Which bottle did you just buy and why?

A bottle of Yamazakura 15 Year Old, it's Japanese, it's a pure malt, it has an age statement, it's rare and the distillery that produced it has shut shop. More importantly, it's also a lovely drink from the sample the shopkeeper kindly poured me.

Also a bottle of Springbank 15 Year Old, batch code 13/339. The same shop had a really good price for these.

@sengjc , what's a really good price for Springbank 15 these days?

@FMichael , thanks for the pointer to Ace. I see they have a flat $10 shipping charge to Wisconsin (plus Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota), plus they have some nice Laphroaigs. I might just hit them up for my next bottle--thanks!

@OlJas

Got this for AUD$117 from a local brick & mortar shop - Casa de Vinos.

They have a web-store too.

Three bottles of the Highland Park 1990, this line originally released as a duty free exclusive in 2010. Eventually, some stock of these became available for retail. A local retail chain was having a clearance of the last remaining three bottles in-house at way below duty free pricing. A 20 year old vintage malt that is becoming scarce and a decent drop from a distillery that I like very much.

@OlJas Thanks for the tip! I would have jumped at the chance!!! Will buy the Ileach in any case. I'm still pining for the Benromach 100. Hopefully, it will hit the States is due time.

@OlJas Also looks as if there is now shipping cost. Maybe it was a July sale? Bummer, I wish I'd caught it

@Cunundrum, yep, it was a July-only thing. It's a new website that ran the free shipping thing as a (very effective, I think) "hey look at us!" promo. I hit it pretty hard, mostly for stuff unavailable in the US but also for some bargains.

Since this is the thread for it, here's my haul:

•Talisker 57 x 2

•Talisker DE

•Ileach CS

•Peat's Beast CS

•Bunnahabhain 6 peated (IB)

•Ledaig 6 (IB)

•Benromach 10/100

•Glen Scotia 12

•Clynelish 6 (IB)

•Benrinnes 18 (IB)

•Mortlach 7 (IB)

If they sold more Springbanks or Longrows, it REALLY would have gotten out of control. And where are the Kilkerrans??!!

imgur.com/yVwQtlt

My new favorite whisky. So fruity and great finish.

Bought a Glenfarclas 175th Anniversary bottle - I spied it at the back of the shelf on a road trip and thought I would pick it up. :-)

@richardofthesah - Very fancy! :-D

In Chicago for vacation. Had to hit a Binny's or two. I managed to pick up an Amrut Intermediate Sherry Batch 5 . . . and Batch 2. Now, I have already tried both. I have decanted what was left of my previous Batch 2 and @Victor shared a taste of Batch 5. Needless to say, I am very excited as both are amazing Batches.

I am also picking up several other bottles for future enjoyment . . .

Just placed an order for a few bottles of the Laphroaig 21 Year Old - missed out on the ballot but pleased that I managed to get a second chance.

Ex-teammate was gracious enough to provide me a Kavalan Solist Cask Strength on their vacation to Asia...cheers and look forward to the comparison w the Vinho

@Benancio Apologies for being terribly absent minded! I said I'd let you know what I thought of the Oban 14YO (this was ages ago). To tell the truth, the bottle is emptying at a troublesome pace. I might have to get another one before long. Very barley forward, with a solid fruity sweetness. A very down to earth malt. It is next on my review list now.

The Rittenhouse was stellar. A lot more left in that bottle, though. I'm trying to conserve it a bit, hah!

Had a browse at finedrams still free shipping in Europe for orders over €100 Worldwide €250. I've got my eye on a couple of bottles just comes in for €101 but wife will kill me if I get them, wouldn't take much effort to get over 250 with 3 or 4 bottles though.

@Pete1969 my bad just gone on site looks like they pulled the worldwide offer now cost €25

@Pete1969 just got Nadurra 0614C 55.2% and a Yamazaki Distillers reserve the Nadurra is my anniversary gift from wife and the Yamazaki is my gift from me. Hope she doesn't find it before she gets her diamond earrings next month or I may not live to see the tenth anniversary.

@Pete1969

Congrats on almost 10 years. Looks like I'll hit that milestone a year after you in September....

@Nozinan 9/9/05 was the day in a hotel on the lovely Isle of Cuba was originally planned for Sri Lanka but wife insisted we change due to Tsunami hitting Boxing Day. Then Katrina hit a few weeks before we flew out to Caribbean, luckily been a bit smoother since then.

@Pete1969

I was in Cuba that year at the end of October. We go hit by Hurricane Wilma. It was a very interesting experience. Got to try some good rum on that trip.

So I am finally home from Chicago. It was a fantastic vacation. But the most important part was the whisky shopping ;-) In total I think I hit 5 different Binny’s in the Chicagoland area. Each store has certain special bottles that often are not listed on line. I only bought bottles that I could not get in my home state of Virginia. Further, I believe most of the bottles are hard to get most anywhere.

