Jon L

Barrell Whisky Batch #5 What an interesting Whisky! Barrell's each batch is completely different blending effort, and Batch 5 mixes 4 different whiskies, each finished in Bourbon, Brandy, Cognac, and Amaro barrels. Sounds like recipe for disaster, but the result is one-of-a-kind palate with lots of raisins, sweet grapes, and some other unidentifiable spices, all without oakiness, bitterness, or other oddities, presented at healthy 118 proof cask strength.

Got lucky today at a small local shop ?

Well, mostly into custom speakers these days with Mivera Audio Icepower 1200AS2 Amp. Occasionally Stax SR009/007. 7K2speakers by drjlo1, on Flickr 0124180848b by drjlo1, on Flickr

Wanted to see what the hoopla is and bought Hal (aka Chord Qutest DAC). Breaking it in, but I WILL say the included wallwart has very cheap build quality, e.g. contact quality where universal AC plugs click in. Not fitting for a $1900 product IMHO. 1130180858 by drjlo2, on Flickr

I could not find these locally, at least not at decent prices, and the shipment came in. I sure hope Highland Park 18 lives up to its name..

Having neglected bourbons due to tons of new Scotch lately, I finally gave up on finding Elijah Craig barrel proof anywhere near MSRP and bought one locally. I hate limited-release bourbons that are hard to find and/or command huge premiums ? Will EC BP be worth the money I paid? Nose leads with mounds of melted caramel and mouth-watering sweetness. One sip and dark oak hits the palate very briefly followed by intense caramel, then some more caramel, followed by less intense levels of dark fruits with salty, oaky, mildly sweet, medium finish. It's 131 proof but easier to drink with less burn than say.. Booker's 128 proof. Good stuff! Although I ended up paying more than the readily-available Booker's or Forester 1920, this is a must-have barrel proof for my collection. I like the regular EC small batch, which is great bargain at $25, but compared to barrel proof, the intense melted caramel never comes, with more muted oak and moderate caramel persisting evenly without the same complexity or dark fruit notes in mid-palate. I wish I could find it near MSRP, but I will probably end up buying more in the future anyway... *Edit. One really bad thing about EC BP is that it is soooo sweet and caramelly that I cannot enjoy ANY of my peated Scotch after drinking the EC BP. The sweetness in peated Scotch that balances the peat gets completely overwhelmed by EC, even after water, making my beloved Islay drams taste extremely unbalanced without balancing sweetness ?

I am sure this is true. Any examples of lower proof goodies to try in future? In the meanwhile, darn Bevmo sent me a $15 coupon, so I just picked up these, which happen to be 116 proof and 96 proof ? I think I am going to have to stop buying any more whisky this year. *Edit Lagavulin 8 Peat and smoke forward, more so than Laga 16, smoke more obvious with less complex but more exciting, fresh approach with more tongue-tingling than Laga 16. Not sweet compared to Ardbeg 10 or Laphroiag QC, drier and more precise, surgical. Not sure I like that... In fact Laga 16 is on the dry, focused side also. I may not be a Laga person after all.. Laphroiag 10 Cask Strength Love this Islay intense peat bomb. I never loved Laphroiag 10 due to kind of burnt plastic/rubber aftertaste, the low 40% ABV not helping to bring other flavors forward IMO. Cask Strength is another beast altogether, with much more of everything is framed boldly, with much less of funky aftertaste and enough sweetness to balance out the peat. My favorite Ardbegs have met their match!

Aberlour A'bunadh Yup, the moment I opened the cork and the aroma filled the room, I broke out laughing even before tasting it. Candied orange peel filled the room, followed by dense, creamy, oily, warm fruits and caramel on palate, with incredibly long finish. Loved it with or without water added. So, how does Aberlour 16 compare?? I think I am definitely cask strength type of drinker, so I have to wonder about Auchentoshan Valinch, Kilchoman cask strength, etc, although they are hard to find around here, and I guess people can't ship alcohol to Caly from out of state. Thinking about trying Highland Park Valkyrie with my BevMo coupon. Should I skip it and just get HP 18?

