What was your best ever dram?

The whisky which made the greatest impression on me was a 1967 40 yo Duncan Taylor Springbank, of which I had only a small sample about 5 years ago. It was the only whisk(e)y which I ever would have rated at 99/100 pts. I felt as though my body had dematerialised and I had entered Nirvana. That was 5 years and hundreds of whiskies ago, so I really can't say as to whether it would seem just as striking to me today. I would love to retaste that one, but even that would cost a small fortune.

My personal favourite whisky experience among many many outstanding whisky experiences, was probably the occasion of opening my only bottle of Octomore Orpheus 2.2 at a tasting with @Dramlette, @thecyclingyogi, the wife of @thecyclingyogi, @JeffC, @MarsViolet, and the husband of @MarsViolet present, in my living room on August 6, 2012.

Nicely worded question. So much more relevant than "what's your favorite whisky?"

We were attending the 2013 Victoria Whisky Festival. I had signed up for the Kilchoman Master Class hosted by Anthony Wills. A treat to be sure. Anthony had led us through four samples, all of which I'd had before, but I wasn't complaining. His explanations of how the whisky's made, what it costs to make it on a monthly basis, the wood, and all the rest was wonderful. Then he told us about our fifth sample. He said he'd bottled it just for the Master Class--a single bottle. He called it 5 year old Bourbon Single Cask, 61.2%. Pity I failed to ask for the cask number.

I spent my time savoring the whisky and didn't make many notes. Old leather, cigar (not lit), vanilla, no bite, butter smooth. In Bob Hope's words, Anthony, "Thanks for the memories."

How 'bout you, Nozinan? Are you going to tell us your tale?

Glenmorangie Signet would be my most memorable dram. My awesome wife bought me a bottle for my 40th birthday earlier this summer. After a nice dinner out that evening we returned home and I opened the bottle and had a dram while my wife had a Ketel One Gimlet. Great evening. Great whisky. Turning 40 ain't too bad.

@Nozinan Great discussion I would have to say like my profile Bruichladdich Octomore was is and always will be my best dram ever. Since then I have had several of the different Octomore expressions and non of them have let me down, that kind of consistency is so rare and in my humble non expert opinion really a great value to me. :)

Great question. I actually have two answers.

1.) My 30th birthday. I opened Laphroaig 30yo at midnight and had a tasting with three of my house mates that included the Laphroaig 10yo, 15yo, and 10yo Cask Strength. My house mates were not regular scotch drinkers. However, all acknowledge that the 30yo was the greatest thing they have ever tasted. I was a little disappointed . . . but it was a great memory.

2.) The night I knew I had found the love of my life. I used the excuse to open Ardbeg Supernova (first release). I tasted it alongside: Ardbeg 10yo, Still Young, Uigeadail, and Arigh Nam Beist. Two years later I opened the Supernova SN2010 on my wedding night. That Supernova first release is still one of my favorite drams of all time. So glad I have one more bottle in reserves . . .

@Victor - I wish I could have been there when you opened the Orpheus. I am truly grateful to have tasted the tail end of that bottle. I can only imagine how great it must have been when it was fresh!

@two-bit-cowboy I recently picked up (and drained) a single cask release of Kilchoman. It was a bourbon barrel at 60.3% ABV. Truly amazing. That is the first bottle that has really inspired me to buy my own single cask. This particular bottle was a few months shy of being 5 years old. And now that the bottle is empty all I can think about is what that cask might have tasted like at 10 . . . 15 . . . and 21 years of aging. If I ever have the money to buy my own cask it will be from Kilchoman!

the next one......

@two-bit-cowboy

My malt journey is still young. It's hard to say. Most of my best malt moments have been sharing a dram with friends. If I had to choose:

1. The day our Whisky club opened my Bladnoch 10 year old and I tasted it for the first time. It was a truly awesome dram.

2. Same could be said for my first taste of the A'Bunadh. It was batch 33, and our first meeting 2 and a half years ago. I couldn't pick out as much as I can now, but it was shear enjoyment.

3. Last December at my brother in law's house. We'd had 3 days of dramming ( mostly cask strengthens, and one night we did 3 Amruts ( my first taste of Intermediate Sherry). The last night we were all drammed out so we each chose a favourite, poured a single dram and watched a movie. That Intermediate Sherry lasted me a couple of hours and was so nice...

@Nock Shortly after returning from Victoria I picked up the USA-exclusive Kilchoman cask #360. Distilled 18.10.2007; bottled 7.11.2012. Not the "best ever" that Anthony poured in B.C., but surely the second best Kilchoman I've had. I too am a believer.

