What Wee Dram are you enjoying now?

[timd]

$93 is a GREAT price for HP18. 10% more off that is ridiculous. About as ridiculous as $36 Ardbeg. I think the local prices here would be around $49 and $120 for those two.

Total Wine here in Dallas has the HP18 for $79.99, and the 15yr for $55.99.

Talisker 18 is $69.99

[ChainWhip]

Total Wine here in Dallas has the HP18 for $79.99, and the 15yr for $55.99.

Talisker 18 is $69.99

It appears that I'm doing a lot of sighing today looking at your prices.

[MyOldKyDram]

Aberlour A'Bunadh. Sampled both with and without water tonight. Even at a fairly high cask strength I much prefer this one without the H2O. It's bigger, bolder, and the flavor seems more concentrated, plus water absolutely destroyed the finish for me. I saw where a lot of people found it overly hot at cask strength, but it drinks just fine to me.

[DaveOfAtl]

Great King Street New York Blend. What a great blend.

[ChainWhip]

Great King Street New York Blend. What a great blend.

Have you had the regular GKS? If so, how does it compare?

[DaveOfAtl]

Have you had the regular GKS? If so, how does it compare?

The NY Blend has some really nice peat and smoke to it balanced by a creamy sweet vanilla. It's been a while since I had the regular GKS, but I don't recall it having any peat to it. Also, I think the NY Blend is also a bit fuller and creamier.

[ChainWhip]

Thx - another to add to the list... I enjoyed the GKS & I am a peat head so that sounds like its right in my wheelhouse.

:-)

[T Comp]

Aberlour A'Bunadh. Sampled both with and without water tonight. Even at a fairly high cask strength I much prefer this one without the H2O. It's bigger, bolder, and the flavor seems more concentrated, plus water absolutely destroyed the finish for me. I saw where a lot of people found it overly hot at cask strength, but it drinks just fine to me.

I'm down to the last drops of a batch 39 (59.8 % abv) which is a very good one. I wouldn't say water destroys it for me but it is one of the few cask strength whiskies/whiskeys (along with some 4Rs) that deliver more and are still tolerable without any added. The current price here is now up to $74 so I will hold off on replacing for awhile. A sale near me this week has Ardbeg 10 and Glenlivet 15, each for $39, making those hard to resist.

[ChainWhip]

Not sure if this is the right thread, but I went off the reservation tonight with Azunia Anejo & Fortaleza Blanco tequilas in my glass.

I need to score a bottle of the Fortaleza ASAP.

[unclebunk]

Not sure if this is the right thread, but I went off the reservation tonight with Azunia Anejo & Fortaleza Blanco tequilas in my glass.

I need to score a bottle of the Fortaleza ASAP.

There is an active tequila thread running that you will definitely find interesting. It can be found in the "Non-whiskey Alcohol" section and is entitled "Tequila Forum" which was started up by Max Power, who has great knowledge on the subject of quality tequilas. And you are right, the Fortaleza Blanco is indeed fantastic. I ordered four bottles from Hi Time Wine Cellars in California and their prices on the Fortaleza line (and shipping costs) were excellent.

Edited January 31, 2013 by unclebunk

[tanstaafl2]

Cracked open the Glendronach 15yo Revival last night before dinner. A bit of peat wallowing in a soup of luxurious sherry goodness! Perhaps a bit sweet for some but delightful to me.

[MyOldKyDram]

Keeping an eye out for that Revival...

Making some bourbon and raisin icecream, but drinking some CB Flaming Heart, to probably be followed by Lag 16.

[ChainWhip]

40 Creek Barrel Select last night

[squire]

Closed out the evening with a bit of Seagram Gold 8 year old.

[ChainWhip]

Nikka 10 & Balvenie 17 Madeira (nearing the end of this bottle and I wish the Madeira was still available)

[bad_scientist]

Bought a dusty, circa 1979-83, Powers gold label. It's decent - lots of walnut skin on the nose and some apple peel on the palate. Doesn't taste a thing like pot still whisky.

