So, what are you drinking now?

@bwmccoy I much prefer the Lustau Moscatel Emelin to the PX; it’s also a sweet sherry but much fresher and livelier than the goopy PX, possibly due to better acidity?

Having a drop of springbank 10 with the wife after a bottle of côtes-du-rhône. The bottle is down to the last few drams and have been opened for quite some time. A delicious, creamy and balanced whisky!

Glendronach Cask Strength, 57.9% ABV, Batch # 7. Yes sir, if I ever buy Glendronach, it is likely to be the Cask Strength. Thank you very much for the sample, @Pudge72.

@Victor some of their cask strength single cask bottling can be good. I got one that was distilled a month after I started medical school. My BIL opened his bottle and it was really good, so it will be my retirement bottle.

These sold out online 3 minutes after they went on sale. I was very lucky to complete my purchase in time. They arrived today and, like last week with the W22, I cracked one the same day. It’s quite bold, and there is a unique flavour that comes from drinking a whisky from a bottle with a signature....

@Nozinan Can you hazard a guess as to its age?

Octomore 1.1, 63.5% ABV, 2003-2008. Peatheads of the world unite! @Nock gave me this sample about 6 years ago in 2014. Thank you @Nock!

On my own I've been through a bottle of Octomore 2.2 Orpheus, and own an unopened bottle of Octomore 2.1. Much as I love Octomore, especially 5.1, I'll be happy to go through a few bottles of Ardbeg Supernova and my Octomore 2.1 before I would buy more Octomore.

@Victor You inspired me to open my sample of Glendronach Cask Strength Batch 7. The sales rep, er "brand ambassador", for Glendronach, Glenfiddich, Ledaig/Tobermory, Bunnahabhain in Central Ontario gave me a few samples and this was one of them. First impressions are very positive, but I'm heavily biased in favour of Glendronach so take my endorsement with a grain of salt.

@OdysseusUnbound, bias? It's only bias if you say it's good before you've tasted it. Otherwise it is just your own personal taste preference, with which no one is entitled to quarrel. De gustibus non disputandum est.

@Victor Perhaps biased was a poor word choice. I have developed a bit of a soft spot for Glendronach as it is my wife's grandfather's favourite single malt. I'm one of the only people who drinks scotch with him, and I'm one of the only people who offers him scotch (the good stuff, in his words) when he visits our place.

@MRick Judging from the lack of an age statement, my guess would be 3 years. I don't have enough experience to make that kind of an assessment.

@Paddockjudge would probably be able give you a better estimate.

I’m having a sample of Glendronach Cask Strength Batch 4 that was graciously provided by @fiddich1980 because I had to compare one batch of Glendro CS to another. The winner? Me.

Last night some Carlos 1 brandy then some JWB from the 80s and finally a Springbank 15, all whilst taking part in a Zoom birthday quiz. Of all the whiskys I've tasted since opening the JWB the SB was the one to best stand up to it, flavour wise, which I find quite interesting.

I hope the cs #4 was to your liking @OdysseusUnbound. I have an unopened bottle of that particular one in my stash that I purchased quite some years ago!

@Victor, I am glad you finally got around to tasting that Octomore 1.1 after only 6 years! Did you have a score come to mind? Inquiring minds want to know (even if it is tentative)

When I first started tasting it (opened 10/10/2010) my assessment was similar – I strongly preferred the Ardbeg Supernova’s over this. And at the time I believe I paid nearly $200 for that Octomore. And I was only paying $100 for the Supernova’s I was picking up. Strangely, the Octomore price really hasn’t changed in ten years while the Supernova’s are now $170 if I can find one (around $300 at auction). I totally missed out on the last batch of SN2019. But, I believe there has been a huge change to the “Supernova” composition from the early 2009 and 2010 batches down to today. But that is for a different thread.

On the other hand, Octomore has done nothing but improve in my opinion. Again, I was put off after batch 1.1 and didn’t buy another bottle until 6.3. And my goodness that is amazing. But do you know what is better? 8.3. And I also dearly love 8.2, and I think 9.2 is better than that. I also love 9.3 and 7.3. Basically, I love the __.3’s because they are Islay barley and those are indeed special. There is something very important about barley . . . not to mention terroir.

And I am really getting into my bottles of the __ .2’s at the moment. The Adam Hannett is really doing a fantastic job of blending wine casks with the Octomore peat in my opinion. The result is fantastic. It makes me want to try that bottle of Orpheus 2.2 again. My guess . . . 8.2 and 9.2 might be better.

Also, my biggest insight to Octomore . . . they need LOTS of time to breath. When I cracked my 9.2 in March it started off closed, dull, and boring. Just the other week I did a blind tasting and it blew away a number of very good whiskies (also peated with some sherry/wine). And yes, it did spend several weeks with the cork completely off!

@RianC belated congrats on the new gig. I am really glad you are enjoying your vintage JWB. I am a big fan of those pre-1990’s bottles. At the time they had access to the best whiskies because no one else wanted them. But obviously, batch variation occurs.