@Nozinan Certainly timing is everything. If you liked the Intermediate Sherry, give a'Bunadh Batch 45 a test flight (in the right circumstances, of course).

@two-bit-cowboy

I have a bottle of the 45, and absolutely am enjoying the 44. I can't open the 45 till my 45th birthday, so many months to go. Your post makes me want to buy a spare, but I already have spares of 6 batches, and about 15 sealed bottles waiting.

Has anyone heard of the 46 being released? It seems long overdue based on recent years with multiple batches. I can't imagine PR discontinuing the series. If so, even a 41 would be worth grabbing...

Best dram ever - 1974 Crown Royal Limited Edition. Totally unexpected.

This gem has the highest rating of of all whiskies in my cabinet, 94.

While entertaining a distinguished guest I offered a refreshment from my modest cabinet. To my embarrassment a dusty carton was selected. I sheepishly cleared the dust away, pulled out the bottle and cracked the top breaking the excise stamp. Not knowing what to expect, I poured some good, but not overly generous portions. To our surprise this whisky was incredible, simply brilliant! The meeting ended with half of the bottle being consumed and both of us marveling at its wondrous qualities.

Sadly this whisky is now gone forever. I am however the beneficiary of another 1974 Ltd. Edition that appeared at my door a few years later. So impressed by this whisky was my friend that he hunted down another bottle and had it delivered to my home on my birthday. Totally unexpected.

This question is deeper than you imagine. I'ma need to get back to you on this one.

All the drams shared with @SquidgyAsh on the occasion of Whisky Live Brisbane! Cheers to finally meeting a fellow Connosr in the flesh!

Talisker Vintage 1956, 18yo. Presented in the so-called 'Pint' bottles, this was a very limited release that was a Distillery Only Whisky, for the most part. I purchased 2 Pints (actually, 13 1/3 fl. oz.) that were part of a consignment of Talisker that came to Aust. as part of the stocking of one of the first Super Liquor Barns. There were 2 only bottles in the shipment as I discovered when I hurried back, cash in hand, to make the purchase of a lifetime. This was late 1975 and much as I try, I have found no other Whisky that comes close to the Talisker.

What impressed me most about the '56 was, I think, the incredible balance. All the good things were there in abundance: Nose, texture, silky mouth feel, depth of flavor, finish all exquisite but the balance and the quietly exploding flavor took this Whisky to a level that I don't expect to revisit, ever!

Slainte!

This one is difficult. Is it related to the best dram ever or the best dram in the company of others? Because I have 2 answers on this one. The best dram ever (so far) would be Octomore Orpheus. Drinking Shackleton for the first time with Richard Paterson (just the 2 of us!) at WhiskyFest NY last year was awesome. Yes I'm a lucky one! Did I say that I drank Great King Street NY Blend at Park Avenue Liquor with John Glaser minutes after the official release? Yes I'm a very lucky one!

I have two "most memorables"--and due to my very limited experience, I rememver both. The first was over ten years ago: some friends and I had been out kayaking at a local playspot (in whitewater kayaking, sometimes we'll do "park and play," which means surfing/playing on one wave or river feature without actually going downstream). It was myself, a guy who'd recently moved to the area, and a woman whom I had recently taught to kayak. Anyway, we'd gotten off the river and changed into dry clothing; it was fall, and a bit chilly, and the woman said, "Here, I've got something for you guys." Now, it's customary to have a beer after kayaking, but she pulled a bottle of Oban out of the back of her car. Now, up until that point, I simply did not drink whisky--or really any spirits. My previous experiences, as a young man, had not been good. But hey, it was being offered, so I took a cup (we were serving it in our Thermos lids).

I was amazed. None of the harshness I'd expected from my earlier experiences--it was not only drinkable, but highly enjoyable. So, that was my first ever experience with a quality whisky...served in a Thermos cup on a riverbank, with some of my best friends.

My second most memorable experience happened recently, at a small home-grown motorcycle rally hosted by a couple of friends in a nearby town. We get about 20 people from all over at this event, some riding days to get here. After a day of riding the excellent local roads, one of the locals hosts a barbecue at his lakefront property--and after dinner there is the tradition of the "whisdy table." Now, I don't normally partake, because usually my wife and i attend together and we drive home afterwards and I'm not gonna drink and drive. But this year, two things happened: I attended alone and took a tent (which is what most of the attendees do), and someone brought a bottle of A'Bunadh...

The results of that night include my own bottle of A'Bunadh, ahd my joining this site!

