So, what are you drinking now?

North of 7 4-Grain Single Barrel Canadian Whisky. Just finishing up charting after a long week. A little if this barrel 16 bruiser goes a long way. At 74.5% it does well with a little water. A 5cc pour was plenty. Very rich in flavour tonight.

I haven’t tasted this since I finished my review in June 2021. I need to get to this more often.

A whisky sour to start the night, made with an “improved” bottle of Dartmoor nas bourbon cask. Quite awful whisky to my mind sadly, but improved with the addition of a small amount of honey and a vanilla pod. Only ever done this to one other bottle as I try not to make mistakes with purchases. Lured in on this one as it’s a local distillery and we don’t have many down here.

It’s great for mixing now and for a long Mizuwari on a summers evening in Devon.

To finish off I had a small dram of North Star Spirits Supersonic Mach 3. This one needs no addition other than a small drop of water. Lovely sweet Sherry, herbal and menthol notes tonight. Given this cost less than the Dartmoor horror, it shows that good spirit doesn’t have to be costly. Cheers all..

Currently spending some time at the caravan down in Lyme Regis with the clan. Lots of beach days in what has been rather glorious weather (I've never felt the sea so warm here in Britain -was bath like on Friday!) So great fun but totally knackering ...

A whisky (or two or three!) At the end of the day watching the sun set has been heavenly.

I only brought three bottles this time to keep choices simple - Talisker 18, which I've had a couple of large pours of. Top dram and perfect for the occasion.

North Star Mach 3 - lovely toffee note in this which blooms with a wee splash of water. I was lucky to recently receive a sample of Glendronach 15 (2014) from @Timp and thought they'd make a good comparison so did a h2h. First off, wow! That older 'dronach is a very special whisky. Recently finished a bottle from c2019 and, yes, differences are clear - more polish, earthy and waxy notes but deft and subtle. Great balance, ultra silky mouth-feel and one of the darkest and richest hues I've come across in whisky. Lovely traditional style of sherry and were i not on holiday I'd review it but I am and it's gone! Defo a 90+ dram though and I am now even more devastated that I didn't get one or two when I could - such is life. Cheers @Timp! Worth noting though That the Mach 3, whilst obviously younger and less expressive held up well - it's 'bigness' making up for the lack of maturity and complexity. Two excellent sherried drams.

Lastly, Laphroaig 10 sherry Oak. Again, like the Mach 3, it lacks deep complexity but makes up for it with big, loud notes that always please. I hope they keep this in the core range but expect subsequent batches to trail off a bit. We shall see.

Also, lots of bbq and beers - Moretti and Corona being our choice of instant refreshment .

Cheers, all from the Costa Del Dorset

On the bourbon trail again so tasting lots of things (not all good). More to follow.

Having a glass of an exceptionally good bottle of OGD114 after a long day at the office. I'm just not sure there's anything that beats it for $30.

@casualtorture one of my favourite whisky experiences ever was trying OGD 114 for the first time. @Victor and others were present when I blurted out, “it feels like I’m drinking tentacles of wood!!”. Whatever the specific circumstances, I have yet to have another whisky come close to the full-on ‘woodiness’ that OGD 114 brought to that particular party (a hazmat bottle of George T. Stagg (2012?) would be a distant 2nd). It was awesome!

@casualtorture, expect to hear from @Nozinan, he is the defacto president of the Old Grand-Dad Fanboy Club.

@Pudge72 that was 2011 George T. Stagg. There's plenty of wood in the 2012 Stagg as well.

Sigh...and OGD114, that was very proudly my very first whiskey review!

@Victor thank you for the clarification. The GTS bottles are the only ones, other than the OGD, that even stand out in my mind as having wood flavours/textures play a significant/noticeable part in the overall taste/aroma profile of a given bottle. Absolutely two of my favourites!

@Pudge72 also in the "woody" category, if you ever see it, pick up a bottle of KBD's Kentucky Vintage Bourbon. In addition to woody, Kentucky Vintage is usually very modestly priced.

@casualtorture @paddockjudge Of course I have to chime in. Obviously price does not affect the taste, but that such a great bourbon is available (sadly not in Canada) at such a low price is a real treat.

If I had a go-to bourbon, OGD114 would be a contender for that title!

@Nozinan I'll have to find a way to smuggle you some.

@casualtorture That is very kind of you, and should I venture south of the border I would definitely pick some up for friends, but I currently have a supply that will last me decades.

@Victor, I fondly remember that review....and the hundreds that followed it.

Thank you for being a friend and a mentor to so many on Connosr.

A dram of each one of these tonight from left to right. Don’t often drink my whisky like this but should do it more. Cheers all.

@Timp - .... and!?! Details please!

@RianC haha.. 1. Bright, fresh, citrus, touch of coconut with water and vanilla. Lovely integration. 2 Fresh fruit, just a smidge of smoke, wax with the addition of water. Lovely. 3 Dirty, struck match, Sherry sweetness but with nuts and a hint of apricots. Really interesting. 4. Sweet smoke, oranges, malty fudge and a nice long finish. Top.

Enjoyed them all and all the more for the differences being enhanced by contrast.

Hope your holiday was good bud. Was down in Weymouth/Portland today and my that bit of coast between Exeter and Weymouth is just stunning.

@Timp - Sounds like a lovely flight! Can't wait to try that Daftmill ... and the Fettercairn sounds intriguing.

