What was the last bottle you finished?

Finished up these two on Friday night. Both excellent. I’ll probably replace the 100% Islay, but the outstanding STR is getting out of my price range and will probably just be a memory.

Finished my OGD 114. I’m shocked how fast this one went down. It’s a terrific multi-purpose bourbon. What a shame we can’t regularly get it here in Ontario.

@BlueNote nice Kilchoman bottle kills. I'm almost done my 100% Islay 8th edition and it was such a easy drinking whisky. I was really stoked for the STR but the price kept me away.

@OdysseusUnbound I wish that OGD 114 was available locally, even the bottled in bond is pretty good. I recently blew through a bottle of Old Ezra barrel Proof rather quickly. Thankfully still a few around, I think this will be replacing Stagg Jr. in my rotation as that's become difficult to get.

Killed off the very last dram of my bottle of Flaming Heart 2015, I had a final pour lingering in the bottle for ages and couldn't bear to part with it.

@OdysseusUnbound

By regularly get it, do you mean it's a shame no one can go to the US to get it for you/us? OGD 114 has never, to my memory, been available at the KGBO.

The sun is starting to set on my open bottle as well. I have a few to fall back on thanks to some friends and one trip.

@cricklewood I think the BiB is very different that the 114, but I agree it's a good whisky in its own right.

As for the Old Ezra, I have one open and it has a similar style to the 114, but I would give the 114 the edge, as did @paddockjudge when he tried them H2H.

@Nozinan I just mean I can’t go to the LCBO and get another one on Tuesday. I’ll have to wait until I visit the US or until someone in my family does.

@OdysseusUnboun, you posted "It’s a terrific multi-purpose bourbon."

I presume you meant it is versatile and can be used for both long pours and short pours.

@Victor, the LCBO has decided it will not accept any "innovative" releases this fall; as a result, the 2020 Northern Border Collection(s?) has been suspended., which means NO LOT 40 CS and whichever rye-laced-age-stated whisky was on deck. Perhaps other distillers will be doing the same.

@paddockjudge That is ridiculous! I can understand G&W and Pike's Creek special releases because they stay on the shelves, but Lot 40 CS is not experimental. Without that French oak finish it's a proven star, and will sell out. The LCBO is crazy if they don't want to carry it.

And I'm sure the other provinces would love to have more to sell, and we would clean out the distillery shop. Not to mention the international market!

@paddockjudge Neat, rocks, doubles, and yes, even in cocktails. An OGD 114 whiskey sour is a thing of beauty.

@cricklewood I’m down to the last quarter of my 2015 Flaming Heart. I’ll be very sad to see it go. I’ve tasted the more recent version and it is not in the same league.

@Nozinan yes the OGD BIB is not the same as the 114 but it's pretty decent stuff. There's a local group that gets together every few months and does a private purchase of a couple of cases of OGD BIB ends up being about 35$ a bottle (you can buy just one bottle. I should keep an eye out for their next update.

@Nozinan @paddockjudge I think a few of the liquor boards are scaling back purchases to their bread & butter products. SAQ hasnt had anything special in weeks. My inside source says she doesn't even check arrivals anymore.

@BlueNote that Flaming Heart 2015 is really stunning, very well balanced between the older whisky and freshness of the new. Probably the closest I'll get to drinking 30yr old Caol Ila as well.

Aside from sending a couple of bottles to a friend who can’t get out to restock.... I killed a Tullamore Dew and OF 1920 last week. Both replaced.....

@paddockjudge this is very sad to hear that the LCBO is discontinuing carrying of special release whiskies . The LCBO is ditching the connoisseur in favour of keeping the least common denominator volume business flowing. Absolute standardised governmental control wins out again over the flourishing of difference and individual excellence. I expected the Canadian top tier releases to become scarce soon, but I wasn't expecting this mechanism. My timetable was pretty close.

Hopefully Wiser's will still continue to bottle the premium product lines and you Ontarians will have a shot at getting some of them from other provinces. I'd get my contacts going right now. The supply will dry up fast. This is looking just like the USA with BTAC and Van Winkle starting in 2012.

Just finished the last drop of my glengoyne 25 year old. That went far too quickly.......

Onto to Arran master of distilling 2. Yep I’m impressed.

I killed off my Laphroaig Cairdeas 2015 this past weekend. Good stuff, but honestly, I'd rather just have another regular 10 CS. I need that full-powered peat in my Laphroaigs.