It was February 7, 2010. The game was New Orleans Saints vs Indianapolis Colts. It was the Super Bowl. We started the evening with an incredible bottle of Pappy 15 to celebrate the beloved Saints making the Super Bowl. Our groul finished that by the end of the third quarter. We switched to the only other bourbon or host had which was Jack Daniels Black. As Peyton Manning threw the pick six to seal the victory for the Saints I remember slamming back the rest I my dram and thinking that may be the best dram I have ever had. Do I like Jack Daniels black? Not particularly. But I will always remembered those drams as some of my most memorable drams.

Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy, enjoyed by me and my favorite whisky tasting buddy, my lovely wife! The drams were given to us by Eoin Derham, the US Brand Ambassador at the Jameson booth, at last year's "Whiskey in the Winter" festival in St. Louis. We found out about this one day whiskey fest rather last minute, but we were lucky enough to secure a pair of regular tickets to the event. Unfortunately the limited number of Golden Tickets were already sold out. Some rare higher priced whiskies were only available at the various booths, if you had one of these coveted Golden Tickets!

My wife and I were having a great time chatting with Eoin and sampling the wide range of whiskeys he had on hand, when we got to Powers 12, which my wife liked very much. Eoin said, "if you like that, you'll love this one", and pulled out the Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy that had been hidden behind a display, and gave us each a very generous pour! I pointed out to him that we didn't have Gold tickets, and he winked and joked, I won't tell if you won't! Well, now I've told, but I don't think Eoin will mind. My wife really loved this whiskey, and I enjoyed the special treatment we got, making it the highlight of a great evening spent enjoying whiskies from around the world, with my best friend and wife at my side!

This may not be my best dram ever, but it was the best expression of Pot Still whiskey I've tasted so far! What made it best was the circumstances, and the memories we took from it! Thanks again Eoin!

AD Rattray Bowmore 21 First fill sherry cask 55% Everything I like about whisky is in here Biggest Peat/Sherry monster so far, so complex and brutal, its almost unsettling:)

It was the first one. The whisky, long expunged from my memory bank. However, it started one heck of a love affair

@MacBaker62, hear hear! for whisky women! ...and it is good to make friends...with Brand Ambassadors,...and everyone else who is willing.

Oh sweet jesus where to start?! There honestly are too many to count because there are quite a few "best drams ever" due to the company kept while enjoying them.

First one was enjoying Glenfiddich's Snow Phoenix with my wife in Melbourne on our honeymoon. That one fully awakened the whisky beast inside and helped my wife fall in love with whisky.

Second one was in Scotland, sitting at the Society vaults with the owner of Abbey whisky, enjoying some Glenfarclas and talking about the power of the internet, when after posting in "what are you drinking now?" about where I was and drinking Talexander came over with his friends and introduced themselves with "are you Squidgyash?" Scared the piss out of me, was hilarious and was great to share some good drams with whisky friends from Connosr!

Another in Scotland when in the Balvenie warehouse pouring whisky from 1974 straight into a bottle to be enjoyed with my wife. Sitting there, licking the whisky off our fingers, in the warehouse, such an awesome moment.

Drinking a whisky from the 1960's at Glenglassaugh straight from the cask with my wife inside the warehouse and chatting with Ronnie who does their cask selection. Lovely!

Enjoying Talisker 30 year old with my wife, Roy and Mark Lochhead (Talisker's distillery manager) on a VIP tour of Talisker. Just completely made the day!

Sitting in Singapore at the Auld Alliance, enjoying the G & M Mortlach 1954 with Emmanuel (the owner) and Matthew (the bar manager) a memory burned into my mind as to what that whisky tasted and smelled like, even what the air around me was smelling like.

Meeting Systemdown finally in person, and while the entire experience was so awesome, but in particular discovering with Systemdown that Glenmorangie Signet doesn't hold up to water very well, having the brand ambassador give us wee nips of Glenlivet 25 year old when very few else got it and back at the hotel watching Systemdown crack open a very lovely bottle of Heather's Mist blend from 1978? Absolutely lovely and Systemdown was very kind to give me a wee 100ml flask of it!

And just recently sitting in a room with whisky geeks when WhiskyBaz, another connosr member brought out the Octomore 1.1. Beautiful!

Best ever drams in my mind are honestly more about the moment and the people I'm with, more then the whisky. The whisky you're enjoying of course has to be special, but it's the people you're with that takes it from special to epic!

Slainte!

May, 2010. Edinburgh. The Cadenhead's whisky shop on the Royal Mile. The kindly gent running the shop pours me a sample from one of their undiluted mystery malt casks behind the counter (Campbeltown). For him, it's surely a routine sample. For me, it's the moment I go from "interested in Scotch whisky because I'm interested in Scotland" to "interested in Scotland because it's where they make Scotch whisky."

That might be overstating the swing in my attitude, but it has narrative truth.

Tun 1401 Batch 3, and then Brora 30 year