What is the next bottle you purchase or open?

@paddockjudge brilliant post my friend I'd love to join you and Adam in the tasting.. Made me smile big time. I've just opened my first bottle of Kilkerran WIP 7 cask strength Bourbon wood , when it settles down its going to be very good, I hope so anyway as I've got 7 of them!

That's a good question. I just bought a Springbank 10 yr (46%) which is quite enjoyable. For my next Scotch purchase I am looking for something with more smoke and a higher proof. Perhaps the Laphroiag cask strength. Sometime before Christmas anyway. Anyone have other options for me?

@Bilbo161 What about Springbank 12 YO cask strength? A proven winner!

@Bilbo161 or Laphroaig Quarter cask. Amrut peated cask strength, Compass Box Peat Monster (same strength as your SB 10).

@Nozinan Thank you for those suggestions. I haven't seen the Springbank Cask Strength as yet. That sounds like a good one. Within Laphroaig do you prefer the Quarter Cask to the 10 yr CS? I hadn't considered the Amrut or the Compass box as yet. Food for thought. Thanks again.

@Bilbo161

I've not tred the 10 year Laphroaig CS. Would like to though.

Some well aged independent bottlings of Ben Nevis and the Teaninich I mentioned previously. Also a bottle of Glendronach 18 Year Old that has been finished in port casks.

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Thanks to a kind Brother of the Leaf and fellow "Mate of the Malt" (I am the first to coin this phrase), Kilkerran Work in Progress #7 Bourbon Cask Strength:

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Going out west for a course. Built in to my schedule includes time to visit local shops for things I haven't been able to get here. Watching with nervousness as stocks appear to be dwindling, but I'm helpless right now, thousands of km away.

I look forward to reporting back on Friday...

Amrut Peated CS batch 12 62.8% ABV

I've made no secret I like this expression and Amrut in General. I bought a few when they were at the original price, and when LCBO dropped that by by 30% this week, I grabbed another 2. I have plans for these....

1 goes in the bunker...

1 I brought to the holiday meeting of a debating society I am in. There are a number of Scotch enthusiasts and in fact they made up the core of my original whisky club. I opened it there and to say it was a hit was an understatement. Only about 7 of us partook and I came home with 1/3 of a bottle left! There were some exclamations of joy heard!

Now I have a just opened bottle and one opened a year ago that has been gassed and decanted with 1-2 drams left. You can bet there will be a comparison between the 2 coming shortly... This is probably the first time I've ever had 2 bottles of anything of the same batch open at one time and open for such different lengths of time.

@Nozinan The Amrut CS was one of my 2015 discovery and a realy good one. I am looking forward to hear about this H2H.

A teammate was generous enough to get me a bottle of scotch for the holiday. Blindly she picked a McLelland which I will graciously return for either the Caol Isla Cask Strength (G&M) or the GlenDronach Cask Strength (leveraging the credit from the McLelland makes both a more reasonable price).

@JayRain I have really enjoyed the Caol Ila CS OB that I've tried...

Opening Masterson's 10 YO Rye 90 pf (100% rye grain). Ripe bananas and Juicy Fruit Gum (R) are immediately detected as the cork is popped. Add long-cured ham with wisps of brown sugar and maple to that already magnificent fragrance...now all I can smell are sweet clementine's because the old lady is peeling some oranges. Still a damn fine whisky!

@paddockjudge Ohhhhh this makes me wish I had some Masterson's right now....

@talexander I'll have one for you brother!

Tomorrow will be the uncorking of the 'new' Balvenie 15yo Single Barrel - sherry cask #12093... an apt dram for Christmas eve, I should think !

Tomorrow I will be opening Aberlour A'Bunadh Batch 53 with my Dad and Brother in Law for a Christmas Eve dram. Hoping it is close to as good as the 49!

@mscottydunc

You need to let us know once you've tried it. In 7 years my 53 Year old self will expect that I picked one up if you think it's as good as the 49

Lock, Stock and Barrel 100% Rye 50.65% abv aged 13 years in new charred American Oak barrels, bottled by RJ Cooper & Son. This expensive gem originates from Alberta Distillers Ltd in Calgary, AB, Canada, home of some of the finest expressions of rye grain whisky on the planet....(no, they don't make Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye).

This one has the signature JUICY FRUIT GUM (R) nose that many long-aged Alberta Distiller's rye possess. I wonder if this is a result of new oak influence or just extra years of aging...another reason for me to continue researching this magnificent whisky.

A BIG THANK YOU to @Jason Hambrey who was kind enough to rescue this bottle from one of the U.S. Atlantic jurisdictions and get it safely to my home.

@Nozinan My advice is to go and pick up a few. Batch 53 is AMAZING! Very very juicy and fruity, I am loving it. I will be going back to get another to add to the A'Bunadh stash.

@mscottydunc I'll second that. The 53 Abunadh is absolutely superb. The 52 was also pretty good but the 53 is better. It's not that often that Aberlour put out consecutive excellent editions. I've also bought 2 bottles of the 53!

Planning on getting a bottle of Glenfiddich Bourbon Barrel Reserve once my distributor gets it in.

@maltmate302 Damn just opened a batch 52 and thought it was superb. You say #53 is better and now I have to start looking for that one. I am actually a recent A'bunadh convert. Makes me wish that I had got on the train at an earlier station!

@Jonesz

Batch 52 is available here in Calgary, but the prices have now jumped over Ontario in some places, about $10 cheaper in others. I'll wait until I get to T.O. and pick up one 53. Otherwise I have too many bottles of A'Bunadh and I go through less than one bottle per year now, not because I don't like it, but because my whisky world has expanded a lot more quickly than my consumption.

@Nozinan I see the A'Bunadh is $95.05 at the LCBO. Does that include tax? Here in Manitoba it is $90.15 including the 8%GST and the 5% GST. ie $79.78 pre tax. This price has been constant the last several batches. For a 750 ml bottle of 60% ABV well crafted whisky I consider that to be a decent value but it is getting close to my upper limit for a go to dram. At KWM in Calgary it is $105 plus 5% GST but none in stock? At Total Wine close to where I usually winter it is $70. US which is $100. Cdn. The hot market for the US $ has taken away any chance of real savings when travelling to thje USA.Maybe I should go back to my local MLCC monopoly and get a few more before they start jacking the price here again! BTW having too many A'Bunadh batches is not a hardship IMHO.

@Jonesz

The LCBO prices include tax. Yes, prices in Alberta have increased, not just for A'Bunadh, but also for Springbank expressions.

Today I purchased two whiskies, that I consider my "top finds of the trip"

I found a Solan Number 1. This is an Indian whisky (I just reviewed it) that I've never seen before and it was $30.

The other was an Ardbeg Uigeadail. I have one at home that I think I picked up in 2011, but at a time when the LCBO charges $170, this one was just over $84 tax included at a Superstore in northwest Calgary of Country Hills Blvd. Yes, there are more left, and I don't plan to get them so I'm putting out the word...

Went to shop looking to buy A'bunadh 53 still stocking the 52 so picked up a Nikka WFTB will be looking again in new year. Sometimes distribution is bizarre you are on the 53 in Canada and still on previous batch in North West England. On the plus side last 2 purchases of A'bunadh have cost £35 and £32 respectively after discounts and loyalty scheme $90-100 Canadian is a little rich.

Whenever I get the chance to acquire a few bottles, I try to purchase something new to try & a bottle of a favorite to stockpile. So my next "hunting trip" will be for Oban 14 & Bowmore 15 Darkest Sherry. Right now that Bowmore just seems to have a siren's call.