So, what are you drinking now?

@RianC This is the actual bottle - same cask number and all. thewhiskyvault.com/blair-athol-1995-25-yea…

After a bloody long and hard year of teaching today I'm on break (from school at least). My wife was at work today so I was in charge of our 5 year old - not much rest and relaxation there! I dropped him off at a birthday party at 4pm and I've been meaning to try the last of the Springbank 15 sample from a friends blind tasting beside the 10 year version. The tropical fruits are starting to develop in my bottle of 10 and it has an interesting bready note on the nose. A lovely almost passionfruit note (like a craft beer) and a dank basement finish. This bottle has taken a few weeks to start to shine. The 15 is rich like a dark chocolate truffle. Spikes of sweetness and bitterness interplay. Like candied cranberries in 70% chocolate. Some nuttiness and lovely dunnage on the finish. Both lovely and bring something different.

These were on the menu at our D&D Group Potluck last night (my one in-person, non-immediate family social event of the holidays)... I actually preferred the shochu to the whisky. It was a bit sweeter, but more subtle. The whisky wasn't bad, just not as good.

Tuesday’s dram was a Craigellachie 12-yo at 48.4%ABV. This one is labeled as Old Particular. This one was ok but not near as good as the XOP. I don’t need a bottle of this one.

2017 Release 40 year old Canadian Club, 45% ABV at noon local time of December Hump Day. Thank you again, @paddockjudge for this and many other fine samples which you have given me. This sample is tasting fantastic! It is delicious, and obviously long aged. I had had a previous sample from this same release which I had not cared for. There is some cognitive dissonance there. Love the one you're with, though! Every bottle and every sample is a world all its own. Cheers December! and Cheers @paddockjudge!

Last night, I was putting together some samples for my wife to give to a co-worker. A few weeks ago, a friend in the whisky industry gave me a bottle of Glenmorangie X - 40% ABV. I thought I would open that bottle and include it as one of the samples. Of course, I needed to try it first, so both my wife and I had a couple of drams of it. Initial reaction is that it is very lacking. It has that typical Glenmorangie nose, but more subtle. The palate was ok, but both my wife and I used "lacking" as the best way to describe it.

If you aren't familiar with this expression, Glenmorangie worked with bartenders to develop a single malt for mixing in cocktails. The bottle says that it is sweeter with a richer taste. I agree with the sweeter comment, but I can't imagine what they were comparing it to when they say it has a richer taste.

On a side note, if you are going to make a single malt for mixing, I would assume that it would be a little cheaper than your standard release. However, I was at a chain liquor store in the area last weekend and noticed that X was $5 more per bottle than the Glenmorangie 10. While the 10 isn't the best whisky in the world, it is much better than X and with it being cheaper than X, I would prefer to use the 10 to mix with my cocktails and especially to drink neat.

I will rate this bottle in the coming days, but based on my initial impression, it is high 70's or low 80's at best.

The other whiskies I included in the samples for my wife's co-worker;

Glen Elgin 14 year (2006) The ImpEx Collection - Cask #9800012 (ex-bourbon barrel) - 52.5% ABV

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

Ardbeg Wee Beastie - 5 year old - 47.4% ABV

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

@bwmccoy Thanks for the heads up on the Glenmorangie. Pretty nice stocking stuffers you’ve got there for your wife’s co worker.

Tonight, while playing on-line poker with the guys, I killed off several samples;

Saint's Alley The Herald - Straight bourbon whiskey finished in Armagnac casks - 53.5% ABV

Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye - 65.1% ABV. @nozinan - it tasted much better tonight than it previously has.

Laphroaig SMWS 29.273 (25 year - April 1995) "Do not go gentle into that good night" from a 2nd-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 57.4% ABV.

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

An early finish from work today which prompted an afternoon cocktail. An Old Fashioned with Woodford Reserve, to be precise. Very nice!