It's probably intended to be mixed. What am I supposed to mix this with?

[squire]

I swirl Powers in the glass and mix it with some air.

[bad_scientist]

I swirl Powers in the glass and mix it with some air.

(In Al Pacino voice) Hoo-ahh!!!

Thanks Squire, I'll give it a shot, no pun intended.

[timd]

Picked up a Longrow Red (11 yrs) which is finished in Cabernet hogsheads for the last 4 years.

It's unique and somewhat challenging. Very sweet, and the wine flavors show through prominently. Loads of peat, too. If you don't like finishes on your Scotch, you'll hate this - because the wine finish is very prominent. And it's different than Sherry or Port (or other fortified wines), this is just sweet red wine, grapes and tannins with a huge peat/smoke finish. Really rich and flavorful - but I could totally see how some folks would absolutely hate it. I don't!

[tanstaafl2]

Shared the Glendronach 15yo and the Glemorangie Nectar D'or with a couple of friends during the game last night. The Glendronach was still the better of the two for me. It was my first taste of the Glenmorangie. Wasn't quite what I was expecting. Not that I am quite sure what I was expecting! A little sweeter and more distinctive perhaps.

Will have to revisit when I haven't been drinking beer and eating chili for much of the evening beforehand.

[smokinjoe]

Feeling like a little Irish after dinner, tonight. And, needed to kill a bottle. Tyrconnell Single Malt it is! Ouch, there was more left in that bottle than I thought. No matter. It'll just take me a little longer to work through this pour, delicious as it is.

[AaronWF]

Picked up a Longrow Red (11 yrs) which is finished in Cabernet hogsheads for the last 4 years.

It's unique and somewhat challenging. Very sweet, and the wine flavors show through prominently. Loads of peat, too. If you don't like finishes on your Scotch, you'll hate this - because the wine finish is very prominent. And it's different than Sherry or Port (or other fortified wines), this is just sweet red wine, grapes and tannins with a huge peat/smoke finish. Really rich and flavorful - but I could totally see how some folks would absolutely hate it. I don't!

It's taking me some time to come around to non-fortified wine finishes. I haven't had the new Longrow Red, but I'm working on a bottle of the 7yo finished in Gaja Barola casks and the 14yo finished in Burgundy. They're both growing on me, but at this point my main feeling is that the finishing is dirtying the malt rather than enhancing it. There's a hay meets manure quality that seems to be produced when Longrow meets wine that I'm not entirely comfortable with. (Actually, I get it in the 12yo Springbank Claret finish too, but not as pronounced.) I love the 11yo Longrow aged in sherry barrels, however.

[Wryguy]

"my main feeling is that the finishing is dirtying the malt rather than enhancing it."

I personally love my Longrow 7 finished in those Gaja Barolo casks, but had a tough time figuring it out. It is a confusing combination, a tart red grape snap combined with the peaty edge that hints at oily, smoked meats. Makes me want to reach for some fennel salami. Weird combinations in this, but then again I love to salt my oranges. I found the finish to be especially weird, like I drank Chinon all night long, and then decided to finish it off with some Laph10 CS.

I do really agree with you on this one though. Why take a gem like the standard Longrow and muddy the waters with finishing? The Cab finish longrow had a real dirty note for me on the finish, and not in a good way, like a clod of dirt in the throat rough. The Longrow-Tokaji finish is disgusting, and the claret cask finish was actually a bit boring for a Springbank IIRC, which was surprising as I'm generally a big fan. I do love the Pedro ximenez and oloroso finish springbanks though, especially at 14 years and CS.

[DaveOfAtl]

Glenfiddich 15 to wind up a long day. I should reach for this more often. It is really quite good.

[squire]

I've had some young single malts that I enjoyed very much. Can't recall enough details to be specific, but I'd like to try more of them. They have a different character from the aged product of course but the basic elements are there. I mean, if the whisky has a floral, heather taste that will be present irrespective of age.