So, what are you drinking now?

Cheers, @Timp ! I now have the taste of wheat in my mouth, so I am drinking some SB Old Elk 50% ABV 95% wheat, 5% malted barley whiskey. I've said it before, if this bottle is any indication, then Old Elk SB wheat whiskey with 2 drops of water is as good as Van Winkle, at 5-10% of the price. This is my # 1 choice for a wheater in the under $ 150 category. $71 avg US price. This is worth thrice that to me. Only sold in the USA so far except wine-searcher turned up some in Switzerland. If I were in the UK then I would be eager to see TWE or MOM get some of this and then I would pounce at up to 150 GBP..

A reminder: Old Elk Distillery is a startup, EXCEPT that their Master Distiller was the Master Distiller at MGPI for 15 years.

Homemade taro bubble tea. The taro was a root only a couple of hours ago. The bubbles were boiled today as well.

Tomorrow, mango blueberry slushies with bubbles. Gonna be a hot day. High expected of -2°C.

@Victor - Happy belated Anniversary! I will raise a dram to you both later today.

I'm behind in my posting. On Sunday night, we had some family and friends over for dinner and poker. After dinner, while playing poker, my brother-in-law and I had the following;

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.

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.

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

Finished the night with a heavily-peated Glenturret SMWS 16.52 (11 year - Dec. 2009) "Campfire breakfast on a damp morning" from a re-charred American oak hogshead - 63.4% ABV

Last night, my wife, our son and I met some friends at an outdoor event called "Snowflake Lane". It's basically a nightly Christmas parade, but at the end, they turn on snow making machines to give it that true Christmas feeling (even though we woke up to real snow yesterday morning). Anyway, our friends brought some liquid refreshments to keep us warm;

GlenDronach 18 Allardice. 46% ABV, followed by

Ardbeg 19 year old (Traigh Bhan - Batch 2). 46.2% ABV.

After the parade, we went to an Italian restaurant for dinner and all of the adults had an Old Fashioned cocktail made with Knob Creek Rye, Luxardo Maraschino, Simple Syrup, Old Fashion Bitters. First of all, the cherry was NOT a Luxardo! The cocktail was "ok", but nothing special. However, we didn't let ruin what was otherwise a fun night with friends.

@bwmccoy That's definitely the second best way to stay warm.

Advent dram for the 20th. An Allt-á-Bhainne 14 year old at 59.9% ABV. A solid dram. Would like to have a bottle if it was reasonably priced.

Tonight’s Advent dram for the 21st was a surprise. A 3-year old Peerless Rye at 54% ABV. I visited Peerless earlier this year and got to meet Corky Taylor. I really like what they are doing there with their rye and bourbon. This was no exception. A nice dram with the expected rye spices but smooth. I want to go visit the distillery again!

@Victor, my next drink will be WLW, a tribute to you and Julie/@Dramlette.

@Victor A dram of the JW Celebratory Blend for you and @Dramlette who awaits you in the most beautiful, best stocked tasting room imaginable.

@Victor - sorry for the delay. Had a bad reaction to my Covid booster, so no whisky yesterday.

Tonight, a belated toast to you and @Dramlette’s anniversary with a 29 year Dallas Dhu.

@bwmccoy thank you very much, Bryan! I am very glad that you got a chance to meet Julie.

Merry Christmas to you and to your dear family!

Last evening I found a 10 year old Cataibh in the Advent calendar. It was at 58.6% ABV. This is a Highland malt bottled by Chorlton Whisky. The dominant opinion seems to be that this is a bottling of Clynelish. It was an interesting dram; lots of vanilla on the nose with some fruit in the background. On the palate the vanilla was there with apples and spices. The finish was medium long with the above flavors lingering. This was good but not one I would go out of my way to get.

@bwmccoy Which booster did you get. I had no reaction to the Moderna except a sore arm for a day or so.

Having an Arran 10 while wrapping Christmas presents. This bottle is really opening up and getting some lovely saline notes on the palate. Cheers.

@BlueNote The reactions to both mRNA vaccines vary with the individual, from nothing to a mancold or worse. I don't think there is an appreciable difference between the brands in terms of side effects.

@Nozinan Good to know.

Best of the holidays to you and yours.

@Victor - Me too! What a special day that was.

Thank you! Merry Christmas to you as well.

Looking forward to when we can meet up again. Hopefully in the near future!

@BlueNote - Pfizer. I had no reaction to either my first or second shot other than arm soreness, but the booster was different. While it wasn't as bad as others that I've heard, I had chills (no fever), but the worse was the tiredness. I slept all day which is not like me at all. The good news is that it only lasted 24 hours. The following day I was fine. My wife had a similar experience to mine; no issues with the first 2 shots, but the booster wiped her out (chills and tiredness).

Tonight, before dinner, I rated 3 open bottles.

Glenlivet 12 year Double Oak. Rating: 82

Glenmorangie X. Rating: 80

Knob Creek Small Batch Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey 100 Proof. Rating: 85

After dinner, while playing on-line poker with the guys;

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

Finished with Ardbeg Wee Beastie.

The Advent dram for the 23rd would probably be a big hit with a lot of you. A Caol Ila 9-year old (Artful Dodger) coming in at 59.7% ABV. This was a good one. Had the Islay peat and that sweetish Coal Ila maltiness under it all.

@bwmccoy Exactly the same reaction as friends of ours, a married couple had, after the booster. Not sure if they had Pfizer or Moderna.

The two daughters of another couple we know, both in their thirties, are totally dug in anti-vaxxers. Their brains are fully loaded with all the internet conspiracy theories. My wife said to one of them, "Millions of people around the world have died from the virus; a few people have felt crappy for a day or two after being vaccinated. Which would you prefer? It shouldn't be a difficult choice."

On that note, I'll wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.

@BlueNote - Thanks and the same for you and your family! We wish you all Christmas cheer and a happy and healthy 2022! I also hope you are able to resume your travels south of the border soon.

Tonight, in lieu of our normal Friday night cocktail, my wife and I had “adult” Egg Nog”. Unfortunately, it’s bottled, not home made, but I plan to make my own next Christmas (finally found a recipe that interests me).

Pennsylvania Dutch Egg Nog. Per the label; “made with real dairy cream, rum, brandy and blended whiskey”, but it doesn’t list any brands. 14.75% ABV. It’s surprisingly really good. :-)

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

If this were made with the original rum and ginger beers, this could be called a Dark and Stormy. But I used Fever Tree ginger beer and Lemon Hart 151.

Yes, I used half of the recommended rum. And it was still strong. My wife and the others liked it. I think I would prefer either liquid neat.

My wife and I have a Christmas Eve tradition of watching the movie, “Love Actually”. While watching, we had the following drams;

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.

Compass Box No Name No.3.

Since it is now after midnight locally, Merry Christmas!

@bwmccoy I love Bill Nighy in that movie !

Let’s get pissed and watch porn!

I started this Christmas morning with a little Forty Creek Cream in my coffee. Bailey’s in coffee has been a tradition in our home for a long time, but I thought I’d switch it up this year. The Forty Creek is better than Bailey’s imho. It’s not as sweet, and I’m normally a black coffee guy.

@OdysseusUnbound - so many great characters in that movie, but I agree with you that “Uncle Billy” is best. I love Rowan Atkinson as well.

@bwmccoy Tis but the work of a moment

Haha good comment as usual. Cheers fellow forumites and a very Happy Christmas to you all.