So, what are you drinking now?

Sazerac 18 Rye, Caol Ila Cask Strength, Compass Box Peat Monster Reserve, Chinaco Anejo Tequila, and Casa Noble Reposado Tequila.

Longrow 10yo. 1996, (bottled 2006). A fine Whisky with smoke, heather honey and Rockmelon (?) on the nose and a surprising shift on the palate to a rather briny low tide intensity that I find very interesting indeed, powerful, mouth watering and deliciously sweet. The finish is persistent, crisp and grippy and again honey, vanilla, smoke and a wonderful malty sweetness that is so moreish!

&, this is a freshly opened bottle and already the mouth-feel is quite superb!

Well I'm not drinking it right now, but thanks to WhiskyBaz I got turned onto a free whisky tasting tonight featuring one of my favorite distilleries! Limeburners! So tonight I'll be trying one of their regular offerings (god I hope it's one I haven't had before!) one of their cask strengths and their new Tiger Snake Sour Mash Bourbon style whisky! Should be fun!

Longrow CV. A unique and delicious peated Campbelltowner. I will need to get more.

Just bought the isle of Jura"superstition". I love it!

Decided to have something different, poured myself a bit of Matusalem rum 15yo. And didn't enjoy it neat. Had to wash it off my palate with Longrow CV and then Caol Ila 12))

I think I'll pour myself a dram of Compass Box Spice Tree and see how it's doing after being open for 6 months or so.

A rye night....a nice spicy dram (or two) of Wild Turkey 101 Rye followed by a Great Divide Brewing Hoss, which is a rye lager.

Great King Street Artist's Blend, Weymess Peat Chimney 8 yo. It's another WFH Wednesday which allows me to slip out to find new whiskies.

Whew. Another Whisk(e)y Wednesday tasting tonight and ten samples were up for offer. Royal Thistle, Maltman Mortlach 13, Maltman Highland Park 11, Maltman Bunnahabhain 10, Maltman Glenlossie 19, Douglas Liang Old Malt Cask Speyside 20, Old Malt Cask Royal Lochnagar 14, Clan Denny North British 50, Douglas Double Barrel (Highland Park + Bowmore), and Cu Dhu. Wow.

The good friend of ours who provided my bottle of HP 12 (which is down now to its final dram) shared a pour of it with me on Thursday night while watching football (the NFL kind). The two of us then were the recipients of pours of the Peat Monster from 'WhiskyJoe', when he came over last night to finally crack open a bottle that he had been waiting to try for almost a month.

I could not remember the components that went into this wonderful blend. 'WhiskyJoe', a Caol Ila fan in development really noted a CI presence. I felt that there was also a Laphroaig presence in the blending. Now re-reading 'markjedi1's review of the PM, it turns out that we were both right (along with Ardmore)!!

To continue the peated theme, I cracked open my Dun Bheagan Islay 2002 which I have been led to believe is 8 year old (43% abv, bottled 2010, though with no specific dates given it could even be a 7 year old) Lagavulin. 'WhiskyJoe' did indeed feel that it was a Lagavulin nose. I got a Lagavulin 16 profile, but with (understandably) less of the sweet influence from the sherry cask (though the colour is definitely there), and more of a herbal quality from the peat component. For less than 1/2 the price of Laga 16 ($50 vs. $115 in Ontario) it is a very worthwhile acquisition for Islay fans. It is fairly easily available in Ontario, with a total release of 5400 bottles from 15 consecutively numbered casks.

A very enjoyable evening (and a thank you to 'WhiskyJoe' for gifting a couple extra samples of the Peat Monster!!)

@BlueNote...I am under the impression that the Longrow CV may not be available much longer as that label is getting retired by Springbank, who is in the process of re-formulating the CV blend. Can anyone confirm/deny/clarify this?

Laphroaig 10 (43%ABV)with some college football

@Pudge72 -- The Compass Box Peat Monster is 50% Islay Malts, 30% Ardmore, and 20% Ledaig according to the liner notes on the CB gift box. It lists the Islay components as maltS from the village of Port Askaig and a south shore malt.

@Mantisking , That's a great pairing.

@GotOak91, I've heard good things about the monster, how does it compare to other Islays?

Sorry, I got the reply to switched.

@Benancio Ah I was about to reply then I saw that and yes it is a good pairing after a pallet cleanse with water Ill probably open my Glenfiddich 15.

I just opened a new Rye. Taos Lightening 5 year Rye. 90 proof. There are a few whiskys made here in New Mexico. We have a Indian Blue Corn Bourbon too.

Just to go somewhere else,i pour myself a glass of El Dorado 12 years rum and it s so good and i didnt expected that,wow great product....And to close the night i go with a glass of Highland Park 12 so good!!!

@systemdown Batch 40 is really good if you can still find one. Now I only can only find batch 41.

G&M Mortlach 1994 13yo (58.5% abv)

My first bottle ever of Johnny Walker Green Label. Very nice...smooth yet still a little spicy. Very drinkable...too drinkable because we made a big dent in the bottle. Goning to have to pick up a few more of these before they can't be found.

@maltygirl Thanks for the advice, I'll see what I can find at my local stores, bottles don't move that fast out here so I might luck out.

I opened my bottle of Auchentoshan Springwood the other evening, a purchase I made at a London Airport on the way home a few weeks back. It comes across as very young and zesty, but quite refreshing. It was number 179 in my whisky journey, and have recently posted my review to my blog: whisky-discovery.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/…

Just finished my bottle of Buffalo Trace Eagle Rare Single Barrel 10 yr old tonight. A lovely bourbon that I'm sad to see go. However I still have it's uncles Thomas H Handy Rye and William L Weller. (Top two whiskies in the world) however for the Aussie whisky drinkers I may have a surprise that affects you all in the near future! (Hopefully!)

I walked into an unsuspected tasting yesterday afternoon in West Concord, MA. After chatting momentarily with a Loch & K(e)y member who was pouring drinks for a company he represented, I quickly called my GF and a friend I knew was nearby. I then received a glass from the person working the door and settled in to making choices from the many that were available. I started with George Dickel Cascade Hollow Tennessee Whisky which I had heard of buy never seen before. I moved on to the Douglas Blair Athol 11 and Dalmore 18. I followed these with Breckinridge and Noah's Mill bourbons. My final pour of the day a few minutes before the close of the event was Big Peat. Yesterday was a happy surprise.

Lagavulin 12 year old (2010). Stunning whisky. Nice smoke, good complexity. Outpaces the 16 by far.

Last night, a commercial tasting with wife and sister: Arran 10, Arran 14, Arran Sauternes Finish, Arran Port Finish, Arran Amarone Finish, Kilchoman Machir Bay, Kilchoman 2006, Isle of Skye blended 8 yo, Isle of Skye 12 yo. I liked the Arran Amarone and the Kilchoman Machir Bay best. Dramlette liked the Arran Sauternes and Arran Amarone best. The two Isle of Skye products turned our heads enough to buy a bottle of each of them.

@Victor -- That sounds like a great tasting. I'm jealous. Did you get the rep's name so I can pass it along to my local and maybe arrange for him to do a tasting in my neck of the woods?

@Victor Yes, I really like the Arran Amarone finish - though I know many who do not.