So, what are you drinking now?

This week has been totally dry but I did indulge a bit last weekend.

Opened a Tamdhu 15 and tried alongside Glendronach 15. Verdict - both very good but I think, so far, the 'dronach has the edge as it has more spice and character. The 'dhu is excellent though, silky, more fruity but well-balanced.

Also opened an Arran 10 and did a h2h with Deanston 12. Verdict - Arran 10 wins out no question. Less sweet and more composed, to my palate,but, again, both are excellent drams.

I did the above as I want to stock up on favourites and this is a test to see which I want the most. Definitely sold on the Arran but the sherry battle is still up for grabs ...

@RianC is the Glendronach the older Oloroso or the newer Oloroso/PX version?

@MRick - It's the new version.

Tonight, made a traditional Manhattan in order to compare it to the traditional Manhattan bottle that I am aging with a charred oak stick in the bottle. After 1 week, both are still similar except for a pronounced cinnamon note on the aging bottle. It will be interesting to see how this experiment turns out.

Later, while playing on-line poker with my brother-in-law and friends.

Bushmills SMWS 51.15 (16 year - May 2002) "Boiled sweets and cut flowers" - First-fill barrel - 56.4%

Kilchoman Small Batch #3 (Port hogsheads, bourbon barrels and sherry casks) - 48.9% ABV

@bwmccoy That Kilchoman sounds interesting. What’s the verdict?

After a very long shift of on-call phone coverage (28 pages in 6 h!), I collaborated with my wife to cook some Sujebi.

Now, as I wind down the day, I wanted to have a small dram.. Something with enough body to cut through the trials, tribulations and cooking smells.

Amrut CS 2007 edition. Better than when I reviewed it in 2019. This one is so remarkably complex. It is both one of my 10 top 5 Amruts, and probably one of my 10 top 5 whiskies.

@Bluenote, I think this one is holding up well with inert gas, and there should be enough for you if you visit in the next year or so...but I'm not actively saving it for you I still have a couple of bottles. One will be for my daughter, who was born in 2007. But the other one is fair game, perhaps as an opening before Tempest and Laimrig.

@Nozinan Many thanks. we can only hope that we will once again be able to travel in the next year or so.

@BlueNote - that Kilchoman is easily the best non-single cask Kilchoman I’ve ever had. I haven’t officially rated it yet, but it will probably be somewhere around 95. I like that this isn’t a finish, but rather the port (50% of the vatting), ex-bourbon (47%) and sherry (3%) casks are all fully matured before being vatted together for bottling. Notes are citrus and peat with red berries, stewed plums and smoked paprika. The smoke comes through in the finish big time! The empty glass this morning smell like smoked meat.

Tonight, Ben Nevis SMWS 78.41 (19 year - Dec. 1997) - "A real sherry monster" - Refill ex-Oloroso sherry butt - 57.1% ABV

Finishing with the other Kilchoman in my cabinet. Machir Bay Cask Strength Festive Season Limited Edition (Santa hats on sheep). 58.6% ABV.

Tonight attended a virtual tasting with local distillery, Woodinville Whiskey. Woodinville gets all of the grains they use from Washington state and almost most all are from a single farm; Omlin Family Farms in Quincy, WA. Woodinville purchases all of their new oak casks from Independent Stave Company (ISC) in Lebanon, Missouri. The wood used for their bourbon and rye casks are open air seasoned for 18 months before coopering. As a testament to quality of the ISC casks and the Woodinville bourbon, Glenmorangie has recently worked an agreement to acquire all Woodinville ex-bourbon casks. All Woodinville bourbon and rye casks are #4 charred (45 seconds), but the heads are toasted for 45 minutes. Both are aged for 5 years in standard 53 gallon new American oak barrels. For maturation, the barrels are aged in warehouses at the Omlin Family Farm in Quincy, WA, which is about 150 miles east of the distillery in central Washington. The reason for this is the weather in Quincy is similar to Kentucky with hot / dry summers and cold winters. Woodinville uses a combination pot / column still made by Kothe in Germany. Distillation time is about 6 hours per run. Woodinville makes about 20 barrels per day and is currently available in 22 states.

First up, Woodinville flagship straight bourbon whiskey (45% ABV). Mash bill is 72% corn (Dent Corn B varietal), 22% rye and 6% malted barley. Nose; creme brulee and cooking spices. Palate; caramel, dark chocolate and vanilla bean. For someone who isn't a huge bourbon fan, I found this to be very easy drinking and enjoyable.

Next up, Woodinville flagship straight 100% rye whiskey (45% ABV). This uses a bakery strain of rye which produces a rye that is sweeter with less pepper / spicy influence. Nose; cinnamon, clove, fruit and leather. Palate; caramel, wood spice and honey. Even though I prefer a spicy / peppery rye, I like this one as well. In addition to drinking it neat, it is great for cocktails.

