So, whats it gonna be for christmas?

Probably my A'bunadh batch 44 and some Eagle Rare as well.

Laphroaig 10 CS Batch 004 or Laga 16. I've been meaning to open one but haven't gotten around to it.

This is an easy one for me... Willett Family Estate 24 yo Rye ; ) I made up my mind months ago that this would be the bottle I open on Christmas Day this year!

Well, I won't be using liquid spirits to "get me through" this period, though this is my least favourite time of the year...

However, in recent years I have acquired some in laws who meet in Calgary around what many people call Christmas. While I don't celebrate the holiday, I do like my inlaws, especially since my brother in law has started to appreciate Whisky.

So while I don't need to drink to get through my visit, I'm ironically fortunate that each evening I'm there we plan dramming sessions, and he takes me to visit all the good liquor stores. Of course, because his house is a central depot for kids sleeping over, we usually only end up able to dram 2-3 times.

This time will be a little different. We're there longer. And there has been pre-accumulation.

He picked up a bottle of Glendronach CS (actually 2, one for him as well, which we will open...) batch 2 for me, as well as a Bowmore Laimrig. These were simply unattainable at home. We also plan to hunt for more yummy Amrut's, Springbank 12 YO CS that we found still in stock at one place, and possibly the claret wood as well. Might try another cask strength wine finish from SB as well, and who knows what else we'll pick up.

He's already agreed to let me set up a "satellite" cabinet at his place as I probably won't be able to lug it all home on the plane...

I'm bringing some port (for my sisters in law) and a bottle of Forty Creek Heart of Gold for him. Might bring a sample bottle so he doesn't have to crack it right away.

We plan to compare some A'Bunadh batches, try some other cask strengthers and generally have a good time.

And upon my return......

I still have four bottles of Bladnoch with my friend in Florida. He's bringing his wife to Toronto and so two more bottles will be united with my "to drink" shelf, to be opened in the next few years...

T'is the season to accumulate more alcohol than I'll be able to to consume in 3 or 4 years...

I have two bottles of Bruichladdich Octomore coming to me for Christmas. Santa like dishing out the coal, lucky for me I talked him into Peat instead. :)

@PMessinger, sounds like you'll definitely have a merry Christmas! Cheers ; )

@CanadianNinja You can say that again. My Connosr family sure know how much my admiral/wife and I enjoy this spirit, I'm also getting sum Black Bottle in this same shipment. :)

@Bigtuna A'Bunadh 44 is an excellent expression. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did mine. I think I have an extra stashed somewhere among my A'Bunadh collection, and if course I have a 120 cc decanted sample waiting for the ultimate A'Bunadh showdown...

Oops, some not sum. LOL. :)

If you are able to @PMessinger, I strongly recommend the Black Bottle 10 yo. I was a fan of the standard BB until I tried the 10 yo… Wow! It really is a major step up from the standard BB. I can get it here in Japan for about $25 US. At the moment it is readily available, it won't be for long. I should stock up!

Tobermory 15 year old Island Single Malt Whisky 46.3% abv - something special to help cut through all the wrapping paper and to help the shortbread slide down a little easier.

@PMessinger - Which Octomore(s) are you expecting ?... they are all delicious.

I always make it a ritual to try something new on xmas. It makes it that much more to look foward to. This year it'll be Laga 16, last year it was Talisker 10. I've never had an authentic Islay yet (just Islay blends) so on top of it being xmas, I have my journey into Islay to look foward to! Quite excited...oh, and of course a few drinks here and there of some blends ;)

I plan on opening up my bottle of Highland Park 25, and maybe running my father-in-law, who is a wine / beer enthusiast through the mini-Nikka vertical we did on Sunday last week (Taketsuru 12, Miyagikyo 15, and Yoichi 10).

I gravitate towards sherry around Christmas. @Nozinan mentioned the Laimrig, and @paddockjudge mentioned the Tobermory 15, both of which are at the top of my wishlist this year. They can be a bit difficult to track down, but I'm holding on to hope that at least one of them makes it underneath the tree.

