Which bottle did you just buy and why?

@nooch That is the right decision to make when you can’t make a decision. Those are a couple of beautiful credit card melters. A man after my own heart.

@BlueNote my credit card is now a mound of melted plastic.

I bought a JP Wiser Dissertation....why? Because I opened the second bottle to the right.

@boatracer You won't be able to do that every time you open a bottle... when they're gone, they're gone...

@Nozinan I know. I'm keeping an eye on my local supply and will probably buy at least 1 more.

@boatracer they are a lovely looking bottle - and that is a generous pour

@Hewie @boatracer

I think that Wiser's right angled bottles (like Dissertation), when relieved of their labels, make great decanters.

If only I could finish one...

Glenmorangie Lasanta. Why??? Well, at £26 in Tesco (did they really get that price right?!) it was too much to resist and I can always use it for guests (and self) into something seriously summer-sweet.

@RikS That would be around $34 USD. In my state they are charging $58 for the LaSanta. You got a good buy.

@RikS - great find! I saw the Quinta Ruben for £36 at Ocado on line recently and thought that a good deal.

Yeah I think they actually had it marked a bit wrong. Tesco website has the original on sale for £26, and lasanta for £45. Oh well...

@Nozinan I did just that with one of mine. Turned it into a bourbon/rye blending bottle.

Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2017, a couple of Lot 40s, Laphroaig 10 (42%), Whistlepig CS (though that stuff doesn't last long in my home and my wife likes it too much as well, unfortunately for me and a trading partner).

I'm still eyeing peated/sherried whiskies but may have exhausted my local options within price range already(HP12, Uigeadail, An Oa, Bunna 12--and in the old days, Laphroaig 18).. The Diageo DE's are great. When it comes to peat/sweet from Diageo, I have tried all but Caol Illa, but I'm not sure where else to go on a modest budget.I've liked the Bowmore Darkest that I've tasted (color be damned), and I would love to try some of these peaty/sweet Japanese whiskies that I've only heard about. MD does not allow one to order whisky from anywhere, so I can only dream about expensive whiskies like Karuizawa.

Any suggestions for more accessible peat/sherry would be welcome.

@Jonathan Laphroaig 43%

@Jonathan i really enjoy the caol ila DE, and here it's a lot better price than è.g. the Lagavulin DE.

@Jonathan have you tried Talisker? Different feel to the Islay peats, but tasty.

@nooch I love Talisker.They may be my favorite distillery. I've had or owned the 12,DE, 57 North, Dark Storm and 18.

The recent price jump, especially for the 12, has really turned me off to buying more, though I still will buy Storm (not my favorite, in part because of the strange finish) for 50$. That's a total compromise , though. At 70$ plus tax, the 12 is competing with too many other great whiskies. I hope that supply and demand will help to adjust these prices, but I'm not holding my breath. If only Scotland would start a trade war with China...

@Jonathan Psst.... you mean the 10?

I just had a dram of the DE which has been open for about 5-6 months... delicious. And, only 1/5th left I fear...

@Jonathan that's interesting that you see Talisker 10 increasing in price over there. Here in NZ it seems to be the cheapest that it's been as far as I can remember. Prices fluctuate over long periods of time with the dollar, but I can buy it off the shelf any day of the week for $50 USD.

@Hewie Bonkers, but at least something is better priced in ol' Blighty then - here in the UK it's available regularly for $38USD. The 18 on the other hand is $115USD

@RikS you also have the advantage of the supermarkets selling spirits - that definitely gives you some good deals when the standard bottles are "on offer".

@Hewie Truer words never spoken. And a bit frustrating at times when I travel back to 'monopoly countries' having gotten used to that convenience. In fact, I'm a bit surprised that this isn't available in NZ as I'd think of you in the Anglo-American tradition, so to speak... but then again, I suppose you do have a political model where 'social good' trumps 'commercial good' (and I don't think that's all bad).

@RikS NZ has an interesting history with booze. During WW1 they introduced the 6 o'clock closing of pubs - and it remained for 50 odd years. That led to behaviour known as the "6 o'clock swill" where men downed as much beer as they could as fast as they could before closing time (that's a small window of opportunity between finishing work and the pub closing!). Wine was first allowed to be sold in supermarkets in 1990, and we have only been able to buy beer at the supermarket since 1999. So, I don't think we'll be buying any of those evil spirits from the supermarket chains anytime soon!

@Hewie Talisker 10 is $25USD in China and $77.99USD here in Nashville. Makes me shake my head. I brought 3 bottles back after my last visit and just opened the last one O_O

@casualtorture wow that is a huge difference. Good to hear you took advantage of the price while you had the chance.

@Hewie The classic dilemma of all intoxication substances: do we seek to curtail health and social risks by stringent control (and suffer the consequences of binge drinking and emerging black markets)... or do we allow open availability (and seek to inform about its usage and 'demystify/dramatise' the experience)...

My libertarian philosophy would be leaning towards the latter. I believe that those liable to abuse will always secure access anyway, so curtailment only leads to increases in price and inconvenience for those of us that 'enjoy, but not abuse'. But, I'm sure someone may jump in and present statistics that would suggest the exact opposite...

@casualtorture wow...

@RikS - Statistics or not I'm 100% in agreement. I can't see the UK adopting a prohibitive stance any time soon though Thankfully!

Heard a stat recently showing less young people are drinking, taking drugs etc so perhaps evidence that the route you suggest can work as well . . .

@RikS the government’s stance that prices are a deterent is bs. If prices were a deterrent then they wouldn’t charge $25 for vodka and $75 for scotch. They aren’t charging $75 to curtail drinking. They’re charging $75 because they feel they can. In the end, it’s about revenue, not public health.

@RikS, taxation of spirits is an easy cash grab. The rhetoric about public health is BULL SHIT. Luxury/VA taxes are not structured to discourage consumption, but too maximize tax revenue.

A flat tax would be best for Connosrs.....good luck with that!