So, what are you drinking now?

An aperitif of Longrow CV whilst I prepare dinner..

@systemdown Did ou like it? I know I did :)

@paddockjudge Thank you sir! I appreciate the pour!

@Victor Thank you! I had a great birthday (though not much whisky involved), and it sounds like you did too, @paddockjudge!

Bruichladdich Rocks

Enjoying a healthy pour of Bushmills Millennium. Bottles getting low so thankful I have two more inbound.

Clynelish 14 yr.

Glenmorganie 10 yr "Original "My first Highland Single Malt

Enjoying a dram of Bruichladdich 16yr on this nice Friday eve in Seattle.

Greetings from the Ardbog Day celebration in Seattle!

imgur.com/q18STnz

Started off with Uigeadail, followed by Corryvreckan, then 10 year before they broke out the Ardbog. Wow! Love this one! Much better than last year's release - Day. Ardbog is sweet and complex with a big finish. I will be picking up a bottle on Monday when it's released here.

Home now. Finishing the night with PC8.

@bwmccoy - how I wish I could be having some Ardbog, or even Ardbeg 10...anything to wash the taste of what I was drinking out of my mouth...started our Battle of the Budget Blended Scotch Whiskies (Group A) last night - Ballantine's Finest, Catto's Rare Old, Grant's Family Reserve, and The Famous Grouse. The Grouse emerged the winner of Group A, but we have three more groups to settle before moving on to the semi-finals and finals...I am not sure my stomach can handle it...

Just finishing a tasting with @Jonathan, who came over to Montgomery County to buy some Ardbog. We had: Ardbog, Talisker 57 Degrees North, Talisker DE 1993 and 1998, Laphroaig 18, Ardbeg Galileo, Aberlour 10, Glenfarclas 15, Old Rip Van Winkle 10 yo 90 proof, Lagavulin 12 2012, Octomore Orpheus 2.2,, Highland Park 15, Yamazaki 12, Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX, and Willett Family Reserve Sopressata Bourbon 18 yo 69.7% ABV.

@Victor thats one crazy tasting maestro, would get me drunk...

Nikka Yoichi 10, very refreshing, different peat sensation

@Victor that is a rather epic tasting, indeed. A bunch of beautiful drams. What did you think of the 2012 12 YO Lagavulin? The Orpheus is just gorgeous stuff.

@numen, the 2012 Lagavulin 12 lacked oomph compared to, say, 2010 Lagavulin 12. Certainly not bad, though, and the 2012 Lagavulin 12 still has a lot more horsepower than my bottle of Lagavulin 16.

@PeatyZealot Late reply, but yes, Longrow CV is a good dram. I was expecting better though after hearing very good things about it - still good, just not brilliant.

RE: Yoichi 10 - yes the peat is different! It's first peated Japanese whisky I'd tasted and was intrigued that there could be such a discernible difference in peat usage. Before that, I thought "peat is peat" but now I know there is in fact an entire spectrum of possible peat expressions.

@systemdown, a HUGE spectrum of peat, and a HUGE spectrum of barley. Much more attention should be paid to each of these, in my opinion. And no one EVER talks about yeast with respect to Scottish whisky...of course not, they have nothing to say. They keep it simple so people don't ask too many questions.

@Victor You forgot The Peat Monster Reserve! @Numen Yes, it was an epic tasting, thanks in equal parts to Victor’s contagious enthusiasm and his generosity. We started at 9:20am, which set a record for me in terms of early whisk(e)y tasting. Believe it or not, there was no slurring or stumbling at any point. For whatever reason, whisk(e)y doesn’t generally have that effect on me, especially when I keep the pours moderate and take small sips. (After a few beers, on the other hand…)

From the many standouts, I’ll pick three highlights: 1) Octomore Orpheus has to be my favorite whisky so far. The peat and wine influence work incredibly well together. I wasn't expecting such complexity and subtlety from a young whisky with such a high PPM count. This is also a perfect example of “peat” that is not at all just “peat”!

2)Old Rip van Winkle 10 is another. My not-yet-whiskey-loving wife loved this one and I agree with her notes: toffee, vanilla, Christmas cookie flavors, with barely any trace of alcohol. Her other favorites were Aberlour 10, Sonnalta PX and ‘farclas 15—all whiskies, unfortunately, that are not locally available.

Finally, Willet Sopressata Bourbon 18 yo: This complex and layered bourbon gives Stagg and other high-test bourbons that I have tasted a run for their money. It may be my favorite non-wheater so far.

I'm now having a sip of Knob Creek Single Barrel. Some prominent notes are vanilla, caramel,rye,red hots (spicy cinnamon) , clove and pepper. At around $30 a bottle, this whiskey is punching above its weight.

@Jonathan I'm with you on the Orpheus. I had no expectations of it, though I was surprised at how soft it was. I don't remember much (having not taken any notes), but I do recall something of pink/rose wine and rose petals and something feathery. Have you tried any of the younger Glendronach releases? Your wife may also go for those if she liked the Aberlour and Glenfarclas.

Picked up a couple of Talisker 'Island Packs' 3x200ml. bots. 2000 DE., Std. 10yo. and a 57* North.

I'm pretty sure this is the same pack that was available for Xmas '12 as the DE. is the same, distilled in 2000 and bottled in 2011 - It may have been available for Xmas '11. Either way, it's been around for a while and from memory, (I think) the 10yo. std. expression was the standout Whisky. We'll see how they shape up this time 'round.

The Pack has got progressively cheaper over the years; down from about Au.$80.00 to $54.95 & that's OK by me. Opened the DE. and it's splendid - A gorgeous sweet mouth-feel, salty, white peppery with an enticing aroma and a full, lingering, tenacious and delicious sweet finish. I'm quite sure that this will only get better!

Cheers.

Tonight it's McClelland Islay from my admiral's / wife's cabinet, after finishing Isle of Skye 12yr old. :)

@A'bunadhman writes: Erratum: Talisker 'Island Pack', should read 'Classic Malts Collection'.

@PMessinger Someone in the other thread (worst whisky ever) says the McClelland Islay is horrible, I take it you don't agree?

@systemdown, there seem to be more than a few members who don't enjoy the McClelland Islay. Personally I think it's a great budget Islay whisky. Oh well, to each his own ; )

@CanadianNinja Yeah I mean that's fine, it's just interesting when you come across such diverging opinions on a whisk(e)y, usually it's a little more cut and dry. I love that some people can abhor one whisky while others think it's great! Makes for interesting discussions anyway! I'm yet to try it, but keen now!

@systemdown, a lot of people just do not like the young Bowmores, with McClelland's Islay being the most extreme example. While several list this as 'Worst Whisky Ever' I can tell you I know of others who absolutely love it. So they have expressed to me privately, in response to my having reviewed it. (I rated it in the low 70s, but described it as very drinkable.) They just don't get loud about it no doubt to avoid responses by some others here, who greatly dislike it. McClelland's Islay is not far different from Bowmore Legend. I like McClelland's Islay just fine, but I found that it deteriourated quite a lot with contact with air. High art? No. But that Leathery note that @JeffC hates just doesn't bother me.

As I've said many times, I quite like the McClellands Islay as a nice budget whisky option. But you definitely hit the nail on the head with your comment about how air effects this whisky @Victor! It doesn't do it ANY favours. In fact I would strongly recommend finishing the bottle before it sits for too long.

@CanadianNinja, nice to see your corroboration about the air effects on McClelland's Islay. I would advise anyone not to judge this whisky on sampling from a bar sample, but only from sampling from a bottle less than one month open.

(Many will not like that either, of course.)