What dram are you enjoying - Winter/Spring 2019?

[Auracom]

the laddie has been pouring so well that i needed to throw it up against some real competition...  slight sherry and peat in the springer stands out quite a lot here. the distinctive, more intense notes of laddie may put it in the lead but this is a tough battle.

 

Edited March 10, 2019 by Auracom

[Marekv8]

From the small grocery store I walk to every Sunday, figured it was finally time to take it home. 

 

[Vosgar]

2 hours ago, smokinjoe said:

Finished up my annual shamrock in the front yard in time for St. Paddy’s Week...    Bermuda grass is great.  You can totally thrash the crap out of it...and it loves you for it!  

Wow! That's impressive, Joe

 

Can you create something special for us in the cookout area at the GN next month? 

[beasled]

Seeing as its officially Paddy week!

[lcpfratn]

Finally cracked open the Caol Ila 17yr unpeated that I bought a couple months ago and poured a healthy pour today. Vosgar, I’m sorry, but I won’t be giving this one up. This is a very nice scotch as you and MarekV8 both indicated...I’m very pleased with this purchase. Cheers! [emoji3]

[Marekv8]

32 minutes ago, lcpfratn said:

Finally cracked open the Caol Ila 17yr unpeated that I bought a couple months ago and poured a healthy pour today. Vosgar, I’m sorry, but I won’t be giving this one up. This is a very nice scotch as you and MarekV8 both indicated...I’m very pleased with this purchase. Cheers!

 

Try proofing it down to right under 50% ABV with some standard OB Caol Ila 12 @ 43% ABV.

 

 

[lcpfratn]

 
Try proofing it down to right under 50% ABV with some standard OB Caol Ila 12 @ 43% ABV.
 
 

I’ll have to give that a try someday.

[Vosgar]

3 hours ago, lcpfratn said:

Finally cracked open the Caol Ila 17yr unpeated that I bought a couple months ago and poured a healthy pour today. Vosgar, I’m sorry, but I won’t be giving this one up. 

Crap

[smokinjoe]

Keeping St. Paddy’s Week going with a newly purchased Knappogue Castle 14 yr. The Oloroso Sherry presents a beautiful cotton candy hint on the nose, that carries through over my palate, but it doesn’t get cloying.  The bourbon barrel aging, I’m guessing, keep things in line.   Creamy all the way through.  This is top notch whiskey.  

Edited March 12, 2019 by smokinjoe

[Clueby]

A pour of Uigeadail tonight. I got a note today that there is a Drum Committee waiting for me but couldnt get there tonight to get it...but was craving some Ardbeg.

[R-Savage]

Enjoying a Laphroaig 10. Man I love this stuff.

[lcpfratn]

Keeping St. Paddy’s Week going with a newly purchased Knappogue Castle 14 yr. The Oloroso Sherry presents a beautiful cotton candy hint on the nose, that carries through over my palate, but it doesn’t get cloying.  The bourbon barrel aging, I’m guessing, keep things in line.   Creamy all the way through.  This is top notch whiskey.  

Joe, I ran across a bottle of this today (label is different, but looks like the same stuff according to the details on the label)...I decided to purchase it based on your post. The store also had the Knappogue Castle 16yr old matured in sherry casks. Have you tried that one? It’s about $30 more than the 14yr twin wood, and bottled at 40%, so I passed on it for now.

[smokinjoe]

Just now, lcpfratn said:

Joe, I ran across a bottle of this today (label is different, but looks like the same stuff according to the details on the label)...I decided to purchase it based on your post. The store also had the Knappogue Castle 16yr old matured in sherry casks. Have you tried that one? It’s about $30 more than the 14yr twin cask, and bottled at 40%, so I passed on it for now.

I don’t think I have Jeff, but GBS will be at Bruce’s on Saturday for Irish night, and since Bruce has everything...I’m sure I’ll get a chance to try it then!  

 

I have really been enjoying the 14.  I like RB 12 and a few others better, but this is better than most Irish for my tastes.  

 

 

[lcpfratn]

I don’t think I have Jeff, but GBS will be at Bruce’s on Saturday for Irish night, and since Bruce has everything...I’m sure I’ll get a chance to try it then!  [emoji3]
 
I have really been enjoying the 14.  I like RB 12 and a few others better, but this is better than most Irish for my tastes.  
 
 

Hey, as an honorary member of GBS, Why didn’t I get an invite to Irish night? Just kidding...I actually have a little bit of work to do this time of year.

[Marekv8]

This just hit town a few hours ago and man is it sweet— would be a perfect dessert dram. I may put a glass in the freezer for later. 

 

[Vosgar]

St. Patricks Day, so I decided to do a SBS of RB15 and RB12 CS. The 15 has always been my favorite of the two, but from what I've read here I may be the only one so thought I'd give it another go. Could I possibly be wrong???

