So, what are you drinking now?

Not drinking much lately as I seem to be going backwards with my recuperation and physio. Anyway, enjoyed a Glenlivet 12 Illicit Still (on offer at Amazon currently ... ) and then a Wiser's Dissertation. Not had a rye for a while and this bottle's been open a good while now and probably needs emptying soon - loved the sweetness and the oak had mellowed nicely. Glass smelt amazing this morning.

Perfect companions to finish Blood Meridian - @Nozinan, that's my late admission to your recommended reading list Never in my life have I read a book and instantly wanted to read it again. Until finishing that one ...

Yesterday evening, my wife and I had a couple of Jerry Thomas Manhattan's made with Rittenhouse BiB for happy hour.

After dinner, a glass of Bladnoch Adela 15 year Oloroso Cask Matured - 46.7% ABV while watching the first episode of Succession with Brian Cox. This Bladnoch is a perfect summer sherry dram; Light, sweet, but oh so flavorful!

An Arran 10. Lovely, honeyed and fruity with quite some depth of character. I think the 'livet 12 IS edges it but it's very good stuff nonetheless.

It does have a wee nip when poured. I'm finding giving it thirty mins or so in the glass gives the best results. It thins very quickly with water.

Just cracked the Deanston Signatory Cask Strength I got from Fine Drams bottled at a whopping 65% abv, and that abv is not shy at all. This will be one to add a drop or two of water later to open it up. Mighty stuff!

@RianC sorry to hear your hip is taking longer to heal mate, I am sure those drams will help.

Another dram of 9 yr old Caol Ila from my whiskysponge bottle tonight and this has now really opened up. I couldn’t believe the amazing butterscotch note on the nose that has appeared, and smoked meats on the palate. All the young, slightly harsh notes seem to have gone. A really nice dram and just shows off this distillery brilliantly. Cheers.

A couple of Black Manhattan's made with Maker's Mark 46 for Happy Hour yesterday.

Lagavulin DE (2002/2018) with smoked gouda and rosemary and olive oil crackers...

Clynelish SMWS 26.161 (8 year - April 2012) "Put the pebble to the petal!" - 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 60.9% ABV

@bwmccoy how is that Clynelish?

@MRick - I love the waxy note that most Clynelish whiskies display and this one has it as well. Even with the young age and higher ABV, I initially "liked" this particular cask / bottle, but wasn't blown away by it. However, with air / time, it is getting even better. Of course, the bottle is now down to the last couple of drams, but it is really starting to shine. The nose has pineapple, gorse and honey. The palate is juniper, mint, lemon and sweet cereal. I rated it an 86.

Tonight, Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2010 - 50% ABV followed by some peat;

St George's Distillery English Whisky Company SMWS 137.7 (7 year - Feb 2012) "How to kill your dragon" - 2nd-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 65.5% ABV

Rating the last of my open, unrated bottles

Miltonduff SMWS 72.92 (7 year - March 2011) "A wonderful welcome" from a first-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 62.2% ABV. Notes of vanilla, strawberry and pastry. Rating: 87

Braeval SMWS 113.37 (7 year - August 2012) "Picking fruit from an oak tree" from a second-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 64.1% ABV. Notes of pineapple, mango, apples, oak, toffee, coconut and banana. Rating: 89

Allt-A-Bhainne SMWS 108.25 (8 year - February 2012) "Gets your blood pumping!" from a second-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 65.9% ABV. Notes of spicy, sweet smoke. Rating: 88

Ardbeg 10 tonight. Always a good un! Cheers.

Last night, my wife and I had a Black Manhattan (Maker’s Mark 46 and Old Grandad 114 because I didn’t have enough Maker’s Mark 46) followed by a Jerry Thomas Manhattan (Rittenhouse Rye BiB).

A pre dinner Old Fashioned with Woodford Reserve. It's got a lovely profile has WR but needs a bit more oomph to be a rewarding sipper. Makes a damn fine cocktail though and I wouldn't turn a bottle down.

And right now, a hand-filled Deanston 10 from an Amontillado sherry cask @59.2% courtesy of @Tim. Cheers, Tim! Yeah the cask swamps things a bit but the malt character does come through. Lovely, nutty, sweet, dry, effervescent whisky. Kind of buttery too - it's unusual but lovely. Puts me in mind of Redbreast, oddly.

Is there nothing an Amontillado cask won't make better?

Right, off to eat my chilli with home made salsa, wraps and quacamole. Beers required ...

@bwmccoy I’ve never had a Braeval. I’ll have to get onto my SMWS mate and see what he’s got.

A couple of nights ago I did a H to H with the Lagavulin 8 and the Lagavulin 11 Offerman Edition. The jury’s still out on the Guinness cask finished Offerman, but so far I prefer the 8 year old. It’s early days, but so far any Guinness influence has yet to show itself, unless that’s what accounts for the slightly bitter taste and finish. I shall persevere.

Attended the Ardbeg Monsters of Smoke tour. Enjoyed all the core range whiskies from the Wee Beastie up to Corryvreckan. Nothing wrong with free drams!

Forgot to mention I tried some Highland Park 10 at my Mums the other day. Quite a nice profile but simply too thin and anaemic. Not a bad intro whisky I suppose but I would have marked it in the 70's. I'd rather drink a blend than a less than stellar malt, any day.

I ran out of Maker’s Mark 46 on Friday night. Went to the store on Saturday to replace it, but they only had the Cask Strength version (55.15% ABV). A tad spendy, but makes our standard Black Manhattan’s all that much better. Had a couple each last night (Saturday) and tonight.

Finished the night with a dram of Ben Nevis 6 year (Dec. 2013). Full maturation in a 1st Fill Amontillado Gorda. 67.6% ABV. Single Cask Nation bottling.

DP

Things are crazy at work right now, so rewarding myself with a couple of cocktails to end the workday.

Black Irish Coffee Manhattan's (@YakLord's recipe). 1oz Irish Whiskey (standard Jameson), 1oz Cold Brew infused whiskey (Jameson Cold Brew), 1oz Amaro (Fast Penny Spirits - Seattle), 1 dash Coffee bitters and 1 dash orange bitters.

@RianC agree they shortchange the HP 10 by reducing the proof to 40%, I think at a slightly higher proof it would likely be quite good. That said I agree a good blend is probably better than a crappy malt anyday.

Forgot to post last night's drams;

Penderyn Legend - 43%

Finished with a peated Highlander with a few drops of water. Glenturret SMWS 16.46 (6 year - July 2013) "Cooking on a rusty grill". Re-charred hogshead - 64.9% ABV.

Tonight, a peated English dram with a few drops of water; St George's Distillery English Whisky Company SMWS 137.7 (7 year - Feb 2012) "How to kill your dragon" - 2nd-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 65.5% ABV.

Tonight, A couple of malt forward drams;

Glenmorangie Dornoch - 43% ABV.

Followed by Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2010 - 50% ABV

A wee blind tasting with mates online (all cask strength). BenRiach Port Cask 2006, Cardrona 'Just Hatched' Solera (NZ distillery), Infrequent Flyers Aultmore 10, Special blend of Talisker 8 and Lomgrow Malbec. Plenty of hopeless guesses on distilleries and cask types along with quality banter,

@Hewie was that a peated Benriach?

@MadSingleMalt no it was unpeated but I swear I got peat in it. I summed it up as 'berry crumble cooked in a coal range'. I have a peated port version which has a lot more oomph

Bunnahabhain 18 tonight. Cheers..