Which bottle did you just buy and why?

@Victor I’m pretty open-minded with these whiskies. The retro-themed Hiram Walker Special Old has already shocked me with its quality. I’m hoping to continue to be surprised.

@OdysseusUnbound, I would like to taste from your bottle of Hiram Walker's Special Old Rye Whisky. I had great hopes for it when I bought a bottle of it 7 years ago and was disappointed no matter how many times I came back to it. I finally gave it away. Your batch results may vary.

@Victor I’m more than happy to put a sample aside for you, to be delivered at a future date.

@Victor It's not bad (the AP), but I have so many better ones I never reach for it (I have a 200 cc bottle open that I got after Ralfy recommended it years ago). Maybe I should review it.

I would say though, the 25 and 30 YO versions are better...I have just enough left of 2 samples (thanks @paddockjudge) to review one of these days. A sealed bottle of 25 is on my holy grail list.

@Nozinan, Many of us are looking for a bottle of Alberta Premium 25 YO. I've twice traded bottles of AP25. For the first one I received a smashing bottle of Bourbon, Abraham Bowman Port Finished 12 YO Bourbon 100 proof, distilled 2001. During our tour of the distillery in May we learned that an offer in excess of US$9,000 had been made for the bottle of Abraham Bowman that was on display in the showcase, well, uhm, previously on display. We were told the bottle was placed in the safe, uh-huh. The second trade was a multi-bottle 3-way-trade with Amrut Portonova and Macallan Cask Strength finding new homes to name only a few of the bottles involved.

I once traded a bottle of Alberta Premium 30 YO for a bottle of Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Barrel Proof 125th Anniversary 2013, this was an offer I couldn't refuse.

@paddockjudge I can't afford $9000 for a bottle of AP25, no matter how good it is.

I think you got pretty lucky on that bourbon trade. Think you'd ever open it?

@Nozinan $9000 for 70cl... for a 3cl pour that's $390 for a dram. I cannot imagine any liquid - other than from the fountain of youth - that I'd be even capable of enjoying to the extent that would make sense...

@Nozinan, I'd open it with a friend who also had a bottle if he sold his bottle and split the nine grand with me.

@paddockjudge Suddenly I feel left out...

@paddockjudge I traded a Glencadam 21, Arran 18 and a Glendronach 15 Revival for a bottle of the 2013 Four Roses 125th, the second best Bourbon I have ever had (not that I have had a lot of legendary Bourbons). Only the 2012 GTS tops it and that tops pretty much every whisky I have ever tried. Funny enough that I traded a Glendronach 15 Revival that 3/4 full GTS. Those GD15's sure did come in handy.

I am in Scotland right now. My last purchases have been three distillery exclusives: an 18 years old from Lagavulin (mainly bourbon cask), an Oloroso finish from Bunnahabhain and a Spanish wine finish from Bruichladdich. Because of the custom and duty in Canada, I can only buy one more bottle; I think I will try to get my hand on a Clynelish, I heard they have a really good one in the distillery.

@Robert99 - Very jealous @Robert99 ! Really hope you're having a great time and that the weather is still good up there?

@Robert99 I saw a youtube video of a tasting of that Laga 18 cask strength distillery only, looked amazing.

@Robert99, be daring, pay the duty on an extra bottle or two. Whisky is never as cheap as it is today.

@Astroke I did the Lagavulin warehouse tasting and it was amazing! They were so generous! For the first time of my life, I have taste, from the cask, the Lagavulin 25 yo! For the second time in my life, I have find love

@RianC We have been very lucky, which means we had rains but not when we were at big landmarks.

@paddockjudge I will have to check the limit for all purchases as I have a big family and already many gifts. But I don’t disagree with you.

@Robert99, I was wondering how your trip was going, I have my answer

@cricklewood Not even half of it :

@Robert99,

That is a beautiful thing, drinking Lagavulin 25 YO from a cask in the Lagavulin warehouse! EPIC

@Robert99 I’m assuming you’re traveling with someone else. You may be able to get away with 6 bottles total. My brother in law returned with 4 and they didn’t charge him duty.

Highland park 12. Why? The answer to that can be found in the thread "which bottle did you just finish".

Now I'm flirting with HP18 that I'll pick up in Sweden as it's almost half price to the UK, and I'm curious about the Arran 14. But first of all I think I'll pick up a caol ila 18 at the airport to have a nice holiday dram...

Kilkerran Work in Progress 2 and Kilkerran Work in Progress 3!

A buddy knew I was on the hunt to fill the gaps in my WIP collection, and he found these for me at an auction. Woo! Except for one of the later sherry versions that I care much less about, I will now have the whole series Work in Progress bottlings! I plan to open them all for an epic vertical with my club this fall.

@MadSingleMalt That's a horizontal tasting if I ever saw one!

@nooch That is very good to know. Thanks!

@Robert99 no promises, but maybe worth a roll of the dice. You can always pay duty on the cheapest of the lot.

Well... I had preordered a Caol Ila 18 for pickup at the airport in London heading off on vacation. And of course, in the holiday chaos, they had messed that up and there was nothing waiting for me... Dang!

The Caol Ila 18 is too expensive where I am now, so was looking around...

.... Talisker 10... or Caol Ila 12....? Both have very nice reviews, and I have the DE version of both that I really like. Appreciate the difference between them though. Couldn't make up my mind. So, in the end I got both :-)

@RikS You should have had them find one and ship it to you free of charge...

I’m camping and the all-beer days were getting to me, so I purchased a bottle of Canadian Club 12 Year Old. I have to say that I’m pleasantly surprised so far. It’s similar to Forty Creek Copper Pot but with a bit less caramel sweetness and a bit more rye bite.

Picked up a Weller Antique 107 as it has surfaced again at the LCBO. Can't really go wrong for $36 CDN for a decent bourbon at 107 proof.

Springbank, OB 46% ABV 10 yo and 14 yo Bourbon Wood 55.8% ABV. I finally broke down and did it, buy a bottle, two at @Dramlette's suggestion, of Springbank. Yes, there was that bottle of Hazelburn 8 yo I bought 6 years ago and that wonderful bottle of my sister's Alchemist Springbank 10 Port Finish which I drank most of...but this is the first time I have myself purchased anything with the Springbank name on it. Why and Why Not? Springbank is expensive around here, and the CS stuff I like just has not been available. No 12 CS in evidence at all here. Standard Springbank 10 is $ 13 above US average price of $ 65 (plus 9% tax) where I live, and that was more than I wanted to pay for a long time. I got this one for $ 60 plus tax from a store in DC. When @Dramlette suggested getting a second bottle I decided to go with the higher proof one available, even though it cost almost twice what the OB 10 yo did. I guess that I will be drinking more Springbank whisky now.