .......... ok I admit it Laphroaig do have a couple worth avoiding : /

@gordy1989, Yes, indeed, thank God for Laphroaig 18 yo!

Last night i finally opened my bottle of Glen Moray 10yr Chardonnay Cask, and it was just as surprising as it was back at Whisky Live London. It shouldnt work, my mind tells me it isnt the right way to do it, but it just does the business! I'll stick a review up later in the week, but thats my current dram of choice anyway!

Old Pulteney 12 yr.

@Mantisking I'm a bit late in replying, but I have to say I like the Dry Fly MUCH more than the bernheim, which I finally tried. I find it more distinctive in terms of the wheat profile. I do wish they would offer a higher proof, it would give it more oomph.

2 years ago tonight, my wife and I attended an SMWS whisky tasting on the London Eye. One of the 5 amazing whiskies that night was a 40 year Longmorn (7.55 - "Liquid Heaven" - Distilled Dec. 1968; 40 years in a Sherry cask.)

To commemorate the occasion, I decided tonight was as good as any to open the bottle of it that I have been saving. I was curious to see if it would live up to my memory of that night. I was not disappointed.

The color is very dark (mahogany, cola). The nose is fruit cake (candied cherries), molasses, brown sugar. The taste is huge, velvety smooth, chewy, meaty and the finish is very, very long. One of the best drams I have ever had!

If you're interested, check out the first edition of Distilled here on Connosr (under the Editorial link above). In the video, Laura Hay does a great job describing her tasting of it. Also, Jim Murray reviewed it in his 2012 Whisky Bible.

@bwmccoy Now I want one!!

@bwmccoy, thank you for sharing. It is good for us to have feedback on those SMWS offerings. They are something quite enticing, for those willing and able to pay the rate. I am not surprised that you are a sentimentalist with and without the whisky!

For me, drinking now, apres Stagg 2012 review, ...a tip of the glass of 1979 43.4% ABV Johnnie Walker Black Label to @thecyclingyogi, who is most fond of this particular old-school bottle of it. The wine-cask components of this bottle are very clear and most delicious. It's tasting very good, Nic!

Dashing between Laphroaig 10 and Aberlour 12 double, well dashing in responsible (sort of) amounts. Got to finish some to get more I say.

A doozy of a day. Poured myself some Black Maple Hill, and hopefully by the time I'm through with it you'll be able to read my review — I'm surprised that it'll be the first on connosr for the brand.

@EvaRees, nice bourbon, Black Maple Hill, depending upon the release. There were in the past a few different products and ages that KBD puts out under the name Black Maple Hill, and at least one rye whiskey. I have a bottle of the recent bourbon that I sampled and liked a lot at the store, but haven't opened it.

@SquidgyAsh - If you see one, grab it! Highly recommend it!

@Victor - Thanks for your kind words, but was it sentimental reasons... Or was it a case of looking for any excuse to open it. Maybe a little of both. :-) As for SMWS, in general, their bottlings are always unique, usually very good, if not excellent and are very reasonably priced, especially for the older ones. You will pay a little more for younger ones (a 10 yr from the society is generally, 25% more on average than a 10 yr bottled by the same distillery, but older expressions are much cheaper than the same age of the distillery bottling. It's not even close!

Tonight, a Bruichladdich 1992 Fino Sherry Edition and a 12 year Glen Elgin (SMWS 85.22) before dinner, followed by a 5 yr single sherry cask Kilchoman afterwards.

@Victor: I bought another W/T 101 Rye from the same outlet as prviously and I have to say it is just as hard!

Lots of oak splinters here but it does improve markedly in large glass and those last few nips seem to improve 'out of sight'! This is nothing like the current W/T Rye which is delicious, juicy and quite sweet but the older Ryes are not without their own charm; firm and resinous with solid mahogany depth and a vanila perfume that is almost overwhelming - But it does need to breathe awhile!

Slainte!

Just considering having a drink of Laphraoig 10. Nothing overly special as it goes, but this was a birthday present and it has a lovely gaelic verse and a signature from the distillery manager. Makes it a bit more special.

@A'bunadhman, it will be interesting to see whether there will be significant change in the Wild Turkey 101 Rye when the new batches of the new-label WT101 Rye appear in 2013. Hopefully the new and expanded Wild Turkey distillery will give us the best flavours of the old Wild Turkey.

Finally done with a 2 day major cleaning of my apartment, so now I thought I deserved a glass. Decided to try open and try out a Caol Ila Unpeated 12 yo.

Nice even without peat.. fruity... obviously initially VERY strong with its 64 ABV.. very interesting compared to the "ordinary" caol ila I tasted in the past (which I do very much enjoy aswell)

@thelin79 I think you deserve a few more glasses for all that cleaning!

I'm trying out a pairing of Ardmore Traditional Cask and Balderson's 5 year old cheddar. I'm not very good at pairing, but this is incredible. The cheese actually helps to bring out subtle smokey flavours in the Ardmore. After this I will definitely try more pairings.

Tasting Laphroaig 18. It's nothing else but amazing! so rich and intense! love it!

@Max, from dram of Laphroaig 18 to bottle in the cabinet didn't take too long! Very easy to understand.

Bunnahabhain 12 yr.