Next up, Woodinville Double Barrel blended whiskey (43%). This is a blend of 80% Woodinville light whiskey with 20% Woodinville flagship bourbon. Unlike their bourbon and rye, the double barrel is first aged in a new, heavy-toasted, light-char (#1 - #2 char) American oak barrel for 3 years, then aged for an additional 2 years in an ex-bourbon barrel resulting in a "lighter" bourbon. Also, the wood for these barrels are open air seasoned for 24 months before coppering instead of the 18 months for the bourbon and rye. This is distilled to a higher proof than their bourbon. Nose; berry, vanilla and stone fruit. Palate; brown sugar, maple, wood spice and caramel.

Next up, Woodinville straight bourbon finished in port casks (45% ABV). Fully matured bourbon (5 years) aged for an additional 6 months in Port barrels. Originally, the distillery tried to use port barrels from Washington state wineries, but availability was inconsistent, so they now source port barrels from Portugal. The nose and palate are obviously similar to the bourbon with an additional berry note. This is very well balanced. Not overly wine influenced.

We finished with a true one off. Woodinville straight bourbon finished in an ex-Madeira cask (53.27% ABV). Again, this is their fully matured bourbon aged for an additional 6 months in an ex-Madeira cask. What makes this a one-off is Woodinville thought they were getting several madeira casks, but only received one. They aren't sure when they will be able to offer this expression again because apparently madeira casks are very hard to get compared to other casks. The nose and palate are obviously similar to the bourbon with additional subtle notes of raisin, honey and cinnamon. This is also very well balanced.

There wasn't one that I didn't like, but in order from my favorite to my least favorite; Port finish, Madeira finish, Rye, Bourbon and then Double Barrel. A fun and educational tasting.

@bwmccoy, great details, thanks for sharing! I now want to visit that distillery.

ICS has a great reputation. Rumour has it that Independent Stave Co. closed their order book in 2014. An Ontario Craft Distiller, North of 7, managed to secure an agreement with them that same year.

I was recently part of a group to purchase two barrels of whisky from N of 7, both aged in ISC barrels. We chose two barrels from the 10 offered to us.

The Four Grain single barrel ( mashbill of 51% corn, 25% wheat, 12% rye, 12% barley) entry proof 68.8% abv, bottled at 74.5% abv, aged 5.5 years in new oak, light char, heavy toast. A flavour bomb. I call it Bourbonne.

The second barrel, 95% rye and 5% malted barley, in new oak lightly toasted with heavy char at an entry proof of 58.4%. At slightly less than five years it was 65.3% abv. It continued to sleep. We are considering a summer tasting about one year after the first samples were presented to us. This rye barrel will be approaching six years of age.

A very interesting piece of information about Glenmorangie snapping up the ICS used cooperage.

@paddockjudge Random thought... can you imagine an action movie with a shootout in a place like this. A few strategically places bullet holes... heaven on earth?

Last night a.pour of Tamdhu 15 - I'm quite particular (or picky ha!) when it comes to sherried whisky and this one's a funny one. Silky, gentle and very elegant but almost too soft on the palate for me. Lovely orange flavour and quite a spicy finish too. Early days, and it will be interesting to see if this one blooms.

It's similar to the 'farclas 25 but definitely more complex and engaging.

@paddockjudge - Thanks! You know, if you come visit the Woodinville distillery, it’s only about a 40 minute drive to my house. Happy to host the after party!

Congrats on the 2 cask purchases. They both sound really amazing, especially that wheated bourbon at 74.5%. Maybe you should call it Abraham Bowman North Edition!

Owning / purchasing a cask is on my bucket list of things to do before I die!

After hearing our esteemed education minister lie through his teeth for 10 minutes or so, I needed something strong. It’s a generous pour of Laphroaig Cairdeas Fino Cask. I also started a whisky infinity bottle. There’s just a touch of Laphroaig Cairdeas Fino, a generous pour of Tamdhu 15, a sample bottle of Tomatin Cask Strength, and a generous “neck pour” of a newly-opened Glengoyne 18, that I may or may not get to sampling tonight.

@OdysseusUnbound I can relate, the levels of fuckery achieved by QC PM and his crew is astounding as well

A small pour of Mortlach 16 from the 1st batch, sample graciously provided by a fellow Connosr. really aromatic nose and despite a thin texture it really delivers a big peppery, punchy palate and a medium long finish. loads of tea and earthy things.

@cricklewood Sounds delicious. I admit I’ve looked at the pricy Mortlach 16 a few times, but I haven’t pulled the trigger yet.

@cricklewood @OdysseusUnbound there is SO much variation in batches of those Mortlach OBs. I had great OB Mortlach 12 yo at Tales of the Cocktail 2019 and went and got a bottle as a result of that very enjoyable sample. The verdict on my bottle? No, no, no!...and sulphur which had not been noticed at all in the Bait and Switch sample I had had from the brand reps. The OB Mortlach 16 yo I had had at Tales was the best of the three served there, 12, 16, and 21 yo, so I was pleased to receive a bottle as a gift from my sister. I haven't opened it yet, but I am a little in trepidation because I have read of big let downs of recent batches compared to that around the time that I was sampling it. I very much like the house style of Mortlach, big thick texture sherry, and I have sampled several GREAT Mortlachs,...but the bottom line is that now I do not trust them at all, especially the OBs.

