Which bottle did you just buy and why?

@fiddich1980 Now that's what I call FORO.

@fidddich1980 you are my kind of drinker and collector! I love keeping track of bathes and variations. Much respect to your dedication. Are all those bottles open? Have you had a chance to compare them all? I would love to hear your thoughts of the development of Lagavulin 12yo CS.

Unfortunately, I didn’t keep up with all the Lagavulin 12yo CS like you did. Sadly, “two roads diverged in an [Islay] wood. And sorry I could not travel both. And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could to where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim” . . . I chose Laphroaig 10yo CS. “And that has made all the difference.”

And yes, I have open bottles of them all. Ask away if you like.

My wife recently returned from a work trip to Turkey. Long story, but she is home safe. And she managed to pick up two bottles for me. (Yes, I gave her a prioritized list of about 5 or 6 whiskies that if she saw she “could” decide to pick up for me.) This is what she found . . . and it makes sense given that they are both travel retail exclusives.

Port Charlotte MC:01 56.3% 2009-2018 (9yo): 7 years in 52% ex-american oak & 48% French Oak; married in Marsala Casks for 2 years. – Why? Well one youtube review has compared it favorably with Octomore Islay Barley bottlings (the .3’s). I am a HUGE fan of these bottles. I currently have open 6.3, 7.3, 8.3 and 9.3. So I am very curious to see if my tastes agree with this reviewer. If so, I will now have a new “reviewer’s taste” in my sights so to speak. It was near the top of my list. I am very happy she found a bottle.

Octomore 9.2 διάλογος 5yo 58.2% (156ppm); 2012-2018 4 years in ex-american oak; 1 year in 2nd Fill Bordeaux red wine French oak casks. Scottish Concerto barley. 12,000 bottles. – Why? This was not at the top of my list for her to buy . . . but I get why she bought it. When we were at the distillery in March of 2018 (two years ago now) my wife was schmoozing with the staff (she is an expert schmoozer). Anyway, she managed to get one of the staff to pour a very small cask sample of the unreleased Octomore 9.2. My wife giddily handed me the glass to enjoy. Sadly, Bruichladdy was my third distillery that day (Lagavulin and Kilchoman before) and it was literally my 20th dram that day. Needless to say my palate and sobriety were both shot. She was very sad that I was “too drunk to appreciate what I was given!” – to use her words. So, now I have a bottle to truly appreciate it. My very hazy memory of this dram (I do remember it . . . sort of) is that I was unimpressed. Well, we will see.

@Nock posting those last batches of pictures at 0330 hrs? Impressive.

Of course your collection is all the more impressive.

Cheers, friend!

@Nock I did not know that whisky inspired Robert Frost to write that poem or maybe it was the poem that inspired your reflections on "The Road Not Taken".

I try to buy two bottles of the annual Lagavulin 12 CS releases. The intention being one bottle for drinking the other for holding. The 2012 version is the baseline for collection which is the most balanced expression, albeit "light". The 2013 is a more dirtier when it comes to peat. The 2014 was peatiest(most earthy) and sharpest flavour(medicinal/iodine) wise. The 2015 and 2016 fall into line with the distillery character of what the consumer expects(smoke and peat balance) of Lagavulin The 2017 is an introduction into what I suspect is, the modern Lagavulin 12. This being the most sweetened version. The bottle starts well but, at the end becomes overtly sweet. I have not gotten to the 2018 as yet. The 2019 specification changes include an increased price, new label (Deagio pulling the GOT stunt on the 2019 Special Release), and standardization of bottle size to 700ml.** My goal is to have a decade of Lagavulin 12, which should happen in 2022.

** I suspect bottle volume size, is why the 2019 release of Lagavulin(Talisker/Cragganmore/Cardhu/Dalwhinnie) may not be available in the USA.

@Nock I did not know that whisky inspired Robert Frost to write that poem or maybe it was the poem that inspired your reflections on "The Road Not Taken".

I try to buy two bottles of the annual Lagavulin 12 CS releases. The intention being one bottle for drinking the other for holding. The 2012 version is the baseline for collection which is the most balanced expression, albeit "light". The 2013 is a more dirtier when it comes to peat. The 2014 was peatiest(most earthy) and sharpest flavour(medicinal/iodine) wise. The 2015 and 2016 fall into line with the distillery character of what the consumer expects(smoke and peat balance) of Lagavulin The 2017 is an introduction into what I suspect is, the modern Lagavulin 12. This being the most sweetened version. The bottle starts well but, at the end becomes overtly sweet. I have not gotten to the 2018 as yet. The 2019 specification changes include an increased price, new label (Deagio pulling the GOT stunt on the 2019 Special Release), and standardization of bottle size to 700ml.** My goal is to have a decade of Lagavulin 12, which should happen in 2022.

** I suspect bottle volume size, is why the 2019 release of Lagavulin(Talisker/Cragganmore/Cardhu/Dalwhinnie) may not be available in the USA.

If I lived in the USA Laphroaig CS would be my choice for collecting. We Canadians can not get it here and it sells for $$$ at auction.

@Nock I am trying to remain calm in the face of some much cask strength Laphroaig,very impressive line-up.

Your recent acquisitions are interesting, I have an open bottle of MC-01 (a bunch of it accidentally landed in regular retail in Canada) it's an enjoyable dram but was one that needs time open to develop. I found the Marsala expressed itself with a lot of coffee/dates/figs type notes top go along with the peated earthier/smoky elements. I cannot say that I found it so reminiscent of the .3 series Octomore but perhaps I should re-visit this bottle to see.

Thanks to the eagle eye of a fellow Connosr I picked up a bottle of Kilkerran 8 Cask Strength Batch 2 (55.7%ABV). This was likely a return or "found" after the SAQ's recent network wide inventory taking. Thanks for letting me know and surrendering first dibs on it!

