What is the next bottle you purchase or open?

It was suggested that the phrase "take a punt" that I used above may cause some confusion for those unfamiliar with it - it's our way of saying "give it a go' or "take a chance on something". The good ol' English language aye.

@Hewie Yes, and we are the punters that the whisky industry relies upon.

@BlueNote Everytime I hear/read someone use the term "punters" I think of the British TV series, "Only Fools and Horses." HA!

@ajjarrett HaHA, that was a golden oldie. David Jason before he became Inspector Frost.

@BlueNote Okay, before we go off topic (topic of the thread) if you want very early David Jason, watch "Open all Hours," and even just before that "Porridge" The main character in both of these comedies is played by Ronnie Barker, while David Jason played a supporter role in "Open all Hours," and a bit role in "Porridge."

Now...back to whisky...

In a previous post I had mentioned that I hope to buy a bottle of the 21yo Redbreast. That is now on hold. It looks as if I will be going to Vietnam for a week, as I did last year, and I plan to stay in Tokyo for six nights, as I did before as well. My money is going to shopping for whisky when I get to Tokyo. What will I get? I plan on getting a few (yes, this might ruffle a few feathers) NAS whiskies such as Ichiro's Malt: Double Distilleries; Mizunara Wood Reserve, and Wine Reserve. I hope to score others, and if I am lucky they will have an age statement. And then there is the duty free shops at Narita Airport. If I am lucky, I can score myself a bottle of Bruichladdich 8yo; and Bere Barley 2008.

@Hewie, you should disqualify Arran 12 CS based on your "too much sherry influence" criterion.

It's no A'bunadh-style sherry monster, but I would still call it a heavy, primarily sherried style.

@ajjarrett I have seen Open All Hours, but missed Porridge. Let's not forget The Darling Buds of May with the very young, very lovely Catherine Zeta Jones.

OK, back to whisky. Have a safe and malty trip to Vietnam. NAS is only really an issue with Scotch single malt, the Japanese, the Indians and the Taiwanese whiskies get a pass.

@BlueNote

I must admit, I have never heard of "Darling Buds of May."

I might agree with you, but I guess the only issue I (and some others) might have with NAS, no matter where it comes from, is the price. I am hoping the NAS I mentioned before, is still at the same price I paid last year. I will be quite disappointed if they gone up, beause if they have gone up, it will likely be quite a bit.

@ajjarrett It was a kind of Brit version of the Beverly Hillbillies. Pam Ferris was in it too.

I take your point on the NAS pricing.

The next bottle I will purchase is Longrow 18. It supposes to be a good batch. In fact, I have order it and expect it will be delivered in a week.

@MadSingleMalt yes, thanks. That's something to consider. From what I can find out the first 2 or 3 batched were all from sherry casks but the subsequent batches are mixes of bourbon and sherry aged whiskies. I guess I was wanting to steer away from the other CS offerings at the lower end of the price spectrum which tend to go for a lot of sherry influence to cover the youth of the spirit (sometimes quite successfully).

@BlueNote Yeah The Darling Buds of May was a classic - and Catherine Zeta Jones was lovely in it

@Robert99 the 2017 Longrow 18 is fantastic IMO. So happy I ordered one from Alberta.

@Astroke Me too.....

@Astroke Hmmm! I'll have to get that one on our next Alberta order.

Has anyone else noted the sheer irony of Trudeau out there preaching free trade with the rest of the world and the reality of there being no free trade between Canadian provinces? Boggles the mind.

@BlueNote THANK YOU. It does boggle the mind. Having said that, it is slightly easier to get alcohol between provinces than building a pipeline, so there's that.

@talexander Too true. If Kinder Morgan was sending good Scotch through their pipelines we might be a bit more receptive out here on the left coast. You spill a bunch of single malt it's easily cleaned up. Bitumen? not so much.

@BlueNote Not only is it easily cleaned up, you'd find a lot of volunteers. With straws in hand.

@BlueNote, An "AMEN" from the choir! Tax revenue, illicit (or no longer illicit) drug revenue, gambling revenue, it is all protected and beer is no different. This is the world we live in. Where's Bo and Luke? Time to summon General Lee.

Joining the heroic ranks of great foreign soldiers, such as The French Foreign Legion, the Scottish Guards of Charles the VIIth, the Swiss Guards of the Bourbon Kings, and Napoleon's Polish Lancers, now we have the New Brunswick Bottle Rockets, a convoy of Dodge Caravans that could quickly and silently topple the Quebec economy when they make the treacherous and death defying exodus from NB to QC to load up the family wagon with a few cases of cheap brew. Go Rockets! What a crock of fucking bullshit. It appears the Liberal Bench has been dipping into Justin's private stash. Trudeau's crusade for legalizing marijuana gives a whole new meaning to the old phrase "this Bud's for you".

I have pulled a lot of good whisky out of New Brunswick. With one of those smuggled gems, Octomore 4.2, here's a toast to inter-provincial smugglers. Long may you run!

@Astroke @BlueNote I hope I will get my order from Alberta. I don't hear from them and now the decision is out in the Comeau case. Her is a fine article about it: canadianlawyermag.com/legalfeeds/author/…

@Robert99 well, I think Canada is still a country I'd love to live in for a while for family reasons, but reading this... God, I'm pleased we have a European internal market....! (Well at least until we see the final outcome of Cameron's epic miscalculation / sc*** up)

@Robert99 Well here is the LCBO stance on transporting alcohol across borders from their website.

Q: How much wine or other alcohol products can I bring with me? A: Ontarians of legal drinking age can bring up to three litres of spirits, nine litres of wine and 24.6 litres of beer from other provinces and territories. Most provinces and territories have comparable provisions, though some have importation limits that are lower than Ontario.

@Astroke Still, you have to be there. No online purchase is allowed...

@Robert99 @Astroke

This is news to me. If this is true (and I have no reason to doubt you), then my B-I-L won't be breaking the law when he brings some Wiser's Red Letter today! And I've not been as naughty as I thought I was bringing a few bottles from Calgary...

With regards to online ordering, Robert, You can order online at KGBO prices if you want, and anything over $50 is free shipping to any store, so you could have up to 6 bottles sent near me, I could pick it up and hold it until next time you come.

Actually, if you do the math, 5 bottles, because I'm currently holding one for you.

@Robert99 that will not stop Alberta retailers from shipping here. More retailers willing to ship out of province are popping up all the time. F the LCBO.

@Astroke The ruling only applied to the question of Canadian made products. Scotch would still have been illegal to ship...

@Astroke I hope you are right. Since I ordered the Longrow 18, I didn't receive any confirmation of shipping. I am afraid some retailers will be afraid to ship out of province now that the supreme court has spoken. We will see.

@Nozinan Probably, none of this BS from the recent ruling will stop me from ordering Whisky from any out of Province retailer willing to ship it and that means Alberta. I will continue to purchase Whisky online from Nova Scotia.

Highland Park 12 YO $45 in Ontario. Yep, I got one of these today, but not at the LCBO. A coworker received this bottle from a whale. It was brought to Ontario from Las Vegas (a comp) and today it found another home, mine. It cost me a 28 pack of Budweiser, $45. ...so much for what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

@paddockjudge ha ha that's a cool back-story for the bottle. I wish it was bottled at 43% ABV here. Nothin wrong with HP 12 at the right price