So, what are you drinking now?

Success!

I poured some ECBP 70.1%. It’s been over 2 weeks. Tonight I was able to smell it. It is almost normal. I poured it back but tasted the last drop and it is what I remember.

I did the same in a clean glass with the Laphroaig 48% whisky I have been using to check and it wasn’t quite as clear cut.

But it looks like my smell and taste has come a long way the last couple of weeks. So I am celebrating with one of my favourite Canadian whiskies, Wiser’s 23 YO CS. I’m sipping it from a mini glencairn and it’s only 5 cc so the nose is a little muted. But the flavour is familiar.

Something worth celebrating!

@Nozinan That's good news. It can only get better from here. I had a small taste of Corryvreckan tonight just to check out the senses. Nose and taste just as it always was...outstanding.

Last night, a dram of Loch Lomond SMWS 135.35 (12 year - Nov. 2008) "Stellar stuff!" - After 9 years in an ex-bourbon cask, transferred to a new oak hogshead, heavy char #4+ - 54.5% ABV.

@bwmccoy That one sounds good. I'm getting used to Loch Lomond's unique flavor profile. I didn't particularly care for the 12, but I'm starting to enjoy the 18 that I bought on a whim now that it's half gone.

Your boys showed the Jays a thing or two about pitching, and Carlos Santana (the one with the bat, not the guitar) pretty much finished them off.

@BlueNote The Jays appear to have straightened themselves out. Ross Stripling is the new Ace.

@Nozinan Yes, and Berrios and the bullpen looked good the other night.

@Nozinan Amazing to see KC show up with a AA team as 10 of their players refused to get jabbed. Their team was barely a AAA team prior to this trip. On MLB.com the KC lineup and starting pitcher is TBD. A must sweep.

Blimey, I Disappear for 6 (ish) years and when I come back the same threads are still going strong. Mind you, I suppose in the whisky world, the big 3 questions are

What have you just finished?

What are you drinking now?

What are you going to open/buy next?

I just finished an Old Pulteney 12, I am drinking a Lagavulin Distillers edition tonight and am going to buy a bourbon next. Not sure which though. Any suggestions? I want a Blantons but Someone else drank it all it seems.

@tjb I suggest Wild Turkey Rare Breed bourbon.

What else are you considering?

@Victor Good shout, I do like WT rare breed. I want a Blantons but am not selling a kidney for a bottle and will wait for normal service to resume there. I was thinking of one of the following..

FEW Bourbon Smooth Ambler Basil Hayden’s Mitchell #1 Bourbon

I want a nice sipper, to have with ice for a hot summers evening.

@tjb, the late great Booker Noe sang the praises of Kentucky Tea.

“You need to sip the right proportion of Kentucky tea to appreciate the food, and the whiskey should be one part Booker’s to two parts water, with plenty of ice,”

An excerpt from the Whiskey Magazine article by Stuart MacLean Ramsay, BOOKER NOE.

@tjb a mellow sipper? I suggest Evan Williams Single Barrel. Not common but there are a few places in the UK that carry it. And Baker's, by Jim Beam.

@Astroke I heard it was 15 players on the restricted list. Yet they won the first game...

@BlueNote - I really like what the new oak finish does for the Loch Lomond. It adds a lot of depth and complexity. It's a really good dram. "Stellar" may be a bit of stretch, but not much.

Yes, I've been pleasantly surprised by the Mariners play of late. I thought they were playing pretty well, but didn't see an 11 game win streak coming. After missing the playoffs for the last 21 years, I've learned not to get my hopes up this "early" in the season. :-)

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

Tonight while playing on-line poker with the guys...

Glencadam SMWS 82.37 (8 year - Nov. 2012) "Chewing pencils in a barbershop" - 1st-fill ex-bourbon hogshead - 62.9% ABV with a few drops of water added.

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 with even fewer drops of water added.

a peated 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.

Finishing with a peated Glenturret SMWS 16.60 (10 year - Nov. 2010) "Entering uncharted paths" - Re-charred hogshead - 56.9% ABV.

@Nozinan Not an impressive effort.

@Victor Ok, I’m in. Thanks for the recommendation. I am going to pick a bottle of this up shortly.

@bwmccoy, now that school is over, will you be playing more poker?

@paddockjudge - Yes, I'm always up for more poker with the guys! :-)

Last night, a Vieux Carre made with RIttenhouse BiB Rye followed by a traditional Manhattan also made with Rittenhouse.

