Which bottle did you just buy and why?

@Timp if you're interested in swapping samples I could send you some of the Glenturret along with some others. Follow me and then send me a message if that appeals to you and we'll swap addresses etc.

@RianC yeah it’s been a pain but can’t be helped. We got taken to see family in Norfolk most years so makes your holidays sound quite exotic!! At least you had hills to look at!

We moved the house hire In Port Charlotte from April 2020 to April 2021 then to October this year. Not convinced we will be able to go given current situation, but given the year some folk have had, not complaining. Fingers crossed.

I thought the drive down the Kintyre peninsula was stunning although poor old Campbeltown isn’t as lovely as other spots in the area. Not sure my missus was quite so in awe of the Cadenheads shop as I was lol.. Hope you get something sorted this year.

@Wierdo sounds a good offer, will follow you and pm. Cheers..

@Timp @Wierdo - I was going to suggest you two get in touch but I'm a terrible match maker

These 3 should provide variety

Life being life, priorities and resources shift and I have cut back significantly on whisky purchases in recent years (looking at my cabinet, I have only bought four bottles for myself - before yesterday - in the last year and a half). When I do now make a purchase, I keep it to bottles that I haven’t had before and are high on the wish list.

Yesterday, while “window shopping” the aisles of the shop near my future father-in-law’s house, I came across Eagle (Ridiculously) Rare 10 yo. It seems to show up around here every two to three years, and then disappear with increasing rapidity. I was surprised to see it in the first place, and was then further surprised to see that the inventory that was in front of me wasn’t even showing up online. As the final sign that I should just go ahead and get a bottle that has been on my wish list for 10 years, there was a note on the online listing saying that purchases are limited to only two per person. I have NEVER seen a note like that for any other bottle before (they finally figured out that people are going batty over even the younger siblings of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.

I picked up a bottle, and my wonderful fiancée (not into whisky herself, but always up for sniffing and sipping a newly opened bottle, as well as wonderfully supportive of my hobby) wondered why I hadn’t picked up two bottles.

A Father's day gift of Glen Scotia Victoriana. Wanted this for a while and will crack It once I've polished off the remainder of the 15.

@Pudge72 Thanks for reminding me that I have an unopened bottle of ER10 purchased over 10 years ago. That might have to change shortly.

@Pudge72 - It used to be sold as a premium bourbon here a few years back but then seemed to be on every supermarket shelf and was heavily discounted on Amazon. It now seems like it's become a rare beast again and I definitely regret not picking up a few more when it was under £30.

@RianC I think you’ll love the Victoriana. You may find it a little harsh on first tasting, but it settles down very quickly with some air time after opening. it also benefits from a couple of drops of H2O.

Cheers.

@Pudge72 Welcome back and congratulations on your engagement. Now do as your good lady tells you and go back and get another bottle of that rarity.

@BlueNote thank you for the best wishes! I’m keeping my eye open, but probably won’t actively pursue a 2nd bottle (there may be a little ‘wink wink’ attached to that statement, lol). If I happen to see it again, I’ll take it as a sign that a 2nd bottle was meant to be. :)

@Astroke A very nice threesome. I have an SMOS Clynelish. I'll have to check if it's the same one. Regardless, it's damn good.

Not purchased but some amazing samples kindly donated by @Wierdo. Some stunning drams. Glenturret 12 maiden release 46%, Ancnoc 24 46%, Octomore masterclass 08.2 8yrs 54.8%, Springbank local barley 2009 9yrs 57.7%, Royal Brackla 12 infrequent flyers 58.9% and Lagavulin 12 2018 release 57.8%. Wonderful! Cheers Dan.

Yesterday I purchased the next instalment of the Decadent Drinks ( Whisky Sponge ) Equinox and Solstice series. In line with the summer solstice it was released yesterday and is a batch of 3 first fill bourbon barrels filled in 2010 and comes in at 48.5%. It has been named ‘Candlekitty’ so is obviously Clynelish as clearly Diageo want this one to remain anonymous! Looking forward to some fine flavour notes from those first fill barrels. So far I have been very impressed with the bottles Whisky Sponge has released.

@Timp Angus knows his stuff. And who doesn't love Clynelish!? Was it very expensive?

@BlueNote he seems to. With delivery it came to around £95 which seems high for the age ( although as we know, that’s no particular measure ), but the last sponge Clynelish I purchased was a good one so couldn’t resist. Arriving today so probably won’t be able to resist opening it up to see!

@Timp That's really not a bad price. You can pay that for 8 year olds these days.

@BlueNote True enough, and it took me about 3 seconds to make my mind up once I got the notification lol..

A 1L bottle of Caol Ila 12 year-old. I didn't in fact buy it. Instead it came to me via my parents from the estate of one of their neighbours, who'd passed away and his daughter was trying to get rid of all the wine and other spirits in his basement. I hadn't intended to open it for a while, but it was open when I got it, even though he clearly hadn't drunk any of it...

@YakLord I was offered a similarly opened bottle of Dimple from a patient (it smelled good) but I declined. This is a little different though. If you know where the bottle came from...

I've got a bottle of Kilkerran 12yo coming my way...I had this a couple years ago at a tasting and was very impressed! Kilkerran is never on the shelves in Niagara, so I'm glad to get one in my stable.

@Nozinan Apparently she had wine by the case load, and several bottles of spirits...my parents don't drink much, but they took the Caol Ila for me...

Oops, I just realized I didn' post a short message of a 'recent' purchase, which is now, not-so-recent. Anyway, I purchased two additional bottles of the 18yo Glendronach, which arrived back on the 31st of May.

Why? Because I wanted them. Why? Because I enjoy the dram. Why? No reason can expressed, but the smile on my face and happy feeling I get when I swooshing it around pretending I am Horst. HA!

I usually attach a photo, but I guess everyone here knows what the bottles look like.

Recently picked up a Society tasting kit. The kit contains 2 Society glasses, a Society water jug and a glass pipette water dropper, a Society notebook and 3 - 100ml Society whiskies;

Miltonduff SMWS 72.92 (7 year - March 2011) "A wonderful welcome" from a first-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 62.2% ABV from the Young & Spritely flavor profile.

Braeval (Braes of Glenlivet) SMWS 113.37 (7 year - August 2012) "Picking fruit from an oak tree" from a second-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 64.1% ABV from the Spicy & Sweet flavor profile.

Allt-a-Bhainne SMWS 108.25 (8 year - February 2012) "Gets your blood pumping!" from a second-fill ex-bourbon barrel - 65.9% ABV from the Heavily Peated flavor profile.

@bwmccoy Nice!!

Decided I had more than enough good daily drinkers in the bunker to last me a couple of lifetimes, so went for an Old Malt Cask 20 year old Tobermory, distilled 1994, bottled 2014, 50% ABV matured in a refill hogshead. Should be good.

@BlueNote - really nice!

@bwmccoy I have a couple of the SMWS Copita glasses. Really nice glass. I like them.

Because I’m in a bourbon mood these days, and because I randomly saw them at the LCBO, I picked up

• Old Tub 100 Proof: I like Beam products so I thought I’d give it a go.
• Weller Special Reserve: I adore the Weller Antique 107, and I grew to like Weller 12 so I thought I’d see what this one is about.