EPIC TASTINGS!

Yesterday evening, and into this morning, I sat down with @paddockjudge, @Victor, and @Victor's wife and sister for an epic tasting.

We started with a collection of Armagnacs courtesy of @Paddockjudge. This was my first exposure and I found it very educational.

This led to some rare bourbons courtest @Victor (BTACs and van Winkles) that seemed to complement and follow from the armagnacs.

Following this, a real treat - A walk through the "creation" of Wiser's Legacy. First, @paddockjudge poured the real thing. Then he went through the process of helping us to blend various comonents (using a single malt scotch matured in virgin wood, Canadian Rye and Canadian corn whisky. We tried each of the components individually then blended them according to his "well-researched" recipe. Then we were able to "tweak" the blends. I found my blend actually tasted better than the Legacy. A wonderfully educational experience.

Then we had mystery drams (Danfield's 10 and 21 YO) contrasted with Gibson's 18 YO venerable (before the mysteries were revealed).

After dinner we cleansed our palats with Chum Churum Korean Soju (my contribution, but an unfortunate one).

I had brought a few eclectic whiskies by request and we went through them:

1. Bruichladdich "the laddie classic" - if anyone knows where I can get another one of these please let me know.

2. Bladnoch 12 YO sherry matured 55% - One of the most hotly anticipated...and disappointing. I wonder if Sulphur was a problem. I'm going to give the bottle air time and see. I've never had a disappointing Bladnoch before. I hope my other bottles are OK...

3. Mortlach - 2 G&M bottlings. Mine (Calgary Co-op 13 YO) went over with the others better than it did with me. I really liked @paddockjudge's 15 YO, despite its 43% ABV.

4. Springbank CS 12 YO Claret Wood. This one was a real hit. Something about it you can tell it's well-made.

5. What was left of my Handy 2014 BTAC rye. This was contrasted with @victor's 2012 offering which had a much more appealing nose.

6. George T. Stagg (courtesy @Victor). First the 2013 at 54.1%, then the absolutely outstanding 2010 71.5% that was for me one of the stars of the evening.

After this things started to "unravel" a little. I was able to manage tastes of 2 high proof rums, one of which I bought today at the KGBO (hope this batch has the same overpowering nutmeg...), and Lemon Hart 151 proof Demerara rum. The others had various spirits but honestly, I can't remember all the small tastes everyone had.

In all, a very enjoyable evening which lends proof to the idea that it's not just about the whisky, but it's the company, the setting, and if you put some effort into some of the presentation (mystery drams and themes), the experience becomes EPIC!

Sounds like you had a wonderful time!

WOW!!! It was EPIC! Indeed! By the way, SAQ has 9 bottles of The Laddie Classic Scottisch Barley at $85. If it's not too expensive, I can order a bottle. Next fall or winter, I will probably go to Toronto and Ottawa. So, if you're not in a hurry...

@Robert99

Thanks for the offer. I more interested in The Laddie Classic. It was released several years ago and I still saw one or two bottles in Calgary 2 years ago but I had too many other priorities. The Scottish Barley is a newer release.

@Nozinan I wasn't sure wich one you were refering to and I didn't tought the old Laddie Classic was even close to be available anywhere, so I checked.

@Robert. What's the word on the Scottish Barley version? Is it worth a try?

Wow, @Nozinan. That is epic. I would be comatose if I had that many different types of booze in my system. I would love to try them all, but I just don't have the constitution for it and I would probably have a screaming headache even if I quit after the Armagnacs and the Canadians, never mind another half dozen Scotches and bourbons. I know you are not a big drinker, so how do you do it? Lots of water? Food? Very small pours? Cheers.

My adopted brother and my wife, enjoying a nice cigar (as he's a cigar fiend) and some good whiskies.

I find that I pick up more notes off my whiskies when I enjoy them by myself. I also find that I enjoy them much less when I enjoy them by myself.

Good whisky becomes great, if not brilliant, when it's shared with those you love who appreciate whisky.....

However one of the best tasting I ever did was done with my adopted brother and wife about a year ago.