On Saturday night, while over at my brother-in-law's house, had a dram of Ardbeg Wee Beastie.

Last night (Sunday), had some friends over for dinner and drams. One of our friend's will be traveling to Scotland in a few weeks to go for her Masters of Scotch certification and she brought several "standard" releases from mostly Islay distilleries for us to taste through and discuss tasting notes. Part of her exam is a blind tasting where she will be required to identify 9 characteristics of each dram including distillery, expression, abv, tasting notes, etc. Basically, we were helping her study by drinking whisky. I was happy to help! :-)

We started off comparing two Glenfarclas expressions head-to-head; 17 year and an 18 year (Travel Retail exclusive). The 17 was the clear winner. It was richer and more balanced than the 18 year which had a roughness and tasted younger.

After dinner, we tasted a Laphroaig 10, Bowmore 15 and Kilchoman Machir Bay head-to-head. The Bowmore was my favorite, but that wasn't really fair since it is predominantly sherried, so we focused on comparing the Laphroaig and the Kilchoman. While I love Laphroaig 10, last night, I preferred the Kilchoman.

We next tasted three Ardbeg's head-to-head; Wee Beastie, 10 and Uigeadail. Again, with Uigeadail's sherry focus, the real comparison was between Wee Beastie and 10. Wee Beastie was the clear winner between the two. As much as I love the 10, it was very muted in comparison. Uigeadail was great, but since I haven't tasted it in some time, I was surprised by the lack of sherry influence. I'm sure it is still the same, but my memory of it was that there was more sherry in Uigeadail. Either way, I really enjoyed it.

We finished the night with one of my bottles, not as part of my friend's training, just a dram to enjoy. Ledaig 18 year (2001) Gordon & Macphail's Connoisseurs Choice single cask - Refill Sherry Butt - 56.3% ABV.

All but the Glenfarclas expressions are pictured below. We didn't get to the Kilchoman 100% Islay or the Caol Ila 12 & 18.

A fun night sitting on the patio drinking whisky with friends.

@Victor Thanks for the recommendation, it was exactly what o wanted but didn’t know.

@tjb, you are welcome! It is excellent to hear that it worked out well. I am happy to be of service.

Watching the live broadcast of the MLB All-Sar Game from Chavez Ravine, home of the LA Dodgers.

While watching some of the best, sipping some of my best:

TWA 1997 Glen Grant 24 YO CS Bourbon Hogshead 47.6% abv.

Archives 1995 The Speyside Distillery 23 YO CS Bourbon Hogshead 51.4% abv.

North of 7 Distillery Four Grain 5 YO CS New Oak Cask (Independent Stave) 74.5% abv

That Boutique-y Whisky Co. 25 YO Burnside (Teaspooned Balvenie) CS 50.8% abv.

Last night, I finished of my bottle of Linkwood (SMWS cask sample) 14 years (July 2006). After 12 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, finished for 2 years in a 1st-fill Oloroso hogshead - 58.8% ABV.

@paddockjudge It didn’t take long for Alec Manoah to make the all stars. Gotta love the kid.

@BlueNote, I would definitely go out for BBQ and beers with this lad.

@BlueNote @paddockjudge did you guys get the broadcast with Manoah mic-ed up and John Smollz chatting him up during his entire inning? That was the highlight of the game for me. 3 strikeouts for his one inning, and of course that hit by pitch when Smoltz told him to throw a slider which he did, connecting with the batter's foot.

Kershaw picking off Otani at first base was also vastly entertaining. I heard the announcers casually announce that Kershaw has a CAREER ERA of 2.37. That is almost unfathomable. Some years 2.37 will win you a Cy Young Award. I got to see Kershaw live once. He pitched 7 innings and struck out 14 Nats.

@Victor, Manoah on the mic was definitely the highlight of the game. This kid will be a Cy Young winner some day. Incredible focus and resolve along with his naturally entertaining personality. Blue Jays fans are spoiled!!

Kershaw said in an interview that he was simply buying time by throwing to first base. He was undecided on his pitch selection. There's good and the there's Kershaw-good.

@BlueNote @paddockjudge and @Victor - Love all of the baseball talk!

For happy hour tonight, I finished off my bottle of Teeling Small Batch Rum Cask Finish bottled 06/2020 by making a Teeling Irish Cold Brew cocktail;

1.5oz Teeling Small Batch Whiskey

3oz La Colombe Vanilla Draft Lattee

@paddockjudge Haha, make that a threesome.