So what did you get this year?

I'm sure it was well deserved.

I got bottled well water from islay, Highlands and speyside. They will make a fun addition to a tasting that I'm hosting in January.

Glenfarclas 25 year, lovely stuff

I got a miniature bottle of Glenlivet 15

Hit For The Cycle! My three children, and their significant others, dished out four gems as I went four-fer-four and successfully completed the cycle. My best Christmas Day at the plate, if you don't count dinner.

First up was a seeing-eye single with CC 100% Rye - a good way to start the day.

The next offering was the soon-to-be-scarce Highwood Ninety 20 YO - an off-the-wall double.

Being two-fer had me in a good place. I wasn't expecting too much, well maybe a free pass/base on balls (coffee mug or box of chocolates) when out of nowhere I get another one right in my wheel house - Crown Royal Monarch, a stand-up triple.

At this point I'm thinking, they'll be pitching around me, that's enough damage for one day. What happened next was completely unexpected. This gift had my name on it. With one effortless stroke I removed the cover. This one was out of the park...over the center field scoreboard and into the parking lot! Time stood still. I was in the zone. Rounding the bases I could still see every one of the 108 double stitches on that frozen ball and burned into my mind was the brand on the hide, William Larue Weller.

I got a Springbank 12 CS Batch 7 (50.3%) from my in-laws, and recently bought Laphroaig 18 & Ardbeg Corryvreckan. Next purchases will be from independent bottlers.

@paddockjudge beautiful in its storytelling and outcome

My feelings for the Cory have grown over time - you should be happy w all three

@JayRain Thanks, 'tis the season to be jolly!

I received 4 GlenCairn Copita glasses, Crown Royal Norther Harvest Rye, Lost Mountain Distillery Private Reserve, and Colonel E.H. Taylor Straight Rye. Overall I think I did quite well on the whiskey front this year!

Apparently Santa and my friends and relatives think I needed more whisky, but there's already too much on the storage shelves in the basement. Between my birthday, which is in early December, and Christmas, I ended up with: a whisky infused marmalade tasting pack (featuring Macallan, Bowmore, and Famous Grouse) Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition, Dewar's 12yr (which I'd asked for, as it's being ear-marked for an aged blended whisky tasting), Hibiki Harmony, a 37.5cl bottle of Drambuie, a 5cl mini of Chivas Regal 12yr, and the Glenmorangie Tasting Pack (4 x 10cl, one each of the Original, Lasanta, Quinta Ruban, and Nectar D'or).

@mscottydunc That should say Last Mountain, not Lost Mountain.

@mscottydunc Do you know where the copita glasses were purchased, a retailer or online? I'll probably pop open my Col. EHTSR by new years.

@AdamH I believe my sister purchased them from whiskyglass.ca I ordered some for my Dad from there a while ago, the prices are reasonable and they ship very fast. I think if I remember it was around $75 including shipping for 4.

Cheers.

Lagavulin Distillers Edition 1999/2015 and Laphroaig Quarter Cask with an additional tasting glass that says 'Give Peat a chance', nice touch. Never had the Laphroaig Quarter Cask, it's sort of a legend in the industry. Nice 'educational' project for me.

As for the Lagavulin DE, can't wait to do a head to head with my Ardbeg Uigeadail. Hohohoho!

I forgot to mention that I also got a Nikka from the barrel. Looking forward to testing if it varies in taste in relation to my other one.

Last year it was Michter's Toasted Barrel under the tree... this year I got a bottle of Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve....

Looks like some people had a magical Christmas, and other a great end of 2015...

Friends just came back from the Czech Republic and graciously got me a hill's small batch absinthe. Spent some time researching last night and learned that we do not sell the 'real' stuff in ontario. Too bad that I read this after my trip to geraldine's (which is now unfortunately closed).

@JayRain

When I had friends traveling to Europe I used to order 1.1 L of spirits online to their hotel and they would bring a regular bottle plus minis home for me. In this way I accumulated a total of 3 50cc bottles of 2 different Absinthes. One type was 68%! One day I will try them.