Hmm. I am (?used to be, before whisky) red wine drinker, and I don't know how I missed the whole sherry thing. No idea what sherry bomb might taste like...yet. I am tasting the bottles in order of increasing alcohol content. First Impressions first. Balvenie 14. It's good, but I think I have to come back to this to make up my mind. I guess some are calling it Scotch for bourbon lovers due to a bit extra sweetness. Well, I AM a bourbon lover, and I'd rather just reach for my Booker's or Old Forester 1920 for my bourbon fix. Perhaps the 43% ABV is not enough for me.. Addendum. Balvenie 14 does much better for me when I am not in analyzing mode and just kick back with it. Very balanced, smooth with bit of bourbon sweetness and rum tropics. The only thing is Aberlour A'bunadh only costs $5 more at Total Wine, so this might be my last Balvenie 14... Compass Box The Peat Monster. I knew I would like this, as it is made of "40% Laphroaig, 20% Ledaig, 13% Caol Ila, 26% Ardmore, 1% “Highland Malt” (60% Clynelish, 20% Dailuaine, 20% Teaninich)" It's like spreading smoked honey over smoked bacon, without going over to yucky greasy mess. There's surprising amount of complexity, organization, and clarity. Good Stuff. *Edit* Ha! I guess I do know what sherry finish is like since I have an open bottle of Ardbeg Uigeadail! Just to check myself, I tried the Peat Monster then Oogie, and I don't know how Ardbeg managed to make 54.2% ABV taste so smooth. Wow, I guess all those little extra notes of various dark fruits in Oogie come from Sherry, and Oogie's peat can almost be called subtle compared to the truckload of unabashed peat from Compass box! *Edit* Ardbeg Corryvreckan. Comparing Oogie and Corry side by side is a futile exercise methinks. Such smoky peat and high ABV tending to overshadow subtle differences, which come out more as I add a bit of water. But a part of me kind of prefer things at Cask Strength, as the pour punches my face ?

Actually I prefer the likes of Ardbeg 10 over Redbreast 12 flavor. Think I will skip Irish..

In glass is $200+ Candidates so far. Take them all or?

Bourbon or Scotch. They are out of Highland Park 18!

Standing in Total Wine looking to break my $80/bottle budget for something Real good. What to get?

I gotta try more Rye's. Flipping among Rittenhouse, Pikesville, and Lot 40 rye, that Rittenhouse a damn good deal and at healthy 100 proof too!

I'm not sure I know what Anise tastes like..but I would say more along the lines of caramelized dark cherry taste with very viscous mouthfeel.

Actually, I should have said Pikesville is speaking to me more than others, not including the Old Forester 1920. I already have drunk Forester 1920 plenty in past and still have a half bottle left, but only picked up another bottle in the picture to make sure I don't run out It's truly wonderful bourbon, and its 115 proof nutty, creme brulee palate is DeLicious,, and everyone should have a bottle!

Hmmm. Interesting, but so far, the Pikesville rye is speaking to me more than others..

Early Christmas. Especially excited to try Rampur Select from India and Redbreast 12 ?‍♂️

Dang, I wish I knew about Springbank before the prices went up ☹️

Wasn't that thimbleful before I could not resist. Mixing that gallon right now...

I had nothing better to do today...so I decided to blend my own version of High West Campfire, a mix of peaty scotch, bourbon, and rye. I must say, this is DeLiCious? Lovely peaty smoke starts the show and finishes it, with honey sweet bourbon in the middle, with a rye kick somewhere in mid-middle. Next time, I will try a "real" rye instead of 51% rye Rittenhouse.

After further experimentation, I'm sticking to NEAT with Scotch. I revisited Johnnie Walker Blue, which my dear friends/family (who are not "whiskey people") sometimes gift me on occasion. I must confess I'd rather drink a good cask-strength bourbon over Blue... As far as Scotch goes, where I have less experience than Bourbon, I believe I am strictly an Islay lover. I'd much rather drink Ardbeg 10 or Lava 16 over non-Islay single malts I've tried in past, such as Glenfiddich 12 or McCallan 12. Is there a must-try non-Islay single malt I am missing out on?

Puwhaaaha! Turns out BevMo has Lava 16 LISTED at ridiculous $99.99 but has it on sale for $62.99 currently. Used the $10 BevMo coupon to buy 2 bottles. Lava 16 is exactly what I've wanted, peat and smoke with complexity and sweetness. Also feels higher in alcohol content than stated 43% ? This Scotch/Bourbon thing could erode into my audio budget... I'm afraid to go deeper and $$$. BTW, what's the feeling on adding few drops of water to Scotch? I do it successfully mostly to high proof bourbons, 115-120 proof at least, but Scotch starts out lower in proof anyway..

Dang, local Cali BevMo has Oogie for $83 ☹️ On the bright side, it seems in Cali, Costco membership is not needed to buy just alcohol, so let me make a strip soon..

While I liked Laphroiag 10, I believe I prefer the Ardbeg 10, which I can drink easier/more. Both are in $55-60 range at local Bevo, and what would be a good next step Islay Scotch without breaking the bank? Laphroiag quarter cask, cask strength, or?