So, what are you drinking now?

@RianC Bryan Ferry looked like he should be in one of those ‘40s black and white Bogart movies when he had that tux and slicked back hair look going.

@BlueNote and @RianC - Bryan Ferry has (had) an amazing voice, in my opinion. It went well with that 40's crooner style that was described earlier.

@BlueNote - Can I invite myself to your place to listen to some tunes and drink some drams. You pick the music. I'll bring the whisky. :-)

Last night, @jordytropp and I hosted the monthly Outturn preview tasting for the Society here in the Seattle area. We poured the following;

Blair Athol SMWS 68.65 (12 year - Feb. 2009) "Floral laurel" - Refill ex-bourbon hogshead - 58.3% ABV.

Balmenach SMWS 48.130 (8 year - Nov. 2012) "Yellow smash" - 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 60.6% ABV.

Benriach SMWS 12.67 (12 year - Dec. 2008) "Horseback in the forest" - After ten years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, finished in a 2nd-fill charred ex-red wine barrique cask - 57.0% ABV.

Glen Moray SMWS 35.302 (14 year - Jan. 2007) "A quick witted dovetail" - Matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead for 12 years before being transferred into a 1st-fill PX seasoned STR barrique cask - 64.9% ABV.

(Peated) Allt-a-Bhainne SMWS 108.41 (11 year - Oct. 2009) "Burnt dust" - 2nd-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 62.1% ABV.

(Heavily Peated) Inchmoan (Loch Lomond) SMWS 135.39 (9 year - April 2012) "Smoked scrunch munch" - 2nd-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 58.5% ABV.

I think the non-peated favorite was the Glen Moray and the peated favorite was the Inchmoan. Honorable mention to the Blair Athol, Benriach and the Allt-a-Bhainne (in no particular order). While it was in no way "bad", the Balmenach didn't really connect with anyone. All-in-all, everyone seemed to have a good time and enjoyed the whiskies that were presented.

@bwmccoy Brilliant idea. We should organize a Pacific Northwest Whisky Summit.

Enjoying that JD 100 proof i picked up a while back with an aged maduro Ashton. Nice combo of sweetness.

Enjoying a mid-week pour....Johnnie Walker Green Label, a damned fine whisky.

@paddockjudge it is a darn good whisky. A decent blended malt. I rarely reach for my bottle but I would never turn it down if offered.

@Nozinan @paddockjudge One of JW's best. The Celebratory Blend at 51% is another good one.

@paddockjudge - That bottling (first one released post discontinuation) was excellent and I'm glad I have another. Since they rebranded, I think the quality has come down. Doubt I'd buy it now but always look out for the older bottles.

Kilchoman Machir Bay - 46% ABV. Even at 46%, a consistently solid dram. Obviously doesn't compare to the annual cask strength release, but still a solid daily drinker, in my opinion.

While watching the Blue Jays t-off against the struggling Tigers, having a sip...or three...of 1996 Archives Burnside (teaspooned Balvenie, hogshead) 25 YO 54.7% abv. bottle 227 of 256. This one ain't gonna last long....just like the Detroit Tigers...tomorrow is another day.

For happy hour last night (Friday), my wife had a couple of Old Fashioned cocktails made with Maker's Mark 46 Cask Strength. I had a couple of Greenpoint cocktails made with Rittenhouse Rye BiB and Green Chartreuse.

Last night, my wife and I had a rare date night. We went to one of my favorite local restaurants that has a really nice selection of whiskey (mostly American expressions). I ordered a Willett 3 year Straight Rye (54.3% ABV) and the bartender also brought over a small dram of Willet Pot Still Bourbon for me to compare with the rye. I've had the Willett Pot Still before, but not side-by-side with their rye. I like the Willett Pot Still a lot, but it was "significantly average" compared to the rye which was stunning! By the way @Victor, they had a couple of Abraham Bowman's available that I was tempted to order, but the rye was $51 and the bourbon finished in port was $80 / dram. Even though my wife was willing to let me order one of them, I couldn't bring myself to spend that much. :-) I've never seen any Abraham Bowman expressions in the wild; only one I've ever seen was at your house!

After our date, we went to my brother-in-law's house to pick up our son. We decided to stick around for a while and my brother-in-law and I had the following drams;

BenRiach SMWS 12.67 (12 year - Dec. 2008) "Horseback in the forest" - After ten years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, finished in a 2nd-fill charred ex-red wine barrique cask - 57.0% ABV.

Glen Moray SMWS 35.302 (14 year - Jan. 2007) "A quick witted dovetail" - Matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead for 12 years before being transferred into a 1st-fill PX seasoned STR barrique cask - 64.9% ABV.

Peated Allt-A-Bhainne SMWS 108.41 (11 year - Oct. 2009) "Burnt dust" - 2nd-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 62.1% ABV.

Heavily peated Inchmoan SMWS 135.39 (9 year - April 2012) "Smoked scrunch munch" - 2nd-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 58.5% ABV.

@bwmccoy it is nice to have drinks available to purchase at bars and restaurants, but, as you know, the more rewarding route is to swap them with friends! Cheers, friend!

Absolutely @Victor! The Abraham Bowman you shared with me is still to this day the best bourbon that I’ve ever had!

For happy hour tonight, an Old Pal cocktail made with Rittenhouse BiB Rye, Campari and Dry vermouth with a lemon twist garnish.

