Which bottle did you just buy and why?

@Nozinan I hope mine is among those “mystery samples”. I’m curious to see what you think of it.

@OdysseusUnbound yes, I will try yours next time I am given the OK to have a dram. The other mystery samples I have tried and now know what they are - I just need to re-taste to finish my notes for my reviews.

@nooch I did a review of Forty Creek Unity on here - good but not great.

@nooch, I was disappointed with FC Unity. I found last year's special release of Heritage more to my liking, this year's Unity was young/immature in character.

FC needs to put away more of the cherry picked barrels, the ones previously marked "hold for John", they made nice small batch releases (John's Private Cask No. 1.....FC missed the boat by not planning for the release of No. 2.

The feedback re: unity is interesting. Whisky advocate had it as one of the best 20 whiskies of the year. Their list was pretty suspect, but I thought I would ask.

@nooch That's due to Davin's high score. Are there any Canadian whiskies he DOESN'T love??

@nooch Also, I went through their list. Of all of them, I think the only ones I've tried are Unity and Nikka From the Barrel, their #1. (I've had Laphroaig Cask Strength before, but not that batch). I'm dying to try that Jack Daniel's SB Heritage Barrel!

@talexander what was your take on the Nikka? Hard to come by in Ontario.

@nooch IMPOSSIBLE to come by in Ontario - I don't think I've ever seen it at the LCBO. Many years ago I bought a bottle on a trip to Vancouver. It is stunning. Here are my notes from over five years ago: connosr.com/nikka-from-the-barrel-whisky-r…

@talexander sounds amazing. I’ve had the Nikka taketsuru 12 yo, but that bottle is long gone. Good, not mind blowing.

@nooch I don't remember if I tried the 12. The 17 and 21 are amazing, I still have some 17 left....I think it's been oxidizing for 7 or 8 years...

@talexander Nikka from the barrel is $65 in Calgary right now. Hmmmm.

@talexander I have a couple bottles coming back from there just before Christmas - add one more to the list!!!

@nooch, yeah there's loads of Nikka FTB, Nikka red & black on Calgary shelves, no sign of Nikka white though.

@talexander, agreed, the Nikka 17 is very good (I've not tried the 21)!

Two years ago I traded a bottle of Nikka Taketsuru 17 YO Pure Malt for Laphroaig 10 YO CS (batch 005/2013) and a Laphroaig 18 YO (green tube). I like NT 17, a lot, but how could I say no to that trade?!

Benromach 10 100° Proof

Why? Because it is a damn fine tasting whisky! This was the third whisky at the KWC Companions of the Quaich dinner last night. This may get served to friends and family during Christmas...

@tfahey1298 I’m picking one up from a friend next week!

@OdysseusUnbound @tfahey1298 That is a fantastic whisky. I have 2 bottles left (two I bought online and shipped to UK address and one was a gift picked up in NS. Thanks @maltactivist for putting it on my radar.

A few goodies picked up during black Friday, I split the shipping with some. Friends.

-Port Charlotte MC:01 Marsala cask, it's travel retail only but a few cases ended up in Alberta by mistake.

-Bruichladdich barley exploration pack. A box with 3 x 200ml bottles of organic Barley, Bere Barley & Islay Barley expressions. The empties will make good homes for blends and heels.

-Arran 18 big fan of the other expressions I've tried and it was priced about 12$ more than the 14yr retails here so a no brainer.

@cricklewood Would like to get your thoughts on the 18 vs 14 some time. I love the 14 and am tempted to spring for the 18.

@BlueNote, having never tasted Isle of Arran 18 yo I am still willing to make a bet that when you buy a bottle of it you will say, "This Arran 18 yo is quite good, but it isn't better than the 14 yo which I have had, and I could have saved some money."

Why do I predict that? Because Isle of Arran 14 yo is so good it would be very hard to make a whisky better than that one already is.

I am very interested in hearing your actual response when you do taste from your (soon to be) new bottle of Isle of Arran 18 yo.

@Victor I'm with you on the 14, in fact I bought it on your recommendation. The 18 is a considerable price jump from the 14 so I think I'll try and get a taste before buying. But, yes, very hard to beat the 14 which is one that is always in my cabinet now.

@BlueNote @Victor I recall that when trying once most of the arran range, I actually found more love with the 14 than the 18.

@RikS, I am not at all surprised.

@RikS @Victor Mmmm. I think I’ll just go ahead and buy another 14

@BlueNote 14...That's a lot of bottles.

@BlueNote , I will let you know it might just get opened at a club meeting coming up next week.

@Victor the 14 is indeed a stellar whisky and is priced very attractively for what it offers, it's value would be hard to beat.

I am curious to see if the Arran 18 will have some of the notes I found in a 20yr old single cask I picked up last year, it still had the hallmarks of Arran but there was some older dunnage type notes and a bit of leather/tobacco that I believe were in part from age/cask type. I will also be comparing it to other whiskys in a similar profile and age bracket (Glengoyne 18, Tomatin 18)

I just picked up my Hazelburn 10 from the KGBO. Why? Over the past year or so, Campbeltown has been a temptress luring me away from my marriage to Islay. I can't totally commit to Campbeltown as my one true-love, but I can't resist her either. Thank goodness whisky doesn't get jealous. Or does it????

@OdysseusUnbound The whisky, she can be a cruel mistress.

@BlueNote I loved the Arran 18. But I haven't tried the 14 so can't compare.