So, what are you drinking now?

For Sunday’s happy hour, my wife and I had a Vieux Carre cocktail made with Old Forester 100 proof Rye.

Later, I finished off a couple of bottles.

Glenburgie SMWS 71.87 (10 year - May 2011) "Cowboys at dinner" - After 8 years in an Oloroso butt, transferred into a heavy charred 1st-fill puncheon - 58.2% ABV.

Caol Ila SMWS 53.276 (6 year - Mar. 2012) "Ein kleiner deutscher samurai" - Refill ex-bourbon hogshead - 61.2% ABV.

I’m really going to miss both of these quality drams!

Last night, @jordytropp and I poured (and sipped) the following drams from the Society's December Outturn Preview Tasting event.

Glen Garioch SMWS 19.68 (18 year - Feb. 2003) "Spoil yourself rotten!" - 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 57.6% ABV.

Clynelish SMWS 26.218 (10 year - Oct. 2012) "One cool cat" - 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 61.2% ABV.

Authroisk SMWS 95.71 (14 year - Oct. 2007) "Prepare for winter" - After 11 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, transferred into a 1st-fill Spanish oak oloroso hogshead - 57.0% ABV.

Benrinnes SMWS 36.194 (12 year - Feb. 2010) "Mid-winter celebrations" - After 9 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, transferred into a 1st-fill American oak PX sherry hogshead - 56.6% ABV.

Inchgower SMWS 18.54 (15 year - Sep. 2007) "A thinking dram" - After 12 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, transferred into a 1st-fill Spanish oak oloroso hogshead - 59.4% ABV.

Ruadh Maor (Peated Glenturret) SMWS 16.88 (9 year - July 2013) "Dressed to grill" - Refill recharred hogshead - 62.8% ABV.

Big Peat Xmas 2022, #4 from our Mystery Advent Calendar...I'm a day or so behind now...

@bwmccoy nice selection. How did you rate the Clynelish?

@Timp because @bwmccoy is one of its brand ambassadors I imagine that SMWS discourages him from giving his personal individual appraisals of its products, at least until the 'out-turn' is distributed. @bwmccoy am I correct in surmising this? .

@Victor - Actually, I'm free to express whatever opinion I have of the whiskies that I'm pouring for the Society. My only restriction is that I don't reveal what whiskies I will be pouring at the event beforehand and that's because the events are blind tastings. Can't reveal the answers before the test is given. :-)

@Timp - I haven't officially rated that Clynelish (on a scale of 0-100) yet, but it will probably be in the mid 80's. However, I found it to be a quality dram in that there wasn't anything wrong with it. However, it didn't blow me away either. I've had better Society Clynelish bottlings, even ones of a similar age.

Interestingly, that was the sentiment of the majority of the 38 attendees to the event. One person summed it up this way... "it was the most un-Clynelish Clynelish that I've ever had". :-)

Last night (Tuesday), had a dram of Bainbridge Organic Distillers (Bainbridge Island, WA) Battle Point Wheat Whiskey Barrel Proof - 67.3% ABV.

@Timp - I failed to mention above... The 6 whiskies that we poured on Monday night were all well received by the attendees with many mentioning that they thought it was a nice lineup as well. For me, the Glen Garioch and the Benrinnes were my favorites (those were the bottles I ordered out of the 6).

Tonight, rated a couple of open bottles.

Clynelish SMWS 26.218 (10 year - Oct. 2012) "One cool cat" - 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 61.2% ABV. Rating: 86

Inchmoan SMWS 135.15 (8 year - Feb. 2011) "Back to the suture" - 2nd-fill hogshead - 57.4% ABV. Rating: 94

@bwmccoy thanks always interested in Clynelish, just a shame there is not more available. Cheers.

Forty Creek Three Grain Harmony, 2015 Special Release. Day #5 of the Blind Whisky Advent Calendar. I'm a few days behind at this point.

Second night of Chanuka, this would have been my great aunt's 98th birthday. After dinner which included home made latkes and jelly donuts (my best effort at donuts in three years), I settled down to some long-neglected K-Drama and some Milk & Honey Archives IB (Dead Sea matured).