He'd had a very shitty day at work and has always been crazy generous with whisky gifts and so when he came over that night I decided to break his brain by cracking open a 30 year old Old and Rare Port Ellen (bought by my wife for my birthday a couple years ago) a 30 year old single cask Caol Ila, a sample of Highland Park 40 year old given to me by the BA and a sample of Glenfiddich 40 year old given to me by the BA.

The whiskies were all really good, with the indie Caol Ila blowing everything else out of the water (and picked up for the stupid sum of $80 AUS), but it was more a good reminder that while we can hoard our special whiskies, which I am and have been guilty of, whisky is meant to be shared and enjoyed.

The look on his face was precious and his day went from crap to great, again not due to how awesome the whisky was, but by sharing the experience with loved ones.

@SquidgyAsh

There's lots of wisdom in what you say. Given the choice, I choose enjoyment among friends over the extra flavours. But I acknowledge there's probably a place for both. It's a very different experience, I terms of volume of each spirit, total volume consumed, and palate fatigue.

@BlueNote

You ask a very valid question...how do I do it? Small pours, lots of water, sitting out or (gasp) pouring out some after tasting (never the Stagg though), and not doing this often. Even so, I was past my usual comfort zone. And at my age... I'm not built for a night of drinking. Afterward, a half a litre of water just before bed and more during the night when I woke up to use the washroom. And no hangover!

@Nozinan ,@SquidgyAsh. Couldn't agree more, there's a place for both, I prefer sharing with friends. Sometimes when I'm enjoying a spirit alone with the wife I try not to over think it.

That was an all star line up you had, Epic! Some of those spirit are almost unattainable. I'll admit I'm Jealous.

Just got home from a pretty epic tasting tonight amongst a few friends. I didn't even have all that was at offer...

Angels Envy Michters toasted barrel Jefferson presidential rye select 25yr Corsair small batch triple smoke Black maple hill lmtd ed George T Stagg Rock hill farms Glenrothes 98 Dalmore cigar malt Glenmorangie Quinta ruban Knappogue Castle 16 Dickel barrel select Springbank 12 CS Jefferson's Ocean WL Weller Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Glendronach single cask 2003 CS 11yr Old rip Van winkle 10yr Van winkle 12yr Lot B Pappy Van Winkle 20yr Caol Ila 12yr Nikka coffee grain whiskey Elmer T Lee

Of all tasted, the Stagg was the highlight of the night for me.

Sorry....I have no idea how this forum works with the line spacing.

@KRB80

The Stagg is often the star of the evening...... especially if t's a 2010

@BlueNote Sorry, I mist your post. I can not say a lot about The Laddie Scottisch Barley since I haven't taste it. The reviews I have read didn't convince me to buy it. Seems good but not great. I hope somebody will give you more infos. So! anybody?!

@KRB80 , we had a thread a while back where we tried to figure out all the formatting tricks on Connosr:

connosr.com/wall/discussion/…

Short version: Yeah, you have to put spaces between your list items.

@OlJas Ah-ha! Thank you! lol

Every tasting involving any or all of @Victor, his sister, and @Dramlette becomes an epic event, no matter the size of the gathering. Good company, good conversation (whisky and non-whisky based), and good whisky go hand in hand. I consider myself fortunate to be able to know them via Connosr, and have the opportunity to meet up with them on occasion.

The keys to the 15+ sample tastings...lots of water in between, small (1/4 oz.) pours, and snack foods...it's all about pacing.

@pudge72. That pretty much echoes what @Nozinan advised. Diligent rehydration is very important to counteract the dehydrating effect of the alcohol. Ergo, lots of water before, during and after the session. Thanks guys. Cheers.

@Nozinan, @Robert99. I decided to take a chance on the Bruichladdich Scottish Barley, The Classic Laddie. 50%ABV, NCF, NC, unpeated. Poured a dram and gave it about 15 minutes air time. Quite an alcohol bite on arrival with a fairly sweet overtone. The components of this one are fairly obviously well under 10 years old. With a dash of water it eased off a bit and with another dash it got to where I could actually appreciate the inherent flavours. All in all, I quite like it. I still have some of the Laddie 10 left and plan to do a head to head with the Scottish Barley next. I wouldn't give it a full on endorsement based on my first tasting as the taste buds can change from day to day, but like most Bruichladdichs it is well made and good value even at the price here in lotus land. Cheers, Guys.

