What is the next bottle you purchase or open?

Four bottles purchased today: Laphroaig Cairdeas Port Wine, Bowmore Darkest 15 YO, Ardbeg Corryvreckan, and Highland Park 18. Sale prices and the possibility of scarcity motivated me. The Cairdeas I made sure I got, since I had missed it last year and people mostly liked that one; the other three were on sale.

Got a Balvenie tun 1401 batch 9 today. No plans/ excuse to open it soon though. Already have a nice lineup for xmas and news years.

@Whisk The 15 yr Single Barrel Balvenie is to be d/c'd?

This is news to me...Too bad - I really enjoy this whisky.

This is a tough call at the moment, trying to decide between Scapa 16yr, or the Old Pulteney 30yr old. :)

Tonight we're either going to go for a 3 A'Bunadh showdown (opening batch 30), or opening the Glendronach CS batch 2, maybe with an already opened Balvenie single cask 15.

Or then again, the kids might keep us busy. That might put an end to it before it begins.

@FMichael Yes, indeed it is. I had heard it from a few different sources but most recently from The Balvenie's Global Brand Ambassador himself (Sam Simmons) - see here: whiskyledger.com/2013/12/…

@masterj, I joined you today in buying Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 9. "Bargain low prices!" couldn't be passed up...a new "Personal Most Expensive" bottle for me @ $ 223.50 total price...I haven't tasted any Tun 1401 yet. I am trusting my Connosr family members who have cumulative versions of Tun 1401 currently rated at No 2.

I also bought a bottle of Col E H Taylor Small Batch.

I opened a 13 year old Karuizawa for my Christmas dram yesterday. It's a hot one, but with water tames down into a sherry monster in exactly the way I like them.

@cpstecroix Sounds good - looking forward to opening mine!

Just acquired Clynelish 14.

For my next opening it will be Highland Park 30 year old, for my next purchase it is on a plane at the moment, a friend just picked me up the OCTOMOTRE 06.1. cant wait.

I was surprised to find a bottle of the discontinued Highland Park 16 yr old for under $50. Naturally I bought it.

@Frost Nice purchase! Where did you find that one!?

@Whisk I am working on Christmas Island for a month. It's a duty exempt zone so the 3 x "super"markets stock Travel Retail lines of whisky.

@Frost Oh I see! I saw your location as Sydney and wondered where on earth you found that bargain! Nice purchase - hope it's a good one. All the best for the rest of your stay!

In my local supermarket, here in France, we have a limited choice of single malts available. So I'm deciding between Glenfiddich 15yr and Knockando 12 yr, for my next purchase. Please excuse my English, it is improving slightly with each glass. Available whiskies include. Glenfiddich 12yr, Abelour 10yr, already tried the 16yr triple cask and adored it. Cardhu 12yr, Knockando 12yrand MacAllan 12yr fine oak, my favourite. Also available is a Bowmore 12yr. Would be interested in any pointers, however I'll have to let my taste buds make up their own mind.

@TaxiJim

If you're interested in expanding your reach, try some of the online retailers. They have an excellent selection and will ship to you. Some distilleries will even ship to EU addresses.

Just opened a Black Grouse Christmas gift. :)

I bought Glenfarclas 25 for Christmas. I'll open it in the near future and share it with family and friends. I expect it to be perfect. Hope I'll will not be disappointed.

I have about $225 in LCBO gift certificates from xmas - wondering what my purchase will be??

@talexander, wait, don't tell me...let me guess...22 bottles of cheap vodka?

Just got home from a wonderful family holiday. Here is what I came home with:

Amrut Intermediate Sherry No.2 Sep 2010

Balcones Brimstone 13-7 (date: 6/28/13)

Benromach Peat Smoke 2002 (3rd ed.)

Bowmore 18yo

Bruichladdich Black Art 2.2

Compass Box Flaming Heart 4th ed. 2012

Corsair Triple Smoke Single Cask 67% (for Red Dog)

Glenburgie 10yo (Gordon &MacPhail 43%)

Kilchoman Single Cask 60.3% 2 bottles (for Red Dog)

Longrow CV

Old Potrero 18th Century

Van Winkle 12yo Lot B

William Larue Weller 2013

And as Christmas gift a good friend split 3 Van Winkle bottles with me. So I now have half bottles of: Old Rip Van Winkle 10yo 107, Van Winkle 13yo Rye, and Pappy Van Winkle 15yo (all from 2013)

Ya . . . this is going to last me a good long while

@Nock Can you say: "Jackpot!" Excellent haul!