Not whisky, but last night for happy hour, my wife and I had a couple of Margaritas made with Red River (New Mexico) Distilling Rio Grande Sotol. Sotol is very similar in taste to Mezcal, but it’s made from the desert plants Dasylirion wheeleri and Dasylirion texanum, which are harvested in the northern Mexico, New Mexico and Texas deserts.

The earthy, smoky Sotol contrasts, yet balances well with the sweet and sour aspect of a traditional margarita. So good!

Again, not whisky, but tonight’s happy hour for my wife and I was an Espresso Martini made with Browne Family Spirits (Spokane, WA) Cold Brew Coffee Vodka and Kahlua. In a word… Decadent!

Last night (Tuesday), I had a dram of Bainbridge Organic Distillers (Bainbridge Island, WA) Battle Point Two Islands Islay Cask Wheat Whiskey - 43% ABV.

Tonight (Wednesday), I finished off my bottle of Tomintoul SMWS 89.17 (9 year - Dec. 2012) "Keep nosing" - 2nd-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 67.5% ABV.

Tonight (Thursday), before dinner, I had a dram of Bruichladdich Islay Barely 2013 - 8 years - ex-European & ex-American oak casks - 50% ABV.

Later, while playing on-line poker with the guys, I had a dram of Bainbridge Organic Distillers Battle Point Wheat Whiskey Barrel Proof - 67.3% ABV.

I finished the night with a sample that a friend gave me a couple of weeks ago. Meikle Toir (peated GlenAllachie) "The Original" 5 year (35ppm, 50% ABV). Made with mainland peat from St. Fergus, which is sweeter than coastal peat. Casks are first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels, American virgin oak casks and Rye barrels. Nose: Baking spices, honey and butterscotch. Taste: Sweet peat, chocolate and heather. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.

BBQ - part of dinner for 17 people to help celebrate my aunt’s 80th birthday.

First I grilled asparagus and found they go very well with Laphroaig cairdeas triple wood.

Lamb chops are done and just waiting on the rack to cook through.

Asparagus

Lamb

The Cairdeas (neat) is delicious tonight.

For Friday night's happy hour, I had a couple of Black Manhattan's, but a different variation from the Black Manhattan that I normally make.

Instead of Maker's Mark 46 Bourbon, I used 2 ounces Old Forester 100 Proof Rye, 1 ounce Fast Penny Spirits Amaro and 4 dashes of Black Walnut bitters instead of Angostura and Orange.

With the rye, this version is less sweet and the black walnut bitters give it a depth that the normal version doesn't have. I would say this one is a good winter version where the normal version may be more appropriate in warmer weather.

@bwmccoy I've got a black walnut amaro that I really should try in a Black Manhattan.

@YakLord - That sounds really good! Please let me know how it turns out!

Last night (Saturday), my wife and I as well as another couple went over to @jordytropp 's house for dinner and drams. Over the course of the evening, we had the following.

Cadenhead Single Cask Single Malt Glenrothes-Glenlivet 21 year old - 50.9% ABV

Scapa Skiren - Batch SK24 -100% American oak - 40% ABV

Dry Fly (Spokane, WA) Straight Wheat Whiskey - 3 years - 45% ABV

Copperworks (Seattle, WA) Release #33. Bottle 316 of 594.Pure Malt recipe aged in a single Fino Sherry cask for 30 months (a portion of the contents of the cask were previously aged for 3 years in an ex-cognac cask). 50% ABV. This was as good, if not better, than my memory of it when I purchased it in 2020.

After dinner, the other couple had a flight of 3 whiskies that they wanted @jordytropp and I to try blind. We were told they were all peated, but we were asked to determine if any of the 3 were Scotch and if any of them were from the Society.

Omar / Nantou Distillery (Taiwan) SMWS 138.5 (5 year - May 31st, 2014) "Delicate Masculinity" - Refill ex-bourbon barrel - 55.5% ABV. There was nothing delicate about this peated bad boy. Wow! What an amazing dram!

Lost Spirits Abomination Heavily Peated Malt. This company based in LA and then later Las Vegas, is developing as process to quickly aged spirits. This particular spirit is about 6 months old. 54% ABV. The label says "Spirits distilled from 100% malted barley finished with late harvest Riesling seasoned American oak staves". I've had this one before and it is as surprisingly good as I remember it.

