@PBMichiganWolverine Yup and my LC bucket list. Especially that Port one I've heard so much about! :-)

@Soba45 plus some craft US ones that you won’t find in TWE

@PBMichiganWolverine I'm quite excited as I managed to score samples of the Tobias and Caroni via TWE plus thanks to you I'll have the chance to try the 10 yr Octomore and Del Maguey A. Should be a great birthday and xmas next month!

@PBMichiganWolverine @Richard-ModernDrinking Ok there is no $120 bottle as it was a mistake by the online store so just the $300 USD one. Luckily for me I know friends in high whiskey places..a one PBM will be kindly helping me tick off my whiskey bucket list!

@PBMichiganWolverine AWESOME! If you like I can buy you a bottle of something you want in the USA and ship it as a gift to you to cover shipping + repay the samples you are sending. save money transfer fees :-). Happy to do cash as well. whatever works. Chat on email!

And few others

@Soba45 samples coming in will be an issue. But samples going out will be fine. I can send you some LC and a few others. Just pay the shipping there—-i’ll Send over 2 LCs, a

@PBMichiganWolverine @Richard-ModernDrinking actually I lie. There is one 2017 bottle for over $300USD which is crazy and a new place which just popped up with 1 bottle for $120USD but no year or anything. So literally 2 bottles in nz over all batches! I will have to enquire further on the later...

@Richard-ModernDrinking Sadly due to (literal) risk of imprisonment request was sadly (on both sides) declined. Man USA laws are mad..here you just have to cough up some more $ at worst!

@Soba45 That’s almost a human rights violation. Surely the Distillerati can arrange to airlift you some emergency supplies.

@PBMichiganWolverine Nope never seen one. And haven't seen any on MoM..and I'm pretty sure WE was the same. The list of drams I want to (realistically try) before I die is any Laphroaig Cairdeas, Red Spot, Kavalan Amontillado, Muscatel, Manzanilla, any Daftmill...and that's about it. The LC in particular drives me insane as I've been tormented by all the reviews over the last few years!

@Soba45 wait...there’s no Laphroaig Cairdeas in NZ?!?! What about getting a sample (or few) from TWE ?

@Generously_Paul Nice list. I'd LOVE to try an LC before I die and also very keen to try the JP xmas as heard that is great as well. I've consoled myself by buying another bottle of the Benriach Solstice:-)

@Generously_Paul what’s interesting is the price variance in there. The Whipsaw and GlenDronach 20 are opposite sides the spectrum, but they’re in the same league for top 10 2019. Goes to show it doesn’t need to be $$$$ to be goos enough for a top 10

@PBMichiganWolverine my top 10 of 2019 so far are as follows: 10) Springbank 12 YO burgundy wood (4) 9) Whipsaw Rye (4.25) 8) Port Dundas 28 YO (4.25) 7) Laphroaig Cairdeas 2019 (4.25) 6) Lagavulin 9 YO GoT (4.25) 5) Paul John X-Mas 2018 (4.25) 4) Tamdhu Batch 003 (4.25) 3) Tamdhu batch 002 (4.5) 2) Macallan 21 YO Fine Oak (4.5) 1) GlenDronach 20YO PX Single Cask 1994 (4.75). All those 4.25s may not be in the actual order I would place them, just what I could remember off hand.

@Richard-ModernDrinking Nice list. Laga 10 is probably the only one I could get but looks like it's a hard pass!

@PBMichiganWolverine same here. The wife uses the bag all the time for shopping or general purpose carrying. Ruggedly made.

@Scott_E I still have that free Craigellechie 13. And that free bag is used by my 7 yr old son for his swim classes. He always gets smiles from the other dads...

@PBMichiganWolverine There’s still plenty of time for this to change, but provisionally: Single malt: Mortlach 25 Blend: Compass Box Stranger & Stranger Single cask: Glendronach 1990 27 year sherry butt American: Michter’s Rye 10 Non-whisky: Del Maquey Arroqueno Mezcal Toilet cleaner: Lagavulin 10

@LeeEvolved Yes! You’re in your whisky prime...and should definitely open ultra top-shelf bottles in your collection early and often :)

@PBMichiganWolverine Probably my first and last chance at winning something. (I do recall that night this crazed guy badgering our server for the bottle. She held her own.)

