So, what are you drinking now?

@RianC This is a late reply to your Armangnac exploration. The holiday season approaches and bottle shops and liquor stores offer some interesting choices without having to pay for one bottle of singular spirit. Hopefully, the opportunity is present in your geographical location.

@Victor - Thanks for all of the info on Catoctin. Unfortunately, with my responsibilities with co-leading the class, I didn't get as much time to walk around and taste the various offerings as I would have liked. I never made it to the Catoctin table, but @jordytropp did and he said that the Rabble Rouser was the best of what they had to offer.

I did have the following last night; for our class, which was a blind tasting of single malts from around the world;

1 - Copperworks (Seattle, WA) their latest special release #39 which is crafted using the Genie varietal of barley. This particular barley was grown and malted in Washington state. The whiskey was matured in charred new American Oak for 36 months. This release is the first whiskey ever to be bottled from Salmon-Safe grains. Salmon-Safe certification represents ecologically sustainable agricultural practices that protect water quality and wildlife habitat. This is also the first time they have exclusively used a single variety malt in a release. 50% ABV. Nose: stewed fruit, red wine, and pipe tobacco. Palate: citrus, melon, smoked tea, and cedar ending with a slightly briny note.

2 - Starward (Australia) Nova single malt. 41% ABV. Nose: red berries, orchard fruit and soft oak. Palate: berry, vanilla, caramel and spice.

3 - M&H Elements Peated (Israel). 46% ABV. Nose: light smoke, vanilla, oak, tobacco and caramel. Palate: vanilla, peat, fruit, salted caramel and brine.

4 - Benriach Smoky 12 (Scotland). 46% ABV. Nose: smoke, charred orange, almond, chocolate and vanilla. Palate: brown sugar, cocoa, smoke, peppercorn and a slight sweetness from the Marsala cask. Of the four, most in the class thought this one was the favorite, but the M&H was also very popular.

After the class, I was also able to sample the following;

At the ImPex table, I was able to compare a couple of single cask Linkwood's head-to-head from Single Cask Nation.

The first one was bottled exclusively for The Barrel Thief, which is the whisky bar in the Seattle area where I conduct my tastings for SMWS. The owner of The Barrel Thief personally selected this cask and is offering the bottles for sale to friends and customers of his bar. Of the two Linkwood's, this one was by far the best and was my favorite whisky of the night. I plan to purchase a bottle!

Linkwood #1 (Barrel Thief); 11 year old from a 1st-fill ex-bourbon hogshead. Distilled July 2010. Bottled September 2021. 259 bottles. 55.5% ABV. Rich, sweet, spicy, nutty, floral and oaky.

Linkwood #2; 12 year old from a refill (very much used) Oloroso sherry butt. Distilled April 2009. Bottled May 2021. 666 bottles. 55.5% ABV. I was shocked by the lack of color and to learn that this was a sherry cask, especially compared to the color of Linkwood #1. The nose and palate were astringent compared to #1 above. Not a fan of this one.

Next I went to the Balcones table. I first had the Texas Single Malt (53% ABV) Whisky Pot Distilled. Not bad, but had a harsh bourbon note to it.

Second, I tried High Plains Texas Single Malt (57% ABV) Whisky Pot Distilled. This one was a little more refined than the non-High Plains version, but was still just OK to me.

Third, I tried Baby Blue Corn Whisky (46% ABV). I did not like this one at all.

The final Balcones that I tried was the one that I went to the table for. This is a brand new release made in conjunction with the blues rock band ZZTOP called Tres Hombres (50% ABV). This is a blend of Balcones' malt, rye and blue corn whiskies, hence the Tres Hombres name. This was the best of the four. I liked it, but not enough to buy a bottle.

The last whisky that I had at the event was Old Pulteney 18 year old (46% ABV). This is double matured in ex-bourbon and Spanish oak casks. It was nice, but didn't blow me away. In fact, there wasn't any of the whisky that I had last night that made me want to run out and get a bottle, but it was fun to try all of them.

On the way home from the event, my wife and I stopped at a local wine bar that has live music. My wife had a dirty martini and I had a Manhattan made with Knob Creek Rye, which was their house rye. It was ok, but didn't order another one, nor would I order one again at that particular establishment.

While it wasn't a great whisky night, it was fun co-leading the master class with my friend and it was great to have a date night with my lovely wife.

Tonight (Sunday), my wife and I had a couple of Black Manhattan's for happy hour made with Maker's Mark Private Selection for BevMo! This finished off that particular bottle and I had to add a little Maker's Mark 46 to the second round.

@bwmccoy a Linkwood was your favourite whisky of the night. I can't say I am surprised.

Thank you very much for this and for all of your many detailed reports. This club exists for the exchange of useful information.

@fiddich1980 - Nice score! Yes, I wish they would do more packs like that. I'll keep my eyes open, cheers!

Tonight, I finished off the 2nd-half of a sample from a friend of an 8 year (April 2011) blended heavily peated Islay malt from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. This is the 8th release in the series of blended malts. It is called Battle Axe and bottled at 50% ABV from refill ex-bourbon hogsheads. While I don’t know the various malts making up the blend, I suspect there is a fair amount of Caol Ila and peated Bunnahabhain in it. Whatever malts we’re used, it’s a very good blend with earthy, floral, coastal and medicinal elements.

