Which bottle did you just buy and why?

@Victor - I think a slight reticence comes from having some too immature CS NAS whiskys that were a bit disappointing and the 10 being a little too hot. That's all it is really, that and sometimes a whisky seems to sing to me from the shelf, as it were, and this one just hasn't done that.

That I've seen it on sale for near £20 less than the asking price a couple of times recently also makes me question 'why?' but, conversely, makes me think I'm being shown a good deal that I shouldn't be turning down. Hardly rational but you know how these things can go!? Thanks, to you and others, for your advice and reassurance!

Having slept on it, I'm rather content today and can't wait for Mr. postman to come a knocking

@Victor @OdysseusUnbound et al - My globe trotting days are over for the foreseeable future (a week in Wales is about as foreign as I'll be getting for a while!) but should you take a trip to these shores I'd be happy to procure you some choice bottles!

@Astroke nice catch

@RianC That’s the wonderful thing about this community. You can get some constructive feedback before buying a bottle. I’m always weary of NAS, but luckily the folks here have helped me navigate which to buy and which to avoid. I have been quite happy with their advice so far.

I picked up a bottle of Deanston Virgin Oak

Why?

I've been trying to get my hands on this for a while. I've got an interest to try Scottish malt released as 'virgin cask'.

It's a vital component in @paddockjudge 's blending recipe

And I'd like to place it in a side by side comparison to Auchentoshan Virgin Oak

I leave my current role tomorrow and these were some of the gifts I received today! Lucky me! I feel humbled and grateful!

I've tried the Swedish one and it was very good, I'm curious about the Talisker Skye, the HP is always welcome but the bourbon . . . my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets upon opening! One very happy man tonight, although I will be very sad to leave (certainly had the blow softened)!

@RianC despite the end of your tenure it's nice to know you we're appreciated and that the folks know how to pick interesting whisky.

@Frost, Deanston Virgin Oak Single Malt is indeed a key ingredient in my blends, however small the portion might be. It took me two years to burn through my first bottle.

Springbank 14 Bourbon Cask

Longrow 15 Bourbon/Chardonnay Single Cask

Kilkerran 12 (2)

Springbank 12 CS

@RianC Sheesh. You must have been doing something right to be gifted all those bottles. All I got from the UK school I left was a lousy personalised mug and a membership/sponsorship of some wildlife (save the badgers) outfit. Well done and all the best for the next steps.

@cricklewood & @Hewie - I've been in a great school in a good area with an amazing class. Seems like the parents clubbed together for most of them (I got a personalised mug also!) their recent performance of Beowulf, which was well received, may have helped!

Very rare to see such kindness and thoughtfulness and I was genuinely speechless. Does make me wonder how I may be coming across i.e the teacher that drinks whisky . . .

Badgers need all the help they can get btw

@Frost - Let us know how you get on; one I've been eyeing up. Deanston seems to be getting a lot of positive attention at the minute.

@RianC that's some well thought out gifts you have there. You must be really appreciated there.

I will place a review for the Deanston Virgin oak after I try it.

Springbank 10....'cuz it's my first purchase of the 10yr with the new label. shrug

@KRB80 Any reason is valid for Springbank 10 is it not. I am ordering one very shortly.

@Astroke Dayum straight! I think that is one of my Whisky Commandments actually.

I just picked up five bottles of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof 12yo 65.5% (131 Proof) Batch C917.

Why? This is my go to cask strength (barrel proof) bourbon. I think of Laphroaig 10yo Cask Strength in the exact same way. They are the best drinking value for money in my opinion. Sadly, both only come in waves where I live. It seems to have just hit shelves in my area. So you have to pounce when you see it.

What = Teacher's Highland Cream blended scotch whisky Why = because I'm a teacher, and I needed a SMS (single malt stretcher) to help make my bottles that I'd rather be drinking go further (no I'm not planning on blending them together). It's still uncomfortably hot here and so I reckon a Teacher's high ball will go down well - we've also just got a Soda Stream machine so I've got the water covered.

@Hewie one of my most memorable whisky moments was with a 'cream' whisky: Stewart's Cream Of The Barley. It was tucked away in rock cairn on a hill top in Scotland. I may have had more than a dram or two!