I recently opened one of my Tomatin 30 year old bottles, I flew home to surprise my family for Christmas and while I was out visiting, I was able to share my favorite whisky to date with my grandparents, my mother, my brother in law and my father in law. These where some very special memories that I will treasure forever.............and I still have half the bottle : )

Opened The Glenlivet 15 for a vertical of THE GLENLIVETS - 12YO, 15YO FRENCH OAK RESERVE, 16 YO NADURRA, & 18 YO....while watching Calgary hand San Jose their second loss in two nights.

@paddockjudge Between the Glenlivet 15 French Oak, the 16 Nadurra and the 18 which was your favorite and why? I've been eyeing the Nadurra but not sure.

@maltygirl - Great Question! - "Between the Glenlivet 15 French Oak, the 16 Nadurra and the 18 which was your favorite and why?" - This is exactly what I was contemplating while sipping on all four expressions (12 YO is integral to the exercise).

The Glenlivet 15 Yo has a vibrancy that is gained from the Limousine Forest new oak - I can understand why the distiller bottled this at 40 %, it holds up and comes across as a bigger whisky - I had passed on this one before, wish I hadn't. I was pleasantly surprised. Now considering the purchase of a couple more at C$60...great value.

The Nadurra is a cask strength delight. At 55% it is in a state that does not require dilution (not that I would) and as a non-chill filtered bottling it has fantastic flavour. After 16 years resting in wood, the oak is not overwhelming - very subtle and not at all a new oak influence as experienced in the 15 YO French Oak expression; however, it does have a vibrancy of its own that is gained from the natural cask strength state. Exceptional value with built-in versatility (option to dilute) a definite dollar-stretcher at C$85.

The 18 YO is the most expensive of the four Glenlivets in this vertical. There is a strong oak presence in this most delicious whisky. For those that have an appreciation of longer aged whisky, this is for you. Bottled at 43% abv, it makes me wonder, what if it was bottled at a higher abv? A vatting of the various expressions is definitely in order to exploit the nuances that each of these possess.

I won't answer your question directly, but I will say that I have one each of the 12 YO and 18 YO in my cabinet, two of the Nadurra 16 YO, and will be adding more of the 15 YO French Oak Reserve. I have an unopened bottle of The Glenlivet Archive 21 YO which must be opened soon in order to decide if I should purchase a bottle or two for future enjoyment.

To fully appreciate each expression, the subtle differences that exist while maintaining a connection from each to the others, a vertical is a must; I strongly suggest this most pleasant exercise, in order to capture the essence of The Glenlivet.

Opening by breakage - Lot 40, 100% rye - made with malted rye - copper pot distilled.

While sorting through some boxes in the bunker, one bottle took a dive. It could have been worse. I have lost a bottle of the highly prized Lot 40, 2012 release, inaugural batch.
Nose: Rich and full of berries, dark fruit, dark chocolate, dark rye dough, dusty rye grain, vanilla. Palate: unavailable. Finish: extremely sharp, like a thousand shards of glass ..but it didn't leave a stain on the rug.

When the bottle broke, into a million shards, it soaked the unfinished hardwood threshold that separates the carpet and hardwood floor. Perhaps this heavenly aroma will linger in the unfinished wood - my personal 'angel's share'. The carpet remains damp in spite of my best attempt (a Costco-size roll of Bounty paper towels) to dry the spillage.

The breach was contained and I am happy to report that no environmental damage was sustained during the course of this unfortunate event.

A most beautiful aroma now fills the room and I may be forced to sleep on the floor tonight...not upon my wife's authority, although she is not at all amused, but totally on a volountary basis - game time decision TBA.

Glenlivet 21 Year old Archive (Wooden Case). This was worth the wait. Best of the five Glenlivets I've tried to date.

@paddockjudge

I'm sure my wife would wish for a few of the bottles to come crashing down. Such a loss. At least it wasn't a FC PC1...