So, what are you drinking now?

Tonight my daughter and I did the ceremonial sealing of my cabinet. There are a few bottles on top of cabinets here and there but they are sealed, and all the samples and open bottles are “locked” up for a week. I suspect she will tire of this at some point, but she seems to like doing it.

Before I did that, I poured the last few cc of what had been an extra sample bottle of the M&H underage whisky. It really is not that bad. I will definitely return for another distillery tasting and cask bottling next time I visit.

Now I’m trading in whisky for gefilte fish and really strong horseradish. Easter Sunday, sundown....the seal gets broken

Happy holidays everyone!

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

@Timp

I hope you're not coming down with Connosr envy. I mean, Facebook Envy is bad enough, but we better avoid contracting Connosr Envy. Plus, there are plenty of other people on here that would 'sink my battleship' when it comes to whisk(e)y in their library.

@cricklewood

My brain has been protecting me from hurt since 2016, which was the year I moved from China back to America, after working and living there for fourteen years. Yes, I do miss it. I never had the Lot 40 CS (or any Lot 40 come to think of it) but it is always nice to have a 'go to' whisk(e)y that you never tire of.

Cheers.

I’ve heard it’s International WhiskEy Day, so I’m starting the night with a pour of Booker’s 2018-01E. The US version was called “Kathleen’s Batch” but I’m not sure if the export batches are the same. Either way, this stuff is delicious. I don’t remember if my first bottle of this was a cinnamon bomb, but this neck pour really is. Cinnamon, brown sugar, cinnamon, cherries, and did I mention cinnamon? Booker’s isn’t cheap, but it’s really quite special in my “book”. (I’ll see myself out).

@OdysseusUnbound sounds lovely..

@OdysseusUnbound Nice use of a nice glass. Happy International Whisk(e)y Day.

Earlier tonight, a traditional Manhattan that I have been bottle aging (with a charred oak stick in the bottle) for 4 + weeks.

Finishing with the next to last dram of my bottle of Caol Ila SMWS 53.325 (7 year - Mar. 2012) "When two powerful pearls meet". After six years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, finished in a refill ex-Madeira hogshead - 61.2% ABV. Really going to miss this one!

@bwmccoy Madeira; the Rolls Royce of fortified wines? I bet that was a good one.

I'm only supposed to have one ounce per day as per doctor's "orders" so I'm making them count these days. So a dram of the 50% ABV Glenfarclas 25 yo tonight methinks. This one was bottled for Kensington Wine Market in Calgary and is a real stunner.

I have a friend who has also been diagnosed with atrial fib and his doctor told him two a day. I could split the difference and go for 1/12.

@BlueNote Is that KWM Glenfarclas the new one? I’d be interested in what you think of it.

@BlueNote, you could change doctors

A Tomatin flight. Four different pours sitting for about 30 minutes, the room smells like raspberries, ripe honey dew melon, freshly sliced pears, honey....

CONTRAST a Bourbon matured and a Sherry matured, each a vatting of casks from 1973-1977-1988-1991-2002-2006, 5400 bottles x 350 ml, both at 46% abv.

25 YEAR OLD matured in North American oak casks 43% abv. 350 ml.

1988 BATCH #2 matured for over 25 years in a combination of Bourbon casks and Port pipes 46% abv. 750 ml.

@paddockjudge I like the way you think. I tried to work the none on weekdays, more on the weekends angle. He wasn’t buying. And he’s a guy who likes his single malt. Sheesh.

@paddockjudge I had a taste of the Contrast bottlings. Both were excellent, particularly the bourbon one.

@MRick it’s this one with Andrew Ferguson, the owner of KWM, on the label. I’ve had three versions of the 25 over the years: a full cask strength one, the regular OB which is either 43% or 46%, and this one which I think is the best one. 50% ABV just seems to work. Not sure if they still have any, I got it on their last sale before Christmas. Prezzy from herself.

@BlueNote Thanks for that. I have an unopened bottle of the cask strength 25 celebrating the KWM 25th anniversary.

@MRick I think that might be the one I had a sample of from a friend. Was that from a two or three years ago? If so, you’ll love it. Open it and enjoy.

@BlueNote it was from 2017 if I remember correctly.

