The look ahead to February blah blah blah.

The poll to select recipes for the month ahead already closed yesterday—check the top four vote getters on that poll to see which this month’s recipes will be. On the restaurant front, I’ll be finishing up my Los Angeles meal reports over the next two weekends. We may also return to in-person dining in Minnesota this month. We have reservations at Owamni in Minneapolis at the end of the month. But with omicron apparently having peaked in Minnesota and with proof of vaccination now required to dine indoors in both Minneapolis and St. Paul we might venture indoors even before then. Let’s see how it goes. Oh yes, I also hope to finally post the latest entry in my universally beloved “Covering the Coverage of Indian Food” series. I pretty much know what I want to spotlight—it’s just a matter of finding time to sit down to write it (and my midterm break is on the horizon).

What mostly remains is to figure out which whiskies to review. As you will see from the long list below there are a number of possible themed weeks. This week is going to be all northern highlands distilleries but there will be enough left over for a couple more highlands distillery weeks, including a possible all-Ben Nevis week. A fair bit of Islay action possible as well, including an all-Caol Ila week and/or an all-Kilchoman week and/or an all-sorts peated Islay week. There’s even a Campbeltown week possible between a Longrow, a Kilkerran and a Glen Scotia. And moving away from slicing by region or distillery a sherry cask week would also be possible with a number of available combinations. I have to say I’d be happy to drink and review any of these this month and so I am really hoping you will help simplify my choices. As always, please nominate in the comments below the ones that most catch your eye.

1. Ardbeg 8
2. Ardmore 10, 2009 (Single Cask Nation)
3. Balblair 26, 1990 (Cadenhead)
4. Ben Nevis 20, 1997 (Berry Bros. & Rudd)
5. Ben Nevis 20, 1997 (The Exclusive Malts)
6. Ben Nevis 20, 1999 (The Daily Dram)
7. Caol Ila 11, 2007 (Berry Bros. & Rudd)
8. Caol Ila 12, 2008 (Adelphi)
9. Caol Ila 30, 1982, Archives
10. Craigellachie 19,1999, Sherry Butt 129
11. Glen Ord 9, 2011 (Signatory)
12. Glen Ord 11, 2006 (Cadenhead)
13. Glen Scotia 11, 2008 (SMWS 93.138)
14. Glenmorangie 18 year old, 2021 Release
15. Kilchoman 8, 2012, Ruby Port Quarter Cask
16. Kilchoman 10, 2010, Spec’s Exclusive
17. Kilchoman 13, 2008, Spec’s Exclusive
18. Kilkerran Work in Progress #1
19. Laphroaig 10, Sherry Oak, 2021 Release
20. Laphroaig 12, 2004 (OMC)
21. Littlemill 22, 1989 (Glen Fahrn)
22. Longrow 18, 2014 Release
23. Mortlach 12, 2008 (Sovereign for K&L)
24. Tomatin 25, 1994 (Hunter Laing)