Which bottle did you just buy and why?

A bottle of Campbeltown Loch 21 Year Old and another crystal Glencairn glass.

It was on sale and I do like all things Springbank.

@sengjc I have the same bottle. I would really appreciate your opinion of it. Not being part of the Campbeltown fanclub, my opinion would not be relevant to those who crave for Springbank and Longrow, but I like that one.

Bruichladich the Laddie 10 year old second limited edition. 50%ABV, un-chill filtered, natural colour. Very nice. This one is matured in first fill bourbon and sherry casks. I think it is more complex than the first edition that I recall (but I might be wrong) was all bourbon cask matured and that frankly underwhelmed me. 18000 bottles worldwide, worth grabbing while you can IMO.

Two more sale bottles. Octomore 7.1 and Kilkerran 12 - neither of which are available at the LCBO at the moment. Everyone seems to be losing their minds over the Kilkerran. Excited to give it a go.

@nooch Great pickups! The Octomore 7.1 is available at the LCBO right now, it's the 6.1 that they are sold out of. Some great reviews of the 7.1, been contemplating grabbing one before they are gone. Cheers!

@Mancub managed to get my sister to pick up a bottle in Calgary for me. 20%. $106. It's $250 at the LCBO. That's nuts, but it's damn good stuff.

@nooch Wow, $106 is a fantastic price. Can we get your sister to pick one up for everyone!? Haha. Even without that 20% discount it's a deal.

@Mancub $132. Kensington Wine Market. It's still 15% off today online if you can find someone to be your mule!!!

@nooch Thanks for the info. I saw it on their site but they are sold out now. I'm not sure it would matter so much though as I know some people that live out that way but unfortunately am not close enough that I would feel comfortable asking.

I just bought 4 bottles of Old Grand Dad 114. I thought it was being discontinued because the guy at Total Wine told me shipments had been discontinued but there were still 4 bottles at another shop. I went over and got them all then I read Chuck Cowdery's post that supply would be improving in quarter 2. Oh well, I love this best of all value bourbons so it won't go to waste. ;) .

@yalc What? They didn't convince you to by Grangestone Bourbon?

On a more serious note, OGD 114 is a superb bourbon. I wish I had access to a secure supply chain. Sadly, I have to get it through friends when I can...

Grabbed two more bottles of Dissertation today. It's the best new whisky I've tried in a while, so I wanted to make sure to have a couple of spares in the bunker for when there's no more to be had.

@Nelom I agree that Dissertation is excellent. I find it very similar to Red Letter which is a favorite of mine. I also plan to bunker a couple more.

@Astroke Really? That's interesting... I've never had Red Letter. The few times I've seen one on the shelf I've never felt flush enough to spend the cash.

@Astroke Good to know. I'll be trying Dissertation this week at a tasting, depending on that I will pick up a bottle for myself or not. The reason it tastes like Red Letter is because "essentially this whisky is a blend of 12yr Lot no. 40, 12yr Red Letter and 12yr virgin oak Double Still Rye."

There is a terrific write-up/review from the Toronto Whisky Society on it, definitely worth a read if you haven't come across it already. torontowhiskysociety.ca/2017/05/…

I just bought A bottle of Glenmorangie Lasanta because it won an award at the world whisky awards and I find that they are usually a good reference. It also been a while since I own a bottle. At the same time, I grabbed a bottle of Jim Beam Single Barrel, simply because I never had it. I didn't have to be creative to find a good excuse to buy these since I have been quiet on the market for quite a while. So next time, I will find more inventive reasons to explain why I couldn't resist.

@Robert99 , that Lasanta is a solid little whisky and usually a good buy (at least down here, south of the border). I have a uncle who swears by it.

I've been on a bit of a spree lately:

•Laphroaig 18, to celebrate my divorce being final and my money finally being my money again.

•Compass Box Flaming Heart 15th Anniversary Edition, for my whisky club, because my local specialist retailer had it on sale, because it sounds awesome, and because the hub-bub over the age info will make good meeting fodder when our club opens it.

•Campbeltown Loch Blend, because it was cheap, because a blend made by Springbank sounds worth a spin, and because I can use it with my club when we do a blind Campbeltown face-off later this year.

•The Botanist Gin by Bruichladdich, because it's almost summer and I'll probably feel like some warm-weather cocktails pretty soon, because I only ever buy gin when it's time to replace my one previous open bottle (very unlike whisky!) & the time had come, and because I want to see what Ugly Betty can do.

•Springbank 10, for my whisky club, for the same blind Campbeltown face-off I mentioned above, and because it's an absolutely essential whisky.

•Redbreast 15, for my club as our bottle next March, because I stumbled upon one at a good price, and because it seems "more interesting" (even if "less good") than the Redbreast 12 CS I originally planned to buy for the club's next Irish.