@Soba45 I tried that with @Scott_E —he took me as his guest to that tasting. He was one of the lucky few that won a tasting lottery

@Scott_E Nice list. Would LOVE to try the 51 Craigallechie...now that is a unicorn!!!

@PBMichiganWolverine @Soba45 There are ten that I would consider my favorites and glad I had the experience. From what I have experienced, in no particular order: Old Pulteney 21, Hibiki 21, Highland Park 25, Craigellachie 51, Talisker 18, Elijah Craig Barrel Strength, Four Roses Limited Barrel, Macallan Rare Black, A Midwinters Night Dram Act 2, Highland Park 18. Most of these that I experienced have been from the generosity of @PBMichiganWolverine, @LeeEvolved, @Generously_Paul, @dubz480 and @Telex. The beauty of whisky: sharing; sharing the experience.

@PBMichiganWolverine Ah thanks I thought so. A lot of young stuff and limited blending I'm thinking

@Soba45 Kavalan Solist has huge variations in batches. They send the honey casks to gather all the awards though

@LeeEvolved That's the spirit! (no pun intended:-) ). I'll be really interested to see what you think of the Kavalan as I suspect there maybe a fair bit of variation between batches which is why I'm reluctant to pull the trigger as I'm sick of getting burnt on the bourbon front. The JW rarely impressed me as the regular blue is so average. Sadly the 22 Albariza wasn't as good as the 18 but I'm interested to see if it improves over time as I only had a sample.

@LeeEvolved Oh I have a spare bottle of the virgin oak stored away as well which I'm very pleased about.

@LeeEvolved Maybe your standards are too high now you've reached connoisseur status :-). I had another crack at the Caol Ila 18 and although very nice didn't reach the stds of the one you had sadly :-(.

The fact that @soba45 has 4 whiskies in his Top 10 that I have bottles of tells me I should probably get cracking and drink my way out of this funk I seem to be in, lol: Benriach 22 Moscatel, both JW Ghost & Rares and the Kavalan Solist Sherry would all probably lift my spirits. Hell, I even have the 22yo version of the Benriach Albariza. What, exactly, am I waiting on? 🤷🏻‍♂️

@PBMichiganWolverine - wow, scrolling through my reviews over the last 11 months hasn’t revealed many superstar drams. In fact, I only awarded one whisky with 5 stars: Caol Ila 18. That has to be my favorite of the year, hands down. I rated the Talisker 25, Glendronach 20yo Single Cask 1994, Compass Box The Circus and the Glendronach 14yo Virgin Oak at 4.5-4.75. The other 4 needed to make up my Top 10 only scored 4-4.25 stars, and there were a handful to choose from. I guess you could say it was an “off” year for me, with only one 5 star pour. That’s kinda sad, lol.

@PBMichiganWolverine @cascode Yes great idea, I'll loop cs in as well. Very keen to put together a xnas shopping list although sadly I have a feeling everything will be either unobtainable or eyewateringly expensive!

@Soba45 posing the same question to @Richard-ModernDrinking @dubz480 @LeeEvolved @Slainte-Mhath @Generously_Paul @Scott_E

@PBMichiganWolverine Very interesting and diverse list! Sadly most of them I can't get hold of and the couple I can are quite eye watering price! Hopefully I get to try the Ardbeg and Mitchter's at Dramfest :-)

@Soba45 I think my top 10 for this year: Tobias and the Angel, Ardbeg Traig Bhan, Octomore Dialogos 10, Michter 10 rye , Del Bac Dorado , Talisker 1986 21yr , Auchentoshan 21 sherry matured, Del Maguey Arroqueno, Craigellechie 51 yr old, Caroni 20yr rum . I was surprised to have a few non-whiskey in there.

@PBMichiganWolverine You have a top 10?

@PBMichiganWolverine IMHO the Port Ellen was miles better than the Brora but just because of the taste profile not quality. Yes the woodwinters was a very very nice Bowmore. I grabbed a bottle of the 22 Moscatel yesterday and will get another bottle of the 17 Solstice. Everything else is sadly either unobtainable or in the case of the Kavalan I'm expensive plus I'm not confident around batch variation.

I’ve tried the JW Rare Port Ellen——compared to the regular Blue, it was a huge step up. I’ve heard the Brora one is even better. The Woodwinters—-is that a Bowmore ?