What is the next bottle you purchase or open?

Just got a decent price on a bottle of HP 18. The first bottle I had was one of my favourites. I have heard there has been a bit of a quality drop off with the branding relaunch. Anyone have any insights?

@nooch - Not on the 18 but I reckon the last bottle of 12 (new packaging) I had wasn't quite up to the standard of the previous 12 I had (old packaging). Might mean nothing but may suggest a trend?

@RianC part of me would think the push would involve using a few older whiskies. They discontinued the 15 and 21 - why not add some of that to make the 12 and 18 really pop with the rebrand a la the glendronach strategy with revival ? You definitely don’t want to give people reason to question the quality.

@nooch - I'd like to think that too!

@nooch I'd be interested on your thoughts after you have had some time with the current HP 18. @Victor insists it takes several months to reach its potential and I agree. The fact remains, though, that it is not up to its earlier status as the world's best all round whisky, no matter how long it is open.

@Pete1969: "I seem to find the Ardbeg release is easier to buy as a committee member."

How so?

In my experience, the bottles just appear in a few stores one day. And if you're on the Ardbeg marketing email list thing, the one difference is that they'll tell you which stores are selling it.

I'm always skeptical of any claim that a whisky changed at the same time they changed the packaging. Is the idea that they were planning to make some (detrimental) change to the recipe, and that they waited until a rebranding project was ready so they they could make the two changes simultaneously? Why? Wouldn't that just make your detrimental recipe change all the more obvious because people will be looking for differences?

I think it's much more likely that there's just always batch variation, and then when they change the package, people start looking harder for those variations.

@Robert99, it's now a dim memory, but I think the Springbank 11 Local Barley was priced at around $150 USD when I saw it at the local shop I alluded to earlier. They might have had the 16 too, but I barely considered buying it and so barely filed away a memory of its price.

I did buy a bottle of the 11 from a different shop (online), though. I believe I paid around $135.

@MadSingleMalt - You could well be right and that viewpoint makes sense. I think it most likely varies and, yes, batch variation is going to play a big part. Worth bearing in mind though that many 'entry' malts (Ardmore Legacy, Hp 12, GF12, OP 12 etc) are aimed more at casual drinkers than genuine malt heads and I wouldn't put it past marketing bods to spruce up the dressing if it is known that quality (say of casks) has been below par. I agree though that it is far from a given.

I based my HP 12 comment on a recent comparison with the old dumpy bottle and a new 'Viking' one. Both decent but the recent one was lighter for sure and just lacked a little richness in comparison. You'd expect the quality to shine given all the fanfare but that wasn't the case (in that bottling anyway).

I’ll be picking up a Stagg Jr. from the LCBO on Monday. Just got a call from them today. I think Buffalo Trace should pay @Nozinan some kind of royalty fee for leading me to this bourbon.

@OdysseusUnbound Can I be paid in bottles? That stuff is great!

@OdysseusUnbound The first one of these I purchased back in 2015 took quite a while to calm down, bit of a hot mess. The newer batches are supposed to be excellent so I also picked up one the last time it hit the shelves.

Wild Turkey Diamond Anniversary Bourbon for my bday.

@KRB80, Happy Birthday!

Stock up on your bourbons now, fellow Canadians - we done got ourselves a trade war.

@talexander We should petition our governments to really stick it to the 'Mericans by eliminating all excise/taxes on Scotch/Irish/Japanese/Indian/Taiwanese whiskies. It might work....

@talexander, Some of us will benefit from timely visits to the Land of Bourbon and Whiskey.

@paddockjudge We may not get away with paying no duty in the future...unless the judge is in the driver's seat.

@talexander

Yep, but at least in Ontario we won't even notice with prices sky high.

I bet the Americans won't notice either...

@Nozinan Two four letter words for you Ontarians:Doug Ford, aka Trump Mini Me. Trade issues will pale in comparison to 4 years with this moron. I hope your girl can pull it off. Sorry, nothing to do with whisky, just some solidarity with my Ontario malt mates.

@BlueNote, guaranteed he puts soda in his whisky.

Sometimes I put soda in my whisky too - what you trying to say about me, Mr. @paddockjudge ??

@talexander...and sometimes you put soda in my whisky, but it takes a special kind of guy to put soda in a 30 YO whisky and own up to it...Ford can't measure up to you. I'm looking forward to doing it again!

@paddockjudge Very few can measure up to me, my friend....and Ford maybe gets to 2-3 inches, at best. Also, as we speak I'm drinking 1977 Canadian Club... and ginger (it's a 1L bottle so I have room to experiment). To be honest, it's not great whisky so it's OK....much like the AP30.

@talexander, I was weaned on rye and ginger, it is my second favourite cocktail, right behind _ zinfandel and ginger ale_

@paddockjudge I knew there was a reason I love you.

@talexander @paddockjudge... get a room... and lock up the AP30!

Tomorrow is election night in Ontario. I spent a few hours calling people to remind them to vote, tweeted all I could tweet, and all I can do now is hope.

My wife's friend is here from BC and the NP I work with who goes gaga over high proof bourbon (so for OGD 114 is her favourite) will be coming over to watch the results.

We'll either be celebrating, or quite possibly needing to drown our sorrows.

I'll be opening my recently acquired bottle of Hazmat ECBP (70.1%) for the occasion.

@Nozinan I want to remain hopeful, but I feel like I may need to take a bereavement day on Friday. Our hope for a fair contract (current one ends in August 2019) might be dead.

@OdysseusUnbound I will gladly take a day off to join you on the picket line if we can share a dram after...