40-46% or Cask Strength?

@Victor thanks for the info about Smith Bowman. Yes, 73.75% sounds blisteringly brilliant! I do have the 72.4% Stagg from 2007 and thought that was pure power . . . 17 yo Abraham Bowman . . . have you tried it by chance?

@Nock, I do have a bottle of the 73.75% ABV 17 yo Abraham Bowman Bourbon. I will probably open it up within the next couple of weeks.

@two-bit-cowboy its true my idea is a little naive, perhaps chill filtration should be given a serious talking to

@Systemdown I agree with some of those lovely key whiskies where I honestly don't care what the abv is just because I KNOW it's going to be good, i.e Talisker 10, Macallan 12, Laphroaig 10, Ardbeg 10, etc and those ones I'm more then happy to pick up at the 40-43%. It's when I'm experiencing a new distillery that I know close to nothing about, i.e at a bar, where I start going "cask strength"

That being said I'm currently playing with a cask strength Glenlivet Nadurra that has me in tears I'm so bored....I definitely didn't get one of the highly ragarded batches.....

@SquidgyAsh. My Nadurra is 57.6% and it's dynamite. Is that the one you have? There is also a 47% version that Murray gives high points to.

@SquidgyAsh @BlueNote Too bad about the Nadurra. I got one a year or two ago as a gift via Duty Free so safely a different batch to yours @SquidgyAsh - I think I shall open it this week or weekend when I have a free hour one evening.

@BlueNote Mine is a 54.3%. Very honeyed with vanilla, floral, but to be honest, it's not bad, just boring. And I want to say I spent $120 for it so I don't expect to walk into "Meh" territory at that price :( I'd heard nothing, but good things about it from the bible, Connosr, reviews, friends, and yeah it looks like I got the dud in the lot hahaha.

@SquidgyAsh. I'm sure that we have all had that happen. I know you would love to have that $120 back to put towards something else. @systemdown. Let us know how you like yours and what ABV it is.

@BlueNote Hahaha yeah I'm sure we've all had that happen :D It could have been much worse though and who knows maybe the bottle will open up beautifully!

@BlueNote Just checked my online spreadsheet, it's 54.2% ABV and bottled 11/09, batch no. 11091. @SquidgyAsh It's not a complete loss - experience has been gained! And you're right, it may open up beautifully given some time.

@BlueNote Incidentally, your 2008 bottling and my 2011 bottling are the two top scoring Nadurra's on the Whisky Monitor (87 and 86 points respectively). @SquidgyAsh Your 54.3% bottling (2012) is absent.

@systemdown Hahahahahahahahaha wewt! I had to giggle when I saw your comment about mine being absent :D Next time I should do more homework and hunt for specific abvs :D

@SquidgyAsh Well, to be fair, I expect it's because they haven't tried the 2012 version yet. I fully expect one of the Maniacs to try the 2012 version and add a score to the Monitor in the not too distant future! Also, if my sister was overseas this year she would've brought back the latest batch and not the 2011 so it's just sheer luck and nothing else.. will let you know what I think of it of course. And I'll definitely send you a fresh sample.

@Volks Not at all naive.

Chill filtering, though, when you think about it, doesn't that process have to be more expensive? Getting any liquid from room temperature to freezing--or thereabouts--must be costly. Yet we pay more for whisky that's been filtered at room temperature. Who's kidding who, here?

@two-bit-cowboy Great point there. It would cost distilleries less to not chill filter = greater profit margin for them! I am pleased however that we seem to be seeing more and more "natural" (non filtered, non coloured) mainstream malts so as a general industry trend I think we'll be okay.