Flat_Eric did a whiskey trail way back. Blagged our way into Knockandoo distillery at 9.30am on a miserable February morning and surprisingly they let us in. Was shown round even though the distillery wasn’t opened to the public. Then offered a dram. Manager opened an impressive cabinet and my eyes were drawn to a bottle of some trendy spirit based drink whose name escaped me. Drinking a single malt on site at 9.30am was a memorable experience.

Manager asked what malts I liked. I replied Isley malts especially Lagavulin. He mused for a moment and replied softly - ‘a wee too much phenol for me.’

      Systemic I am partial to Campbeltown and Islay malts so you are in good company. Drinking some nice Ardbeg and Springbank this evening 😀

          Dom Perignon … but it is probably my #1 memory because I won it in a bet over a tennis match with a friend whom I had never played before but who was super confident he was going to win. Liquor won in a bet always tastes better.

          Beverast I am partial to Campbeltown and Islay malts so you are in good company. Drinking some nice Ardbeg and Springbank this evening 😀

          Love Springbank. Not easy to come by - like Campbeltown, it’s triple distilled - fiery but still refined. Prefer the 10 yr old to the 12.

            Systemic Drinking a single malt on site at 9.30am was a memorable experience.

            I remember rolling out of “The Whisky Experience” in Edinburgh at midday and going back to the hotel to sleep it off. Ahh, the good old days!

                I just realised, in my senior years…I am a lightweight as far as booze goes!

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                Flat_Eric I remember rolling out of “The Whisky Experience” in Edinburgh at midday and going back to the hotel to sleep it off. Ahh, the good old days!

                That’s the spirit…literally☺

                  Not specifically drink, but my daughter did well with the beavertown glassware gift for Christmas

                  Strangely I only drink beer for my alcohol hit - proper beer of course

                  Big fan of mini casks and I’m in a few clubs that deliver monthly

                  My original favourite brewery was Roosters with Yankee my staple brew but currently my favourite brewery is Fyne Ales and Jarl my go to beer. Also love Wold Top brewery products and Helmsley Brewery make some beauties

                  I don’t mind the odd San Miguel gluten free when I make a curry but my preference is red wine with food, particularly the richer mouthfeel ones from Somontano ,Navarra , and Ribera del Duero or a passable Rioja.

                    When I’m off the booze I like to drink Wilfred’s and tonic, I’m not a fan of excessively sweet drinks and don’t often have alcohol so it’s nice to have a grown up tasting alternative to soft drinks.

                      Dusk When I’m off the booze I like to drink Wilfred’s and tonic, I’m not a fan of excessively sweet drinks and don’t often have alcohol so it’s nice to have a grown up tasting alternative to soft drinks.

                      Wow….I had not heard of it before, but not cheap. presumably it must be pretty good?

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                      • Dusk replied to this.

                          Systemic A bit like Laphroaig , very peaty, developed a liking for it when I was up there diving.

                          Find it too peaty now.

                          Went to the distillery when up there caravaning but of course being summer they were shut down for cleaning and awaiting the new supply of cereal.

                            I like all the Islay malts and their variations in peatiness. Infused vodkas can be interesting - the hotel we stayed in for the new year encourage the bar staff to make their own infusions using Chase vodka as the base. One of the most interesting was a vodka infused with pignuts. As good neat as it was in a martini.

                            I did dry January last year and then decided to go back to a lot less alcohol than I had been drinking previously, as in all honesty it was way too much. The only thing I missed was Henry Westons vintage cider and is pretty much the only thing I drink now alcohol wise- a couple of bottles a week does me fine. Mind you, it is over 8% so probably the equivalent of drinking 4 500ml cans of something of more standard strength.

                            My tipple of choice is whisky.
                            I must have over 50 bottles in my barrel at any one time and like them all , from the lighter ones to the ones that punch you in the face.
                            In reply to @dfk41 , the most expensive is a bottle of Highland Park 25 Yo, currently retailing at around £375 😮, I don’t like drinking it as there’s not much left and every half I have out of it is another half closer to finishing it 🙁

                            dfk41 Most expensive bottle I have bought is a Springbank 21 year old from 2020…cost was £199. Sounds like a lot but a year later you are paying 2-3 times that for the same bottle. A few years ago these bottles would sit on the shelf for a while…now it is virtually impossible to find any at RRP.

                            Best bottle I have bought is a very tough one to answer - However I will go with the Lagavulin 16, the very first bottle of Scotch I bought way back in 1998. Never had anything like it…took a while to grow on me, but was my “gateway” scotch to peated malts. Newer bottles of Lagavulin 16 imo are nowhere near as good as they were back in the 90’s, however it could also be that I prefer cask strength releases to the general releases - the annual release of the Laphraoig cask strength never fails to disappoint.