Here is a snapshot of September on the blog and a quick look ahead to October.
With no recipe posts made in September, almost all of the top 10 most-read posts were spirits-related. The most read was my review of the Astor Huard Calvados—but that was probably due to the vicious behaviour in the comments by a well-known blogger who’s known for flying off the handle at the slightest provocation (you could almost hear him sniffing as he typed). Of the other brandy reviews only the Pellehaut 17 sneaked into the top 10. The Highland Park 10, the Michel Couvreur 12 for K&L, the Longrow 11 Red, the Macallan 10 Fine Oak, the Glenfarclas 35, 1968 and the Bowmore Feis Ile 2012 were the most read whisky reviews (in that order). The only restaurant review in the top 10 was that of Homi, the excellent Mexican place in St. Paul. The only non-review post of any kind to feature was the piece on Glendronach’s single cask shenanigans, a piece whose afterlife seems as endless as whisky geeks’ willingness to buy Glendronach’s “single casks”.
A recipe or two may show up this month but I still have a large backlog of restaurant reviews to post: three more from London, two more from Los Angeles in July (!) and a few more from the Twin Cities area. On the spirits front I’m aware that I haven’t posted any American whiskey reviews in a while and so this month those will take the place of the weekly brandy reviews: I’ll pick up with the Calvados and Armagnac reviews again in November.
Here accordingly is the long list of potential whisky reviews for October. Some of these are in the bag and almost certain to show up (the Douglas Laing Ardbegs) but I’m generally open to suggestions.
- Ardbeg 27, 1973-2000 (Douglas Laing OMC)
- Ardbeg 28, 1972-2000 (Douglas Laing OMC)
- Ardbeg 28, 1972-2001 (Douglas Laing OMC)
- Arran 10
- Beam Bonded Decanter, Spring 1960/Fall 1968
- Benromach 1978-1997 (Scott’s Selection)
- Blair Athol 25, 1988 (Signatory for LMDW)
- Blair Athol 26, 1988 (Signatory for Spec’s)
- Booker’s CO5-A-12
- Booker’s “Noe Secret”
- Bowmore 23, 1989 (A.D. Rattray)
- Caol Ila 14, Unpeated
- Clynelish 22, 1989 (Thosop)
- Clynelish 25, 1984 (SMWS 26.67)
- Evan Williams Single Barrel
- George Dickel No. 12
- George Dickel 17
- Henry McKenna Bottled in Bond
- Home Blend 35, 1980 (Wilson & Morgan)
- Jack’s Pirate Whisky, “Das Gestohlene Schiff Part V”
- Lagavulin, Lg5 (Elements of Islay)
- Laphroaig Cairdeas 2016
- Laphroaig Lore
- Linkwood 29, 1984 (Malts of Scotland)
- Littlemill 12
- Littlemill 21, 1992 (Berry Bros. & Rudd)
- Lochside 29, 1981 (Captain Burn’s)
- Macduff 31, 1980 (Wilson & Morgan)
- New Holland Zeppelin Bend
- Old Taylor 6 yo, Bottled in1985
- Slow Hand Six Woods Cask Strength Malt
- Wild Turkey Old No. 8, Bottled in 1996
My Annoying Opinions 
It’s always nice to hear about American whiskey from time to time, any chance of looking at the Booker’s or the Dickels? The old Beam decanter would be cool too, thanks.
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Interested in 10, 12, 18, and 22. Perhaps the Arran, too?
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I didn’t know Florin was a blogger.
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Yeah, that threw me off too.
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If/when you review the old Wild Turkey, comparing it to its modern successor would be informative. Maybe you can solicit a sample from a local kegger.
Also, since you’re an unabashed fan of most things Laphroaig, I’m curious what you’ll think of Lore.
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The Laphroaigs. And the Arran too please!
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+1 on the Laphroaigs.
Also Henry McKenna BIB especially if you enjoyed Parker’s Promise of Hope. Hard to find a better value bourbon.
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Lochside can be very good so I’d be interested in seeing that reviewed.
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Laphroaigs, especially the Cairdeas.
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The Laphroaigs are a near certainty…provided they show up. They’re not in hand yet—I placed an order last week and am yet to receive a shipment notice.
And you can probably count on at least one Booker’s and one Dickel. I feel like before I review the Beam decanter I may need to do a fuller study of the lexicon of “dusty” bourbon reviews. Don’t want to seem like the novice I am!
And it turns out I’ve already reviewed the Arran 10. It’s such a pleasure growing old. The sample I have now was taken from a bottle released around the same time as the one in the previous review and so I’m not sure there’s much use in a second review.
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