Which bottle did you just buy and why?

@KRB80, there is a reason why, among the 15,000 bottles in the whisky universe, Amrut Intermediate Sherry Matured Single Malt is currently ranked at # 5 on the Connosr Highest Rated List.

My general rule is this: if a bottle makes the Top 20 on the Connosr highest rated list and you do not like it, then you either got a defective bottle, or you have outlier taste. Both are possible, of course, but I like the odds of buying a whisky which has a nearly zero number of detractors.

Question: For a malt maniac who has never had an Irish Whisky that he has appreciated, would Redbreast 12 Cask Strength be worth a shot? I tend to find Irish Whiskies way too light and lacking substance...along the same lines of my opinion of Lowland whiskies.

@KRB80 I’m not a fan of Lowland whiskies either and I loved Redbreast 12 CS. I believe my review is on Connosr somewhere. I’m also a fan of Green Spot and the regular Redbreast, but the CS is light years ahead of both.

@OdysseusUnbound my next big bottle purchase will be Redbreast 21yo. With 35 bottles in my cabinet I’m out of the volume buying stage. I’d rather have one epic bottle than two good ones.

@KRB80 Definitely worth a go...

@OdysseusUnbound @Nozinan

Thanks for pushing me over the edge, guys!

@KRB80 Our pleasure

@Nozinan It's all Victor's fault, really. His above post made me revisit the Top Rated whiskies on Connosr and I recalled always wanting to try the RB12CS despite my lack of esteem toward Irish whiskies....and there came the desire/curiousity sweeping in pining to satiated. I figure if this one doesn't excite me, no Irish Whisky ever will.

Not to mention I can grab it for $65 which seems to be a good price.

@KRB80, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. But Hey! When EVERYBODY likes it, are you really likely to hate it?

(and, @jeanluc, how did Thomas Handy Rye go from being in the Top 10 to not being in the Top 100? That is highly suspicious.)

@Victor when there are such esteemed whiskies as crown royal NHR named best whisky, can there be room for something as mundane as Handy in the top 100?

@Victor LOL!! Touche!

@Nozinan it looks like you've been busy on this trip although it's mostly as a personal shopper . How are you finding a the selection after Christmas? I'm still biting my fingers over some things I didn't pick-up. Amrut SC peated port-pipe, also seems might be some stores that still have the mighty Octomore 7.3, sigh. Don't forget to give us a tally.

@cricklewood In total I bought three for myself (and also had 2 waiting for me), I received one in a swap and another as a gift, and bought 2 for a couple of Connosrs. These are packed and ready to go.

I also picked up three bottles and added a fourth that was purchased by @nosebleed and shipped them to a better home.

@KRB80, to find an Irish whisky that defies the "too light and lacking substance" complaint, there are two perfect answers: Redbreast 12 CS or Connemara Cask Strength. Go for it.

Got it. Picked up a bottle of the Redbreast 12 CS. I was also very tempted to buy Glenlivet 16yr Nadurra seeing how it's highly lauded, isn't made anymore, and the newer NAS is far inferior. I'll probably be back for it soon.

@KRB80 get it while you can...

@KRB80 You can't go wrong with the Nadurra 16. I wish I could find some more.

So, it's been quite the whisk(e)y week for me. Apart from the Amrut IS and RB12CS that I bought the past couple days, today I bought 3 bottles of Benromach 10/100, a Four Roses BS (58.6% - OBSF - 9yrs, 1 month - Store Pick), and my wonderful woman decided to replace my empty bottle of Yamazaki 12 for me when we came across it at a relatively bargain price. Exiting 2017 with a bang!

@KRB80, lookin' good!

@KRB80 There's nothing there that wouldn't be right at home in my cabinet. A fine selection, every one a winner. Happy New Year.

@BlueNote Thank you, sir! And a very Happy New Year to you and every Conossr!

Last purchase of the year..... Prince Igor Vodka 45% ABV.

Just kidding. My wife wanted it for cocktails for tonight, but I saw a miniature of Maker's Mark so I picked it up along with some Private Preserve (had a gift card, as usual). The order in which I had the cashier ring it through ensured the last alcohol I bought was the bourbon.

Happy New Year everyone.

@nooch: I am a fan of all Redbreast expressions. But I find the characteristics of both RB 21yo and RB 15yo to be very similar. The RB 21yo might be a shade “smoother” but for 1/3 or 1/4 the price here in Michigan, I would take the 15yo over the 21yo most days. Exception was when Brexit caused exchange rate of both Euro and GBP to drop substantially, bringing International purchase price of RB 21yo down to US $145-$150 per bottle cost last year (before shipping). Difference in price between 15 & 21yo was small enough to encourage me to add afew bottles of Redbreast 21yo to my bunker. To be forthright, I still prefer RB 12 cask strength to all RB expressions I have tried. Good luck. And enjoy ...

@BlueNote @KRB80 I completely agree with Bluenote here. If you read my latest posts I am definitely a fan of the 16yo Nadurra. Unsolicited advice, I would encourage you to go back and pick up a bottle, or two.

@ajjarrett That's one my BIL and I looked for at every store we visited in Calgary this trip....Nada.

@Nozinan, The 'writing on the wall' is a lot more prominant on how difficult it is to find this marvelous whisky. Granted the last bottling (as far as I can tell) in 2014, so it should come to no surprise. It does make for a good story when people do find it.

@KRB80 I also wanted to make a short comment about your haul. I 'hearted' your post with the photo, but I have to comment that the three that caught my eyes were: 12yo Yamazaki, 12yo CS RB, and the 10yo Benromach Imperial Proof. These are in my whisky library, and they are ones I would definitely make sure I would have a bottle available.

@Nozinan Don't give up the search. This could be the year you find a nice stash in some obscure shop that hasn't changed the price since they got it in. HA!

A couple of bottles of the Laphroaig 25 Year Old (2016 Edition). I really did enjoy the 2009 Edition back in the day (just before the cost of whisky in general soared). Hopefully the 2016 Edition will maintain the pedigree. Guess I will only find out one day when the extra special occasion arises.

Irrespective, these have been heavily discounted to the point that it will be a shame to pass these by. In fact, I think I might get another bottle - let’s see.

@sengjc You could always open one and try it before you buy more....

What's the ABV on these puppies?

@sengjc

Although I am not much a fan of Laphroaig, I have to complement you on this purchase.