Still here but only until Tuesday. Coincidently, we're off to Weymouth tomorrow as its somewhere we've never been. We took a trip to Dawlish last week - love it there and had some great holidays as a kid. They still had the big amusement arcade on the front (and the black swans!) and my kids loved it, felt like going back in time. Cream tea was delightful!

I am totally impressed with the beaches and coastal scenery down here. A little Rocky in places (so not too kid friendly) but very much an old 'jurassic' vibe. Also, if you like watching humans flock together to smash rocks en masse then it's right up ones alley

@RianC haha yeah Dawlish has still got that old fashioned British sea side resort feel to it. A lot of my family came from around Great Yarmouth and we loved it as kids. Nice to feel the nostalgia. Hope you have a good day tomorrow. Weymouth is nice with a big, mostly sandy beach if I remember correctly. Nice restaurants and cafes too. Yesterday we just went for lunch with some old friends at crab house cafe on the edge of chesil spit on the Weymouth side. Fantastic place. And then over to Portland Bill to look at few old climbing haunts of mine many years ago.

It’s a nice place to explore. Have fun.

@RianC @Timp I'm knocking off a bunch of heels this week before heading over to your side. Leaving on the 25th, picking up a car at Gatwick and heading north. We are only going to Arran and Islay this time, and maybe Deanston as we will be close by in Stirling. I've got one cousin to visit in Glasgow and one in West Sussex, so we will be up and down the country ending up in Penzance for a few days before heading home. 32 days in all. As we are taking only carry on luggage this time I won't be bringing home any whisky, unless Gatwick has some good duty free deals. Anyway, looking forward to spending some time in the homeland. Hope you lads are having a good summer...despite the weird weather.

@BlueNote - Sounds like a lovely trip! Enjoy and fingers crossed you get the best of the weather.

@BlueNote Watch out for the Pirates!

If you are not checking luggage and can't bring home any G&M, you might as well enjoy some G&S...

@BlueNote Yes, I hope you have a lovely trip. Looks like you have lots planned. Have fun. Cheers.

Currently sipping the last of a sample of a Deanston that's a been in an Amontillado sherry cask. And lovely stuff it is too - sweet, nutty, malty and biscuity. A gorgeous drop! Cheers, @Timp.

Had some Ledaig 10, Laffy 10 Sherry Oak and Tali 18 over the weekend. Enjoying the peat a bit more as Autumn seems to have rolled in early. Ledaig has got better for sure - less bitterness and more creamy malt. The Laffy is good fun and the Tali is always a pleasure - it gives you a cuddle. Well, big man-hug, really.

Gotta say though that the sample of the 2014 Glendronach 15 Revival I had recently is haunting me! I've been thinking of saving and getting one or two at auction. But at c£200 each ... one could get a lot of whisky for that but would it be as enjoyable?

It's Friday and I've been in the mood, as it were. Started with an Arran 10 - I think this bottles is getting better with air. Honey, apples and Apple pastries tonight. Really good. I had this alongside a pot of Assam tea. The spiciness of the tea worked well.

Then a Springbank 10. Life's good, ha ha! Seemed very rubbery and industrial after the Arran but the richness and quality of the distillate is amazing. Too much to list, but immensely enjoyable. Feels like one pours enough though due to its richness.

Currently on a Mortlach 15. Meaty, as in it smells like Bovril, and well-sherried without being a sherry bomb. Substantial yet far too easy to drink.

Cheers, all!

Tonight’s dinner included some BBQ marinated chicken (which I did not have) and Bossam, with lots of spicy sides. I felt like a dram (my first since the weekend epic tasting) so I turned to Ardbeg Wee Beastie, to cut through the spicy assault on my palate.

Lagavulin 1991 Distiller's Edition, 43% ABV. Yummy. An exquisite nose, and still good in the mouth, from a bottle which has been open for 10 years. .

I am toasting a sports team which will likely be obscure to many on Connosr, the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA, i.e. U.S. Women's National Basketball Association. On Thursday night in the deciding game 5 of its semi-final series against the defending champion Chicago Sky, the Sun was behind by 9 points late in the 4th quarter of the game. They then scored the last 18 straight points of the game, winning the game by 9 points. This set an all-time record for consecutive points scored at the end of a WNBA playoff game. They may not succeed in defeating the Las Vegas Aces in the upcoming finals, but anything is possible. Congratulations, Connecticut Sun!

Lock Stock & Barrel Straight Rye 16 ABV 53.5%

My first comment on this was "A. D. L"

Today: Nose: Sweet Fruity vanilla, musty, bubble gum nose, rye bread dough, dill

Palate: powdered sugar, baking spices, citrus, honey, ripe banana, jalapeno peppers, black peppercorns Mouthfeel: medium viscosity/creamy

Finish: spicy, warming chili pepper, long

Best without H20

A solid rye, excellent execution by bottler

I had a midweek dram tonight. I opened my bottle of JP Wiser’s NHL Alumni series Dave Keon. It’s a 14 year, 3 grain blended whisky aged in ex bourbon, ex Speyside, ex Canadian whisky, and virgin oak casks, bottled at 45% abv. I’m clueless as to the proportion of each cask’s contribution. This is an interesting whisky. It definitely feels like it’s in the bourbon family, with a nice aroma reminiscent of old wood furniture. It’s darker in character than your typical Canadian whisky, and the acetone/ozone that mars so many of our offerings is nowhere to be found but a touch of green apple lingers on the finish. I’ll have to taste a few more times before I know for sure but I think this one’s a winner.

@OdysseusUnbound I liked it as well.