 

Nope, the 15 is the better whiskey. All you guys are wrong  

[lcpfratn]

In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, I decided to have a few small pours of several of my Irish Whiskeys. My first pour was Knappogue Castle 14yr Twin Wood, which I picked up recently after smokinjoe’s very favorable post. It started out bad, the damn cork broke, then when I tried to get it out with a cork screw, the cork got pushed into the bottle. I’ll deal with the cork tomorrow, but the whiskey is pretty darn good. It’s a bit sweeter than I was expected and very thick and oily. I’ll need to spend some more time with this, but my initial impression is that I’m happy with the purchase. My second pour was Jameson Black Barrel, which for the money is probably my favorite value priced Irish Whiskey. I finished off my little St. Paddy’s Day celebration with a pour of Tyrconnell 16yr, which is just a fantastic Irish Whiskey. The various bottles of Redbreast in the cabinet were spared today, but there’s always another day to enjoy an Irish Whiskey.

[lcpfratn]

St. Patricks Day, so I decided to do a SBS of RB15 and RB12 CS. The 15 has always been my favorite of the two, but from what I've read here I may be the only one so thought I'd give it another go. Could I possibly be wrong???
 
Nope, the 15 is the better whiskey. All you guys are wrong [emoji3] [emoji14]

I don’t know about that, but perhaps I need to further study the two SBS myself.

[Marekv8]

Huge pour of Lagavulin 16 on the house— I’m having a run on generousity today....

 

 

[Vosgar]

Decided another day of Irish was called for, so I'm having some Egan's Vintage Grain. 8yrs old, 92 proof, non chill filtered and aged in bourbon casks. It's a refreshing Irish whiskey and for me, being aged in bourbon casks gives it some nice vanilla notes.

[FlounderinDC]

I recently enjoyed the Knappogue Castle 16 year and thought it was stellar. For St. Paddy's day I opened a bottle of Writer's Tears. I think it is good, not great. For the price point I like it. I love Irish Whiskey this time of year as spring emerges and we start getting some warmer days. 

[lcpfratn]

I recently enjoyed the Knappogue Castle 16 year and thought it was stellar. For St. Paddy's day I opened a bottle of Writer's Tears. I think it is good, not great. For the price point I like it. I love Irish Whiskey this time of year as spring emerges and we start getting some warmer days. 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the Knappogue Castle 16yr. I recently picked up the 14yr and was considering the 16yr, but didn’t want to spend the $30+ extra and find out it wasn’t worth it. I’ll probably wait a bit, but I may pick it up at some point.

[fishnbowljoe]

I got the chance to taste Monkey Shoulder this afternoon after work. Even though I’m not very fond of scotch, I have to say that this one surprised me a bit. Not bad at all. 

 

Biba! Joe

[lcpfratn]

I got the chance to taste Monkey Shoulder this afternoon after work. Even though I’m not very fond of scotch, I have to say that this one surprised me a bit. Not bad at all. [emoji5]
 
Biba! Joe

At less than $30 a bottle, Monkey Shoulder is pretty good stuff. I don’t drink it that often anymore, but I’ve enjoyed a couple of bottles and always keep one around.

[Harry in WashDC]

Amrut Single Malt Whiskey Cask Strength, 61.8% abv (123.6 proof), NAS (as far as I know).  Made in Bangaluru, India.  Likely MSRP $75-80.  Here is Amrut's website -

http://www.amrutdistilleries.com/

 

I had about 2 ounces neat (water on the side) at an Indian restaurant last night along with lamb curry, Basmati rice, and an array of group sides.

 

HERE are my tasting notes:  Nose - light and sweet.  Taste - alcohol burn was NOT unpleasant, but the expected smoky barley flavor was absent.  Instead, I thought I was drinking Johnny Walker GREEN with one or two demerara sugar cubes dissolved in it.  It had very little peat or smoke, no cedar astringency, and an average color.  It was creamy/buttery in mouthfeel.

 

Here are Amrut's official tasting notes from Amrut's website:

 

Nose : Classic house style with glorious bourbon notes fused with the richest of barley statements; not entirely unlike caramelised biscuit dunked in coffee; oh, and a bit of spicy attitude, too;

Taste : There we go with that unique bitter-sweet overture where the oaks and barley appear joined at the hip; lovely soft oils and then a sharp jolt of blood orange citrus, which is removed by something more buttery and delicate;

Finish : Long, elegant with the most intricate of fades with the oaks showing various bourbon then buttery characteristics; there is a trace of dark sugar and cocoa to help it along its way.

 

I formed my tasting impressions BEFORE I started eating the curry.  Hence, I don't think my palate was "off" when I first tasted the Amrut SMWCS.  OTOH, tasting it was a once in a lifetime experience.

Edited March 21, 2019 by Harry in WashDC