I am happy it is this batch as I have had occasion to try it twice and was quite pleased with it. There was this lovely waxy green fruit and sooty side to it that I enjoyed.

@Victor ya, since we are not traveling this year for Spring Break I am indulging in more adolescent behavior. Late night tasting sessions and letting the old night owl out of his cage.

@fiddich1980 thanks for your thoughts and impressions! Yes, I started the same with Laphroaig back in the day. Sadly, Lagavulin 12yo CS has been very difficult for me to come by in local stores. And the price has been quite a bit more than the Laphroaig 10yo CS. So you can see my habit of buying two Laphroaig 10yo CS at around $70 was a much easier choice than the $120 of the Lagavulin 12yo CS.

And I am sure you are correct about the bottle size issue for the US. I wish we would just pass the law already and allow both 750 and 700mL bottles.

By the way, I have some samples of Lagavulin 12yo that I have been meaning to put in an epic flight-fight. Well, looks like this is my week. @fiddich1980 you have inspired me.

I have my own bottle of the 2010 and now samples of: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. I will try and post my findings later this week in the Batch Variation thread I started.

@cricklewood I am not surprised that you found the MC:01 needed time to open and develop. That has been my experience with almost every bottle I have tried of both Octomore and Port Charlotte. Air exposure always seems to be their friend – particularly when any kind of wine cask is involved. Please do revisit that .3 comparison. I would love to hear your thoughts. I don’t plan to crack my bottle until my birthday in October.

@Nock I have a hunch that one of them will be your favorite based on your past comments regarding, preferred flavour profiles. Looking forward to your post.

@fiddich1980 your Lagavulin 12 collection surpasses mine. I have unopened bottles of the 2015,16,17,and 18. I actually have 2 bottles of the 2018 and will be opening one in the next week or so. I can't decide whether to get the 2019 or not as the bottle is so damn ugly? I know that shouldn't really matter but the old bottle was both elegant and easily identifiable so baffles me why Diageo made the change?

Lagavulun 12 for me is the ultimate peated Islay whisky. But it isn't half pricey!

I never have 2 of the Laga 12s open at the same time so never really get a chance to do a comparison.

@Wierdo I've been lucky to have a few samples so I could do some H2Hs of various batches.

I thought that having 1 open bottle (2015) and 2 in reserve (2010, 2018) was excessive. Now I don't feel so bad about possibly trading a few unwanted bottles for the 2019 if they come to a store near me...

@Wierdo The constant thing about whisky is that since the mid 1990 the prices have gone up. The escalation has accelerated in the past eight years. I think that the flavour profiles have changed in this most recent period to cater to a younger generation. They are gravitating to the sweeter profile. This is the reason why bourbon, I think has become so popular. Someone mentioned to me the use of more active casks which may contribute to that sweeter profile. The labels are also changing just consider Compass Box and their affiliation with Stranger and Stranger. I'm sure that other brands are being influenced from the business perspective to follow suit. Change is inevitable.

It would be worth your while to save a sample of whiskies your drinking for future reference.

@fiddich1980 Saving samples... I have an archive of A'Bunadhs from all but the first bottle I opened (I have another one of that batch).

But keeping an archive is a chore. It looks like what I'll be doing is saving the bottles themselves. (at the rate I'm drinking)

Can you imagine our tastings in 20 years when I pull out a full bottle of Armstrong Bladnoch, or any A'Bunadh, or a Amrut 2007 Cask strength, or a 2010 Lag 12? Or Bowmore Tempest?

@Nozinan As long as you enjoy a hobby(within reason), there is nothing wrong with having one. Who ever thought that Vinyl records would make a come back?

A tasting in twenty years ... that's thinking ahead. We'll have to figure out how to deal with OBE.

@fiddich1980 I will leave it to you to come up with a solution...as I hope you'll be at that tasting.

@Nozinan You left out Geritol cask strength

@fiddich1980, a tasting in 20 years, we'll have to figure out where to put all of the walkers and wheelchairs.

Ardbeg limited edition prune juice?

@Astroke If you have a balanced diet you don't need a multivitamin.

I will serve Amrut, Lagavulin, Booker's and Wiser's Legacy.

@Nozinan And you’ll still have some Lambertus left....

@OdysseusUnbound I hope to find a good home for that Lambertus long before then... Perhaps a sink, once everyone who wants some has tried it.

Here's a couple of bottles I purchased at the Dramfest whisky festival in Christchurch this weekend just gone. I had been waiting in anticipation for the Kilkerran 8 CS 57.1% (the only thing differentiating that it is aged in recharred Oloroso casks). I cracked it last night and had a wee taste - yep, fantastic. I emailed them this morning to see if they had any left and just bought a second bottle. I'm looking forward to sitting down and spending some quality time with it. I seem to be having trouble uploading more than 1 photo. The other bottle is Benromach 2009/2019 Batch 1 58.8%

@Hewie That one is very near the top of my wishlist. Right behind Ben Nevis 10.

@Nock The MC and MRC Port Charlottes are really fun and tasty. I doubt that there are any left at the place where I found them (for under 100$ each).

@Nozinan Wasn't his point abut the increase of sweet, rather than subtle, whiskies? I love me some A'bunadh, but A'bunadh is NAS and should be around for a while, as long as Aberlour can source the good sherry casks (or if they can still find folks willing to buy every iteration). Some batches are better than others, but...come on 

@Jonathan Score.

@Nozinan How long have you had that bottle of Lambertus? It’s gotta be at least five years. It’s looking like only the drain has the palate to appreciate it.

@BlueNote The bottle was opened before 2014 and it was open when I was given it.

@BlueNote, that's Mr Drain to you! I had two pours in one sitting.