Amrut Intermediate Sherry 57% Batch 2 Sept 2010

Why? I have a bottle and it is worth every penny. It was also the last bottle of this batch I could find. I was shocked to find it on a shelf.

Amrut Intermediate Sherry 57% Batch 5 Feb. 2012

Why? I have tasted from @Victor’s bottle and it was worth every penny.

Amrut Fusion 50% Batch 29 March 2015

Why? Because I have tried a few batches and it always seems like a bottle I want to spend some time with and get to know.

Ballechin #6 Marsala 46%

Why? I tasted a small sample several years ago. And my tasting notes said I wanted to buy a bottle. Further, it was 40% off because it was on clearance . . . and it was the last bottle. It seemed like a win, win.

Clynelish 7yo Signatory 63.8% (March 1st 2008 to March 17th 20015)

Why? Because it was $49.99 for a cask strength Clynelish at 63.8% . . . it seemed like a great deal. (And my favorite drinking strength is anything over 60% . . . )

Kilchoman Sherry single cask 57.4% (Nov. 14th 2007 to May 24th 2013 – so 5 ½ years old)

Why? Another example of a bottle on 40% clearance. I have had very good experience with Kilchoman single casks so far. At 40% off it seemed like a great risk worth tasting.

Laphroaig 2015 Cairdeas (11 ¾ yo) 51.5%

Why? Because it is made from floor maltings done at Laproaig, distilled in the small stills, and aged in the dunnage warehouse by the sea. It should be about as old school Laphroaig as you can get.

Laphroaig 15yo 43% 200th Anniversary

Why? This was one I almost passed on. I bought my last bottle of Laphroaig 15yo back in 2006 when I opened the 30yo for comparison. In my memory (why oh why didn’t I take notes back then) it was the least flavorful Laphroaig. I guess I am buying it in case they really don’t make it a general release again.

Laphroaig 14yo Signatory 56.2% (May 12th 1998 to September 8th 2012)

Why? Because it is a cask strength Laphroaig at 14 years (so a nice comparison to see it against the 43% official 15yo), and because Sku at L. A. Whisky gave it a B+. However, beyond the grade, he described it as a peat bomb. I love me a good peat bomb – especially at cask strength!

Longrow 11yo Rundlets & Kilderkins 51.7% (9000 bottles released 2013)

Why? Because I already have a bottle and it is fantastic. And it was on sale for 35% off!!! A wonderful bargain on a bottle I was willing to pay full price for. Sadly, it was their last bottle or I would have bought more.

Octomore 6.3 Islay Barley 5yo 64% (258ppm)

Why? It is the most heavily peated Octomore ever (to date), it is made from Islay Barley grown at the Octomore farm. Further, it is at 64% . . . and I love drinking whisky over 60%. And, it may have been the last bottle in Chicago. It certainly was the only bottle in the 5 stores I hit.

You go, @Nock! I see that you remain in good acquisition form. Bravo.

Nice haul!

@Nock Great acquisitions. I like buying whiskey this time of year, retailers are trying to clear their shelves for Fall stocking. How was the Rye selection? Bravo,

Technically, I didn't buy it. A friend is visiting Seattle and was looking to bring something back for me. I gave him a small list but nothing was on it. He called and said there were some barrel proof bourbons. He went through a few...and when he hit Elijah Craig Barrel Proof I could not believe my ears.

Now maybe $65 is a lot for this bourbon in the US, but here in Canada it is pretty much unobtainium at any price. Given the current exchange rate that's $100 so a bit higher than we pay for most premium bourbons, but probably worth it, especially to all my connosr friends who will be enjoying it with me...

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling no. 119.14 dubbed: "Raspberry imperial stout" - an 11 year old Yamazaki that has been matured in a 1st fill bota corta that must have previously been used to mature some Spanish sherry judging from the colour.

images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/…

Wow, the image link worked!

@Victor, @broadwayblue, and @Benancio – thank you! I am extremely pleased with the haul. I always seem to spend more then I intended. But, I feel good about my decisions and the whisky doesn’t seem to be getting any cheaper.

@Benancio, there were a number of Rye whiskey options: several different Whistle Pigs including 2 hand picked by Binny’s, E.H. Taylor Straight Rye, tons of High West ryes including Binny’s hand picked barrels, Smooth Amble Single Barrel CS, Old Potrero 18th Century (batch S I think) . . . but I already have a ton of good ryes on hand (Thomas H. Handy, Sazerac 18yo, Old Potrero, Smooth Amble SB CS, Willett 4yo and 2yo). This summer has really been very “rye-focused.” But I now find myself back on peat with some interest in sherry . . . so, no rye on this trip.

@Nozinan, nice pickup with the ECBP even if that price is a bit high. It is worth it. Any chance of finding out the ABV? I have been keeping track of each release and could figure our which batch you have.

Laddie Black Art. Very good whisky, but a bit pricey.