Which bottle did you just buy and why?

@Astroke This might explain why Deanston's CS sherry reease from last year was priced so low and listed at 46%... Let's hope no one at the KGBO monitors this site...

Glen Garioch 1995-2012 CS and a bottle of 20yo Arran Malt CS from 1996. Barrel selected and exclusive to the LCBO, limited to 245 bottles.

I purchased the GG1995 because I have a bottle of their Renaissance II (16yo CS (un-peated)) that I really enjoy and I would love to compare it to their old-make whisky that was peated. As for the Arran, I had another bottle that I’d been meaning to exchange for a while but was just waiting for something worthy to come along. I’m really interested in trying this older style of sherry hogshead that I’ve heard is so different in flavor profile to ex-sherry matured whiskies/finishes more common these days.

@Mancub nice catch, those are exactly the two bottles I've had my eye on at the KGBO. The Glen Garioch caught my attention too after it was posted in this thread recently (by @Astroke I think) many releases from those last few year prior to the closure receive good reviews.

The Arran is from the same year of distillation as the two casks that Kensington wine market received for their anniversary. I obtained one during my trip (cask 1649) and it was recently opened for a little get together...it is a cracking dram, deep flavor, it ticked all the boxes, especially if you're a fan of the Arran profile. I am hoping this LCBO release will come close.

@cricklewood @Mancub - Didn't realise they did a Glengarioch CS!

Slightly envious of those two, enjoy!

@RianC Glengarioch released the 1999 Sherry Cask Cask strength in 2014 and is a real Sherry Bomb. They also released the Renaissance line, 15, 16 and 17 year versions at cask strength. I have the 15 year and it is great.

@Astroke IMHO the Glen Garioch 12 year old at 48% and NCF is a major bargain and very tasty.

Talisked DE. Why, because I wanted something smoky and more intense than e.d. Benromach, but without strong medicinal / iodine elements. I also like the pepper in the Talisker. However, I wanted it balanced with something sweeter, hence the DE's Amoroso finishing. Also contemplated the Port Rughie, but that one was a bit too sweet in the 'red fruits' direction, whereas the DE has a more round sweetness to it - think sticky plums. Apart from the rather kind Benromach, this is me straying slightly into Smoke-land, having mainly lived in Highland / Speyside until now (with A'bunah being a sherry favourite, and also at times sipping on a Quinta Ruban for a slightly more 'winey' tanninic taste). I suppose the Bowmore 15 has a place in my new place too, but I missed the peppery elements in it, and I'm principally opposed to marketing a whisky for its 'deep colour' when it has had colour added to it.

@BlueNote, I suddenly feel like Glen Garioch is a major hole in my whisky experience!

@RikS, that Talisker DE is great stuff. That happens to be the bottle I have lined up to open with my club next month, and I'm sure it'll be a big hit. It's one of the few bottles I rebuy.

And I second you on the presentation of Bowmore 15!

These two beauts arrived earlier. That's my buying done for a good while!

@RianC, two modern classics!

@MadSingleMalt - I can vouch for the SB but will be my first try of Corry. Can't wait!

@RianC Hey Rian, enjoy the weekend! Where you do you get them from - I was trying to decipher the text on the cardboard box :)

@RianC You're in for a treat brother.

O, to be tasting Corry for the first time again!

It'd be like looking again with virgin eyes upon the words In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.

@RikS - Master of malt (UK). Cost just over £100 which is very decent. Probably won't open them for a while though but you never know ...

@MadSingleMalt Hahaha...and not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. Like scotch. Love it.

How do you compare oogie and corry? I had a bottle of oogie, which got better as it breathed, but I haven’t had corry yet.

@nooch, ha! If you're so inclined to make more scotch + hobbit jokes, you need look no further than the new Macallan expansion for inspiration.

I'd describe Oogie as soft & round, at least relatively speaking given the ABV. Corry is fierce and bracing. I much prefer the Corry. As I've probably said about ten too many times around here since December, the Corry was my surprise favorite from a huge Ardbeg lineup that my club had that month. Opinions were very divided, but for me Corry was the best among ~ten or so Ardbegs covering the standard range (but no An Oa) and most of the annual releases going back to 2013 or so.

@MadSingleMalt I saw it mid build, but it wasn’t ready for a 111st birthday party quite yet. It will be spectacular though. No doubt. The views will be tremendous as it is cliffside overlooking a valley below.

The old visitor centre/tasting area fell well short of most of the others we visited.