@CanadianNinja: You've been patiently sitting on that Willett's Rye for a few months now. I can't say I'm not jealous, sounds like an epic dram. Be sure to let us know how it goes!

@Nozinan Least fav time of the year with dramming sessions like that?! ;)

I'm wanna have a big sherry/peat monster but havent decided which one yet. Since there will be a woman sitting next to me for the first time in...uhm... years I just might finish the Bowmore 21 AD Rattray. She bought me the bottle so that would be quite suitable I guess. Bit there's only a little left, so lets hope Santa will be good to me too :)

@hunggar, wish we could open it together brother ; ) When I finally get myself to Taiwan we'll have to crack open something memorable!

@PeatyZealot I also want peat/sherry for my holiday drink. I'm looking forward to opening my Lagavulin 16 DE 1997.

@maltygirl Never tried it, but from what I read, you're in for a treat

@PeatyZealot I've had Lagavulin 16 but not the Distillery Edition. I hope it's a treat. I'll let you know.

@PeatyZealot

You make a good point sir. I guess it was my least favourite time of the year BEFORE I got married. Since that time (with the exception if the year my son was born) we've made the trip and it's been fun. The dramming only started in 2011, but yes, that does make it a bunus.

Drinking: Following the lead of Bigtuna & Nozinan, I too have a bottle of A'bunadh #44. I bought mine this past summer with the specific intention of emptying it least halfway and then letting it sit (with frequent airings) for about six months before Christmastime for it to achieve the peak level of delicious oxidation that some folks have mentioned in their reviews here. Now the time has come (though the bottle "somehow" slipped down well past the halfway mark) and I'm making it my bottle of choice as the wassail songs and whatnot fill our house these weeks. (Incidentally, I'm bit disappointed by it. I'm finding that heavy sherry doesn't do it for me. Still, though, the flavor is fitting for the season, and this is one of the best-possible complaints that one can have in his life.)

Wishing: My birthday is near Christmas, so I get two bites at the gift apple. Between the two, my wife often indulges me with at least one bottle I'm pining for. Here's the list of ideas I gave her this year: The latest bourbon-matured Kilkerran WIP, Lagavulin 12 CS, Laphroaig TW, and Talisker DE. All but the Talisker would be new (for me) expressions from favorite distilleries.

Waes hael, all!

Hopefully a Litre Bot. of Caol Ila 12yo. DE. I've dropped enough hints! I / We have had some very good experiences with Caol Ila, of late!

@paddockjudge Does it matter, like you said they are all good. :) @CanadianNinja thanks I will keep my eye out for the BB 10yr. Merry Christmas to both of you and all the others of my Connosr Family. :)

@PMessinger OctoMORE, no it doesn't matter. I have some Comus 4.2 and think that it is brilliant...just curious what you were going to tap....and, yes, i did buy more than one:)

Three items on the horizon: 1. My wife picked up an 'advanced' tasting at the LCBO. I am actually looking forward to it. I attended an 'intermediate' tasting several years ago that featured a great IB Caol Ila, Glenfarclas 17, and a 17 yo Rosebank, among others. The 'advanced' session might actually be decent. 2. I plan to crack open a Miltonduff 24 CS (Dun Bheagan) with my brother. 3. I plan to make homemade egg nog using Forty Creek double barrel and perhaps a splash of rum. Funny thing is that I don't even like eggnog (wife loves it, though), but I will be more than willing to try a home version.

I just opened my bottle of Airigh Nam Beist to carry me through the holiday season. So far I am enjoying it greatly… but I was definitely a bit surprised. It is not quite what I was excepting. Not better or worse, mind you… just different. Great dram.

@TheConscience

Good homemade eggnog (with or without alcohol - though it's safer with due to the raw eggs) beats the bought stuff every time...

@Nozinan

I have no doubt that you are right about the home made stuff. At least I can control and adjust the ingredients to suit my tastes. I plan to get around the raw egg problem by tempering the whipped eggs with hot milk/cream and bringing the whole mixture up to 160 degrees. I have to make some of it kid friendly...but then I'll spike the rest.