•Rock Oyster, for my club, because it was unexpectedly just sitting on the shelf of a small store that usually doesn't carry anything this interesting. The club's got a lot more expensive and maybe-more-interesting-to-most-people whiskies lined up for the next year, but this might be the one I'm personally the keenest on. I LOVE a good salty whisky.

@Ol_Jas I didn't buy any Glenmorangie in recent years because all of them had a note I didn't like. But a few monts ago, I taste the modest The Original and that note was gone, so I hope Glenmorangie is back to what it used to be.

I'm quite jealous that you were able to purchase the Compass Box Flaming Heart 15th Anniversary Edition as I tried to get it but never succeeded. I am surprised it is still around. I will look forward for a review of it.

@Robert99 , I don't plan on opening that Flaming Heart until September. The place I bought it had about ten of them on the shelf, all 10% off (so down to around $110 USD from their usual somewhat-high prices) as part of a short-term Compass Box sale.

@Ol_Jas September is not that far. I have unopened bottles that have been in my cabinet for years. I would really like to take advantage of the sale at the store you get the Flaming Heart, unfortunately, I don't plan any trip soon to the States. So my guess is that this one will be a vicarious experience for me.

Despite the ridiculous price at the LCBO I purchased the Elijah Craig BP. I figured this was my best chance to get it. Looks to be batch 12 136 proof.

@Astroke I can't say I blame you... Bad price, excellent bourbon. Is the 12 now officially off the bottle?

@Nozinan The 12 year age statement is still referenced on the back of the bottle. Originally I had thought these were to be the new bottles/current batches. I was under the impression the 12 year AS would stay on the BP versions.

@Astroke good to know it's still there.

@Astroke, the pre-rebranding new label, prior to the introduction of the new bottle style, had the "12" removed from EC12 front label. The two batches of ECBP on my shelf have no age statement on the front label, but "twelve years" is included in the blurb on the back label. I presume this is the case for the batch now available with the shorter old style bottle and pre-rebranding label.

@Astroke A rare sight here, making it a tempting bottle. Personally, I can't get behind the price, it's in the same boat with Ardbeg Uigeadail. Purchasing these, to me, tells the LCBO that they've priced it correctly (and that when they go flying off the shelves, it justifies a price increase the next time too). That said, I hope you thoroughly enjoy it, it is certainly a good one.

@Mancub, I feel the same way, BUT, there is absolutely nothing we can do about it....it reminds me of commodities pricing, not open market trading, but direct sales by commodities producers.

The LCBO sometimes gets it right, and mostly with bourbon. Four Roses Limited Edition 2013 was priced accordingly at $80. Buffalo Trace Antique Collection is offered, however limited it might be, at fair price and well below market price. Weller 12 at under $50 CDN is a steal, etc. The markup on Scottish Single malts is mind boggling. What hurts the most (our wallets and LCBO reputation) is the underhanded practice of raising prices while product is on the shelf/in the warehouse. New Brunswick should get a medal for holding prices steady and not increasing prices while inventory remains available. The Dynamic pricing model used by LCBO does nothing positive for their reputation (like they give a fuck!). Margins are fat enough, direct sales commodity producers would be raked over the coals if they sold all products at market price during upwards pressure (demand exceeding supply). Prices for producers are generally pegged at cost plus (fair market pricing)...unless there is downward pressure on price which then would necessitate reduced pricing or liquidation (but they must also be aware of "dumping" into foreign markets - slippery slope indeed)..this brings us full circle to a matter of competition, of which there is NONE for LCBO. Yes, I agree with, but I will procure a bottle if possible. I'll return something in exchange for the ECBP.

@paddockjudge I agree with you. There is not much to draw me into a store these days unless I need something specific.

Today that was a bottle to bring to a dinner, with the understanding that it will likely not come home with me, and since I'm driving, I probably would not even get to try it. I have very few bottles in my collection that I don't want to eventually drink.

I've been eyeing the Benromach 10 YO, one of the few well-rated affordable scotches at the LCBO, and so, armed with a gift card and extra $10, I took the plunge.

At the store I was lucky enough to see 2 bottles of ECBP, but at $150 they stayed on the shelf.

@paddockjudge I will suggest that New Brunswick have their medal ceremony cancelled and moved to Nova Scotia. Below are examples of in stock Whisky that NB raised through the roof. The only value I saw left there was HP21 for $285 and that's because HP pricing is as bad as Macallan. NS Rum pricing/selection is great as well. ED21...$83 for example. www.nbliquor.com/Home/ProductDetails/13927

www.nbliquor.com/Home/ProductDetails/21002

Nova Scotia in stock pricing

mynslc.com/Search-Results/…

Nice price for a 1990/2015 bottle at 46% and no added colour

mynslc.com/en/products/…

Nice price for a 39 year old cask strength

Outside of Alberta, Nova Scotia is king despite only 1 independent non-government controlled store allowed to sell spirits

bishopscellar.com/store/…