Which bottle did you just buy and why?

@TracerBullet I should certainly hope it is anaemic. The only thing you can add to whisky is e150A. I'm sure the SWA would strongly object if you added blood to it prior to selling.

What you do at home though is up to you...

@Nozinan Ha!!!

@Nozinan instead of BAC% it could be ABC%

@casualtorture

Not whisky, but I just bought a bottle of Plantation Single Cask Barbados 2014. I have mixed feelings about Plantation, but this is a single cask rum finished in Malbec, bottled at 49.9% abv.

I’ve heard about this one for a while now but never in a position to get it. Thanks to @yaklord I found out that it was for sale. I found a store that had a lot listed and headed over after my last patient.

I got it because I wanted to try an A’Bunadh matured without the sherry influence. While bourbon influences the flavour as well, I expect to get a better feel for the characteristics of the spirit.

I also jumped on the opportunity to get a Laphroaig CS (ordered, not received) because at the rate I am consuming mine I will probably want to pick up another in the next 10 years, and who knows if it will be available then…. This one is lucky batch 13. The 14 will be available in the next month but at $140 a bottle I may not jump again so quickly…

I bought (and received) bottles of Gooderham & Worts 49 Wellington 19 Year Old and Wiser's Dave Keon 14 Year Old. The G&W was a fascinating bottle and I saw Dr Don post about some being available from the JP Wiser's Experience website. I rated it quite favourably because it was a unique "sweet, savoury, and spicy" whisky, something I rarely find in Canadian whiskies. The Dave Keon was an impulse purchase. I've had mixed reactions to the NHL Alumni series but this one is aged at least 14 years so even the double column distilled corn aged in used barrels has presumably had time to mellow out a bit. We'll see if this one is a winner for me.

@Nozinan I picked up a bottle of the Alba as well. Pulled it out last night just to compare the colour with my bottle of a'bunadh Batch 68, and they are so different. I mean, we know there is bourbon Cask matured whisky in Aberlour, because it's all double matured, but it is definitely nice to see it standing alone.

@YakLord I believe the A'Bunadh is exclusively matured in sherry casks, at least my batch 53 says so. So a future activity doe me will be pouring each into identical glasses and doing a head to head comparison, looking to see where the similarities are.

@Nozinan Yes, it was all the other Aberlour expressions: 12, 16, and 18, that are all double matured, so it's nice to have something like Alba, that's solely bourbon cask matured, to compare with the regular a'bunadh, which, as you noted, is exclusively sherry cask matured.

Linkwood 12 Year Old 2009 (casks 33997 & 33998) - Un-Chillfiltered Collection (Signatory) .

Why? Sold an old punch bag yesterday and treated myself to this with the proceeds. Signatory have always been good to me and I'd like to try more from Linkwood. This is from two bourbon barrels so should be pure, unadulterated malt.

@YakLord @Nozinan - I'd I interested to hear your thoughts when opened. I had a sample of a bourbon matured Aberlour IB a while ago and, while I enjoyed it, I felt it lacked something without the sherry influence.

connosr.com/aberlour-smws-54-75-refined-re…

@RianC I liked the Alba but my first impression is that it was a little hot. I find that youth is sometimes a little brash. But that was the first 10cc pour. I look forward to further exploration.

When the PJ went onsale out west, I thought, why not, never had one before so lets start with this one. The JD Mash was so reasonable and reviews seemed to be positive. There were a couple other staples added to ease shipping cost.

@Astroke - I was able to try the Paul John Mithuna at an event back in March and I thought it was amazing. Out of 30+ expressions that I tried at the event, it was in the top 4. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

@bwmccoy I opened it tonight actually for a quick pour. A fruit/spice bomb on the neck pour. This is a very good but very different Whisky. Almost Kavalan Virgin Oak like

Picked up the Ardbeg Ardcore Committee bottle. Reason? Feis Ile is right around the corner!

@TracerBullet That looks like an actual bottle of whisky. I thought Ardbeg was only doing NFTs these days.

I just picked up a bottle of Forty Creek Confederation Oak. I rated the only sample I tried 88/100 or 89/100 so I have high hopes that a full bottle will be even more enjoyable. The LCBO had this one as a “one day online sale” item on the Monday of the May long weekend and $10 off is nothing to sneeze at in these parts.

@OdysseusUnbound I love the word "fungible". It's the kind of word one could casually drop into a conversation at a hoity toity cocktail party. Not that I've been to any cocktail parties, hoity toity or otherwise, lately.

@OdysseusUnbound Yeah, I'm not really getting the NFT thing. I guess is could help with the counterfeit whisky issue but seems an unnecessary complication. Guess I'm just getting old...

@TracerBullet I've had it explained to me several times but I still don't really "get it". Of course, I'm not a big-time investor so being told the NFT "guarantees ownership of a physical asset" seems redundant to me; having the physical bottle of whisky in my house also guarantees ownership of said asset. Now please excuse me while I go shake my fist and yell at some kids to get off my lawn now...

Don’t know how it compares to normal prices, but I just picked up a 1 Litre Wild Turkey Rare Breed as I was going through Dulles for $45 - I’ve been curious to get that one for my sours and that makes £36 compared to £56 for 70cl back home, so it felt like a little “good deal”:)

@RikS that was an excellent price for Rare Breed, including within the USA..

wine-searcher.com/find/…

If I were buying Wild Turkey for cocktails I would be content with the 101 Bourbon. I'd keep my Rare Breed for sipping.

@Victor Indeed so it seems! I got lucky. I think I'll do both the sipping and the mixing - I like that it's almost 70% to get a kick to my sours (normally I like the Rittenhouse, also one of your recommendations to me long ago). Though, 70% is borderline what I can muster taking it neat - I think my 'sweet spot' is 50%.

@RikS I’d be quite happy if everything was in the 50-55% range. Once it gets over 60% I’m only good for a couple of drams and I’m done for the night. @Victor is an Ironman, he’s just getting started at 60%.

These beauts. Why? Bourbon is (mostly) a gift for Father's day, the Laphroaig was on the same flash sale, and I'd been able to sample that batch so knew it was good. Been eyeing the Dailuaine (14, ex refill sherry butt. Lots of positive reviews and sounds like my style of sherry) for a while and it seemed many vendors were selling out so finally bit. I was sold on the Mach 3 by some New Zealand reviewers whom I trust - a near cask strength sherry bomb for well under £50 (from decent IB's) is a rare bird. All for under £220. Damn, that sounds crazy but is quite a good deal in today's world!

Still gone way over budget, and there's an auction ending tonight with a few bottles catching my eye. If the prices are right, I'll bite - and that will be my buying until Xmas (honest, your honour!). Unless ...

@BlueNote - abv is mostly a mood/palate thing for me. Also, if I've had to take any meds, they pretty much ruin any whisky but especiAlly the CS stuff. There must be a whole host of things that affect our palate though?!

Some days I'll go straight for a high powered brute, other times, a lower strength, more mellow whisky is what I'm after. Agree though that c50% is a good strength for drinking.

@RianC It would be good to get your impressions of the two North Stars when you get to them.

Lunchtime stroll cost me $30 one of the dangers of having a store a block away from the office.