Which bottle did you just buy and why?

@RianC Thanks for the recommendation on Pusser's Gunpowder Proof. If I get a chance to try it, I will certainly won't pass it up. For now, I am just going to see if rum will be a good alternative between my drams of whisk(e)y. But it is very nice to hear how other 'Connosrs' here enjoy rum, and which ones they enjoy.

I bought a bottle of Laphroaig Quarter Cask during the online "sale" the LCBO had yesterday. $10 off at $80 CAD. And today I see it now has a list price of $100 CAD. Guess I got a real bargain.

@boatracer QC has to be the bottle that jumps around the price scale the most at the LCBO. In the last 14-18 months, I’ve seen it bounce anywhere from $70 to $100. Glad I have one bunkered, because I will not pay over $75 for it. It’s good, but not that good.

@OdysseusUnbound 2 years ago you could get it for $50 in Calgary...

Saw this for $55 in the LCBO, seemed to be a no brainer at that price, certainly worth a try.

@Astroke, Cask Strength Irish? Good idea!

@Victor Agreed.

@Astroke (& @Victor): I'd've bought that too! Yay West Cork.

I bought a couple other West Corks last year (the "Bog Oak" and "Peat Charred" NAS single malts). They're both 43%, but the labels have a similar "cask strength" medallion stamped on them. I emailed the company to complain and ask for an explanation, and they never replied. Boo West Cork.

@Astroke really interesting, do give us your first impressions if you've opened it. I might just pick up a bottle of that over the weekend.

Seconded!

Cask-strength Irish = pretty unusual

Cask-strength blend = downright rare

Cask-strength Irish blend = super double mega rare!

I just picked up a Compass Box Peat Monster and a Kilchoman Sanaig. I have a friend who works in and around the GTA, and he often checks the LCBO for clearance sales. He texted me that he found these two for what was essentially the regular price of the Sanaig. Buy a Sanaig and get a free Peat Monster? How could I say no?

@MadSingleMalt But is it good?

@OdysseusUnbound With all the other peat bombs around, it takes me a long time to get through a peat monster. You could have had my bottle...

But good catch.

@Nozinan, well I've never had it, heard of it, or even heard of anything similar, so I don't know. But that's why I would have bought it for $55 CAD and found out. It seems totally worth a try at that price.

@cricklewood It will be opened this weekend for sure.

@OdysseusUnbound, nice catch. The Sanaig is a a solid whisky, I felt it was something I would return to more often than the Machir Bay, good sherry balance. Do you know which location this was on sale?

@cricklewood Keele & Lawrence, last Wednesday was when he picked them up.

Glenfarclas 15. Why? 1. Cause I'm feeling sweet, and 2. I hear many say it's the better in the standard lineup (and I like that it's 46%)

Waited 2 years to finally get a bottle as the LCBO was charging 2x the price in Alberta. Thanks to @Nozinan I was able to get a bottle for nearly half the LCBO price. Cannot thank him enough for coming through as usual.

I bought a bottle of Hazelburn 10 yo because I am very fond of Springbank. Hazelburn is non peated Springbank. I am very curious of its nose and taste. I wonder if @OdysseusUnbound has ever drunk this dram

To me it's also an attempt to buy bang for buck. I can't help it. I am a Dutchman.

Gentlemen , what is your opinion of Hazelburn? Can it be compared with Benromach or Springbank itself?

@NamBeist I'm watching with interest. I'm able to pick one up fairly cheaply (compared to Springbank and Longrow) but I'm not convinced it's for me. I don't want to buy it just because it's cheap. Are you opening it soon? What are others impressions?

@NamBeist - I can only say that the Oloroso 13 Hazelburn I'm currently enjoying is excellent but I doubt that's too much indication of the standard 10, sorry! it's more of a well-rounded sherry bomb but it does have that funkiness and, yes, possibly some similarities with Benromach i.e leather, dunnage notes and evidently good casks.

Still, I get the sense that I'd like the 10, if that helps any? It's from Springbank, how could you go wrong?

@Hewie and @RianC

Thank you for your contributions. I believe that Hazelburn 10 yo isn't so spectacular as Springbank 10 yo. Serge Valentin gave Hazelburn 10 yo 90 points. Most other people gave it between 85 and 89 points. I think as well that you can't go wrong with the distiller.

I think it's acceptable that Hazelburn 10 yo has the quality of Benromach 10 yo.

Alas there are no stellar whiskies anymore at the price range of €40 -€50 . I am too stubborn to adapt to the level of the prices of today .

I don't know yet when I open the bottle. I will write about it.

My recent purchase? Van Winkle 12yo Lot B. I won the right to buy it for $75 in the Virginia raffle. 1284 bottles for Virginia. I was one of 20,280 entries. And I was very lucky to get one. I missed out on the Pappy 15, 23 and Old Rip 10yo. I also missed out on all the BTAC this year including 1785 bottles of George T. Stagg. I was one of 11,003 entries and had way better odds. No luck. Just goes to show you the Pappy craze over the BTAC. The Van Winkle line had almost twice the number of entries as BTAC.

Why? The Pappy craze abounds. All hail the Pappy craze.

This was my haul from visiting family in Nashville. I have been on a peat kick lately . . . going on 15 years. It never seems to die down.
The Whistle Pig was a store pick and MPG aged almost 12 years (not 10 years on the label). Very good, but not as good as as a 12yo MGP rye from Willett. Sadly, that appears to be all gone. Thankfully, I found one lone bottle of 4yo Willett from their own distillery. I will have to crack the Willett along side my 2yo and 3yo bottles. It will be fun to see the evolution of their distillate.

@Nock, great looking row of bottles from Nashville! As for the Van Winkle 12 yo for $ 75, whenever someone offers you a bottle for $ 75 which has a $ 760 world secondary market average asking price, it is a good idea to buy it.

@Nock - That's a rather impressive haul!

Birthday today/yesterday (I'm a leap year baby - awkward as ever ) and have received a Talisker 18, Cotswolds 2014 Odyssey barley release, a Benromach 15 (still in transit) and a Macallan Gold mini.

The Tali - It may be my favourite so far and I'd have cases of it if I could! I also fear that the price will rocket up soon or, worse, it will be discontinued.

The Ben 15 - Love the distillery and really enjoyed my last bottle of this. Great value too!

Cotswolds - Gets rave reviews across the board and is, relatively, just round the corner from me. Will be the first English whisky I've tried.

Not bad at all and very grateful as I'm really having to count pennies this year so whisky gifts are a huge bonus!

@RianC The Talisker and Bendomach are both lovely. Well done! I had an amazing bottle of Talisker 18yo about 10 years or so ago when they were relatively cheap. Then the price here shot up bu double. I haven’t purchased a bottle since . . . but I have been eyeing it for a while.

Well done. Enjoy your Birthday bottles!

Haul yeah!