Which bottle did you just buy and why?

@RianC they are still available in the UK if you're willing to go off the beaten track a bit.

I was going to wait until pay day but I've just ordered from the top link as it was the best price.

thegreenwellystop.co.uk/ledaig-13yo-amonti…

lochfynewhiskies.com/scotch-whisky/…

robbieswhiskymerchants.com/item/2098/…

whiskyshop.com/ledaig-13-year-old-amontill…

I've used loch fyne and Robbies before and they both gave good service.

Hopefully they deliver when my missus is out or else I'll have to explain why I need 'another' bottle of whisky

I just bought a Laphroaig Quarter Cask as a consolation prize. I was hoping to grab a Wiser’s Seasoned Oak, but the store didn’t have any, despite the app telling me there were 4 in the store. I was told that the website and apps are often wrong. Hmmmm...

@OdysseusUnbound Make them bring one in...

@Nozinan I may have to.

Question - due to a series of circumstances (gift cards, etc) I have access to a high end bottle without paying entirely out of pocket. Question: Balvenie 21 yo vs Springbank 21 yo vs Amrut Greedy Angels 8 yo

Which would you get and why assuming that this is a complete one off? The only one I’ve had is Springbank 21 - which was glorious.

firstworldproblems

@nooch, I haven't had any of those, but based on repute and my own tastes, Springbank 21 all the way!

@nooch Three very different profiles. it really depends on what you like and what you want to taste.

I haven't had the Greedy Angels 8 YO, but I did get a sample of the original Greedy Angels at SOT in 2014, and I've tried it. It was the first single malt in which I experienced grapefruit pith. It was good (Still have some left for a future review), but not the best Amrut. You can probably get tastier Amruts for less money.

@Nozinan it amazes me how the quality of offerings at SoT has dropped over time. This past year was pedestrian. I won’t go back. I hear their is a whisky show in Cornwall that’s quite good. Anyone been to that?

@nooch - I have owned 2 bottles of Balenvie 21 Portwood and I love it. It is luxurious whisky. Having said that, if having to pick between the Balvenie and the Springbank, I would go with the Springbank. I haven't owned a Springbank 21, but I've tasted it. I have owned the 18, 15, 12 CS and 12. To me, Springbank, while being a top shelf, quality dram, it also has an "X" factor. It is just different enough from everything else that it stands out more than the Balvenie. That's my 2 cents anyway. Hope it helps. I know nothing about that particular Amrut, so I will defer to @Nozinan's opinion and trust what he says.

@bwmccoy I appreciate the insight. I have friends going to the uk this summer. I might try to get them to pick up a bottle of Balvenie 21yo for me. It’s half price there.Maybe I’ll go Springbank 21 here. Thanks for the insight!

@nooch Where is here? The only thing listed at the KGBO is Springbank 18 for $270...$210 in Calgary. And in Alberta, only $375 for the 21.

@Nozinan Alberta. I’m going on July. My sister lives there. I have some gift cards so I might pull the trigger on something normally far out of range.

@nooch if you follow and PM me I can make some suggestions (some great stores in YYC)

Lot 40 (@43%) and Evan Williams BiB White Label.

Why, well, this will be my first Canadian, a virginity taker of sorts, so it better impress I hear only good things to be fair - very excited to try this one.

The EW I've had before, and have a bottle already, but it's excellent vfm imo and the prices I paid will not be around much longer - 25% tariffs for EU customers on all US whiskey imports will soon come in. I wish to refrain from political interference on this site but as the UK is leaving the EU I really hope we get it all sorted soon so we can perhaps create a better deal with the US than what currently lies on the table . . .

@nooch - If it was me I'd get the Springbank, no question! Lucky you - enjoy, whatever you decide!

@RianC of course you'll get a better deal. It's obvious that a 60 million people market will secure better negotiating leverage than a 525 million... Oh... No... Wait... Hang on, how was this a good idea again???

LOL. No offense me'beloved mate, I just couldn't resist

@RikS - None taken! I'm rather impartial about the whole thing to be honest and don't mind admitting I consciously abstained from voting as not one person 'in the know' seemed to actually know much at all . . .

So long as we get cheaper whisky imports it can only be a good thing ha ha

Just grabbed 2 bottles of Lot 40CS. The Anticipated "Father's Day" release didn't quite happen as planned, but sure enough a week later they started to trickle out of Toronto stores and now Western Ontario. I was told the release changed to Canada Day, but stores are just releasing them as they get stock. 600 bottles across the province is stretching it though. Hope anyone looking for a bottle was able to secure one.

@Mancub that looks like last year's release of Lot 40 CS, given the price and the minimal availability. Surprised it is available again. This year's is expected to be $100. Mind you, who knows? What does the bottle say?

The Father's Day release was supposed to be the season' oak. It seems to be trickling slowly.

I did get what I wanted, I managed to order a spare bottle.