Made a roast chicken for dinner and had a glass of Portuguese red with it (and used it generously in the accompanying gravy) - The wine is part of a wine hamper my better half picked up for xmas. This one is from a box but it's the best boxed wine I've ever had - it has a nice sweet to dry balance with that slightly chalky, mineral edge I love in a wine.

Only drawback is I'm feeling quite sleepy now and find wine kills my whisky palate. Armagnac, anyone?

I have some Advent catchup to do. Wednesday’s dram: Dailuaine 15 year old at 48.4% ABV.

Thursday’s Advent dram: Fettercairn 8 year old at 46% ABV.

Tonight’s Advent calendar dram was a Tamdhu 8 year old at 46% ABV. Pleasant dram but tasted like it could have used a bit more time in the barrel.

Currently enjoying an Old Fashioned made with the recently released Sagamore Bottled in Bond Rye Whiskey.

After no cocktails last weekend for a variety of reasons, the world is right again after my wife and I had a couple of Black Manhattan’s (made with Maker’s Mark 46) last night before dinner while wrapping some Christmas gifts.

A couple of Rob Roy’s tonight made with The Singleton 12 years. A good use of this malt. Cheers.

@TracerBullet - How was the Dailuane?

After golf yesterday I had a GlenLivet Illicit Still and a Guinness. Nice combo but I now know why I haven't had Guinness from a can for years - far too smooth and not enough of a bitter edge but it was certainly easy to drink. Need to find more of their West Indies Porter, best Guinness going, but it seems a rare bird these days.

A fresh Talisker 18 popped earlier and savoured with some local charcuterie - pork, mustard and sage. Surprisingly piquant but very tasty and went with the whisky nicely (although I think some strong/mature cheddar or aged gouda would have rounded it all off). Got a good feeling about this bottle/batch too. It's also now officially xmas in our household

Currently having a Tamdhu 15 post dinner (which was a lovely fish pie made by my sweetheart - with a wee splash of Raki in the sauce). This is definitely getting better, and I'm really enjoying it now, but man is this spicy! It had a bitterness at the start but that has opened up into a peppery tingle that works well with the leather and sweeter notes. It possibly 'out spices' the Glendronach 15 at this point, which is surprising.

@RianC Nice all round mate. Happy Christmas.

@RianC It was not bad. My favorites so far are still the XOP and the Bruichladdich.

Last night, we had some good friends over for dinner and drams. The combination of our respective cabinets made for a special whisky night.

We started with a Smokey Peaks cocktail (2oz Maker's Mark 46, 1/4oz bourbon barrel aged maple syrup, a dash of Angostura bitters and a dash of walnut liqueur. I smoked the chilled rocks with cinnamon bark and garnished with a lit / burnt cinnamon stick.

Glen Elgin 14 year (2006) The ImpEx Collection - Cask #9800012 (ex-bourbon barrel) - 52.5% ABV.

Dallas Dhu 1980 (29 year) Signatory Bottling (Distilled Oct 31, 1980 - Bottled Mar 17, 2010) Cask # 1855 Bottle # 108 of 154.

Next, we had two Imperial's head-to-head;

23 year Imperial single cask from The Single Malts of Scotland. Distilled April 23rd, 1997, Bottled July 21st, 2020. Ex-bourbon barrel cask # 2798. 45.4% ABV.

Compass Box Magic Cask (92% Imperial from a 1st-fill Bourbon barrel. 8% single malt made near the town of Aberlour from a 1st-fill Oloroso Sherry Butt.) 46% ABV.

Both were amazing and not to take anything away from the single cask, but the influence of the sherry in the blend made for a fuller dram. While I preferred the blend, I would happily drink either one.

Next, we compared 3 amazing Bruichladdich's;

Bruichladdich 1985 - 32 year Rare Cask Series Bourbon: Hidden Glory. 48.7% ABV.

Bruichladdich 24 year (1992) Valinch (15 year bourbon cask + 9 year Sauternes cask) - 50cl hand-filled bottle #149 of 310 - 48.5% ABV.

Bruichladdich 1986 - 30 year Rare Cask Series Sherry: The Magnificent Seven. 44.6% ABV.

