What is the next bottle you purchase or open?

I got a bottle Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve (barrel #23) selected by a local shop for Xmas...

Just checked the local stores website and they have reduced A'bunadh batch 52 now just £35.50 was going to hold out for the 53 which is rated higher but will be down the shop next couple of days wife's embargo on buying will have to be broken and not even new year yet.

"Thinking" of using the current $ disparity between the USA and Canada to jusify purchases. Just read where @Nock happily purchased a bottle of Glendronach Cask Strength Batch #2 in Tennessee for $100. That correlates to $142 Cdn. The out the door price for Batch #4 here at the Manitoba MLCC monopoly would be $141.17 a whopping saving of a dollar. Has anyone reading this had experience with this batch? BTW my term "thinking" does not necessarily fit with anyone elses definition of the term! Jonesz

Finally got in store and result A'bunadh batch 53 on shelf picked up one with Xmas gift voucher so the wife can not complain. Win win.

@Pete1969 that's a great batch, picked up 2 myself, ,one for £35 and another one, incredibly, for £28.

@maltmate302 thought I got a deal at £35 where did you find at £28. Tempted to nip back and get another couple but going Dom Rep in Feb and want to pick up a couple of premium rums thinking a brugal de siglo and Barcelo 30 if I can find them for right money. Cubaney centenario as an alternative, hoping to find any of them in the $100 range in resort heard the airport is a rip off. Broke the wife's embargo but left it on the side so she knows, her daughter gave me a gift card so she couldn't complain :-)

@Pete1969 I got it for that price with a lightening deal on Amazon. They had some good ones around Christmas time for example Talisker Storm £22-99, Johnnie Walker Black £16-99 and Booker's for a fantastic £34-99. There were plenty of other similar prices as well!

Too many people singing the praises of Batch 53.... so even though the LCBO raised the price of A'Bunadh by about 5% ($4.70 to $99.75 = 20 cents deposit) I bit the bullet. Now I wonder what the price will be when I open this bottle in 2022. I keep the receipts to compare.

@Nozinan You know, at some point you're going to have to cave to your a'bunadh-ageism... and just drink the damn stuff...

@talexander

Quite right. I turn 47 in 4 months... and I hear batch 47 was good....I'm looking forward to trying it. You're welcome to join me. I understand you may have a batch from the 30s to compare...

@Nozinan Oh, I do, I do. I must, I must.

@Jonesz, well you already know that I would spring for it. However, that was because I had already tasted a sample and knew what I was getting. I don't lightly blow $100 US on a bottle of whisky. In my opinion the Glendronach CS Batch 2 is around a 90 - 91 point whisky. That is my initial impression. My hope is that air will improve it beyond that (I find that sherry matured whiskies do improve with air).

You should read WhiskyNotes because he reviews both Batch 2 and Batch 4 (which he rates one point higher). If you are at all interested I believe that it is a quality dram at cask strength. I don't know how much longer they will be available for the $100 US price point.

Just my thoughts.

@Nozinan you're in for a real treat with A'bunadh 47.great whisky!

@Jonesz I've had Glendronach CS batch 2 and it was really good. Tonight I'm having batch 4, I'd be happy to tell you my thoughts when I've tried it

A 30 Year Old Cognac and another bottle of the Springbank 17 Year Old Sherry Wood.

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Both bottled at cask strength.

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Kavalan Solist Vinho to compare against my mates Solist Sherry.

Just bought myself one of the new Glenmorangie A Midwinter's Night Dram. I held off buying this one for a few weeks, mainly because of the 43% abv, I usually look for something a bit stronger these days. On reading a few reviews I changed my mind and bought one. It's a UK only release and a 50/50 combination of bourbon and Sherry casks so its a good bit different from the normal 10 year old which is all bourbon cask.Master of Malt got their hands on a few bottles and they sold out in less than a day at a price point of £50, I don't know why as I got mine from a supermarket for £28!

Also I've just ordered a Glendronach cask strength batch 5 .I noticed that Master of Malt had it at the wrong price of £37. I moved quickly before they can bump it up to £50 something. They would only allow 1 per customer otherwise I would have got a few. Should still be at that price now for any interested Brits.

Recently bought Glengoyne 15 and Laphroaig Cairdeas 2015. Looking into purchasing Booker's(Bourbon), Springbank 10 and Caol Ila 15.

Thanks to a tip off on here:

Willett Rye 6 yr old, Willett Rye 8 yr old, Four Roses Single Barrell from Van Zuylan in a Whisky Shop in the Netherlands.

And then: Nikka Taketsuru 17 and 21 at auction for about £120 each

Going to pick up some Arbelour Abundah batch 53 based on some of the reviews I have read.

Hope to pick up some Glendronach 21 Parliament and more Nikka from the barrel when I go to Vancouver

Hope to also pick up some Balvenie Triple cask 12, 16 and 25 when I hit duty free at the end of February

recently opened:

highland park 21 highland park 1990

Should probably start another discussion about this subject but it roughly on this theme since I may purchase it.

