What is the next bottle you purchase or open?

Spring has sprung! On this Malty Monday, getting ‘round to opening some COVID-collected bottles...three Glens and a Highlander.

@paddockjudge A couple of nice looking “voters” there as we like to call those over 18 year olds. I presume you will raise a dram of one of them for Queen Victoria today.

@paddockjudge A couple of nice looking “voters” there as we like to call those over 18 year olds. I presume you will raise a dram of one of them for Queen Victoria today. I think for me it will be a dram of my 24 year old SMOS Imperial for her majesty.

@BlueNote, "voters"...that term had escaped me...it's amusing and accurate. Yes, I'll be having one for the old girl, it's the least I can do, she's been responsible for a holiday in May for more than 100 years.

Cheers!

I’ve been searching for one of these without success. A surprise arrived today. I didn’t select this bottle, it selected me. Whisky subscription… blind allocation.

@paddockjudge That is one seriously pricey 18 year old. I’d be curious to know if, when you open it, you think it’s worth it.

@BlueNote, I received the Glen Grant 18 YO from a subscription service. They send blind picks. They’ve been very good selections. Total cost incl taxes, shipping, and handling is exactly $199.

I’m hoping to find more Glen Grant in the wild…. before I go on fixed-income …. that’s definitely an oxymoron, I hear that one is basically broke when retired. lol

The 18 YO pictured beside some senior Glen Grants…. All very good juice.

I may not see these on shelves in the US, but if I do, I'm getting one of each!

arranwhisky.com/news/266-rare-batch/…

@paddockjudge Have you cracked the Glen Grant 18 yet? The price has come down a bit lately and I'm getting tempted.

@casualtorture I'm guessing they are going to put some serious hurt on your wallet. But, hey, life's too short to drink crap whisky.

@BlueNote, negative on the Glen Grant 18 Year. I haven't got 'round to it yet, but I am looking forward to it.

I had a couple of guys over for whiski tasting last night. One was a new guy to whom I wanted to give the UNOBTAINIUM tour. So I lined up a tasting starting with Van Winkle 12 and 15 wheated bourbons and all 5 BTACs. I had finished off a Thomas Handy Rye recently and did not then have open a bottle of George T. Stagg. So, I opened a 2011 George T. Stagg Bourbon, 71.3% ABV and, a bottle of 2012 Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye 66.2% ABV. As the evening progressed I also opened up a new bottle of Stranahan's Colorado Single Malt Whiskey, Batch # 128. Stranahan's prints right on the label that "every batch is different". They are.

Won the LCBO lottery and purchased a Glenmorangie Grand Vintage 1997.

Just opened my 20cl bottle of 105, 3/4 of which is being used to soak the dried and candied fruit for the fruit and nit cake I'm making tomorrow. The remainder will go head-to-head with the sample of Aberlour a'bunadh, Batch #70, that I have...

@YakLord Now that is a brilliant volume. I wish that more bottles were available at that size.

That sounds like a powerful cake! Ralfy recently videoed about soaking fruit in a cheap blend and creating a Winter Dram. I'm sure you won't be throwing out the 105 once it's done its work...

@Nozinan Found it at the SAQ. The 150mls used to soak the fruit and nuts goes into the cake...

An Indy bottling of teaspooned Balvenie from That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky #1 Batch 7 at 50.8% abv. I pulled the trigger on this one because:

1.) it is difficult to find a Balvenie of this age.

2.) the "Boutique-y-y-y" version ("Burnside" if it were Cadenhead's sourced) is less than 1/3 the going retail price of a 25 YO Balvenie. Also, these 500 ml bottles make it more affordable than 700 - 750 ml offerings.

3.) Whiskybase rated this 90.67 points.

4) I have a lovely 25 YO "Burnside" (teaspooned Balvenie) from Archives rated 89.52 points on Whiskybase and I'm eager to compare them.

The label is an homage to the teaspooned blend, a tongue-in-cheek shot at the ridiculousness surrounding this practice. Well done…. stick a fork in it …..

@paddockjudge I love that drawing! Or should I say cartoon? A rite of worship at the altar of the teaspoon! I love it.

it reminds me of an old Gahan Wilson cartoon of a hooded guy with a big N symbol on his robe at an altar appearing to be about to do some sort of blood sacrifice in front of a crowd with the word Nothing printed writ large on a sign. The caption read, " Is NOTHING sacred?"

It is always great fun to poke at sacred cows. Do you know David Macaulay's Motel of The Mysteries? It was written in 1979. This is an all-time favourite of mine poking fun at the pretensions of archaeologists. It is especially funny to me because my late wife worked for 35 years in luxury hotels, serving the rich, celebrities, and heads of state.

Friends, I can hardly believe my good fortune. Here it is in PDF for your enjoyment!!!

plainlocal.org/userfiles/352/…

The book itself contains a lot of text and illustrations not present in the above PDF, but this PDF gives a good idea of the farcical beauty of the book. The suggested exercises at the end of this PDF are NOT in the text of the 1979 Motel of The Mysteries. David Macaulay also drew and published many additional very humourous, very thought-provoking, and very irreverent cartoons on many other topics as well.

@Victor, oh yes, very amusing this label, hilarity on a Monty Python’s Flying Circus level. Satire at its finest.

Thank you for sharing David Macaulay's Motel of The Mysteries. Great fun reading this work. Absurdity can quickly bring clarity to a situation. I wish we had more whisky labels with messages.

@YakLord wow, now that is hard-core! You are putting about $ 70 worth of whisky into your cake? Yes, very hard-core.

Monday became a funday. When I arrived at home a package was waiting for me. Paul John Christmas Edition mini, a home blend, Dickel single barrel 15 YO, Century 13 Year Old flask and sample from a single cask.

A great way to brighten an otherwise challenging Monday.

Thank you Edmonton Tim, a truly great "Whisky Comrade".