@bwmccoy The Old Pulteney 17 year old is far better than the current 18 year old IMO. Sadly no longer available, but 2 left in my bunker.

The Linkwood fan club is growing slowly but surely.

@BlueNote You got me to order Linkwood from Cadenhead's that was very good. I have some left, and a spare, but have not had any others.... no room!

@BlueNote blended my last quarter bottle of OP 17 with a similar sized bottle of 21 and my what a nice dram. Was a bit tentative but thought it should blend well and luckily was proved correct. Need to get another 17 from auction for the stash.

Ps agree about the Linkwood also..

@Nozinan That Cadenhead was a good one. Glad to hear you still have some. I was tempted on a 21 year old Linkwood from Signatory on the recent KWM sale, but even on sale the price of $264 was a bit rich for me. Opted instead for a 20 year old Signatory Dailuaine at a mere $202. Early Christmas prezzie to myself.

@Timp That would make for a very nice 19 year old OP. Is the 21 still around, or did they scrap it with the 17? I haven’t seen it listed anywhere for a while.

@BlueNote Don’t think so. Think it died when the new range was introduced. The one I had was in rum casks for a bit and was a good one. Again might have a look at auction.

Tonight, Copperworks Distilling Company Special Release 34 WA state peated malt (Skagit Valley Maltings) aged for 49 months in 8 new American oak - 52% ABV.

Followed by the next to last dram of Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2010 - 50% ABV.

Whistlepig Piggyback, man, I am a fan, especially at the LCBO price. I will pick up more.

Last night, a small pour of Ardbeg Wee Beastie - 5 year old - 47.4% ABV

Experimenting with blending...

@YakLord Could be interesting. Let us know what you come up with.

Before dinner, Bend Distilling (Bend, Oregon) Black Butte Whiskey 3 year. Release #5. 47% ABV.

After dinner and while playing on-line poker with the guys, Bladnoch Adela 15 year Oloroso Cask Matured - 46.7% ABV.

Followed by BenRiach The Original Ten - three cask matured (ex-bourbon, ex-sherry & virgin oak) - 43% ABV.

Ended with Laphroaig 10 year Cask Strength Batch 012 (Feb. 2020) - 60.1% ABV

Benromach 10 followed by the 15 tonight. Nice drams.

Cheers all.

@Timp cheers! Your weekend starts 5 hours before mine does if you measure the weekend start from Friday evening. Of course those of us who are retired start our weekend drams, and our weekday drams, at any hour which suites us!

I do not drink a large volume of alcohol, but I drink it whenever I feel like it. I wish all of you whiski brothers and sisters equal freedom to free yourselves from the conventions and needless constraints of other people's ideas. Sure, you are mindful not to bring harsh reactions from others in public, but in your own homes there is no need to put up with any of that.

@Victor such a nice comment Victor. Cheers It's what I love about this site. There is a such a distance geographically between some of us but so close with our tastes. You bring us all closer together. Your a good man.

@Timp thank you, kind sir!

I was preparing to pour a Friday late afternoon glass of cask strength Canadian, to punctuate the whirlwind week I experienced at work, when the room was blanketed in the delicious fragrance of Spanish Clementine oranges. My wife had peeled one of these tiny fruits and all I could smell was ORANGE. Not one to easily admit defeat, I quickly adjusted to the unexpected and overwhelming ORANGE bouquet by popping the cork of an open bottle of Amrut NAARANGI, a lovely dram which nicely complimented the orange cloud surrounding my cabinet.

@paddockjudge Gotta try that one sometime. Between you and @Nozinan i get the impression that it’s a good ‘un.

@bwmccoy I like the Benriach Original 10. It’s a nice cask mix. I think maybe it’s been replaced with a 12 year old version? Still looking for a good deal on the Bladnoch Adela.

@BlueNote The blending was indeed interesting. I've got lots more to play with, and some other ideas, including playing around with the 9.09% rule for Canadian whisky and adding in some 19 year-old Armagnac and a tiny bit of 21 year-old single grain cask strength Scotch.

@YakLord Looks like you’re getting ready “ …to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

(Blame Captain Kirk for the split infinitive).

Last night, a couple of Black Manhattan’s made with Maker’s Mark 46.

After dinner, Bunnahabhain SMWS 10.176 (11 year - Dec. 2007) "Tea-smoked salmon" - After nine years in an ex-bourbon hogshead transferred into a second fill Spanish oak ex-Oloroso hogshead - 59.2% ABV.

Followed by Glenturret SMWS 16.52 (11 year - Dec. 2009) "Campfire breakfast on a damp morning" from a re-charred American oak hogshead - 63.4% ABV.

@bwmccoy Glenturret, that’s another one I’ve yet to cross paths with.

@BlueNote - I’ve enjoyed the few that I’ve owned, but they were all from the Society, heavily peated and from re-charred casks. They are big and bold drams!

Last night, a couple of Jerry Thomas Manhattan’s made with Rittenhouse BiB, however, I think my vermouth has gone bad. Not as good as they normally are.

I made some 3 booze eggnog tonight (rum, cognac AND bourbon in the same batch) and the smell of cognac was too appealing to pass up, so I’m having some Courvoisier VS. No, it’s nothing fancy or high end, but I like pretty much any brandy/cognac/Armagnac so it’s a fine digestif.