@BlueNote Thanks for the notes. I will certainly read the H2H with great interest.

That is an epic tasting

I'm no expert on Bruichladdich but "The Laddie Ten" was replaced by "Scottish Barley" in a straight swap a couple of hrs back. The Scottish Barley is 50%ABV and is a good match for The Laddie Ten. It was a good old NAS switcheroo. I haven't seen any Laddie 10's for a while but still have half a bottle left.

@Nozinan, @Robert99 et all. Hi guys. I did a quick H to H with the Ten and the Scottish Barley. The Ten neat is noticeably less spirity than the SB on arrival. The SB is, to my taste, slightly sweeter than the Ten. With water the differences become less noticeable, but the SB took more water than I would normally add to get there. Bottom line: the SB is a very decent dram, but if the Ten was still available It would be my first choice, mainly because it is composed of nothing less than ten years old and has that information stated on the label.

I was fairly determined to avoid NAS whiskies for a while, but I need a reasonably priced Bruichladdich in the cabinet and the SB, for the most part, fits the bill. Great looking bottle too. I can't see any age stated B'laddich that is affordable and available here. My SB is a new bottle and we'll see how it changes with time and air. At this time it takes more than a few drops of water to settle it down. Perhaps you should seek out a few more opinions to see if there is any consensus before you lay out the cash. Cheers.

@BlueNote

I tried my brother in law's laddie 10. My first impression was that it's ok, but I definitely liked the laddie classic better. That said, I have 2 bottles of the 10 because I'm sure someone will want them someday.

@Nozinan. Is that the Scottish Barley Classic or is there another Laddie Classic?

@BlueNote

The Laddie Classic was available around 2010-11. It is a NAS whisky that preceded the Laddie 10. On my whisky adventure in Dec 2013 I saw one or two bottles somewhere in Calgary.

The Classic Laddie Scottish Barley is not the same expression.

I'm not in a position to tell you which is better or how they differ. I just happened to like the one I have...

A friend had a birthday on Friday, so I took it upon myself to organize an epic bourbon flight. In order: Booker's 25th anniversary, Blanton's Gold Ed., 2014 George T. Stagg, Jefferson's Ocean 2nd Ed., Four Roses Private Edition, E. H. Taylor Barrel Proof Probably the beat bourbon tasting I've had in a single sitting.

@newreverie, One heck of a fine line-up for a single sitting. That's definitely a Connosr session. EPIC!

@paddockjudge The big surprise for me is that I didn't add water to any of them except for the Taylor (because water brings out the strawberries). Normally I need some water to cool down the bottles that are +60%, but this time they all just tasted marvelous neat. The Jefferson's was the weakest at 45% and was as smooth as glass. It and the Bookers were my two favorites of the night.

Hey all! We have an EPIC tasting happening next week, Wednesday 27 May at The Whisky Shop, Piccadilly with Nikka Whisky. Anyone wanna join? More info here: connosr.com/events/371157/…

Hope to see you there!

Had another pretty epic tasting last night. Good time had by all.

Penderyn

Bunnahabian 8 (Macphails Collection)

Glenlivet 1974

Amrut CS

Glenfarclas 17

Compass Box Spice Tree

Compass Box The Lost Blend

Old Pulteney 21

Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban

Kilchoman Machir Bay

Allt-A-Bhainne 15

Clynelish 14

Talisker 18

Bruichladdich Redder Still 1984 CS

Longrow CV

Bruichladdich 1984

Bruichladdich 14 Barolo Cask (1993)

Caol Ila 10 (1999) G&M Connosuiers Choice

Caol Ila CS (2003) G&M

Bruichladdich Infinity 3.1

Ardbeg Perpetuum

Nikka Coffee Grain Whisky

The Glenrothes 1998