What Wee Dram Are You Enjoying Now - Spring/Summer 2014

[garbanzobean]

Just opened a bottle of Alc-hem-ist Springbank 10 (1995-2006, 46% abv, combination of bourbon and port casks). Wow! Very nice. This is an interesting twist on Springbank. It's drier, nuttier, and more resinous than regular Springbank 10, and tastes a good bit older. Lots of honey, barley sugar, and peat in the finish. Really enjoying this out of the gate. A minor bit of burnt rubber in the development is the imperfection I can find. I'll let the rest of my glass sit for a bit and see if that doesn't let off. I actually was just planning on having a sip and then letting the glass sit for a half hour or so, but I'm having a hard time letting it sit. This is the kind of Independent Bottling that makes Independent Bottlings worth taking a risk every now and then.

I may just have to buy another (and the last) bottle of this.

[garbanzobean]

Opened a Bowmore Tempest Batch 2. Don't have much experience with Bowmore, so this is interesting. It's nice, like a more heavily peated oban 14 with some odd florals. I'm not sure how I feel about it. Surprisingly drinkable at cask strength, but adding water and letting it settle down.

[garbanzobean]

Enjoying a glass of the Alchemist Springbank 10. A little air has really opened this up. Definitely going back for that last bottle. Delicious.

[Jazz Nut]

Springbank Cask Strength 12 yo, 50.3 ABV. May finish the evening with Springbank 12 yo Single Cask aged in a Cream Sherry Butt.

[bin31z]

Glendronach 12 year. This stuff is beautiful, much more dark chocolate and plums than Macallan 12. Tastes like a slight fruity chocolate nutty nutella syrup, delicious stuff. So smooth too, no spikes on the palate, finishes with a little smoke. I'm glad I bought 3 bottles of the pre-2014 stuff. All of them should be 18-19 years old according to speculations. Certainly tastes that way.

[tylermke]

Compass Box General while hopefully watching the Bears blow this one.

[AaronWF]

Compass Box General while hopefully watching the Bears blow this one.

[tylermke]

Save that scotch! You're gonna need it when Chicago routes yer Pack

[Max Power]

But Doz Vikings Doe...

[smokinjoe]

Decided to take a few minutes off of some evening work stuff, and headed out to the porch swing with a Compass Box Delilah's bottling. It's cool out, and maybe that's influencing me, but this whiskey screams FALL SIPPER! Gorgeous apple, honey, and candy corn notes. Caramel and butterscotch lingering below. A drinkable caramel apple. Love it. Our man John Glaser crushes another one. All we need now is a fire in the outdoor fireplace! :yum:

[MtnDew]

Sipping on some Kilchoman Machir Bay 2013 after getting back from a quick work trip. Seems to hit the spot right now before I do some late night grilling.

[garbanzobean]

Finished off the last of my sample of Talisker 25 (2005). Tried it in one of my new Reidel brandy snifters. Got to say, barrel proof whisky really benefits from this fancy ol' glass. Thanks SBers! Lots of peppery peat was present, but it really opened the nose and palate up. Way more lush fruit. I like NEAT glasses better than glencairns for the high octane stuff, but the snifter blows them both away.

[garbanzobean]

Had a few drams of Balvenie Carribean Cask 14 with my father in law. First tried this a year or two ago from a friends bottle and wasn't impressed. This time around, I was very pleased. Lots of typical Balvenie honey and heather with some bananas, tropical fruit, and butterscotch. Not one to think on too hard; though not for lack of complexity. It's just that the flavors and smells all make themselves quite apparent. This is a great reminder of the inherent quality of Balvenie and has me considering picking up that lonely Tun 1401, since my fellow SBer decided against.

[Jazz Nut]

Just had Balvenie Single Barrel 15 y/o while watching the Ryder Cup with friends, it was very nice, and opened up flavor and nose wise after 20 mins in the glass. Not sure if I'd buy another bottle, but glad to have bought it.

[chrisg]

Big 'ol Taboada tonight with the last of a Benrinnes 25 Yr.

[MacinJosh]

Save that scotch! You're gonna need it when Chicago routes yer Pack

~cricket~ ~cricket~ ;)

[Jazz Nut]

To end the evening, Balvenie 15 y/o single cask. This is seriously too easy to drink.

[bin31z]

To end the evening, Balvenie 15 y/o single cask. This is seriously too easy to drink.

I stashed 2 bottles of this. One of my fav everyday bottles, when it was like 60 bucks a bottle.

[Jazz Nut]

$60 is a great price! It's $80 in Minnesota!

[bin31z]

It used to be $60, its about $90+ at most places if you can find it. It has been discontinued.

$60 is a great price! It's $80 in Minnesota!

[MtnDew]

Enjoying a little local dram and it is quite a lovely one. I've been sold so far on what Westlands been putting out and I can't wait for more! This happens to be their latest release, though the master distiller gave me a taste of a potential future cask release aged in a PX cask and it was superb, as soon as that ones out I'm buying multiples.

[tylermke]

Having a small pour of Kavalan Sherry Cask tonight. While not as dark as some casks I've seen, it doesn't seem to be missing a beat.

[WAINWRIGHT]

I love the Kavalan and it's the most exciting product I've tried this year thus far and by quite a wide margin I might add.

[BigRich]

I came off my month long bourbon only bender with a pour of Ballatines 30 year last night

[AaronWF]

I love the Kavalan and it's the most exciting product I've tried this year thus far and by quite a wide margin I might add.

I'm going to go ahead and echo this. That Sherry Cask blows me away every time I come back to it. Warm, soft, raspberry chocolate jelly malt. I don't have anything open at the moment that I can savor quite as much.

Having a small pour of Kavalan Sherry Cask tonight. While not as dark as some casks I've seen, it doesn't seem to be missing a beat.

What are the last few digits of the cask #?