Again, all of these were amazing, but also very different. However, the sherry bottling blew away the competition for me. Stunning dram!

With dinner (pecan-wood grilled New York steaks and Scallops and steamed Brussel Sprouts), we had a refill of the Bruichladdich 1986 - 30 year Rare Cask Series Sherry: The Magnificent Seven. 44.6% ABV. The sherry paired perfectly with dinner!

Next we were able to compare two of the Compass Box No Name's head-to-head;

Compass Box No Name No.2 (75% Caol Ila from refill sherry butts plus Talisker from rejuvenated hogshead, Clynelish from rejuvenated hogshead and a vatting of 3 Highland malts that were finished in new French oak barrels). 48.9% ABV.

Compass Box No Name No. 3 (75% Laphroaig from recharred hogshead, plus Bowmore from refill bourbon barrel, Mortlach from recharred barrel, Clynelish from refill Sherry butt and a Highland malt blend from custom French oak high toast cask.) 48.9% ABV.

I've had No. 2 before and I love it because I love Caol Ila, especially in ex-sherry casks. In this head-to-head, I preferred the nose on No. 2, but No.3 takes the cake on the palate for me. No. 3 was a newly opened bottle and our friends shocked us by leaving the rest of the No.3 bottle with us. Wow! What a special treat!

We finished the night with Laphroaig 10 year Cask Strength Batch 012 (Feb. 2020) - 60.1% ABV which was a nice follow up to the No Name No. 3.

What an amazing night of whisky with some amazing friends.

Cleaned up a duplicate post

@bwmccoy, the whisky listed is so good it deserves a triple!

I’m currently having some homemade eggnog, made with Courvoisier Cognac, Flor de Caña 12 rum, and Buffalo Trace bourbon. Very festive. For those who are interested, it’s a variation on a scaled down version of this

Last evening’s Advent dram was another Wymess Malt-Cherry Bakewell Tart; Glen Keith 22 year old at 46% ABV. I wanted to like this more but it was only ok. Had a slight bitter note on the finish. Time in the glass seemed to lessen that note a bit.

Tonight’s dram was a corker! An Edradour 10 year old Signatory at 46% ABV. Quite the cask influence in this one at only 10 years! There was also a wonderful chocolate fudge note. I would buy a bottle of this one!

I poured myself a small glass of sherry, Lustau Oloroso Don Nuño to be exact. I am finding myself enjoying it way too much. No, that isn't a problem. It isn't a problem that when I was doing errands, the other day, I dropped by the nearby Total Wine and picked up two more bottles.

Dinner at my brother in law’s house today. He had two whiskies. One was in the back of his cabinet and I think it was Crown Royal. The other was a Baker’s single barrel that was quite tasty. Maybe a little smooth for my taste, but it had that buttery texture that @paddockjudge has discussed in the past.

William Larue Weller, 67.3% ABV, 2015 release. 36 years ago today, at this hour on December 20, 1985 Julie/@Dramlette and I were married. Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart! Though you are now in spirit, I look forward to the next 100,000 years with you. Life is eternal.

And William Larue Weller wheated bourbon never gets old. Never had one that was less than outstanding. I agree with Jim Murray's description when he called William Larue Weller, "a three-course meal of a bourbon."

Had a Baron de Sigognac 10 armagnac before dinner but migrated onto scotch after a nice home-made chili dinner. Needed something with some pep so out popped the Tali 18 ... Again! So so good and I can't put a bottle down once I open it. Never disappoints. Early days but this one seems a tad peatier and more mineral (tonnes of wet pebbles) than other batches.

Then a Glendronach 15 - much fruitier than usual, after the Tali, but still very enjoyable. Damn solid malt this one.

Now having a taste of an IB Glen Elgin 14 @52% sample. Maybe it's me but, man, is this similar to the Glendronach! Old-skool sherry kind of thing going on with a wee hint of peat. I'm liking this. Cheers, @wierdo and all!

@Victor Happy anniversary and I raise a glass of Clynelish 21 to you both. Cheers..