What is the next bottle you purchase or open?

A couple of bottles of the 1997 Caol Ila 17 Year Old Unpeated Malt, part of the Diageo 2015 Special Release.

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Last night, I opened a bottle of Suntory's Hibiki Harmony Master's Select. I am guessing that the next bottle(s) I will purchase will be Yoichi and Miyagikyo NAS SMWs, or if I can find them the 10yo or 15yos. When I go to Tokyo in June. If I cannot find the aged statement SMWs in the shops, I will get the NAS in duty free. I cannot open too many more sense I might be moving back to the US soon. I need to start consuming rather than opening, but I can still purchase as long as I can bring them back with me, easily. HA!

I'm in Florida right now. Bought Laphroaig An Cuan Mor at the duty free and got Corsair Triple Smoke and Nikka Coffey Grain here in the States. Anxious to open all three bottles when I return home...

As noted in another thread, Bunnahabhain 12 yo was opened on the weekend. At some point in the next couple of months, I will be cracking open a bottle of Hibiki 17 that was a wonderful surprise from a neighbour whose house I looked after for awhile. Said neighbour has requested a pour from the bottle when it is opened, and I will be more than happy to oblige.

My intended/hoped for purchases for the rest of the year will be few, but hopefully will include Glengoyne 15, the new Lagavulin 8 (if it actually makes it to Ontario) and, as I approach the big 4-0, hopefully the Laphroaig 15. We shall see what happens...

Picked up the Amrut Greedy Angels 10 Year Old. I confess to knowing little about it except it's one of the oldest whiskies to come out of India because of the rate of evaporation. I've not tried an Indian whisky as yet despite having had the Amrut Intermediate Sherry on the shelf for a while.

@Pudge72 Good choices! We have similar tastes by your three choices there. Own the Glengoyne 15 and though not complex(in my books of course) it seems there was care taken in the selection and would rate it around the 85 mark. Was looking forward to tasting the laphroaig 15 but it being only about $20 cheaper than the 18 didn't buy it. As for the lagavulin 8 will buy it almost for sure since a couple the pros who have had more drams I could almost dream have both scored it a 90. So please Lagavulin and BC liquor board don't jack up the price to exorbitant heights on lag 8 like the rest of our good whisky.

Has anyone had a taste of ballechin 10?

I'm thinking about getting it, a heavily peated Edradour with a non-islay smoke profile.. Sounds interesting!

@MrFathom I am hopeful, though likely naively so, that the Lagavulin 8 will show up in Ontario in the sub-$100 category. I'm gonna guess $95 in this neck of the woods...if it does actually show up.

@Alexsweden, I have not had the Ballechin 10, but I have a bottled of the Sauternes Cask Matured Ballechin open right now that I like a lot. The nose is really interesting with cured meats, plasticine, creme, brûlée, olives and a bit of pine needles, compost/rich mossy earth. On the palate it has a nice oily mouthfeel, sweet peat, pineapple, soursop, ashes midway through and then finishes on French oak spices like nutmeg and a bit of clove with ashes. In quality standards, I would compare this with a nice Longrow (although slightly underpowered) or a very good year for a Diageo peated distillers edition (with better quality wood). Interestingly, I have seen a couple Ballechin 10 bottles here in Guinea; based upon my tastes and reviews, I will likely pass those up and may restock the one remaining bottle of Sauternes Cask.

@NAV26, sounds interesting. Unfortunately I don't think that I've got any of the earlier outings available but that makes me want to give the ten year old a chance!

These finally showed up a little worse for wear from the transit, independent bottlings of Mortlach and Clynelish from Signatory:

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1997 vintage of Mortlach and Clynelish, bottled non-chill filtered at 18 years old and a 1995 Clynelish 20 year old from a refill sherry butt.

Opened Arran 12 yo CS, batch 5, yesterday in honour of Arran's founder, Harold Currie, who passed away last week.

The initial aromas from the freshly opened bottle were heavy on sugared almonds and hazlenuts. These elements carried forward to the glass and palette. First sips were nutty, a little creamy, with a lightly salty element that reminded me a bit of pretzel sticks.

The saltiness lingered throughout sipping and was a nice surprise! As the glass sat, the nuttiness receded but lingered, being joined by flashes of milk chocolate. A lemon-lime zest aroma gradually emerged in the aroma. Overall, a very nice first pour. I look forward to seeing how the bottle develops now that it is open. I'm also curious about how the addition of water might change this one up.

@Pudge72 How would you rate it? I was really excited about this one and very disappointed when I tried the sample from MoM, also batch 5.

Considering picking up an old bottle of Elijah Craig with the 12 on the front label that I spied at the back of a local shelf... Waffling on this one because I don't recall ever having any... But know I'll be picking up a bourbon soon as my bourbon shelf needs backup.

