Port Ellen 16 1980 Gordon & MacPhail Spirit of Scotland

Thanks to RaunchyJowls for the sample. There are some whiskies that people assume are going to be perfect. We’ve been spoiled, if you will. If you have been drinking back to the 90s, this happened with old Ardbeg. You got used to 70s Ardbeg, then the company ran out eventually. If you were buying in the early […]

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2020

I’m always a year or more behind when it comes to Cairdeas releases. Not only are they not easy to get your hands on (as we’re starved for similar quality whiskies here in Canada), but I like to take my time with these bottles. That’s a lie I have too much to write, I am […]

Ardbeg – Better as an OB or IB?

I’ve been lucky enough to try Ardbeg from the 60s to recently. And yes, that’s a brag. Brag, brag, brag. I’m awesome and I’m sure you imagine my genitalia as massive and tight and amazing. Wow, way to alienate new people. Let’s start over. Ardbeg has changed over the years. What was, at one point, […]

Smokehead 18 Extra Black / Smokehead The Rock

Let’s be honest here: If you like Islay whisky, you’re used to dealing with high prices. Wait, let’s back up: If you’re into whisky of any type, you’re used to dealing with high prices. The current global pandemic means that supply chains are all kinda borked up. Wood costs so much that people are lining […]

Bruichladdich – I need more

If you’re a hobby person (aka someone who’s actually interesting to have discussions with at a party), you can trace aspects of your hobby back to something in your childhood. In my case my first “hobby” was video games. I am not good at sports. My art skills are something I love but most would […]

Bunnahabhain 11 Port Pipe Finish Cask Strength

Thanks to /u/Throzen for pouring this dram at a tasting. Bunnahabhain keeps me scratching my head. So off the bat you have a malt that was historically unpeated (or typically lightly peated) on the Island of Peat (not to be mixed up with the Island of Pete… that was a mixup that lead to a boring holiday). […]

Caol Ila 2004 Connoisseurs Choice – Wood Finished

Thanks to /u/devoz for this sample There have been a few Hermitage releases, and each time I see them, I have to look up exactly what they mean. Hermitage is a French wine Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) in the northern Rhône wine region of France south of Lyon. There you go, copied from Wikipedia, so I’m 66% […]

Bowmore 17 Cadenhead Single Cask

Thanks to /u/devoz for sharing this dram I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Pepperoni tastes good on chocolate chip cookies. But enough of my high school eating habits. We’re here to discuss Bowmore. And for that I have a less controversial opinion: Bowmore is tasty when not bottled by Bowmore. Why? Well… capitalism. But […]

A bunch of reasons I like Laphroaig

No funny start. No explanation, nothing. I’m here and you’re here for the exact same reason. Laphroaig. Are you a peat head? You like Laphroaig, probably. And you haven’t been as wallet sodomized (with your consent) by Laphroaig, unless it’s got an age statement typically reserved for that point where life starts making a bit […]

A bunch of Bunnahabhain

I like Bunnahabhain. But I don’t think I love Bunnahabhain. There’s a debate that comes up each time we have Bunna at a tasting: It’s good, but is it ever great? And there’re some of us who believe maybe, some who fall into never, and myself, a person in between. Of course, I’m a reviewer […]