@Nozinan Yes, it is from the first release of Lot 40CS. I’ve heard two different stories, one being that they held about 600+ bottles back for a special secondary release. The other being that they bought up all the leftover bottles from across Canada that weren’t selling and planned to release them in Ontario. I’m not sure which is true, but the LCBO told me back in February that all of these bottles were in their warehouse and that there was a planned release for Father’s Day. Possibly, they realized that there was already a planned Wiser’s Father’s Day release, “Seasoned Oak”, hence the Lot 40 not coming till later? None the less, there are still some more bottles to trickle along.

How is the Seasoned Oak? I read a couple reviews, but those were from people that received free bottles/samples to review. I didn’t buy in part because I felt the packaging was misleading. Reading the label you would think that it spent 19 years in the weathered “seasoned oak” barrels, but it is only finished for 1 year in those barrels. It doesn’t state this anywhere on the packaging and when I asked Don why, he never answered my question. It’s a good story, aging a whisky for 19 years in barrels that’s staves were left out to dry in the elements for over 48 months. Not as exciting when you find out it’s just an 18yo blend finished for 1 year in those barrels. It’s still a neat idea, and I don’t doubt that I would enjoy the whisky, but the intent of the label turns me off.

@Mancub, marketing types control the labels, the language and the budget...Don does his thing (very well), but is ultimately accountable to the corporation.

Seasoned oak is a very nice whisky. I did a review from a bottle that cost me $100. This is double column distilled (corn) whisky aged 18 years in used cooperage at 48% abv., forty-eight % abv!!! The 48 months of air drying will impart some softer (less bitter tanins) new oak influences on the already mature whisky. There is a minimal amount of rye in this stuff, probably 4 - 5 % and definitely less than 9.09%. Think of it as an older Red Letter with a splash of rye. Red Letter is 13 - 15 YO (same bond lot, different year for release thus different ages due to longer time in barrel) with new oak finish, no rye.

LCBO has been sitting on 600+ bottles of Lot No 40 CS. A few cases were "mistakenly" released in February to a handful of stores. One of these stores is five minutes from my house, I rescued a few bottles.

@paddockjudge

In a twitter Q&A with the doctor (my Q, his A) he indicated the seasoned oak casks were used for only about a year because otherwise there would have been too much new oak influence.

I think the results speak for themselves. This is a good whisky, one I'm planning to enjoy over the next few years (it takes me a while to finish bottles...).

Last bottle purchased: Springbank 10. Why, because @RianC said to buy it :-) No, seriously, because from what I read it's a rather unique expression so I'm simply curious to see how I like it (and beware: I may even torture all of you with a rambling 'review' of my impressions on here later!).

@RikS Look forward to your review. I’m sure you’ll like it. Just don’t judge it too quickly after opening.

Rambling reviews are the best.

@BlueNote Noted. In fact, with this one I poured it into a beaker and then back and then beaker and then back to let it air a bit... I do this sometimes with expressions that are a bit 'tight' on uncorking (the last one that really made a difference was Ardbeg An Oa). So, we'll see... and I'll let it air a bit too in the glass, as you're not the first one that tells me that it needs some time to open up...

@RikS - Like @BlueNote I look forward to what I'm sure will be a glowing review

@MadSingleMalt I guess you must like my reviews then...

@paddockjudge Thanks for the response, and I also had a chance to check out your review, sounds great! That's the thing, I have no doubt I would enjoy the whisky, I just take issue with the label. I watched a "Whisky in the 6" introduction to the Seasoned Oak release and from Rob's words it sounds like it's aged for 19 years in the weathered barrels, no mention of the "1 year finish". This to me just goes to show the confusion around the label, it's not clear without further investigation or inside knowledge. Most bottles that are cask finished are stated so on either the label or packaging, this is not.

There was also chatter about the price being so high for what it was, and one of the arguments from an early reviewer was that it WAS NOT column distilled corn whisky (like Pike Creek) which offers a high/less expensive yield. Which of course is directly at odds with what you wrote in your review. Again, I think there is a little confusion there as to what's in the bottle. These "rare cask series" from Wiser's are all really interesting, though when I read reviews from someone as knowledgeable as you with their products I'm a little disillusioned. Though I LOVE the experimenting and all the new releases to look forward to, a pattern emerges. A little extra aging, a dash of Lot 40, some red letter at a higher ABV. I know that tweaking the formula is a common practice from distilleries to create knew offerings, and I don't doubt that it's easy to make changes and still have something taste good, sometimes knowing just takes the shine off of it a little.

Glad you were able to give some Lot 40CS a good home!

@Nozinan It sounds really good. The Doc also said that the idea of weather drying staves in the elements wasn't something even thought of 19 years ago. Him saying that made me really excited for the future of whisky though. I think people like him are thinking of crazy and wonderful ideas/experiments and laying down the groundwork now for future offerings.

@Mancub I think you're right about the price being too high. Compared to last year's releases (the lot 40 CS is up $30) it seems unreasonable. But people are willing to pay, so one can argue that Canadian whisky (premium level) has been undervalued in the past.