Should I purchase HP25?( It would be great to hear "Nozinan","Victor" or another seasoned veteran opinion on the matter).

It goes for a semi-reasonable rate(really not really) even though I am not rich around $500 Cdn. Currently own just over 25 bottles and enjoying nuances and profiles in wide range of my bottles.

Side note we all roughly now where the current market of 21 year old Scotch is going(Ex Glenlivet 21 and Macallan 25).

@MrFathom, greetings and welcome!

With respect to Highland Park 25 yo, every taste of it I have had has been a fabulous experience. How much is too much to spend for it? Only you can be the judge of that. Can$ 500 is a lot of money. That said, given your tastes my guess is that you would probably not regret it to buy a bottle at that price.

Another way to look at this question is that if you are ever going to put up the big bucks for this particular whisky, now is probably the best time to do so.

@Victor

CAD 500 might have been a lot of money, but recently it seems to be less money. I really hope oil picks up and so does our dollar. Here in Ontario the HP 25 is "only" $650.

@MrFathom I am flattered to be considered a veteran. Thank you. The end of January marked 5 years since my whisky club's first meeting and the official start of my real whisky journey. I guess in baseball that's half a career... My knowledge is more academic than experiential though.

Should you buy it? Impossible for anyone to decide but you. Too many individual factors. I guess the way I would rank them is the following (your answer to each question can determine if you proceed to the next question or just say NO):

1. Can YOU afford to buy it? If no, it doesn't matter how good a product or value for money it is.

2. Do you like the HP profile? You didn't mention what other HPs you've had. I like HP12 though given my preference for CS I would probably move to a more robust version for my next purchase (My bottle is open 5 years so you can see I rarely get to it). Would I drink 25 if offered? Heck yes, would love the opportunity to try it. Would I buy it? Not untasted at that price. I have a very old bottle of 25 at a higher ABV but I have not opened it.

3. Is there an opportunity to try before you buy? Answering no to this is not an automatic no (like the 2 above), but you must be more cautious.

4. Is there something else in your cabinet or available (a known entity) at a lower price that can tick off the same boxes on your list of need to have? Or is this something that is different enough from the others to be considered on its own. For instance, would I spend an excessive amount for a glendronach CS or 'farclas 105? No, because A'Bunadh, which I have plenty of, fulfills my needs. But Bladnoch and Macallan CS are different enough to make an extra effort (though my recent experience with a Bladnoch 12 makes me nervous). On the other hand, Amrut Peated cask strength, Bowmore Tempest, Laimrig and Caol Ila CS, Ardbegs and Octomores are all very different peated malts and having one would not obviate the need (or desire) for another one.

5. Even if all the other answers lead you to say no to buying it, and you CAN definitely afford it, do you REALLY, REALLY want it? If yes, consider it strongly.

No one can make the final answer but you.

Personally, I find sites like this motivate me to buy more than I probably should. My brain tells me I can be quite satisfied with what I have but my enthusiasm says "more, more". It is a constant struggle. My wife occasional reminds me that unless I'm prepared to start drinking more of it, what is the point of buying it?

I hope this helps a little.

@Victor Thanks for the prompt response and this was quite a open ended question.

Have gotten very carried away with my purchases lately and hope that the prices wont move for awhile. Time to put in few more hours of work so I can get couple extravagant bottles like HP25.

@Nozinan Thanks for taking an in depth look at the matter and agree completely and do seem to purchase more bottles when a few people comment about raving enjoying bottle.

At the local private store asking what I believe is the owner he stated that he would get a few bottles instead of one high end one. Having spent alot of money lately will see how things progress. This year I set a budget on whisky and hope not to exceed it by too much.

The probable outcome is if HP25 doesn't do a Macallan (couldn't resist since they are owned by the same company) in the coming months then I may purchase it. Having kept my eye on it for awhile.

Side note if you are in Vancouver again and have the time would enjoy if we met at a whisky bar and had a dram. Recommend Fets Whisky Bar and Irish Heather.

Possibly would have added another note, but my grammar is quite rough.

I'm going to pick up another bottle of Balvenie Single Barrel Sherry Cask 15 tomorrow. My current bottle is down to half. It's a very enjoyable dram. Based on recent comments here, I plan to pick up an Aberlour A'bunadh batch 53 soon.

Lastly, I'd appreciate hearing back from anyone who has had the opportunity to try the Balvenie Triple Cask 16. I'll be going thru duty fee at the end of Feb.

Finally, the second shortfall bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label the Casks Edition from the first order arrives:

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I am so bummed out that the Glendronach 15 revival has been discontinued. I haven't tried it but it has been on my to-do list for a long time. I figured since it was popular OB it was always going to be around. I read somewhere that it is scheduled to return in 2018, however I've also read about it containing a big quantity of older whisky due to old stocks at the distillery. This will probably not be the case with the new version coming up..

A bottle of the Lagavulin 12 Year Old - 2014 Release.

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Came across this bottle nestled in amongst the regular Lagavulin 16 Year Old bottles while browsing around when the wife was picking up some groceries nearby.