Well, to celebrate my birthday, I decided to splurge. I usually include photos, but I have posted the first two I will mention here in previous posts.

1. 17yo Taketsuru 43% (I found a website for a liquor store that is able to deliver to Colorado, and I love this whisky)

2. Two bottles of Glenlivet Nadurra 16yo Batch: 0814D (A friend of mine is in Seattle, so she was able to pick them up for me, yes again)

3. Knappogue Castle 14yo (This one is new to me, plus it was on sale for 54.99 USD, and I had enough points to take off an extra 10.00 USD.

Picked up a Springbank 10. It has an odd tasting note that I can't make out.

@ajjarrett Well-played sir!

@Nozinan Thank you.

Well, I guess I should be a good whisky buddy, and tell you all (or at least those who are interested in located a bottle of 17yo Taketsuru) where I got it. I know I paid a premium price for it, but as I mentioned in an earlier post, this whisky elicits fond memories for me, so it is worth the 200 USD I paid for it.

acespirits.com located in Minnesota. I just checked their website, and for those north of the border, they don't deliver to Canada. However, I am sure if you are keen on getting your hands on a bottle, I am sure you will find a way to access it. HA!

As for the Knappogue Castle, it is a bottle that sparked my interests, and not a bad price for unchilled filtered and 46% Abv Irish Single Malt. I don't usually get new whiskies often, since I am on a budget and prefer to buy what I know I like; however, I didn't mind on taking a chance this time.

I enjoy watching a few reviewers on Youtube, but the one thing I cannot relate to is the buying of many different whiskies. My main reason is budget, but also rationalize in my head to buy several bottles of the ones I know I like, and avoid spending money on a whisky I might not like. Of course, I try to get to tastings when my local shops have them, so that I can try before I buy, but that takes a long time, and they don't have tastings for every whisky they sell. So, I am one of those whisky drinkers who ends up with a limited library, but well-stocked with what I like. haha

@ajjarrett, how much was The Glenlivet 16 nadurra for and which store if I may ask

@DevD Sure.

It is the Bellevue, Totalwine store located east of () Seattle, WA. Not all of the Totalwine stores in Washington carry it. (correction)

It is priced at 61.99 USD, and with the various taxes Washington State has, it was just a little more than 155 USD for two bottles. Sadly, they don't deliver to Colorado, so I was fortunate to have a friend (who lives in West Yellowstone) who picked them up for me, and who I will visit this year so I can also get my whisky. With these two bottles, she is currently holding 9 bottles of the 16yo Nadurra for me. This story was mentioned in a previous post. hahaha. It is so sad that Glenlivet went the way of NAS after eliminating the 16yo Nadurra. Boo.

@ajjarrett, nice price on the Nadurra 16 YO. I was sipping (and vatting) from Batch U712 today, amazing malt! The Nikka T 17 is an absolute stunner. I traded away two last year to others who dearly wanted them. Coming back to me were Laphroaig 18 YO (green tube), Laphroaig 10 CS 2013, and Devil's Cask III.

@paddockjudge

When it comes to peated whiskies, I am quite selective, but I do appreciate what others think of them. This gives me an idea of what I might be interested in getting and/or trying in the future.

As for your trade for the 17yo Nikka T (as you put it), I think I recall your story on a previous post, but I cannot (of course I could look to verify) what you traded it for. I hope you enjoyed what you got in exchange. You are a generous individual exchanging something that is extremely difficult to find. Of course, you might have won out, depending on what you got in return. Ok, I am just repeating myself now.

@ajjarrett, yes, it is all a matter of perspective. I am not a huge fan of peated whiskies, but I can appreciate a fine whisky when one is poured into my glass. I retained the Laphroaig 18 for myself and shared it with friends and family; a few ounces remain for future enjoyment. The Cask Strength 10 YO Laphroaig was given to a friend who enjoys this style of whisky and the Devil's Cask III was traded for a bottle of Macallan Cask Strength, my favourite malted whisky. The recipients of NT17 were no doubt pleased as well...and now I'm repeating myself.

Thanks for sharing.

@paddockjudge

Wow, I read your post way to fast and misread. Sorry about that. You did mention what you got in exchange. ugh. After reading your latest reply, I just came to the realization that I haven't had any of the Bowmore expressions. ha. It must be nice to have friends to trade with.

@ajjarrett, all good, I skim over a lot of posts too. In this day and age, it is nice just to have friends. Trading with them is a bonus! I have met incredible people on Connosr, some have become good friends.