Octomore 10.4 - 3 year - 88ppm - Virgin oak casks - 63.5% ABV. So good!

Next, we compared a couple of Whiskey Del Bac (Tucson, Arizona) offerings.

Whiskey Del Bac Dorado Mesquited American Single Malt - 46% ABV.

Whiskey Del Bac Ode To Islay Heavily Mesquited American Single Malt finished in a mix of ex-rye, ex-bourbon & 2nd-use Whiskey Del Bac Dorado casks - 55% ABV. The Dorado is a very good representation of an American single Malt, but with a Southwest flare (Mesquite smoke). The Ode To Islay is Dorado's more refined brother. It has a less of that "American single malt" note with the influence of the additional, different casks.

Caol Ila 18 year (Distilled 2001) - 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel (Cask # 308899) - 57.1% ABV - Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice bottling. This was a very generous gift from @jordytropp and his wife. What a stunning example from one of my favorite distilleries. Gordon & MacPhail never disappoints! Thanks again @jordytropp !

We finished the night with Inchmoan heavily peated SMWS 135.15 (8 year - Feb. 2011) "Back to the suture" - 2nd-fill hogshead - 57.4% ABV.

What a great night with great friends, great food and great whisky. Thanks to @jordytropp and his lovely wife for hosting!

@bwmccoy Will do!

Last night (Sunday), we had my wife's family over for pizza and poker night. My brother-in-law and I had the following drams.

Craigellachie SMWS 44.169 (20 year - Nov. 2002) "In the wooden box" - After 17 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, transferred to a first fill Spanish oak oloroso hogshead - 60.6% ABV.

Copperworks Distilling Company Special Release 33 Pale Malt aged in a single ex-Fino Sherry cask for 30 months - 50% ABV.

Caol Ila 18 year (Distilled 2001) - 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel (Cask # 308899) - 57.1% ABV - Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice bottling.

Inchmoan SMWS 135.15 (8 year - Feb. 2011) "Back to the suture" - 2nd-fill hogshead - 57.4% ABV

Tonight, rated a couple of open bottles.

Glen Garioch SMWS 19.68 (18 year - Feb. 2003) "Spoil yourself rotten!" - 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 57.6% ABV. Rating: 92

Benrinnes SMWS 36.194 (12 year - Feb. 2010) "Mid-winter celebrations" - After 9 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, transferred into a 1st-fill American oak PX sherry hogshead - 56.6% ABV. Rating: 94

Tonight, rated several recently open bottles.

Dry Fly Distilling 3 year Straight Wheat Whiskey - 45% ABV. Rating: 86

Scapa Skiren (Batch SK24) 100% 1st-fill American oak casks - 40% ABV. Rating: 87

Whiskey Del Bac (Tuscon, AZ) Dorado Mesquited American Single Malt - 46% ABV. Rating: 85

Whiskey Del Bac (Tuscon, AZ) Ode To Islay Heavily Mesquited American Single Malt finished in a mix of ex-rye, ex-bourbon & 2nd-use Whiskey Del Bac Dorado casks - 55% ABV. Rating: 89

Last night I had a dram of Jura “one for you” and a couple of Springbank 10s to follow.

The Jura is 18 years old, matured in bourbon cask and virgin quarter casks and comes in at 52.5%. Quite the best Jura I have ever tried and I purchased this bottle from the distillery when I visited in 2021. I wanted a bourbon cask to experience the distillery character rather than some “finished” thing!! Might just replace this one when it’s gone.

Jura doesn’t get much love but a few reviewers I respect have mentioned the older age statement bottles are better. Seems to be the case with this one. Cheers all.

Last night (Thursday), my family and I along with another couple attended a Christmas parade. At the parade, the adults had drams of Glendronach 18 and Talisker 10.

Later, at dinner, I had a couple of cocktails called "le spaghetti western" made with Knob Creek bourbon, calvados, sweet vermouth and bitters.

After dinner, while exchanging presents, we had drams of Lagavulin 16.