@Victor I've had very good luck with my first two bottles of 12 year old. I have a third one yet to be opened and am hoping it's as good as the first two. I've only had a sample of the 16 from a friend. It's 43% and I found it somewhat nondescript. I would try another sample before popping for a bottle.

I sampled the Glengoyne 18 tonight. The nose is a bit shy with fewer sherry notes than expected, the palate is quite good; definitely on the soft and delicate side, but the finish is the real star. Nutty, milk chocolate, caramel, and a bit of vanilla icing. The finish goes on for quite a long time.

@BlueNote I never doubt that others have had the whisky experiences which they report. I also never doubt my own experiences. What my experiences have shown me, again, and again, and again, is that whisky is not a predictable or consistent experience IF you allow yourself a LARGE number of samples from a large number of bottles and batches. So yes, I have had very good to excellent Lagavulin 16 yo, Talisker 10 yo, Highland Park 12 yo, Mortlach 12 yo, standard Buffalo Trace, standard Jamison's, standard Elijah Craig 12 yo, standard Glenkinchie 12 yo, Jack Daniel's Old No. 7, Evan Williams Black Label, and yes, even Johnnie Walker Red Label. I have also tasted--usually owned a 750 ml bottle-- of each one of those which was somewhere between non-descript and wretched, relatively speaking. While I would have been content, I think, to have had "lucky" experiences across the board, so that I would be able to honestly praise all of the whiskies which I have experienced, and never have felt that I was wasting my money, my lot has been to have had a balance of experiences showing me a fuller picture which has proven to me that you can always get a bad bottle of the best whiskies or a good bottle of a whisky which is generally appraised low in the esteem of connoisseurs.

@OdysseusUnbound I feel your pain. He is my lack of education minister as well. If I were nothin call I would have gone with something like North of 7 CS 4 grain...

Tonight, High West A Midwinter Nights Dram; Act 7 Scene 6 - 49.3% ABV.

Followed by Kilchoman Machir Bay Cask Strength Festive Season Limited Edition release (Santa hats on sheep). 58.6% ABV.

Sherry night tonight;

M&H Elements Sherry Cask

Ben Nevis SMWS 78.41 (19 year - Dec. 1997) - "A real sherry monster" - Refill ex-Oloroso sherry butt - 57.1% ABV

Finished with a heavily peated Bunnahabhain SMWS 10.190 (6 year - Oct. 2013) "Make moine a devil!" from a second-fill ex-Oloroso Sherry butt - 61.1% ABV

This week has been pretty dry for me. Got the second vaccine shot and have been dealing with the fun side affects. But things are looking up today and I intend to have a Non Sequitur cocktail with my wife and possibly an Old Fashioned. Finishing the night with a Glengoyne 15.

I just had a JW Red (80's) and wrote a review only to somehow lose it all as I was choosing an image!

I am now pouting and wishing to have a little Rumplestiltskin esque tantrum but can't for fear of waking the wee bairns.

God damn it ...

The whisky is lovely, it really is. And breathe

@RianC I hate when that happens. I've now gone over to using the notes function in google but every so often I risk it in the Connosr review window to write up and get burned!

@RianC I've had that happen with long posts too. Frustrating.

I have a Mac so I now use the notes function and had a whole bunch of reviews on my computer now. That way I can write the preamble at different times, or prepare a special review for a specific day, and then post when ready

Bruichladdich Peat.

I bought this bottle in 2011, one of the first single malts of my journey. For longer than I can remember the last 2 ounces have been waiting for me in a sample bottle. Tonight I poured 15 cc. I did not remember it. It has been so long. But it was delicious. I think 2021 is the year to finally part ways with this one, and hopefully a review will come before then.

(Luckily I had the foresight to put away a full bottle of this, which is now unobtainable.

@Nozinan that's a classic one. I believe this one is a blend of all 3 Bruichlladich styles (unpeated, Port Charlotte & Octomore). Look forward to your review.

Tonight, finishing off a leftover from a previous virtual tasting and a couple of samples that a friend gave me recently.

Amrut Indian Single Malt batch number 154 (Feb. 2020). 46% ABV. I love this expression. Perfect example of malted barley in liquid form. Light yet complex. Great dram.

Dalwhinnie Distillers Edition 2015 (distilled 1998). Oloroso finished for 22 months. 43% ABV. A really nice version of a Dalwhinnie which is a distillery that I normally do not care for. Not overly sherried. Balanced. About $70 USD (with exchange rate and shipping from UK).

Finished with a 23 year Kirkland brand (Costco) 2020 Edition. 46% ABV. Speyside mystery distillery. Ex-bourbon followed by an ex-Oloroso Finish. About $100 with our crazy taxes in Washington state. Great nose; raisin, candied fruit, fruitcake and leather. The palate is where it all falls apart. Not bad, but severely lacking with no finish.