@bwmccoy I would have to go with more modest tastes than you. I would say the George T Stagg 2010 I tried with @Victor may be the best bourbon I have tasted.

@Nozinan which of your children do you love the most? You love them all.

Last night, I had an in-person meeting with a couple of people from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society American chapter who are in town for a couple of days and the owners of the restaurant / bar where we conduct our Society events.

We started off with a local beer; Freemont Lush IPA.

Next we tasted blind a Komagatake Single Malt Japanese Whisky Tsunuki Aging Bottled 2020 - 54% ABV. I successfully guessed that it was a Japanese whisky, but that was the closest that I could get.

We finished the meeting with a Dupont Calvados Pays D' Auge (Normandy). Lot # 02154. 42% ABV.

@bwmccoy my favourite of all the bourbon I have tasted with @Victor (there have been many) is also a Bowman, the 17 YO Bowman hazmat proof...too delicious for words.

@paddockjudge @bwmccoy it was the same 17 yo 73.75% ABV Abraham Bowman bourbon that you both tasted, probably from the same bottle. That one came out in summer 2012 and actually made it to the shelves in Maryland. It was the third quarter of 2012 in which high end American whiskey prices first started to go vertical, and poof! the best stuff just was no longer there to buy in the liquor stores. Nowadays an Abraham Bowman of any type is next to impossible to obtain absent paying a scalper's price.

@Victor ha ha ha, I'm grinning from ear to ear. You ruined @bwmccoy on his first tasting with you. He'll be chasing that bourbon until the end of days.

@Victor, a fabulous bourbon indeed, a world class experience exceeded only by the kindness and generosity shown to me, and many others by you, @Dramlette, and @Maddie over the years.

Cheers my friend

@paddockjudge thank you very much! and cheers to you and @bwmccoy with a pour of Little Book Chapter Two, Noe Simple Task, 59.4% ABV!

@paddockjudge - When @Victor shared the Abraham Bowman with me, I asked him where I could get a bottle of it. He simply said "You can't". :-) That's why I was surprised to see not one, but two different Abraham Bowman expressions on the whiskey list at the restaurant I was at this past weekend. Even though I didn't partake of either of them that night, I'm tempted to go back and try them. Neither expression at the restaurant were the same as what @Victor shared with me, but I'm still tempted to try them, even at $50 and $80 per shot respectively. We'll see...

Last night, I had a dram of Ben Nevis (SMWS cask sample) 11 year (Sep. 2009) 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 66.8% ABV.

While playing on-line poker with the guys tonight;

Teaninich SMWS 59.65 (13 year - Feb. 2008) "Red oak" - After 10 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, transferred to a 1st-fill ex-red wine barrique - 55.7% ABV.

Glen Grant SMWS 9.224 (14 year - May 2007) “Harvest hayride happiness” - 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 61.7% ABV.

Glen Scotia SMWS 93.170 (9 year - Mar. 2012) "Mermaid karate" - 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 58.6% ABV.

Last night, my brother-in-law came over and we had the following drams;

Longmorn SMWS 7.269 (17 year - Feb. 2004) "Luscious, silky and sensuous" - 2nd-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 55.5% ABV

Finished off my bottle of Auchroisk SMWS 95.52 (15 year - Jan. 2006) "Moorish and moreish" - After 13 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, transferred to a 1st-fill Spanish oak Oloroso hogshead - 56.2% ABV

Ledaig 18 year (2001) Gordon & Macphail's Connoisseurs Choice single cask - Refill Sherry Butt - 56.3% ABV

Glen Scotia SMWS 93.170 (9 year - Mar. 2012) "Mermaid karate" - 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 58.6% ABV

Kilchoman Machir Bay - 46%ABV

For happy hour, a couple of Vieux Carre cocktails made with Rittenhouse Rye BiB.

Later, while watching a movie, a couple of peated drams;

Linkwood SMWS 39.229 (10 year - Feb. 2011) "A merry dance" - After 8 years in an ex-bourbon cask, transferred to an ex-peaty bourbon barrel - 61.2% ABV.

Allt-A-Bhainne SMWS 108.19 (7 year - Nov 2011) "Forget Convention!" - 2nd-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 64.6% ABV.

A small flight of rum cask finished whisky: Dewar's 8 year-old Caribbean Smooth, Tullamore DEW Rum Cask, and Talisker 8 year-old 2020 Special Release.

Was treated to a wonderful roast beef (and brisket!) with all the trimmings for Father's Day earlier, and had a pint of one of the most amazing ales I've ever had - a local brewery, Wiper and True, collaborated with some small London brewery (forget the name of the beer though). It was light, refreshing and amazingly floral and sweet with just a hint of hops, and a hazy light straw colour. Could have drank a barrel full! The roast beef was bright pink and juicy too - can't remember a better roast dinner from a pub/bar.

Currently having a first pour of the Black and Gold 11 bourbon - Liking first impressions a lot! Very sweet, almost icing sugar sweetness, with pecan and buttery popcorn notes standing out. It arrives with a lot of oak, which worried me, but it balances out beautifully with the sweetness and quite a long, maple finish too.

I doubt this will last the summer ... Cheers!

I am celebrating the northern hemisphere summer solstice today with a pour of Milk & Honey Single STR Cask, 59% ABV. I really enjoy the very long bright days of the summer solstice +/- one month, but I also very much like the very short dark days surrounding the winter solstice. Cheers, friends!

@bwmccoy Yikes! That's 130 bucks that would go some way towards a whole bottle of something very decent.