What did you NOT buy and why?

14 people from my whisky club entered the lottery, we all struck out. Better luck next year I guess.

@Mancub I hope so, but probably not...

Someone already trying to flip me a bottle of ORVW10 for $385. I wish these people would try to make money another way, driving prices up and taking whisky out of the hands of honest connoisseurs. I couldn't even formulate a response it irked me so much.

@Mancub I understand your frustration. I suspect it is echoed throughout the province. Personally I would not be surprised to learn that much of the LCBO's allocation is distributed in a manner that would not be seen as fair by an unbiased observer with no stake in the game.

However, when I find myself being upset or frustrated by my inability to obtain something I would really like to get, I think of all the people out there who struggle to keep a roof over their heads, heat their homes in winter and put food on the table, and give their children a shot at a better life. And then I feel kind sheepish. I remind myself of the many reasons I'm lucky and then I don't feel so bad.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens..."

@Nozinan Of course, a little perspective goes a long way in moments of frustration. Don't get me wrong, I realize how lucky I am to be able to spend $120 on a bottle of bourbon. I guess I'm just always a little surprised when these things present themselves to me. I shouldn't be, this is not an uncommon thing for me to deal with, it happens constantly in the fine art world. Still though, I always expect people to be better.

@Mancub People are the worst.

@OdysseusUnbound - Not all, but there are far too many w***ers!

@Mancub - Just hearing that has irked me somewhat too! Ticket touts bring about a similar feeling of dissatisfaction ...

@RianC To quote one of my favourite tv shows/characters (House) “Humanity is overrated”

@OdysseusUnbound, I thought you were leaning toward Seinfeld there. "People—they're the worst!"

Ou Sartre: "L'enfer- c'est les autres."

@MadSingleMalt @Victor Both are apt.

Swing and a miss, BTAC-less

Today I completed two days from hell...my professional association's AGM and council meeting to which I am an acclaimed delegate (best way to get elected, I say).

I discovered not long ago that I actually get paid to attend these things. To me that's like a minor lottery win since I wasn't expecting it.

I was a little early to meet the rest of my extended family at a restaurant to celebrate my brother's in-laws becoming Canadian citizens, so I stopped by the flagship LCBO store to see what might be there.

There were rows of Wild Turkey rare breed on a shelf. It was a rough week, and I really lost a weekend to the OMA. and I'm getting some cash. Would it hurt anyone if I just picked up a bottle?

Thank you, @paddockjudge for talking me down!

Given I had suffered all weekend

With World Whisky Day this Saturday there have been plenty of good prices offered on the standard range of lower tier whiskies. I was tempted to grab a JW Green or another Arran 10 but I've just made a fairly substantial non whisky related purchase. No discretionary funds are left so buying extra bottles is out. I'll just have to drink what's on the shelf for now. Any good specials in your neck of the woods for WWD? Does anyone even drink (and enjoy) the Glen Moray entry level bottles?

There is are two cask strength Edradours, one bourbon 11, one sherry cask 14, that I'd love to get my hands on.

Similarly a 100 proof 'farclas 15 by the Whisky Exchange looks very tempting.

Was severely tempted to get a 13 Hazelburn sherry wood that was just over £50 but they've gone now (although coming back) . . .

With the possible exception of the last one they are just too pricey at the minute and I've probably already bought more than I planned to this year already.

@Hewie I wouldn't have known about WWDay! Hope you manage to maybe snag a bargain . . .

As for Glen Moray - The standard NAS is £18 so as cheap as a malt could possibly be. I was given a bottle years ago but wasn't heavily into whisky then and preferred Jameson and JWB so most went in hot toddys! I realise that is not much use so I guess I'm saying probably best left alone and waiting for a better option.

