Which bottle did you just buy and why?

@Robert99 - Sounds nice! I've been after a Campbeltown Loch 21 for ages but haven't seen it on line for a good while. Perhaps the Loch has finally been drank dry . . .?!

@paddockjudge will do, time permitting. My work schedule has been a bit crazy this month. I've been picking up odd bottles of other spirits and will see what comes in from Panama in mid January.

@Robert99 - your vatting sounds amazing! It may be awhile before I open this particular Westland since I have two other bottles open at the moment, but I promise to write a review of it when I do. I will try to write reviews of the two open bottles as well in the coming days.

I just purchased a 7 year Croftengea SMWS 122.23 "Highly a-musing", a peated whisky from the Loch Lomond distillery, matured in a second-fill, ex-bourbon hogshead because my Mother-in-law was nice enough to give me a gift card from the Whisky Society for Christmas and because I have never owned anything from this distillery.

Received a $100 LCBO gift card and to be honest could not figure out what I wanted knowing the LCBO would be overpriced no matter what. Had a sample of the G&W 11 Souls and absolutely loved it, so that's that.

@Astroke nice choice, that was my top pick from the NBC this year

2018 was a banner year for me. Fourteen of eighteen bottles arrived today in two shipments. Earlier this year thirteen bottles from Maryland mad their way on to my shelves. Bottles arriving from Virginia, British Columbia, Florida, Alberta, Maryland, and Quebec kept me well stocked with primo juice. Some bottles opened this year were procured in earlier years and enjoyed in 2018. Thank you @Nozinan, @Nosebleed, @Nock, @cricklewood, @fiddich1980, @Victor, @talexander, and @Robert99.

Below is a pic of what showed up today, two deliveries twenty minutes apart. The temperature at my front door was a nippy -26C (15 below zero F). The arrival of this bountiful harvest quickly warmed things up. @Nozinan and @Nosebleed, thank you for your assistance in locating these gems.

@paddockjudge Ohhhhh an old Ballantine's 17 and a Samaroli....... my God.

@talexander, I've obviously been hanging around with you too much!

@bwmccoy Your family is very good to you. The vatting of Cambeltown Loch 21 and Westland peated is very good. I like it more than with the Clynelish. The Westland has improved since I first opened it and is great on itself, I was surprised how rich it is, you will enjoy it.

Just bought a JP Wiser’s Alumni Series Lanny McDonald from the distillery. We’re visiting friends in Windsor and did the tour. Sadly, Dr Don wasn’t there, but the tour was great and the tasting was fun too. I was impressed by the Wiser’s 15 Year Old. Very light and fruity on the nose, but lots of rich toffee on the palate.

Just picked up a Laphroaig Lore. The reviews on this one vary so wildly (I’ve seen it scored as low as 81/100 and as high as 96/100) that I just had to get one for myself. After all, nobody’s opinion about it matters to me but my own, right? I’m going to wait awhile before opening it though, as I’ve got a few open bottles and my Ardbeg Corryvreckan is next on my “to open” list.

@OdysseusUnbound For the record, I really liked it. It's a bit pricey (I think there is some pretty old malt in there) but it is very nice.

@talexander @OdysseusUnbound

This one, provided by @paddockjudge, capped my last Connosr-based epic tasting. There is no doubt it is a fine expression. Is it a one off or, as seems more likely, a bath release? If the latter it could mean variation.

@OdysseusUnbound I really enjoyed it when I had it. Of course it is on the gentle side which will not please some Laphroaig fans. I totally agree with @talexander , there are probably some old stuff in it.

@Robert99 I have seen a lot of write-ups claiming 7 year old to 25 year old whiskies in Lore. And I've also seen a video of John Campbell, Master Distiller/distillery manager at Laphroaig, explaining the components of Lore and I believe he said it contained 8 year old to 21 year old whisky. Ah, the fun of NAS. But I don't mind "gentler" Laphroaig at all. Triple Wood is too gentle for some (it was trashed by some critics), and I scored it 92 or 93 points, and I even had a friend pick me up another bottle, as I've heard it's being discontinued.

@paddockjudge that is a wall I can get behind!

My first purchase of 2019 a Gooderham & Worts 11 souls, I cracked it open immediately, still getting my head wrapped around it, it's very much a chameleon morphing from corn forward, rich caramel & toffee to a floral and grainy side.

@cricklewood, the G&W Eleven Souls is a tough one for me. I don't yet have a bottle. I will eventually get around to it. From what I've already tasted I'm not in a hurry. There is huge complexity in this one and it is going to take a few sessions to become acquainted with it...that's a lot of work to do for something not in my wheelhouse....but I've been known to take one for the team....

