Which bottle did you just buy and why?

@bwmccoy Rittehouse BiB as others have stated makes an excellent Old Fashion, although not bad at all on it's own as a sipper, it's big brother Pikesville 110 may be the way to go neat.

Well between @Mackstine and @markjedi1 among others I decided to pull the trigger on the Cragganmore 12 Diageo release.

@Astroke - thank you for the feedback. I will look for Pikesville as a replacement to the Rittenhouse when I finish the bottle (at the rate I’m making Manhattan and other whiskey based mixed drinks during this stay at home time, it won’t be long).

@Victor - thank you for your feedback as well. As always, I learn something new from you every time! I can’t imagine what a 20+ year Rye would be like. I’m curious if it becomes less spicy over time like a lot of older Islay’s become less smokey or are the spicy notes even more pronounced?

Thank you also for reminding me about Wild Turkey 101 Rye. For some reason, I’ve never had the opportunity to try it, much less own a bottle. I know several people on here sing it’s praises. Sounds like it would make a killer cocktail.

@Astroke hope to try pikesville one day cause I did get the Ritten way back on recommendation and have come to really like it (more than Lot... I have to say, though also wanna try the CS of that one).

Two underrated bottled that I can get (with a discount!) at the liquor store: Lagavulin 8, and Port Charlotte 10. I'm a big Lagavulin 12 fan and this 8 hits a spot that other bottles don't . I thin I took this one for granted because it's available for a fair price.

Port Charlotte 10: Wonderful dram. The wine and peat and barley...I actually decided between this and another Uigeadail today. i went for the Port Charlotte. I may have a another MRC 01, but god bless Bruichladdich.

@bwmccoy: include me in the Rittenhouse Rye fan club too. One point of note: where I reside in Michigan, Pikesville Rye is twice the price of Rittenhouse Rye. You noted that your purchase price of Makers Mark cask strength for manhattens was a little more than you cared to spend. Pikesville Rye is about the same price (in Michigan) as Makers Mark cask strength. All the more reason to love Rittenhouse Rye at half that cost (dollar for dollar, twice the pleasure). Good luck !!!

@cherylnifer Same same here in London, United Kingdom... Rittenhouse £35-39, and Pikesville £75-80 (meaning the Pikesville is well into first-class single malt territory, quite a bit more expensive than e.g. Glendronach 15 or Ardbeg Uigeadail....).

@bwmccoy while my taste is not congruent with Jim Murray's in some matters, his description of the 21 and 25 yo Rittenhouse Ryes is eloquent, elegant, and to my experience 100% accurate. They are impossibly fruity, in the best possible way. Deep, very deep, in their fruitiness and in their wood resonance, without the wood creating any problems. There is really nothing else which tastes like them, except for a handful of other very old ryes, such as 23 year old Willetts. Maybe that's why some people are willing to pay $ 2,800 per bottle for them.

@Astroke you caved in to the FOMO, nice catch on the Cragganmore 12 CS.

@Jonathan both the Lag 8 and Port Charlotte 10 are good drams with lots of underlying complexity, at least the initial versions I have tasted, I haven't had any of the newer batches of either one.

@cherylnifer - Thank you for the reply. I’m not a huge bourbon fan. It was worth the extra dollars to get not only one that I’m familiar with flavor wise, but also one that was cask strength.

@Victor - hopefully, one of these days I will have an opportunity to try one. Based on your description and the fact that you approve of it, I’m sure I would love it as well!

Not recently purchased but recently arrived. With the help of a friend, I was able to secure these bottles over the last couple of months, lots of out of the blue text messages asking "you want this?"

I'm pleased as punch everything arrived intact.

-The new Kilkerran 8 Cask Strength Sherry -Kilkerran 15 single cask bourbon this one is a back-up -Longrow 17 Chardonnay Cask, Alberta exclusive from last year -Vega blended malt 22yrs old

@cricklewood Gimme those! Just kidding. Well scored, man. I’m green. You know, like, with ENVY.

@BlueNote post your goodies from CC. Ill be green with envy too.

@cricklewood Will do. Expected arrival next Tuesday. Really looking forward to the G & M Linkwood 15.

@cricklewood - Nice haul! I'm especially jealous of the Vega!

@RianC the Vega looks interesting, but I’d be doing a grab and run with the Longrow 17.

@RianC Yeah the Vega was the one last minute addition, hard to pass up at the price of 120$ (this one received a rather good review from Serge not that it necessarily means much) If these North Star releases were from Compass Box they would fetch a mint.

@BlueNote I was lucky to get a sample of that Longrow and the cinched the deal, it is very unique, 7 years in a bourbon cask and 10 in a Chardonnay cask, it produces an unusual result but one my girlfriend liked a lot and when she likes a whisky I don't argue, I get a bottle.

@cricklewood Wise, very wise.

@cricklewood - I think @markjedi1 reviewed it favourably as well. North Star get good reviews across the board and seem to be able to source good casks and sell them on at relatively decent prices.

As for Serge, he thinks putting milk in tea is weird so ...

@RianC I did and indeed the VEGA are all good (there's already six editions). Nice selection!

@RianC I drink Yorkshire Gold with milk and sugar at breakfast, after lunch and after dinner. Once an English boy, always an English boy, even if I have lived in Canada since I was 10.

@BlueNote - Yorkshire Gold ... Oooooh, get you!

Standard Yorkshire is definitely my favourite tea (bag - British style). It's actually decent black but milk gives a creamy counter to the bitter tannins. Lovely! Green or herbal teas get a milky pass though

@RianC @BlueNote This conversation makes me think of an old boss I used to have! He was on the other end of the world and whenever I had to travel there for meetings I was under strict instruction to load up my suitcase with Yorkshire tea (I still remember the green box it came in) and roses lime cordial!

Not whisky but I just bought:

• Courvoisier VS Cognac
• Cointreau
• Rose’s Lime Cordial

All this cocktail talk had me thinking of trying a Vieux Carré, but my local LCBO had no rye or Bénédictine. I know I really enjoy a Sidecar so I splurged on the Cointreau. The Courvoisier is their bottom shelf stuff, but I’m not knowledgeable enough to know how luxury Cognac is supposed to taste, and I’ll most likely use the Cognac exclusively for cocktails. Ergo, I’m not shelling out $100 or more for a VSOP or over $200 for an XO. The Rose’s Cordial is for a Gimlet, a cocktail I’m shocked I’ve never tried. My “house gin” is plain ol’ Tanqueray, since my mother-in-law drinks far more gin than I do and that’s her favourite brand.

@RianC Uhm, I also think putting milk in tea is weird. Well, not weird but gross. Nothing in my tea but tea, thank you very much.

@OdysseusUnbound - Its somewhat excusable, the French influence still weighs heavily on that particular arm of the Commenwealth

I once had a French friend who dipped buttered toast in coffee ... every time I saw her do it, it nearly made me gag!

@RianC It weighs especially heavily on me, since I’m French-Canadian and French is my mother tongue.

Edit: I can’t imagine dipping buttered toast in coffee, but dipping buttered bread or toast in molasses? Now that’s a throwback to my childhood.

@OdysseusUnbound

I was once in love with someone who put milk in her Earl Grey. I started doing that too. Now I use milk in my tea about 50% of the time. Then of course there is the London Fog, which by definition has to have milk. My daughter drinks her decaf Earl Grey with milk, mostly to be like me, I think.