So, what are you drinking now?

A correction to my Wednesday night dinner post. I said we finished with the 23 year Society Laphroaig. While it was our final whisky, I don’t know how I forgot that the restaurant owner poured us a stunning Armagnac to go with the Crème Brûlée.

49 Yr (1969) Château de Laubade 40% ABV. Notes of wood & orange peel. An absolute treat!

Tonight, Ardbeg Wee Beastie - 5 year old - 47.4% ABV

@bwmccoy how have you found it? Tesco in the UK have started selling it and I can't decide if I should grab a bottle. Heard mixed reviews.

@Wierdo I had a bottle just after it came out and enjoyed it. It seemed to be more subtle than the ten. Still the same Ardbeg distillery character but different enough to be worth getting. Might get another now you mentioned it being in Tesco.

Finished of a sample of anCnoc 24 earlier. The review was not meant to be, alas, but I very much enjoyed this and expect a full bottle would give one quite the journey. A touch bitter and peppery at the death, which is not unexpected at that age, but with gorgeous lemony, leathery notes. And I was getting a wee touch of peat on the nose with water. Lovely! 89-90

Then had a Ledaig 10 OB that's been open a couple of months now. Still not quite living up to my last bottle as it's less juicy and the spices are heavier, moving towards the bitter end - so less anise, liquorice and clove and more pepper and bitter oak. I swear this has more colour added too, which could go someway to explain that? Air and a few drops of water really help this one and I do like the farmy style of peat. 85

@Wierdo I’m just about finished my second bottle and I’m quite amazed at how good a 5 year old whisky can taste. It’s certainly different from the Ten and different in a good way. I wonder if given another 5 years in the cask it would become the Ten or still be something completely different.

@BlueNote @Wierdo

I have not had it in some time but thanks to the help of @Astroke I was able to get some in 2020. On its own it is impressive if one is in the mood for fresh peat. I have not compared it to the 10 but it pales when tasted next to something like Uigeadail.

Finally getting around to opening some birthday presents...

@Nozinan And Corryvreckan. But considering it's age and price it's a very good bang for the buck.

@YakLord Nice prezzies. Many happy returns.

Friday night was a Glen Allachie 12-yo at 57.5% ABV.

Saturday’s Advent dram was a 12-yo Dailuaine at 54.8%.

@BlueNote I wish I'd grabbed a bottle of the 125th anniversary 16 year old!

@Wierdo It's a good 'un. Are they all gone over there?

@BlueNote pretty much so. Still available on a few sites or at auction. But at a significant mark up.

Sunday evening - a little side by side of these 2 Kilkerran 8 CS bottles. I had thought the 57.1% version to be quite sweet, almost brown sugar-like. But tonight beside the 56.9% there is a distinct woody-sweetness to it alongside a tannic astringency. In comparrison the 56.9 has much more going on - typical dry sherry notes (nutty and fruity), a herbal aspect, and a natural sherry sweetness compared to the woody sweetness of the 57.1. Both show the kk character but the 56.9 is bigger, rounder, more layered and more complex. The sulfuric notes have subdued to a lovely flinty note - almost like spent gunpowder (yum). The 56.9 is quite a dirty beast and I like it a lot.

Sunday night’s Advent dram was a real winner. Xtra Old Particular (XOP) Blair Athol 25 year old coming in at 57.9% ABV. Nice chewy dram and just enough time in the cask to mellow it out perfectly. Liked this enough to see if I actually could get a bottle, and I can. The Whiskey Vault has it for the low low price of 270 GBP. So sadly, I will not be getting a bottle unless Whisky Santa delivers one this Christmas. (I’m not holding my breath!)

@TracerBullet That probably depends if you’ve been naughty or nice to Whisky Santa.

@Wierdo - I'm on my second bottle of Wee Beastie. I agree with what others have said. It is good whisky, especially for the price. I initially struggled with my first bottle because in my opinion the name "Wee Beastie" does not describe this whisky. It is not a beastie, wee or otherwise. As others have said, it is actually quite subtle, but I like it quite a bit. Hope that helps.

Last night, I went over to a friends house for dinner and to catch up.

After dinner, we started off with a couple of bottles that he picked up on a recent trip to bourbon country;

Restoration Kentucky Rye Whiskey from Castle & Key Distillery (Frankfort, KY). Batch No. 1, 3.5 years, Bottle No. 09829. 50.5% ABV.

Yellowstone Hand Picked Collection Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel for Third Time's A Charm. 57.5% ABV. Limestone Branch Distillery, Lebanon, Kentucky.

After that, moved on to peat;

Copperworks Distilling Company Special Release 34 WA state peated malt (Skagit Valley Maltings) aged for 49 months in 8 new American oak - 52% ABV.

Laphroaig 10 year Cask Strength Batch 012 (Feb. 2020) - 60.1% ABV.

Glenturret SMWS 16.52 (11 year - Dec. 2009) "Campfire breakfast on a damp morning" from a re-charred American oak hogshead - 63.4% ABV.

@bwmccoy It's a bit like Compass Box's Peat Monster which is not exactly monstrously peaty. I do like it though.

@BlueNote - Completely agree with you on that!

@TracerBullet - they also have this for £120, which isn't too bad. Assuming they can get it to you?

thewhiskyvault.com/blair-athol-1995-20-yea…

@BlueNote - Who in their right mind would be naughty to him?!?!

@RianC Or her. I suspect that Mrs TracerBullet is the Whisky Santa @TracerBullet has to be nice to if he wants to find the good stuff under the tree.

@BlueNote Oh, Mrs. TracerBullet is more than supportive of my whisky habit. Last week she let me get the Kilchoman Club 2021 release. I have no reason to complain.

Last night I got a Wemyss Malts 26 year old at 46% ABV. This one was dubbed “Caramel Apple Sauce”. The caramel was up front and the apple was at the finish. A very smooth dram and again I’d be happy to have a bottle but I don’t think I’d pay what they would probably charge based on the age statement.

After some interesting discussion earlier, I’m revisiting some Lot 40 Cask Strength Peated Quarter Cask.

@TracerBullet That makes two of us lucky boys.

Cheers.

Tonight, Bunnahabhain SMWS 10.176 (11 year - Dec. 2007) "Tea-smoked salmon" - After nine years in an ex-bourbon hogshead transferred into a second fill Spanish oak ex-Oloroso hogshead - 59.2% ABV.