What did you NOT buy and why?

@CanadianNinja I have an acquaintance that lives in Mejiro, there is a definitely a lack of modern Canadian expressions but he recently purchased a bottle of Alberta premium that had a 1973 tax label on it, he mentioned it was easily available and cost the equivalent of about 30$Can.

Keep an eye on the whisky exchange site they've recently listed some of the rare editions from Wiser's.

I didn’t buy any BTAC/Weller bottles since I’ve maintained my oh-fer streak. Three of my friends also entered (on my behalf) and all went oh-fer. Oh well.

@OdysseusUnbound well OF 1920 is readily available and better than most of the hyped bottles in the LCBO lottery. Destined for "What bottle did you buy and why?"

I would like to try Springbank Rum Wood 15 Year Old , but 140$ or so is way out of my current ballpark. On top of that, I don't think it's a dram I would fully appreciate. And I love the Springbank 12CS, the 10, Kilkerran 8 and 12, the Longrow Red, and the Hazelburns I have tasted...but hey, we all have our limits.

I didn’t buy a Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch. The LCBO “offered” me one when I called them out on their Stagg Jr shenanigans. For those who aren’t as familiar with this, basically the Stagg Jr was supposed to go to a “second chance” lottery and didn’t. Instead several cases went to one Toronto store. When I called them out on it, the fine people at the LCBO offered to send me a bottle of Taylor, but the email was vague as to whether I had to pay for this bottle or not. It turns out I did have to pay for it, which isn’t entirely surprising. I refused delivery of the bottle as I’m not all that interested in the EHT SmB

@OdysseusUnbound I understand your logic I would take a Stagg Jr. over a EHTSB , still kind of nice they offered you something I suppose...

@cricklewood Oh for sure. And I wasn’t really expecting to get it for free, but the email was vague and I thought it was worth a shot.

@OdysseusUnbound nothing ventured, nothing gained.

@cricklewood @OdysseusUnbound

I know where you can get some free Booze... you just need to travel a little

@OdysseusUnbound If they can offer you an CEHTsmb then that means the LCBO is also hold back on the 2nd chance lottery allocation for those that didn't get the privilege of buying a CEHTsmb on the first try. Then LCBO can shove this where the sun doesn't shine! ... apologies didn't mean to rant.

I did NOT buy this. It was a gift from the mother of a colleague. She brought it back from Israel in early Feb. I think (before the COVID madness) and was saving it for Purim when it is traditional to give gifts.

I think this is what I tasted at the M&H distillery in December but it was not available for sale until 2020. I will confirm.

On reflection, I’ll probably add this to that thread as well. Maybe after confirming with the distillery.

I was planning on opening my single cask self-bottling this month but now.... maybe I will open this one today then I can do a H2H!

@Nozinan NCF, natural colour, 46% and a nice looking bottle and label. All the right attributes. Look forward to your review. Have you heard if it will be coming to Canada?

@BlueNote if this is the 3YO I tried at the distillery, they said yes. But they also said Ontario and KGBO says they don’t have an agent. Maybe you will do better.

BTW... it’s really good!

JD SB Barrel proof. I'm about half way down my bottle and love it but am on a self imposed no buying policy for the rest of the year. All this lurgy going round is likely to bring on school closures and that is going to hit my cash flow rather hard. Shame as at £55 I think this is one of the best bourbon deals in the UK currently.

Edit - looks like they've sold out actually and I can't see such a low price happening again either. One that got away then ...

@RianC Too bad. At the price hand sanitizer is going for now.... that would have been a steal. With the bonus you could lick your hands...

Springbank 10, 3 bottles just magically appeared in a store in Quebec city. I called to see if I could get them transferred locally but was told no store transfers during COVID apocalypse...he asked if it was a Signature product he could have shipped to my house but then was told this isn't such a product?? I was going to argue but already feel bad for the SAQ folks who have to deal with the public during this madness, so I just let it be.

What did I NOT buy? Rittenhouse Rye. Why? Because the LCBO is not doing store to store transfers at the moment, and I’m not driving 60km for a bottle. I’ve managed to gather all the ingredients (even Peychaud’s Bitters) for a Vieux Carré except a bottle of rye. Who knew the (seemingly) most common ingredient would be the hardest to find? I may try one with bourbon, as I have seen a few recipes calling for bourbon in the place of rye. Maybe I’ll use OGD 114 and re-baptize it The Old Square

www.spiritoftoronto.ca/registration If you don't "get" the reason I didn't buy, unlike me, you're still making Bay St type income - even during the pandemic

Balvenie Rum Cask. The price is not bad for a 14 year old, but I remember when it ws 45$ and not 65$!

I'd love another bottle of Bunnahabain (sp) 18, but the price has gone over the moon. I've been finding other 18 year olds, like the Arran 18, the Old Pulteney 18, and the Glengoyne 18 to be far better value, but I do like the Bunna better.

@OdysseusUnbound James E Pepper 1776 Straight Rye, 100 proof, pretty easy to get at the LCBO (Online, Barrie has it as well), 95/5 Rye mashbill (MGP), $3 more than Rittenhouse but should get the job done.

@Astroke Barrie is the “60km away” I was referring to. I managed to order some Woodford Rye, so as long as the LCBO online system doesn’t get all fucky I should be ok. Should being the operative word.

I don't know if I should really post this on here or not but.... one of our whisky shops just got in a new shipment of Campbeltown goodies. The Longrow single cask went in a few hours (I got one) and now the Kilkerran 8 CS sherry edition and Heavily Peated Batch 2 are just sitting there waiting to be bought. Also a few Cadenhead bottles of whisky and rum! 2 bottles of the Kilkerran 8 is enough for one guy right? Just knowing how desperately some people want these makes me feel guilty about not buying them when I have the opportunity.

@Hewie - Given your location, id snap up what I can when I can! You can always swap or trade off any unwanted extras ...

Color me desperate.

@MadSingleMalt Et moi aussi!!

@Hewie Longrow single cask? Is this an exclusive for NZ, I am curious about the details.

As for the KK8 CS, get em while you can, if you really love it and you can afford to (most important factor), bunker down a few of them, as @RianC pointed out, it can always be traded for something at a later date.

@cricklewood "Distilled in October 2006 from heavily peated barley at the Springbank distillery, this exciting new release comes from a refill ex-sherry quarter cask, specially selected and bottled for Whisky Galore. The sherry cask wood really shines here, bursting with lush, deep berry fruits, unlit cigar earthiness and matchbox striker. The fruit gives way to a savoury cured meat quality, briney and smoky flavours all carried along on a mouthfeel that shifts from oily to drying. With water and most noticable on the finish or an empty glass, the smell of old warehouses prevails, a whaft from the place this whisky matured in for 13 years.

We are delighted to be able to exclusively offer you this very fine whisky from the team at Springbank."

One per person and $136NZD

“The smell of old warehouses prevails.” It’s probably a hundred dollar whiskey with an extra 36 bucks added on for the bullshit marketing speak they all use to justify their prices these days. I love Springbank, but some of that folksy little distillery that could crap is starting to get to me. I probably shouldn’t be commenting right now as my back’s killing me and I’m currently self medicating with a large Uigeadail after a hard afternoon of pressure washing about 1000 sq ft of decks this afternoon. I’ll be less cranky tomorrow.

Is matchbox striker is a creative way of saying sulfur?

I'd be interested to try that I'm a sucker for a selected bottling. Refill sherry quarter cask also sounds fun. I remember trying the Hazelburn rundlets and kilderkins and was afraid it would be too oaky but wasn't.