@paddockjudge congratulations on the William Larue Weller! That is a Christmas Miracle!

This year Santa seemed provide one of almost everything: 1 bourbon, 1 rye, 1 sherry monster, 1 peat monster, 1 blend and 1 old dusty.

Glendronach CS Batch #2 55.2%

Ballechin 10yo 46%

Smooth Ambler's Old Scout 9yo single barrel #2049 at 60.8% (121.6 Proof)

James E. Pepper 1776 Rye 50% (100 Proof)

Black Bull 40yo Batch #1 40.2% (I am turning 40 this year and the wife allowed me to procure this as an early Birthday present to be opened on that sacred day).

AND an old and dusty bottle of one of my favorites:

Laphroaig 10yo CS 004 58.6% Jan 2012

I am the most excited to have the bottle of Laphroaig. I found it in a small over priced shop near my parents' house. It was the last bottle on the shelf and I was happy to pay the higher than usual price for this gem. It is one of those bottles that you assume will always be around - or at least the consistency will always be there batch to batch. Sadly, batch 005 and 006 have not been up to 004 in my opinion. And I hear 007 is in the same range (good but not great). Still, I will have to find out for myself.

I have been saving up spare bottles of the Laphroaig Cask Strength 10yo for a monster tasting some day. Now I am awaiting the 007 to hit my local stores.

@Nozinan I like that approach and will use it in the future - just have to be mindful that these are gifts from friends and should not over-direct their generosity

@JayRain

An entirely different situation. They were going and offered to mule, and I ordered and paid for the stuff. Gifts are an entirely different matter. My focus of that post was the Absinthe, not the method.

@Nozinan. I have a 375ml bottle of Absinthe that my sister-in-law gave me a couple of years ago. It's called Lucid. 62% ABV, product of France. There are instructions on the bottle for pouring cold water through a sugar cube on a perforated spoon into a glass containing the spirit. I have yet to get up the courage to try it.

Back on topic: I got BenRiach 15 PX finish, 16 YO Nadurra and Compass Box Spice Tree this year. Plus the Bowmore Tempest and Laphroaig 2015 Cairdeas that I treated myself to earlier in the month.

BTW, what did you pick up when you were in Vancouver last month?

Have a happy and healthy New Year. Cheers.

i got a bottle of the compass box - the lost blend. cant wait to try it. (its still en-route)

A little late but one set of siblings in law gifted me a bottle of Glenfiddich 18. It comes in a relatively large package. I have so much to bring back to Ontario I really don't know what I'm going to do with it. If I can get it back there I can try to "return" it and exchange it for something I might actually drink...

I was gifted a number of bottles this holiday season:

• Macallan 12
• Glenlivet Founders Reserve
• Glenfiddich 18
• 1792 Small Batch Bourbon
• Appalachian Gap Distillery Snowfall Vermont Whiskey
• High West Campfire Whiskey
• Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 20 Year Old

I'm ready for winter!

I got a gift certificate at the whisky store. I'm using it to buy a single cask islay I've been talking about. It's not available before Dec 29 hence the gift certificate..

@broadwayblue,

The first and last on your list are right in my wheelhouse....Go Rangers!

Some great Holiday bottles here! I just got two and one of them I knew about in advance. Laphroaig Cairdeas Madeira (2016) and a 1L bottle of Johnnie Walker 18 Platinum. If the JW was a standard size I'd consider exchanging it for something else, but since it's not I will gladly open it and share with friends. I've yet to have either, so I'm quite excited to try them.

My wife and my brother-in-law are the best. This year my brother-in-law got me the Talisiker Distillers Edition (2014) and my sweetie got me Lagavulin Distillers Edition and the Glendronach 15 year Revival. I've tried both the DE's and love them! Think the Talisker may be the better dram but need some time to compare as the O2 gets to them.