@Hewie, my brother-in-law has bottles of Glen Moray 12 and 16. I have a bottle of the Port Cask Finish. The 12 is basic malty malt. Not horrible. OK. The 16 is more refined as you would expect. I can enjoy drinking either or both of them. The Port Cask Finish NAS is only for those who don't notice sulphur. For me, who am now acutely aware of sulphur, it is one of the 5 worst bottles in my 300 bottle collection. N.B. I have encountered several sulphur insensitives who consider NAS Glen Moray Port Cask one of their favourite bargain whiskies. So you might very well love it.

@RianC @Victor I've had the NAS standard bottling before and it was one of the few whiskies that I've encountered that I just didn't like. They plainly make some better quality stuff but I guess I wonder how they sell the cheaper stuff. I guess there are some who will be happy that they can drink a single malt for the same price as a blend. It's not for me though.

@Victor, could Glen Moray Port Cask Finish NAS give Lambertus a run for worst whisky?

@paddockjudge, after having had a delightful interlude with some Yamazaki 12 yo I decided to "refresh" my memory on both Lambertus 10 yo and Glen Moray Port Cask Finish. Neither is anywhere close to what I would call tolerable to be chosen as a pleasant dram, but I do think that Lambertus remains the worst I have here. The Glen Moray Port Cask Finish would probably rank second worst for me among the bottles from our cabinet. But, yes, those who don't taste sulphur do not get that strong negative reaction to it.

@Victor, thanks for taking a couple for the team. What will you cleans your pallet with after Lambertus 10 yo and Glen Moray Port Cask Finish?....gargle, gargle, gulp!

@paddockjudge, yes, @Dramlette joked with me about cleansing my palate too, after she heard me groaning. I know what I'll do...I'll have a little standard Laphroaig 10. I'll smoke out those two prior drams, but not with anything rare and expensive.

@Hewie, the Glen Moray chardonnay thing is solid.

Over a year ago, I discovered an independent little liquor store near my brother's house in Illinois that had a pile of "Scott's Selection" IBs with vintages from the late 1970s and early 1980s. Big-name distilleries, too: Highland Park, Caol Ila, Pulteney, Bunnahabhain, Macallan, Glenlivet. All cask strength. All single cask. The prices were high-ish, but reasonable in today's market: $200-$350.

I did some research. I did some mulling it over. I did some penny-counting. I decided I would buy the 1977 Pulteney for my club.

And then I got my tax return this year and decided that I would also buy the 1983 Caol Ila for myself, for my upcoming 40th birthday.

So I go there on Tuesday and find the same old bottles still collecting dust. This place is near a college campus and it mostly serves that crowd - they're selling waaaaaaaay more cases of Bud Light than high-end 1970s scotch. So I ask the manager what kind of price we can do if I buy both of those bottles on the spot. I'm looking for 10% off, but even a little concession would make me feel good about the splurge. But the dude tell me the prices are fixed, that they have no need to discount them because they already sell very well at those prices, and that they move through lots that inventory. Bullshit. They're the same dusty bottles I saw in early 2017. I point that out. I point out that this whisky is clearly labeled as bottled in 2005, so they've been sitting on the shelves for 13 years. But he insists that they sell them all the time.

I buy nothing and walk out, pissed.

If he had just told me sorry, they never do special prices, then I woulda still bought the Pulteney and been happy about it.

But to feed me that load of bull really honked me off. So that's what I did not buy and why. Screw him.

@MadSingleMalt - bummer! A lose lose it would seem. I'd have done the same though; hate it when folk are clearly spinning you a line or just plain old bull shitting.

@Victor, Laphroaig 10 YO is a good choice for resetting your palate after suffering the effects of Lambertus 10 yo and Glen Moray Port Cask Finish. Let's examine this stuation. How often can one claim to have cleansed their palate with Laphroaig 10 YO? That's bananas!

@paddockjudge, desperate times require desperate measures!

@MadSingleMalt Give it a month or two and go back in and see what's still collecting dust and see if the dickhead is ready to deal.

@BlueNote, thanks. That 1977 Pulteney is still a good & exciting buy, so I still do want it. I was thinking I might get the owner's number and try to talk to someone who's reasonable.

@MadSingleMalt Yeah, that makes sense. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.