@Hewie - Great picture! Whereabouts was it taken? Don't think I've ever seen a cairn with a built in chair . . .

My grandparents always seemed to have a bottle of either Teacher's or Stewart's in the cupboard. You don't see the latter down here so much nowadays. I think a trip to Scotland is long overdue too!

@RianC there are actually a pair of them called the Twinlaw cairns, in the Lammermuir hills in the Borders. There is a ballard that goes:

'And they biggit twa cairns on the heather They biggit them roond and high On the top of Twin law Hill Where they twa brithers lie'

The story behind the ballad tells of the death of two brothers, traditionally buried here. Separated at birth, the two fought for opposing Scots and Saxon armies. They fought each other hard, not knowing that they were brothers, and were both killed in combat. Once the armies learnt of the connection they joined together in building two cairns in their memory. These cairns were apparently rebuild after being used for target practice by tanks stationed nearby during WW2. They were a good walk from where we were staying and the whisky was a welcome warmer during my rest stop. Unfortunately, I believe Stewart's Cream of the Barley is no longer in production.

@Hewie - Never been up there myself but the border region(s) I've seen are stunning! I really need to get out for a proper 'off road' walk but it's not so easy with the little one (as you probably know!). What a sad story; but aren't folk funny though? Let all that killing go on and then build those cairns out of respect - the irony! Still, a nice touch.

Shame about the Stewart's, always fancied trying a drop of that.

Well, everyone, I got a 'new' bottle of whisky. Actually, it is my second bottle of this particular whisky. The first time I got this was in Narita Airport's Duty Free. Sadly, I only got one bottle of this, and sometime after (when I went back to Tokyo) it was no longer available in the Duty Free shops. Which bottle am I speaking of? Nikka's 17yo Taketsuru 43%. (I actually got two bottle. The second one is for future (far future) enjoyment/appreciation)

I should say, the reason why I mentioned the ABV is because there is a 17yo Taketsuru at a higher ABV and is non-chilled filtered. I had a dram of that at the Nikka Blender's Bar in Tokyo, but this expression is truly "impossible" to locate, and if I did locate it, it would be way out of my budget.

So, why did I get the 17yo Taketsuru 43%, especially at a premium price (which I won't divulge)?

1. I enjoy the dram.
2. It is hard to find, so when I found it, I had no second guessing about getting it.
3. It brings back fabulous memories of my time living in Beijing and making trips to see my friends in Japan. (There are some whiskies that elicit an emotional reaction and this is one of them for me)

I’m not going to lie - I’m a wee bit excited about this purchase.

@nooch I know there is a thread about "what do you plan to buy" but since you posted this as a recent purchase, I had to reply. This is definitely on my to buy list, and I was about to until I was able to locate the 17yo Taketsuru. I am definitely going to save up for the 21yo Redbreast. Congrats on this purchase!

@ajjarrett cheers. Your purchase of the taketsuru 17yo is enviable. I had a bottle of the 12yo - but I’ve never even seen the 17 here. Well played!

@nooch Well, I am a lover of both the 15yo and the 12yo CS Redbreast, so I know I need (as I mentioned before) to save up for the 21yo. In my area the price for the 21yo ranges 249 USD and 289 USD. Two questions for you: 1) How much were you able to get it for ? 2) Is that you in the reflection on the bottle taking the photo?

As for being enviable, envy is one of the reasons why I didn't post any replies on the thread about which cabinet do you admire. haha. @victor is great on the threads, so nothing against him. I just want to avoid having Connosr Cabinet Envy (CCE). HA! I am not on Facebook, nor Instagram or Twitter for many reasons, and one of them is avoiding Social Media Envy (aka Facebook Envy).

@ajjarrett hahahaha. That is my reflection in the bottle. Good spot!

I paid $185cad for it from a place in Calgary. Let me know if you are interested in details.

@nooch So, the price is comporable to what I see in the shops here in Denver. It actually took me a second look at your photo to notice your reflection, since the first look was at the label.

@ajjarrett $185 cad is equivalent to about $150 usd. Didn’t you indicate it was $250+ where you are?