Here is a look ahead to November on the blog. But first a quick look back at October. The most read reviews in October were of the Laphroaig Cairdeas 2016 and the Laphroaig Lore. Right behind them was the review of the Booker’s Small Batch. In fourth position was my recipe for Pork Pickle. After that it was three more bourbons: the Dickel 12, Booker’s Noe Secret, and the Dickel 17. Of all the other Islay whiskies I reviewed only two made it into the top 10: the Ardbeg 27, 1973 and the Caol Ila 14 Unpeated. Advice to the beginning blogger who is very interested in page views: review only bourbon and current releases. The list was rounded out by the perennially popular piece on Glendronach’s cask shenanigans (at #6) and my love letter to Pentatonix. 

This month I will try to be less Islay-centric. There will be a fair bit of bourbon again, but probably all from one distillery: I am going to be getting my hands on a sample set that features each of Four Roses’ 10 recipes in single cask form and I’m going to figure out a way to do grouped reviews of them. As for the rest of my long list below, as always, I am open to suggestions.

On the food front there will be a number of posts about eating in Montreal. We were just there for a lovely weekend (despite the weather) and I am bursting to post about it—this despite our trip ending with a down note and a 19 hour travel day from waking to getting home: this because we forgot that Montreal-Minneapolis is an international flight and that US immigration is done on the Canadian side after going through security. The lines were immense and we missed our very early morning nonstop flight by 20 minutes. I will also probably post the two remaining London meal reviews.

Here’s the whisky list:

1. Aberlour 17, for TWE
2. Aberlour 20, 1990 (Signatory)
3. Ben Nevis 18, 1996 (Whisky Import Nederland)
4. Ben Nevis 19, Batch 4 (That Boutiquey Whisky Company)
5. Benrinnes 20, (TWE Time Series II)
6. Benromach 1978-1997 (Scott’s Selection)
7. Blair Athol 25, 1988 (Signatory for LMDW)
8. Blair Athol 26, 1988 (Signatory for Spec’s)
9. Clynelish 22, 1989 (Thosop)
10. Clynelish 25, 1984 (SMWS 26.67)
11. Four Roses Small Batch Ltd. Edition 2016*
12. Four Roses: Various Recipes*
13. Glenfarclas 1986, Family Casks, #3434
14. Glenfarclas 1989, Family Casks, #7299 for Astor Wine
15. Glenfarclas 40
16. Glenrothes 1980-2005 (Scott’s Selection)
17. Home Blend 35, 1980 (Wilson & Morgan)
18. Kilkerran Work in Progress 6, Bourbon
19. Kilkerran Work in Progress 7, Bourbon
20. Lagavulin 18, Feis Ile 2016
21. Laphroaig 10 CS, Batch 007
22. Laphroaig 20, 1996, Masterpieces for TWE
23. Linkwood 29, 1984 (Malts of Scotland)
24. Littlemill 12
25. Littlemill 21, 1992 (Berry Bros. & Rudd)
26. Lochside 29, 1981 (Captain Burn’s)
27. Macduff 31, 1980 (Wilson & Morgan)
28. Old Pulteney 17
29. Rampur Single Malt Whisky
30. Undisclosed Speyside 15, (TWE Time Series 1)

The starred whiskies are not in hand yet but I expect they will be before the middle of the month.