@paddockjudge I think the G&W 11 souls will be another one that lingers on shelves, despite being in a different league than last year's release.

I find your comment interesting, I think I enjoy that kind of expression where you have to do some legwork to get acquainted with it but it certainly is an effort that's not always rewarding.

@cricklewood, I enjoy dissecting a good blend when I am familiar with some of the component parts. Currently I'm spending time getting to know Little Book.

@paddockjudge "but I've been known to take one for the team...." and "I enjoy dissecting a good blend when I am familiar with some of the component parts." I may have to send you and a few others, a blind sample in the near future. @cricklewood don't say anything I took delivery of some new empty sample bottles today.

Wasn't going to buy anything in January and then this happened

Talisker 10...because it’s always a favorite and a recent store just lowered the price to $40/bottle so I bit. Unfortunately, this is the second straight Deagio product that has been an old reliable for me in the past that has severely let me down. Not sure if they rushed stock at the beginning of the boom and chose whatever barrels were on hand with little standards but I am now banning all Deagio products until further notice.

I just "bought" a bottle of Col. E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Bourbon (50%) and a bottle of Col. E.H. Taylor Straight Rye (50%). I say bought because the products are on allocation, and since I don't work at the LCBO or know anyone who does, it's unlikely that I'll "win" anything. Fun LCBO dumb-fuckery: the image for the Straight Rye is actually the E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof, and the description indicates the ABV % as being 45%. Is there anything the LCBO can't fuck up?

@KRB80 - Interesting. My last bottle of T10 was about three years ago and I found it distinctly 'hot'. It was much better with water and I left the open bottle about six months before it became something like palatable without that burning sensation (and no, it wasn't the pepper/chili either).

Like you, I bought one recently as it was on sale for £30 and Serge seemed to suggest that the quality was as good as ever (but he rates all T10 about 90 so who knows). We shall see . . .

@Wierdo - Great find :) Is that the latest batch?

@RianC yes mate. I got it from a shop called 'wee dram' it's not that far from me (about an hours drive) and I was looking on their website and thinking about taking a drive out there when I noticed they had the latest Springbank local barley for £90. In the end it was cheaper to pay delivery than pay the fuel to go and pick it up.

I tried to get a bottle on release for the rrp of £85 But they instantly sold out and were immediately on websites for £115. It's now only available at a few places for £125 so £90 is a good price. Although having said that in terms of pounds per year it's the most costly bottle I've ever brought.

They still have at showing as in stock on their website at £90. It's almost tempting to buy another as if you just held onto it for 6 months it would probably be worth £150 at auction. The local barley Springbanks are very highly rated and collectable.

I'm gonna see what all the fuss is about.

@Wierdo - It's a nice feeling knowing you've picked up a sought after dram for pretty much the rrp! Enjoy, my friend

@Wierdo These things happen. Can't be helped.

My wife asked me what I wanted for my birthday next month. There is only one answer to that question; whisky! I just ordered (after getting her approval) two bottles from the Whisky Society;

A 9 year Bunnahabhain, SMWS 10.162, called "Big Wave Sofa". After spending the first 7 years in a refill ex-bourbon hogshead, it was finished for the final 2 years in a first fill oloroso hogshead. I love Bunnahabhain, especially peated versions, which this one is not, but since it is finished in an oloroso cask and since the flavor profile is Oily & Coastal, I figured it should be in my cabinet.

The second bottle is also a 9 year, but from the Braeval distillery (formerly known as Braes of Glenlivet), SMWS 113.15, called "An apricot jamboree" is from a refill barrel. The reason that I purchased this bottle is because the first bottle that I got from the Society when I joined in 2007 was a Braes of Glenlivet. That bottle was 113.14 which means the Society has not released any other casks / bottles from this distillery since then. 113.14, called “Sinful and Naughty”, was distilled in Feb. 1994 which was prior to the distillery changing its name to Braeval later that same year. The distillery closed in 2002, but reopened in July 2008 following renovation and refurbishment. 113.15 was distilled in October 2008, shortly after the reopening.

@bwmccoy is Braeval any good? I've been eyeing a cask strength 20 year old from Douglas Laings Old Particular range. Because for aged whisky it's sensibly priced. But Braeval is a whisky you almost never hear anything about so I wasn't quite sure.

Although Serge seems to like braeval

@Wierdo, a Signatory single cask of Braeval was a huge hit with my club a couple years ago. It was an ex-bourbon cask.

That one data point is all I can offer. Good luck!