One thing I did with my bottle . . . I like to add about 1 part Everclear to 3 parts JWB (sacrilege, I know). It brings the ABV up to around 50%. It is like viewing something threw a magnifying glass. Everything is bigger, but also more spread out and distinct. A wonderful experiment in my opinion.

@Nozinan did you ever experiment with your bottle of Everclear? Or just for sanitation purposes?

@Nock that Octomore 1.1 bottle of yours had been open at least 4 years when you gave me the sample, and I tried a little taste of it then. The edge had clearly come off from the full intensity. It seems much the same now, solidly good, but no fireworks. I'd rate it about 87 points.

@Nock I tasted the everclear neat when I received it, but sadly I haven't really had the chance to experiment with it yet. I'm not worried about it "going bad",it's unlikely to suffer from bacterial overgrowth...! I'm a little hesitant to dilute the flavour of other whiskies with anything, water, or alcohol. But I suppose it's my duty as a man of science...

Last night, I made a couple of pre-dinner cocktails in order to use up some sample bottles containing items I wouldn’t drink neat.

First up a whiskey version of a Moscow Mule. Well, unaged whiskey anyway. 1oz unaged bourbon from 2Bar in Seattle, 2oz Ginger beer, a dash of bitters and a lime wedge.

Next a Palmetto; 2 parts Rum 47, 1 part Sweet Vermouth and a dash of orange bitters.

After dinner, I had a dram of High West A Midwinter Nights Dram; Act 7 Scene 6 - 49.3% ABV in order to rate this recently opened bottle. Rating: a solid 88.

Knappogue Castle 16 yo, 40% ABV. This one is really good, both nose and palate. Thanks to him who gave me the sample, @Pudge72, I think.

Tonight I cracked open a bottle of Deanston 11yo 2008 67.8% Signatory 1st Fill Sherry Cask 900072. I bought it because of the ABV at 67.8%!!! And it is my first Deanston. Well, I guess that isn’t totally true. I had a small sip from a friend’s bottle of Deanston 12yo exactly 9 years ago to the day (below is a picture of that event . . . good memories).

My fear about this particular bottle is that many are calling it a sulfur bomb. Others not so much. In my mind this bottle is the big line-in-the-sand for how you feel about sulfur.

And I LOVE it. Big sherry, huge flavors, leather, mustard . . . and yes sulfur. BUT in a wonderfully fantastic way. I would love to pour this for the sulfur-sensitive out there to see what their take is (@Victor I am looking at you).

A BIG thanks to @Hewie for the recommendation! Your post about tasting it at a festival caught my eye. And your recommendation put me over the edge. I am sorry I am just now getting around to opening it. A wonderful bottle in my opinion. I am certain many out there would disagree with me.

I say, know what you like and buy it. Don’t let anyone tell you different. My rating score represents my personal enjoyment of a dram. Not an objective standard that anyone else can trust – unless you enjoy what I enjoy. And this is in the 90’s for sure.

@Nozinan, @MRick, I have no info about Lot 40 Dark Oak. The single pot Star Special Rye (Lot 40), a component of Legacy, was in the 9 year range. The debut of Legacy in 2010 preceded the official launch (actually relaunch) of Lot No.40 Rye by two years. Five years later the 12 YO Cask Strength version was released, followed the next year by an 11 YO version in 2018. Before tasting, my guess would be a vatting of 5 - 7 YO Star Special Rye (new oak) finished 2-24 months in new #4 char barrels. After tasting......I'll get back to you.

@Nozinan, @MRick, I've been playing with this whisky for about ten minutes. I decided to do a flight of four different Lot 40s. I have seven, but four Lot No.40s is enough: 1st Ed.12 YO CS, 2nd Ed.11 YO CS, 3rd Ed.CS, and Dark Oak (48% not CS). My first impression is that it more closely resembles 3rd edition than any others....now for the h4h.

Last night’s pre-dinner cocktail; Black Manhattan.

After dinner, had the last dram of Braeval SMWS 113.24 (7 year - Oct. 2011) "Attack of the killer florists!" - 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 63.4% ABV.

@Nozinan, @MRick, if you enjoy Old Potrero Rye and James Pepper 1776 Rye, you will likely enjoy Lot No 40 Dark Oak.

@paddockjudge I passed on 1776 at the LCBO but I really like Old Potrero so that makes the L40 DO a must buy for me.

@Astroke, this may be in your wheelhouse. I prefer mine a bit sweeter and perhaps chewier. My benchmark straight rye is Pikesville 110. My benchmark high-rye blend is Wiser’s Legacy. The corn whisky tends to lift the rye and give it some rounding.

@paddockjudge I found the dark oak sweet when I tried it Friday. Also bold. Not the same as its cask strength cousins of course... I think time will tell with this one...

I’d forgotten just how good the Ardbeg Corryvreckan is. Just enjoying a dram and Pat Metheny BRIGHT SIZE LIFE. Good combination. Otherwise, a pretty useless day of staying home as per the new COVID rules.

Tonight is the 6th anniversary of my father’s death.

As I do every year, I poured him a glass of Canadian Club, what he used to drink when I was a kid. And just like then, I took a sip. So did my kids.

I left it there. I’d better remember to take away the glass tomorrow...