@chrisbator EC 12 is not bad. The 12 YO Barrel Proof will knock your socks off.

@sengjc I am so jealous, I have the 15 year unpeated and love it, down to 1/3 bottle. Of course the LCBO in their infinite wisdom did not bring in the 17. I guess the 15 selling out in a matter of days was not enough encouragement to bring in this one. Clowns. Enjoy!

@Nozinan If you know anyone who is looking to trade one of these EC BP's, I have an extra ORVW 10 107 kicking around.

@chrisbator Even the first batch of EC's without the big red 12 still stated aged 12 years on the back, i.e. Eagle Rare 10. I still took mine back and traded it for another with the big red 12, NAS phobia I guess. Excellent bourbon at a reasonable price.

My sister has been purchasing Whiskies for me in Nova Scotia, decent prices compared to Ontario. I can even purchase some online and gift them to my sis to pick up. So far Amrut Intermediate Sherry, Old Pulteney 17, Bowmore Devil's Cask III and next up is Glencadam 21 at $152 Canadian or Balblair 1990 at $168 cdn-any advise on this next one would be appreciated.

@Astroke

I'm not aware that the ECBP is readily available anywhere in Canada. It seems quite plentiful in Seattle where a fried was able to get bottles from at least 2 batches, but I don't go to Seattle often.

I'd be happy to open my bottle with you sometime when you're in Toronto, I don't see myself opening it any time soon so you don't need to worry about missing out.

@Nozinan I read (somewhere) that the excuse for the dropping of the EC 12 year AS was so there would be more BP available. Likely storey. Will not do us in Ontario much good, but I am sure it will be available in Alberta soon enough.

@Astroke That would not be so bad...I go to Alberta about once a year and my brother in law accumulates stuff for me to bring home. And I'm happy to mule for others. The problem with the ECBP is that when it is above 70% it cannot be checked in on a flight.

There is a huge price difference around here between the regular EC and the seldom seen EC Barrel Proof (~$24 v $60-80).... I think I'd need to try the BP before spending more than (almost 2x) a Four Roses Single Barrel on it.

Well this will be tough, but a friend is going to Jolly Old England and the thought is he will bring back two bottles for me since he doesn't really drink whisky. What a kind Man !!! Consider him a Brother, but anyway Talisker 18 and Glengoyne 21 are what in my cross hairs currently although a Springbank may replace one of them.

Talisker 18 is of course not readily available in Canada (haven't heard of anything anyway). This is leaning towards gossip but in checking in one of the many whisky blogs there's chance Talisker 10 will be phased out. Hard to believe but just throwing that out there. Glengoyne 21 since I want a good Sherry bomb and have heard decent things. Know there are probably better stuff but both of these should be able to be picked up under 90 British pounds.

@MrFathom the limit is 1.14 litres duty free. 2 bottles will exceed this unless your friend has a companion.

By brother was passing through London on a stopover with his family and agreed to mule for me I ordered stuff from MoM to where he was staying (in this case 2 bottles). I chose Benromach 100 Proof 10 YO because it is unobtainable here and Malt Activist raved about it last year. Plus I found 2 200cc bottles of Big Peat. Rounded it off with some 30 cc samples.

@Nozinan Appreciate the facts and I was aware of this.

On the trips I have taken and being pleasant with the custom officials telling them the exact amount 2-750ml and 8 times out of 10 been clear sailing. Usually just at the car crossings to the USA. Hopefully if I do have to pay the tax on 360 ml isn't much.

Side note Victor and most people on the site has made me interested in the 55% Dark Cove. As mentioned finding that Ardbeg Committee bottle might be difficult to get. I know your a fan of the higher Abv's.

@MrFathom

Read the fine print. If you go above the limit they can charge you for the duty on the whole thing... It's almost as much as the value of the bottle.

@Nozinan Ah yes, I see must analyze better! Tougher choices now!!

Poured myself a dram from a fresh bottle of Parker's Heritage Collection 8th Edition 13 Year Old Wheat Whiskey and took a sip. Sweet, perfumed, rich, mellow and ultra smooth - surprised that it is cask strength since you can hardly feel the alcoholic burn.

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Decided that I should enjoy it with a well aged Cuban cigar with a robust and earthy profile.

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Like chalk and cheese.

A selection of independent bottling malt whisky: - 2006 Tamdhu 9 Year Old van Wees the Ultimate Cask Strength, cask no. 920. - 2006 Edradour 9 Year Old van Wees the Ultimate Cask Strength, cask no. 249. - 1995 Clynelish 20 Year Old Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, cask no. 8685.

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Also a bottle of Japanese blended whisky: Shinshu Mars Iwai Tradition, batch no. 35Q42.