What are you having yourself?

[Pudge72]

some Glenfarclas 15 and Bushmills Black Bush on Christmas Day.

This evening I had a great tasting with my next door neighbour where we opened:

- Pike Creek Double Barreled Canadian Whiskey (a side by side tasting of a NAS bottle that he had from several years ago, compared with a 10 yo bottle that was released last month, which I got him for Christmas). The Pike Creek is aged in bourbon, then port barrels. Based on the tasting, I suspect that all of the stock was distilled at the same time with the flavours/aromas that were more 'front of nose/palate' in the NAS were in the background in the 10 yo bottle, as the influence of the port barrel aging became more noticeable).

- Signatory Clynelish 18 yo (1992-2011, two hogsheads = 771 bottles) nice floral and honey notes with peat playing a nice supporting role. Very nice.
- Glenmorangie 18 yo, aged 15 years in bourbon barrels, then three in oloroso sherry barrels...a fair number of tropical/citrus fruit notes.
- Ardbeg Uigeadail (batch L12, 113), a much heavier profile than I remember from previous batches that I had sampled. The smoky notes came across like charcoal at times...a seafood roast over a peat fired campfire. This one is a bit too heavy, though I figure it will settle down a bit now that the bottle is open.

[Good Whiskey Hunting]

Celebrating the new year with yet another Power's Johns Lane.

[Good Whiskey Hunting]

Just about to finish a bottle of the society bottle.

[Joel1802]

More Redbreast 12. I think the bottle is leaky again.

[IainB]

Sitting outside Neachtain's in galway supping a powers JL. Am I happy? YES I AM!

[Joel1802]

Sitting outside Neachtain's in galway supping a powers JL. Am I happy? YES I AM!

Hard not to be happy with PJL.

[JohnM]

Having a Yellow Spot. It's been open for a while and I think has really benefited for it.

I'm also really enjoying Bushmills these days. I always liked it, but something's really turned me on to it lately. And another one I've had recently is the 1975. It's been open for a long time and again it seems much better for it. I'll have to buy more of this. Still great value.

[Joel1802]

H.S. Perrse's Galway whisky. My wife loves it, to the point I where I may need to hide the bottle!

[TheWhiskeyBro]

Hi Joel, love to hear some further thoughts on the Persse's now that you have nursed it a few times, one for posterity, I know of only 4 intact bottles in the world, 3 now that you have cracked yours open... a whiskey experience to be treasured

[Joel1802]

Hi Joel, love to hear some further thoughts on the Persse's now that you have nursed it a few times, one for posterity, I know of only 4 intact bottles in the world, 3 now that you have cracked yours open... a whiskey experience to be treasured

I two have counted four, the 20 and 25 y.o. of 100,000 quid fame, a mini, and mine. I've only had two glasses so far and took no notes on the second. I have noticed some similarities with Old Irish Gold 15 y.o. The glue or vinyl notes that remind me of old church kitchens. I really am starting to suspect that there may be some Rye in the mash bill too. It is undeniably big old-style PPS in the finest way. It is no wonder it was sold to the House of Commons and the court of Edward VII. I'd put it on an equal footing to old Bow st.

Drinking it is a bit eery when I think that not only is everyone who made it dead, but there is a very good chance the children of those who made it are dead too. I was joking with my wife that it is product of the United Kingdom, distilled in Connaught!

I will add to my notes once I get to know it better, I'm also having one of the malt maniacs try it to get his thoughts.

[Good Whiskey Hunting]

Jeferson reserve.
Going down very well. My first drink in a week.

They say hunger is a great sauce, I wonder is there a similar saying for thirst?

[Joel1802]

MacAllan 12: the full sherry version, not the hippie "fine oak" version. I'd forgotten how good it is.

[TheWhiskeyBro]

Hi Joel,

Worth considering using nitrogen (ala wine buffs) or decanting into smaller bottles, I have noticed older whiskeys go very brittle and lose their freshness (lighter oils) very quickly once opened...

Regards TWB

[Joel1802]

Hi Joel,

Worth considering using nitrogen (ala wine buffs) or decanting into smaller bottles, I have noticed older whiskeys go very brittle and lose their freshness (lighter oils) very quickly once opened...

Regards TWB

Thanks for this! Fortunately the first thing I did was pour off the half bottles worth I am saving. I'll kill the rest tomorrow.

Joel

[Joel1802]

Laga 16, not what it used to be.

[Pudge72]

Laga 16, not what it used to be.

I've only known Lagavulin 16 for the past two years, but my next door neighbour and I noticed that his 2012 bottle, is less smoky and less full flavoured compared even to my 2011 bottle...I have a 200 mL bottle from the Strong Malts Collection waiting to replace my 2011 bottle, but I am nervous...

[Joel1802]

It was so much more in the '90s. I think it had some sherry back then.

[Pudge72]

It was so much more in the '90s. I think it had some sherry back then.

Sigh...I have read that elsewhere as well...my intro to Lagavulin 16 about two years ago (to the day?) remains one of my favourite whiskies, reduced as it may be from its glory days.

[Joel1802]

Did you have the 21 y.o. all sherry version from '07? Might be the best whisky I've ever had.

[Pudge72]

Did you have the 21 y.o. all sherry version from '07? Might be the best whisky I've ever had.

It is on the wishlist to at least sample from a bottle of the 21 yo ...I know a whole bottle is likely well out of the realm of possibility. Ahhh, to dream...

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

Lagavulin 16yo s probably still a very good whiskey but the irritating fact is that when I buy a bottle now I just seem to pine over what a magnificent bottling it used to be. I still would not refuse it but not a shadow of what it used to be.

The 21 was a stunner all right but alas not except for silly money

[JohnM]

I still love the newer Lafavulin 16. It does very well in the Malt Maniacs blind tasting each year. Corryvreckan is also lovely.

[Good Whiskey Hunting]

I'm a little late for Burns night but I'm going to have a Glenfarclas to finish off the night.
Cheers.

[Pudge72]

My Burns event last night was a dinner/whisky tasting at a local pub with a friend. The whiskies involved were:

- Lombard IB of Teaninich 12 yo @ 40%
- Hazelburn 8 yo @ 46% OB
- Wemyss 'Cream of Islay' Caol Ila 1996 - 2011 15 yo @ 46%, single cask (390 bottles) for the LCBO.

The Hazelburn was the winner of the evening for the two of us (with the Wemyss a VERY close second, albeit in an apples to oranges comparison, imho). Hazelburn is the triple distilled variant from Springbank distillery. The triple distillation, along with the age of the bottling, allowed for a lighter mouth feel and overall flavour profile. Rather nicely though, there are several bold aromas that come through. Cotton candy, bubblegum, apricot, candied citrus, and caramel squares come across strongly on the nose. These were amped up further when my friend had a 2nd glass as the session was drawing to a close. A very enjoyable bottle that, for me, drew some parallels, especially in the sweeter notes like the cotton candy and caramel, to my experience with Jameson Gold Reserve several months ago.

[Joel1802]

I stuck to a few large helpings of MacAllan 12 (sherry). Didn't feel like making much effort, but hard not to be content with big sherry.