My penultimate pour of Flaming Heart 2018 while watching Where Eagle's Dare. Realised the other day I'd never seen the film all the way through and that needed rectifying. Total suspension of disbelief required but hugely entertaining nonetheless; a great, contrasting dynamic between the two leads as well. I can't help musing that they just don't make films with this much care anymore ...

The malts here go together seamlessly, it must be said. I won't be too sad to not have a replacement for this as the waxiness became a little dominant as it went down, but a cracking malt-blend anyways.

Edit - I'm also kind of celebrating. Had my pre-op assessment today and, bar my dodgy hip, was given a clean bill of health, which is reassuring. Did find out I'm a tad overweight too though - oh how my skinny teen self would mock me ha! I go under the knife in less than a month, gulp!

@RianC a great film, a lovely whisky and glad you had a good pre-op assessment. Always good to know. A good day.. Cheers.

Cheers to @BlueNote & @RianC.

I've been deliberately devoting more of my attention to earning money and raising kids lately, but Connosr is still worth a look on occasion. To be frank though, it ain't the most lively corner of the whisky web and I usually point my stolen glances elsewhere.

@MadSingleMalt As long as you're doing ok and living a happy life, that's what's important.

@MadSingleMalt , thank fuck!

@MadSingleMalt Glad to hear you are well and keeping busy. Drop in here when you have time...and interest.

Cheers.

@MadSingleMalt Perhaps we should revive the NAS debate, start a thread about most overrated brands, or a thread about the secondary market and the taters who encourage it. That should liven things up. We could have fun calling each other "poor and jealous" or "idiots with dull, unsophisticated palates."

Deanston 10 Amontillado cask 59.2% bottle your own 2015..

Was one of the first distilleries I visited and they just happened to have this one available at the time.

Memories of a great holiday with wonderful people and sipping this takes me right back.

One of my favourite drams in my stash and started my love for all things Amontillado. Just a small one to help spin the bottle out as long as I can. Cheers all..

@BlueNote - yes, the Society Caol Ila finished in Madeira is heavenly. It is my favorite open bottle at the moment, but with only one dram left, it won't be around long. :-(

Haven't had any whisky for the past couple of days until last night. I can't go into details of specifically what I was drinking because I am prepping for an on-line tasting that I will be co-leading in a couple of weeks and I'm not sure if I'm allowed to "spill the beans" yet.

Anyway, I tasted the four whiskies that we will be pouring for the event in order to put my notes together. Each one was tasted without water first, then with water before moving on to the next. I will reveal a few details now until I can give all of the details after the tasting on April 12th.

Started with a 26-year Northern Highland whisky.

Then a 10-year Speyside (Lossie) whisky (9 years ex-bourbon barrel + 1 year finish in an ex-IPA cask)

Followed by a 27-year Speyside (also Lossie, but different distillery) whisky (25 years ex-bourbon hogshead + 2 years in a 1st-fill Spanish oak Pedro Ximenez hogshead)

Finished with a 6-year peated Southern Highland whisky

I hope the attendees of the tasting enjoy these whiskies as much as I did!

I experimented with Martinis tonight. Before dinner I made the following:

• 2 oz Gin (Tanqueray)
• 2 oz Russian Standard Vodka
• 0.5 oz Dolin dry vermouth

It was pretty good, but the ratio of gin to vodka was off. Not “ginny” enough.

Dinner is over and I’m having:

• 2.5 oz gin
• 1.5 oz vodka
• 0.5 oz dry vermouth

This is better. I usually lean to gin-only Martinis, but I thought it would be fun to experiment. Russian Standard is not totally neutral vodka, and I happen to like its flavours.

Starting off with a new to me cocktail; a local version of a Boulevardier (the ingredients are supposed to be all locally sourced but I used what I had available).

The Lake Washington Boulevardier

1.5oz Amaro (using Fast Penny Spirits Amaricano - only locally sourced ingredient)

1oz Rye (Rittenhouse BiB)

1/2oz sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica)

2 dashes of chocolate bitters (Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters)

Lemon peel garnish (forgot to read the little sticker to see where the lemon was from.)

This is similar to the various Manhattan’s I make on a regular basis, but I think the lemon peel is what really sets it apart. A subtle, but very noticeable difference.