Found a Glenmorangie Allta today, quite a bit of dust on the box top but expected for a 2019 release.

Killing my bottle of Laphroaig QC tonight. Will mean I can move something from the countertop to the cabinet.

AgInSingapore said:

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Haven't opened it, got too much other stuff to work through. If I find a second bottle maybe it'll move to the front of the line!

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Fair enough... i see you also buy more than you drink. That seems to be a common problem around here.

Oh I absolutely do buy more than I drink, but collecting whisk(e)y is my hobby. Would likely open/drink more if my whisky buddies didn't live in other states and we could get together more frequently.

I really enjoy sharing a hard to find, expensive, or no longer produced bottle more than I do drinking it all myself and nothing I buy is done so with the intention to flip or trade. Holidays with the family are fun because we'll open up some bottles and enjoy some good (or at least hopefully good) pours.

Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest on pre-sale with Total Wine Concierge, email received today.

Just read the email myself. That sounds pretty interesting

I ordered 2, why not.

Also, Lagavulin is releasing the third edition of the Offerman series, this one is done in charred barrels. Not sure when it'll hit the shelf but should be soon-ish.

I will be picking up the Lagavulin Offerman this time. Have not had the previous ones and the charred oak sounds amazing on the lagavulin profile

I recently moved over to Scotland a few months back and am in the process of building up my bottle collection here. Back stateside I largely always had on hand some Balvenie double wood (mostly for friends/family) and my farorites Oban and Caol Ila.

I picked up some bottles at Tesco to get me going - Aberlour and Bunnahabhain. Really enjoying the Bunna.

Anyways one thing I have noticed in the local bottle shops here is a heavy leaning towards independent Scottish bottlers. There is actually one shop not far from me that is 100% independent offerings. Essentially these independents get casks from all the major distilleries we know and love and then put their own spin on the maturation process. This was something that I honestly never saw in the states.

I'm looking at picking up a bottle of 15yr Caol Ila bottled by Finn Thomson, essentially this a family which have large stocks (casks) of whisky and bottle when they feel it is ready. They may re-rack differently than the original distillery which obviously puts their own mark on the whisky so to speak.

Anyone ever tried out any of the Scottish independent bottlers?

I'd focus on bottlings from Gordon & MacPhail, Signatory, Douglas Laing, and Duncan Taylor.

Ardbeg Hypernova set to drop 15th October in the US. This is part of their Supenova line but this one will be at 170ppm phenol levels. No idea on actual availability, but would imagine it's limited.

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Anyone ever tried out any of the Scottish independent bottlers?

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Just sampled the four whiskies by Praban na Linne on Isle of Skye. They produce The Gaelic Whiskies. All were very nice and none were super peaty or smoky.

[url] https://www.gaelicwhisky.com/ [/url]

Edit to add I swill Dewars at home, but my 'like' whisky is Oban or a Macallan. Really like Cardhu, Dalmore, and Aberlour better. Some are going to be hard to source back home.

Thinking about picking up a bottle of Glen Scotia Victoriana as my first ever Campbelltown. Anyone had it or have another Campbelltown that you'd recommend ahead of it?

My goody goody has it on the shelf now. total wine is out of stock again so I am planning to pick up another bottle before I finish the one I have.

So today was not the day for single malt, but I saw lots of beautiful bottles that would have been awesome in my collection. Unfortunately they all started at 500 bucks a pop so I passed for now. I did grab a few bourbons, one rye and one other but as they aren't single malt no need to comment here. Saw lots of Lag 16, got 3 Balvenie 16 French Oak for my buddy, and know where to go for a 21 year Balvenie The Second Rose.

As a general public service announcement, be smart about the MSRP of what you're looking at, I've seen a 70 dollar and a 60 dollar disparity on two bottles today, both in favor of Specs vs TotalWine. 250 vs 180 is HUGE in my book, so stay informed, no reason to lose out if you can avoid it. It goes both ways, not a slam on TW because I've seen the 70 dollar diff in TW favor as well.

Impulse buy at Spec's was Laphroaig 10 with two branded glasses. Why do glasses (which I really don't need) make a purchase more interesting? Anyway, while I've had Laphroaig before (HATED it the first time), this is the first time I've grabbed a bottle. It's a reasonably priced winner.

Distillery tour of Scotland is on my bucket list

I got 2!

I had a glen scotia victoriana in my hand when I happened to see this one . Figured I would get the more limited bottle while I could.

The only reason I went to the store was because you posted that pic!

Update on the charred oak...it is tasty. I really like it. Want to have a couple more pours before I try and place the flavors I am getting

Opened a Dalmore 14 year old matured in American White Oak and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. Very nice- lots of stone fruit and vanilla with just a hint of spice on the finish. It was my first taste of Dalmore, and I am now a fan!

Pet peeve, but I really hate the "stone fruit" description for tasting notes. What do people really mean, since it can be any one or a combo of any of these:

peaches.
nectarines.
plums.
cherries.
apricots.
dates.
mangoes.
lychees.

It's probably better when referencing fruit and/or stone fruit in nosing and tasting notes to narrow down the category if possible. Black (blackberry, blueberry, fig, plum), red (cherry, strawberry, raspberry), tropical (banana, pineapple, lychee) and so on. It takes practice, that is for sure, all part of the adventure.

Went to vote at lunch then stopped by Total Wine to pick up the two Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest I ordered from TW Concierge and grabbed one the 2022 Lagavulin special releases they had on the shelf, 12 year bottled at 57.3% abv.

Saw two Octomore 13.2 on the shelf at Total Wine, they did not have the 13.1 or the 13.3

AgInSingapore said:

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Saw two Octomore 13.2 on the shelf at Total Wine, they did not have the 13.1 or the 13.3

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Which store?

Nm