I won't miss it.

@MadSingleMalt it's funny I think that 2015 Cairdeas is my favorite for exactly that reason, it feels much more mature than it's 11yrs and while the peat is present it leaves room for more nuance underneath. The 15 was the one I felt was underwhelming.

@cricklewood @MadSingleMalt reading these comments made me realize "Hey! I think I have one of those 2015 Cairdeas!" Now I may have to open it sooner rather than later just to weigh in on the debate.......although I've got quite a few bottles open already and I don't have any Private Preserve so maybe not.

Just killed another Lagavulin 16. Still one of my favorite drams.

@cricklewood & @OdysseusUnbound: I would describe that 2015 Cairdeas as clean, pure, maybe simple, and even delightful. It's good. But that's not what I want from a Laphroaig. I want a sledgehammer of peat.

Someday I'll open my 2 bottles of 2015 Cairdeas. I certainly have some idea of what to expect!

@MadSingleMalt Completely agree, I had the 2015 as well and you nailed it haha

Just finished the most recent Belle Meade Black Belle release. Still have a few glasses of the other 2 years releases. Just a heavenly bourbon and the only whiskey that has done the finishing in imperial stout casks so well.

@OdysseusUnbound @cricklewood @Victor @MadSingleMalt @casualtorture I bought two bottles of the 2015 Cairdeas when it first appeared. I knocked one off pretty quickly and bunkered the other. You guys are making me want to get it out and get into it.

Another one bites the dust!

Little Book Chapter 02, one hell of a great blend. I tip my hat to Freddie Noe for swimming against the current and creating a great whisky, one worth bunkering a whole box full.

Those big glasses require a tighter drain plug

@paddockjudge Good to the very last drop? BTW, I like your shelving unit, well, actually I like the contents of your shelving unit.

It is that time of the month . . . recycling. So, I decided to ditch a few bottles from my cabinet. That does give me room to open a few more bottles in the coming months. Let me be clear: these bottles are not killed off so much as “rebottled” into an infinite number of smaller bottles between 200mL and 15mL. But it is sad to see some of these “mostly go.” I will only pull them out again for a tasting and not for casual drinking.

The Stagg Jr. is batch #11 and not one of my favorite batches. I found it thinner compared with older releases. I am one of the few who loved the early releases. This batch was turning bitter of late. I find this happens with bourbons getting too much air.

The Lagavulin 12yo CS 2017 has many fans. I am not at the top of the list. Good, but not one I would replace. For more of my thoughts see my dissertation under the Batch Variation Thread. Today Lagavulin 12yo is now running $170.99 at the Virginia ABC store (up from $129.99). Ya, I don’t think I am going to be buying another for quite some time. Thankfully, I have bottles of the 2015, 2011, and 2003 in the bunker for when they are needed.

The Springbank 10yo. This bottle was batch 01/08/17 17/328 and I opened it on July 21st 2018. Mostly uneventful. That first year I scored it three times all around 84 points. But then after almost a year of being open (and below the half-way mark) it took a huge turn. I started to score it a regular 90 or 91 points. In the last two months it was excellent. I wish I had another bottle.

Ardbeg Uigeadail batch 27/02/2019 – this is a really good batch. I have scored it in the low 90’s a few times now. It is not sherry dominant, but it is very good. Another good is batch 11/04/2019 if you see either around. Neither are in the upper echelon of Uigeadail batches . . . but then I haven’t encountered one of those since 2013 . . . and I have been diligently looking. Still, a great peated whisky that gives you the peaty blast with wonderful sherried red fruit integration.

The Balvenie 14yo Peat Week 2003. Really good, but not amazing. Several times I composed some blind tasting with this and a few other batches of Ardbeg 10yo thrown in. Truthfully, at least twice I thought this was one of the Ardbeg TEN batches. This is the only other peated whisky I have ever confused with an Ardbeg. One time I wrote down, “This is a fantastic batch of Ardbeg TEN and I must find and buy several more bottles.” However, that was when I thought it only cost $49.99. When I realized it was $99.99 I elected to not purchase more. So it is a great whisky, but a good bottle of Ardbeg TEN is just as good.

I’m having an Old Fashioned with the last bit of my Woodford Reserve Rye. This bottle was pleasant enough, but I doubt I’ll replace it. Tasted blind, I’m not sure I would have pegged it for a rye. It tastes more like a high rye bourbon to me. Good, not great. Review forthcoming...